Important Bird Areas are sites of international importance for the conservation of birds and their habitats. IBAs are among the world’s key site for biodiversity conservation and the IBA concept developed by the BirdLife International Partnership facilities their identification nationally using data gathered locally following globally agreed and standardized criteria. IBAs are practical networks for conservation. They help decision makers locally, nationally and globally to identity priorities and bring together key stakeholders to conserve and manage sites sustainably.
The Indian IBA declaration is the result of five years’ exhaustive work by the IBA team and a large number of people: many amateur and professional ornithologists, birdwatchers, conservationists, forest officials and people interested in birds. As a partner designate Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) successfully corroborated the data and to the possible extent sprading the message and conserving these IBA sites (Islam & Rahmani 2005).
Among 465 conservation priority locations identified as Important Bird Areas (IBA) spread throughout India, 37 sites are located in Karnataka. Assam is leading with 46 IBAs and next is Karnataka. Mysore area hosts 12 IBAs. They are:
1. Adi-chunchanagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Mandya district (designated IBA no. IN KA-01)
2. Karanji Lake, Mysore district (designated IBA no. IN KA -14)
3. Kokkarebellur, Mandya district (designated IBA no. IN KA-17)
4. Krishnarajasagar Reservoir, Mandya & Mysore district (designated IBA no. IN KA-18)
5. Kukkarahalli Tank, Mysore district (designated IBA no. IN KA-20)
6. Kunthur-Kalluru Lakes, Chamarajanagar district (designated IBA no. IN KA-21)
7. Lingambudhi Lake, Mysore district (designated IBA no. IN KA-22)
8. Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Mandya district (designated IBA no. IN KA-24)
9. Narasambudhi Lake, Mysore district (designated IBA no. IN KA-27)
10. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Mandya district (designated IBA no. IN KA-31)
11. Sule kere, Mandya district (designated IBA no. IN KA-34)
12. Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary, Mysore district (designated IBA no. IN KA-36)
Among these potential sites like Ranganathittu, Sulekere lake, Krishnaraja sagar Reservoir & Kokkare Bellur in Mandya district; Karanji, Kukkarahalli Tank, Lingambudhi Lake, Narasambudhi in Mysore district & Kunthur-Kallur in Chamaraja nagar district have been considered for Ramsar sites (Islam & Rahmani 2008).
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