March April 2008

Vol. 48 No. 2 March - April 2008

Dr. A.M.K. BharosHarish R. BhatDr. S.P. BhatnagarDr. A.K. ChakravarthyDr. Ranjan Kumar DasDr. S. DevasahayamB.S. KulkarniArvind MishraDr. Geeta S. Padate

Publisher : S. Sridhar

Editorial Board

CONTENTS Note from the Publisher

Incredible journeys - with Steve Leonard� �Wild Goose Chase�

Articles

A mixed breeding colony of Little Tern, Black-wingedStil t and Red-wattled Lapwing in VikramshilaGangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), Bhagalpur,Bihar, by D.N. Choudhary, Nisha Choudhary andArvind Mishra

Birds of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India (Part IITable), by P. C. Tak and J. P. Sati

Re-sighting of Mongolian tagged Bar-headed GeeseAnser indicus in India, by Raju Kasambe, Aditya Joshi,Adesh Shivkar, M. Niranjan and Sushant Bhusari

Birds of Jayamangali (Maidenahalli) BlackbuckConservat ion Reserve,Tumakuru Dist r ic t ,Karnataka, by Ameen Ahmed and Uday Veer Singh

Correspondence Endangered vulture�s nest sighted near Melkote,

Karnataka, by Sumanas Koulagi

Vol. 48 No. 2 March - April 2008

Address for Correspondence :Newsletter for Birdwatchers

No 10, Sirur Park B Street, Seshadripuram,Bangalore 560 020, India. Tel. 080 2356 1142, 2346 4682

E-mail : <[email protected]>

Printed and Published bi-monthly by S. Sridhar atNavbharath Enterprises, Seshadripuram, Bangalore - 560 020, India

for Private Circulation Only.

Prof. S. RangaswamiK. Mrutumjaya RaoA.N. Yellappa ReddyDr. Rajiv SaxenaDr. A.B. ShanbhagArunayan SharmaS. SridharDr. Abraham Verghese, FRES (London)

Note from the Publisher

Dear fellow Birdwatchers,

Incredible journeys - with Steve Leonard� �Wild Goose Chase�

In this issue we have published a remarkable photofeatureby keen birdwatchers Raju Kasambe, Aditya Joshi, AdeshShivkar, M. Niranjan and Sushant Bhusari, who havecollectively added insight to our knowledge of the epicmigration of Bar-headed Geese.

Incidentally, a couple of months ago, I watched a portion of anAnimal Planet Channel special documentary on Bar-headed Geesemigrating over the Himalayas. This documentary �Wild Goose

Chase� was a part of the series entitled �Incredible journeys- withSteve Leonard�, a BBC / Animal Planet co-production.

Since the olden days, Himalayan mountaineers have beenreporting seeing flocks of Bar-headed Geese soaring overtheir heads; they have even been observed flying over thesummit of Mount Everest. To follow these birds on theirannual migration, Steve Leonard undertakes a mostphysically demanding mission. His effort of trying to dowhat the geese do, lands him in serious trouble. Noneknows how the geese can reach these alti tudes andsurvive. They must endure extreme oxygen deprivation,temperatures of -50ºC and blazing infra-red radiation. By

any stretch of scientific criteria, they should not survive.

The documentary begins with Stevesetting out from the exotic city of Lhasa,to meet satellite-tagged Bar-headedGeese, nicknamed Hi l lary andTenzing, in their summer homes onextreme high-altitude lakes up on theTibetan plateau. The geese are seengathering and preparing for the bigjump - across the roof of the world - tothe rich wintering grounds in Nepal.Cameras whiz as the geese fly at analtitude of 20,000 feet (6,096m), atspeeds of up to 50 miles (80km) anhour. With ideal wind conditions, theycan complete the 1,000-mile(1,609km) journey a single day.

Steve narrates as to how many geese may fail to survive thisincredible journey. This mission takes the geese and Steve fromthe highest mountains in the world down to sea level, from minus30 degrees to plus 30 degrees, from euphoria to desperation.

The film illuminates as to how Steve Leonard and his teamstruggle up the mountains with an army of four-wheel-drivevehicles, getting stuck and frozen along the way. Steve leavesahead of the geese. His first hurdle is to start to climbXixabangma, one of only a handful of 8,000m peaks onEarth, in hope of making contact with the geese family asthey cross this epic barrier. Steve attempts to go with them,right across the �roof of the world� high-altitude desert to

tropical paradise - along the Friendship highway betweenTibet and the tiger-infested jungles of Nepal, passing someof the most spectacular sceneries in the world.

At the outset, Steve expected to track the geese to Royal ChitwanNational Park, but after losing them for days, he discovers thatthey didn�t stop in Nepal and finally tracks them down in

Gorakpur, rural India, by which time the geese would have leftGorakpur. Steve then interviews local farmers who corroboratethe sighting of Bar-headed geese in the village tank.

I look forward to our readers catching a glimpse of Bar-headedGeese flock crossing over the Himalayas, as and when this

movie is re-telecast in India.

Thanking you,Yours in bird conservation,S. Sridhar, Publisher, NLBW

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Newsletter for Birdwatchers 48 (2), 2008 17

concealing themselves or they were in the process ofsearching their parents.

Few birds were found incubating eggs. While examiningthe nests the birds (Little Terns) were found hovering overour head with their frequent alarm calls but they did notattack us.

II. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) :

Two nests of Black-winged Stilt were recorded on the samespot, 20-25' feet away from the breeding colony of Little Terns.

The nests were shallow depression on sand concealedamong the aquatic weeds supported with few fresh plantmaterials. One nest had 3 eggs and the other 4 eggs.

The colour of the eggs was white with dark brown patchesall over.

III. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) :

Two nests of Red-wallted Lapwing were recorded on thesame island but these were 20-25 away from the bank. Boththe nests were situated at least 60-65 feed away to eachother and having 4 eggs each.

The nests of Red-wattled Lapwing were found similar to thatof the nests of B.W. Stilt, a oval depression on the sandamong the weed but not supported by any plant stems andthe diameter of the nest was also found slightly larger. Theeggs were brown coloured with dark black patches.

IV Small Indian Pratincole (Glareola lactea) :57 nests of Small Indian Pratincole were recorded on thesandy bank of river Ganga on a separate place in VGDSarea at about 5 kms away from Sultanganj ghat. Nests werein the form of small depression created by cattle hoof. Thebirds (200+) were found frequently flying and sitting on thesedepressions. But the nests were empty. We presumed thatwe had arrived a little too soon on this particular spot andthe Pratincoles were still in the process of selecting thedepressions for laying eggs.

So far as breeding of Little Tern is concerned, according toAli & Ripley (1981) it breeds only in W. Pakistan (Makranand Las Bela) and N.W. India (Gujrat-Bhawnagar). They alsomention about breeding records from the Chenab & Satlajrivers in the Punjab.

Roberts (1991) also gave only old breeding records fromPakistan. Recently, Vyas (1996) has reported its breedingby the Yamuna River near Delhi.

Harkirat Singh Sanga (1999) reported breeding from RevasaLake, Sikar District of Rajasthan.

A mixed breeding colony of Little Tern, Black-winged Stilt andRed-wattled Lapwing in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin

Sanctuary (VGDS), Bhagalpur, Bihar* D.N. Choudhary, *Nisha Choudhary and **Arvind Mishra

* Dept. of Zoology, P.N.College, Parsa, Saran-841 219, Bihar** Co-ordinator, IBCN, Bihar & Jharkhand,

[Authors are Senior Activists of Mandar Nature Club, Bhagalpur, Bihar]

During a visit to Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary(VGDS) on 23rd May 2006, a mixed breeding colony of LittleTern (Sterna albifrons), Black-winged Stilt (Himantopushimantopus) and Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) wasrecorded on a bare sandy island of VGDS, which is about 7km from Kahalgaon ghat in the upstream towards Bhagalpurin Bihar.

The Govt. of Bihar in 1991 has declared the 60 km stretchof River Ganga from Kahalgaon to Sultanganj as VikramshilaGangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) considering theoccurrence of higher number �soons� or Ganges River

Dolphins. (Choudhary & Mishra, 2006).

Thirty two nests of Little Tern, two nests of each of Black-winged Stilt and Red-wattled Lapwing were recorded for thefirst time in the Sanctuary area.

In addition, 57 nests of small Indian Pratincole were alsorecorded on separate site on the sandy bank 5 Km awayfrom Sultanganj ghat.

Nest Descriptions are summarised hereunder.

1. Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)In all 32 nests of Little Tern were recorded on the island.The nests were shallow, oval depression on bare sand. Thediameter of the nest varied from 9 to11.5 cm. The bottom ofthe nests were moist and lined with few thin rootlets. Fewnests were found very near to water.

The eggs were pale grey or sand coloured with brown orreddish brown patches all over.

