Class : Aves
Order : Passeriformes
Family : Ploceidae
Genus : Ploceus
Species : Ploceus philippinus
Worried about the seemingly declining numbers, due to several reasons including habitat loss, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has decided to hold a pan-India Baya Weaver Count on two consecutive Sundays, June 5 and June 12, urging nature lovers to record and report the sightings of Indian Baya Weaver Birds in their areas.
The Bayas are a common species across India but along with most of the other weaver birds they are slowly undergoing a population decline because of increasing loss and modification of grasslands into human-dominated landscape, like agriculture farms, orchards, factories, canals and roads.
Highly gregarious, sparrow-sized, feed on grains, seeds and insects and have a high-pitched voice. Some males bring the nesting material, while some males weave thin threads into retort-shaped structures. During breeding season, April and August, the Baya males sport a distinctive yellow breeding plumage.
According to BNHS, all these factors have made it an urgent need to monitor this once common species and to collect its population data across India in order to reduce habitat loss and degradation and to promote conservation awareness initiatives. All Indian weaver bird species are protected and listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The records can be submitted on www.bnhs.org emailed to: ibabnhs@gmail.com
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