India, Feb. 1 -- A new study by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and local conservationist Sevaram Mali has shed light on the vital role of the Khichan bird sanctuary, Rajasthan, as a wintering site for the Demoiselle crane, locally known as Kurja. Every year, approximately 20,000 cranes migrate to this small village, making it a globally significant site along the Central Asian Flyway and the urgent need to conserve the habitat.

The study highlights the urgent need for effective conservation measures to safeguard the migratory birds, whose survival depends on the protection of their feeding and roosting habitats.

Khichan, situated in Rajasthan's Thar desert near Jodhpur, is an example of avian-human coexistence, where the vill...