Data Zone
Country/territory: India
IBA criteria met: A1 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 8,700 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2003 | not assessed | high | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2004 baseline)
Kheda district of central Gujarat, situated in western India, occupies 719,400 ha area, and is located between two major rivers: Mahisagar on the eastern side and Vatrak, a tributary of River Sabarmati on the western side. The southern side is attached to the Gulf of Khambhat. Major area of the district comprises of plain land, almost at sea level, except for a small area of Kapadvanj and Balasinor tehsil which are hilly (Parasharya et al. 2000). The major area of the district has canal irrigation facility and therefore irrigated farming is practised. Paddy is extensively cultivated in Kheda distict. As paddy fields are temporary wetlands, they provide an alternative to the natural marshland habitat of the Sarus Crane Grus antigone. Daloli, Gobrapura, Narda and Machhial were found to be important roosting areas for these birds (Mukherjee et al. 2002).
Key biodiversity
AVIFAUNA: This site is selected as an IBA mainly because it has good, breeding population of the globally threatened Sarus Crane in India. Sarus population of these reservoirs was estimated as follows: 1989 (556 individuals); 1998 (618 individuals); 2002 (959 individuals) (Mukherjee et al. 2002).
OTHER KEY FAUNA: As this site is basically an agricultural area, no large wild mammal is found here.
Acknowledgements
Key contributors: Aeshita Mukherjee, C.K. Borad and B. M. Parasharya.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wetlands of Kheda (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wetlands-of-kheda-iba-india on 22/11/2024.