Hornbills thriving in Malayattur forests

K.S. Sudhi
KOCHI,  
The Hindu, March 19, 2011

Hornbills are thriving in the Malayattur forests.

A recent bird survey held in the Malayattur forest division has revealed the presence of an “excellent population of Great Pied Hornbills.”

While the Malabar Grey Hornbill was spotted in good numbers, the Malabar Pied Hornbill was spotted from two base camps set up for the survey, said P.O. Nameer, State coordinator, Indian Bird Conservation Network and Important Bird Area Programme.

The Red List of threatened species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has included the Great Pied and Malabar Pied Hornbills in the Near-Threatened category.

Though the Great Pied Hornbill, says the BirdLife International, “has a large range, it occurs at low densities and is patchily distributed.

It is likely to be declining moderately rapidly throughout its range, and is therefore considered Near Threatened”.

Regarding the Malabar Pied Hornbill, the international agency for conservation of birds says that the species “has a moderately small population size, and is likely to have declined as a result of continuing habitat loss.

It is therefore considered Near Threatened, and should be carefully monitored for any future increases in the rate of decline”.

The hornbill species are mostly found at an elevation between 200 metres and 1400 metres in evergreen forests of the State. These birds are frugivorous (feeding on fruits).

The forest stretch in Kerala that begins from Parambikulam and runs through Nelliampathy, Vazhachal, Sholayar, Malayattur and Pooyamkutty houses excellent population of hornbills. This stretch also forms part of the Anamalai region of the southern Western Ghats.

Survey

The survey was conducted by the Cochin Natural History Society and the KeralaBirder in association with the Kerala Forest Department from February 11 to 14.

Vishnupriyan Kartha and J. Praveen led the survey in which 56 birdwatchers participated.

The survey succeeded in identifying 193 species from the division. This included nine of the 16 endemic bird varieties of the Western Ghats and six Near-Threatened ones.

Nilgiri flycatchers were located from Variyam whereas Lesser Fish-Eagles were spotted from Kappayam and Pooyamkutty. While Grey-headed Bulbuls were located at several camps, Black Baza, Spangled Drongo, Drongo Cuckoo, Philippine Shrike, Black Bittern, Speckled Piculet and Great Black Woodpecker were identified from two camps each.

Oriental Broad-billed Roller and Great-eared Nightjars were spotted from almost all the camps and Red-winged Crested Cuckoo and Blackcapped Kingfishers from Anakkulam. Sri Lankan Frogmouths were located at Idamalayar and Mountain Hawk-Eagle from Malakkappara, he said.

Dr. Nameer said harvesting of reeds from the forest range for commercial purposes was posing serious threat to the habitat.

The habitat destruction would have its impact on elephant and birds populations, he said.

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A grove survives, thanks to a myth

Ignatius Pereira
Th Hindu, Mar 17, 2011

KOLLAM: A clump of weird looking hardwood trees deep inside the Kanayar forest of Kollam district and adjoining forest areas of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu owe its survival to an Adivasi myth. In an area where poaching was rampant, these trees were spared in spite of being valuable timber if axed down.
‘Demon slayer'
The trees are known locally as ‘poothamkolli' which in Tamil means “demon slayer.” In the Kanayar forest belt they are found at elevation close to 1700 metres, right on top of the mountains.
With their twisted branches, the ‘poothamkollis' look strange, even eerie.
The forest dwellers looked upon them with awe and relied on these trees for protection from evil spirits and demons. The story goes that whenever evil befell them, the forest dwellers used to go to the ‘poothamkolli' clump praying for protection.
Their prayers were answered too, apparently. Eventually they considered the clump a sacred grove and took it upon them to protect the trees.
‘Poothamkolli' ( Poeciloneuron indicum) is a sturdy tree growing up to 35 metres and endemic to the Western Ghats, says noted botanist and environment activist N. Ravi.
Different names
Though the tree is distributed in other areas of the Western Ghats, found even in the Silent Valley, it is known by different names. In those areas these trees do not have a weird shape and are felled.
The timber is used for many purposes including boat building.
With permission from the Achencoil Divisional Forest Officer, the Kanayar ‘poothamkolli' clump can be reached through Mekkarai in Tamil Nadu after a two-hour trek from the point where the jeep track through the forest ends. One gets a creepy feeling while standing by these trees.
Unique feel
Forest Department personnel say that the elevation and the climate may have given the ‘poothamkolli' grove its unique feel.
There are about 500 trees in the grove.
Protected
“The grove is precious to the Kanayar range and the trees are now protected by the Forest Department,” Achencoil DFO Doney Varghese says.
 