The chicks were pale cream or grayish white. Bill was blackand legs were pale yellow.

Combinations of nests recorded were as follows.

No. of No. of Colour of No. of Colour of Average Nests eggs eggs Chicks Chicks Diameter

of the Nest

07 No eggs x x x 9.5 cm

05 01 Sand colour x x 9.1 cm


07 02 Sand colour 01 grayish white 10.7 cm


Total nests examined 32

Two chicks were found squatting separately on sand a fewfeet away from the nest. Perhaps it may be either for

18 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 48 (2), 2008

There is one published report of the nesting of Little Ternfrom Vidarbha (Kasambe & Wadekar, 2002) and again in2006 by Kasambe, Sani & Shad from Nagpur District,Maharastra.

Our note describes the first confirmed breeding site of LittleTerns from Gangetic belt of Bihar. Hence the record assumesimportance in the field of Ornithology.

Acknowledgment

We are thankful to Prof. T. K. Ghosh (President), Dr. SunilKr. Agrawal (Secretary), Dr. T.K.Tpan and Dr. G.R. Dutta ofMandar Nature Club, Bhagalpur, Bihar for theirencouragements to do this field work.

References:Ali, S and S.D. Ripley (1981): Hand Book of the Birds of India & Pakistan

3, 2nd Ed., Oxford Univ. Press, Delhi.

Ali, S. and S.D. Ripley (1983): Hand Book of the Birds of India &Pakistan, Compact Ed. New Delhi, Oxford Univ. Press.

Robert T.J. (1991): The Birds of Pakistan Oxford Univ. Press, Karachi.

Vyas, S. (1996): Checklist of the Birds of the Delhi region, J.BNHS93 (2) : 219-237.

Sanga, Harkirat Singh (1999): Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) foundbreeding in Rajasthan, Newsletter for Birdwatchers, Vol. 39(4), July-Aug. pp.63.

Kasambe, R. Soni, T. and Shad, M.S.R. (2006) : First record of RedNecked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), Pacific Golden Plover(Pluvialis fulva) and breeding of Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)in Nagpur district, Maharashtra, Newsletter for Birdwatchers,Vol. 46 (4), July-Aug., pp. 62.

Choudhary, D.N. & Mishra, A (2006): Sighting of some threatenedbird species in Vikaramshila Gangatic Dollphin Sanctuary(VGDS), Bhagalpur, Bihar. Newsletter for Birdwatchers, Vol.46 (V), Sept-Oct, pp 68-70.

Birds of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, IndiaP. C. Tak and J. P. Sati, Northern Regional Station, Zoological Survey of India, 218- Kaulagarh Road,

P.O. IPE, Dehra Dun 248 195 (Uttarakhand) India. E-mail:- [email protected], [email protected](Continued from last Issue : Vol 48, No1, Jan- Feb 2008)

Part II, Table : Birds of Chamoli District, Uttrakhand, India

1 = Sl. No. 2 = Systematic list, 3 = IUCN (2007), 4 = BNHS (2002), 5 = Jhunjhunwala et al. (2001), 6 = Residential status,7 = Basic food habits, 8 = Breeding status, 9 = Altitudinal range (m), 10 = Research papers cited

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 Family PHALACROCORACIDAE1 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo IV r Pis Not known a

2 Family ACCIPITRIDAE2 Black Kite Milvus migrans I R Omn br+ <2200 (4500) b,c,i3 Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus I rA Car br+ (300) 1200-4100 (7500) b-g,i4 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus EN IV R Sca br+ upto 3800 a-c,f,i5 Indian White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis CR IV BRS (11) r Sca br+ <1000 (3100) b,c,f,i6 Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus CR IV BRS (11) r Sca br+ plains (up to 1530) i7 Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis IV BRS (05) rA Sca br+ (plains) 900-4000 (6100) b to i8 Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus IV w Sca <3050 g9 Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus NT IV w Sca 1800-3600 c , f10 Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus CR IV BRS (11) r Sca br+ <2000 (3050) b, f11 Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela I r Car br+ <2000 (3350) h12 Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus I rA Car s 1400-3500(5200) w <2400 e-g,i13 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus I w Car br+ s 1500-3700 w plains e, f14 Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis I r Car br+ <2700 d, f15 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax I r Sca plains c16 Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis I W Sca Not known f,i,j17 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos I r Car br+ >1800 b to i18 Bonelli�s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus I w Car <2400 j19 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus I s Car <2400 e,f,i

3 Family FALCONIDAE20 Collared Falconet Microhierax caerulescens IV r Pis <920 (2000) h21 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus IV R Car br+ <3300(5500) b-f,i22 Oriental Hobby Falco severus IV ? Ins foothill-2400 b23 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus I ? Car Not known c , f

4 Family PHASIANIDAE24 Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa IV BRS (05) r VeM br+ (2500) 3000-5000 a,c-g,i25 Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus I BRS (05) ? VeM Not known c26 Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis IV BRS (05) r VeM br+ s 4000-5500 w >c. 2400 a,b,c-f,g,i

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

27 Chukor Alectoris chukar IV R VeM br+ (1200) 2000-4000 (5000) b, f28 Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus IV R Omn br+ <1200 (2500) a,b,e,i,j29 Common Hill-Partridge Arborophila torqueola IV BRS (07) r Gra br+ (550)1500-4000 a,h,i30 Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra NT I BRS (07) r VeM br+ (1800) 2400-4250 a31 Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha IV BRS (07) RA VeM br+ s 2000-4000 w 1000-2300 d-g,i32 Impeyan Monal Lophophorus impejanus I BRS (07) RA VeM br+ 2500-5000 a-g,i33 Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus IV r Gra mainly foothill & plains (up to 2000) a34 Kaleej Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos IV RA Gra br+ up to 3700 a-c,f,h-j35 Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii VU I RRS (4) r VeM br+ 1400-3500 (4545) a,i

5 Family SCOLOPACIDAE36 Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola IV s Omn br+ 2000-3800 a,d,f37 Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria IV BRS (05) r Omn br+ 2800-460038 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus IV w AqA 2900-3500(observed) f

6 Family RECURVIROSTRIDAE39 Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii IV BRS (05) rA Ins br+ s 1700-4400 w foothills, plains b

7 Family BURHINIDAE40 Stone-Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus IV ? Car br+ Not known b

8 Family COLUMBIDAE41 Blue Rock Pigeon Columba livia ? R Gra br+ <3300 a-c,e-g,i,j42 Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris IV RA Gra br+ s 3000-5500 w >1500 a,c,e,f,i43 Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota IV BRS (05) RA Gra br+ s 3000-5000 w >1500(750) a-g,i44 Common Wood-Pigeon Columba palumbus IV w Gra s 1500-3000 w lower a45 Speckled Wood-Pigeon Columba hodgsonii IV BRS (07) r Fru br+ 1800-4000 a,d-g,i46 European Turtle-Dove Streptopelia turtur IV ? Gra Not known a47 Oriental Turtle-Dove Streptopelia orientalis IV RA Gra br+ <4000 b,d-i48 Little Brown Dove Streptopelia senegalensis IV R Gra <1500 b49 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis IV RA Gra br+ <2400(4900) b,d,f,50 Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto IV R Gra br+ <2400(3000) b,f,h51 Wedge-tailed Green-Pigeon Treron sphenura IV r Fru <2500(2800) h

9 Family PSITTACIDAE52 Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana IV BRS (08) RA Fru br+ (250)600-2500(3260) b,f,h,i53 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala IV BRS (11) r Fru <600 (1500) j

10 Family CUCULIDAE54 Pied Crested Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus IV s Ins <2600 d, f55 Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides IV S Ins br+ s 900-3000 w >plains h,i56 Brainfever Bird Hierococcyx varius IV r Ins >1000(1200) b,g,h57 Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus IV r Ins <2300(3700) b,h58 Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus IV S Ins br+ <4100(5250) a,b,d-i59 Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus IV s Ins <3300 b,h,i60 Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus IV s Ins <3200(4000) b,i61 Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris IV s Ins Not known a62 Large Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis IV r Ins <700(1800) e

11 Family STRIGIDAE63 Spotted Scops-Owl Otus spilocephalus IV r Ins br+ 600-2600 i64 Eurasian Eagle-Owl Bubo bubo IV R Car br+ <4500 a,d,f65 Brown Wood-Owl Strix leptogrammica IV r Car br+ 750-2450(4000) h66 Spotted Owlet Athene brama IV R Ins br+ <1530(2750) j

12 Family CAPRIMULGIDAE67 Indian Jungle Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus IV r Ins br+ <3300 a,e,f,h

13 Family APODIDAE68 Himalayan Swiftlet Collocalia brevirostris NLA R Ins br+ foothill-4580 c,e,f,i69 White-rumped Needletail-Swift Zoonavena sylvatica NLA r Ins <1700 d70 Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba NLA r Ins <2200(3700) h,i71 Pacific Swift Apus pacificus NLA S Ins br+ <3700 a,b,e-g,i72 House Swift Apus affinis NLA R Ins br+ <2000 h

