Parveen Shaikh receives Whitley Award for Indian Skimmer conservation

Key facts

• Avian ecologist Parveen Shaikh was honoured with the Whitley Award by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN).
• The award recognises her efforts to protect the endangered Indian Skimmer and the expansion of her community-led conservation model to Prayagraj in the Ganga Basin.
• India is home to over 90 per cent of the global population of the Indian Skimmer, which consists of around 3,000 birds.
• The Guardians of the Skimmer initiative along the Chambal River increased nest survival rates from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.
• The local population of Indian Skimmers rose from approximately 400 birds in 2017 to nearly 1,000 last year.
• The award was presented on 29 April by Anne, Princess Royal at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
• The Chambal Sanctuary hosts the largest breeding population of Indian Skimmers and extends over 600 km along the Chambal River, a tributary of the Yamuna.
• Conservation strategies include appointing local nest guardians, installing predator-proof fencing, and introducing experimental artificial nesting platforms in Chambal.