Vol 49 No 2 March - April 2009

Dr AMK BharosHarish R BhatDr SP BhatnagarDr AK ChakravarthyDr Ranjan Kumar DasDr S DevasahayamBS KulkarniArvind MishraDr Geeta S Padate

Publisher S Sridhar

Editorial Board

Vol 49 No 2 Mar-April 2009 103 genera and 46 families is heartening indeed Their continuedexistence by and large indicates that these birds have one wayor another adapted to the severe environmental conditions ofBarmer District While a third of the birds recorded (56 species)were widespread residents 22 species were sparse localswhich go to show that they have adapted well to all the seasonsHowever a quarter of the species (43) were classified as wintervisitors or summer visitors or passage migrants Yet the statusof the remaining 27 species could not be ascertained

Obviously within the Great Thar Desert there are some intriguingbio-geographical riddles Conventional wisdom suggests thatthe birds do undertake local movements in response toseasonal variations in temperature or precipitation Mostspecies of arid drylands spend most of their time in foragingon the ground but they still require small bushes for protectionfrom predators and for nesting Nevertheless the most arid-adapted birds are found in Barmer Some species are found inareas as only winter visitors leaving by spring or early summerMovements associated with rainfall in arid areas may be moresporadic occurring either as local nomadism or as irruptionsoutside the normal range in exceptionally wet years as in 2006The district received 549 mm rain between 16 and 25 August ofthat year which resulted in the formation of 20 new lakes ofwhich 6 covered an area of over 10 km2

The tendency of some members of a family expanding their rangein wet years has been observed in many arid regions of the worldHowever other members of the family may undertake localmovements in order to exploit different habitats when not breeding

In Barmer some birds may be exhibiting winter-fidelity orOrtstreue In Ortstreue for example the desert Cisticolas (FlyCisticolidae) have been found to expand their range westwardin wet years in South Africa and Botswana Other members ofthe family preferred to undertake local movements in order toexploit different habitats when not breeding and atleast somespecies demonstrated winter site fidelity or Ortstreue In a studyin Malawi ringed Cisticolas visited the study area only for amonth or so at the end of their post-breeding moult two femaleswere caught at the same site for respectively four and fiveyears in succession Ortstreue also has been exhibited by otherCisticolas wintering on Gibraltar in south-west EuropeHowever we are not sure whether the Cisticolas of Barmaralso exhibit Ortstreue Only long-term systematic research canunravel the avian secrets surrounding the Thar Desert and themigratory adaptations of the desert birds

While the research on migration and local movements willcontinue to enlarge worldwide the pursuit of the theories of allmigration types including Ortstreue will move towards thecentre-stage This will mark the triumphant elevation of thescientific odyssey that began in the 1850s in India by thepioneering works of Hodgson Jerdon Blyth and later by thetireless efforts of A O Hume Blanford Oats and Stuart-BakerAn inspiring trend can be seen over the years in the steady flowof research articles for publication in our newsletter and I owea deep sense of gratitude to the authors for sharing their intenseobservations and invaluable data with our readers

Thanking youYours in bird conservation

S Sridhar Publisher NLBW

Prof S RangaswamiK Mrutumjaya RaoAN Yellappa ReddyDr Rajiv SaxenaDr AB ShanbhagArunayan SharmaS SridharDr Abraham Verghese FRES (London)

CONTENTS Note from the Publisher

Desert birds and their migratory adaptations

Articles Birds of Barmer district Rajasthan India by

P C Tak P L Kankane and Padma Bohra

Nesting of Painted Stork at Palasva Village KachchhDistrict by Anika Tere

Eco-Behavioural studies of the Indian Skimmer(Rynchops albicollis) a Vulnerable Waterbird in theNational Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary RajasthanIndia by SP Bhatnagar and Meenu Bhatnagar

Mass mortality of Pariah Kite (Milvus Migrans)in Ahmedabad Sewage Treatment Plant Gujarat byHiren Soni

Correspondence

Crows heckling a Marsh Harrier by Nirmala Chathoth

First sighting of Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)and Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) at Deepor Beelonly Ramsar Site of Assam by Dipankar Lahkar et al

Note from the Publisher

Dear fellow Birdwatchers

Desert birds and their migratory adaptations

In this issue we have published an exclusive article Birds of

Barmer District Rajasthan India by P C Tak P L Kankane and

Padma Bohra of Zoological Survey of India Barmer District formsa part of the Great Indian Thar Desert The authors have observedand recorded the avifauna in the study area of c 850 sq km

