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(A Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India) Anaikatty, Coimbatore - 641 108, Tamil Nadu Sarovar Saurabh Vol. 16(1), 2020 on Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands ©V. Kirubhanandhini

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Page 1: Sarovar Saurabh - ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SYSTEM1).pdf · 2021. 1. 7. · ‘Sarovar Saurabh the ENVIS Newsletter on Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands’. The articles

(A Centre of Excellence under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India)Anaikatty, Coimbatore - 641 108, Tamil Nadu

Sarovar SaurabhVol. 16(1), 2020

on Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands

©V

. K

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ini

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Vol. 16(1), 2020 ISSN: 0972-3153

Contents

Views expressed in the articles of this newsletter are of

the authors only.

Dr. Goldin QuadrosCoordinator, ENVIS, SACON

Mr. N. Mohamed Ibrahim

From the Editors' Desk

Wetlands in India have gained much relevance in the recent years with

the MoEF&CC emphasizing on the documentation of wetlands for

conservation in the country. With the inclusion of 10 more wetlands as

Ramsar sites of international importance from the country, bringing the

total to 37 Ramsar sites, these wetlands have gained national attention. thIndia hosted the 13 Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

(CMS COP13) from 15 to 22 February, 2020 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

During the meeting there was again emphasis laid on the wetlands as a

habitat for several migratory species and the need for conservation was a

priority concern. SACON was also a part of the COP and had hosted

one of the side events where the emphasis was laid on the coastal

wetlands as a habitat for migratory birds.

In this issue, we have brought out an article on Coringa Mangrove

Forest and compiled reports on the several activities that the ENVIS

team conducted to generate awareness on wetlands including the Green

Skill Development Programme a flagship program of the ENVIS

Secretariat, MoEF&CC. Further, I request all readers to kindly

contribute your events, activities, articles and keep us updated on the

happenings of the wetlands around you. Your inputs will help us in

disseminating the message of environmental well being to the masses.

Editor

We welcome original research and popular articles, reviews, reports,

research highlights, notes, news, snippets, etc., related to the

thematic area of the ENVIS Resource Partner for publication in

‘Sarovar Saurabh the ENVIS Newsletter on Wetland Ecosystems

including Inland Wetlands’.

The articles and other information should be neatly typed in double

space not exceeding five pages. The figures, graphs/drawings should

be of good quality and clarity. Photographs should be of minimum

300 dpi resolution. References should be limited and cited in the text

by name and year. Council of Science editors style may be referred to

for listing references at the end.

Email your articles in MS-Word 2007 or 2010 format to

[email protected] or [email protected]

Send the ar ticles in hard copy by post to:

The ENVIS Co-ordinator,ENVIS Resource Partner,Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON)Anaikatty P.O., Coimbatore - 641108. Tamil Nadu, IndiaPh: 0422-2203100, 129Website: www.saconenvis.nic.in; www.sacon.in

Page

1. 1-3Coringa Mangrove Forest – A Dynamic Ecosystem 2. 4-5 A Report on World Wetlands Day – 2020

3. A Report on Green Skill Development Programme

(GSDP) – 2020 6-9 4. A Report on Coimbatore City Bird Atlas 10

on Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands

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SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153 1

CORINGAMANGROVEFOREST,ANDHRAPRADESH–ADYNAMICECOSYSTEM

Kirubhanandhini V.

Junior Research Biologist, Department of Ecotoxicology,

Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History Anaikatty, Coimbatore - 641 108

Mangroves are the salt-tolerant forest ecosystem of tropical and subtropical intertidal regions of the

world between the land and sea representing the best example of Ecotone (Schaeffer-Novelli et al.,

2016). They normally occur from the mid tide level to beyond the high tide level along the sheltered

shores, estuaries, tidal creeks, backwater lagoons, marshes, and mud-flats, where conditions favour

the mangroves to form extensive and productive shelter in the coastlines ( ). The Madhu, 2013

mangroves include a highly specialized community of plants associated with animal species that are

not capable of surviving in any other condition. Mangrove forest act as a barrier against the coastal

storms, high-velocity winds, and the high tidal waves thereby protecting the villages and the

agricultural land near the shore. They protect the coast-line from erosion, reclaims land from the sea

as they build up and extend coastal soil by accumulation and stabilization of sediments (Spalding et

al., 2014). They are also self-generating and self-maintaining littoral plant formations often

constituting a dynamic ecosystem inhabited by a complex assemblage of flora and fauna (IUCN,

2017).

