Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats

2013

Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats Praveen J. & P.O. Nameer

KeralaBirderKerala Forest DepartmentIndian Bird Conservation Network

3Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats

Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats

2013

4 Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats


Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats

Praveen J. & P.O. Nameer


2013

Cover Photo/Changeable Hawk-Eagle/Dileep Anthikkad


Yellow-throated Bulbul Photo/ Shibhu Baskar

Endemic to S India and in Kerala known only from Chinnar WLS


1. INTRODUCTION1.1 Introduction The Western Ghats, identified as one of the biodiversity hot spots of the world, is a 1,600 km long chain of mountain ranges running parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula. The region is rich in endemic fauna including birds and has been of great interest for biogeography. Monitoring birds in Western Ghats of Kerala has been regularly done since 1991 and more than 60 surveys have been carried out in the entire region (Praveen and Nameer, 2009).

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located 18 km north of Marayoor in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor Panchayats of Devikulam Taluk in the Idukki of Kerala state (Fig. 1 & 2). It is located between 10°15’-10°21’N latitude and 77°5’-77°16’E longitudes and has a total area of 90.44 km². The Munnar-Udumalpet road, SH 17 passes through the Sanctuary for 16 km and divides it into nearly equal portions. It is contiguous with Eravikulam National Park to the South and Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is to the north. It forms an integral part of the 1,187 km2 block of protected forests straddling the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the Anamalai Hills.


Fig. 1 Map of the various protected areas under the Munnar Wildlife Division


Fig. 1 Map of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary


1.1.1 TerrainThe terrain is undulating with hills and hillocks of varying heights. The altitude ranges from 400 m at Chinnar to 2372 m at Nandalamala. The other major peaks in the Sanctuary are Varayattumalai (1845m), Thengamalai (1422m), Vellakkalmalai (1883m), Jambumalai (1395m), Aralipana (1494m), Karumalai, Anakkunnu and Gellimalai. The area is drained by two perennial rivers passing through the sanctuary, namely Chinnar and Pambar. During north east monsoon which is the dominant rainy season, a few ephemeral water sources take origin from higher mountains and drain the area and dry up for the rest of the season.

1.1.2 ClimateThe sanctuary is situated in the rain shadow region and hence the area experiences prolonged hot/dry season and much less rainy days. The Chinnar plains are generally hot, but the higher altitudes are cool. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary shows wide variations from the rule of altitudinal gradient determining microclimate. The major rainfall season is during the north-east monsoons occurring during October-December. The rainy days in a year range between 30 to 40 days which account for about 300-500 mm rainfall in Chinnar and adjacent areas. But the higher altitudes areas like Olikkudy and Mangappara receive rain during both north-east and south-west monsoons with comparatively much higher rainfall. The recorded lowest temperature is 12°C and the highest is 38°C with mean annual temperature of 36°C. The wind velocity recorded at Chinnar shows a more or less uniform magnitude except for the slightly higher speeds recorded during some monsoon months.

1.1.3 VegetationThe vegetation shows an entire spectrum ranging from sub-temperate sholas to dry scrub of the arid plains. The vegetation of the sanctuary can be broadly classified in to following types according to Champion and Seth (1968). They are: 1. Southern tropical thorn forest (Scrub jungle) 2. Southern dry mixed deciduous forest (Dry deciduous forest) 3. Southern moist mixed deciduous forest (Moist deciduous forest) 4. Tropical riparian fringing forest (Riparian forest) 5. Southern montane wet temperate forest (Hill shola forest) 6. Southern montane wet grassland (Grasslands)

The dominant vegetation is dry deciduous forest followed by scrub forest. Together they constitute about 50 % of the total forest area. They are located in the low altitude areas. The riparian fringing forests are linearly distributed along the hill folds and occupy a small but considerable area. Shola forests occupy a tiny fraction of the total area.

Southern tropical thorn forest (Scrub jungle): This is the least distributed forest type in Kerala and is the second major forest type in the Sanctuary with regard to the area. The open low forest type is characterized by xerophytic species with short bole and low branching. The canopy is wide open. Therefore the canopy level differentiation is indistinguishable. The hardwood trees, thorny shrubs and climbers are characteristic features of the forest type. The undergrowth is furnished with some herbaceous forms during monsoon and remains exposed for the rest of the time. This forest type is distributed at Chinnar, Champakkadu, Chunkam, Nellimedu and on the slopes of Alampetty, Ichampetty, Palapetty etc.


The major species representing the forest type are Acacia spp.,Euphorbia spp.,Capparis spp.,Opuntia spp., Ziziphus spp., Grewia spp., Cordia spp., Albizia amara, Atalantia monophylla, pleiospermium alatum, Prosopis juliflora, Dichrostachys cinerea, Diospyros cordifolia, Pisonia aculeate, Carissa carandas, Strychnos potatorum, Ceropegia juncea, Pergularia daemia, Caralluma spp., Helixanthera spp., etc.

Southern dry mixed deciduous forest (Dry deciduous forest): The forest type is characterized by predominant hardwood deciduous tree species. The canopy is open with poor undergrowth. Bamboos are barely represented. The canopy level is vague in this type also. This is the dominant forest type in the Sanctuary constituting nearly 30%. It is found near settlements of Palapetty, Alampetty, Ichampetty, Karimalai, Thayannankudi, Puthukudi etc.The most characteristic species present invariably in the forest type are Anogeissus latifolia, Chloroxylon swietenia, Hardwickia binata, Boswellia serrata, Santalum album, Cassia fistula, Sterculia urens, Sapindus emarginatus, Canthium coromandelicum, Tarenna asiatica, Dodonaea angustifolia, Garuga floribunda, Shorea roxburghii, etc.

Southern moist mixed deciduous forest (Moist deciduous): The closed high forest is characterized mostly by deciduous plants, only for a brief time compared to the above forest type. The forest type covers less than 8% area of the sanctuary at Palapetty, Karimalai, Puthukudy, Ichampetty, Alampetty etc. The occasional occurrence of some of the characteristic tree species of the forest type along with the notable absence of some predominant trees like Terminalia spp., Xylia xylocarpa, Careya arborea and Dillenia pentagyna might be due to the clearance of this forest type for converting to agricultural purpose. The view is strengthened beacaue most of the agricultural areas are lying mixed with this forest type.The upper canopy trees are Grewia tiliifolia, Schleichera oleosa, Wrightia tinctoria, Bridelia crenulata, Buchanania lanzan, Pterocarpus marsupium, Gmelina arborea, Sterospermum colais, Albizia odoratissima, etc. The species forming the middle canopy include Premna tomentosa, Atalantia racemosa, Cipadessa baccifera, Clerodendrum serratum, C. viscosum, etc. The undergrowth constitutes Helicteres isora, Desmodium

Chinnar Photo/Praveen P Mohandas


velutinum, Indigofera pulchella, Rhinacanthus nasutus, Justicia betonica, etc.