14 Family ALCEDINIDAE73 White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis IV R Pis br+ <2300(3050) a

15 Family MEROPIDAE74 Small Bee-eater Merops orientalis NLA r Ins <2140 a

16 Family CORACIIDAE75 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis IV R Ins br+ <1500(3700) a

17 Family UPUPIDAE76 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops NLA RA Ins br+ <4600(5000) c-g,i


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

18 Family CAPITONIDAE77 Great Barbet Megalaima virens IV R Fru br+ s 1000-3000 w >foothills b,d-j78 Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica IV BRS (08) r Fru br+ <1500(2000) a

19 Family INDICATORIDAE79 Yellow-rumped HoneyguideIndicator xanthonotus NT NLA BRS (07) r Ins 1500-3500 d,f,k

20 Family PICIDAE80 Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus IV r Ins br+ <2000(3000) b81 Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos auriceps IV r Ins br+ 1000-3100 a,b,f,i82 Fulvous-breasted Pied WoodpeckerDendrocopos macei IV r Ins br+ <2000(2800) c,i83 Rufous-bellied Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos hyperythrus IV R Ins br+ 800-4100 e,g,h84 Himalayan Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos himalayensis IV BRS (07) R Ins br+ 1500-treeline b,d-f,h,i85 Large Scaly-bellied Green WoodpeckerPicus squamatus IV R Ins br+ 1000-3300 w lower altitutes a,b,d,f,h,i86 Black-naped Green Woodpecker Picus canus IV R Ins br+ <2000(3500) f,i87 Himalayan Golden-backed WoodpeckerDinopium shorii IV BRS (09) r Ins <1200 f,i

21 Family ALAUDIDAE88 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla IV p Gra <1500 d,f89 Eastern Skylark Alauda gulgula IV s Gra br+ <4300 i

22 Family HIRUNDINIDAE90 Eurasian Crag-Martin Hirundo rupestris NLA s Ins br+ s 1600-5000 w <2150 a,b91 Common Swallow Hirundo rustica NLA s Ins br+ <3000(6400) f92 Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica NLA R Ins br+ <3300 b93 Northern House-Martin Delichon urbica NLA ? Ins s 3000-4500 w >plains a-c,f94 Asian House-Martin Delichon dasypus NLA ? Ins br+ s 1500-5000 w>plains a95 Nepal House-Martin Delichon nipalensis NLA BRS (07) R Ins br+ s 2000-4000 w>350(160) a,d,f,j

23 Family MOTACILLIDAE96 White Wagtail Motacilla alba IV P Ins s 800-4500 w<1800(5500 on passage) b,c,f,j97 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava IV p Ins s 3600-4500 w<1500 j98 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea IV S Ins br+ s(1200)1800=3900 w<2000 b,e-g99 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus IV r Ins s<1800(3000) w lowlands i100 Oriental Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsoni IV rA Ins br+ s(2450)2700-treeline w<2800 c,e,f,h101 Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus IV BRS (05) rA Ins br+ s>treeline w<foothills a-c,e-g,i102 Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus IV R Ins br+ s(900)1200-2400(3000) w900-2500 a,c,f,i

24 Family CAMPEPHAGIDAE103 Rosy Minivet Pericrocotus roseus IV BRS (08) r Ins <1800 c104 Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris IV ? Ins <3000 c,f105 Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus IV RA Ins s1200-3400(3970) w<1000(2140) c-f,h,j106 Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus IV r Ins <2700 i

25 Family PYCNONOTIDAE107 Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus IV r Ber br+ <1500(2400) i108 Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys IV BRS (08) R Ber br+ 300-2400 b,c,e-g,i,j109 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer IV R Ber br+ <1500(2140) b,h,j110 Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus IV BRS (08) RA Ber br+ <3000 b,c,e,h,i

26 Family LANIIDAE111 Rufous-backed Shrike Lanius schach NLA S Ins br+ <3000 b,c,e,f112 Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus NLA BRS (05) rA Ins br+ s2700-4500 w>plains d,f,j

27 Family CINCLIDAE113 White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus NLA r AqA br+ s3000-4800(5100) w>2000 a114 Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii NLA RA AqA br+ s450-4000(4950) w<2700(3600) a to g

28 Family TROGLODYTIDAE115 Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes IV rA Ins br+ s(2400)2700-5000(5300) w1200-3600(4700) a,c-f

29 Family PRUNELLIDAE116 Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris NLA BRS (05) rA Ins br+ s3600-5500(7900) w1800-4800 b to g117 Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides NLA BRS (05) s Ins s3000-5300 w>2500(1000) e,f118 Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata NLA BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2700-5000 w(600)1200-3600 a to f119 Black-throated Accentor Prunella atrogularis NLA BRS (07) w Ins <1800(2500) c,f120 Maroon-backed Accentor Prunella immaculata NLA BRS (07) s Ins s2900-4200 w(1500)2100-3700 c

30 Family MUSCICAPIDAE30a Subfamily TURDINAE

121 Blue-headed Rock-Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus IV BRS (08) S Ins br+ s(1000)1200-2200(3600) w<2600 b,e122 Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush Monticola rufiventris IV RA Ins br+ s(1200)1800-2400(3500) w<2300 b,c,h123 Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius IV s Ins br+ s(1200)1500-4000(4800) w<2100 a-c,f124 Blue Whistling-Thrush Myiophonus caeruleus IV RA AVM br+ s(1000)1500-2400(treeline) wfoothills-2700 b to j125 Pied Thrush Zoothera wardii IV BRS (08) ? Ins s1200-2400 w>750 a,d,f126 Plain-backed Thrush Zoothera mollissima IV BRS (05) rA Ins br+ s2700-4300 w(600)1300-3600(3600) d-f,i


127 Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma IV S Ins br+ s2100-3300(3600) w<2100 a,f128 Greater Long-billed Thrush Zoothera monticola IV BRS (07) S Ins br+ s2280-3850 w(300)900-2900 a,h129 Tickell�s Thrush Turdus unicolor IV BRS (08) S Ins br+ s1500-1800(2700) w>plains e,i130 White-collared Blackbird Turdus albocinctus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s2100-4200 w 900-3000 b,d-f,h,i131 Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul IV BRS (08) RA Ins br+ s(1200)1800-2700(3300) w lower a-c,e,f,h,i132 Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula IV RA Ins br+ >3000 a,c,e-g133 Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s(1500)2100-3000(3200) w 1200-2600 a,d,f134 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus IV RA Ins br+ s(1800)2400-3600(3900) w>1200 b,e,f135 Himalayan Rubythroat Luscinia pectoralis IV BRS (07) S Ins br+ s2700-4900 w foothills-plains b-f,i136 Indian Blue Robin Luscinia brunnea IV BRS (07) s Ins br+ s1600-3300 w<2100 b,e,f137 Orange-flanked Bush-Robin Tarsiger cyanurus IV RA Ins br+ s3700-4000(4400); w(750)1200-2600(3800) a,d-g,i138 Golden Bush-Robin Tarsiger chrysaeus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s(1800)3000-4200(4600) w1200-2000(3000) a-c,f,h139 White-browed Bush-Robin Tarsiger indicus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s3000-4200 w2000-3000(3700) h140 Blue-capped Redstart Phoenicurus caeruleocephalus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s(1400)2700-3600(3900) w1200-2600(3500) b to f141 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros IV s Ins s(2100)3000-4000(5200) w<1400 a,c-f142 Guldenstadt�s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogaster IV BRS (05) RA Ins br+ s(3600)3900-4800(5200) w(900)1500-4800 b,c,f143 Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis IV RA Ins br+ s(2000)3000-4500(5300) w(1000)1500-2400(2700) a,b,d-i144 White-capped Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus IV RA Ins br+ s1800-5300 w foothills-1500(2600) b,c,e-h,j145 Plumbeous Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus IV RA Ins br+ s(600)1200-4400 w1000-1800(2400) b-f,i,j146 White-bellied Redstart Hodgsonius phaenicuroides IV BRS (07) s Ins s2400-4400 w <1500 b,d,f147 Grandala Grandala coelicolor IV BRS (05) RA Ins br+ s(3900)4300-5400 w(2200)3000-4300 e,f148 Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri IV RA AqA br+ s(1000)1800-3300(3700) w(300)900-2000 b,-f,i,j149 Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus IV RA AqA br+ s(600)1200-3000(3600) w600-2300 a,c,e,f,h-j150 Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata IV S Ins br+ s1500-2500; w plains d-f,h,j151 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata IV RA Ins br+ <2500 b,j152 Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea IV RA Ins br+ s(1500)1800-3000(3350) w<1200(2400) b,d-f,h,i

