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202 Aquatic Avifauna: Its Importance for Wetland Conservation in Rajasthan, India
Aquatic Avifauna: Its Importance for
Wetland Conservation in Rajasthan, India
Sarita Mehra1, Satya Prakash Mehra2 &Krishan Kumar Sharma3
Biodiversity Research Laboratory,
Department of Zoology, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University,
Ajmer 305009 Rajasthan, India
&
Rajputana Society of Natural History, Kesar Bhawan,
P. No. 90, B/d Saraswati Hosp., Ganeshnagar, Pahada,
Udaipur 313001 Rajasthan, IndiaEmail: 1. [email protected], 2. [email protected],
Corresponding Author: Satya Prakash Mehra
Email: [email protected]
Southern Rajasthan holds many water bodies of significance either in
form of lakes, dams and rivers. Many aquatic lives are associated with
these water bodies. Avifauna is one of the most important and eye-catching
organism among them. Approximately 30% of the avifauna of Rajasthan isdependent on wetlands. The paper document the list of birds of the
southern region of Rajasthan which are directly or indirectly dependent on
the wetlands based on the observations and surveys for 9 years (1999 -
2007). The southern part of the state under study comprises of six districts
of Udaipur region (Banswara, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh,
Rajsamand and Udaipur) and one district from Jodhpur region (Sirohi).
The aquatic habitats of southern region of state provide base for 105
species representing 26 families of birds. 11 species of global interest are
found in the wetlands of the study area. Among the species of global
interest Spot-billed Pelican, Sarus Crane and Indian Skimmer arecategorized as vulnerable whereas Dalmatian Pelican is conservation
dependent. Darter, Painted Stork, Black-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis,
Lesser Flamingo, Ferruginous Pochard, Lesser Fish-Eagle and Black-
bellied Tern are categorized as near threatened. Spot-billed Pelican and
Indian Skimmer had not been sighted by the authors in the study period.
Sarus Crane was common in whole of the study area but Banswara,
Dungarpur and Chittorgarh districts had comparatively high numbers of
individuals. Similarly, many aquatic bodies of Banswara and Dungarpur
found to be ideal sites for the other threatened species. Through this work,
the importance of the southern part of the desert state is tried to highlightthrough avifauna. Monitoring of water birds can provide valuable
Sponsored By: Department of Environment, Government of Rajasthan, Jaipur[February 19-20, 2010]
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Proceedings of Conservation of Lakes and Water Resources: Management Strategies 203
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information on the status of wetlands and can be a key tool for increasing
the awareness of importance of wetlands and conservation values.
Keywords: wetland, southern Rajasthan, avifauna, sarus crane,
pelican, stork, lesser fish-eagle
INTRODUCTION
Waterbirds play an important role in several spheres of human interest:
culturally, socially, scientifically and as food resource (Pandey 1993,
Manihar and Trisal 2001). They represent important components of our
wetland ecosystems as they form important links in the food web and
nutrient cycles (Chen and Zhang 1998). Many wetland species also play a
role in the control of agricultural pests, whilst some species are themselves
considered as pests of certain crops. After fish, birds are probably the most
important faunal group that attracts people to wetlands. Many waterbirds aremigratory, undertaking annual migrations along different flyways spanning
the length and breadth of the globe between their breeding and non-breeding
grounds (Ali 1959,Alerstam 1990).According to the Ramsar Convention, the waterbirds are broadly
defined as the birds depend on the wetlands for their living, including
what we used to say: ducks and geese, shorebirds and waders and some
other species depending on wetlands, such as kingfishers, raptors and some
passerines. However, only 20 families of birds are included in the Species
List of Ramsar Convention. Except Glareolidae, they are all natatorialbirds, wading birds and shorebirds. In these 20 families, there are at least
404 species occurring in Asia-Pacific region and 243 species of them are
migratory birds (Anon. 2001).