Tropical riparian fringing forest (Riparian forest): The forest type is characterized by a few evergreen and semi-evergreen species restricted on the sides of streams forming a narrow fringe. In the Sanctuary, the forest type is restricted mostly along the side of the Pambar and Chinnar rivers. The dominant species are Terminallia arjuna, Hopea parviflora, Bischofia javanica, Mangifera indica, Drypates roxburghii, Vitex leucoxylon, Pongamia pinnata, Garcinia gummi-gutta, Mallotus stenanthus, Calophyllum calaba, Entada rheedei, Lepisanthes tetraphylla, Syzygium cumini, Schefflera racemosa, Homonoia riparia, Vitex altissima, Salix tetrasperma, Gnetum ula, etc.

Southern montane wet temperate forest (shola forest): The high altitude evergreen closed forest is characterized by short boled and branchy species. The attractive canopy of the shola species in varying shades of red, is really a fascinating view and is also one of the conspicuous features of this forest type. The forest type is localized at three places, Olikkudy shola, Kariveppin shola and Koyaman shola at altitudes above 1300 m. This is the only undisturbed forest type in the Sanctuary covering about 0.25% of the total area. There is no marked differentiation of canopy layers. The dominant species of the forest type are Syzygium spp., Elaeocarpus recurvatus, Actinodaphne malabarica, Agrostistachys indica, Fagraea ceylanica, Cryptocarya anamallayana, Calamus gamblei, Pittosporum spp., Gordonia obtuse, Mallotus tetracoccus, Aglaia elaeagnoidea, Gomphandra coriacea, Microtropis parviflora, Meliosma pinnata, Rhodomyrtus tomentosus, Mussaenda tomentosa, Ardisia pauciflora, Cinnamomum verum, Litsea wightiana, Cassine paniculata, Ficus amplocarpa etc.

Southern montane wet grassland (Grasslands): The high altitude natural grasslands are located along the boundary with Eravikulam National Park above Olikkudy and along the south-eastern extremity above Mangapparakudy. The predominant species are Arundinella mesophylla, A. setosa, Apluda mutica, Ischaemum nilagiricum, Setaria pumila, Themeda triandra, Cymbopogon flexuosus, Echinochloa colona, Digitaria wallichiana, Chrysopogon zeylanicus, Viola betonicifolia, Pimpinella candolleana etc.

Agricultural lands and plantations: The vegetation on the slopes and hilltops has been cleared earlier by the tribes for cultivation of lemon grass and food crops. The abandoned cultivated areas are devoid of shrubs and trees for a considerable area and the vegetation of that area is dominated with grasses. The lemon grass cultivation is a common practice among tribes and considerable portion of the agriculture land is utilized for this purpose. Teak and eucalyptus plantations in small patches have been raised in the past at Vanchikualm and Ollavayal. The agricultural lands comprise nearly 7% of the area of the Sanctuary.

Exotic weeds: The likelihood for exotic weeds to come up is higher wherever the natural vegetation is disturbed and in turn it is a measure to estimate the degree of disturbance of the vegetation. However, once exotics are spread, they gradually suppress the natural regeneration and take dominance over the other species due to their increased and wide adaptability resulting in the loss of biodiversity and endemism. A considerable area where shifting cultivation was being practiced in the past, is occupied by exotics. The areas with exotics are spread at various regions of the Sanctuary. The major exotics in the sanctuary are Lantana spp., Parthenium hysterophorus, Argemone mexicana, Vicoa India, Euphorbia spp., Chromolaena odorara etc.


1.1.4 Tribal communityThere are 11 settlements within the Sanctuary, of which seven belongs to Muthuvas and the rest to Hill Pulayas. The two tribal communities differ from one another in social, cultural and anthropological aspects. All the 11 kudies inside the Sanctuary are currently covered under the Ecodevelopment programme. Muthuva settlements in the Sanctuary are located mostly in the difficult terrain and relatively higher rainfall zones.

Objectives The broad objective of the study is to collect baseline ornithological data on the Chinnar WLS. The specific objectives include, Documentation of scrub-jungle habitat specific birds, which is unique to Chinnar WLS Status of the threatened Yellow-throated Bulbul, which is known only from Chinnar in Kerala Status of the raptors of these specialist habitat, scrub-jungle and dry deciduous forests

1.3 Physiography and Study AreaFive base camps were selected for the study on the birds of Chinnar WLS. The base camps selected were Chinnar, Alampatty, Karimutti, Palapatty and Olikkudi, the GPS details and the altitude of the base camps are given in Table 1.

Table 1. GPS details and the altitude of the base camps at Chinnar WLS

Sites Latitudes Longitudes Altitude

Chinnar 10°35’25 73” N 77°22’13 82”E 450m

Alampatty 10°33’93 73”N 77°21’78 66”E 515m

Karimutti 10°31’39 48”N 77°18’33 83”E 870m

Palapatty 10°28’40 68”N 77°20’43 20”E 1080m

Olikkudi 10°33’11 15”N 77°14’33 65”E 1285m

1.3.1 Chinnar: This base camp located near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu inter-state boundary. The elevation of Chinnar base camp range from 300 to 600m and the major habitat is scrub jungle to dry deciduous forests. A riverine habitat on either banks of the Chinnar and Pambar rivers forming gallery-vegetation dominated by evergreen plants such as Hopea, Mangifera, Pongamia, Syzygium etc is a unique feature of this base camp.

1.3.2 Alampatty: The habitat of this base camp is dominated by scrub jungle to dry deciduous forests and the altitude ranges from 400 to 650m.

1.3.3 Karimutti: The habitat similar to that of the rest of the sanctuary and is dominated by scrub jungle to dry deciduous forests and with the altitude ranging from 700 to 1100m.

1.3.4 Palapatty: is located still at a higher elevation that the rest of the camps listed above, and has an altitude of 900 to 1300m. The habitat is mostly dry deciduous forests.

1.3.5 Olikkudi: is the highest base camp at Chinnar and the altitude range from 1200 to 2300m. This base camp is contiguous with the Eravikulam National Park and the habitat is grassland-shola.