30b Subfamily TIMALIINAE153 White-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s1800-3300(treeline) w>(450)900 a,b,f,h,j154 Striated Laughingthrush Garrulax striatus IV BRS (07) rA Ins s(1200)1500-2750(2850) w>foothills a,b,f,h,j155 Spotted Laughingthrush Garrulax ocellatus IV BRS (07) rA Ins 2100-3660 h156 Streaked Laughingthrush Garrulax lineatus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s(1200)1800-3000(3900) w(600)1000-1800(2750) b,d-i157 Variegated Laughingthrush Garrulax variegatus IV BRS (07) RA Ins 900-2400 a,d-i158 Red-headed Laughingthrush Garrulax erythrocephalus IV rA Ins br+ s(1800)2100-3000(3300) w(600)1200-2000(2750) b,d,f,i159 Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-BabblerPomatorhinus erythrogenys IV BRS (08) r Ins 450-2200(2700) b,f,h160 Nepal Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga immaculata ? ? Ins s2000-3100 w>plains h161 Gold-headed Babbler Stachyris chrysaea IV ? Ins 300-2600 h162 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus IV BRS (11) r Ins <1200(1800) b,j163 Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea IV BRS (08) r Ins s1000-2400(2750) w(350)600-2100 i164 Bar-throated Minla Minla strigula IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s1800-3750 w(1030)1300-2750(3700) a,e,f,h,i165 White-browed Tit-Babbler Alcippe vinipectus IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s(2400)2700-4200 w 1500-3000 a,h166 Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s(1600)1800-3500 w(100)1000-2750 b,c,e-i167 Yellow-naped Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis IV rA Ins br+ s1700-3000 w plains-2750 h,i168 Stripe-throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis IV BRS (07) rA Ins s(2400)2700-3700 w1700-3050 a,h,i

30c Subfamily SYLVIINAE169 Goldcrest Regulus regulus IV rA Ins br+ s2200-3600(4000) w1500-3050 c to f170 Brown Prinia Prinia criniger IV BRS (08) RA Ins br+ s900-2300(3100) w<2140 b171 Chestnut-headed Tesia Tesia castaneocoronata IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s(1800)2400-3300(4000) w <1830 a,h172 Brown-flanked Bush-Warbler Cettia fortipes IV s Ins s1800-3200 w foothills-2140 a,e173 Chestnut-crowned Bush-Warbler Cettia major IV BRS (07) s Ins s(1800)3300-4100 w>plains e,f174 Spotted Bush-Warbler Bradypterus thoracicus IV s Ins br+ s3000-4350 w>plains a175 Brown Bush-Warbler Bradypterus luteoventris IV ? Ins s2100-3300(1200-1600) w foothills a176 Smoky Warbler Phylloscopus fuligiventer IV BRS (05) s Ins s3600-4300(5000) w plains-foothills(3200) c,f177 Tickell�s Warbler Phylloscopus affinis IV BRS (05) s Ins br+ s(2700)3300-4500(4900) w foothills-2100(plains) a-c,f178 Olivaceous Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus IV BRS (05) s Ins s2400-4500 w <1000 e,f179 Orange-barred Leaf-WarblerPhylloscopus pulcher IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s(2450)3400-4100(4300) w(plains)500-3050+ a,h180 Grey-faced Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s2450-3500 w(foothills)1400-2300(2900) f,h,j181 Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus chloronotus IV rA Ins br+ s(2200)2700-4000(4200) w(foothills)1200-2750 a,d-f182 Hume�s Warbler Phylloscopus humei IV RA Ins br+ s(2100)2700-3650 w<2150(2550) i183 Greenish Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides IV s Ins br+ s(1800)2700-4000(4600) w<2600 c,e,f184 Large-billed Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris IV BRS (07) s Ins br+ s(1800)2100-3600 w<1200(2750) e,f185 Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis IV BRS (07) s Ins br+ s(1800)2000-2500(3350) w(plains)foothills-2100 b,e,f186 Blyth�s Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides IV S Ins br+ s(1400)2450-3300(3800) w plains-1500(2750) e,f,h187 Gold-spectacled Flycatch-WarblerSeicercus burkii IV rA Ins br+ s(1000)1800-3800 w<2140 a,e,f188 Grey-headed Flycatch-Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos IV BRS (08) RA Ins br+ s(300)1000-2300(2750) w foothills(2000+) b,e,f,h,I,k

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


189 Black-faced Flycatch-WarblerAbroscopus schisticeps IV BRS (08) r Ins br+ (600)1500-2700 k30d Family MUSCICAPINAE

190 Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica IV s Ins br+ <2000 c,f191 Rusty-tailed Flycatcher Muscicapa ruficauda IV BRS (07) s Ins br+ s2100-3660 w<1000 i192 Orange-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s1800-3700(3950) w<2400 e,f,h,i193 Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni IV s Ins s(80)1200-3000 w<1800 c,j194 Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris IV BRS (07) S Ins br+ s1500-3200 w>foothills b,f,g,i,j195 Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s1500-4000 w<2100 d,f196 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina IV s Ins br+ s1200-2700(3000) w>plains b,c,g-i197 Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s900-3200 w <2300 d,f,h,i198 Pale Blue-Flycatcher Cyornis unicolor IV ? Ins foothills-1800 a199 Blue-throated Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides IV s Ins <1800(2100) i200 Grey-headed Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis IV RA Ins br+ <2700(3100) a,b,e,h,i

30e Subfamily MONARCHINAE201 Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi IV s Ins br+ <1800(3100) b,e

30f Subfamily RHIPIDURINAE202 Yellow-bellied Fantail-Flycatcher Rhipidura hypoxantha IV RA Ins br+ s(1000)1800-treelines+ w >adj plains a-c,e,f,i203 White-throated Fantail-FlycatcherRhipidura albicollis IV rA Ins br+ s<1700(3000) w plains, foothill(2140 a,c,f

31 Family AEGITHALIDAE204 Red-headed Tit Aegithalos concinnus IV BRS (08) RA Ins br+ s1400-2700(3200?) w600-3600 a,b,d,f,h,I,k205 White-throated Tit Aegithalos niveogularis IV RRS (4) rA Ins s2400-3970 w>1800 a,e,f

32 Family REMIZIDAE206 Fire-capped Tit Cephalopyrus flammiceps IV BRS (07) s Ins br+ s2000-3500 w>plains e,f

33 Family PARIDAE207 Simla Crested Tit Parus rufonuchalis IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2700-4000 w>1500 c208 Rufous-bellied Crested Tit Parus rubidiventris IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2700-4250 w>1500 (foothills) d-f,i209 Spot-winged Crested Tit Parus melanolophus IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2000-3700 w >foothills b,d-j210 Coal Tit Parus ater IV ? Ins s(2500)2800-4250 w1800-3600(4270) c,f211 Brown Crested Tit Parus dichrous IV BRS (07) r Ins br+ s2400-treeline w>2000 d,f212 Great Tit Parus major IV rA Ins br+ <3600 d,f,i213 Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus IV BRS (07) RA Ins br+ s1200-3600(3900) w>foothills(plains) b to j214 Black-lored Yellow Tit Parus xanthogenys IV r Ins br+ <2400 b,h215 Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus IV BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2100-3200(4200) w1500-2900 c,f,h

34 Family SITTIDAE216 White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis NLA BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s1500-3400 w>920 b,h,i217 White-cheeked Nuthatch Sitta leucopsis NLA BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2100-treeline w>1800 a,b,d-f218 Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria NLA BRS (05) rA Ins br+ s>3300 w plains-5000(5730) b-d,f

35 Family CERTHIIDAE219 Eurasian Tree-Creeper Certhia familiaris ? rA Ins br+ 1700-treeline c to f220 Bar-tailed Tree-Creeper Certhia himalayana ? BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s(1500)2000-treeline w<1800(2400) b-f,i221 Rusty-flanked Tree-CreeperCerthia nipalensis ? BRS (07) rA Ins br+ s2550-3660 w1500-3500 h

36 Family DICAEIDAE222 Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile IV rA Fru s<2100(3000) w<800 b,j223 Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum melanoxanthum IV BRS (07) s Fru s2000-3600 w1400-1800 e,f

37 Family NECTARINIIDAE224 Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica IV s Nec br+ <1600(2400) b,j225 Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis IV rA Nec br+ 300-2750(3600) f,h226 Fire-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga ignicauda IV BRS (07) ? Nec s3000-4000 w1050-2150(2900) i

38 Family ZOSTEROPIDAE227 Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus ? R Ins br+ <1800(3000) b,e,j

39 Family EMBERIZIDAE228 Crested Bunting Melophus lathami IV s See br+ <2400 b,c,f229 Rock Bunting Emberiza cia IV rA See br+ s2000-4600 w600-2100(3600) a-c,f-i230 White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti IV ? See s1200-3600 w<1400(2500) b231 Grey-headed Bunting Emberiza fucata IV r See s1650-2700 w<1600 c,f