Out of total 510 avian species of state, 155 species comprising
approximately 30% of the total number of birds found in Rajasthan depend
on the wetlands (Ali and Ripley 1968-1999, Grimmett et al.1999). Most are
collectively called waterbirds and include the grebes (Podicipediformes);
pelicans and cormorants (Pelecaniformes); herons, ibis, spoonbills and
bitterns (Ciconiiformes); ducks, geese (Anseriformes); cranes, gallinules(Gruiformes); and waders, guls and terns (Charadriiformes). Species such as
fish-eagles, osprey, harrier not usually called waterbirds, also depend on
wetlands. There are also some waterbirds which have virtually lost any
association with wetlands (plovers, pratincoles) (Ali and Ripley 1968-1999,
Grimmett et al.1999).
Alike all over the world aquatic birds attracted the attention of
ornithologists, specialists on hunting management and hunters from the very
past time in the princely state of Rajasthan (Adam 1873, Barnes 1891, Oates
1899, Messurier 1904, Impey 1909, Whistler 1938, Prakash 1960, Kushlan
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204 Aquatic Avifauna: Its Importance for Wetland Conservation in Rajasthan, India
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1986). Keoladeo is a well known man-made wetland from the State. It was
estimated that roughly 40118.4 sq. km is under 872 wetlands in India
(Anon. 1990). The State of Rajasthan is one of the driest state of the country
and the total surface water resources in the State is only about 1% of the
total surface water resources of the country. Nevertheless there arethousands of temporary freshwater and salt aquatic bodies in the region,
varying enormously in size. 52 wetlands, including three natural, have been
identified in state which expands in approx. 34% of the geographic area of
state (Anon. 1990). The rivers of the state are rainfed and identified by 14
major basins divided into 59 subbasins (Rajasthan Irrigation Department
2007). There are many wetlands in the state which are well recognized. The
different origin and ecological peculiarities of wetlands make up the
typology of wetlands which are the main habitats of aquatic birds. The
surface water play major role in providing the ground to aquatic birds along
with its characteristics with respect to the food availability and protection.
The surface water resources in Rajasthan are mainly confined to south and
southeastern part of the State. The paper deals with the southern part of the
state with respect to the avifauna.
Study Area
The southern part of the State under study comprises of six districts of
Udaipur region and one district from Jodhpur region constituting 12.3% part
of total geographic area of the state. The area under investigation holds man-
made water bodies of large size (> 1000 ha), medium size (500 - 999 ha)and small size (100 - 499 ha) along with several less known lakes and dams
useful for the biodiversity.
Methodology
The water birds of the study area were documented from 1999 to 2008
in winter and summer. Periodical studies were made to know the status and
distribution of the water birds at the respective sites (Javed & Kaul 2002).
During the winter seasons, the frequency of visits was weekly whereas for
other season the visits were monthly or bimonthly depending on the wateravailability in the aquatic bodies.
Waterbirds were identified with the help of field guides Grimmett et al.
(1999), Kazmierczak (2000) and Grimmett et al. (2004). The scientific
names and classification were used as according to Manakadan and Pittie
(2001).
Results
In total, 304 bird species were recorded out of these 111 species are
directly or indirectly dependent on the wetlands (Table 1). They represent
26 families of the birds excluding Rynchopidae (Indian Skimmer is the only
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Proceedings of Conservation of Lakes and Water Resources: Management Strategies 205
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representative species of Rynchopidae which was not sighted in any part of
the study area during the time of studies). Four species, viz. Spot-billed
Pelican Pelecanus philippensis from Udaipur Lake Complex (R. Tehsin,
pers. comm. 2001), Falcated Duck Anas falcata from waterbodies of
Dungarpur (in litt.), Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola and IndianSkimmer Rynchops albicollis from Mount Abu (Butler 1875-1877,
Shivrajkumar 1949) showed their existence in the past and were not
recorded during the study period whereas Yellow-legged Gull Larus
cachinnans was doubtful sighting (from West Banas, December 2005 by the
authors) and need further authentic confirmation before getting enlisted in
the checklist of the study area. 12 species in the threatened category
(BirdLife international 2001) showed their presence in the wetlands of the
study area. Nine sites were already identified as Important Bird Areas (Islam
and Rahmani 2004).
