Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.

Flying thousands of kilometres circumventing the mighty Himalayas, harriers arrive in India’s grasslands around July every year, when winter sets in across their breeding grounds in Central Asia and Russia. Mated pairs perform a suave mid-air food pass, with the male dropping prey for the female to catch during flight.

They hunt by the day, circling low and in zigzag patterns to find small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. In addition to controlling their prey populations, a recent study found that two harrier species — the pallid and Montagu’s harriers — are surprisingly also grassland gardeners; they consume seeds carried inside their prey’s gut and later expel them unharmed.

Of the 16 harrier species found worldwide, six visit India — Montagu’s, pallid, hen, pied, and the Eurasian (western) and eastern marsh harriers. Unusually for raptors, they nest on the ground, and roost communally in large numbers with other harrier species — the world’s largest such roost documented so far was at Velavadar National Park, Gujarat.

Most harrier species are listed as least concern by the IUCN, except the pallid harrier, which is near threatened due to a global population decline. In India, harriers receive the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Long-term monitoring by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment’s Harrier Watch programme found that the number of harriers roosting together had declined between 1985 and 2015, driven largely by the loss of grasslands to agriculture, livestock overgrazing, wind and solar plants, and invasive species. The decline in prey such as grasshoppers due to pesticide use also adds to the pressure.

In a story published by Mongabay-India in July 2026, Vishwatej Pawar, co-founder of The Grasslands Trust said, “Grassland specialist species like the harriers actually play an important role in stabilising the populations of insects, pests, and even rodents, which helps farmers. When their habitats change, either due to afforestation or due to trenches, they compete for space or are unable to nest, roost, or properly forage, which causes population decline.”

Read more about the harriers’ role in grassland seed dispersal, their extraordinary migration journey, and declining populations.

Banner image: A gliding hen harrier. Image by Larisa Artemyeva via iNaturalist (Public Domain).

A May 2026 study describes a new species of toad (Duttaphyrnus phawngpui sp. nov.) from Phawngpui National Park, located in southeastern Mizoram along the border with Myanmar. Researchers studied two individuals found at the hilltops. The species was named after Phawngpui, Mizoram’s highest mountain peak at 2,157 metres above sea level.

True toads of the Duttaphyrnus genus occur as many species in varied habitats in South and Southeast Asia — often even in polluted areas. However, the newly described species and its closest relatives, D. stuarti, D. chandai and D. dhara, are largely restricted to the higher ranges of the eastern Himalayas, according to Jayaditya Purkayastha, a co-author of the study. Morphological and DNA analyses of the two specimens collected helped identify distinctions from the previously known species.

Researchers encountered D. phawngpui sp. nov. individuals among leaf litter on the forest floor along the edge of a trail leading to the summit of Phawngpui at above 2,000 masl. The area was abundant in dense ground cover in the form of shrubbery as well as bamboo patches, and had relatively low human disturbance, hinting at the toad’s preferred ecosystem features.

D. phawngpui and its relatives are facing the immediate threat of habitat loss, as the tops of mountains (sky islands) that offer ideal conditions, shrink in size. “They are habitat specific, not generalists, meaning they can only survive in certain conditions. D. phawngpui is a ground dwelling frog that requires grassy patches, high humidity and forest streams, especially for breeding,” says Purkayastha.

The surveys were conducted by researchers from Mizoram University; Assam Don Bosco University; and Help Earth, a nonprofit organisation based in Guwahati. Jayaditya Purkayastha, general secretary at Help Earth, is a herpetologist who says the organisation has been working on amphibian and reptile taxonomy and on-ground conservation since 2006, helping describe over 38 species so far, including Sengupta’s cricket frog (Minerva sengupti) and urban bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus urbanus).

