Lesser Adjutant in Chitwan National Park Nepal

Of the nineteen species of storks worldwide, Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) is distributed in India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand and Bhutan with a world population about 6500-8000 individuals. In Nepal it inhabits in the riverbeds, floodplains, paddy fields, swamps, lakes and forest pools of Chitwan and Bardia National Parks and their buffer zones, Suklaphanta, Parsa and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserves and their buffer zones, Jagadishpur Reservoir, Ghodaghodi Lake Area, Farmlands in Lumbini Area, and Mai Valley, Barandabhar, Nawalparasi, Dang Deukhuri and Urlabari forests. It is listed as a Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List and Endangered in the Nepal Red Data Book because of its declining population due to habitat loss and degradation, hunting and disturbances. A study aimed to provide population status of Lesser Adjutant in central Nepal was carried out with nest search and individual count in the paddy field areas in and around the Chitwan National Park. A total of 47 nests were found at seven colonies with 2-12 per colony. Total 71-75 nearly fledged nestlings were counted in all colonies. A total of 188 to 268 individuals of lesser adjutant were estimated in Chitwan National Park.