Mangroves comprise about 1% of the global tropical forest covering an area of approximately 15

million ha distributed across 123 tropical and subtropical countries and territories (ISFR, 2019). 2India has a mangrove forest cover of 4975 km across its coastal states, union territories and Islands.

West Bengal has the maximum cover followed by Gujarat, Andaman & Nicobar islands and Andhra

Pradesh followed by the other states (ISFR, 2019). In Andhra Pradesh the mangrove cover is 404.14

sq km spread over six districts and comprise of moderately dense mangroves and open mangrove 2 2

regions. The East Godavari district (188.06 km ), Krishna district (137.08 km ), Guntur district (68 2

km ) majoirly contribute to the mangrove cover in the state.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh in 1978 declared Coringa as a Wildlife Sanctuary to conserve

the mangrove's rich vegetation ( ). Located 18 km from the port city of Kakinada, on Madhu, 2013

the Kakinada-Yanam state highway, nestling on the deltaic branches of Gouthami and Godavari

rivers at Kakinada bay, Andhra Pradesh lies the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (16-30' to 17-00' North

latitudes and 82-14' to 82-23' Eastern longitudes). The Sanctuary named after a tiny village Coringa in

the East Godavari district is famous for its flora and fauna. According to Champion and Seth (1968),

Coringa mangrove forest falls under Tidal Swamp Forest (4B) and subdivision Mangrove Forest

(4B/TS2). Coringa Mangrove forest has numerous salt-tolerant plant species with an average height

of 4.5 meters, which includes tropical and subtropical floral species such as Rhizophora apiculata,

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R. mucronata, Avincenia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, B.

cylindrical, Excoecaria agallocha, Sonneratia apetala and

Xylocar pus molluccensis. The vegetation along the

Matlapalem creek and Gaderu creek are thick with E.

agallocha and A. marina being the dominant and

subdominant species respectively.

These mangroves supply rich nutrients to the marine living

resources thereby increasing the Fish, Prawn, and Crab

production. They are also the breeding and spawning

grounds for many commercially important fishes (Mumby

et al., 2004). The dynamic mangroves ecosystem of the

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary supports unique biodiversity

such as Fishing Cats, Otters, Jackals, Estuarine Crocodiles,

Sea Turtles, and birds. The site is renowned for mass

nesting of the Olive Ridley-Sea Turtle that are observed

from January to March, and is a nesting ground for

numerous migratory birds along the 18 km long sandy

stretch. The 125 species of birds recorded include the

Crested Serpent Eagle, Scarlet Minivet, Indian Roller,

Black-capped Kingfisher, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher,

White-bellied Woodpecker, Sea Gulls, Pelicans, Storks, Herons, Snipes, and Flamingos (Pande et al.,

2012).

Despite the rich diversity of flora and fauna, this mangrove of India is no exception to uncontrolled

exploitation and anthropogenic pressure (Hein, 2000). The aquaculture ponds are constant source of

threat. There is constant depredation of these mangroves due to the conversion of the area for

agricultural purpose, fuel, fodder and, salinization, mining, oil spills, aquacultural (shrimp farming),

port expansion, use of chemical pesticides & fertilizers, and industrial purposes. Furthermore, the

human impact through mangrove denudation for coastal aquaculture has now become a serious

problem in Coringa. These impacts need urgent assessment to avoid further destruction of this and

many other mangrove habitats that protect the coasts by withstanding the impact of natural calamities

including high-velocity coastal storms and cyclones (DOD, 2001). Valuing the importance of

mangroves its services is necessary to conserve the vital ecosystem.

