Question 1461

Consider the following statement about the Greater Adjutant Stork: 1. Also known as Hargila, the bird is a scavenger. 2. It is confined to a few pockets in Assam and Bihar. 3. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Select the correct statement(s):

Answer

1 and 2 only

Why?

Explanation: The greater adjutant stork, also known as Hargila, is a scavenger. Often, the garbage and animal carcasses it carries to its nest drop to the ground below and on rooftops and wells, provoking the villagers to chase it away by pelting stones and sticks and felling the trees in which it nests. Hence, statement 1 is correct. Once commonly found in northern and north-eastern India, is now confined to certain pockets of Assam and Bihar. There is a small breeding population in Cambodia. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global population of these birds is estimated to be only about 1,200. Hence, statement 2 is correct. IUCN Red List: Endangered Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.