Researchers part of the survey have observed Duttaphyrnus toads in the landscape eating a variety of food based on availability, largely insects like termites, locusts, grasshoppers, cockroaches, etc. but remain uncertain of the new species’ feeding behaviour. D. phawngpui could possibly have a similar diet. Duttaphyrnus toads possess parotid glands that secrete a foul, toxic fluid that make them unappetising for most potential predators, like snakes.

“The species is very susceptible to ecosystem changes. They cannot adapt to high temperatures, and must be considered in conservation efforts as climate change impacts worsen and human encroachment continues up hill tops. Human pressures can trigger dark extinction — the loss of species before we even discover them,” adds Purkayastha.

Banner image: Duttaphyrnus phawngpui sp. nov. Image courtesy of Dawngliana et al.

The Maharashtra government has declared drought in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas, along with a slew of relief measures.

Based on conditions during the 2026 kharif season, the government order issued on September 26 identifies 265 talukas as drought-affected.

These talukas are spread across 32 districts, including Beed, Latur, Nanded, Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Nashik, Dhule and Gadchiroli. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of drought-hit talukas, at 74, followed by Amravati (56), Nashik (49), Nagpur (39) and Pune (35).

The state government has issued instructions to begin water conservation works and to plan for drinking water and livestock water needs. It has also announced several concessions, including exemption from land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, a moratorium on recovery of agriculture-related loans, exemption from current electricity bills for agricultural pumps, and waiver of exam fees for school and college students. The government statement said it will also provide fodder for livestock.

As per the order, district collectors will immediately begin panchnamas (on spot damage assessments). The order asks district officials to submit photographs of crop conditions with GPS coordinates to the government. The CM office said it will announce assistance for crop losses of drought-affected farmers through a separate government resolution after completing the prescribed procedures.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state will study the impact of El Niño, which could peak by the end of February. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecasted below-normal monsoon rainfall during the Kharif season, saying it will be affected by ongoing El Niño conditions.

On September 27, Sharad Pawar, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), sent the Chief Minister a letter with 17 demands for farmers and agricultural workers. It asks the government to declare the remaining talukas drought-hit, waive land revenue and agricultural loans, and give 25 kg of free grain per family. The letter also seeks a compensation of ₹100,000 per hectare for farmers and ₹25,000 for farm labourers.

Pawar also demanded that tehsildars be empowered to approve water tankers for people and livestock, that power supply to farm pumps not be cut in drought-hit areas, and that the legislature hold a special three-day session on the drought. He asked that financial aid reach farmers before Dussehra and Diwali. He also asked for a special three-day session of the legislature to discuss the state’s serious drought situation.

Banner image: The Maharashtra government has declared drought in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas. Image by Mahendraparikh23 via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

India and Cambodia have postponed a plan to reintroduce Bengal tigers into Cambodia, moving the target from 2025 to 2028 after a review found that the available prey base in the proposed release landscape remains too low to support a viable tiger population.

The delay comes months after Mongabay reported concerns among conservation scientists about whether the Cardamom Mountains landscape has sufficient prey to sustain tigers over the long term. Cambodia’s last confirmed tiger was photographed by a camera trap in 2007, and the country formally declared tigers extinct in 2016.

The proposed release site is in the Cardamom Mountains of southwestern Cambodia, in the 926,123-hectare Kravanh National Park. The landscape is among Cambodia’s most intact forest areas, but prey availability has remained a major concern.

A 2020 study assessing the feasibility of tiger reintroduction in the Cardamom Rainforest Landscape found a high risk that prey densities were insufficient to support a viable tiger population. Researchers estimated a less than 25% probability that the area could support 25 adult tigers. The study found an 80% probability the forest had enough prey to support a small population of five tigers.

Carnivore biologist K. Ullas Karanth, who was quoted in Mongabay’s June report, has emphasised that prey availability ultimately determines whether tigers can survive in a landscape. He has cautioned that releasing tigers into forests without sufficient prey is unlikely to succeed.