2 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153

©Akshaya M. Mane

©Kirubhanandhini V.

©Kirubhanandhini V.

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SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153 3

©Kirubhanandhini V.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Dr. S. Muralidharan, Senior Principal Scientist, SACON for giving the opportunity

to work in this landscape. I am also grateful to the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary officials for the

permissions to survey the Sanctuary.

References:

Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K. (1968). A revised survey of the forest types of India. Delhi, Manager of Publications. pp. 404.

DOD (Department of Ocean Development), (2001). Critical Habitat Information System for Coringa Mangroves, Andhra Pradesh, Dept. of Ocean Development, Govt. of India, ICMAM-PD. pp. 33.

Hein, L. (2000). Impact of shrimp farming on mangroves along India's East Coast. Unasylva. 203(51): 48-55.

ISFR (India State of Forest Report), (2019). Published by Forest Survey of India, Dehradun. Edition 16. Volume (1). pp. 183.

IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) (2017). Mangroves: nurseries for the world's seafood supply. https://www.iucn.org/news/forests/201708/mangroves-nurseries-world%E2%80%99s-seafood-supply.

Madhu, V. (2013). Ethnomedicinal studies of mangroves of Coringa wild life sanctuary, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India. International Journal of Pharmacy & Life Sciences. 4(9): 2987-2988.

Mumby, P. J., Edwards, A. J., Arlas-González, J.E., Lindeman, K.C., Blackwell, P.G., Gall, A, Gorczynska, M.I., Harborne, A.R., Pescod, C.L., Renken, H., Wabnitz, C.C.C. and Llewellyn, G. (2004). Mangroves enhance the biomass of coral reef fish communities in the Caribbean. Nature. 427: 533–536.

Pande, A., Yashaswi, S., Jasmine, B., Anil, R., G., Ktlam and K. Sivakumar (2012). Coastal and marine Protected Areas in India: Challenges and Way Forward. In: Biodiversity of Coastal Islands of India. Wildlife Institute of India. ENVIS Newsletter. 195-196.

Schaeffer-Novelli, Y., Soriano-Sierra, E. J., Vale, C. C. D., Bernini, E., Rovai, A. S., Pinheiro, M. A. A. and Martinez, D. I. (2016). Climate changes in mangrove forests and salt marshes. Brazilian Journal of Oceanography. 64(special edition 2): 37-52.

Spalding, M., McIvor, A., Tonneijck, F. H., Tol, S. and Van Eijk, P. (2014). Mangroves for coastal defence. Guidelines for coastal managers and policy makers. Wetlands International and the Nature Conservancy. pp. 42.

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AReportonWorldWetlandsDay–2020ndWorld Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally every year on 2 February to raise global awareness

about the vital role of wetlands. This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on

Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. SACON ENVIS RP observed World Wetlands Day 2020

by publishing bilingual posters on the theme “Wetlands and Biodiversity”. The posters were released by

Dr. K. Sankar, Director, SACON. The ENVIS team also organised a drawing competition on “Wetlands

and Biodiversity” for the school children from Panchayat Union Middle School, Thoomanur, a tribal

Village near Anaikatty hills, Coimbatore. Dr. M. Mahendiran, Senior Scientist, Wetland Ecology division,

SACON briefed the students about the objectives and activities of SACON in bird conservation and

biodiversity. He also encouraged the children to protect and conserve the wetlands.

Mrs. A. Julffia Begam, Information Officer, SACON ENVIS RP interacted with the school children and

emphasized on the importance and use of wetlands. On this occasion, two films on the different types of

Wetland and their biodiversity were screened. Mr. Bhoopal Santhosh, GSDP Alumni of SACON

ENVIS RP who has started an Environmental organisation 'Eco Vibes', interacted with the students and

conducted an awareness game "Sustainable Fishing". After the interaction the students and staff planted

the Pterocarpus marsupium and Pongamia pinnata inside the school campus to commemorate the event.

The event had a participation of around 75 individuals including the school staff, students, local villagers

and SACON representatives. The ENVIS team distributed biodiversity stickers to the students along

with the participation certificates and prizes to the winners. The programme was concluded with the vote

of thanks by Mrs. T. Vidhya, Assistant Headmaster of the school, who expressed her gratitude to

SACON for organising the event for the tribal children of their school.

4 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153

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Poster release by Dr. K. Sankar, Director, SACON Dr. M.Mahediran, Senior Scientist, SACON addressing the school students

Students participation in the painting competition Mr. Bhoopal Santhosh condcting nature games

Certificate DistributionTree Plantation by

school students

SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153 5

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AReportonGreenSkillDevelopmentProgramme(GSDP)–2020

The Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is an initiative of the ENVIS Division for developing skill in the field

of environment, forest, wildlife and climate change sector. It aims to facilitate India's youth to get

employment or to become entrepreneur through ENVIS Resource Partners/HUB. ENVIS

Resource Partner on “Wetland Ecosystems including Inland Wetlands” hosted by Sálim Ali Centre

for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore was assigned the GSDP Certificate

Course in “Bird Identification and Basic Ornithology”.

SACON ENVIS RP advertised the course during January 2020 on the SACON website and local

newspaper. Out of 79 applications received both online and offline, 47 applications were short-listed th based on the qualification and interest in the specified field for a personal interview on 25 February

2020. Subsequently twelve candidates were selected to attend the course that was conducted from nd th 02 March to 20 March 2020.

ndThe Programme was inaugurated on 02 March 2020 by Dr. S. Muralidharan, Senior Principal

Scientist, SACON. Dr. Goldin Quadros, Principal Scientist & SACON ENVIS Coordinator

welcomed the participants and gave a brief introduction about the course and the employment

opportunities in the field of environment, forestry and eco-tourism. The program was attended by

SACON faculty and researchers and the participants were introduced to faculties of different

divisions of SACON.

SACON faculty, Researchers Guest faculty and ENVIS Staff covered the following topics: Bird

evolution and history, Bird classification and diversity, Adaptation in birds (Bird form and

functions), Monitoring & Census Techniques of birds, Habitats, Bird identification, Plumology,

Bird behaviour, Bird diversity of India, Threatened birds of India, Bird Conservation,

Threats to the bird, Bird tourism as a livelihood, Bird Acoustic, Bird and human interaction as in

culture, religious beliefs, Mist netting, Basics field Instruments used in avian studies, Global

Positioning System (GPS) and Camera, and basics of computer skill.

Dr. P. Jeganathan, Scientist, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore an invited guest faculty for

the course, introduced the e-bird portal to the participants and involved them in documentation of

birds for Kovai Bird Atlas Survey. The students recorded the birds from six grids in two locations of

Coimbatore i.e Kanuvai and Chinna Thadagam. In addition to the theory and practical classes, the

students were introduced to different habitats and were taken on field visit across the Tamil Nadu

state where the participants visited a few Wild Life Sanctuaries and National Parks. During the field

visit the participants were guided on several aspects of ornithology and habitats by Dr. Goldin

Quadros and Mr. T. Siva, Ph.D., scholar, Bharathidasan University.

The GSDP participants were evaluated based on the written examination, skill in identification of

birds using the “Birds of the Indian Subcontinent” book by Grimmett et al., (2011) and PowerPoint th

mode practical viva examination. The valedictory function was held on 20 March 2020 and

presided by Dr. K. Sankar, Director SACON. During the valedictory function, two posters (i) stInternational Day of Forests which is celebrated 21 March every year and (ii) World Water Day

n dwhich is celebrated 22 March every year were released by Dr. K. Sankar and

Dr. P. Balasubramanian, Senior Principal Scientist, SACON. The theme of International Day of

6 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153

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Forests is “Forests and Biodiversity” for which the photos taken by GSDP participants were used in

designing the poster. Dr. K. Sankar, Director, SACON distributed the certificates to the participants

skilled at Level V by the Skill Development Agency of India. The vote of thanks was proposed by

Ms. A. Julffia Begam, Information Officer, SACON ENVIS RP.