White-bellied DrongoPhoto/Sandeep Das


2. PREVIOUS STUDIESUnlike Munnar Hills, Chinnar Hills has not received an equal amount of ornithological attention. Dr. Sàlim Ali during his Travancore-Cochin Ornithology survey in 1933 did not cover most of Chinnar WLS. However, when the same areas were covered after 75 years by the team headed by C. Sashikumar in 2009 as a part of the repeat survey, they included a few transects in Chinnar WLS also (Sashikumar et al. 2011a). Apart from creating a checklist, they also estimated the density of birds using the same technique used in the present survey. Apart from this, there were two bird surveys/studies which happened in Chinnar that has been the basis of the existing checklist of Chinnar WLS (Sashikumar et. al. 2011b). Perhaps the first ever published note on the Chinnar birds is by Nameer and George (1991). Nameer (1996) covered several transects along Chinnar camp which created a checklist of 128 species. Namassivayan (1999) conducted three bird surveys in spring, winter and monsoon covering all parts of the sanctuary which obtain nearly 200 bird species – sightings of Yellow-throated Bulbul (Praveen & Namassivayan 2002) came out from this survey. Since then, Chinnar WLS has been sporadically visited by bird tourists who frequent Munnar Hills to see the endemics – mainly to see the Yellow-throated Bulbul. However, apart from Sashikumar et. al. (2011a), who covered a few transects – there has not been any prior density based survey of similar scale in Chinnar.


3. METHODOLOGYThe intensive survey of four days was conducted from 7 to 10 December 2012 where in about 30 birdwatchers (see Appendix III) from various parts of South India participated along an equal number of forest personnel, helping with the field level logistics. There were five base camps selected for this survey, Chinnar, Alampatty, Karimutti, Palapatty and Olikkudi. The base camps were selected such that all representative habitats and altitudes are covered and they camps are not close to each other for doing transects. Bird-watchers were taken to their base camps on 7th evening,

Yellow-billed Babbler Photo/Praveen P Mohandas


doing transect on 8th and 9th and return by 10thDecember 2012 to report and present the results.

Prefixed transects radiating from the base camps were followed in the morning (07.00 to 10.00hrs) and in the afternoon (15.30 to 18.00hrs). A 3-4hr transect route is chosen by each team (2 or 3 members) in a base camp for a day. This transect is a normal walk path and not necessarily a straight line. The same transect is chosen for morning as well as evening. A general bird-watching pace of about 2-3km/hr is observed.

Each team recorded the transect name (with the help of tracker), name of bird-watchers, name of forest tracks, start time, end time, date and weather conditions. When a bird was sighted the observations such as, time of sighting, species, number of individuals, habitat, remarks and the distance band is noted. Three distance bands are used for the survey 0-5m, 5-10m, 10-20m, >20m. Nearest distance (perpendicular distance) to the transect line is put in one of the three distance bands. If the bird is flying, the point of detection (when we see/detect the bird first) was used to assign the distance band (e.g. if you see the bird in 5-10m distance band and then the bird crosses the transect line, it is still assigned to 5-10m band). Birds like raptors, swifts which were recorded in overhead flight were not assigned any distance band. Birds were identified using calls also and distant band assigned to.

After the 3hr transect period, the team was free to walk further to explore. However, the team records all (and only) the new species which were not recorded during that particular transect. Data to be recorded still remains the same, such as, time, species, number of individuals, habitat, remarks and distance band.

The birds were identified using binoculars (10x50 or 8x40) and field guides of Ali and Ripley (1987), Grimmett et al. (1998), Kazmierczak (2000) and Rasmussen & Anderton (2005). The birds were identified and recorded from sightings and the calls heard. The data thus collected were recorded in to the prescribed data sheet. The data were analyzed using the software BIODIVERSITY PRO Version2 (McAleece, 1997).

The bird species where then assigned to various feeding guilds such as aerial (AER), aquatic (AQ), bark surface feeders (BAR), canopy insectivores (CAN), carnivorous (CAR), frugivores (FRU), nectarivore-insectivore (NEC), omnivore (OMN), piscivores (PIS), terrestrial insectivores (TER), understorey insectivores (UND), modified after Raman et al. (1998) and Praveen and Nameer (2009).

3.1 Data QualityThe survey team was made in such a way that in each team at least one seasoned bird-watcher who can identify all the forest birds with confidence is present. Moreover on the last day of the survey there was a plenary session, where in all the participants assembled at one place. Each team made a brief presentation about their findings during the survey. The plenary session of the bird survey was done with near-perfection to that of a scientific seminar. The team leader will have to clarify unequivocally all the queries rose by the rest of the participants during the course of the presentation. All the doubtful entries were out rightly rejected. Further to it, doubts and clarifications that arose during analysis and report creation time were also pursued and sightings lingering with some amount of doubt were eliminated. Thus the bird list compiled as part of the bird survey is indeed an authentic one.


4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe summary statistics on the transect effort is given in Table 2. A total of 98.37 transect hours in 40 transects were done in five different base camps at Chinnar WLS. A total of 4392 individuals of birds in 165 species were recorded during the survey.

Table 2. Summary statistics on the transect effort and the number of birds

Number of transects Number of transect hours Number of birds

Alampatty 7 12.42 433

Chinnar 12 31.70 1644

Karimutty 9 21.80 624

Olikkudi 4 12.03 312

Palappetty 8 20.42 1379

Grand Total 40 98.37 4392

Common IoraPhoto/Sandeep Das


4.1 Significant SightingsThe following are the significant observations during the study.

4.1.1 Barred Button-Quail Turnix suscitator: Three sightings in the same transect by different teams from Chinnar is the only observations and happens to be the first record for Chinnar WLS.

4.1.2 Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni: Apparently expected to be a more regular bird from the riverine habitats of Chinnar WLS, only two sightings from Chinnar camp were the only observation for this species..

4.1.3 Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata: Two sightings of juvenile birds from Chinnar WLS – one of them photographed by Mujeeb PB.

4.1.4 Shahin Falcon Falco peregrinus perigrinator: Two sightings from Chinnar and Alampatty of single birds up in the sky.

4.1.5 Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl Bubo nipalensis: A bird observed in its day roost on the banks of Chinnar river close to Churulapatty by Praveen J & team.

4.1.6 Syke’s Warbler Iduna rama: A confirmed sighting of a bird from Karimutty by Vinay Das and a possible (this or H. caligata) photographed from Chinnar by Mujeeb PB.

4.1.7 Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus: A good population observed from Palapatty by Shibu Baskar outside the transect hours. One sighting during the transect by Jai P Jacob from the same camp. No birds were observed from Chinnar or Alampatty where there had been prior sightings.

4.1.8 Palani Laughingthrush Strophocincla [fairbanki] fairbanki: Four observations of small flocks from Olikkudi area by Praveen ES and team. This area is contiguous with the Eravikulam NP towards the east.

4.1.9 Black-and-Orange Flycatcher Ficedula nigrorufa: Two sightings by Praveen ES and team from Olikkudi.

4.1.10 Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica: A single sighting from Chinnar basecamp by Praveen J and team happens to be the first record for Chinnar. There are only very few sightings (<10) from Kerala of this dry scrub species.

4.1.11 Notable omissions during the survey: Some of the key species from Chinnar Hills which were missing were Sirkeer Malkoha, Eurasian Collared Dove, White-eyed Buzzard, Hume’s Whitethroat, Jungle Bush-Quail, Booted Warbler etc. were missed from the survey.