40 Family FRINGILLIDAE232 Fire-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus IV rA See br+ s2400-4000(4500) w(750)1500-3300 a,b,e233 Yellow-breasted Greenfinch Carduelis spinoides IV BRS (07) s See br+ s1800-4400 w(150)900-1500(2700) b,c,f234 Eurasian Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis IV r See br+ s(1500)2400-4200 w(75)1900-2400 a235 Twite Carduelis flavirostris IV ? See s(3400)3600-4500(4800) w not much lowerc236 Hodgson�s Mountain-Finch Leucosticte nemoricola IV BRS (05) rA See br+ s(3300)3600-5300 w>1500(1000)b,c,e,f,i237 Dark-breasted Rosefinch Carpodacus nipalensis IV BRS (07) s See br+ s3000-4400 w(700)1800-2700 c,f238 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus IV rA See br+ s2000-3900(4200) w<2400 a-c,e-g,i239 Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus pulcherrimus IV BRS (05) s See br+ s(3600)3800-4200(4500) w2100-3600 a,e,f

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

240 Pink-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus rodochrous IV BRS (07) rA See br+ s2800-4200 w(600)1200-2400(3000) b,d-f241 Spot-winged Rosefinch Carpodacus rodopeplus IV BRS (07) s See s3050-4000 w2000-3050 e to g242 White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus thura IV BRS (07) rA See br+ s3000-4200 w1800-3900 e,f243 Streaked Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilloides IV BRS (05) ? See s3700-4800 w2200-4800 c,f244 Red-fronted Rosefinch Carpodacus puniceus IV BRS (05) r See br+ s(3900)4200-5500 w(1500)2700-4550 b,c,e,f245 Crimson-browed Finch Propyrrhula subhimachala IV BRS (07) ? See s3500-4200 w1800-3600 c,f246 Orange Bullfinch Pyrrhula aurantiaca IV RRS (4) ? VeM s2700-3300 w>1600 d,f247 Red-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythrocephala IV BRS (07) rA See br+ s2400-4200 w(1000)1500 d tof248 Black-and-Yellow GrosbeakMycerobas icterioides IV BRS (07) rA Ber br+ s1800-3500 w(750)1500 e,i249 Collared Grosbeak Mycerobas affinis IV BRS (07) rA See s(2700)3000-4200 w>(1100)1800a,c,d,f250 Spotted-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas melanozanthos IV BRS (07) s Ins s2400-3600 w>(600)1200 a,e,f,i251 White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes IV BRS (07) rA See br+ s3000-4200 w>(1500)2700 c,f

41 Family PLOCEIDAE Subfamily PASSERINAE

252 House Sparrow Passer domesticus IV R See br+ <4000(4500) b,c,e,g,i,j253 Cinnamon Tree Sparrow Passer rutilans IV RA See br+ s1200-2700(370-4200) w500-1500(150)b,f,h254 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus IV r See s450-2700(3900) w lower i

42 Family STURNIDAE255 Spot-winged Starling Saroglossa spiloptera IV BRS (08) s Ins s foothills-2000 w<1000 b256 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis IV R Fru br+ <3050 a,c,f-h,j

43 Family ORIOLIDAE257 Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus IV s Fru br+ <2000(3500) b,c,f258 Black-headed Oriole Oriolus xanthornus IV r Fru <1200(2000) i259 Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii IV BRS (08) r Fru <2400 c,f,h

44 Family DICRURIDAE260 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus IV s Ins br+ <3300 a,b,d-i261 Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus IV r Nec <1400(2000) d,f

45 Family CORVIDAE262 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius IV r Fru br+ (1000)1500-3000(3600) b,e,f,h,i263 Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus IV BRS (08) r Fru br+ 900-2500(3000) b,e,f,h264 Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris IV BRS (07) R Ins br+ s1600-2700(3660) w>800 a,b,f,h,i265 Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha IV r Ins foothills-1600(3050) b,e-h266 Indian Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda IV r Fru <1400(2100) i267 Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae IV BRS (08) R Omn br+ <2100(2300) b,e-j268 Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes IV R See br+ (300)2000-3300(4000) a,b,d-g269 Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax IV r Ins br+ s2400-4800(7950) w(1450)1600 a-g,i270 Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus IV BRS (05) r Ins br+ s(2700)3500-5000(4600)w>(1800)2400a,b,d-g,i271 House Crow Corvus splendens V r AVM br+ <1600(2100) e,g,i272 Carrion Crow Corvus corone IV ? Sca 2000-3600 c273 Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos IV R AVM br+ 1800-4500(6400) b to j274 Common Raven Corvus corax IV r AVM br+ (2500)3500-5000(8240) a,c,f

Abbreviatons used in the table

1 = Sl. No, 2 = Systematic List, 3 = IUCN (2007), 4 = BNHS (2002), 5 = Jhunjhunwala et al. (2001), 6 = Residential status, 7 = Basicfood habits, 8 = Breeding status, 9 = Altitudinal range (m), 10 = Research papers cited.

IUCN 2007 : CR = Critical, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, NT = Near Threatened

BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) (2002) : I = Schedule I , IV = Schedule IV, V = Schedule V , NLA = Species Not Listed in the Act,? = Information not available

Jhunjhunwala et al. (2001) : Resricted Range Species= RRS (4) = The species occurs in Endemic area number 4 i.e. Western HimalayasJhunjhunwala et al. (2001) : BRS = Biome Restricted Species , Biome (05) : Eurasian High Montane (Alpine and Tibetan),Biome (07) : Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest, Biome (08) : Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest,Biome (09) : Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest, Biome (11) : Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry ZoneResidential status : R = Resident (widespread), r = Resident (sparse local), S = Summer visitor (widespread), s = Summer visitor (sparselocal), A = Altitudinal migrant, W = Winter visitor (widespread), w = Winter visitor (sparse local), p = Passage mingrant, ? = Not known

Basic food habits : AqA = Aquatic Animals, AVM = Animal and Vegetable Matter, Ber = Berries, Car = Carnivorous, Fru = Frugivorous,Gra = Granivorous, Ins = Insectivorous, Nec = Nectivorous, Omn = Omnivorous, Pis = Piscivorous, Sca = Scavenger, See = Seeds,VeM = Vegetable Matter

Altitudinal range (m): s = summer, w = winter

Research papers cited : a= Osmaston 1921, b= Lavkumar 1956, c= Reed 1979, d= Tak & Kumar 1987 , e= Shankaran 1993, 1994, f= Tak1997 , g= Sathyakumar 2003, h= Singh 2005a , i=Bhattacharya & Sathyakumar 2007, j = ZSI Survey 2004 , k = Mohan & Nair 2003 (in Islam& Rahmani 2004) (for detailed References list refer to in part 1)


coloured neck collars in Hovsgol (Khuvsgul) aimag(province) in northern Mongolia. Details of collars fittedare given below:

* 30 Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus fitted with red collarswith white lettering (A01 to A30)

* 50 Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus fitted with yellowcollars with black lettering (A0 to A9, B0 to B9, C0 to C9,D0 to D9 and E0 to E9).

* 21 Bean Geese Anser fabalis fitted with yellow collarswith black lettering (P51 to P71), also fitted with numberedmetal leg rings, with bands on right leg indicating femalesand left leg indicating males (based on cloacal sexing).

This work has been carried out as part of the USAID-supported Global Avian Influenza Network forSurveillance (GAINS). The primary objectives of GAINSare to expand operational field capabilities, improve theunderstanding of viral strains and transmission of all strainsof influenza viruses in wild birds, and to disseminateinformation to all levels of governments, internationalorganizations, the private sector and the general public.Through this work the Wildlife Conservation Society seeksto contribute to our understanding of migratory movements,distribution and population status of wild birds.

The website also carries further alert to wader markingin northern and central Mongolia.

Discussion:

A team led by Mr. Martin Gilbert of the Wildlife ConservationSociety of Mongolia had marked the Bar-headed Geese (Ref.5). In an e-mail to the authors he has conveyed that, thefirst goose with collar E6 photographed by M. Niranjan is amale and it was tagged. It was caught on 19th July 2007 inthe Darkhad Valley in the northern Mongolian aimag(province) of Hovsgol (N: 99°41�078, E: 51°19�736). It was

one of the 50 Bar-headed Geese fitted with collars in July2007, and is the first for which he had received resightinginformation. Based on this information given, the goose hadtravelled a direct line distance of approximately 4,780 km!(Please see map).

The goose with collar C6 is a female and was tagged on 18th

July 2007 in the Darkhad valley. Unfortunately the collarnumber of the third goose is not readable and further attemptsby authors (AJ, RK, SB) to read it using a spot-scope alsofailed.