Barmer district has only 060 forest cover which includes 12km2 of moderately dense forest and 157 km2 of open forestThe average rainfall in a year is 277mm only The variation intemperature in various seasons is quite high varying from 270

C to 430C during summer (often soaring to 480C) and from100C to 260C during winter (sometimes dropping to 50C) Onaccount of the harsh conditions conjoined with sparsevegetation scanty rainfall and blistering climate one mightpresume that the district will be bereft of birds save for a fewomnivores or carrion eaters

In an era when even common birds like the sparrows are beingphased out the presence of 153 species of birds belonging to

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 17

mm rain between August 16 and August 25 2006 left manydead and huge losses As many as 20 new lakes formedand 6 covered an area of over 10 km2

The district has two main seasonal rivers namely Luni Riverand Sukri River The former originates from the Nag hills ofAjmer flows through Jodhpur and Jalore districts flowingthrough the SE portion of Barmer and then it enters theadjoining southerly state of Gujarat and finally falls intoKachchh region (c 320 km long) Until the place of Balotarathe water of the Luni (Salty) is sweet but after that thewater becomes salty (Luni) The Sukri River flows from closeto Mount Abu of the Aravalli Range flows through the districtsof Sirohi Jalore and Barmer in Rajasthan and finally mergesinto the Luni River in district Barmer

The vegetation of the district is sparse and dry deciduoustype consisting of a small range of slow-growing thornytrees shrubs and grasses that has adapted itself to theharsh conditions The most commonly found tree speciesare the ubiquitous khejri (Prosopis cineraria) and varioustypes of acacia which are extremely drought resistantdue to their deep root system Another tree that dots thedistrict is the rohira (Tecoma undulata) The various shrubsoccurring being the phog (Calligonum polygonoides) khair(Capparis decidua) ak (Calotropis procera) and thor(Euphorbia caduca) While important grasses include thesewan (Lasiurus sindicus) dhaman (Cenchhrus ciliaris)boor (Cenchrus jwarancusa) and bharut (Cenchruscatharticus)

An analysis of the digital interpretation in terms of threedifferent canopy density class by the Forest Survey of IndiaDehra Dun reveals that of its total geographical area of 28387km2 the district Barmer has only 060 forest cover whichincludes 12 km2 of moderately dense forest (40-100) 157km2 of open forest and 00 of very dense forest (Anonymous2005)

Methodology

The present contribution is largely based on the recent fieldobservations made during three field visits (3-5 days each)in Kapurdi and Jalipa Lignite Mining areas of the districtBarmer in the year 2008 The field observations were spreadover three major seasons viz winter (January) summer(May) and monsoon (September) These observations havebeen supported by the indispensable works of Rahmani(1997) Sivaperuman et al (2005) and Kumar et al (2006)

Birds of Barmer district Rajasthan IndiaP C Tak P L Kankane and Padma Bohra

Northern Regional Station Zoological Survey of India 218- Kaulagarh Road PO IPEDehra Dun 248 195 (Uttaranchal) India E-mail- pctakzsigmailcom

Zoological Survey of India PRANI BHAWAN 535- M Block New Alipore

Kolkata 700 053 (WB) IndiaE-mail-kankaneplgmailcom Desert Regional Station Zoological Survey of India Jhalamand Pali Road

Jodhpur 342 005 (Rajasthan) India E-mail- Padmabohra_zsirediffmailcom

Introduction

Barmer district lies in western part of Rajasthan It is a partof Thar Desert (or Great Indian Thar Desert) of Rajasthan Itis surrounded by the district Jaisalmer in the north Jalorein the south Pali and Jodhpur in the east and Pakistan inthe west (c 270 km)

Some information on avifauna of the district Barmer iscontributed by Rahmani (1997) Sivaperuman et al (2005)and Kumar et al (2006) Rahmani (1997) stated that theThar has high avian diversity of nearly 250 species He alsoprovided detailed notes for 213 species which he identifiedduring his surveys (nearly half being non-desert taxa)including 35 species of birds from Barmer district LaterSivaperuman et al (2005) while dealing with avian diversityof 271 species and district-wise distribution of birds in 13districts of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan provided a list of91 bird species for Barmer district Subsequently Kumar etal (2006) in their Geo-spatial Atlas for the Wetland Birdsof Thar Desert Rajasthan made a mention of 53 species of

wetland birds from the district Barmer

Similarly last year when we got an opportunity to undertakethe General Faunistic Surveys (one of the primary objectives

of the Zoological Survey of India) for an Impact Assessment

of the proposed Lignite Mining on Fauna in Kapurdi andJalipa Blocks and surrounding zone of 10 km radius ofBarmer district (Rajasthan) we also maintained a separate

record of the birds we observed and recorded in the studyarea of c 850 sq km This resulted in to a total of 60 speciesof birds

