The Indian Sunderbans home to 428 species of birds: ZSI

The Indian Sunderbans home to 428 species of birds: ZSI

Part of: GS Prelims and GS- III – Biodiversity; Environment

In news 

• A recent publication of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) states that the Indian Sunderbans, which is part of the largest mangrove forest in the world, is home to 428 species of birds. 
• Of the 428 birds listed, some, like the masked finfoot and the Buffy fish owl, are recorded only from the Sunderbans.
• The area is home to nine out of 12 species of kingfishers found in the country and rare species such as the Goliath heron and the spoon-billed sandpiper.

Important value additions 

• The Indian Sunderbans also includes the Sunderban Tiger Reserve. 
• It is home to about 96 royal Bengal tigers as per the last census in 2020.
• It is a world heritage site and a Ramsar site. 

The masked finfoot 

• The masked finfoot or Asian finfoot is an aquatic bird from the fresh and brackish wetlands of the eastern Indian subcontinent, Indochina, Malaysia and Indonesia. 

The buffy fish owl

• The buffy fish owl, also known as the Malay fish owl, is a fish owl in the family Strigidae. 
• It is native to Southeast Asia and lives foremost in tropical forests and wetlands. 
• Due to its wide distribution and assumed stable population, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004