Raptor Research In India: Inadequate Data and Species' Status Uncertainty For Many Species

Abstract

Despite the recent surge in ornithological research in South Asia, raptors remain poorly studied. Inadequate information on the regional status and ecology of birds of prey hinders development of effective conservation measures. Our meta-analysis that focused on trends of scientific research on diurnal raptors in India found 478 published articles on 78 raptor species. We used the online databases of Google Scholar, Scopus, and the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society to develop regional research and conservation priority indices (RCPI) for raptors, using the tool originally developed by Buechley et al. (Diversity and Distributions 25:856–869, 2019) for the raptors of the world. Published literature on raptors in India was highly skewed; most were either anecdotal reports about common species, or studies focused on vultures, whose local extirpations received significant attention. Twenty-one raptor species, of which two are near threatened and three vulnerable, were specifically studied in fewer than five publications. Even many common species are similarly poorly studied. The regional raptor RCPI was highest for the Andaman Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis elgini; 0.71) and lowest for Black Kites (Milvus migrans; 0.11). Several species that received high priority scores are vulnerable to extirpation due to factors such as habitat loss, poisoning, electrocutions, and other threats. We conclude that assessment of the species-bias in published studies will help researchers identify and address the knowledge gaps. This will ultimately help conservationists and managers devise effective regional and country-specific management strategies. We recommend further regional contextualization of the RCPI.