Wetlands were the first major ecosystem to be protected by an
international treaty to stop the decline of waterfowl populations which was
then linked to habitat loss (Amezaga et al. 2002). The number of waterbirds
using a particular habitat is related to types and quality of habitats,
abundance and availability of food, and level of disturbance (Mukherjee
1969 - 1976, Krishnan 1978, Pandit 1982, Gopakumar 1990, Green 1996,
Hafner 1997). Anatomical adaptations, bill and leg shape of the waterbirds
ensure that a wide variety of different food types are accessible in wetlands
(Perrins 1990). Monitoring of waterbirds can provide valuable informationon the status of wetlands (Custeret al. 1991, Kushlan 1993), and can be a
key tool for increasing the awareness of importance of wetlands and
conservation values. There is growing concern of the need to conserve
waterbirds and wetlands and recognition that birds can serve as indicators of
the health of our surroundings (Anon 2001).
Recommendations
Conservation through Community Participation: There is always a
conflict between protection of habitats and human involvement.
Uncontrolled urbanization has forced both wetland habitats and biodiversityin a situation that both are struggling for their existence. There is need to
bring the concept of conserving these habitats as well as biodiversity.
Community based nature conservation that is coming up very successful in
many parts of the globe could be used in the region.
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Table 1: Annotated Checklist of Wetland Dependent Avifauna in
Southern Rajasthan
SrNo SpeciesCommon, Scientific Name Comments (describes status in southern
Rajasthan and places of sighting, i.e.,
distribution)
Grebes Podicipedidae
1 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
(Pallas, 1764)
Common, resident; sighting from all the
large/medium wetlands
2 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps
cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare, winter migratory, sighted only at
Baghdarra (31/12/ 2006)
Pelicans Pelecanidae
3 Great White Pelican Pelecanus
onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted in all the
parts but restricted to few wetlands (West
Banas, Ora, Udaisagar, Vallabhnagar, etc.)
? Spot-billed Pelican VU #Pelecanus
philippensis Gmelin, 1789
Rare, winter migratory; sighted in Udaipur
Lake Complex before 1996 (R. Tehsin, pers.
comm., 2001)
4 Dalmatian Pelican CD #Pelecanus
crispus Bruch, 1832
Common winter migratory; as like other
pelican species
Cormorants/Shags Phalacrocoracidae
5 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax
niger(Vieillot, 1817)
Common, local movement; sighted in every
aquatic body where water remains throughout
the year
6 Indian Cormorant or Indian Shag
Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Stephens,
1826
Not so common, local movement; restricted to
few aquatic water bodies of Banswara, Sirohi
and Udaipur
7 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax
carbo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, resident; sighted in every aquatic
body where water remains throughout the year
Darters Anhingidae
8 Darter NT #Anhinga melanogaster
Pennant, 1769
Not so common, local movement; restricted to
few aquatic water bodies of Banswara and
Dungarpur
Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae
9 Little EgretEgretta garzetta
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
10 Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere11 Purple HeronArdea purpurea
Linnaeus, 1766
Not so common, local movement; sighted
everywhere
12 Large Egret Casmerodius albus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
13 Median EgretMesophoyx
intermedia (Wagler, 1829)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
14 Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
15 Indian Pond-HeronArdeola grayii
(Sykes, 1832)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
16 Little Green HeronButoridesstriatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Not so common, ?; sighted at Udaipur andDungarpur
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17 Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus,
1758)
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere
Storks Ciconiidae
18 Painted Stork NT #Mycteria
leucocephala (Pennant, 1769)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
breeding was restricted to few wetlands ofBanswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur
19 Asian Openbill-Stork#Anastomus
oscitans (Boddaert, 1783)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
breeding was restricted to few wetlands of
Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur
20 Black StorkCiconia nigra
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare, winter migratory, sighted only at West