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Vultures get on endangered list

K. S. Sudhi
KOCHI,  
The Hindu, March 11, 2011  
Vultures soar high in the sky. But their population chart shows a steep fall over the last one decade. It is estimated that the vulture population has declined by 90 per cent over the last 10 years. The plight of vultures was highlighted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest in its list on critically endangered species.
The most regularly found vultures in Kerala are the Indian White-backed and Indian Long-billed ones, which have also been included in the category.
Of the nine species of vultures found in India, Kerala has five including Egyptian vulture, Indian white-backed vulture, Indian long-billed vulture, Cinereous Vulture and Red-headed Vulture. The presence of White-backed and Long-billed vultures was primarily reported from the forest tracts of Wayanad.
However, the presence of other vulture species in the State is irregular, said P.O. Nameer, State coordinator, Indian Bird Conservation Network & Important Bird Area Programme. Vultures were never common in Kerala as there was no ideal habitat for them. They are basically species of open and dry areas and with Kerala being densely vegetated, the State is not generally ideal for them.
They soar high in the sky looking for feed and the thick vegetation found in most parts of the State obstructs their view.
In Kerala, they are mainly found in habitats adjoining Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, he said.
Earlier, there were reports of the species being spotted from Chinnar. However, there are no recent reports of the sightings.
The population of vultures in Wayanad is stable and breeding. Surveys in the region had found around 10 nests of the bird variety, he said.
Unlike the vulture species found in other parts of the country, the ones found in Kerala survive on carcass of wild animals alone.
The birds are not left with cattle carcass to feed on in Kerala as beef is widely consumed here, he said.
 

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Eco-sensitive areas of Western Ghats to be prioritised

K. S. Sudhi
KOCHI,  
The Hindu, March 7, 2011 

The ecologically sensitive areas of Western Ghats, the hill range of which starts near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border running to nearly 1600 km along the States of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and ending at Kanyakumari, will be prioritised into five categories based on richness of biodiversity and other ecological factors.

The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), which met last week, is understood to have drawn up some guidelines for the classification during its meeting. The panel has also framed a general outline for the formation of Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WEA), as suggested by the Ministry of Environment and Forests

The WEA will be headed by a senior hand well-versed in ecological matters. The authority will have representatives of all the Ghats States and technical experts as its members. The WEA will be empowered by invoking the provisions of the Environment Protection Act and have statutory powers. It will also have a decisive say in all matters related to the Ghats, according to sources.

The panel has proposed formation of State-level Standing Committees on Western Ghats in all the Ghats States. The clearance for any development project in the Ghats region will have to be obtained from the WEA. The proposals and applications should be routed to the WEA through the civic bodies in the respective area and State-level Standing Committees, sources said.

Conservation

The WGEEP, headed by eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil, was appointed by the Ministry to recommend steps to preserve, conserve and rejuvenate the ecologically-sensitive Ghats region. It was also asked to demarcate ecologically-sensitive zones in the region.

The panel is of the view that no environmentally hazardous industries and activities should be permitted in the ecologically sensitive zones. Development activities will be permitted in the moderately sensitive and lower categories.

Sustainable development

The permission in these categories would come with a rider that only green and sustainable development programmes and technologies should be employed in the area. Industrial units were not expected in the Ghats region and the focus would be on sustainable development patterns, panel sources said.

Mining and such environmentally hazardous activities will not be permitted in the first two categories. One cannot completely ban mining. Hence, such activities will be allowed only in the ecologically insignificant areas, the sources have said.

Report in June

The panel interacted with representatives of various NGOs working in the Ghats region last week. It will also hold discussions with the Union Minister of Environment and Forest later in the month.