Re-sighting of Mongolian tagged Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus in IndiaRaju Kasambe*, Aditya Joshi**, Adesh Shivkar***, M. Niranjan and Sushant Bhusari

**103, Sanwadi Apartments, Congress Nagar, Nagpur-440012, E-mail: [email protected]***D-8, Adi Janata Society, Behind HP Petrol Pump, Sion (East), Mumbai-400022, E-mail: [email protected]

Corresponding author: Raju Kasambe, *64, Vidya Vihar Colony, Pratap Nagar, Nagpur-440022 (Maharashtra),E-mail: [email protected].

A Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus caught and marked witha yellow neck collar (no. E6) was photographed by M.Niranjan at Kaggalipura lake near Somnathpur, Karnataka,India (Latitude: 12° 16' 29�� N, Longitude: 76° 53�40�� E) (Ref.

1,2). The goose was photographed on 15th December 2007amongst a flock of geese wintering at Somnathpur.

M. Niranjan realized that the one of the Geese had a yellowneck collar only on returning home and after seeing thephotos on his computer. His e-mail stirred the interest ofmany including Mr. Taej Mundkar. He followed up the matterand found out the details, which follow in this article.

Another Bar-headed Geese (cover photo �d�) with the yellow

neck collar (no. C6) was photographed by Adesh Shivkar atVeer Dam (Near �Tondal� village side), about 55km south to

Pune, in Mahrashtra. This goose was amongst approx. 44Bar-headed Geese that were observed on 13th Jan�08 at the

Veer dam. On this birding trip Ms. Pallavi Joshi, Mr. MandarKhadilkar, Mr. Animish Mandrekar and Mr. Abhijeet Narvekaraccompanied him.

Third Bar-headed Geese (cover photo �k�) with a yellow neck

collar was photographed on 13th December 2007 by AdityaJoshi in cultivation near Paradgaon reservoir in Nagpur distrctof Maharashtra. He was accomapanied by birder friendsSushant Bhusari and Raju Kasambe. This reservoir is 20kmnorth-east of Nagpur city (Longitude: 20°56�00 N, Latitude:

79°14 �54 E). This goose was amongst a f lock of

approximately 200 geese wintering at the reservoir. Thepresence of neck collar was realized only after observingthe photos on computer. Unfortunately the photos are notclear enough to read the collar number.

This reservoir regularly gets the wintering geese from last15 years (pers. com. Dr. Anil Pimplapure). Last winter on3rd December 2006 Raju Kasambe, Dr. Anil Pimplapure andMr. Gopal Thoasr (Honorary Wildlife Warden, Nagpur) hadseen a large flock of Bar-headed Geese at this reservoir.Also Raju Kasambe, Dr. Anil Pimplapure and Mr. ParagSawji had seen nearly 200 geese on 2nd December 2007 atthis reservoir.

The website (Ref. 4) has message from Mr. Martin Gilbertannouncing the successful capture and marking of severalwaterfowl species while sampling for avian influenza in wildwaterbirds in Mongolia during July 2007. It says during thecourse of fieldwork this summer, a subsample of 30Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus, 50 Bar-headed Geeseand 21 Bean Geese Anser fabalis have been fitted with



mailto:[email protected].


These are the first scientific evidences of the migration ofBar-headed Geese from Mongolia to India. Previous ringingand satellite telemetry work demonstrated migration betweendisconnected breeding populations in Qinghai Lake innorthwest China and southern Tibet as well as in Kyrgyzstan(Ref.4).

According to Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) Bar-headedGeese are summer visitors to Wakhan (Extreme North-eastern Afghanistan) and Ladakh. They are winter visitorsto Indus Valley (Pakistan), lower parts of South Assam hills,Bangladesh, and north-east Peninsula; locally also in SouthIndia. (They are) passage migrant through North Pakistan,Kashmir, Nepal and Bhutan. Breeds very locally on high-altitude lakes and marshes; locally common in winter inNorth subcontinent, rarer in south and lowland rivers, lakes,marshes and coastal islands. It breeds in Central Asia,winters to Myanmar. Thus, we had no knowledge onmigration of particular population to definite winteringgrounds.

In the light of the re-sighting information described above, ithas become evident that at least these three flocks of Bar-headed Geese wintering in India are from Northern Mongolia.The information has greatly enhanced our knowledge ofmigration of Bar-headed Geese in Asia.

References:

Rasmussen, P.C. & Anderton, J.C. (2005): Birds of South Asia. TheRipley Guide. Vol.1. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions,Washington, D.C.

Internet resources:

(All as accessed on 20th January, 2008)1. http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=341582. http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=344123. http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=362344. http://birdsmongolia.blogspot.com/2007/08/alert-colour-marking-of-

swans-and-geese.html

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Mr. Martin Gilbert, Field Veterinarian-Asia, WildlifeConservation Society, for providing information about themarking of swans and geese in Mongolia and for providingthe photographs and the map. Thanks to Mr. Taej Mundkar(Deputy Wildlife Coordinator for Avian Influenza InfectiousDisease Group) for following up and pursuing the issue onInternet. Also thanks to all the birder colleagues mentionedabove for accompanying the respective authors during thefield trips.

Cover photo captions :

a) Capture Shot, b) Geese in jackets, c) Bar headed Geesenear Veer Dam, near Tondal village, by Adesh Shivkar.d) Bar-headed Geese, Veer Dam, near Tondal village, by AdeshShivkar

e) Capture location, f) Darkhad Valley in April

g) Darkhad field camp, h) Bar-headed Geese, Somnathpur, nearMysore, by M. Niranjan

i) Direct line to resighting, j) Indian resighting map

k) Bar-headed Geese at Paradgaon Reservoir, Nagpur, by A.Joshi

Blackbuck and Indian Fox and of birds like PaintedSandgrouse and India Courser.

Brief History:

The open grasslands of peninsular India were oncewidespread across the Deccan Plateau. Post-independence, however, they have shrunk to isolatedpatches thanks to immense pressure for cultivation, humanhabitation and other reasons that also includeindustrialisation. In 1987, the forest department of TumakuruDivision began protecting the area when the blackbuck�spresence was brought to their notice. In 1992, after sustainedefforts by the forest department, the jurisdiction of the areawas handed over from the Revenue Department to the Forestdepartment. The Forest Department then fenced a portion

Birds of Jayamangali (Maidenahalli) Blackbuck ConservationReserve,Tumakuru District, Karnataka

Ameen Ahmed* and Uday Veer Singh***Ghouse Buildings, Horpet Main Road, Tumakuru 5721 01, Email: [email protected]

** Conservator of Forests (Bangalore Territorial Circle), Aranya Bhavan, Malleswaram, Bangalore 5600 03

Introduction:

Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve is located inPeninsular India�s Deccan Plateau at the north-eastern tip

of Tumakuru District in Karnataka state. It is named afterJayamangali River that flows to its east. It was formerlyknown as Maidenahalli (or Mydanahalli) after the small villagein Madhugiri Taluk that it neighbours. It is also near HindupuraTown of Anantpur District in Andhra Pradesh.

It is a 3 sq km patch of grassland planted with Eucalyptusand Acacia auriculiformis. Together, with the surroundingfarmlands and �gomal� land (Government-owned common

pasture), the area holds a unique variety of wildlife that issimilar to the one found in the dry lands of north-west India.It is one of the last homes of mammals like the endangered



of the area and raised a nursery. A concrete watchtowerwas erected along with two wood houses and watchmensheds. But, the ownership of the land still rested with therevenue department.

Tumakuru�s nature lovers worked hard to have the area

granted the status of a Protected Area, like a wildlifesanctuary. The first ever Status Survey report on the areawas authored by authors of this paper, with members of theTumakuru-based Wildlife Aware Nature Club (WANC) in1997. This helped the wildlife wing of Karnataka ForestDepartment to source data on this area and recommend itbe declared a �Conservation Reserve�. The Government of

Karnataka accepted this proposal and 798.33 acres of thearea was finally notified as Jayamangali BlackbuckConservation Reserve, in February 2007 (though the originalarea proposed to be included in this Conservation Reservewas 893 acres), Vide Notification No. EFF 342 FWL 05.

The area is currently owned by the Revenue Departmentbut is awaiting transfer to the Forest Department. It hascome a long way from being treated as a wasteland to onethat attracts a number of bird watchers, wildlifephotographers and nature lovers today, who line up to thisoasis teeming with threatened wildlife of south India�sdrylands.

Geography:

The geographical co-ordinates of the Maidenahalli watchtower are 13 44� 20� N and 7 19� 41� E.

The average altitude is 675 meters above sea level.

This area is located 23 km to the north east of Madhuguritown (Karnataka) and lies less than 20 km to the west ofHindupur town (Andhra Pradesh).

Climate:The rainy season is from late June to mid-October. Thearea is among the driest parts of India and the rainfallaverages a meagre 30 to 35 cm. The temperature oscillatesfrom 8 degree centigrade in winter to 43 degree centigradein peak summer.