Banas (19/01/ 2008)
21 Woolly-necked Stork or White-
necked StorkCiconia episcopus(Boddaert, 1783)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
breeding was restricted to few wetlands of
Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur
22 Black-necked Stork NT
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
(Latham, 1790)
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere but limited to few water bodies in
every district
Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae
23 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Not so common, local movement; sighted at
the marshy areas of Banswara, Dungarpur,
Sirohi and Udaipur
24 Black-headed Ibis or Oriental White
Ibis NT #Threskiornis
melanocephalus (Latham, 1790)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
limited to few water bodies in every district
25 Black Ibis #Pseudibis papillosa
(Temminck, 1824)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
limited to few water bodies in every district
26 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea
leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
breeding was restricted to few water bodies inBanswara and Dungarpur
Flamingos Phoenicopteridae
27 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus
ruberLinnaeus, 1758
Common, summer visitor; sighted at few
aquatic bodies of every district
28 Lesser Flamingo NT
#Phoenicopterus minor(Geoffroy,
1798)
Rare, summer visitor; sighted at Dungarpur,
Sirohi and Udaipur
Swans, Geese & Ducks Anatidae
29 Lesser Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna javanica (Horsfield,
1821)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
breeding records were restricted from few
wetlands of Dungarpur, Sirohi and Udaipur30 Greylag GooseAnser anser
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; sighting was
restricted to few wetlands of Banswara,
Chittorgarh and Dungarpur
31 Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus(Latham, 1790)
Common, winter migratory; sighting was
restricted to few wetlands of Banswara,
Chittorgarh, Dungarpur and Sirohi
32 Ruddy Shelduck or Brahminy
ShelduckTadorna ferruginea(Pallas, 1764)
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere but large congregation were
sighted in wetlands of Dungarpur (Nov. 2006)
33 Comb DuckSarkidiornis melanotos
(Pennant, 1769)
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere but limited to few shallow waterbodies (rich in vegetation) in every district
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34 Cotton Pygmy Goose or Cotton
TealNettapus coromandelianus(Gmelin, 1789)
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere in major wetlands of every district
35 GadwallAnas strepera Linnaeus,
1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted at few
medium/small aquatic bodies of every district
? Falcated DuckAnas falcata Georgi,1775 ?, ?; presence was documented in literature inDungarpur
36 Eurasian WigeonAnas penelopeLinnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted at few
medium/small/large aquatic bodies of every
district but large congregations was recorded
from Banswara (Dec. 2006)
37 MallardAnas platyrhynchosLinnaeus, 1758
Not so common, winter migratory; sighting
was restricted to few wetlands of Banswara,
Dungarpur, Sirohi and Udaipur
38 Spot-billed DuckAnas
poecilorhyncha J.R. Forester, 1781
Common, resident; sighted everywhere but
breeding records were only from few wetlands
of Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur
39 Northern ShovellerAnas clypeata
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
40 Northern PintailAnas acuta
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighting was
restricted to few wetlands of every district
41 GarganeyAnas querquedula
Linnaeus, 1758
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted
only in Banswara & Mt Abu (21/03/08)
42 Common TealAnas crecca
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
43 Red-crested PochardRhodonessa
rufina (Pallas, 1773)
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted
only in Dungarpur
44 Common PochardAythya ferina
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere but large congregation wasrecorded from Banswara (Dec 2006)
45 Ferruginous Pochard NT #Aythya
nyroca (Guldenstadt, 1770)
Common, winter migratory; recorded only
from the wetlands of Banswara, Dungarpur
and Udaipur
46 Tufted Duck or Tufted Pochard
Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Not so common,winter migratory; recorded
largely from wetlands of Banswara & West
Banas (Sirohi)
Hawks, Eagles, Buzzards, Old World Vultures,Kites, Harriers Accipitridae
47 Brahminy KiteHaliastur indus
(Boddaert, 1783)
Not so common, local movement; sighting was
irregular but recorded from all the districts of
study area48 Lesser Fish-Eagle or Lesser Grey-