.

Inaugural ceremony

Ms. Swapna Devi Ray, Researcher, SACON interacting with the participants

The GSDP Participants participating in Coimbatore Bird Atlas survey

Field visit to Point Calimere Wildlife Sancturay Dr. K. Sankar, Director, SACON distributing certificate to GSDP participant

Group PhotographPosters released during Valedictory function

Dr. Rajah Jayapal, Principal Scientist, SACON delivering a lecture

SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153 7

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BirdChecklistrecordedbyGSDPTraineesatSACONCampuson03/03/2020

8 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153

Sl. No

Species

Scientific name

Family

1

Ashy Drongo

Dicrurus leucophaeus

Dicruridae

2

Ashy Prinia

Prinia socialis

Cisticolidae

3

Asian Koel

Eudynamys scolopaceus

Cuculidae

4

Asian Palm Swift

Cypsiurus balasiensis

Apodidae

5

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Hirundinidae

6

Bay-backed Shrike

Lanius vittatus

Laniidae

7

Black Drongo

Dicrurus macrocercus

Dicruridae

8

Black Kite

Mivus migrans

Accipitridae

9

Black-hooded Oriole

Oriolus xanthornus

Oriolidae

10

Blue-faced Malcoha

Phaenicophaeus viridirostris

Cuculidae

11

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Merops philippinus

Meropidae

12

Booted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatus

Accipitridae

13

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Yungipicus nanus

Picidae

14

Brown-headed Barbet

Psilopogon zeylanicus

Megalaimidae

15 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Ardeidae

16 Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius Cuculidae

17 Common Iora Aegithina tiphia Aegithinidae 18 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Alcedinidae 19

Common Myna

Acridotheres grandis

Sturnidae

20

Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

Vangidae

21

Common Woodshrike

Tephrodornis pondicerianus

Vangidae

22

Coppersmith Barbet

Psilopogon haemacephalus

Megalaimidae

23

Eurasian Hoopoe

Upupa epops

Upupidae

24

Golden-fronted Leafbird

Chloropsis auriforns

Chloropseidae

25

Greater Coucal

Centropus bengalensis

Cuculidae

26

Green Bee-eater

Merops orientalis

Meropidae

27

Greenish Warbler

Phylloscopus trochiloides

Phylloscopidae

28

Grey Francolin

Francolinus pondicerianus

Phasianidae

29

House Crow

Corvus splendens

Corvidae

30

Indian Golden Oriole

Oriolus kundo

Oriolidae

31

Indian Nightjar

Caprimulgus asiaticus

Caprimulgidae

32

Indian Paradise Flycatcher

Terpsiphone paradisi

Monarchidae

33

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatus

Phasianidae

Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus)

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SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153 9

