THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, September 22,2025
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| Bourdillon’s Blackbird, Sahyadri Grass Yellow, and Sahyadri Torrent-Hawk spotted during a biodiversity survey held at the Periyar Tiger Reserve from September 11 to 14. |
A biodiversity survey at the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) has added 12 new species records to its faunal checklist, reaffirming its status as one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the Western Ghats.
The additions include eight butterflies, two odonates and two subspecies of birds.
The survey, held from September 11 to 14, was jointly organised by the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala Forest department and the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation in collaboration with the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS).
Teams were deployed across 26 strategic basecamps spread through the reserve’s 925-sq. km expanse, which straddles the Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts.
Different habitats
PTR is one of India’s premier tiger reserves, renowned for its mosaic of tropical evergreen, deciduous, grassland and montane shola habitats.
The biodiverse-rich region supports more than 300 bird species, 200 butterflies, 100 odonates and megafauna such as tigers, elephants and gaurs.
A key focus of the survey was the assessment of butterfly diversity. The survey recorded 207 species, including eight new records.
These included the Sahyadri Grass Yellow (Eurema nilgiriensis), the Plain Orange-tip (Colotis aurora), Sahyadri Yellowjack Sailer (Lasippa viraja kanara), Lankan Plum Judy (Abisara echerius prunosa), Plain Banded Awl (Hasora vitta indica), Montane Hedge Hopper (Baracus subditus), Sahyadri Small Palm Bob (Suastus minuta bipunctus) and Indian Dart (Potanthus pseudomaesa).
The other notable observations included the Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha), Kerala’s State butterfly, and Western Ghats endemics such as Malabar Tree-Nymph, Nilgiri Tiger and Travancore Evening Brown.
New records
The odonate survey documented 71 species over the four-day period, with two new additions, increasing PTR’s checklist to 108 species.
The new records were the Sahyadri Torrent-Hawk (Macromia bellicosa) and Coorg Torrent-Hawk (Macromia ellisoni).
Several endemic odonates were also observed, including Laidlaw’s Horntail and the Travancore Bambootail.
Subspecies
Bird specialists confirmed the presence of two subspecies of resident birds, Bourdillon’s Blackbird (Turdus simillimus bourdilloni) and the White-throated Ground Thrush (Geokichla citrina cyanota). The iconic Great Indian Hornbill, Kerala’s state bird, was recorded from nearly all camps.
Other notable sightings included the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Grey-headed Bulbul, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, and Nilgiri Pipit.
The survey also documented about 40 species of ants, 15 species of herpetofauna, six species of cicadas and several mammals such as Bengal tigers, leopards, dholes, gaurs and elephants. The participants also observed smaller but ecologically significant mammals like the brown mongoose, striped-necked mongoose, small Indian civet, smooth-coated otter, Indian porcupine and black-naped hare.
PTR assistant field director Lakshmi R., who inaugurated the survey, emphasised the importance of community-scientist partnerships in biodiversity monitoring. Such surveys help bridge the gap between conservation managers and research groups, she pointed out.
'Living laboratory'
Pramod P.P., field director of the reserve, described PTR as a “living laboratory” of biodiversity.
“Each survey adds to our understanding of this fragile ecosystem and strengthens the case for its conservation. The new additions highlight how much remains to be discovered and protected in the Western Ghats,” he said.
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