Project to build DNA database of birds

They may be birds of the same feather and even flock together. But they may not belong to the same species. That's exactly what is being investigated under a major scientific project to build a comprehensive DNA database of birds in the country.

With India being home to 1225 species of birds and 12 per cent of the total world species, the cataloguing of the extremely diverse avian fauna would not only help in their conservation, but also clarify the subspecies level classification of many categories of birds, and discover new species, according to principal investigator and Director-Grade scientist at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) S. Shivaji.

With many birds displaying geographical restriction, the Department of Biotechnology-funded project called “DNA bar-coding of the birds of India” would provide a better insight into their geographical distribution. As collection of birds' blood samples from the wild is prohibited, scientists have been visiting breeding grounds to pick up “hatched eggs, dead birds, feathers, blood, tissue of dead bird and museum samples” to extract the DNA.

Stating that classical taxonomy was not “clear-cut,” he said that for example, when a same bird looked different during breeding and non-breeding periods, it was classified as belonging to two different species. Similarly, some birds of same species were categorised as different due to variance in their colour.

Collection of samples

Co-investigator of the project P. Anuradha Reddy said samples of birds from zoos across the country and stuffed specimens from museums of the regional stations of the Zoological Survey of India were being collected. So far, scientists have done the DNA bar-code for 285 species and analysed more than 1,000 specimens. Besides helping in taking steps to conserve and protect the endangered species, the database would also prevent arbitrary changing of the names of birds.

V. Vasudeva Rao, Professor and Head, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, is another co-investigator.