The WGEEP will submit its report to the Ministry in June. Originally, it was to submit the report this month. However, it was given extension of time.

 

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Athirappilly project threatens hornbills

Mini Muringatheri  

ATHIRAPPILLY (THRISSUR),  

The Hindu, February 19, 2011

If you trek deep into the Athirappilly-Vazhachal forests in the Southern Western Ghats, chances are that you may hear, from up in the canopy of trees, a heavy whooshing sound – somewhat similar to that of a jet airplane. If you are lucky, you will catch a glimpse of a magnificent bird, the Great Hornbill. But if the 163-MW Athirappilly hydroelectric project proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board comes through, these unique birds might vanish from these forests.

The survival of the hornbills hangs in the balance as the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee, led by environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, is set to submit its report on the environmental impact of the Athirappilly project by the end of March. If the committee approves the project, it will lead to the submergence of the hornbills' habitat.

The unique low-elevation (180 m MSL) riparian forest in the Athirappilly-Vazhachal area is the only location where you can find all the four South Indian species of hornbills — the Great Hornbill (the State Bird of Kerala), Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and the Indian Grey Hornbill. Their resonating ‘tock.tock.tock' calls and the whooshing sound of their wing flaps have earned them the local name ‘Malamuzhakki' (the one that creates an echo in the hillsides).

“The Athirappilly-Vazhachal forests are the only available nesting location for the threatened Malabar Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros coronatus) in Kerala. They are endemic to low elevation forests in limited locations of South India and Sri Lanka,” says K.H. Amitha Bachan, a researcher and consultant to Kerala Forest Department and the World Wildlife Fund-India Ecological Monitoring Programme. The other location where this species is found is the Dandeli area in Karnataka.

The prime threat to the species, apart from increased poaching, is lack of suitable nesting trees and feed. Mr. Bachan says that hornbills have an umbilical relationship with the rain forests. Forests undisturbed by humans are crucial for their survival. The natural hollows of high-canopy trees serve as their nests. They are extremely sensitive to disturbances. Though their long bills prevent binocular vision, their sharp eyes and good hearing alert them to the slightest movement on the forest floor. “During our surveys, we located as many as 57 nests in the Vazhachal Forest Division. We found three Great Hornbill nests in a two-kilometre stretch at a 200-metre altitude. This could be one of the last remaining low altitude riparian evergreen forests in the Western Ghats.”

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Bird survey spots a ‘newcomer'

K.S. Sudhi
KOCHI,  
The Hindu,February 15, 2011 

Grey-necked bunting, a dry area bird, has been spotted from the shola forests of south Kerala. The bird, usually found in normal plains, was spotted at an altitude of 1,200 metres at Athirumala in Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary recently. Researchers said the bird was very rare in southern Kerala. Its presence was first recorded in Kannur in 2006.

The bird was spotted in a survey conducted in Neyyar and Peppara, the southernmost wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala. This was the 66 {+t} {+h} survey conducted in Kerala, said P.O. Nameer, who led the survey. Three vulnerable species including Broad-tailed Grassbird, White-bellied Shortwing and Nilgiri Wood Pigeon were recorded during the survey. However, four others, Wayanad Laughing-thrush, Great-eared Nightjar, Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Great Black Woodpecker, were conspicuous by its absence.

Even though these species could not be spotted during the survey, other birds which occupied the same niche were identified. Of the16 species endemic to Western Ghats, 14 were recorded, Dr. Nameer said.

Blanford's Laughing-thrush, Nilgiri Pipit, Great Pied Hornbill, Darter, Lesser Fish-Eagle and Nilgiri Flycatcher are some of the near threatened species, according to the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Guidelines, that could be spotted during the survey.

Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, Grey-headed Bulbul, Oriental-Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher and Black Baza were also spotted. Ceylon Frogmouth was reported from many mid and low altitude sites in the sanctuaries.

The survey team consisted of S. Kalesh of the Travancore Nature History Society and J. Praveen of the Kerala Birder.

