Current Status and Distribution of the Threatened Jerdon's Babbler Chrysomma altirostre in North-Eastern India

Jerdon's Babbler, a critically endangered grassland-dwelling bird endemic to South Asia, is experiencing rapid population decline in north-eastern India due to habitat loss and degradation. Key habitats include Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibru-Saikhowa, Kaziranga, and Maguri Beel in Assam, as well as D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. The species thrives in tall wet savanna grasslands dominated by Arundo donax, Phragmites spp., and Saccharum spp., typically between 50–250 meters altitude, with no recent records from northern West Bengal or Manipur valley. Surveys indicate severe threats from agricultural conversion, high grazing pressure, and annual grass burning, though no precise population estimates were derived. This study synthesizes survey data and literature to highlight the species' precarious status, emphasizing urgent conservation action.

Choudhury, A. (2023). Current Status and Distribution of the Threatened Jerdon’s Babbler Chrysomma altirostre in North-Eastern India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS). https://doi.org/10.17087/jbnhs/2023/v120/149145