Topography and vegetation:The area is more or less plain cut through by a couple ofseasonal rain-fed nullahs that end in water tanks towardsthe western side. The lower area has deep red soil whileupper area is rocky. Soil with pebbles of quartz and sandstones are characteristic of the area. It is highly suitable forlocal Graminne grasses. The Forest Department has plantedabout 20 to 25 species in the area. Naturally growing speciesare Zizifus, Acacias, grasses- Graminae and Poalae. Thearea gives a look of artificially created forest.

Method of Study:

The detailed study of the area began on 14th April 1993. Inall, the area has been visited by the authors about 45 times,both separately and together. Both morning & evening visitswere done as well as camping at night. The entireConservation Reserve area and also many surrounding

farmlands have been surveyed by trekking on foot. 12 x 50and 8 x 40 prismatic binoculars and a 30x 77mm spottingscope were used. A video camera was also used occasionallyto record the observed wildlife.

Apart from the data collected by the authors during theirvisits, a large amount of data about the area has beengathered from members of WANC and personnel of the ForestDepartment. Data has also been sourced from reliablesources among the surrounding villages and from other birdwatchers who have published their observations on emailinglists like Bngbirds. The help of grassland experts like Dr.M K Ranjithsinh has also gathered some data.

Avifauna:As expected of grasslands, the area is rich in ground birds,shrikes, larks and raptors. This is the only habitat inTumakuru District where both Indian courser (Cursoriuscoromandelicus) and Painted Sandgrouse (Pterocles indicusindicus) have been recorded. Some of the surroundingvillagers claim to have sighted the great Indian Bustard inthe area in the past. Their description of the bird which theyrefer to as �Pett Makay� (literally meaning small goat), its

nest and egg resembles the Great Indian Bustard. Butthe same villagers agree that they have not come acrossthis bird since the past 6 to 7 years. In monsoons, waterfowllike Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala) can be seenflying overhead to the nearby wetlands and the occasionalLittle Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger) visits the temporarypuddles. Winter attracts a large number of migrants someof which, like the harriers, roost on the ground.

The first ever checklist of Maidenahalli was prepared as apart of �Status Survey of Maidenahalli proposedBlackbuck Sanctuary� by WANC, in November1997. About 122 species of birds belonging to 38 families

were then recorded in the area, of which 22 were migratory.Since then some interesting observations have been madein the area by visiting birdwatchers. Among the sightingsworthy of being mentioned here are by Mike Prince et al inAugust 2007. Their records of Rufous-fronted Prinia (Priniabuchanani), Marshall�s Iora (Aegithina nigrolutea), andTawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) here, are new. The above threespecies are uncommon in Karnataka with only a handful ofsightings so far.

The Checklist:The following checklist includes confirmed sightings of 115species belonging to 37 families. Some doubtful previousobservations of the authors have been safely removed. Thecommon names follow the standardised l ist ofManakadan.R,. and A.Pittie. 2003. Standarised commonand scientific names of the birds of the Indian Subcontinent.The number in brackets is the Ripley�s number as mentioned

in Ali.S. and Dillon Ripley.S., 1989. Compact Handguide tothe birds of India and Pakistan together with those ofBangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka., 2nd Edition,OUP 1989.


Sl. No: Standardised list Standarised Names

1. Family: Phalacrocoracidae - Cormorants

1 Phalacrocorax niger Little Cormorant (28)

Order : Ciconiiformes2. Family : Ciconiidae

2 #Mycteria leucocephala Painted Stork (60) NT

3. Family: Accipitridae: Hawks, Eagles, Buzzards,Old World Vultures, Kites, Harriers

3 Elanus caeruleus Black-shouldered Kite (124)

4 Pernis ptilorhynchus Oriental Honey-Buzzard (129-130)

5 Milvus migrans govinda Black Kite(Now sub sp. of Milvus migrans)

6 Haliastur indus Brahminy Kite (135)

7 Accipiter badius Shikra (137-140)

8 Buteo buteo Long-legged Buzzard (153)

9 Buteo buteo japonicus Common Buzzard (155-156)(Now sub sp. of Buteo buteo Common Buzzard)

10 Butastur teesa White-eyed Buzzard (157)

11 Hieraaetus pennatus Booted Eagle (164)

12 Aquila rapax Tawny Eagle

13 #Sarcogyps calvus Red-headed Vulture (178) NT

14 #Gyps indicus Long-billed Vulture (182) CR

15 #Gyps bengalensis Indian White-backed Vulture (185) CR

16 Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture (186-187)

17 #Circus macrourus Pallid Harrier (190)

18 Circus pygargus Montagu�s Harrier (191)

19 Circaetus gallicus Short-toed Snake-Eagle (195)

4. Family: Falconidae � Falcons

20 Falco jugger Laggar Falcon(208)

21 #Falco chicquera Red-headed Falcon (219)

22 Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel (222-224)

Order: Galliformes

5. Family: Phasianidae: Pheasants, Partridges, Quails

23 Francolinus pictus Painted Francolin (240-242)

24 Francolinuspondicerianus Grey Francolin (244-246)

25 Coturnix coturnix Common Quail (250)

26 Perdicula asiatica Jungle Bush-Quail (255-258)

27 Perdicula argoondah Rock Bush-Quail (259-261)

Order: Turniciformes

6. Family: Turnicidae � Buttonquails/Bustardquails

28 Turnix suscitator Common Buttonquail (316-319)

7. Family: Otidida: Bustards

29 #Ardeotis nigriceps Great Indian Bustard (354) EN

8. Family: Glareolidae

30 Cursorius coromandelicus Indian Courser (440)

9. Family : Charadriidae

31 Vanellus indicus Red-wattled Lapwing (366-368)

32 Vanellus malabaricus Yellow-wattled Lapwing (370)

10. Family : Pteroclidae � Sandgrouses

33 Pterocles exustus Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (487)

34 Pterocles indicus Painted Sandgrouse (492)

11. Family : Columbidae

35 Columba livia Blue Rock Pigeon (516-517)

36 Streptopelia decaocto Eurasian Collared-Dove (534)

37 Streptopelia tranquebarica Red Collared-Dove (535-536)

38 Streptopelia chinensis Spotted Dove (537-540)

39 Streptopelia senegalensisLittle Brown Dove (541)

Order: Psittaciformes

12. Family: Psittacidae - Parakeets & Hanging-Parrots

40 Psittacula krameri Rose-ringed Parakeet (549-550)

Order: Cuculiformes

13. Family: Cuculidae

41 Clamator jacobinus Pied Crested Cuckoo (570-571)

42 Centropus sinensis Greater Coucal (600-602)

Order: Strigiformes

14. Family: Strigidae

43 Athene brama Spotted Owlet (650-652)

44 Asio flammeus Short-eared Owl (664)

15. Family: Caprimulgidae � Nightjars

45 Caprimulgus asiaticus Common Indian Nightjar (680-681)

Order: Apodiformes

16. Family: Apodidae - Swifts46 Apus affinis House Swift (702-706)47 Cypsiurus balasiensis Asian Palm-Swift (707-708)

17. Family: Alcedinidae

48 Ceryle rudis Lesser Pied Kingfisher (719-720)

49 Halcyon smyrnensis White-breasted Kingfisher (735-738)

Order: Apodiformes

18. Family: Meropidae � Bee eaters

50 Merops orientalis Small Bee-eater (749-752)

Order: Coraciiformes

19. Family: Coraciidae

51 Coracias benghalensis Indian Roller (755-757)

Order : Upupiformes20. Family: Upupidae52 Upupa epops Common Hoopoe (763-766)

