New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- The conservation status of 12 Indian bird species has been modified as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) latest red list update. These species were among 1,360 bird species worldwide that were reassessed in the latest review. Of the 12 Indian species which have been reassessed, eight have been "downlisted", signalling positive trends in their conservation status. Conversely, four species have been "uplisted", indicating increased concerns regarding their population trends, according to an analysis by Bengaluru-based State of India's Birds Partnership. The Indian Courser, a bird that is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, has been uplisted from Least Concern to Near Threatened. Other species such as the Indian Roller and the Rufous-tailed Lark have also been uplisted to Near Threatened, while the Long-billed Grasshopper-warbler has been categorized as Endangered. "A national red list is essential for India-it allows us to evaluate threats and trends within our own ecological and socio-economic context. The IUCN list gives us a global view, but national assessments can drive region-specific conservation actions and policy responses like the case of Black-necked Stork, a declining species in India, but globally stable," Gopinathan Maheswaran, Senior Scientist at Zoological Survey of India said in a statement. The data for this reassessment for nine of these species is based on the State of India's Birds report, the organisation said. Notably, all four species that have been uplisted depend upon open natural ecosystems, which include habitats like grasslands, semi-arid landscapes, desert, croplands, hilly scrublands, and fallow lands. These ecosystems have been under pressure from the expansion of power infrastructure, intensification of agriculture, introduction of invasive species, and interestingly, conversion into woodlands through afforestation. The decline of bird species that rely on these ecosystems highlights the critical need to conserve such open habitats, State of India's Birds said in their statement. The IUCN Red List update includes reassessments of 1,360 bird species by BirdLife International. Overall, 61% of bird species have declining populations....