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Ponnambalamedu to be part of Periyar Tiger Reserve

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
The Hindu,Feb 15, 2011

PATHANAMTHITTA: Ponnambalamedu and surrounding forest areas under the Goodrickal range of the Ranni Forest Division will be annexed to the Periyar Tiger Reserve soon.
Ranni Divisional Forest Officer L. Krishnaprasad told The Hindu on Monday that 148 sq.km. of forestland in the Ranni forest division adjoining the PTR-East and PTR-West forest divisions had been identified for inclusion in the PTR as per a notification (GOP No. 75/2007) issued by the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department on December 31, 2007.
He said the earmarked areas include the ecologically sensitive areas of Ponnambalamedu, Chenthamarakokka, Meenar and Varayaadummotta.
Reservoirs excluded
However, the Kakki-Anathode and Pampa reservoirs of the Sabarigiri hydro-electric project of the Kerala State Electricity Board in the region had been excluded.
Mr. Krishnaprasad said Ponnambalamedu, Chenthamarakokka and adjoining areas had been identified as core or critical tiger habitats.
The DFO issued directives to the Goodrickal Forest Range Officer to take steps for the transfer of land to the PTR.
He said the land would be handed over after a joint inspection of the area by officials attached to the forest divisions of Ranni and PTR.
The forest area has a vast expanse of biodiversity-rich shola forests, where there is abundance of moisture.
Shola forests
Experts say ‘sholas' are ‘Tropical Montane Forests' interspersed with rolling grasslands in mountain tracts 1,500 metres above mean sea level and are the continuation of the west coast tropical wet evergreen forests. Shola forests have high ecological significance in protecting the head waters of rivers.
They have the capability of holding up water received by precipitation like a sponge, preventing rapid runoff.
There were criticisms from environmental groups against permitting eucalyptus plantations by the Hindustan Newsprint Limited in the Pachakkanam-Gavi areas.
However, no further revenue-earning activity will be permitted in the area, once the inclusion of the 148 sq.km. of forest area to PTR is completed.

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There is more to PTR than tigers

Giji K. Raman
KATTAPPANA,  
The Hindu, February 6, 2011 

A Malabar pied hornbill in the reserve.

The Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) harbours a wide variety of migratory and endemic birds too, with various ornithological surveys in the sanctuary recording 323 species so far.

In a recent survey, nine new species, Spot-billed pelican, Pheasant-tailed jacana, Purple heron, Purple swamp hen, Western reef egret, Oriental white ibis, Common teal, Common moorhen and Common coot, were identified in the sanctuary

A. Veeramani, an ecologist at the Periyar Foundation, who keeps a record of the bird surveys here from 1993, says that though migratory birds here are less when compared to better known bird sanctuaries like Thattekkad, 14 species endemic to the Western Ghats are found in the PTR. An earlier survey had identified four new bird species — Common green shank, Malabar pied hornbill, Ashy-crowned sparrow lark and Chestnut-bellied nuthatch.

The avifauna of Periyar includes birds of prey (raptors), water birds, galliform birds, pigeons, woodpeckers and passerines. Cormorants and darters are numerous in the lake and woolly-necked storks and grey herons are found on the fringes of Thekkady Lake. Along with many common birds, the Great Hornbill, an endangered species, is common in the park.

The Western Ghats is known as an area of high avian endemism. Fourteen endemic species are reported from southern Western Ghats viz., Malabar grey hornbill, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar parakeet, Crimson-fronted barbet, Rufous babbler, Nilgiri laughingthrush, White-bellied treepie, Black-and-orange flycatcher, flycatcher, White-bellied blue flycatcher, Broad-tailed grassbird, Nilgiri pipit, White-bellied shortwing and Crimson-backed sunbird. Except Nilgiri laughingthrush, all endemic bird species of Western Ghats are found in PTR.

‘Disjunct species' too

Besides the endemic species, the Western Ghats is home to certain ‘disjunct species,' which are found in the Eastern Himalayas too but are absent in between. They include Black baza, Rufous-bellied eagle, Great hornbill, Spot-bellied eagle owl, Sri Lanka frogmouth, Great eared nightjar, Dollarbird, Scaly thrush and Little spider hunter. All the disjunct species in the Ghats, except Grass owl and Oriental bay owl are found in the the PTR.