4.2 SPECIES DIVERSITY ANALYSIS4.2.1 Bird species richness, abundance and diversity at the different base camps in Chinnar HillsBird species richness, abundance and diversity at the different base camps in Chinnar Hills based on transect data are given in Table 3, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Maximum number of species was recorded from the Chinnar (122) while the minimum number was from Olikkudi (49). This is expected as the diverse habitats in Chinnar, dry scrub, dry deciduous and riverine forests are much richer in species composition as compared to the high altitude shola-grassland habitats and evergreen forests of Olikkudi. Consequently, Shannon & Simpson’s diversity is highest in Chinnar and low in Olikkudi.

Table 3. Bird species richness, abundance and diversity at different base camps in Chinnar WLS

Index Alampatty Chinnar Karimutty Olikkudi Palappetty

No of Species 65 122 76 49 76

No of Individuals 433 1644 624 312 1379

Shannon H’ Log Base 10. 1.51 1.79 1.57 1.40 1.44

Shannon Hmax Log Base 10. 1.81 2.09 1.88 1.69 1.88

Shannon J’ 0.83 0.86 0.83 0.83 0.76

Simpsons Diversity (1/D) 20.62 37.95 22.62 16.66 14.05

Simpsons Diversity (1-D) 0.95 0.97 0.96 0.94 0.93

Fig. 3 Simpson’s diversity index of various base camps


Fig. 4 Shannon’s diversity index of various base camps

4.2.2 Similarity of birds among the different base camps in Munnar HillsBray-Curtis cluster analysis of similarity among the birds of different base camps from Chinnar Hills are given in Fig. 5 & 6. Both checklist based similarity analysis and population based one are quite similar with only minor variations. Olikkudi, which is a high altitudinal camp, is quite divergent from the rest of the camps. Karimutti and Alampatty were closer than other camps and hence show similar bird life as seen from the figures. Palapatty, which also share similar altitude, is not very different in terms of species composition. Though population wise Chinnar is closer to Palapatty, the lower altitude Chinnar camp is more diverse than all other camps and hence clearly houses more distinct species and hence shows divergence in terms of checklist. Overall the lower altitude camps showed nearly 50% similarity in terms of population composition and more so in terms of species. This is quite expected from the habitat composition of Chinnar WLS which falls in the leeward side of the Munnar Hills, except for the possible exception of Olikkudi area which is more similar to the high altitude habitats of Munnar Hills.


Fig 5. Bray-Curtis Cluster Analysis of Similarity based on Population

Fig 6. Bray-Curtis Cluster Analysis of Similarity based on Checklist


4.2.3 Feeding Guild StructureThe feeding guild structure throws open a lot of interesting facts about the birdlife of a place. Like elsewhere in Western Ghats, the two guilds that dominate the profile are “Canopy-Insectivores” (25%) and “Frugivores” (30%) (Fig. 7 & 8). However, unlike many other places, at Chinnar, Frugivores scores over Canopy-Insectivores which is probably due to the dominance of bulbul species. This is the case since most of the food available in any forest is in the canopy, as insects or fruits. Moreover, the feeding guild, “Understory-Insectivores” (17%) is also well represented in Chinnar Hills which indicate a healthy ecosystem with low pesticide effects. Surprisingly, Aerial-Insectivores and Omnivores scored slightly better than Terrestrial-Insectivores or Nectarivore-Insectivore - unlike other areas in Western Ghats - probably relates to the lack of evergreen forests to house species like Small Sunbirds. A closer look at the site wise guild structure will provide better answers.

Bray-Curtis analysis indicates that each camp had a different guild composition (Fig.9). Alampatty & Palappaty had a higher presence of Frugivores as compared to other camps like Chinnar. This must have to do with fruiting trees during the survey period. Canopy-Insectivores dominated Chinnar as compared to Palappatty or Olikkudi – where Understorey-Insectivores dominated. This is a clear reverse trend. Chinnar, Olikkudi and Karimutti had a sizable Aerial-Insectivore guild which normally is not that dominant in other areas of Western Ghats. Karimutti, probably due to its proximity to habitation, had Ominvore Guild quite prominently. Terrestrial-Insectivores and Nectarivore-Insectivores are quite subdued in all camps.

Fig 7. Feeding guild structure of birds of Chinnar WLS


Fig 8. Site-wise comparison of feeding guild structure of birds of Chinnar WLS

Fig 9. Feeding Guild comparison at sites based on bird population at Chinnar WLS


4.3 Frequency analysis of indicator species4.3.1 Red Data book birds at Chinnar WLS: Chinnar WLS is not known to harbour a large amount of red-data book species. Apart from the small portion of high-altitude grassland-shola habitat around Olikkudi, much of the area is dry-deciduous or scrub. Four threatened birds were recorded during the survey of which one is “Vulnerable” (VU) and rest “Near-threatened” (NT) (Table 4). The survey recorded a few flocks of Palani Laughingthrush (NT) from Olikkudi. Black-and-orange Flycatcher (NT) is another red-data bird recorded from Olikkudi. Though other species like Nilgiri Pipit (VU), Nilgiri Flycatcher (NT), Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon (VU), White-bellied Blue Robin (VU) and Broad-tailed Grassbird (VU) could also be occurring in these habitats, we did not record any of them. Grey-headed Bulbul (NT) was sparingly recorded in a few camps along riverine habitats. Due to its shy nature, much of the observations have been through calls. A good population of Yellow-throated Bulbul (VU) was found to inhabit the habitats around Palapatty. However, only one bird was recorded during transect hours. Yellow-throated Bulbuls have been observed from Chinnar & Alampatty areas also during prior studies (Praveen & Namassivayan 2002).

Table 4. Threatened birds recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species IUCN Numbers

Palani Laughingthrush NT 12

Grey-headed Bulbul NT 3

Black-and-orange Flycatcher NT 2

Yellow-throated Bulbul VU 1


4.3.2 Western Ghats endemic birds Ten species of birds that are endemic to Western Ghats according to Rasmussen and Anderson (2012) have been reported from the Chinnar Hills (Table 5). Apart from this there are endemic races of three species of birds found in Chinnar, which are also given in Table 5 in italics, such as Puff-throated Babbler, Indian Scimitar Babbler and Red Spurfowl. Like most protected areas of mid altitudes, Blue-winged Parakeets are the most dominant endemic species in Chinnar Hills. Nilgiri Flowerpecker, Square-tailed (Black) Bulbul and Rufous Babbler are the next abundant species. Strangely though, population of Crimson-backed Sunbird has not been similar to other PAs in the windward side of the Ghats. Malabar Grey Hornbill is completely absent from Chinnar habitats.

