Parveen Shaikh, a scientist at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), was awarded the prestigious Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award for her pioneering work in conserving the Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis), a critically endangered riverine bird found primarily along the National Chambal Sanctuary — one of India's most ecologically significant river systems spanning Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
The Indian Skimmer is a unique bird known for its distinctive lower mandible, which is longer than its upper, allowing it to skim the water surface to catch fish. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the species faces threats from sand mining, riverbank disturbance, human encroachment, and riverflow alterations due to dam construction and irrigation projects. Its population has declined significantly over recent decades.
Parveen Shaikh's conservation work at BNHS has focused on community-led conservation approaches in the National Chambal Sanctuary. By working closely with local fishing communities, she helped establish nest monitoring protocols, trained community members as nest guardians, and advocated for reduced disturbance during the critical breeding season (February–June). Her efforts resulted in measurably improved nest survival rates — a rare success story in riverine bird conservation in South Asia.
The National Chambal Sanctuary is one of the few river sanctuaries in India and supports a remarkable diversity of endangered species: the critically endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), the red-crowned roof turtle (Batagur kachuga), the Gangetic river dolphin, and migratory birds including the Indian Skimmer. The Chambal ecosystem, largely undisturbed due to its historical reputation as a dacoit stronghold, is now recognised as one of India's most important biodiversity hotspots. Rajasthan's stretch of the Chambal — particularly in Kota and Sawai Madhopur districts — forms a critical component of this sanctuary.