21. Family: Capitonidae (Megalaimidae) - Barbets

53 Megalaima viridis White-cheeked Barbet (785)

54 Megalaima haemacephala Coppersmith Barbet (792)


22. Family: Picidae � Woodpeckers

55 Dinopium benghalense Lesser Golden-backedWoodpecker (818-823)

23. Family: Alaudidae

56 Mirafra cantillans Singing Bush-Lark (872)

57 Mirafra erythroptera Red-winged Bush-Lark (875-877)

58 Eremopterix grisea Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (878)

59 Ammomanes phoenicurus Rufous-tailed Finch-Lark (882-883)

60 Calandrella brachydactyla Greater Short-toed Lark (885-886)

61 Galerida deva Sykes�s Crested Lark (902)

62 Alauda gulgula Eastern Skylark (904-909)

24. Family: Hirundinidae - Swallows, Martins

63 Hirundo rustica Common Swallow (916-918)

64 Hirundo smithii Wire-tailed Swallow (921)

65 Hirundo daurica Red-rumped Swallow (923-928)

25. Family: Laniidae - Shrikes

66 Lanius meridionalis Southern Grey Shrike

67 Lanius vittatus Bay-backed Shrike (939-940)

68 Lanius schach canicepsRufous-backed Shrike (946-948)

69 Lanius cristatus Brown Shrike (949-950a)

26. Family: Dicruridae- Drongos

70 Dicrurus macrocercus Black Drongo (962-964)

27. Family: Sturnidae - Starlings, Mynas

71 Sturnus pagodarum Brahminy Starling (994)

72 Acridotheres tristis Common Myna (1006-07)

73 Acridotheres fuscus Jungle Myna (1009-11)

28. Family: Corvidae

74 Dendrocitta vagabunda Indian Treepie (1030a-1034)

75 Corvus splendens House Crow (1048-1051)

76 Corvus macrorhynchos Jungle Crow (1054-1057)

29. Family: Campephagidae: Cuckoo-Shrikes, Minivets

77 Tephrodornis pondicerianus Common Woodshrike (1069-1071)

78 Coracina macei Large Cuckoo-Shrike (1072-1075)

79 Coracina melanoptera Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike (1078-79)

30. Family: Irenidae - Bluebirds, Leafbirds

80 Aegithina tiphia Common Iora (1097-1101)

81 Chloropsis cochinchinensis Jerdon�s Chloropsis (1107-08)

82 Aegithina nigrolutea Marshall�s Iora (1102)

31. Family: Pycnonotidae � Bulbuls and Finchbills

83 Pycnonotus jocosus Red-whiskered Bulbul (1118-22)

84 Pycnonotus cafer Red-vented Bulbul (1126-32)

32. Family: MuscicapidaeSubfamily: Timaliinae - Babblers, Laughingthrushes,Babaxes, Barwings, Yuhinas

85 Chrysomma sinense Yellow-eyed Babbler (1230-32)

86 Turdoides caudatus Common Babbler (1253-1254)

87 Turdoides malcolmi Large Grey Babbler (1258)

88 Turdoides striatus Jungle Babbler (1261-1265)

89 Turdoides affinis White-headed Babbler (1267-68)

Subfamily: Sylviinae - Goldcrest, Prinias, Tesias, Warblers

90 Cisticola juncidis Streaked Fantail-Warbler (1498-1500a)

91 Prinia hodgsonii Franklin�s Prinia (1502-1505)

92 Prinia inornata Plain Prinia (1510-1514)

93 Prinia socialis Ashy Prinia (1515-1518)

94 Prinia sylvatica Jungle Prinia (1519-1523)

95 Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth�s Reed-Warbler (1556)

96 Hippolais caligata Booted Warbler (1562-1563)

97 Phylloscopus affinis Tickell�s Warbler (1579)

Prinia buchanani Rufous-fronted Prinia

Subfamiles: Turdinae - Thrushes, Shortwings, Robins,Forktails, Wheaters

98 Copsychus saularis Oriental Magpie-Robin (1661-64)

99 Phoenicurus ochruros Black Redstart (1671-1672)

100 Saxicola torquata Common Stonechat (1695-98)

101 Saxicola caprata Pied Bushchat (1700-1703)

102 Saxicoloides fulicata Indian Robin (1717-1721)

33. Family: Paridae � Tits

103 Parus major Great Tit (1790-1797)

34. Family: Motacillidae- Pipits, Wagtails

104 Anthus rufulus Paddyfield Pipit (1858-1860)

105 Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail (1875-1880)

106 Motacilla alba White Wagtail (1885-1890)

107 Motacilla maderaspatensisLarge Pied Wagtail (1891)

35. Family: Nectariniidae � Sunbirds

108 Nectarinia zeylonica Purple-rumped Sunbird (1907-08)

109 Nectarinia asiatica Purple Sunbird (1916-1918)

36. Family: Zosteropidae - White eyes110 Zosterops palpebrosus Oriental White-eye (1933-1936)

37. Family: Ploceidae - Sparrows, Wagtails, Pipits,Accentors, Weavers

Subfamily: Passerinae

111 Passer domesticus House Sparrow (1938-1939a)

Subfamily: Ploceinae - Weavers112 Ploceus philippinus Baya Weaver (1957-1959)

Subfamily: Estrildinae - Munias (Estrildid Finches)

113 Lonchura striata White-rumped Munia (1967-70)

114 Lonchura punctulata Spotted Munia (1974-1975)

115 Lonchura malacca Black-headed Munia (1976-78)


Other wildlife:

19 species of mammals have been recorded in the areaincluding the highly endangered blackbuck, of which 1500were counted during the last joint census by WANC andthe Forest Department in October 2002. Also, about 67species of butterflies, 27 species of reptiles and 1 amphibianhave been sighted in the area. Apart from here, a few herdsof Blackbuck are found scattered through the eastern partsof Karnataka. But the largest population of Blackbuck inKarnataka, apart from Ranibennur sanctuary, is found inthis reserve.

Conservation issues:

We wish to highlight the following conservation issues

1. The area is too small for the long time survival of thegrassland birds and blackbuck. Any disproportionate risein the blackbuck population may lead to man-animalconflict.

2. The area was originally part of the �Gomal� or grazing

ground for domestic cattle. Grazing occurs even todayand the grazing domestic animals disturb the groundnesting birds inhabiting here.

3. The area, which was originally grassland with scatteredbushes, has been converted into a dry decidious and

scrub forest, chiefly by planting exotic species particularlyEucalyptus and Acacia auriculoformis.

4. Attempts are being made to convert the unmetalled trackthat passes through the area into a district road.

Acknowledgements:The authors are thankful to the officials of Karnataka ForestDepartment and members of Wildlife Aware Nature Club(WANC) who have immensely contributed in this area�sconservation. The authors are indebted to the expert opinionof Grassland experts Dr. Asad.R. Rehmani and Dr.M.K.Ranjitsinh, who have motivated many to work for the causeof Grassslands.

References:- Salim Ali & Dillon Ripley S., A pictorial guide to the Birds of the Indian

SubContinent, BNHS-OUP, 1989.

- Salim Ali, The book of Indian Birds, BNHS-OUP, Salim Ali CentenaryEdition.

- The common names follow the standardised list of Manakadan.R,. andA.Pittie. 2003. Standarised common and scientific names of thebirds of the Indian Subcontinent.

- Ali.S. and Dillon Ripley.S., 1989. Compact Handguide to the birds ofIndia and Pakistan together with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutanand Sri Lanka., 2nd Edition, OUP 1989.

CORRESPONDENCE

Endangered vulture�s nest sighted near Melkote,Karnataka, by SUMANAS KOULAGI, Janapada Seva Trust,Kalyani Street, Melkote-571431, Mandya dt, Karnataka,E-mail:[email protected]

On a warm summer morning during May 07, as I was talkingto the officials of forest department in Melkote about theendangered species in Narayana durga forest, a watcherwho was listening to our discussion told us about a bignest that he had sighted in Mudubetta on a Jalari (Shorearhoxburgghii) tree. He also told us that he had not seen anynest of that style any where in Mudubetta. As I was curiousto identify the nesting bird, I decided to visit the spot on thevery next day.

I could see a large nest on the tall Jalari tree at about 50 ftfrom the ground. I had not seen any nest of that size in thearea before. I requested my watcher friend to climb the treeand look inside the nest. He at once started climbing andon reaching the nest, he shouted excitedly about thepresence of a big egg in the nest. I had not climbed a talltree before as I am not a good tree climber. But I was verycurious and eager to see the egg. Therefore I somehowmanaged to climb the tree in just a couple of minutes! Thenest was a circular structure of about 65 inches. The heightwas about 40 inches. It was made up half a cart load ofsmall and big dry sticks. The center of the nest was

cushioned with dry leaves. An egg was lying in the middleof the nest. By now I had realized that it was a vulture�snest.

Vultures are endangered birds. Year after year theirpopulation is declining. Vultures are listed as criticallyendangered in India. Therefore, sighting an active nest of avulture is a significant event indeed! In Karnataka there arevery few vulture nesting areas and there are no records ofvultures nesting in Narayana durga forest, near Melkote,Mandya district, Karnataka.

The egg I saw in the nest was about twice the size of adomestic hen�s egg (6.5cmx5cm). It was white in color with

few brown patches. Unfortunately the egg in the vulture�snest had been spoilt and was seemingly rotten. Perhapsthe egg had been abandoned by the nesting pair due todisturbances near the nesting tree or one of the vultureshad died. I was very much disappointed. I retrieved the spoiltegg for identifying the vultures but I could not identify. Perhapsthe nest belonged to White backed vulture or Long billedvulture. I went around the place for further information aboutvulture nests in the vicinity. My enquiries revealed that therewere a few more nests in the area.

Though I was disappointed with the first nest, I wassomewhat pleased to learn that elsewhere in the remotecorner of Narayana durga forest, the vulture population wasmaking an effort to stabilize. I prayed and hoped for theincrease in the population of these fast disappearingscavengers.


March April 2008

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