Table 5. Western Ghats endemic species of birds recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species Numbers

Blue-winged Parakeet 79

Nilgiri Flowerpecker 43

Rufous Babbler 37

Square-tailed Bulbul 34

Crimson-backed Sunbird 12

Palani Laughingthrush 12

Puff-throated Babbler 12

Indian Scimitar Babbler 9

Greater Flameback 8

Red Spurfowl 6

Black-and-orange Flycatcher 2

Flame-throated bulbul 2

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher 2

4.3.3 Dry Scrub & Dry Deciduous birds Chinnar WLS is one of the few areas in Kerala where dry scrub habitats are found - this has been also the reason that several records of birds species that are otherwise typical to Deccan plateau have been recorded mostly or only from Chinnar WLS in Kerala (Sashikumar et. al. 2011). The sanctuary has an excellent population of Brown-headed (Large Green) Barbets (Table 6). Jungle Prinias and Blue-faced Malkohas, otherwise rare or absent in most of Kerala are found to be common. Bay-backed Shrike population in Chinnar base camp area seems to be excellent. Laughing Doves are also present but strangely Collared Dove, once quite common around Chinnar camp was not recorded at all. Indian Silverbill is an addition to Chinnar list – while Yellow-throated Bulbul, the key-stone species was recorded from Palappatty. In summary, the habitats still houses several dry-land specialists but it is strange that Eurasian Collared Doves were absent – could it have to do with some seasonal movements yet undocumented?


Table 6. Dry scrub dependant bird species recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species NumbersBrown-headed Barbet 142Jungle Prinia 32Blue-faced Malkoha 26

Bay-backed Shrike 25Indian Peafowl 13Laughing Dove 10Blue-bearded Bee-eater 4Barred Buttonquail 2Indian Silverbill 2Yellow-eyed Babbler 2Syke’s Warbler 1Yellow-throated Bulbul 1

4.3.4 RaptorsEleven species of raptors and four species of Owls/Owlets were recorded from Chinnar Hills of which most are deciduous specialists (Table 7). Shikra, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Crested (Oriental) Honey Buzzard and Crested Hawk-Eagle are the dominant raptors of these forests. Rarer raptors recorded from the sanctuary include Bonelli’s Eagle, Shahin Falcon and Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle. Two large Owls, including Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl and two small Owls/Owlets were also recorded.

Table 7. Raptors and the owls recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species NumbersShikra 13Crested Serpent Eagle 10Crested Honey Buzzard 9Changeable Hawk-Eagle 8Common Kestrel 7Black Eagle 6Bonelli’s Eagle 4Booted Eagle 2

Brahminy Kite 2Crested Goshawk 2Shahin Falcon 2Brown Fish Owl 2Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle 1Indian Scops Owl 1Jungle Owlet 1Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl 1


4.3.5 Primary hole-nesting birdsPrimary hole-nesting birds are ecologically very significant birds and they are regarded as the key-stone species. Their presence in an ecosystem is of extreme importance, as without them the secondary hole nesting birds would not be able to survive. Like most forests, barbets dominated in terms of numbers over woodpeckers, while the diversity of woodpeckers in Chinnar WLS is quite low, and represented by only six species (Table 8).

Table 8. Primary hole-nesting birds recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species NumbersBrown-headed Barbet 142Coppersmith Barbet 85White-cheeked Barbet 20Black-rumped Flameback 11Greater Flameback 8Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker 6Streak-throated Woodpecker 6Yellow-crowned Woodpecker 6Rufous Woodpecker 1

Brown-headed BarbetPhoto/Sandeep das


4.3.6 Ground birds (pheasants, quails and thrushes) Ground birds are well-represented in Chinnar Hills though not abundant – of particular relevance is the good population of Grey Junglefowl (Table 9). Thrushes are not common – with only a few species and that too in small numbers. Elsewhere, it has been noted that proximity of tea plantations can affect this guild negatively as the pesticidal use in the plantations affect this guild very badly.

Table 9. Ground birds recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species NumbersGrey Junglefowl 62Grey Wagtail 29Oriental Magpie-Robin 29Indian Robin 24White-browed Wagtail 14Indian Peafowl 13Painted Bush Quail 10White-rumped Shama 9Eurasian Hoopoe 6Red Spurfowl 6Common Emerald Dove 4Barred Buttonquail 2Malabar Whistling Thrush 2Pied Bushchat 2Blue-capped Rock Thrush 1Jungle Nightjar 1

4.3.7 Brood parasites of birds The abundance of parasitic cuckoos is an indicator of the breeding pressure exerted on its foster parents. A low abundance of cuckoos signifies a healthier ecosystem for resident breeders. As an example, pristine habitats like Silent Valley and Eravikulam in Kerala hardly supports any parasitic cuckoo species while a disturbed habitat like Peechi-Vazhani (again in Kerala) houses many species of parasitic cuckoos in good abundance. As a part of this survey, we found three species of Cuckoos – of which Common Hawk-Cuckoo dominated (Table 10). Like other deciduous habitats in the Western Ghats, Laughingthrushes apart from Babblers and several smaller birds like Iora, Tailor Birds will have pressure from these brood parasites – losing their brood to the parasitic cuckoos.

Table 10. Brood-parasitic birds recorded from Chinnar WLS

Species Numbers

Common Hawk-Cuckoo 23

Asian Koel 7

Grey-bellied Cuckoo 1


Large Cuckoo-shrikePhoto/Dileep Anthikkad


5. CONCLUSIONThe first detailed survey of the birds of Chinnar WLS has come out with the following findings. A total of 165 species have been positively recorded from the PA and the ten most abundant birds were, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-billed Babbler, Jungle Myna, Jungle Babbler, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Brown-headed Barbet, Ashy Wood-swallow, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Plum-headed Parakeet and Spotted Dove, indicating clearly a trend towards dry-deciduous habitats. These PA’s also support just four threatened species and 13 endemic taxa of Western Ghats. Raptors & Owls are well represented with 15 species, ground-nesting birds with 16 species and nine species of primary-hole nesters. The parasitic cuckoos were reasonably abundant. One “Vulnerable” species, Yellow-throated Bulbul and three “Near-threatened” species such as Palani Laughingthrush, Black-and-orange Flycatcher and Grey-headed Bulbul were the red data birds. Despite being less rich in red data species, this is probably the only PA in Kerala where an excellent population of Yellow-throated Bulbuls exists and hence should be given prime importance.

Large Cuckoo-shrikePhoto/Dileep Anthikkad


Yellow-crowned WoodpeckerPhoto/Dileep Anthikkad


6. RECOMMENDATIONS The present study by no means is the last word on the birdlife of Chinnar WLS. This however, forms a very important baseline data. The present survey gives not only the most up to date bird checklist, it also give quantitative data on the abundance of each of the species of birds, including the threatened and endemic species seen at Chinnar WLS. The following studies should be carried out in Chinnar WLS in the near future.