As there is no exclusive bird list for the district Barmer itwas considered worthwhile to compile all these foregoingscattered bird lists and prepare a comprehensive birdchecklist for the district Barmer The present checklist ofbirds deals with a total of 153 species belonging to 103genera and 46 families (Table)

Study area

The district Barmer covers a total area of 28387 km2 and islocated at an altitude of 226 meters between the coordinates240-270 N and 700-730 E The variation in temperature invarious seasons is quite high Usually the temperature variesfrom 270 C to 430C during summer (may soar to 460C to480C) and from 100C to 260C during winter (sometimes itdrops to 50C) Primarily the district is a desert where averagerainfall in a year is 277mm However extreme rainfall of 549

Dr AMK BharosHarish R BhatDr SP BhatnagarDr AK ChakravarthyDr Ranjan Kumar DasDr S DevasahayamBS KulkarniArvind MishraDr Geeta S Padate

Publisher S Sridhar

Editorial Board

Vol 49 No 2 Mar-April 2009 103 genera and 46 families is heartening indeed Their continuedexistence by and large indicates that these birds have one wayor another adapted to the severe environmental conditions ofBarmer District While a third of the birds recorded (56 species)were widespread residents 22 species were sparse localswhich go to show that they have adapted well to all the seasonsHowever a quarter of the species (43) were classified as wintervisitors or summer visitors or passage migrants Yet the statusof the remaining 27 species could not be ascertained

Obviously within the Great Thar Desert there are some intriguingbio-geographical riddles Conventional wisdom suggests thatthe birds do undertake local movements in response toseasonal variations in temperature or precipitation Mostspecies of arid drylands spend most of their time in foragingon the ground but they still require small bushes for protectionfrom predators and for nesting Nevertheless the most arid-adapted birds are found in Barmer Some species are found inareas as only winter visitors leaving by spring or early summerMovements associated with rainfall in arid areas may be moresporadic occurring either as local nomadism or as irruptionsoutside the normal range in exceptionally wet years as in 2006The district received 549 mm rain between 16 and 25 August ofthat year which resulted in the formation of 20 new lakes ofwhich 6 covered an area of over 10 km2

The tendency of some members of a family expanding their rangein wet years has been observed in many arid regions of the worldHowever other members of the family may undertake localmovements in order to exploit different habitats when not breeding

In Barmer some birds may be exhibiting winter-fidelity orOrtstreue In Ortstreue for example the desert Cisticolas (FlyCisticolidae) have been found to expand their range westwardin wet years in South Africa and Botswana Other members ofthe family preferred to undertake local movements in order toexploit different habitats when not breeding and atleast somespecies demonstrated winter site fidelity or Ortstreue In a studyin Malawi ringed Cisticolas visited the study area only for amonth or so at the end of their post-breeding moult two femaleswere caught at the same site for respectively four and fiveyears in succession Ortstreue also has been exhibited by otherCisticolas wintering on Gibraltar in south-west EuropeHowever we are not sure whether the Cisticolas of Barmaralso exhibit Ortstreue Only long-term systematic research canunravel the avian secrets surrounding the Thar Desert and themigratory adaptations of the desert birds

While the research on migration and local movements willcontinue to enlarge worldwide the pursuit of the theories of allmigration types including Ortstreue will move towards thecentre-stage This will mark the triumphant elevation of thescientific odyssey that began in the 1850s in India by thepioneering works of Hodgson Jerdon Blyth and later by thetireless efforts of A O Hume Blanford Oats and Stuart-BakerAn inspiring trend can be seen over the years in the steady flowof research articles for publication in our newsletter and I owea deep sense of gratitude to the authors for sharing their intenseobservations and invaluable data with our readers

Thanking youYours in bird conservation

S Sridhar Publisher NLBW

Prof S RangaswamiK Mrutumjaya RaoAN Yellappa ReddyDr Rajiv SaxenaDr AB ShanbhagArunayan SharmaS SridharDr Abraham Verghese FRES (London)

CONTENTS Note from the Publisher

Desert birds and their migratory adaptations

Articles Birds of Barmer district Rajasthan India by

P C Tak P L Kankane and Padma Bohra

Nesting of Painted Stork at Palasva Village KachchhDistrict by Anika Tere

Eco-Behavioural studies of the Indian Skimmer(Rynchops albicollis) a Vulnerable Waterbird in theNational Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary RajasthanIndia by SP Bhatnagar and Meenu Bhatnagar

Mass mortality of Pariah Kite (Milvus Migrans)in Ahmedabad Sewage Treatment Plant Gujarat byHiren Soni

Correspondence

Crows heckling a Marsh Harrier by Nirmala Chathoth

First sighting of Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)and Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) at Deepor Beelonly Ramsar Site of Assam by Dipankar Lahkar et al

Note from the Publisher

Dear fellow Birdwatchers

Desert birds and their migratory adaptations

In this issue we have published an exclusive article Birds of

Barmer District Rajasthan India by P C Tak P L Kankane and

Padma Bohra of Zoological Survey of India Barmer District formsa part of the Great Indian Thar Desert The authors have observedand recorded the avifauna in the study area of c 850 sq km

Barmer district has only 060 forest cover which includes 12km2 of moderately dense forest and 157 km2 of open forestThe average rainfall in a year is 277mm only The variation intemperature in various seasons is quite high varying from 270

C to 430C during summer (often soaring to 480C) and from100C to 260C during winter (sometimes dropping to 50C) Onaccount of the harsh conditions conjoined with sparsevegetation scanty rainfall and blistering climate one mightpresume that the district will be bereft of birds save for a fewomnivores or carrion eaters

In an era when even common birds like the sparrows are beingphased out the presence of 153 species of birds belonging to

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 17

mm rain between August 16 and August 25 2006 left manydead and huge losses As many as 20 new lakes formedand 6 covered an area of over 10 km2

The district has two main seasonal rivers namely Luni Riverand Sukri River The former originates from the Nag hills ofAjmer flows through Jodhpur and Jalore districts flowingthrough the SE portion of Barmer and then it enters theadjoining southerly state of Gujarat and finally falls intoKachchh region (c 320 km long) Until the place of Balotarathe water of the Luni (Salty) is sweet but after that thewater becomes salty (Luni) The Sukri River flows from closeto Mount Abu of the Aravalli Range flows through the districtsof Sirohi Jalore and Barmer in Rajasthan and finally mergesinto the Luni River in district Barmer

The vegetation of the district is sparse and dry deciduoustype consisting of a small range of slow-growing thornytrees shrubs and grasses that has adapted itself to theharsh conditions The most commonly found tree speciesare the ubiquitous khejri (Prosopis cineraria) and varioustypes of acacia which are extremely drought resistantdue to their deep root system Another tree that dots thedistrict is the rohira (Tecoma undulata) The various shrubsoccurring being the phog (Calligonum polygonoides) khair(Capparis decidua) ak (Calotropis procera) and thor(Euphorbia caduca) While important grasses include thesewan (Lasiurus sindicus) dhaman (Cenchhrus ciliaris)boor (Cenchrus jwarancusa) and bharut (Cenchruscatharticus)

An analysis of the digital interpretation in terms of threedifferent canopy density class by the Forest Survey of IndiaDehra Dun reveals that of its total geographical area of 28387km2 the district Barmer has only 060 forest cover whichincludes 12 km2 of moderately dense forest (40-100) 157km2 of open forest and 00 of very dense forest (Anonymous2005)

Methodology

The present contribution is largely based on the recent fieldobservations made during three field visits (3-5 days each)in Kapurdi and Jalipa Lignite Mining areas of the districtBarmer in the year 2008 The field observations were spreadover three major seasons viz winter (January) summer(May) and monsoon (September) These observations havebeen supported by the indispensable works of Rahmani(1997) Sivaperuman et al (2005) and Kumar et al (2006)

Birds of Barmer district Rajasthan IndiaP C Tak P L Kankane and Padma Bohra

Northern Regional Station Zoological Survey of India 218- Kaulagarh Road PO IPEDehra Dun 248 195 (Uttaranchal) India E-mail- pctakzsigmailcom

Zoological Survey of India PRANI BHAWAN 535- M Block New Alipore

Kolkata 700 053 (WB) IndiaE-mail-kankaneplgmailcom Desert Regional Station Zoological Survey of India Jhalamand Pali Road

Jodhpur 342 005 (Rajasthan) India E-mail- Padmabohra_zsirediffmailcom

Introduction

Barmer district lies in western part of Rajasthan It is a partof Thar Desert (or Great Indian Thar Desert) of Rajasthan Itis surrounded by the district Jaisalmer in the north Jalorein the south Pali and Jodhpur in the east and Pakistan inthe west (c 270 km)

Some information on avifauna of the district Barmer iscontributed by Rahmani (1997) Sivaperuman et al (2005)and Kumar et al (2006) Rahmani (1997) stated that theThar has high avian diversity of nearly 250 species He alsoprovided detailed notes for 213 species which he identifiedduring his surveys (nearly half being non-desert taxa)including 35 species of birds from Barmer district LaterSivaperuman et al (2005) while dealing with avian diversityof 271 species and district-wise distribution of birds in 13districts of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan provided a list of91 bird species for Barmer district Subsequently Kumar etal (2006) in their Geo-spatial Atlas for the Wetland Birdsof Thar Desert Rajasthan made a mention of 53 species of

wetland birds from the district Barmer

Similarly last year when we got an opportunity to undertakethe General Faunistic Surveys (one of the primary objectives

of the Zoological Survey of India) for an Impact Assessment

of the proposed Lignite Mining on Fauna in Kapurdi andJalipa Blocks and surrounding zone of 10 km radius ofBarmer district (Rajasthan) we also maintained a separate

record of the birds we observed and recorded in the studyarea of c 850 sq km This resulted in to a total of 60 speciesof birds

As there is no exclusive bird list for the district Barmer itwas considered worthwhile to compile all these foregoingscattered bird lists and prepare a comprehensive birdchecklist for the district Barmer The present checklist ofbirds deals with a total of 153 species belonging to 103genera and 46 families (Table)

Study area

The district Barmer covers a total area of 28387 km2 and islocated at an altitude of 226 meters between the coordinates240-270 N and 700-730 E The variation in temperature invarious seasons is quite high Usually the temperature variesfrom 270 C to 430C during summer (may soar to 460C to480C) and from 100C to 260C during winter (sometimes itdrops to 50C) Primarily the district is a desert where averagerainfall in a year is 277mm However extreme rainfall of 549

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 17

mm rain between August 16 and August 25 2006 left manydead and huge losses As many as 20 new lakes formedand 6 covered an area of over 10 km2

The district has two main seasonal rivers namely Luni Riverand Sukri River The former originates from the Nag hills ofAjmer flows through Jodhpur and Jalore districts flowingthrough the SE portion of Barmer and then it enters theadjoining southerly state of Gujarat and finally falls intoKachchh region (c 320 km long) Until the place of Balotarathe water of the Luni (Salty) is sweet but after that thewater becomes salty (Luni) The Sukri River flows from closeto Mount Abu of the Aravalli Range flows through the districtsof Sirohi Jalore and Barmer in Rajasthan and finally mergesinto the Luni River in district Barmer

The vegetation of the district is sparse and dry deciduoustype consisting of a small range of slow-growing thornytrees shrubs and grasses that has adapted itself to theharsh conditions The most commonly found tree speciesare the ubiquitous khejri (Prosopis cineraria) and varioustypes of acacia which are extremely drought resistantdue to their deep root system Another tree that dots thedistrict is the rohira (Tecoma undulata) The various shrubsoccurring being the phog (Calligonum polygonoides) khair(Capparis decidua) ak (Calotropis procera) and thor(Euphorbia caduca) While important grasses include thesewan (Lasiurus sindicus) dhaman (Cenchhrus ciliaris)boor (Cenchrus jwarancusa) and bharut (Cenchruscatharticus)

An analysis of the digital interpretation in terms of threedifferent canopy density class by the Forest Survey of IndiaDehra Dun reveals that of its total geographical area of 28387km2 the district Barmer has only 060 forest cover whichincludes 12 km2 of moderately dense forest (40-100) 157km2 of open forest and 00 of very dense forest (Anonymous2005)

Methodology

The present contribution is largely based on the recent fieldobservations made during three field visits (3-5 days each)in Kapurdi and Jalipa Lignite Mining areas of the districtBarmer in the year 2008 The field observations were spreadover three major seasons viz winter (January) summer(May) and monsoon (September) These observations havebeen supported by the indispensable works of Rahmani(1997) Sivaperuman et al (2005) and Kumar et al (2006)

Birds of Barmer district Rajasthan IndiaP C Tak P L Kankane and Padma Bohra

Northern Regional Station Zoological Survey of India 218- Kaulagarh Road PO IPEDehra Dun 248 195 (Uttaranchal) India E-mail- pctakzsigmailcom

Zoological Survey of India PRANI BHAWAN 535- M Block New Alipore

Kolkata 700 053 (WB) IndiaE-mail-kankaneplgmailcom Desert Regional Station Zoological Survey of India Jhalamand Pali Road

Jodhpur 342 005 (Rajasthan) India E-mail- Padmabohra_zsirediffmailcom

Introduction

Barmer district lies in western part of Rajasthan It is a partof Thar Desert (or Great Indian Thar Desert) of Rajasthan Itis surrounded by the district Jaisalmer in the north Jalorein the south Pali and Jodhpur in the east and Pakistan inthe west (c 270 km)

Some information on avifauna of the district Barmer iscontributed by Rahmani (1997) Sivaperuman et al (2005)and Kumar et al (2006) Rahmani (1997) stated that theThar has high avian diversity of nearly 250 species He alsoprovided detailed notes for 213 species which he identifiedduring his surveys (nearly half being non-desert taxa)including 35 species of birds from Barmer district LaterSivaperuman et al (2005) while dealing with avian diversityof 271 species and district-wise distribution of birds in 13districts of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan provided a list of91 bird species for Barmer district Subsequently Kumar etal (2006) in their Geo-spatial Atlas for the Wetland Birdsof Thar Desert Rajasthan made a mention of 53 species of

wetland birds from the district Barmer

Similarly last year when we got an opportunity to undertakethe General Faunistic Surveys (one of the primary objectives

of the Zoological Survey of India) for an Impact Assessment

of the proposed Lignite Mining on Fauna in Kapurdi andJalipa Blocks and surrounding zone of 10 km radius ofBarmer district (Rajasthan) we also maintained a separate

record of the birds we observed and recorded in the studyarea of c 850 sq km This resulted in to a total of 60 speciesof birds

As there is no exclusive bird list for the district Barmer itwas considered worthwhile to compile all these foregoingscattered bird lists and prepare a comprehensive birdchecklist for the district Barmer The present checklist ofbirds deals with a total of 153 species belonging to 103genera and 46 families (Table)

Study area

The district Barmer covers a total area of 28387 km2 and islocated at an altitude of 226 meters between the coordinates240-270 N and 700-730 E The variation in temperature invarious seasons is quite high Usually the temperature variesfrom 270 C to 430C during summer (may soar to 460C to480C) and from 100C to 260C during winter (sometimes itdrops to 50C) Primarily the district is a desert where averagerainfall in a year is 277mm However extreme rainfall of 549

18 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

The nomenclature and systematic sequence of birds as givenby Manakadan amp Pittie (2001) has been followed Theidentification of birds and information on their residentialstatus basic food habits etc is based on Ali amp Ripley (1968-78) Grimmett et al (1998) Kazmierczak (2000) and Kumaret al (2005) The conservation status presented here is asassigned by IUCN (2007) BNHS (2002) and Jhunjhunwalaet al (2001)

Analysis and Results

A total of 153 species of birds belonging to 103 genera and46 families have so far been recorded from the districtBarmer It constitutes about 42 of the avian diversity of364 species of birds (Idris et al 2009) known from TharDesert of Rajasthan Interestingly of these 153 species ofbirds 59 are water birds (Table)

The family-wise analysis indicates that family Muscicapidae-the most dominant family- leads the scene with 14 speciesfollowed by Anatidae- Ducks and Geese (12 species)Accipitridae- Vulture amp Eagles and Scolopacidae- Sandpipersamp Stints (10 each) Ardeidae- Heron amp Egrets (8) Alaudidae-Larks (7) Motacil l idae- Wagtails amp Pipits (6) andCharadriidae- Plovers amp Lapwings and Sturnidae- Starlingsamp Mynas (5 each) and so on (Table)

The following 15 species are listed under various threatcategories (3 CR 1 EN 4 VU amp 7 NT) by IUCN 2007 (Table)

1 Indian White-backed Vulture Gyps bengalensis C R 2 Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus C R 3 Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus C R 4 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus E N 5 Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris V U 6 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni V U 7 Sarus Crane Grus antigone V U 8 Pied Tit Parus nuchalis V U 9 Darter Anhinga melanogaster N T10 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala N T11 Oriental White Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus N T12 Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor N T13 Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus N T14 Laggar Falco jugger N T15 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa N T

Of the 153 species nine are listed under Schedule I of theIndian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (amended up to 2003)126 under Schedule IV and one under Schedule V while15 species do not appear in any of these Schedules- NLA(Not Listed in the Act) (Bombay Natural History Society2002) whereas information on the remaining two species isnot available and is indicated with the sign of question mark() (Table)

In all 21 species are categorized as the Biome RestrictedSpecies (BRS) - a biome may be defined as a major regionalecological community characterised by distinctive animaland plant species Of these one species is from the Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest- Biome (08) one from Indian

Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest- Biome (10) 17 from Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone- Biome (11) one from Indo-Gangetic Plains- Biome (12) and one from Saharo-SindianDesert- Biome (13) (Jhunjhunwala et al 2001) (Table)

The analysis of various categories and subcategories ofresidential status of these 153 species is summarised below(Table)

Resident (R = widespread) 56

Resident (r = sparse local) 22

Winter visitor(W = widespread) 24

Winter visitor (w = sparse local) 17

Resident as well as winter visitor (RW) 02

Resident as well as winter visitor (rw) 01

Rare sparse local winter visitor (Ra w) 01

Summer visitor (S = widespread) 01

Resident as well as summer visitor (RS) 01

Passage migrant (P = widespread) 01

Not known () 27

Total 153

Further an analysis of the basic food habits reveals thatthe Insectivorous (Ins) birds dominate the scene with 42species (c 27) followed by Aquatic birds (AqA) (19)Carnivorous (Car) (18) Omnivorous (Omn) (15) Granivorous(Gra) Piscivorous (Pis) and Vegetable Matter (VeM) (12each) Frugivorous (Fru) (11) Scavenger (Sca) (6) Seed-eaters (See) (4) and Nectivorous (Nec) (only one species)while food habit of one species is not known (Table)

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr Ramakrishna Director ZoologicalSurvey of India Kolkata for encouragement throughout Weare also thankful to Shri P T Bhutia Scientist- F and Officer-

in-Charge Zoological Survey of India Dehra Dun for variousfacilities

References

Anonymous 2005 State of Forest Report Published by Forest Survey ofIndia (Ministryof Environment and Forests) Dehra Dun Pages 1-171

Ali S and Ripley S 1968-78 Handbook of the Birds of India andPakistan Oxford University Press Bombay Vols 1-10

BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) 2002 A BNHS Review of theAvifaunal list of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 Buceros 7(3) 1- 56

Grimmett R Inskipp C and Inskipp T 1998 Birds of the IndianSubcontinent Oxford University Press New Delhi

Idris M Singh P and Johari S 2009 Impact Assessment of the IndiraGandhi Canal on the Avifauna of the Thar Desert In Faunal Ecologyand Conservation of the Great Indian Desert ( eds C SivapuramQ H Baqri G Ramaswamy and M Naseema ) Pp 119-135 SpringerGermany

IUCN 2007 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lthttpwwwiucnredlistorggt Downloaded December 2007

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 19

Jhunjhunwala S Rahmani A R Ishtiaq F and Islam Z 2001 TheImportant Bird Areas Programme in India Buceros 6(2) 1-50

Kazmierczak K 2000 A Field Guide to the Birds of India Sri LankaPakistan Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh and the Maldives Om BookService New Delhi

Kumar A Sati JP Tak PC and Alfred JRB 2005 Handbook onIndian Wetland Birds and Their Conservation Zoological Surveyof India Pp i-xxvi 1-468

Kumar A Kankane P L and Baqri Q H 2006 Geo-spatial Atlas forthe Wetland Birds of Thar Desert Rajasthan i-xii 1-202 (Publishedby the Director Zool Surv India)

Manakadan R and Pittie A 2001 Standardised common and scientificnames of the birds of the Indian subcontinent Buceros 6(1) i-ix +1-37

Rahmani A R 1997 The effect of Indira Gandhi Nahar Project on theAvifauna of the Thar Desert J Bombay nat Hist 94(2) 233-266

Sivaperuman C Sumit Dookia Kankane P L and Baqri QH 2005Diversity abundance and dominance of avian species in the TharDesert of Rajasthan In Changing Faunal Ecology in Thar Desert(eds BK Tyagi and QH Baqri) Pp187-229 Scientific PublishersJodhpur

