THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, January 19, 2025
A faunal survey in the Munnar Wildlife Division has led to the addition of 24 new species of birds, butterflies, and odonates to its checklist.
The exercise, undertaken by the Forest department in association with the Travancore Nature History Society, simultaneously surveyed the Mathikettan Shola National Park (MSNP), Pambadum Shola National Park (PSNP), Anamudi Shola National Park (ANP), Kurinjimala Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Eravikulam National Park (ENP), and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWLS) from January 8 to 12. The area, lying between 500 and 2,800 metres in elevation, was surveyed by 21 teams comprising 78 delegates.
A total of 217 species of birds were documented, including 11 new species, thereby increasing the bird population in the Munnar Wildlife Division to 258. The additions include the Brown Hawk Owl, Barred Buttonquail, Spotted Owlet, Mottled Wood Owl, Baya Weaver, Red Munia (Red Avadavat), Richard’s Pipit, Jerdon’s Bushlark, Golden-Headed Cisticola, Large Grey Babbler, and Chestnut-Bellied Nuthatch.
Other notable species spotted included the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Great Eared Nightjar, Steppe Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier, Eurasian Sparrow Hawk, Lesser Fish Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Indian Eagle Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Indian Grey Hornbill, and Blue-eared Kingfisher.
The MSNP recorded 84 species, PSNP recorded 72, ANP 53, KWLS 68, ENP 115, and CWLS 173 species.
Munnar continues to be home to several species of butterflies with 166 species recorded, including eight new records, bringing the checklist to 246 species. The highest number of butterflies was recorded at Chinnar with 148 species, followed by Eravikulam (79 species), and Mathikettan Shola (57 species).
Endemic butterflies such as the Red-disc Bushbrown, Palni Bush-Brown, Palni Fritillary, Palni four-ring, Nilgiri four-ring, Nilgiri Clouded Yellow, and Nilgiri Tiger were observed. Grass Jewel, the smallest butterfly in the State, was abundant at Chinnar. The largest Indian butterfly, the Southern Birdwing, was also recorded in most of the camps.
As many as 33 species were observed, despite the cold weather prevailing in the region. With an addition of five new records, the total number of odonates in Munnar has increased to 58 species.
Five relatively common odonates of lower elevations, which were previously unrecorded in Munnar, were also reported in this survey. These include Cratilla lineata calverti (Forster, 1903), Macrodiplax cora (Kaup in Brauer, 1867), Palpopleura sexmaculata (Fabricius, 1787), Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798), and Lestes elatus Hagen in Selys, 1862.
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