Monitoring of dry-scrub and riverine habitat and species in lower altitude camps Monitoring the population of Yellow-throated Bulbuls A detailed bird survey in every five years The degraded high elevation shola habitats at Olikudi, due to the biotic intervention, should be

restored/regenerated to maintain the ecologically continuity of this part with the Eravikulam plateau.


7. REFERENCESAli, S. and Ripley, D. S. (1987).Compact Handbook of Birds of India and Pakistan. 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press. 737p.

Ali, S. and Whistler, H. (1935). The ornithology of Travancore and Cochin. Part I. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. XXXVII(4): 814–843.

Champion, H.G. and Seth, S.K. (1968). Classification of Forest Types of India. Natraj publishers, Dehra Dun.

Daniels, R. J. R., Hedge, M. and Gadgil, M. (1990). Birds of man-made ecosystems: the plantations. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.), 99: (1): 79-89.

Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. (1998).Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Oxford University Press. Delhi. p.888.

Jayson, E. A. and Ramachandran, K. K. (1994). Indian Black Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis (Bechstein) feeding on a small bird. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 91(2): 320.

Katju, D. (1995). Birds of the Amravathi area and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 35(1): 12–13

Kazmierczak, K. (2000). A field guide to the Birds of India. Helm Information Ltd., U.K.

Kazmierczak, K. and Singh, Raj. (2001). A Birdwatchers› Guide to India Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

McAleece, N. (1997). Bio-diversity Professional. The Natural History Museum and the Scottish Association for Marine Science. UK.

Nair, S.C. 1991. The southern Western Ghats - biodiversity conservation plan. Intach, New Delhi. 92p.

Namassivayan, L. (1999). Birds of Chinnar WLS - A Survey Report. Report to Kerala Forest Department.

Nameer, P.O. (1996). Birds of Chinnar WLS – A Survey Report. Report to Kerala Forest Department

Nameer, P. O. (2005). Summary of Ph.D. Thesis: Bird community structure in selected forest types of Kerala. Zoos› Print. XX(11): 20–22

Nameer, P. O. and George, S. J. (1991). Avifauna of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 31(9-10): 7-9.

Pittie, A. (1998). Birding notes. Pitta. 87: 3-4.

Pittie, A. (2000). Birding notes. Pitta. 107: 7.


Praveen J. and Namassivayan, L. 2006. Sightings of Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, southern India. Zoos› Print Journal. 21(4): 2228.

Praveen J. and Nameer, P. O. (2009). Monitoring bird diversity in Western Ghats of Kerala. Current Science. 96(10): 1390-1395.

Raghu, K. G. (2001). Some notes on bird behaviour. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 41(2): 16–19

Rahmani, A. R. (1992). Comments on sighting of Siberian Crane in Little Rann of Kutch and on rainfall in Chinnar. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 32(1-2): 18

Raman, T. R. S., Rawat, G. S. and Johnsingh, A. J. T. (1998). Recovery of tropical rainforest avifauna in relation to vegetation succession following shifting cultivation in Mizoram, north-east India. Journal of Applied Ecology. 35: 214-231.

Rasmussen, P. and Anderson, J. (2012). Birds of South Asia, The Ripley Guide. 2 Volumes. 2nd Edition, Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Michigan University & Smithsonian Institution.

Rufus, K. C. (2007). Avifauna of Valparai, Anamlais. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 46(6): 93–94

Sashikumar, C., Praveen J., Palot, M. J.,Nameer, P. O. (2011a). Birds of Kerala: status and distribution. Kottayam: DC Books. 833 pp.

Sashikumar, C., Vishudas, C. K., Raju, S., Kannan, S. and Vinayan, P.A. (2011b). Along the train of Salim Ali: Travancore-Cochin Ornithological Survey-2009. Kerala State Forests and Wildlife Department, 220p.

Stotz, D. F., Fitzpatrick, J.W., Parker, T.A.; Moskovits, D.K. 1996. Neotropical birds: Ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Thejaswi, S. 2005. New sites for the globally threatened Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus (Jerdon) in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, southern India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 101(3): 458–461 (2004)

Zacharias, V. J.; Gaston, A. J. 1999.The recent distribution of endemic, disjunct and globally uncommon birds in the forests of Kerala, State, south-west India. Bird Conservation International. 9: 191-225.


Common Wood-shrikePhoto/Dileep Anthikkad


8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe would like to thank the State Forest department for their keen interest to document the avifauna of Chinnar WLS. Our thanks are due to the Chief Wildlife Warden and the Field Director for the permission to for carrying out this bird survey. At the Munnar, Mr. Saju PU, the Wildlife Warden and Mr. Shanavas Khan, Asst. Wildlife Warden, gave excellent logistic support that facilitated us to cover many of the otherwise inaccessible areas in the Chinnar WLS. Special thanks to the bird watchers who participated in the survey and made it a success. We would also like to thank Ashish GB, Gopinathan Nair, Mujeeb PM, Praveen J , Syam V, Rajeev Vasu, Vinay Das, Jai P Jacob, Shibu Basker, Praveen ES and Toms Augustine for leading each of the camps. Our special thanks are also due Mr. Dipu Karuthedathu and Praven ES for helping with the coordination in first & last days of the surveys.

Many thanks to Dileep Anthikkad, Shibu Bhaskar, Praveen Mohandas, Sandeep Das and PO Nameer for providing photographs used in this report. We also got excellent field support from the Hill Pulaya tribes and other forest watchers, special thanks and hats off to them, upon their knowledge on the terrain and natural history of the area. Last but not the least we also place on record our deepest gratitude to Mr. TN Pratapan MLA and Member State Wildlife Advisory Board to be kind enough to flag off the survey and thus giving an extra energy amongst all the participants with his presence and support.


Small Minivet female - some of the Small Minivets

in Chinnar WLS have extensive white on belly

and is liable to be confused with a White-bellied Minivet

Photo/Praveen E S


Chin

nar

WLS

Alam

patt

y

Kari

mut

ty

Chin

nar

Olik

kudi

Pala

patt

y

Common Name Scientific Name 165 74 77 126 76 92

Painted Bush Quail Perdicula erythrorhyncha X X

Red Spurfowl Galloperdix spadicea X X X X X

Grey Junglefowl Gallus sonneratii X X X X X X

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus X X

Striated Heron Butorides striata X X

Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii X X X X X

Little Egret Egretta garzetta X X

Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger X X

Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus X X X

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus X X

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela X X X X X

Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus X X

Shikra Accipiter badius X X X X

Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis X X X X X

Bonelli,s Eagle Aquila fasciata X X

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus X X X

Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle Lophotriorchis kienerii X X

9. Appendix I Checklist of Birds of Chinnar WLS


Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus X X X X

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus X X X X X

Shahin Falcon Falco peregrinus perigrinator X X X

Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator X X

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus X X

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus X X

Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis X X X X X X

Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis X X

Common Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica X X X X

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicopterus X X X X X

Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea X X X X

Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia X X

Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis X X X X X X

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri X X X

Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala X X X X X X

Blue-winged Parakeet Psittacula columboides X X X X X

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis X X X X X

Blue-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus viridirostris X X X X X

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus X X X

Grey-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus X X

Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius X X X X X X

Indian Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena X X

Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia X X

Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl Bubo nipalensis X X

Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis X X

Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum X X X

Great Eared Nightjar Lyncornis macrotis X X

Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus X X

Jerdon›s Nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis X X

Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata X X

Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor X X X X X

Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis X X

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis X X X X X X

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis X X

Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis X X

Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni X X

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis X X X


Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti X X X X X X

Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops X X X

Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica X X X X X

White-cheeked Barbet Megalaima viridis X X X X X

Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala X X X X X X

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus X X X X

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis X X X X X

Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus X X

Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus X X ?

Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense X X X X

Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus X X X X X

Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus X X

Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura X X

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus X X X

Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus X X X X X

Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus X X

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia X X X X X X

Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei X X X X X X

Black-headed Cuckooshrike Coracina melanoptera X X X

Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus X X X X X X

Orange Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus X X X X X X

Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus cristatus X X X X

Philippine Shrike Lanius cristatus luceonicus X ? X

Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus X X

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach X X X X

Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo X X X

Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis X X X X

Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus X X X X X X

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus X X ?

Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus X X X X X

White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens X X X X X X

Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus X X X

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus X X

White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola X X X X

Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea X X X X X X

Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi X X X X X X

Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda X X X X X


House Crow Corvus splendens X X

Indian Jungle Crow Corvus culminatus X X X

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis X X X X

Cinereous Tit Parus cinereus X X X X X

Indian Black-lored Tit Parus aplonotus X X X X

Grey-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus priocephalus X X X

Flame-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus gularis X X X X

Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus X X X X X X

Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer X X X X X X

Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus X X

White-browed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus X X X X X

Yellow-browed Bulbul Acritillas indica X X X X X

Square-tailed Bulbul Hypsipetes ganeesa X X X X

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica X X X X

Hill Swallow Hirundo domicola X X X

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica X X X X X

Tickell›s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis X X

Greenish Warbler/Green Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides /nitidus X X X X X X

Large-billed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris X X X X X

Blyth›s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum X X X X X

Thick-billed Warbler Iduna aedon X X

Syke›s Warbler Iduna rama X X ?

Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii X X X X

Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica X X ? X

Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis X X X X

Plain Prinia Prinia inornata X X X

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius X X X X X X

Indian Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus horsfieldii X X X

Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra X X X X X

Dark-fronted Babbler Rhopocichla atriceps X X X

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe poioicephala X X X

Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps X X X X X

Rufous Babbler Turdoides subrufa X X

Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata X X X X X

Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides affinis X X X X

Palani Laughingthrush Trochalopteron [fairbanki] fairbanki X X

Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense X X


Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus X X X X

Asian Fairy-bluebird Irena puella X X X X X X

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis X X X X X

Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus X X X X

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis X X X

Malabar Whistling Thrush Myophonus horsfieldii X X X

Indian Blue Robin Luscinia brunnea X X

Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis X X X X X

White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus X X X X

Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus X X

Pied Bush Chat Saxicola caprata X X X

Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus X X

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica X X X X X

Brown-breasted Flycatcher Muscicapa muttui X X

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher Muscicapa ruficauda X X

Black-and-orange Flycatcher Ficedula nigrorufa X X

Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus X X X X

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher Cyornis pallipes X X

Tickell›s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae X X X X X X

Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides X X

Jerdon›s Leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni X X X X X

Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons X X X X X

Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile X X X X

Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos X X X X X

Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor X X X X X

Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica X X X X X X

Crimson-backed Sunbird Leptocoma minima X X X X X

Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus X X X X X

Loten›s Sunbird Cinnyris lotenius X X X X

Yellow-throated Sparrow Gymnoris xanthocollis X X X X X

Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica X X

White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata X X X

Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata X X X

Tricolored Munia Lonchura malacca X X

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea X X X X X X

White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis X X X X

Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus X X X


10. Appendix II Abundance of Birds at the camps in Chinnar WLS

Alam

patt

y

Chin

nar

Kari

mut

ty

Olik

kudi

Pala

ppet

ty

Gran

d To

tal

Red-vented Bulbul 63 134 67 6 283 553

Yellow-billed Babbler 24 92 0 0 109 225

Jungle Myna 1 0 78 0 101 180

Jungle Babbler 26 0 37 11 104 178

Red-whiskered Bulbul 33 14 18 45 33 143

Brown-headed Barbet 12 25 10 0 95 142

Ashy Woodswallow 0 116 0 0 0 116

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater 5 44 28 6 30 113

Plum-headed Parakeet 26 6 33 0 38 103

Spotted Dove 11 47 20 0 18 96

Small Minivet 9 72 9 0 3 93


Coppersmith Barbet 23 22 14 0 26 85

Greenish Warbler/Green Warbler 14 35 11 6 18 84

Blyth›s Reed Warbler 0 26 9 5 42 82

Blue-winged Parakeet 3 37 0 6 33 79

Purple-rumped Sunbird 22 28 9 0 19 78

White-bellied Drongo 5 30 11 2 24 72

Orange Minivet 6 35 11 8 10 70

Red-rumped Swallow 6 30 8 0 25 69

Purple Sunbird 0 36 4 0 24 64

Common Iora 12 27 2 2 20 63

Grey Junglefowl 8 7 14 1 32 62

Ashy Drongo 0 48 2 2 6 58

Asian Fairy-bluebird 7 22 18 2 6 55

Common Tailorbird 13 23 5 1 6 48

Indian Swiftlet 0 3 15 30 0 48

Common Woodshrike 10 32 0 0 5 47

Nilgiri Flowerpecker 0 3 3 6 31 43

Green Imperial Pigeon 0 40 0 0 0 40

Rufous Babbler 0 0 0 37 0 37

Rufous Treepie 5 5 10 0 16 36

Square-tailed Bulbul 0 0 10 24 0 34

White-browed Bulbul 2 20 10 0 1 33

Jungle Prinia 0 15 0 0 17 32

Tawny-bellied Babbler 6 5 1 0 19 31

Asian Paradise Flycatcher 1 21 1 0 7 30

Barn Swallow 0 8 22 0 0 30

Green Bee-eater 0 26 0 0 3 29

Grey Wagtail 1 13 8 0 7 29

Oriental Magpie-Robin 0 11 9 0 9 29

Yellow-browed Bulbul 3 11 0 10 3 27

Blue-faced Malkoha 6 7 1 0 12 26

Greater Coucal 4 4 0 2 16 26

Bay-backed Shrike 0 25 0 0 0 25

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon 0 24 1 0 0 25

Indian Robin 0 24 0 0 0 24

Black-hooded Oriole 0 9 8 0 6 23


Cinereous Tit 2 10 8 0 3 23

Common Hawk-Cuckoo 1 9 2 0 11 23

Golden-fronted Leafbird 4 4 4 0 8 20

White-cheeked Barbet 7 0 11 1 1 20

White-throated Kingfisher 1 15 2 0 2 20

Tickell›s Blue Flycatcher 1 13 1 1 3 19

Indian Golden Oriole 0 16 1 1 0 18

Common Rosefinch 0 0 0 13 4 17

Oriental White-eye 2 0 0 14 1 17

Pale-billed Flowerpecker 3 11 1 2 0 17

Brown Shrike 0 5 0 6 5 16

Indian Jungle Crow 0 14 2 0 0 16

Jerdon›s Leafbird 1 4 0 0 11 16

White-browed Fantail 2 9 0 0 3 14

White-browed Wagtail 3 2 9 0 0 14

Bronzed Drongo 0 10 3 0 0 13

Indian Peafowl 0 13 0 0 0 13

Rose-ringed Parakeet 0 9 0 0 4 13

Shikra 0 6 1 0 6 13

Black-naped Monarch 2 3 1 2 4 12

Common Myna 0 9 3 0 0 12

Crimson-backed Sunbird 0 6 0 0 6 12

Palani Laughingthrush 0 0 0 12 0 12

Puff-throated Babbler 1 6 4 1 0 12

Vernal Hanging Parrot 1 7 1 2 1 12

Black-rumped Flameback 0 10 1 0 0 11

Common Kingfisher 0 11 0 0 0 11

Large CuckooShrike 3 1 3 2 2 11

Loten›s Sunbird 0 3 0 0 8 11

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike 1 9 0 0 0 10

Crested Serpent Eagle 0 4 4 1 1 10

Indian Pond Heron 2 7 1 0 0 10

Laughing Dove 0 10 0 0 0 10

Painted Bush Quail 0 0 0 10 0 10

Asian Brown Flycatcher 1 7 0 0 1 9

Crested Honey Buzzard 0 4 0 0 5 9


Indian Scimitar Babbler 0 0 0 2 7 9

Verditer Flycatcher 1 6 0 2 0 9

White-rumped Shama 0 8 1 0 0 9

Black Drongo 1 0 7 0 0 8

Changeable Hawk-Eagle 0 3 4 0 1 8

Greater Flameback 4 0 1 1 2 8

Grey-breasted Prinia 2 2 0 4 0 8

Asian Koel 0 6 0 0 1 7

Black-headed Cuckooshrike 0 6 1 0 0 7

Common Kestrel 1 1 4 0 1 7

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher 3 0 3 1 0 7

Large-billed Leaf Warbler 0 0 1 3 3 7

Stork-billed Kingfisher 0 7 0 0 0 7

Yellow-throated Sparrow 0 3 3 1 0 7

Black Eagle 0 2 1 3 0 6

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker 2 4 0 0 0 6

Eurasian Hoopoe 0 5 0 0 1 6

House Crow 0 6 0 0 0 6

Red Spurfowl 2 2 1 0 1 6

Streak-throated Woodpecker 0 3 0 0 3 6

Thick-billed Flowerpecker 0 5 1 0 0 6

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch 1 0 2 2 1 6

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker 1 3 1 0 1 6

Ashy Prinia 1 4 0 0 0 5

Dark-fronted Babbler 0 0 0 5 0 5

Asian Palm Swift 0 0 4 0 0 4

Blue-bearded Bee-eater 0 4 0 0 0 4

Bonelli›s Eagle 0 4 0 0 0 4

Brown-breasted Flycatcher 0 4 0 0 0 4

Common Emerald Dove 2 2 0 0 0 4

Crested Treeswift 0 4 0 0 0 4

Black-naped Oriole 0 1 2 0 0 3

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta 0 1 0 0 2 3

Green Sandpiper 0 3 0 0 0 3

Grey-headed Bulbul 0 3 0 0 0 3

Hill Swallow 2 0 0 1 0 3


Plain Prinia 0 0 0 3 0 3

Scaly-breasted Munia 0 3 0 0 0 3

White-rumped Munia 0 3 0 0 0 3

Barred Buttonquail 0 2 0 0 0 2

Black-and-orange Flycatcher 0 0 0 2 0 2

Booted Eagle 0 1 1 0 0 2

Brahminy Kite 0 2 0 0 0 2

Brown Fish Owl 0 2 0 0 0 2

Crested Goshawk 0 0 0 0 2 2

Flame-throated bulbul 2 0 0 0 0 2

Indian Black-lored Tit 1 1 0 0 0 2

Indian Silverbill 0 2 0 0 0 2

Little Cormorant 0 2 0 0 0 2

Little Egret 0 2 0 0 0 2

Malabar Whistling Thrush 0 0 0 0 2 2

Pied Bush chat 0 0 0 0 2 2

Shahin Falcon 1 1 0 0 0 2

Striated Heron 0 2 0 0 0 2

Thick-billed Warbler 0 0 2 0 0 2

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher 0 0 2 0 0 2

Yellow-eyed Babbler 0 2 0 0 0 2

Blue-capped Rock Thrush 0 0 0 1 0 1

Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher 0 1 0 0 0 1

Grey-bellied Cuckoo 0 1 0 0 0 1

Indian Scops Owl 1 0 0 0 0 1

Jungle Nightjar 0 1 0 0 0 1

Jungle Owlet 0 1 0 0 0 1

Long-tailed Shrike 0 0 1 0 0 1

Red-wattled Lapwing 0 1 0 0 0 1

Rufous Woodpecker 0 0 0 0 1 1

Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle 0 1 0 0 0 1

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher 0 1 0 0 0 1

Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl 0 1 0 0 0 1

Syke›s Warbler 0 0 1 0 0 1

Tickell›s Leaf Warbler 0 0 0 1 0 1

Yellow-throated Bulbul 0 0 0 0 1 1


11. AppendixList of Participants

Appendix III. List of Participants in the bird survey at Chinnar WLS

Base camp Name of Participants

Alampatty

Abdhul SaleemAshish GBGopinathan NairPP SreenivasanRamar KSuresh

Chinnar

Abha ManoharBinu CTGeorge Tom Jilna JoyKiran ThomasMujeeb PMPalani SwamiPraveen J Syam V Vijayan

Karimutty

Anandan SArjun RamachandranNijin BSRajeev K Vasu Vinay Das

Palappetti

Carthic SundararajJai P JacobMohammed AzadShibu Basker

Olikkudi

Jolly KVPraveen ES Suhas KecheryToms Augustine

PS: Survey leads at each base camp are highlighted


Praveen J. & P.O. Nameer


Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary,

southern Western Ghats

2013

Bird Diversity of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, southern Western Ghats

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