NAGPUR: Birds are considered to be a good indicator of the condition of the natural environment. The fact that a recent study by experts at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Yale University has identified 100 Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered ( EDGE ) species worldwide shows that most of the habitats are under threat from unsustainable human activities. Of these 15 are species from India.The 15 Indian species in ZSL-Yale University EDGE list consists of Bengal Florican, Forest Owlet, Red-headed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Jerdon's Courser, Lesser Florican, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Sociable Lapwing, Siberian Crane, Great Indian Bustard, Greater Adjutant, White-bellied Heron, Wood Snipe, Masked Finfoot and Christmas Island Frigatebird.Bengal Florican, Lesser Florican, Great Indian Bustard, Sociable Lapwing and Jerdon's Courser are birds that are under threat due to the destruction of their habitat of grasslands and scrub forests. The survival of Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Siberian Crane and White-bellied Heron greatly depends on the existence of their wetland habitat. Forest Owlet survival is impossible if its habitat of deciduous forests in Central India is destroyed. Thus, it is obvious that a variety of habitats in the country are threatened by human factors such as uncontrolled urbanisation, unsustainable industrialization and rampant use of chemicals in agriculture.Commenting on the need to conserve these habitats, Asad Rahmani , director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said, "BNHS has been working on the first 12 species, directly or in partnership with other organisations. Habitats such as grasslands and wetlands and the species inhabiting them have long been neglected in the conservation process in India."Rahmani said comprehensive conservation action based on in-depth field research is required to save these species from going extinct. Today these habitats are facing some of the most severe human pressures, which endanger the survival of the avian populations found there.The study conducted by ZSL & Yale University has shortlisted hundred of the world's most globally threatened species ranging from the ankle-high Spoon-billed Sandpiper to the prehistoric looking Greater Adjutant, which stands as tall as an adult human. EDGE birds represent millions of years of unique evolutionary history. These unique birds are today threatened with extinction ZSL experts emphasise on the need to prioritise conservation efforts. These birds illustrate the incredible diversity that exists in the natural world. They were identified in a research paper recently published in 'Current Biology'.The EDGE birds study is a part of ZSL's 'EDGE of Existence' programme, which has also developed priority lists for mammals, amphibians and corals.