Sl. No

Species

Scientific name

Family

34

Indian Robin

Copsychus fulicatus

Muscicapidae

35

Indian Roller

Coracias beghalensis

Coraciidae

36

Jerdon's Bushlark

Mirafra affinis

Alaudidae

37

Jerdon's Nightjar

Caprimulgus atripennis

Caprimulgidae

38

Forest Wagtail

Dendronanthus indicus

Motacillidae

39

Large-billed Crow

Corvus macrorhynchos

Corvidae

40

Laughing Dove

Streptopelia senegalensis

Columbidae

41

Little Swift

Apus affinis

Apodidae

42

Loten's Sunbird

Cinnyris lotenius

Nectariniidae

43

Malabar Parakeet

Psittacula columboides

Psittaculidae

44

Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Accipitridae

45

Oriental Magpie Robin

Copsychus saularis

Muscicapidae

46

Pale-billed Flowerpecker

Dicaeum erythrohynchos

Dicaeidae

47

Pied Bushchat

Saxicola caprata

Muscicapidae

48 Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus Cuculidae

49 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata Cisticolidae

50 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus Nectariniidae

51 Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica Nectariniidae 52

Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

Pycnonotidae

53

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Pycnonotus jocosus

Pycnonotidae

54

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Psittaculidae

55

Rufous Treepie

Dendrocitta vagabunda

Corvidae

56

Shikra

Accipiter badius

Accipitridae

57

Small Minivet

Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Campephagidae

58

Spotted Dove

Streptopelia chinensis

Columbidae

59

Spotted Owlet

Athene brama

Strigidae

60

White-

bellied Drongo

Dicrurus caerulescens

Dicruridae

61

White-browed Bulbul

Pycnonotus luteolus

Pycnonotidae

62

White-cheeked Barbet

Psilopogon viridus

Megalaimidae

63

White-throated Kingfisher

Halcyon pieleata

Alcedinidae

64

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla cinerea

Motacillidae

65

Yellow-billed Babbler

Turdoides affinis

Leiothrichidae

66

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Treron phoenicopterus

Columbidae

Pied Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) Malabar Parakeet (Psittacula columboides) Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)

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Season Bacterial count (cfu/g)

pH Temperature (0C)

Salinity (ppt)

Premonsoon 8.37 X 107 8.3 29.2 35.9

Monsoon 9.34 X 107 7.7 26.3 25.82

Postmonsoon 2.71 X 108 7.75 26.5 31.27

Mean bacterial Density

14.93 X 107

Premonsoon 6.01 X 107 7.9 27.8 32.1

Monsoon 1.01 X 108 7.2 26.5 19.92

Postmonsoon 4.77 X 107 7.3 26.7 26.66

Mean bacterial Density

6.96 X 107

10 SACON ENVIS Newsletter - Sarovar Saurabh Vol.16(1), 2020. ISSN: 0972-3153

Coimbatore City Bird Atlas is a citizen science project

to map the distribution and abundance of birds of the

Coimbatore City using field surveys. For the survey, the 2cityscape was divided into 37 cells of 3.3 km each. The

2cells were further divided into nine sub-cells of 1.1 km

each. The volunteer birders recorded birds for 15

minutes in three of the sub-cells and the surveys were th

conducted from February 22 to March 18 2020 from 6

am to 10 am.

Over 100 interested birders from across Tamil Nadu

registered for the surveys, however, priority was given to the birders living in and around Coimbatore nd thcity. The surveys started on 22 February and were completed on 18 March. Most of the surveys were

carried out during weekends.

The GSDP students of SACON actively participated in the survey by splitting into two groups and

documented the birds along with Dr. P. Jeganathan, Bird Count India and Project advisor. The survey

was carried out in two locations of Coimbatore i.e Kanuvai and Chinna Thadagam.

Participants used Locus Free, an Android mobile application, to navigate to the sub-cells assigned for

conducting surveys. The field coordinators conducted two meetings for the team leaders and provided

hands-on training to use the navigation app. Almost all the birders were familiar with eBird mobile app

and the birds seen and heard during the survey were entered using the dedicated ebird group account

(username: kovaibirdatlas). A dedicated WhatsApp group was created to communicate with the

participants and to clear the doubts about issues related to species identity, Locus app, and for planning

the field survey.

Totally 142 bird species were recorded during this survey. The lowest number of species recorded in a

cell was 23 and the maximum was 73 bird species. House Crow and Common Myna were most

abundant (89%), followed by Rose-ringed parakeet (70%), Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (68%), and

Yellow-billed babbler (63%).

ReportonCoimbatoreCityBirdAtlasSelvaganesh K and T. Arulvelan

Coordinators, Coimbatore City Bird Atlas

Location of the Coimbatore city and the sampling grids or CCBA cells. Each CCBA cell (white) was sub-divided into sub-cells (pink) that were sampled randomly.

Participants in the field Locus App - Field demonstration