Why in the News?

For the first time, a Black Stork, a species rarely seen, has been spotted in the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh recently.

About Black Stork:

• The black stork (Ciconia nigra) is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.
• It is usually found in marshy areas, rivers or inland waters.
• It is a long-distance migrant, with European populations wintering in tropical Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asian populations in the Indian subcontinent.
• The black stork is considered to be a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but its actual status is uncertain.
• Despite its large range, it is nowhere abundant, and it appears to be declining in parts of its range, such as in India, China and parts of Western Europe, though increasing in others such as the Iberian Peninsula.
• Various conservation measures have been taken for the black stork, like the Conservation Action Plan for African black storks by Wetlands International.
• It is also protected under the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.