High in the oldest mountain range in India lives a group of beautiful birds known as green avadavats. These are small, finch-like songbirds with rich and distinctive yellow and olive-green plumage.
They were once a popular caged bird in India, but their numbers have dropped significantly in recent years, and they are now classed as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN.
Loss of habitat has further put pressure on their numbers. Now their stronghold at Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Aravalli mountain range in North-Western India, is also under threat by increasing wildfires. A recent study has also shown that Mount Abu’s 'Eco-Sensitive Zone' is experiencing severe environmental degradation through tourism and human expansion of the town and surrounding villages.
Conservationist and photographer Sahil Zutshi has been working tirelessly to raise awareness of the plight of these birds, in the hope that they can be safeguarded at the sanctuary.
Sahil works under the guidance of Professor Stuart Marsden of Manchester Metropolitan University, and Dr Nigel Collar of BirdLife International, researching these birds at Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary.
With careful studies of their distribution and better protection of their habitat, these rare and beautiful birds can continue to thrive.
Read more: