May-June 2009

Vol. 49 No. 3 May - June 2009

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

Vol. 49 No. 3 May - June 2009

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

CONTENTS Note from the Publisher

The Need to Proclaim Community Reserves

Articles Checklist of Birds of Kadatoka Vil lage,

(North Kanara) Karnataka State, by V.D. Hegde

Avifauna in and around Nagpur city of Maharashtra -an annotated, authentic, contemporary checklist, byRaju Kasambe and Tarique Sani.

A new distributional record of Great Stone Plover(Esacus magnirostris recurvirostris) from the Island ofRiver Gandak in Bihar, India (IBA- BR-IN-01), by GopalSharma, Ajeet Kumar Singh and D. N. Choudhary.

Correspondence

Why Udpuria Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)nesting colony should be declared a CommunityReserve?, by Rakesh Vyas,

Can you identify this bird ? by Dr. H. S. Malli.

Note from the Publisher

Dear fellow Birdwatchers,

The Need to Proclaim Community Reserves

In this issue we have published a note by Rakesh Vyas on theneed to proclaim the Udpuria Painted Stork nesting colony as acommunity reserve. The Udpuria Painted Stork nesting colonyhas no legal designation as a formally protected area, but hasbeen conserved through community concerns and acuity, backedup by the enforcement of local self-governance.

Our readers are perhaps aware that the Biodiversity Act (2002)has been enacted to provide for conservation of biologicaldiversity, sustainable use of its components and fair andequitable sharing of the benefits etc. In order to give effect tothe said objectives, State Biodiversity Boards were set up inmany states under the umbrella of the National BiodiversityAuthority, by the Central Government with the belief that anyarea rich in biological diversity, biological resources and theirhabitats is being threatened by overuse, abuse or neglect, itshall issue directives to the concerned State Government totake immediate ameliorative measures; offering such StateGovernment any technical and other assistances.

There is also a provision to respect and protect the knowledgeof local people relating to biological diversity, as recommended

by the National Biodiversity Authority through such measures,which may include registration of such knowledge at the local,state or national levels, and other measures for protection.State Governments are also empowered to notify, in the OfficialGazette, areas of biodiversity importance as biodiversity heritagesites under this Act. Therefore, Rakesh Vyas and other birdconservationists across India, should exhort the respective StateBiodiversity Boards, to proclaim such important areas ascommunity reserves, under the Biodiversity Act.

Painted Stork is presently classified as �Near Threatened� and

is close to be listed under the �Threatened� category in near

future, on account of a range of threats such as loss of wetlands,fragmentation of population structure, resulting from large scalereclamation of wetlands, hydroelectric projects, pollution andurban sprawl. In many areas where waterbodies arediminishing, their populations have seldom recovered. In thestates of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the storks are findingtheir foraging habitats far from congenial. Their favorite feedinggrounds are undergoing radical changes, on account ofrelentless mining for iron ore, extraction of sand from river beds,and quarrying. These activities are contributing to the acutesiltation of the waterbodies. Fundamentally, we areshortchanging the topography of the maidan areas of thesetwo states to wishy-washy, hideous moonscape like terrains.

While we are on the subject, Prof. S. Rangaswami has sent theabove photograph (downloaded from internet) of a White Stork,winging painfully to its wintering grounds, with an arrow impaledacross its belly. Rangaswami justly laments that �the photograph

only confirms the fact vividly that the human species is the cruelestof all life forms�. Man�s ruthless hunting activities are having a

much greater impact on birds when combined with otherstressing factors such as habitat degradation, fire, invasion andgratuitous predation by generalist species such as crows,competition from other opportunistic invader species and naturaldisturbances. Sadly, a synergy of these heady cocktail of threats,are driving our feathered friends to their depths of despair.

Thanking you,Yours in Bird Conservation

S. Sridhar, Publisher, NLBW

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (3), 2009 33

Methodology

The survey was conducted randomly for 30 days each inJanuary and May 2008. Birds were observed specially inthe mornings (6.30 to 8.30am), afternoons (1.30 to 3.00pm)and again in the evenings (5.30 to 7.00pm). However, somebirds were also noted down when occasionally found outsidethe observation period. Direct visual sighting method wasfollowed with the help of binoculars and some birds wererecognised and recorded by hearing their calls, especiallyduring early mornings and evenings. Identification and

distribution of the species were done according to Grimmettet al (1999) and Thirumalai and Krishnan (2005) and

nomenclature and classification was followed according toManakadan and Pittie (2001).

Result

A total of 45 species belonging to 41 genera, 23 families and

11 orders were recorded (Table 1). When compared to

Kotangale and Ghosh (2000), this shows the richness ofbiodiversity in a small area. House sparrows and housecrows were most dominant followed by cattle egrets. It hasbeen observed that water birds were less in numbers probablydue to the scarcity of water. During summer, most birdswere seen bathing in the channels whenever water waspumped to the plantations. Eudynamys scolopacea andOriolus oriolus were specially winter visitors in this plantationwhen the pepper ripens for harvesting. Egrets, especiallyIndian pond heron were common soon after irrigation of theplantation to feed on insects and small frogs which will come

up during irrigation. Greater Coucal is very common in theafternoon and Indian treepie feeds on ripened nutmeg seedand in a way helps in dispersal of the seeds. Indian Pitta is

the resident of the plantation and feeds on insects and wormspresent under the litters. Indian peafowl is a rare visitorduring evening period. Loten�s Sunbird, Purple-rumpedSunbird and Purple Sunbird were regular visitors for the

nectars of the flowers of banana and many other flowers.Even though, Kadatoka is a small village, the avian fauna

reveals the richness of the biodiversity and welcomes

researchers to take up further studies.

Enroll a FriendIf every Newsletter Member could enrol

just one new member our reachand linkage would be doubled immediately!

Will you Help ?Please give the membership form

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Checklist of Birds of Kadatoka Village,(North Kanara) Karnataka State.

V.D. Hegde, Zoological Survey of India, 6/6, 6th Floor, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053.E-Mail : [email protected]

Introduction

Karnataka State is located between 11° 31�-18° 45� N and

74° 12�- 78° 40� E with a total area of 1, 91, 791 sq. km. The

state receives rainfall between 450 to 7,500 mm annually,with a mean rainfall of 1,975 mm (Kumara and Singh, 2007).The Karnataka state is mainly divided into 4 regions viz.,coastal, malnad, northern maidan and southern maidan; withpeculiar climates of their own. The coastal region of

Karnataka consists of the districts Uttar Kannada (NorthKanara) and Dakshin Kannada and the latter is further

divided into Udupi and Mangalore (South Kanara).

Kadatoka is a village in the Honavar Taluka of North KanaraDistrict. The maximum area in this village is covered bymountains and scattered thick forests on one side andthe other sides are covered by paddy fields, besides thatthe salt water area starts. During high tide the salt waterenters the fields also and destroys all the crops. Now,most of the paddy fields near salt water incursion areasare being bio-mined for lime-shell extraction. Surprisingly,for the past 30 years or so, the extraction of lime-shell isgoing on which is mainly used as poultry feed and for someother purposes and is being transported to other majorcities of India. Another interesting feature is the occurrenceof boulders in the mountain of this village, which are richwith Manganese ores. Efforts are underway to extract thismineral on a large scale. Even though, a few laborers are

engaged in lime and cashew nut factories which aresituated locally, most of the people are depending on arecanut plantation for their livelihood. Being the person basicallyfrom the farmer�s family, the author has tried to identify

and list out the avian diversity in the Areca nut plantationfrom Kadatoka village.

Study area

The study was conducted mainly in areca nut plantationin Kadatoka village. The general topography of this area islow lying and flat area having two big standing water bodieson the eastern as well as on the western side. The climateis warm throughout the year save for a few weeks duringwinter (December and January). During the annual monsoonrainfall period, the western side water body wil l beconnected with the paddy fields and during the dry season(April and May) this water body will dry up. The plantationconsists of arecanut, coconut, banana crop, nutmeg,cocoa, pepper, betel and some fruit bearing plants like jack,mango, pineapple, tamarind, drumstick, soapnut, andpapaya, mainly on the borders and some flowering plantslike rose, jasmine, champaka, hibiscus, paper flower andsome wild flowers.

mailto:[email protected]

34 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (3), 2009

Order : Pelecaniformes Family : Phalacrocoracidae

Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger (Vieillot) R,C

Order : Ciconiiformes Family : Ardeidae

Little Egret Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus) R,CCattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus) R,CLarge Egret Casmerodius albus (Linnaeus) R,CLittle Green Heron Butorides striatus (Linnaeus) R,CIndian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii (Sykes) R,C

Order : Falconiformes Family : Accipitridae.

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela (Latham) C,LShikra Accipiter badius (Gmelin) C,L

Order : Galliformes Family : Phasianidae

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus) U,LCommon Quail Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus) R,C

Order : Gruiformes Family : Rallidae

White-breasted WaterhenAmaurornis phoenicurus (Pennant) R,C

Order : Columbiformes Family : Columbidae

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis (Scopoli)R,CLittle Brown Dove Streptopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus) R,CBlue Rock Pigeon Columba livia Gmelin R,CYellow -legged Green pigeon Treron phoenicoptera (Latham) R,C

Order : Psittaciformes Family : Cuculidae

Rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri (Scopoli) R,C

Order : Cuculiformes Family : Cuculidae

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis (Stephens) R,CAsian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea (Linnaeus) W,U,L

Order : Strigiformes Family : Tytonidae

Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo (Linnaeus) U,LBarn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli) U,L

Family : Strigidae

Spotted Owlet Athene brama (Temminck) R,CShort-eared Owl Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan)R,COrder : Coraciiformes Family : Alcedinidae

Small Blue Kingfisher Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus) R,CStork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis (Linnaeus) U,LWhite-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus) R,C

Family : Meropidae

Small Bee- eater Merops orientalis Latham R,C

Family : Upupidae

Common Hoopoe Upupa epops (Linnaeus) U,L

Family : Picidae

Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus) R,CRufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus (Vieillot) U,L

Family and species Scientific Name Status

Order : Passeriformes Family : Pittidae

Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura (Linnaeus) R,C

Family : Pycnonotidae

Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus (Linnaeus) R,C

Family : Muscicapidae

White-browed Fantail Flycatcher Rhipidura aureola (Lesson) R,COriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus) U,LAsian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi (Linnaeus) U,LCommon Tailor Bird Orthotomus sutorius (Pennant) U,L

Family : Nectarinidae

Loten�s Sunbird Nectarinia lotenia (Linnaeus) R,CPurple-rumped Sunbird Nectarinia zeylonica (Linnaeus)R,CPurple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica (Latham) R,C

Family : Passeridae

House Sparrow Passer domesticus (Linnaeus) R,C

Family : Sturnidae

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus) R,C

Family : Oriolidae

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus) W,U,L

Family : Dicruridae

Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus (Vieillot) U,L

Family : Corvidae

House Crow Corvus splendens Vieillot. R,CJungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos (Wagler) U,LIndian Tree Pie Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham) U,L

Status: C = Common, R = Resident, U = Uncommon, L= Localmigrant. W = winter visitor.

Acknowledgements: I am very much thankful to theDirector, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for facilitiesand O/C Coleoptera Section for encouragements.

References:

Grimmett R., C. Inskipp and T. Inskipp (1999). Pocket guide to the birds ofthe Indian subcontinent, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Kotangale, J.P. and T.K. Ghosh. (2000). Avifauna diversity in and aroundKaiga in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka state. EnvironmentConservation Journal, 1(1) : 1-7.

Kumara. H.N. and M. Singh. (2007) : Small carnivores of Karnataka :Distribution and sight records. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 104 (2) :153 -160.

Manakadan, R. and A. Pittie (2001). Standardized common and scientific

names of the birds on the Indian subcontinent, Buceros 6(1) ; i-ix, 1-37.

Thirumalai, G. and Krishnan, S. (2005). Pictorial Handbook- Birds ofChennai : 1-196. ( Published by the Director, Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata)

Family and species Scientific Name Status

Table 1: Checklist of the birds recorded in Areca nut Plantation.


confirm the sighting records of rare birds in the area.Photographs taken by authors and or other birdwatchersare uploaded on this website. Birds which were notphotographed or confirmed by the authors themselves werenot taken into consideration while preparing this checklist.

The present paper provides the checklist and annotationson recent sightings of birds in the Nagpur area. Birds listedby previous ornithologists but not sighted in recent timeswere not added to this list.

The abundance and status are based on the Checklist ofBirds of Maharashtra (Abdulali, 1972), the referred literatureand in some cases on the observations of the authors.

Abundance of birds was classified as:

A-Abundant- Seen very commonly in most habitats inmost of the field visits

C-Common- Seen commonly in the study area,

O-Occasional- Seen occasionally in the study area,

U-Uncommon- Seen many times but not common,

Rr-Rare- Seen only once or twice.

Status of birds was classified as:

R- Resident species, which are found in the study areathroughout the year.

WM- Winter Migrant, species, which are found in the studyarea only during winter.

LM- Local Migrant, species, which is found in the studyarea irregularly, but is resident of India.

BM- Breeding Migrant, species, which visit the study areaonly for or during its breeding season.

PM- Passage migrant, species, which are sighted on thepassage from their wintering grounds to the breeding groundsor vice versa.

V-Vagrant, species, which is not regularly sighted, nor wintermigrant nor breeding migrant and hence supposed to be astray bird sighting.

Results and Discussion:

A total of 284 species were sighted from survey (see Table).A total of 184 resident species, 69 winter migrants, tenspecies of passage migrants, six species of breeding

Avifauna in and around Nagpur city of Maharashtra- an annotated, authentic, contemporary checklist

Raju Kasambe* and Tarique Sani#

*G-1, Laxmi Apartments, 64, Vidya Vihar Colony, Pratap Nagar, Nagpur-440022, E-mail:[email protected].#15, Atomic Energy Road, Near Wadi Naka, Wadi, Nagpur 440023, E-mail: [email protected]

Key Words:

Nagpur, Maharashtra, birds, checklist.

Abstract:

The checklist of birds in and around Nagpur city, Nagpurdistrict, Maharashtra, is prepared. In this final checklist 284species of birds are being reported as actually sighted andphotographed by the authors and various birdwatchers ofNagpur.

Introduction:

Nagpur city is located at the center of India in Maharashtrastate. Notes of birdwatching by the authors were compiledto make a comprehensive checklist of the avifauna in andaround Nagpur city. For the purpose of this list the boundarieswere taken as Kanhan village, Pardi village, Koradi reservoir(21026�N and 79008�E), Vena reservoir (21016� N and 78086�E)

and Wadgaon Dam (20082�N and 79003�E).

Nagpur city has eight reservoirs in the city limits itselfincluding Ambazari Tank, Gorewada Tank, Shukravari Tank,Telangkhedi Tank and Sonegaon Tank (21010�N and 79005).The city has well-protected greenery in the following placesviz., Vishvesharayya National Institute of Technology (VNIT)campus, National Environmental Engineering and ResearchInstitute (NEERI) campus, Ambazari Garden, TelangkhediGarden, Botanical Garden, Seminary Hills, Central Jailpremises, Textile Mills, Sitabuldi Fort, Government MedicalCollege Hospital (GMCH) campus, Reserve Police TrainingSchool (RPTS) and many smaller city gardens. Also thereare unprotected forests on the North and Western sides ofthe city (Gorewada reserve forest and Ambazari range offorests).

Nagpur had remained an important birding place since theBritish-raj in India. Some of the pre-independence birdingrecords available are by Blanford (1871), Jones (1923) andD �Abreau (1912, 1923 & 1935). The latter did a

comprehensive ornithological work in and around Nagpur ingeneral and the Central Provinces (now Madhya Pradesh)and Berar (now called Vidarbha) in particular.

Materials and Methods:

For preparing a checklist of the birds of Nagpur, notes andtrip reports by amateur birdwatchers in Nagpur city wereused as database for bird sighting records. Trip reports onthe website www.nagpurbirds.org (owned by the secondauthor) were taken into consideration for the sighting reports.Photographic evidence was given more importance to

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http://www.nagpurbirds.org


migrants, four species of local migrants and ten species ofvagrants and were recorded in the study area. A total of 22bird species were found to be abundant, 80 bird specieswere found to be common, 24 species are occasional, 99species are uncommon and 59 species are considered rarefor Nagpur.

Among the most abundant species found in Nagpur are:Common Myna, House Swift, Cattle Egret, Rock Pigeon,House Crow, Black Drongo, Asian Koel, Red-rumpedSwallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, Indian Silverbill, CoppersmithBarbet, Green Bee-eater, Purple Sunbird, Purple-rumpedSunbird, Common Tailorbird, House Sparrow, Rose-ringedParakeet, Red-vented Bulbul, Little Brown Dove, BrahminyStarling, Jungle Babbler and Red-wattled Lapwing.

Annotations on important and rare sightings:

One Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) was sightedat 4.30 pm on 3rd August 2008 during the Bustard censusin the Temsana Village, near Dighori, 22km northeast ofNagpur. This census team was led by Kundan Hateaccompanied and included Ram Babu, Conservator ofForest, Sonkusure, RFO and S.S.Bawaskar, Incharge ofMaharajbagh Zoo, Nagpur.

Black Storks (Ciconia nigra) were sighted at Paradgaon byRaju on 16th December 2008 (4 birds). Gopal Thosar, AnilPimplapure, Parag Sawji and Raju saw 11 Black Storks atSalai Mendha on 8th January 2008. Tarique and Raju sightedtwo storks on 27th January 2008 at Salai Mendha reservoir. Itwas also sighted at Borgaon reservoir by Purushottam Joshi.

One Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) was photographed byAbhishek Sagar at Ambazari tank on 26th January, 2008.

Koustubh Thomare sighted and photographed one Bonneli�sEagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus) at Koradi reservoir on 29th

March 2008.

Lalit Chondhekar sighted and photographed a single BlackEagle (Ictinaetus malayensis) at Seminary Hills. RohanChakravarty sighted and photographed another Black Eaglenear Nagpur on 11th February 2007.

A Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus) wassighted by Tarique at Nagpur on 4th March 2006.

Rohan Chakravarty sighted a single Amur Falcon (Falcoamurensis) at Mohgaon Zilpi tank in October 2008. RohitChakravarty and Udayan Dharmadhikari again sighted aflock of five Amur Falcons at Ambazari on 27th April 2009.

A single Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera) was sightedby Raju at Gorewada tank on 19th December 2007.

Montagu�s Harrier (Circus pygargus) was sighted by RohanChakravarty on 16th February 2008 at Hazari Pahad area ofNagpur. He also had seen a juvenile harrier on 3rd February2008.

A single Pallid Harrier (Circus macrorus) was sighted byAditya Joshi at Haladgaon tank on 6th January 2008.

A single Pied Harrier (Circus melanoleucos) was sighted byNeeraj Gade and Rohan Chakravarty on 6th December 2007.

A Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) was sighted andphotographed near Vayusena Nagar by Rohan Chakravartyand later joined by Tarique on 5th February 2009.

An immature Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) wasfound and nurtured by Tarique and Swati Sani at theirresidence in September 2001. They realized the speciesidentity only in 2005.

A single White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) wassighted and photographed somewhere on National Highwaynumber 7 about 50kms from Nagpur early in 2005.Unfortunately no other information is available about thissighting.

A single Egyptian (Scavenger) Vulture (Neophronpercnopterus) was sighted by 25th February, 2007 by RohanChakravarty at Telangkhedi tank. The species again wassighted twice by Tarique at Ambazari tank on 26th December2007 and on 8th January, 2008.

The endangered Red-headed (King) Vulture (Sarcogypscalvus) was sighted only twice near Nagpur. On 8th March2007 one Red-headed Vulture was sighted at Ambazari tankby Tarique. On 10th January, 2008, one bird was seen byRaju and Parag Saoji and Sandeep Raut at Nara villageoutskirts near Nagpur.

A single Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus) was seenon at Ambazari tank on 14th May 2009.

A single Tawny Pipit (Anthus richardi) was sighted by RohanChakravarty at Hazaripahad area of Nagpur on 19th October2008.

A single Singing Bushlark (Mirafra cantillans) was sightedon 1st May 2005 near Gorewada reserve forest, Nagpur byTarique.

Tarique sighted and photographed a Blyth�s Pipit (Anthusgodlewski) at Ambazari tank on 13th January 2008.

Sudhanshu Kothe sighted and photographed an Olive-backedPipit (Anthus hodgsoni) at Ambazari tank in February, 2009.

Abheek Ghosh and Shishir Dongre sighted one Blue-cappedRock Thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus) in the Seminary Hillsarea. Adv. Kartik Shukul photographed the species in hisgarden in Clark Town, Nagpur, on 26th April 2009 at 6.30 pm.

The Indian Blackbird is now divided into two species now inthe Ripley�s Guide (Rasmussen & Anderton, 2005). One of

them Indian Blackbird (Turdus simillimus, nigropileus orTurdus merula nigropileus) was sighted by Raju at Maharajbaggarden in Nagpur in March 2008 on a Banyan (Ficusbenghalensis) tree along with a flock of Rosy Starlings.

In April 2009, Tarun Balpande sighted and photographed aflock of wintering Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) atTelangkhedi tank in Nagpur city.


A single Tickell�s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus affinis) wasseen and photographed by Rohan Chakravarty atHazaripahad area of Nagpur on 19th October 2008.

Two Syke�s Warblers (Hippolais rama) were sighted andphotographed by Rohan Chakravarty one each on 24th

December 2006 at Telangkhedi tank and 23rd February, 2008on Katol road. Another bird was seen by Raju and Tariqueon 2nd November 2008 at Ambazari tank.

Zitting Cisticola (Streaked Fantail Warbler) (Cisticolajuncidis) was sighted by Raju and Tarique at Ambazari tankon 8th June 2008. It was again sighted by them on 20th July2008 at the Gorewada reserve forest.

A Brown Crake (Amaurornis akool akool) was sighted byRaju at Sonegaon forest on many occasions in June 2007.

A Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos nanus)was sighted by Tarique at Nagpur 11th June 2005.

A White-naped Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes festivus) wassighted by Parag Deshmukh at Salai Mendha on 1st April2008.

A Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) was sighted by RohitChakravarty at Ambazari reservoir on 11th April 2009.

Rohit Chakravarty sighted a Drongo Cuckoo (Surniculuslugubris) at the Botanical Gardens on 1st July 2007.

Acknowledgments:

Sincere thanks to the following birder friends of Nagpur (inalphabetical order by first names): Abhishek Sagar, AdityaJoshi, Anil Pimplapure, Anoopsingh Virdi, Anuj Kale, GopalThosar, Kaustubh Thomare, Kishor Khandekar, KundanHate, Lalit Chondheker, Minitesh Tapre, Nachiket Kelkar,Neeraj Gade, Parag Deshmukh, Parag Sawji, RameshLadkhedkar, Rohan Chakravarty, Rohit Chakravarty,Sudhanshu Kothe, Swapnil Kuldiwar, Swati Kulkarni, SwatiSani, Tarun Balpande, Udayan Dharmadhikari and others.

References:

Abdulali, H. (1972). Checklist of Birds of Maharashtra. BombayNatural History Society, Mumbai.

Ali, S. and S. D. Ripley (1983). Handbook of the birds of Indiaand Pakistan. Compact Edition. New Delhi: Oxford UniversityPress.

Armour, J. (1978): Birding in Nagpur. Newsletter for Birdwatchers.18(9): 4-5.

Blanford (1871): Note on Colonel McMaster�s list of birds from

Nagpore and Central Provinces. Journal of Asiatic Society ofBengal. 40(2): 216-217.

D�Abreu, E.A. (1915): The Cuckoo (Cacolus canorus) in theCentral Provinces. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.23 (3): 581.

D� Abreu, E. A. (1912): Notes on a bird collecting trip in the

Balaghat district of the Provinces. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.21:1158-1169.

D�Abreu, E. A., (1923): Records of the Nagpur Museum, No.III. A

Hand-list of the birds of the Central Provinces. Govt. Press,Nagpur. Pp.1-65.

D�Abreu, E.A. (1934): On the distribution of Curlews and Godwits

in the Central Provinces. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.37(1):223.D�Abreu, E. A. (1935): A list of the birds of the Central Provinces.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 38: 95-116.Dhanwatey, A. (1987): Great Crested Grebe sighting at Nagpur.

J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 84(2): 431.Garde, P. (1980): Birdwatching in Nagpur. Newsletter for

Birdwatchers. 20(10):7-8.Jones, W.T.W. (1923): A curious incident while duck shooting. J.

Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 29(2): 563.Kasambe, R., & Dr. Pimplapure, A., Thosar, G., & Shaad, M.S.R.,

(2007): Sighting records of Great Indian Bustards Ardeotisnigriceps in Vidarbha. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. Vol.46 (6):88-89.

Kasambe R., Dr. Sani, T. & Shaad, M.S.R. (2006): First recordsof Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), PacificGolden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) and breeding of Little Tern(Sterna albifrons) in Nagpur district, Maharashtra, Newsletterfor Birdwatchers Vol. 46(4): 62-63.

Kasambe, R & Pimplapure, A. (2007): Heronries in Vidarbha.Newsletter for Birdwatchers. Vol. 47(6): 83-85.

Kelkar, N. (2006): European Roller Coracias garrulous in Nagpur.Indian Birds. 2:112.

Osmaston, B.B. (1922): Occurrence of the Flamingo in theCentral Provinces. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 28(2): 549-50.

Patwardhan, P.P. (1942): Occurrence of the White-cheekedBulbul (Molpastes leucogenys leucotis) in the CentralProvinces. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 43(3): 524.

Pimplapure, A. (1997): Indian Pittas dying during migration.Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 37(4): 68.

Table: Checklist of Birds of Nagpur, Maharashtra

A: Sr. No.,B: Name of Bird, C: Latin Name, D: Status, E: Abundance

A B C D E

1 Shikra Accipiter badius dussumieri R C

2 Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus W Rr

3 Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus, V Rr4 Bank Myna Acridotheres gingianus R U5 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis R A6 Paddy-field Warbler Acrocephalus agricola W R7 Blyth�s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum W U8 Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus W U

9 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos W C10 Common Iora Aegithina tiphia R C11 Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula R C12 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis R C13 Red Avadavat Amandava amandava R U14 Green Avadavat Amandava formosa R Rr15 Brown Crake Amaurornis akool R Rr16 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus R C17 Rufoustailed Lark Ammomanes phoenicrurus R C18 Northern Pintail Anas acuta W C19 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata W C20 Common Teal Anas crecca W C


Manuscript for publication should be sent (in duplicate) by post or courier to :

Newsletter for BirdwatchersNo 10, Sirur Park B Street, Seshadripuram, Bangalore 560 020, India.

along with a soft copy (in MS Word format only) via E-mail to <[email protected]>

21 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope W U22 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos W Rr23 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilhorhynchus R C24 Garganey Anas querquedula W O25 Gadwall Anas strepera strepera W U26 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans R U27 Darter Anhinga rufa LM U28 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris W U29 Blyth�s Pipit Anthus godlewski W Rr30 Olivebacked Pipit Anthus hodgsoni W Rr31 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus R C32 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis R U33 House Swift Apus affinis affinis R A34 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax R Rr35 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea LM U36 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea LM U37 Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii R C38 Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps R Rr39 Spotted Owlet Athene brama R C40 Common Pochard Aythya ferina W C41 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula W U42 Ferruginous Pochard Aythya nyrocha W Rr43 Rock Eagle-Owl Bubo bubo bengalensis R C44 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis R A45 Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus R U46 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa R U47 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo W Rr48 Little Heron Butorides striatus R U49 Grey-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus R U50 Little Stint Calidris minuta W U51 Temminck�s Stint Calidris temminckii W U52 Savanna Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis R C53 Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus R C54 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus R C55 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus W O56 Great Egret Casmerodius albus R U57 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis R C58 Brown Rock Chat Cercomela fusca R C59 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis R C60 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus BM U61 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius R C62 Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus PM Rr63 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus W O64 Bluewinged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis R Rr65 White-naped Woodpecker Chrysocolaptes festivus R U66 Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus R U67 Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense R U68 Woollynecked Stork Ciconia episcopus R U69 Black Stork Ciconia nigra W Rr70 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus R U71 Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus W C72 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus W Rr

73 Pallid Harrier Circus macrorus W Rr74 Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos W Rr75 Montagu�s Harrier Circus pygargus W Rr76 Zitting cisticola Cisticola juncidis R U77 Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus BM C78 Rock Pigeon Columba livia R A79 Oriental Magpie RobinCopsychus saularis R C80 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis R C81 European Roller Coracias garrulus PM Rr82 Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei R O83 Blackheaded Cuckoo-shrike Coracina melanoptera R O84 Largebilled Crow Corvus macrorhynchos R U85 House Crow Corvus splendens R A86 Rain Quail Coturnix coromandelicha W C87 Common Quail Coturnix coturnix coturnix R C88 Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus R U89 Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus R U90 Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus R U91 Tickell�s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae R O92 Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis R C93 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda R U94 Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus R U95 Yellow-crowned WoodpeckerDendrocopos mahrattensis R C96 Lesser Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna javanica R C97 Thickbilled Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile R U98 Whitebellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens R U99 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus W Rr100 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus R A101 Blackrumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense R C102 Tawnybellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra R O103 Black Bittern Dupetor flavicollis R Rr104 Little Egret Egretta garzetta R U105 Black-shouldered KiteElanus caerulus R C106 Ashycrowned Sparrow Lark Eremopterix grisea R C107 Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris R U108 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea R A109 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina W O110 Amur Falcon Falco amurensis PM Rr111 Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera R Rr112 Laggar Falcon Falco jugger R Rr113 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus W Rr114 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus R O115 Redthroated FlycatcherFicedula parva R O116 Painted Francolin Francolinus pictus R C117 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus R C118 Common Coot Fulica atra R C119 Sykes� Lark Galerida deva R C120 Common Snipe Gal l inago gal l inago W U121 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus R C122 Red Spurfowl Galloperdix spadicea R O123 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelodon nilotica W Rr

mailto:[email protected]>


124 Small Pratincole Glareola lactea R C125 Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum BM Rr126 Jungle Owlet Glauc idium radiatum R U127 Whiterumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis R Rr128 Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata V Rr129 Whitethroated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis R C130 Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata R U131 Bonneli�s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus V Rr132 Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius R C133 Blackwinged Stilt Himantopus himantopus R C134 Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata rama W U135 Syke�s Warbler Hippolais rama W Rr136 Dusky Crag Martin Hirundo concolor R C137 Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica R A138 Streak-throated Swallow Hirundo fluvicola R C139 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica W U140 Wiretailed Swallow Hirundo smithii R A140 Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus R C142 Blacknaped Monarch Hypothymis azurea styani R O143 Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis V Rr144 Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus R U145 Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis R U146 Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla W Rr147 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus W O148 Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis R Rr149 Longtailed Shrike Lanius schach R C150 Baybacked Shrike Lanius vittatus R C151 Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus PM Rr152 Blackheaded Gull Larus ridibundus W Rr153 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa PM U154 Indian Silverbill Lonchurra malabarica R A155 Blackheaded Munia Lonchurra malacca R U156 Scalybreasted Munia Lonchurra punctulata R C157 Whiterumped Munia Lonchurra striata R Rr158 Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane V Rr159 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica W U160 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala R A161 Brownheaded Barbet Megalaima zeylonica R U162 Crested Bunting Melopus lathami R O163 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis R A164 Bluetailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus BM U165 Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia R U166 Bronzewinged Jacana Metopidius indicus R C167 Black Kite Milvus migrans govinda R C168 Singing Bushlark Mirafra cantillans R U169 Indian Bushlark Mirafra erythroptera R U170 Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus W Rr171 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius W Rr172 White Wagtail Motacilla alba W U173 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola W U174 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea W U175 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava W U176 Whitebrowed Wagtail Motacilla madraspatensis R C177 Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica W Rr178 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala R O179 Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica R A180 Purple-rumped Sunbird Nectarinia zeylonica R A

181 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus R Rr182 Cotton Pygmy-Goose Nettapus coromandelianus R C183 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax R U184 Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris R U185 Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus kundoo R C186 Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus R U187 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius R A188 Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena R U189 Osprey Pandion haliaetus W O190 Great Tit Parus major stupae R O191 Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys R U192 House Sparrow Passer domesticus R A193 Common Peafowl Pavo cristatus R C194 Rock Bush Quail Perdicula argoondah R C195 Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula asiatica R C196 Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus R U197 Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus R C198 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis R U199 Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultiiR O200 Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschnaultii R Rr201 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo LM O202 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis R U203 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger R C204 Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus PM Rr205 Ruff Philomachus pugnax W U206 Black Redstart Phoenicrurus ochrurus W C207 Tickell�s Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus affinis W Rr208 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita W U209 Sulphur-bell ied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus W U210 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides W U211 Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura BM U212 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia major R U213 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus R U214 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus W Rr215 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio R C216 Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca R Rr217 Little Crake Porzana parva W O218 Baillon�s Crake Porzana pusilla W O219 Greybreasted Prinia Prinia hodgsoni hodgsonii R O220 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata R C221 Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis socialis R C222 Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica R C223 Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa R U224 Plumheaded ParakeetPsittacula cyanocephala R C225 Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria R U226 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri R A227 Chestnutbellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus R U228 Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer R A229 Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus R Rr230 Whitebrowed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus R U231 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta PM Rr232 Whitethroated Fantail Rhipidura albicol l is albogularis R O233 Whitebrowed Fantail Rhipidura aureola R U234 Redcrested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina W C235 Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis R U236 Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus R Rr237 Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos R U


Introduction :

The Great Stone Plover or Great Thick-knee (Esacusmagnirostris recurvirostris) (Cuvier, 1829) is a large waderwhich is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia fromPakistan and India, Sri Lanka into South East-Asia . It is amassive billed sandy brown plover with greenish-yellow legs.Bill is stout and black with yellow base distinctly upturned,feathers round the eyes and supercillium white. Eyes arelarge and yellow with two blackish bands resembling�goggles� a characteristics field guide/mark of the species.

It moves slowly & deliberately with occasional short runsand can swim on occasions. Though nocturnal it preferssunlight during day and can be seen foraging during theday (Ali & Reply 1983 A).

There are some works on the birds of Bihar (Choudhary &Mishra 2006, Chaoudhary et.al 2006, 2007 & 2008) but therearen�t any records of this particular species till date from

the entire stretch of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Great Stone Plover was sighted for the first time from thevicinity of IBA site (North Bihar Chaurs-BR-IN-01). Occasionalobservation of this species from the watershed (paddy fields)of Kosi river by Arvind Mishra, IBCN-Member (pers. comm.)and from the terai of Nepal confirmed by Anil Kumar,Itanangar (pers. comm) for the earlier years have beenconfirmed. Locally the Great Stone Plover is known as theBãdã kãrwãnãk (Hindi); Abi (Fãlconers): Gãngã titai=

Ganges lapwing, Bãdã shilãbãtãn (Bengal; baligura (Miris

of plains, Assam) Great Stone-curlew, Great-billed Thick-knee, Great Stone Curlew, and Great Stone Plover. Earlierthis plover was known as Esacus recurvirostris.

The great stone plover�s range is Oriental Region; Iran,Pakistan, North India to the foothills of the Himalayas fromKashmir to Assam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar,Thailand, Cambodia (Siem Pang District) to Indochina andHainan.

The Gandak River (also, known as the Kali Gandaki, the

238 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata R U239 Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata R C240 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata R C241 Crested Serpent Eaglespilornis cheela R O242 Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus V Rr243 Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus V Rr244 Blackbellied Tern Sterna acauticauda W Rr245 Little Tern Sterna albifrons BM U246 River Tern Sterna aurantia R C247 Caspian Tern Sterna caspia V Rr248 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis R U249 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto R C250 Oriental Turtle-Dove Streptopelia orientalis R U251 Little Brown Dove Streptopelia senegalensis R A252 Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica R U253 Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra contra R C254 Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus PM C255 Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum R A256 Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus W C257 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris PM Rr258 Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris V Rr259 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca blythii W U260 Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis W U261 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis R C

262 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea W U263 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus R U264 Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisii R U265 Blackheaded Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus R U266 Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera R U267 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus PM Rr268 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola W C269 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia W U270 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus W U271 Common Redshank Tringa totanus W U272 Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus R U273 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi R C274 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata R A275 Indian Blackbird Turdus simillimus V Rr276 Barred Button Quail Turnix suscitator R U277 Small Button Quail Turnix sylvatica R U278 Yellowlegged Button Quail Turnix tanki R U279 Barn Owl Tyto alba R C280 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops R U281 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus R A282 Yellow-wattled LapwingVanellus malabaricus R C283 Orange-headed

Ground Thrush Zoothera citrina cyanotus R U284 Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus R C

A new distributional record of Great Stone Plover(Esacus magnirostris recurvirostris) from the Island

of River Gandak in Bihar, India (IBA- BR-IN-01 ) Gopal Sharma, Ajeet Kumar Singh* and D. N. Choudhary**

Zoological Survey of India, Government of India, Gangetic Plains Regional Station, Road No. 11D, Rajendra Nagar, Patna-800 016

* Environmental Biology Laboratory Dept. of Zoology, Patna University.**Department of Zoology, P. N. College Parsa, J.P. University, Chapra-841219


Narayani in Nepal, and the Gandak in India) is one of themajor left bank tributary of the River Ganges in India. It hasa total catchment area of 46,300 sq km, most of it in Nepal,which lies between the Kosi system to the east and theKarnali system to the west. The entire flood plains of theRiver Gandak is known as IBA Site (Islam & Rahmani,2004.)

Description of the Species Observed:

Recently, in the month of December 2008 the GangeticDolphin Census was undertaken by rapid survey from Patnato Govindganj ghat in the River Gandak up to Bagha. Boththe upstream and downstream of a stretch of about 320kmswas surveyed. The great stone plover was moving with hopstep style among the flock of other waders on the samemid channel newly emerged island, due the receding of thewater in the river. During the dolphin census survey, otheravifauna were also recorded and identified with the help ofbinocular (swift 10 x 40X) and some field guide books ofdifferent authors. (Ali & Ripley, 1983; Grimmett et. al 2001;Krys, 2000). The abundance status of birds was assessedon an arbitrary frequency scale and the digital photographswere snapped with the help of Nikon D 80 (18-200mm Zoomlens ).

Altogether two Great Stone Plovers (Great Thick-knee)Esacus magnirostris recurvirostris were sighted on the midchannel island of river Gandak in Bihar (3kms Down-streamFatehabad in Muzaffarpur District- on 8th Dec. 2008 at2:10pm on 25o 59� 51�� N 85o 01� 50��E geographical

coordinates). Due to the shy nature and camouflage behavior/character of the bird it was observed that this individual wastrying to hide amid the flock of other common waders(Common sandpiper, Common green shank). But due tothe big size of the bird and high speed of motorized boat indownstream survey, we could observe the bird only for afew moments. When we tried to approach the bird for acloser look, it started to run and flew away to take coverunder the marshy slop on the other side of the river bank.The details of the species and sighting location were noteddown while studying the stone plover.

Photographer : Dr. Gopal Sharma, Scientist B, ZoologicalSurvey of India, Gangetic Plains Regional Station, Patna,

Location : Gandak River Island , Bihar, India.

Date : 8th Dec. 2008

GPS Coordinate of the site: 25o 59� 51�� N 85o 01� 50��E

Equipment : NIKON D80, SLR 18-200mm

Bird Family : Burhinidae - Thick-knees

Bird Group : CICONIIFORMES

Red Data Status : Unspecified

Remarks : First time Report from the River Gandak in Bihar

Voice and Call: A loud harsh single note with a low hisskree-kree-kree kre-kre-kre-kre was noted before the flightfrom the island.

Taxonomy: A monotypic species. Esacus vs. Burhinus.Some workers (Howard & Moore, 2003) place Great Thick-knee (recurvirostris) and Beach Thick-knee (magnirostris)in the genus Esacus. However, Clements (2007) and Sibley& Monroe (1996) place it with other thick-knees in the genusBurhinus and the Opus awaits further clarification.

Conservation Status: The Legal Status of the species underCITES(Convention on International Trade for EndangeredSpecies.) in Wildlife (Protection Act ) comes under schedule� IV, and Residential and Local migration with uncommon

abundance.

Other Avifauna :

Other than the Great Stone Plover (Esacus magnirostrisrecurvirostris) A total of 29 species of the Birds belonging todifferent genera and families were also recorded. (Table 1)

Acknowledgements:

The authors are grateful to Dr. Ramakrishna, Director,Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for the kind permissionto undertake the Dolphin Census Survey and Dr. P.M.Sureshan, Officer-in-Charge, for providing the necessarywork facilities. The authors are also thankful to Dr. C.Radhakrishnan, Scientist �F�, Western Ghat Field Station,

Zoological Survey of India, Calicut, Kerala for their ableguidance and valuable suggestions.

Authors are also very much thankful to Prof. R. K. Sinha,University Professor of Zoology, Patna University for hissupport and constant encouragement while studying thecurrent status of Susu (Platanista gangetica gangetica ) inthe entire stretch of River Gandak in Bihar.

Last but not least, thanks are also due to scientific andadministrative staff specially Sri Kuldip Das, ZSI, GPRS,Patna for his constant help during the status survey.

References :

Ali, S & Riplay, S.D; (1983 A) : Pictorial guide to the Birds of IndianSubcontinent. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

BirdLife International (2004): Esacus recurvirostris. 2006 : IUCN RedList of Threatened Species. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Databaseentry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.

Couvier, 1829 : The kingdom of animals distributed according to theirorganization for serving a back ground of natural history of animaland for introduction of comparative anatomy. With figures accordingto nature. New edition reviewed and renewed, Vol-I, 10-24 pp.(Cuvier, G. 1830. Le règne animal distribué d�après son organisation,

pour servir de base a l�histoire naturelle des animaux et d�introduction

a l�anatomie comparée. Avec figures dessinées d�après nature.

Nouvelle édition, revue et augmentée. Tome III. - pp. j-x)

Choudhary, D.N., G.R.Dutta & T.K.Pan (2006) : Lesser adjutant Storksbreeds in parts of North Bihar. News letter for Bird Watchers. July-Aug. Vol. 46 (6).


Choudhary DN, Arvind Mishra (2006) : Sightingof some threatened Birds species inVikramshila Gangetic Sanctuary (VGDS)Bhagalpur, Bihar. Newsletter for BirdWatchers, Sept. - Oct. Vol. 46 (5).

Choudhary D.N., Arvind Mishra and Sajjet KumarSingh(2007): Breeding of little tern and someother wetland birds species in VGDS, Bihar.MISTNET, Vol. 8(2), April_Jun pp 13-14.

Choudhary, D.N., Ajeet Kumar Singh and GopalSharma (2008) : Danapur military cantonmentArea, The largest breeding centre odf AsianOpen Bill Stork MISTNEST Vol 9No.2, Apl.-June2008

Clements, C. B., (2007): Experimental Studies ofFire-Atmosphere Interactions during GrassFires. University of Houston Ph.D.Dissertation, 142 pp.

Grimmett, R; Inskipp, C. and Inskip, T. (2001):Pocket guide to the Birds of IndianSubcontinent, 384 pp. Oxford UniversityPress, New Delhi.

Howard, R. and A, Moore . (2003) : The CompleteChecklist of the Birds of the World, Revisedand enlarged 3rd Edition. Christopher Helm,London, 1040 pp.

Islam M.Z. & Rahmani, A.R. (2004): Important BirdAreas (IBAs) in India: Priority sites forconservation, IBCN, BNHS & BirdlifeInetrnational (UK). Pp.1133

Krys, Kazmierczak., (2000): A field guide to theBirds of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal,Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. 362pp. Om Book Service, New Delhi.

Sibley, C. G., and B.L. Monroe, Jr. 1990.Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of theWorld. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, CT.

Table 1A B C D E1. Gadwall Anas strepera 19 CMS-IIWL(P)A-IV2. Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata 2 CMS-IIWL(P)A-IV3. Bar headed goose Anser indicus 8 WL(P)A-IV4. Open billed stork Anastomus oscitans 4 WL(P)A-IV5. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 3 WL(P)A-IV6. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 75 WL(P)A-IV7. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 2 CMS-IIWL(P)A-IV8. Pond Heron Ardeola grayii 8 WL(P)A-IV9. Common King fisher Alcedo atthis 2 WL(P)A-IV10. Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis 16 WL(P)A-IV11. Black Stork Ciconia nigra 01 CITES � IIWL(P)A-IV

12. Woolly necked Stork Ciconia episcopus 2 WL(P)A-IV13. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 6 WL(P)A-IV14. Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus 5 CMS-IIWL(P)A-IV15. Sand plover Charadrius mongolus 3 WL(P)A-IV16. Temminck�s stint Calidris temminckii 7 CMS-IIWL(P)A-IV17. Lesser Whistling Teal Dendrocygna javanica 9 WL(P)A-IV18. Little egret Egretta garzetta 12 WL(P)A-IV19. Intermediate egret Mesophoyx intermedia 4 WL(P)A-IV20. Large egret Casmerodius albus 6 CMS-IIWL(P)A-IV21. Little cormorant Phalacrocorax niger 61 WL(P)A-IV22. Large Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 2 WL(P)A-IV23. Intermediate Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis >100 WL(P)A-IV24. Osprey Pandion haliaetus 2 CMS-II WL(P)A-IV25. River Tern Sterna aurantia 2 WL(P)A-IV26. Brahminy shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 55 WL(P)A-IV27. Common greenshank Tringa totanus 4 WL(P)A-IV28. Common shelduck Tadorna tadorna 10 CMS-II WL(P)A-IV29. Red wattled lapwing Vanellus indicus 3 WL(P)A-IVA: Sl.No., B: Name of Bird, C: Scientific Name, D: No.Sighted, E: Consev. Status


CORRESPONDENCE

WHY UDPURIA PAINTED STORK (Mycteria leucocephala)NESTING COLONY SHOULD BE DECLARED ACOMMUNITY RESERVE?, by RAKESH VYAS, 204,Washleigh Manor, Rustam Bagh, Bangalore 560017.

Email � [email protected]

Introduction

The Udpuria Painted stork nesting colony is situated about 30Km from Kota, off the Kota � Sheopur road. A peripheral road

from Digod leads to the village, where the nesting colony ofPainted storks was found in 1996. Kota division in south eastRajasthan has a unique distinction of having a pond in more orless every village. The pond culture was propagated by theerstwhile rulers of Kota and they commissioned many hugewater bodies by constructing earthen banks or creating ox-bow lakes on streams. The pond at Udpuria covers barely anarea of two hectares and yet it is of immense value to the villagersand the bio-diversity of the area. The pond is situated on thepanchayat land and its water is managed by the Jal SurakshaSamiti, comprising of the local people.

Painted stork Mycteria leucocephala is an endangered species;its nesting colonies have great significance for the conservationof the species. The large nesting colonies of Painted storkonce existed in Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur and atDeeg near Bharatpur, but due to adverse ecological conditionsthese colonies are almost annihilated. Udpuria acquires hugeimportance from Rajasthan point of view, as over 250 pairs ofPainted stork nest here between August and March every year.Besides Painted storks, some of the other rare species foundhere are the Osprey, Darter, Spoonbill and Whitebacked vulture(Table -1).

Article 37 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 had the provisionof declaring an area as �Closed Area� for hunting for such period

as may be specified in the notification. Since the hunting is notallowed by law, the provisions have been amended and nowthe areas in need of protection may be declared �Community

Reserve� or �Conservation Reserve� depending upon the land

ownership of that area. The Conservation Reserves may bedeclared if the land belongs to the Department of Forest and ifit is Panchayat or revenue land it may be declared as CommunityReserve. This is a very welcome change, which opens doorsfor many areas, particularly wetlands, which may be declaredprotected for whole year or part of the year depending on therequirement. The proposal for Udpuria Painted Stork NestingColony is based on this concept.

Background Information and Attributes

The proposed community reserve is situated adjacent toUdpuria village. The village is situated on the eastern side ofthe proposed community reserve. The other three sides haveprivately owned agricultural fields.

The black cotton soil is very good for the crops grown in this

area. Soya bean is the major crop during monsoon and wheatand mustard is grown during winter.

The climate of the area is sub-tropical with hot summer (March-June) and cold winter months (October-February). The annualrainfall of the area is approximately 60cm and most of theprecipitation occurs between June and September. Irrigationfacilities for the crops are adequate through tube wells andcanal.

The Painted stork breeding colony was first discovered by theauthor in 1996, when about 50 pairs were found nesting in thevillage on Imali Tamarindus indica, Neem Azadirachta indica,Peepal Ficus religiosa and Bargad F. indica trees. The villagersshowed negative sentiments towards the birds as theyconsidered them a great nuisance. The houses below the treeswere the worst affected and the residents used to try every trickto dissuade birds from nesting in the village. Over a period oftime, awareness was created about the importance of thesebirds and significance of their conservation. Coverage by themedia, visits by experts and administrative heads, helped inestablishing the importance of the nesting colony in the eyesof the villagers. The villagers became ardent supporters andprotectors of painted storks and in turn all the water bird speciesfound shelter in the pond. In this 12 year long observationperiod, breeding failed thrice; twice due to inclement weatherconditions and once the colony was abandoned after an attackby honey bees.

In 2004, the nesting colony shifted from the trees within thevillage to babul trees growing in the pond bed. Gradually otherspecies also found it an ideal habitat for breeding and presentlyCattle egret, Little egret, Intermediate egret, Small cormorantand White ibis are nesting here.

As per the IUCN criterion, the Painted stork Mycterialeucocephala is a threatened bird species and any areasupporting 1% of its biogeographic population shall beconsidered important for the conservation of the species.Presently, Udpuria Proposed Community Reserve supportsover 250 pairs of Painted storks and their chicks, totaling toabout 1000 birds every year. The latest guidelines suggest thatany area supporting over 200 Painted storks is an importantarea for the conservation of the species. Thereby it is anImportant Bird Area for Painted storks (Jhunjhunwala, S. et al,2001).

History of Management and Present Practices

The pond has its own catchment areas, but they have dwindledover a period of time. However the pond primarily depends oncanal water, which is used to fillup the village tanks. The spreadof water is usually maintained in the pond to a minimum of 1hectare, which swells to about 2 hectares during monsoonand winter months. The pond is managed by the Jal SurakshaSamiti comprising of the villagers and their elected members.The proposed Community Reserve has no officially managedbody, but henceforth the villagers shall manage it through their



Eco-development Committee in consultation with the expertsand forest officials. The village community has conservationin the core of their heart. They are vegetarians and alcoholconsumption is virtually nonexistent in the village. The villagershave been protecting their trees and animals passionatelywith continuous support and advice of the experts from Kota.

Plan Objectives

The Udpuria Community Reserve is home to endangeredPainted storks and many other rare and important bird specieslike Indian darter, Glossy ibis, Comb duck, Peafowl, Spoonbill,resident and migratory ducks and waders. The place is situatedon a terminal road leading to Nimoda village on the way toChambal River and therefore not maintained regularly. Theencroachment on the retaining earthen banks of the pond isan issue to be tackled tactfully. The trees on which the birdsnest also need to be protected from annual wear and tear anddrying up. Alternatively we may keep planting saplings everyyear so as to compensate for losses due to drying up of oldertrees. The plan is based on following objectives:

- Habitat amelioration to improve the nesting sites,availability of nesting materials and food for the birds

- Rehabilitation of degraded areas

- Conservation and enhancement of Bio-diversity

- Maintenance of ecological processes like hydrologicalregime and regular deweeding of the tank

- Increased awareness among stakeholders

- Promotion of Eco-tourism

- Employment generation for local people

Tourism, Interpretation And Conservation Education

Eco-tourism has become very popular amongst all thesections of the society. This is also another way of creatingawareness about wildlife and nature. Once the peopleunderstand the requirements of the animals and birds to leadtheir own lives, they will be left unmolested and they begin towatch and enjoy them from a distance. This is the beginningof peaceful co- existence.

The objective of Udpuria Community Reserve would be to bringthe visitor closer to nature and reveal to him the nesting cycleof Painted stork and other water birds.

The nesting colony, in itself is fascinating to any visitor, but atthe same time they will be exposed to other interesting aspectsof the village life. Birdwatching and treking along the pond ingeneral would be very interesting to the visitors.

The services of a guide, having acquaintance with the areaought in place and essential pamphlets, booklets andadvertisement material should be made available to the visitorsat a nominal cost.

Objectives

1. To promote community based nature conservation

2. To educate the visitors about the life of birds and theirecological roles.

3. To create an awareness about the need to provideundisturbed areas for birds

4. To generate a source of income for local community througheco-tourism

Strategies

1. Infrastructure development � Approach road to the village

from Digod, construction of watchtower for viewing the birdswithout disturbing them

2. Nature trails along the pond � Eco � friendly, undisturbed treks

3. Services of a trained guide � Right knowledge dissemination

4. Information centre � Film projection system, Books, Journals

5. Information dissemination � Pamphlets, Display boards

6. Income generation for the community through the aboveactivities

Eco-development

In this particular area, whatever is good for the birds is good forthe local inhabitants as well. There is no conflict of interests atUdpuria between the birds and the villagers. De-weeding of thepond is of importance to the villagers as they depend on thewater for their all domestic needs. Their cattle drink this waterbut hyacinth is a nuisance to them. Therefore removal of hyacinthis essential not only for the health of the pond but also thepeople and their livestock dependent on it. In the clear waters,the storks and other birds will be able to pick up more food andefforts should be made to increase availability of fish by periodicintroduction of fish seeds in the pond.

Planting of new saplings would also be welcomed by the villagersand this would create fresh nesting habitat and replace olderdying trees. To keep the hyacinth away from entering the pond asieve has to be constructed at the mouth of the pond, wherecanal empties into the pond.

Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the villagers ofUdpuria, who have given me unconditional support in past 13years. I would particularly like to thank Dr. L.N. Sharma, RavindraSingh Tomar, Praveen Sharma, Shyam Jangid and his familymembers for their co-operation and love for the birds. I thankthe members of Hadoti Naturalists� Society for always standing

by my side in research and awareness programs. I receivedfullest co-operation from the officials of the forest departmentand trust that they will pursue and declare Udpuria Paintedstork nesting colony a Community Reserve at the earliest.

Reference

Jhunjhunwala, S., A.R. Rahmani, F. Ishtiaq, Z. Islam (2001) The ImportantBird Areas Program in India, Buceros, 6-2.

Pittie, A., A. Robertson (1993) Nomenclature of the Birds of the IndianSub-Continent, Ornithological Society of India.

The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (1997) Natraj Publishers, Dehradun.

Table - 1 � Flora and Fauna of Proposed Udpuria

Community Reserve

Mammals

1. Jackal Canis aureus2. Hyena Hyaena hyaena3. Jungle cat Felis chaus4. Nil gai Boselaphus tragocamelus


Birds1. Grey francolin Francolinus pondicerianus2. Common quail Coturnix coturnix3. Indian peafowl Pavo cristatus4. Lesser whistling teal Dendrocygna javanica5. Cotton pygmy goose Nettapus coromandelianus6. Common teal Anas crecca7. Spotbilled duck A. poecilorhyncha8. Pintail A. acuta9. Shoveller A. clypeata10. Wigeon A. penelope11. Gadwall A. strepera12. Comb duck Sarkidiornis melanotos13. Brahminy duck Tadorna ferruginea14. Common Pochard Aythya ferina15. Crimson-breasted barbet Megalaima haemacephala16. Hoopoe Upupa epops17. Indian roller Coracias benghalensis18. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis19. White-breasted kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis20. Lesser pied kingfisher Ceryle rudis21. Little green bee-eater Merops orientalis22. Blue-tailed bee-eater M. philippinus23. Koel Eudynamys scolopacea24. Pied-crested cuckoo Clamator jacobinus25. Coucal Centropus sinensis26. Rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri27. Plum-headed parakeet P. cyanocephala28. Barn owl Tyto alba29. Spotted owlet Athene brama30. Blue rock pigeon Columba livia31. Ring dove Streptopelia decaocto32. Little brown dove S. senegalensis33. Rufous turtle dove S. orientalis34. Spotted dove S. chinensis35. Purple moorhen Porphyrio porphyrio36. Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus37. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus38. Brown crake A. akool39. Coot Fulica atra40. Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos41. Wood sandpiper T. glareola42. Marsh sandpiper T. stagnatilis43. Redshank T. totanus44. Greenshank T. nebularia45. Little stint Calidris minuta46. Ruff Philomachus pugnax47. Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa48. Pheasant-tailed jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus49. Bronze-winged jacana Metopidius indicus50. Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus51. Little-ringed plover Charadrius dubius52. Redwattled lapwing Vanellus indicus53. Indian river tern Sturnus aurantia54. Osprey Pandion haliaetus55. Black-shouldered kite Elanus caeruleus56. Marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus57. Shikra Accipiter badius58. Short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus59. Whit-backed vulture Gyps bengalensis60. Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus

61. Little grebe Podiceps ruficollis62. Indian darter Anhinga melanogaster63. Little cormorant Phalacrocorax niger64. Indian shag P. fuscicollis65. Large cormorant P. carbo66. Purple heron Ardea purpurea67. Grey heron A. cinerea68. Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis69. Little egret Egretta garzetta70. Intermediate egret E. intermedia71. Large egret Ardea alba72. White ibis Threskiornis aethiopica73. Black ibis Pseudibis papillosa74. Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus75. Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia76. Painted stork Mycteria leucocephala77. Openbill stork Anastomus oscitans78. Wooly-necked stork Ciconia episcopus79. Black-necked stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus80. Rufous-backed shrike Lanius schach81. Grey shrike L. excubitor82. House crow Corvus splendens83. Jungle crow C. macrorhynchos84. Black Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis85. Red-breasted flycatcher Muscicapa parva86. Common stone chat Saxicola torquata87. Pied bush chat S. caprata88. Pied chat Oenanthe picata89. Starling Sturnus vulgaris90. Rosy pastor S. roseus91. Brahminy starling S. pagodarum92. Pied myna S. contra93. Common myna Acridotheres tristis94. Bank myna A. ginginianus95. Red-vented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer96. Tailor bird Orthotomus sutorius97. Indian Prinia Prinia subflava98. Common babbler Turdoides caudatus99. Large grey babbler T. malcolmi100. Crested lark Galerida cristata101. Ashy-crowned finch lark Eremopterix grisea102. House sparrow Passer domesticus103. Large pied wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis104. White wagtail M. alba105. Baya weaverbird Ploceus philippinus106. White-throated munia Lonchura malabaricaReptiles1. Garden lizard Calotes versicolor2. Monitor lizard Varanus bengalensis3. Common skink Mabuya carinata4. House lizard Hemidactylus flaviviridis5. Mud flapshell turtle Lissemys punctata6. Rat snake Argyrogena fasciolatus7. Checkered keelback Xenochrophis piscatorTrees1. Desi babool Acacia nilotica2. Neem Azadirachta indica3. Bargad Ficus benghalensis4. Peepal F.religiosa5. Imali Tamaridus indica6. Eucalyptus Eucalyptus sp.7. Vilayati babool Prosopis juliflora

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS BIRD ? Dr. H. S. MALLI, Floraand Fauna Club, Yedthare Hospital, Dr. Salim Ali Road,Kundapura, Udupi Dist. Karnatka 576 201.

Ours is a small group of nature lovers. Our group undertakestrekking and birdwatching trips. I am sending twophotographs of a bird (see photos 5 and 6 above), whichlanded at the river mouth near Kundapura in January 2009.It was seen limping on one leg. It had overall orange webbedfeet. Sharp beak. Looked like a marine bird (Petrel family ?)It did not look like an adult bird. Readers are requested tohelp us identify this bird.

Continued from page 45Aquatic plants1. Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes2. Vallisneria Vallisneria natans3. Hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata4. Water lily Nymphoides cristata

Plants used by Painted stork �1.Desi babool � Nesting, Nest material, 2. Bargad � Nesting

(till 2003), 3. Peepal � Nesting (till 2003), 4.Neem � Nesting (till

2003), Nesting material, 5.Imali � Nesting (till 2003), 6. Eucalyptus

� Nesting material, 7.Vilayati babool � Nesting material

Photo 7: Painted storks nesting on a Babool Tree in UdpuriaPainted Stork Nesting Colony situated about 30 Km fromKota, off the Kota � Sheopur road.

Photo 8: A village child�s painting of the Painted Stork

Nesting Colony at Udpuria, during the Wildlife Week PaintingCompletions. (for details see page 43).

Printed and Published bi-monthly byS. Sridhar at Navbharath Enterprises,

Seshadripuram, Bangalore - 560 020, Indiafor Private Circulation only.

Address for Correspondence :Newsletter for Birdwatchers

No 10, Sirur Park B Street, Seshadripuram,Bangalore 560 020, India.

Tel. 080 2356 1142, 2346 4682E-mail : <[email protected]>

Front Cover: Frugivore and Nectarivore birds Portfolio:1: Tickell�s Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos) 2: Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) 3: Coppersmith Barbet(Megalaima haemacephala), 4: Purple-rumped Sunbird(Nectarinia zeylonica). All photographs by Ashish Parmer.

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May-June 2009