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Pink-headed Duck: Is It Still Alive?

Pink-headed Duck: Is It Still Alive? Pink-headed duck has gone extinct due to hunting and habitat loss. It was last seen in the wild in 1949. An illustration of Pink-headed Duck by Carl D'Silva from Salim Ali's Book of Indian Birds. Courtesy of Bombay Natural History Society. By Mithu Das   September 18, 2016 The conclusion to be drawn is either that the Pink-headed Duck has indeed become extinct as was feared, or that if perchance there are any lingering survivors they keep strictly confined to the seclusion of some remote and inaccessible areas. Salim Ali Pink-headed duck Rhodonessa

Majuli: An Island Too Good To Be True

Majuli: An Island Too Good To Be True Land of the river and whispering wind Sweet rice and plenty of fish / Where the sun rises to the sound of hundred birds / And the evenings resonate to the music of cymbals and kirtans. Sanjay Ghose By Mithu Das   January 23, 2016 Majuli is not the world's largest river island. However, biologically as well as culturally it is the richest of all river islands in the world. Situated in the midstream of the Brahmaputra river in eastern Assam, with an area slightly larger than Singapore—or, 880 km²—the island is famous for  Neo-Vaishnavite  culture which

Martha and Her Message to the World

Martha and Her Message to the World Martha the last passenger pigeon, whose race humans had slaughtered into oblivion, is now considered to be the icon of extinction. Martha the last passenger pigeon in taxidermied form at Smithsonian Museum. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. By Mithu Das   November 23, 2015 Martha, the last passenger pigeon, is considered to be the icon of extniction. Her race, namely Ectopistes migratorius, was by far the most abundant bird species ever lived in the planet earth. It has been estimated that in th