Why in news?  A new report from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) reveals that around 5% of the birds in the country are endemic.

Highlights:

• Titled “75 Endemic Birds of India,” the publication was released on the 108th foundation day of the ZSI.
• India is home to 1,353 bird species, which represents approximately 12.4% of the global bird diversity. Of these, 78 (5%) are endemic to the country
• The highest number of endemic species have been recorded in the Western Ghats like Malabar grey hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, Ashambu laughing thrush
• Three of these species have not been spotted in decades: the Manipur Bush Quail, the Himalayan Quail, and Jerdon’s Courser.

What are endemic species ?

• Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone. These organisms are indigenous to a place and are not found elsewhere
• Example : Lion-Tailed Macaque is found only in Western Ghats, Sangai Deer in Loktak Lake