ANNOUNCEMENTS
Habitat suitability analysis is essential in habitat and species conservation. Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), a migratory bird is a species of high conservation importance and is particularly vulnerable to climatic change. In this study, MaxEnt was used to model habitat suitability of Curlew Sandpiper to identify suitable habitat in Vembanad-Kol wetland, a Ramsar site located in Kerala, India. Key environmental variables included mudflats and food preference which are necessary for foraging. Climatic variables included 19 bioclim variables and wind speed. The results showed significant contribution of Precipitation of the driest month (Bio14) in the model. The current suitable habitat for Curlew Sandpiper was 25,220.62 ha concentrated on Kol lands. The projections under future climate scenarios revealed a decline in habitat suitability which suggested that Bio14 may become a less favourable environment, potentially leading to shift in the species’ distribution in Vembanad-Kol wetland. Additionally, the predicted increase of agricultural and built-up areas used as proxies for mudflat reduction supports the decline in suitable habitat for the species. These findings highlight the need for species specific strategies such as single species action plan, long term monitoring and improved data integration to support the conservation of migratory birds such as Curlew Sandpiper in India.
