The white bellied heron is categorized into critically endangered while black necked crane as endangered under IUCN red list. The global population of WBH is less than 60 (WBH international workshop, 2015) while BNC is 10,990 (IUCN, 2012). The population of the crane is declining rapidly due to manmade and natural disturbances. In such critical risk, it is important to bring all the people on board for protection through awareness and advocacy programs.

Currently only 60 individuals of WBH are confirmed to exist in wild of which 28 individuals are found in Bhutan, 23 in Myanmar, 8 in India and 1 in China (WBH international workshop held in Bhutan, December, 2015). The BNC are winter visitors in Bhutan. Every winter around 400-600 individuals of BNC migrates to Bhutan from Tibet. The global population of BNC is estimated to be 10,990, where 544 BNC were recorded in Bhutan in 2015. These birds are ecologically significant due to their habitat confinement, feeding specialty and are vulnerable to drastic population decline due to various natural and manmade disturbances.

Conservationist, NGO’s and governments are now working on its conservation with significant financial and human resource investment. However, how much is known and aware on the importance of these birds by the people is not very well known.

Community awareness, their participation and individuals’ responsibility for conservation of these birds has become an urgent need. Considering the role communities can play in long term conservation and protection of these birds, understanding how much people at all levels are actually aware on the importance of these birds becomes very critical for protection and conservation.

This study aims to assess people’s at all level awareness on these birds and develop advocacy programs with utmost community participation for long term conservation and protection.