This document summarizes the issue of egg stealing from Sarus cranes in India. It notes that egg stealing is a common practice throughout the range of the Sarus crane and may be a major factor affecting their reproduction, though it has not been well documented. The document reports on field observations between 1998-2000 that found instances of egg stealing in several states for various purposes, including food and traditional medicine. Egg stealing was observed to be occurring during the Sarus crane's two breeding periods in Rajasthan in particular.

1. CORRESPONDENCE
Electronic catalogue of known Indian fauna
India has a rich faunal diversity. Accord- literature sources. Electronic cataloguing for this catalogue indicates that ECAT on
ing to recent surveys, there are estimated provides the best approach to compile Indian fauna would make significant
to be about 90,000 known faunal species and to integrate or exchange information. contribution to the Catalogue of Life
(including Protozoa) in less than 50% of NCL Centre for Biodiversity Informatics (CoL), which GBIF plans to complete by
the geographical region of the nation sur- has taken up the development of an elec- 2013 (ref. 3). Further, it would help solve
veyed so far1. The diversity of Indian biota tronic catalogue (ECAT) for known Indian several issues such as taxonomic ambi-
has posed considerable challenge to gene- fauna. It is a coordinated and integrated guities, inadequate documentation and gaps
rations of taxonomists in India and across approach to collect, maintain and provide in information availability. More impor-
the world. In addition to the two hot spots information on Indian fauna in a web- tantly, such web-based electronic cata-
of diversity, the Western Ghats and north- interfaced format (http://www.ncbi.org.in/ logues would encourage communication
east India, ecosystems such as islands, biota/fauna/). Our aim is to document and and collaborations amongst the scientific
oceans, deserts and mountains scattered disseminate baseline information about community. We appeal to the taxonomic
across India are rich in flora and fauna all known fauna of India. Multiple cultures community to participate in this initiative
which are yet to be explored completely. in India, with diverse lifestyles, habits, by helping us identify published sources
Studies of natural history in India date languages and dialects provide another of information from which information can
back to more than 200 years, but taxonomy dimension to documentation of biodiver- be collated. Their support and active parti-
is still in the exploratory phase, as seen sity as a single species is known by a cipation in taxonomic scrutiny is para-
from the large number of new taxa des- variety of local or vernacular names. The mount for the authentic and accurate
cribed every year. Revised checklists of electronic catalogue can help overcome information accessibility through this elec-
some vertebrate taxa have been pub- the geographic and language barriers in tronic catalogue on known Indian fauna.
lished fairly recently. However, for many biodiversity information.
invertebrate taxa and marine phyla, work ECAT for known Indian fauna collates
1. MoEF, National Biodiversity Strategy and
is far from completion. The information information on parameters such as valid/
Action Plan, October 2002.
from these studies is distributed with seve- accepted scientific names, synonyms,
2. Faunal Diversity in India (eds Alfred
ral organizations and individuals, making common/local/vernacular names, latest et al.), Zoological Survey of India, pp. 1–
it difficult to access adequate and accurate taxonomic status and biogeographic occur- 495.
information on a variety of aspects of bio- rences for each known animal species. 3. GBIF, GBIF/ECAT Work Program, 2003.
diversity. At present, there is no single The data are collected from published
repository to provide information such as literature, including research papers, fau-
VISHWAS CHAVAN*
scientific names, common names, occur- nas, monographs and web-based databases
APARNA WATVE
rence of organisms and their spatial and from reputed taxonomic institutions and
S. KRISHNAN
temporal distribution. Users such as con- individuals. So far, information has been
servationists, policy makers, environmental compiled for almost 50% of the 90,000 Information Division,
managers and parataxonomists feel the known species. National Chemical Laboratory,
need for this basic information about We envisage that the ECAT, when Dr Homi Bhabha Road,
Indian biota. Taxonomists themselves often complete, would be the most important Pune 411 008, India
feel the necessity of single information and essential knowledge-set on Indian *For correspondence
source on Indian biota and quick access to fauna. Our experience of collating data e-mail: vishwas@ems.ncl.res.in
Stealing of Sarus crane eggs
The Sarus crane (Grus antigone) is the farmers in agricultural fields during the sthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
only resident crane species in India and nesting period8. Egg-stealing of Sarus and Bihar, we recorded instances of egg-
has a wide range of distribution in the crane is a common practice all over its stealing at different places. They were
country1. Land-use changes and degra- distribution range. It may be the largest used for a variety of purposes ranging
dation of wetlands due to agricultural factor affecting reproduction in Sarus from food, medicine (for eye diseases
expansion and industrial development are cranes, but has not been documented sys- and ailment of cattle)8, etc.
regarded the most serious threats to the tematically before3. During 2000 in Rajasthan, it was inte-
crane2–4. The other threats include mor- To determine the distribution and status resting to note that the Sarus cranes in
tality due to collision with high-tension of Sarus crane in India during the period Kota bred twice a year, first during the
electric cables5, indiscriminate use of pes- from June 1998 to October 1999 in Har- onset of monsoon in July–October and
ticides6, hunting 7, and disturbance by yana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Raja- later during February–May when the canal-
CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 85, NO. 11, 10 DECEMBER 2003 1515