Uttar Pradesh has recorded a steady rise in the population of the Sarus Crane, the state bird, with the latest winter census counting 20,628 birds across the state. The increase reflects sustained conservation efforts by the state government and the forest department, officials said.
The Sarus census is conducted twice annually, during summer and winter, across all forest divisions of the state. The latest winter census covered 68 forest divisions, recording an increase from 19,994 Sarus last year to 20,628 this year.
Nearly 10,000 citizens participated in the census exercise, highlighting strong public involvement in wildlife conservation efforts.
The Etawah forest division recorded the highest number of Sarus Cranes, with 3,304 birds. In total, 10 forest divisions reported populations exceeding 500.
Other divisions with high Sarus counts include Mainpuri (2,899), Auraiya (1,283), Shahjahanpur (1,078), Gorakhpur (950), Kannauj (826), Kanpur Dehat (777), Hardoi (752), Siddharthnagar (736) and Sant Kabir Nagar (701).
In 29 forest divisions, Sarus numbers ranged between 100 and 500. These include Raebareli (480), Sitapur (452), Unnao (385), Bareilly (380), Sohagibarwa (378), Barabanki (345), Banda (270), Firozabad (258), Basti (224), Amethi (181), Aligarh (177), Bijnor (174), Gautam Buddh Nagar (169), South Kheri (168), National Chambal (167), Sultanpur (162), Kanpur (156), Bahraich and Farrukhabad (150 each), Mathura (135), Kasganj (128), Fatehpur (127), Etah (119), Badaun (115), Shravasti (109), Gonda (108), Chitrakoot (106) and Deoria (105).
Fewer than 100 Sarus Cranes were recorded in 29 forest divisions, including Pilibhit Social Forestry (98), Hamirpur (95), Sohelwa (88), Ayodhya (82), Kushinagar (64), Hathras (62), Ambedkar Nagar (59), Meerut (51), Moradabad (50), North Kheri (46), Bulandshahr (42), Kaushambi (40), Lalitpur (39), Awadh (38), Muzaffarnagar (32), Pratapgarh (31), Katarniaghat (28), Mahoba and Sambhal (25 each), Agra (24), Najibabad (18), Orai (15), Prayagraj (14), Azamgarh (12), Jaunpur (8), Mau (6), Palia (5), Rampur (4) and Hapur (2).
Following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directive to prioritise wildlife conservation after taking office in 2017, focused efforts were initiated to protect the Sarus Crane. The population stood at 19,196 in 2023, rose to 19,994 in 2024, and has now increased further to 20,628, according to the latest census.
Anuradha Vemuri, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Uttar Pradesh, “The Sarus census in Uttar Pradesh is conducted twice a year, during summer and winter. The recently concluded winter census has shown a significant increase in the population of the state bird. Prior to the census, forest department personnel surveyed Sarus-dominated habitats and identified key areas. On the directions of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, the department is continuously working towards wildlife conservation.”