The revised 2028 timeline gives Cambodia additional time to rebuild prey populations and strengthen protection in the proposed tiger habitat. Cambodian authorities have previously identified increased patrolling, zero-snaring efforts and prey restoration as priorities before tigers are introduced.

Banner image: A male tiger in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. Image by Koshy Koshy via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.

Ladakh is planning to introduce guided wildlife safaris along snow-leopard trails. Conservationists warn that opening fragile high-altitude wilderness routes to tourists could disturb the species and other wildlife. The union territory is home to the country’s largest contiguous snow leopard habitat.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the world’s most elusive big cats, earning it the moniker ‘ghost of the mountains’. Its thick, pale grey coat with dark rosettes helps it camouflage into the snowy, rocky environment, making it difficult to spot. A long, thick tail helps the cat balance on the rocks and protects it from the cold. Unlike other big cats, snow leopards do not roar. Instead, they communicate through growls, high-pitched yowls and chuffing.

Snow leopards are found in high mountains across Central and Northern Asia, including the Himalayan region. A recent report estimated India’s snow leopard population to be 718, while globally, there are over 3,386 mature individuals in the wild.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species categorises the snow leopard as vulnerable due to its rapidly declining population. In India, it receives the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Snow leopards are apex predators, crucial to maintaining the ecological balance of fragile mountain ecosystems. Yet their survival is increasingly under pressure owing to growing tourism, road and dam construction, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

In a report that Mongabay-India published in July 2025, Yadvendradev Jhala, an Indian National Science Academy (INSA) senior scientist, said, “Our findings show Ladakh’s snow leopard population is contiguous; it connects with populations in China, Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan and the Karakoram (mountain range). So, any new infrastructure must be planned with care, to ensure it doesn’t fragment this vital corridor.”

Read more about community-led snow leopard conservation in the Himalayas and the impact of solar projects in Spiti, on their habitat.

Banner image: A snow leopard in Kaza, Himachal Pradesh. Image by Bharath Kumar Venkatesh via Pexels.

Mandvi taluka in Kutch district, Gujarat, received around 177 mm of rain in just eight hours on September 15, causing widespread waterlogging and disrupting normal life. Until then, the district had faced a 70% rainfall deficit. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on September 15 that several parts of Gujarat, along with Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, received heavy rainfall (120-200 mm).

Other districts of Gujarat have also seen heavy rain in just a few hours, especially in an El Niño year when rain deficit remains a major concern. Umergam in Valsad district of Gujarat received 1,064 mm of rain in just one day on July 23, the third-highest daily rainfall ever recorded in the country after Sohra (1,563.3 mm on June 16, 1995) and Aminidivi (1,168.5 mm on May 6, 2004), according to the IMD.

The region received such intense rainfall that the state government had to seek help from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Some 352 people were rescued in South Gujarat, while over 22,000 people in Navsari and Valsad were shifted to safer locations.

Studies highlight such phenomena, especially in El Niño years. A study published in the journal Science in 2025 said that although El Niño events are known to suppress total summer rainfall throughout India, they increase the frequency of extreme daily rainfall events in certain regions. The study used data from 1901 to 2020 to reach this conclusion.

The study claimed that the broad Central Monsoon Zone in central India, and the narrow southwestern band between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats mountains of peninsular India, tend to get less overall rain and fewer rainy days during El Niño summers. But when the rain does come, it comes more intensely.

The finding is significant because some studies suggest El Niño frequency may increase in the future, while others suggest it may remain the same, but strong El Niño events may become more frequent.

This means extreme rainfall scenarios may also increase. India already ranks among the six most disaster-prone countries globally. In recent years, the frequency, intensity, and geographic spread of extreme weather events have increased sharply, reflecting climate change’s growing impact. Between 1993 and 2022, India witnessed 400 extreme weather events, causing 80,000 fatalities and $180 billion in losses, a report prepared for the 16th Finance Commission in 2025 said.

Banner image: Rains in central India. Representative image by Ms Sarah Welch via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).