Threats

1. Residential & commercial development

  • Commercial & industrial areas
  • Annual & perennial non-timber crops
  • Wood & pulp plantations

3. Energy production & mining

  • Renewable energy
  • Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals
  • Logging & wood harvesting
  • Recreational activities
  • Work & other activities
  • Dams & water management/use
  • Agricultural & forestry effluents

THREATS

The main threats are presumed to be widespread loss, degradation and disturbance of forest and wetlands. The species is also very sensitive to human disturbance, for example it took 48 hours for a pair to return to their breeding site following a disturbance (Mondal and Maheswaran 2014). Wetlands have become degraded as a result of pollution, rapid growth of aquatic vegetation, and the over-exploitation of resources. Increasing disturbance and habitat degradation from settlement, conversion to agriculture, harvesting of wetland resources and, more locally, poaching are thought to present significant threats in key protected areas (e.g. Namdapha National Park) in north-east India, Bhutan and Myanmar (W. Duckworth in litt. 2006). Natural forest fires have destroyed nests in Bhutan. In Bhutan, hydroelectric dam developments as well as road improvements have resulted in significant habitat degradation, and can affect heron populations (Price and Goodman 2015). Rivers act as busy transport routes for the human population, exacerbating disturbance of this species (W. Duckworth in litt. 2006, D. Wilson in litt. 2006).

CLASSIFICATION SCHEME

Threats

Timing

Stresses

Scope

Severity

1. Residential & commercial development

1.2. Commercial & industrial areas

Future

1. Ecosystem stresses

1.1. Ecosystem conversion

1.2. Ecosystem degradation

Minority (<50%)

Very Rapid Declines

2. Agriculture & aquaculture

2.1. Annual & perennial non-timber crops

2.1.3. Agro-industry farming

 

Ongoing

 

1. Ecosystem stresses

 

.1. Ecosystem conversion

Majority (50-90%)

Slow, Significant Declines

2.2. Wood & pulp plantations

2.2.2. Agro-industry plantations

Ongoing

 

1. Ecosystem stresses

 

1.2. Ecosystem degradation

Minority (<50%)

Slow, Significant Declines

3. Energy production & mining

3.3. Renewable energy

Ongoing

 

1. Ecosystem stresses

1.1. Ecosystem conversion

Minority (<50%)

Slow, Significant Declines

1.2. Ecosystem degradation

5. Biological resource use

5.1. Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals

5.1.1. Intentional use (species is the target)

Ongoing

2. Species Stresses
2.1. Species mortality
Minority (<50%)
Slow, Significant Declines
5.3. Logging & wood harvesting
5.3.3. Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]

Ongoing

1. Ecosystem stresses
1.2. Ecosystem degradation
Majority (50-90%)
Slow, Significant Declines
6. Human intrusions & disturbance
6.1. Recreational activities

Ongoing

2. Species Stresses
2.2. Species disturbance

2.3.7. Reduced reproductive success

Whole (>90%)
Slow, Significant Declines

6.3. Work & other activities

Ongoing

2. Species Stresses
2.3. Indirect species effects

2.3.7. Reduced reproductive success

Whole (>90%)
Slow, Significant Declines

7. Natural system modifications

7.2. Dams & water management/use

7.2.11. Dams (size unknown)

Ongoing

1. Ecosystem stresses

1.1. Ecosystem conversion

1.2. Ecosystem degradation

Minority (<50%)

Slow, Significant Declines
9. Pollution

9.3. Agricultural & forestry effluents

9.3.4. Type Unknown/Unrecorded

Ongoing

1. Ecosystem stresses

1.2. Ecosystem degradation

Majority (50-90%)

Slow, Significant Declines