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MoEFCC Launches National Red List Assessment of 1,211 Bird Species
India initiates a National Red List Assessment of 1,211 regularly occurring bird species under the IUCN framework, spearheaded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The exercise is launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi and forms part of India’s National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025-2030.
National Red List Assessment of 1,211 Bird Species:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Coverage | It encompasses both resident and migratory bird species. |
| India’s target | India’s target provides for assessing over 11,000 species of flora, fauna, and fungi by 2030. |
| Preliminary assessment status | As of 19 October 2026, preliminary assessment has been completed for 107 bird species. |
| Key organisations and roles | Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) jointly lead the national initiative; IUCN India provides scientific collaboration; State of India’s Birds (SoIB) contributes bird population-trend information using citizen science. |
| Assessment parameters | Assessments require data on at least one of three key parameters: geographic range, population size, and population trends. |
| Additional IUCN-criteria considerations | Additional considerations under the IUCN criteria include population reduction, fragmentation, small population size, and quantitative extinction-risk analysis. |
| National Red List Assessment of Birds Forum | A collaborative platform is established to strengthen the scientific basis of conservation status assessments for India’s birds. |
| Forum functions | It brings together ornithologists and conservationists, facilitates sharing of expertise and available evidence, promotes discussion and consensus on assessment parameters, and develops estimates for critical conservation indicators. |
| Forum relevance | It helps bridge knowledge and data gaps in bird assessments and enhances the accuracy and reliability of the National Red List Assessment of Birds. |
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species | The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is established in 1964 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to assess the global extinction risk of animal, plant, and fungal species. |
| IUCN Red List significance | It provides scientific information for biodiversity conservation, policy formulation, and conservation prioritisation. |