Monitoring and Conservation of Forest Owlets in Gujarat

Thought to be extinct and rediscovered after 113 years, forest owlet was reported from several sites in India. However, the total known population remains very small and fragmented. Today, the bird is an endangered species (IUCN 2014) and inferred as declining. It has a tiny (100 to 400 individuals) and severely fragmented population (Birdlife International 2014), known from fewer than 12 recent. Its record in Gujarat led VNC to conduct an intensive survey of the species in the Dang region and other parts of south Gujarat region. VNC’s team is trying to acquire the baseline information such as present population status, distribution, suitable forest owlet area and conservation needs of forest owlet across protected and non-protected areas in its possible distributional range in Gujarat. This project has facilitated in identifying priority areas for planning of future conservation measures.

Project Duration- 2015-Ongoing 

Funding Agency: Rufford Small Grant Program, Bombay Natural History Society/Indian Bird Conservation Network, Idea Wil, Rapid Action Project (RAP)/Wildlife Trust of India.