Survival of Asian Birds Threatened From Climate Change: Study

Research conducted by the Durham University and BirdLife International in its finding concluded that change in the climate is causing a threat to the survival of various Asian bird species including the ones found in India.
 
These species do not just need the complete protection of protected and important sites but also the management of wider countryside. The research also warned that in case of extreme situations, these birds would be required to be moved physically to climatically-suitable areas. 

A study was conducted for 370 species of Asian birds. These are the species where conservation is a prime cause of concern in biodiversity hubs like lower Mekong River basin regions in certain parts of Nepal and India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Bhutan as well as eastern Himalayas. The findings of the study showed that for survival of these bird species it was important to properly manage the conservation sites. 

It was shown that at least 45 percent and up to 88 percent of these 370 bird species would face a decrease in the availability of suitable habitats, which in turn would lead to change in the species composition in certain areas. 
As far as India is concerned, there are in all 466 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which are identified for hosting the different kinds of avian species, most of which also belong to the endangered category. 

BirdLife International described that even though the important sites like these will sustain the bird species but change in the climate will lead to a modification in the site for which the species will be suitable. Therefore there is a need to adapt the conservation management.