Assam: Climate change threatens vibrant birdlife, global ecosystems

Guwahati: The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, captured in a striking photograph from Bandardubi near Kaziranga and shared by Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Wednesday, symbolizes Assam’s natural beauty  now under mounting threat.

As climate change intensifies, rising temperatures, erratic floods, and deforestation are endangering the very habitats that sustain Assam’s rich birdlife.

Experts warn that Assam’s delicate ecosystems are nearing a tipping point, with unpredictable weather patterns disrupting nesting, migration, and food availability. “Assam’s forests are not just home to wildlife  they are living systems that hold nature together,” said a senior forest official.

The Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, once a familiar splash of color over Kaziranga’s wetlands, is among the species struggling to adapt to shrinking greenery and insect decline. “When floods come early or dry spells linger, entire breeding cycles collapse,” observed  Anuradha Das, an ornithologist.

Home to more than 800 bird species, Assam’s forests and wetlands including Kaziranga and Deepor Beel  are vital stopovers for migratory birds. But increasing climate stress threatens both resident and migratory populations, raising fears of long-term ecological imbalance.

Globally, the crisis mirrors Assam’s plight. Melting polar ice displaces Arctic terns, desertification endangers African raptors, and rising sea levels erase coastal nesting sites.

“Birds are the first messengers of ecological distress,” said a Bombay Natural History Society researcher.

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The IUCN reports that 13% of the world’s bird species now face extinction, driven by climate change and habitat loss. Conservation measures like Assam’s afforestation drives and global accords such as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) offer hope  but scientists warn that time is running out.

“Conservation is no longer a choice; it’s survival,” said a Kaziranga-based conservationist. As climate change tightens its grip, the fading song of the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater echoes a stark warning  protect nature now, or risk silence forever.