 

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Now, Kurinji blossoms on your table

K.S. Sudhi
The Hindu,
Feb 03, 2011

KOCHI: Kurinji flowers of various hues are to blossom on your tabletops round the year.
The managers of the Eravikulam National Park have come up with a Kurinji tabletop calendar this year showcasing 12 rare species of the plant variety.
The name Kurinji evokes images of gregarious blossoming of the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) in Rajamala and adjoining areas. Though much has been written and discussed about Neelakurinji, there are a few lesser known Strobilanthes species in the shola grassland and other forest ecosystems of the State.
It was the flowering period of 12 years of Neelakurinji that prompted a large number of visitors to undertake long and tiresome journeys from faraway places to Eravikulam to catch a glimpse of the flowers in 2006. But there are some other species which take longer periods for flowering. Strobilanthes zenkerianus is one such Kurinji species which takes around 18 years to flower.
While the Neelakurinji is a shrub, the homotropus species is a tree which can grow up to a size of 20 feet. It is also known as mara kurinji in local parlance. The barbatus species is another tree belonging to the Strobilanthes genus.
One of the specialities of the 2006 flowering was that besides Neelakurinji, a few more Kurinji species also bloomed simultaneously, which was a rare occurrence, said A.K. Pradeepkumar, a wildlife photographer, who had extensively photographed the species.
The Forest authorities have used the photographs of Mr. Pradeepkumar for bringing out the calendar. The photos of the table calendar are the results of long hours of trekking through the difficult terrain and forest lands and it took eight months for photographing 16 Kurinji species, said Mr. Pradeepkumar.
 

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Survey finds 200 bird species in Wayanad part of Western Ghats

E.M. Manoj
The Hindu, Jan 28, 2011
KALPETTA: The Malabar Ornithological Survey 2010-11, the first ever comprehensive study on avifauna in north Kerala, has proved that the Wayanad part of the Western Ghats is a critical habitat for endemic as well as endangered birds.


White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (female) The team sighted 200 species, including 14 of the 16 endemic species and two critically endangered species, during the two-month survey in Wayanad district.
C. Sasikumar, ornithologist and the team's principal investigator, told TheHindu on Tuesday that the Vellarimala-Chembra regions were of high conservation value because of its unique biodiversity.


Nilgiri Flycatcher “We found an excellent population of black-chinned laughing thrush, an endemic and endangered bird species, whose presence is mostly confined to the Vellarimala and Brahmagiri mountains of Wayanad region,” he said.
The residents


Indian White-backed Vulture Other endemic birds reported from the region include the Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Shortwing, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Wayanad laughing thrush, Small Sunbird, Malabar Grey Hornbill and White-bellied Blue Flycatcher.


Black-chinned Laughing Thrush Among them, the Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, the Nilgiri Flycatcher and the Shortwing were strictly confined to the high altitude region, especially the shola forests, according to C.K. Vishnudas, team member. The team sighted some rare species, including the Scaly Thrush, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Olive-backed Tree Pipit, Speckled Piculet, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Mountain Hawk-Eagle and Jerdon's Baza.
The team also found Brown-rock Pipit on the Chembra mountain, the first record of the species from north of the Palghat Gap, P.A. Vinayan, another team member said. Rufous-bellied Shortwing, a sister species of the White-bellied Shortwing, a species seen south of the Palghat Gap, was a candidate to be labelled new species, based on some recent DNA studies, he said.


Black-and-Orange Flycatcher The region had become a critical habitat of the highly endemic and threatened bird species of northern Kerala, Mr. Sasikumar said. The team intended to suggest in their report that the government declare the Vellarimala and Chembra regions as a national park to conserve the birds. A few months ago, a team of scientists of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Kalpetta, discovered 14 new species of plants in the region
Unique habitat
Mr. Sasikumar said the mountain ranges, situated 3,000 to 7,000 feet above the sea level and spread over 200 sq. km., were unique and incomparable to any other part of the Western Ghats.

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