# Shrinking Nilgiri grasslands disrupt endemic birds’ movements, study finds 2026-08-14T16:03:29+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A study across the Nilgiri and Palani-Anamalai shola sky islands found that shrinking grasslands and human activity are disrupting bird movements. Between 1973 and 2017, the region lost 516 sq km of grasslands and 63 sq km of forests. Researchers modelled movement patterns for seven endemic bird species across about 2,900 sq km above 1,400 metres. Forest and grassland birds generally avoided farms, tea plantations and settlements, but reacted differently to woodland invasion. The Nilgiri pipit, the study’s sole grassland specialist, faced the greatest movement barriers across most of the study area. Researchers linked expanding exotic plantations, including Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus, to more fragmented grassland habitat. They said future genetic studies must establish whether isolation has reduced gene flow and increased inbreeding risks. ## Coverage - india.mongabay.com Tags: IISER Tirupati, Nilgiri pipit, Tamil Nadu, Western Ghats Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/shrinking-nilgiri-grasslands-disrupt-endemic-birds-movements-study-finds/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/shrinking-nilgiri-grasslands-disrupt-endemic-birds-movements-study-finds/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.