Bird Biodiversity in Danger !
Not only the earthworms have vanished from the paddy fields, but some very common creatures in the paddy fields like different types of field crabs, snails have also vanished from the paddy field ecology, along with the fishes. I think this is a great loss in terms of biodiversity and sources of proteins in the day-to-day diet of the villagers in general and the poorest of the poor, in particular. The villagers spanned from big farmers to small ! Extinction and/or diminution of these fishes, crabs, snails have robbed the villagers, both farmers and non-farmers ( including landless labourers ) of their livelihood and nutritional security to a great extent !
This has also led to the loss of biodiversity of birds as well in consequence to absence and/or near-absence of all these field crabs, snails, oysters (from ponds) etc. serving as food sources and resources. Field cranes (of different types), dahuks (waterhen), guruls, kites esp. sankhacheel, pankouri, baalihans, chatakpakhi, etc. (local Bengali name) have diminished a lot while nilkantho/texona, while tuntuni, vulture, babui, chorui etc. have totally vanished from our area !
It would not be irrelevant here to say something about the birds as these birds are very much related to ‘ Serene Pristine Unforgettable Agriculture’ and they are important bioindicators of the ecological condition of a particular time period. They are quite effective to control crop and plant pests as well. Most of the birds species are threatened due to their steadily decreasing habitat and so-called plant protection chemicals.