headed Fish-Eagle NT
#Ichthyophaga humilis (S. Muller &
Schlegel, 1841)
Rare, ?; recorded only from the wetland of
Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary (Chittorgarh)
49 Eurasian Marsh Harrier or Western
Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
50 Steppe EagleAquila nipalensis
Hodgson, 1833
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted
only in Rajsamand and Sirohi
Osprey Pandionidae
51 Osprey Pandion haliaetus(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; sightedeverywhere on the large/medium sized
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reservoirs
Falcons Falconidae
52 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Tunstall, 1771
Rare, ?; sighted only in Sirohi (West Banas)
and Udaipur (Udaipur Lake Complex)
Cranes Gruidae
53 Sarus Crane VU #Grus antigone(Linnaeus, 1758) Common, resident; sighted everywhere
54 Demoiselle Crane Grus virgo
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted in
Sirohi only but passage migratory to other
parts
55 Common Crane Grus grus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted in
Chittorgarh only (31/01/07) and Sirohi
Crakes, Moorhens, Coots Rallidae
56 Brown CrakeAmaurornis akool(Sykes, 1832)
Not so common, local movement; sighted in
Dungarpur and Sirohi
57 White-breasted Waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus (Pennant,1769)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
depending on the water availability
58 Purple Swamphen and Purple
Moorhen Porphyrio porphyrio
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
depending on the availability of water and
aquatic vegetation
59 Common Moorhen Gallinula
chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
depending on the availability of water and
aquatic vegetation
60 Common Coot Fulica atraLinnaeus, 1758
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere
Jacanas Jacanidae
61 Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Hydrophasianus chirurgus (Scopoli,
1786)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
depending on the availability of aquatic
vegetation
62 Bronze-winged JacanaMetopidius
indicus (Latham, 1790)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
depending on the availability of water and
aquatic vegetation
Plovers, Lapwings Charadriidae
63 Little Ringed PloverCharadrius
dubius Scopoli, 1786
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere
64 Kentish PloverCharadrius
alexandrinus Linnaeus, 1758
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Banswara, Dungarpur, Sirohi and
Udaipur
65 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellusindicus (Boddaert, 1783)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
66 White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus
leucurus (Lichtenstein, 1823)
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Banswara (Talwara), Sirohi (West
Banas, Ora, Kalakaji) and Udaipur (Pichola)
Sandpipers, Stints, Snipes, Godwits & Curlews Scolopacidae
? Eurasian WoodcockScolopax
rusticola Linnaeus, 1758
?, ?; past record from Mount Abu
67 Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura
(Bonaparte, 1830)
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Dungarpur, Sirohi and Udaipur
68 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; recorded
everywhere but restricted to few wetlands69 Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
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(Brnnich, 1764) from Sirohi (Ora, West Banas) and Udaipur
(Udaisagar)
70 Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; recorded
everywhere but restricted to few wetlands
71 Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa
lapponica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Chittorgarh, Sirohi and Udaipur72 Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare, ?; recorded from Sirohi (West Banas,
Nov 2006)
73 Spotted RedshankTringa
erythropus (Pallas, 1764)
Common, winter migratory; recorded
everywhere but restricted to few wetlands
74 Common RedshankTringa totanus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; recorded
everywhere but restricted to few wetlands
75 Marsh Sandpiper (395) Tringa
stagnatilis (Bechstein, 1803)
Common, winter migratory; recorded from
Sirohi (Ora, West Banas, Kalkaji, Kadambari)
76 Common GreenshankTringa
nebularia (Gunner, 1767)
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Sirohi and
Udaipur
77 Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
Linnaeus, 1758
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Sirohi and Udaipur
78 Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
79 Common SandpiperActitis
hypoleucos Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
80 Little Stint Calidris minuta (Leisler,
1812)
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere but restricted to certain wetlands
