Masked Finfoot

 Amongst all the birds in this world, there are some which are highly attractive and brightly coloured and others which are dull looking. Here I want to add that not all endangered birds are that eye-catching and in this post, I will be talking about one such bird, hiding itself in the thick mangroves of the Sunderbans.

Sunderban delta, situated in the middle of Bangladesh and West Bengal is home to a very dull looking yet critically endangered  bird– the Masked Finfoot. This bird is vulnerable to extinction because of the rise in the sea level, which is leading to the drowning of the islands and also the loss of its habitat. These semi-aquatic birds bear the resemblance of cormorants, but are actually members of the Crane order. They feed mostly on insects, shrimps and small fish. The sad part though is that the local fishermen often hunt these birds or collect their chicks and eggs, which is further decreasing their population. The expansion of farming lands and construction of dams are also posing as threats to these birds. There are also doubts whether these birds will survive till the next decade.

I request all the readers here to help me to spread awareness about the dangers these birds are facing and next time you visit the Sunderbans, don't forget to look out for them!



Comments

  1. Nature Ria9 March 2025 at 23:44

    Very beautiful writing True Indian, do you know what these birds are called locally? Are they found in other mangrove forests also?

    ReplyDelete
  2. True Indian 10 March 2025 at 15:07

    Thankyou for the appreciation.
    There are no known local names for the Masked finfoot and yes these birds can be found in other mangrove forests, like the Cape Ca Mau National Forest, Vietnam.

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