Environment and Ecology
Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater (Merops persicus) Breeding Discovery
▪ Confirmed to breed in Peninsular India for the first time (Previously known as a passage migrant and winter visitor in India and Breeding regions: Nile Delta (Egypt), Pakistan, Iran).
▪ Location: Saltpans of Aandivilai, near Manakudy Mangroves, Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu Characteristics of the Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater
▪ Scientific Name: Merops persicus.
▪ Appearance (Vibrant green plumage, Distinctive blue cheek patch, Elegant tail streamers enhance its graceful look)
COP16 (Convention on Biological Diversity)
▪ Held in Rome, Italy.from February 25-27, 2025.
▪ Objective: Secure financial and policy commitments to protect biodiversity
Key Agenda Items
▪ Launch of the Cali Fund to ensure fair financial benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
▪ Support for Indigenous communities and biodiversity conservation
▪ Finalizing decisions under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems by 2030