81 Temmincks Stint Calidris
temminckii (Leisler, 1812)
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Sirohi (Ora, West Banas) and Udaipur
82 Ruff (426) Philomachus pugnax
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere but restricted to certain wetlands
Ibisbill, Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae
83 Black-winged StiltHimantopus
himantopus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
84 Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaLinnaeus, 1758
Not so common, winter migratory; recorded
from Sirohi (Ora, West Banas) and Udaipur
(Udaipur Lake Complex, Udaisagar)
Stone-Curlew & Stone-Plovers/Thick-knees Burhinidae
85 Great Thick-Knee or Great Stone-
PloverEsacus recurvirostris
(Cuvier, 1829)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
Coursers & Pratincoles Glareolidae
86 Small Pratincole Glareola lacteaTemminck, 1820
Not so common, local movement; recorded
from Dungarpur, Sirohi and Udaipur
Gulls, Terns & Noddies Laridae
? Yellow-legged GullLarus
cachinnans Pallas, 1811
?, ?; recorded from West Banas (Sirohi, Dec
2005), need authentic confirmation
87 Brown-headed GullLarus
brunnicephalus Jerdon, 1840
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere but limited to few wetlands, could
be sighted best at West Banas (Sirohi)
88 Black-headed GullLarus
ridibundus Linnaeus, 1766
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere but limited to few wetlands, could
be sighted best at West Banas (Sirohi)89 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon Not so common, passage winter migratory;
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nilotica (Gmelin, 1789) recorded from Sirohi (Kalkaji) and Udaipur
(Udaisagar)
90 River Tern Sterna aurantia J.E.
Gray, 1831
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
91 Black-bellied Tern NT #Sterna
acuticauda J.E. Gray, 1831
Not so common, ?; recorded from Chittorgarh
(Barwai) and Sirohi (West Banas)92 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias
hybridus (Pallas, 1811)
Not so common, ?; recorded from Udaipur
Lake Complex (Udaipur)
? Skimmers Rynchopidae
? Indian Skimmer VU #Rynchops
albicollis Swainson, 1838
?, ?; past record from Mount Abu
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
93 Common Kingfisher or Small Blue
KingfisherAlcedo atthis (Linnaeus,
1758)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
94 Oriental Dwarf KingfisherCeyx
erithaca (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare, ?; recorded from Panarwa forests by R.
Tehsin (Udaipur)
95 Stork-billed KingfisherHalcyon
capensis (Linnaeus, 1766)
Not so common, resident; recorded from
Banswara and Chittorgarh
96 White-throated Kingfisher or
White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon
smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
97 Pied Kingfisher or Lesser Pied
KingfisherCeryle rudis (Linnaeus,
1758)
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
Swallows & Martins
Hirundinidae
98 Streak-throated SwallowHirundo
fluvicola Blyth, 1855
Common, resident; sighted in the wetlands of
every district having structures/ bridges/ other
structures etc. nearby
Wagtails & Pipits Motacillidae
99 White WagtailMotacilla alba
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
100 White-browed Wagtail or Large
Pied WagtailMotacilla
maderaspatensis Gmelin, 1789
Common, local movement; sighted
everywhere
101 Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
Pallas, 1776
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
102 Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere103 Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Tunstall, 1771
Common, winter migratory; sighted
everywhere
Goldcrest, Prinias, Tesias, Warblers Sylviinae
104 Clamorous Reed Warbler or Indian
Great Reed-WarblerAcrocephalus
stentoreus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg,
1833)
Not so common, winter migratory; sighted in
the wetlands of Banswara, Dungarpur, Sirohi
and Udaipur
Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae
105 Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
Linnaeus, 1758
Common, resident; sighted everywhere
106 Bank Myna Acridotheresginginianus (Latham, 1790)
Very common, resident; sighted everywhere
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Symbols Description
# When preceding English name, denotes a species endemic to India.
CD Conservation Dependent (BirdLife International 2001).CR Critical (BirdLife International 2001).
DD Data Defficient (BirdLife International 2001).
EN Endangered (BirdLife International 2001).
NT Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2001).
VU Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2001).
# When preceding Scientific name, denotes a globally threatened or near-
threatened species