Table Birds of Barmer district Rajasthan India

A B C D E F G H I J K

1 Little Grebe (5) Tachybaptus ruficollis (Pallas 1764) IV R AqA + + +2 CormorantsShags Phalacrocoracidae

2 Little Cormorant (28) Phalacrocorax niger (Vieillot 1817) IV r Pis + + +3 Indian Shag (27) Phalacrocorax fuscicollis (Stephens) IV Pis +4 Great Cormorant (26) Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus 1758) IV RW Pis +

3 Darters Anhingidae5 Darter (29) Anhinga melanogaster Pennant 1769 NT IV Pis + +

4 Herons Egrets amp Bitterns Ardeidae6 Little Egret (49) Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus 1766) IV R AqA + + +7 Grey Heron (35-36) Ardea cinerea Linnaeus 1758 IV W AqA + + +8 Purple Heron (37-37a) Ardea purpurea Linnaeus 1766 IV AqA + +9 Large Egret (45-46) Casmerodius albus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R AqA +10 Median Egret (47 48) Mesophoyx intermedia (Wagler 1829) IV r AqA + +11 Cattle Egret (44) Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R AqA + +12 Indian Pond-Heron (42-42a) Ardeola grayii (Sykes 1832) IV R AqA + + +13 Little Green Heron (38-41) Butorides striatus (Linnaeus 1758) IV Pis +

5 Storks Ciconiidae14 Painted Stork (60) Mycteria leucocephala (Pennant 1769) NT IV r Pis +15 Asian Openbill-Stork (61) Anastomus oscitans (Boddaert 1783) IV r Car +16 White-necked Stork (62) Ciconia episcopus (Boddaert 1783) IV r Car +

6 Ibises amp Spoonbills Threskiornithidae17 Glossy Ibis (71) Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus 1766) IV Car +18 Oriental White Ibis (69) Threskiornis melanocephalus (Latham) NT IV Car +19 Black Ibis (70) Pseudibis papillosa (Temminck 1824) IV R Car BRS (11) +20 Eurasian Spoonbill (72) Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus 1758 I R Omn + + +

7 Flamingos Phoenicopteridae21 Lesser Flamingo (74) Phoenicopterus minor (Geoffroy 1798) NT IV VeM + +

8 Geese amp Ducks Anatidae22 Bar-headed Goose (82) Anser indicus (Latham 1790) IV w VeM +23 Gadwall (101) Anas strepera Linnaeus 1758 IV W VeM +24 Mallard (100) Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus 1758 IV W VeM +25 Spot-billed Duck (97-99) Anas poecilorhyncha JR Forester IV R VeM + +26 Northern Shoveller (105) Anas clypeata Linnaeus 1758 IV W AqA + +27 Northern Pintail (93) Anas acuta Linnaeus 1758 IV W VeM + +28 Garganey (104) Anas querquedula Linnaeus 1758 IV w VeM + +29 Common Teal (94) Anas crecca Linnaeus 1758 IV W VeM + + +30 Marbled Teal (92) Marmaronetta angustirostris (Meacuteneacutetriegraves) VU IV w VeM +31 Red-crested Pochard (107) Rhodonessa rufina (Pallas 1773) IV w VeM +32 Common Pochard (108) Aythya ferina (Linnaeus 1758) IV W VeM + +33 Tufted Pochard (111) Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus 1758) IV W Omn +

9 Vultures Eagles etc Accipitridae34 Black-shouldered Kite (124) Elanus caeruleus (Desfontaines 1789) I R Car +35 Black Kite (132-134) Milvus migrans (Boddaert 1783) I R Omn +36 Egyptian Vulture (186-187) Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus 1758) EN IV R Sca + +37 Indian White-backed Vulture (185) Gyps bengalensis (Gmelin 1788) CR IV r Sca BRS (11) + +38 Long-billed Vulture (182) Gyps indicus (Scopoli 1786) CR IV r Sca BRS (11) + +39 Cinereous Vulture (179) Aegypius monachus (Linnaeus 1766) NT IV w Sca +

20 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

A B C D E F G H I J K40 Red-headed Vulture (178) Sarcogyps calvus (Scopoli 1786) CR IV r Sca BRS (11) +41 Montagus Harrier (191) Circus pygargus (Linnaeus 1758) I Car +42 White-eyed Buzzard (157) Butastur teesa (Franklin 1832) I Car BRS (11) +43 Tawny Eagle (168) Aquila rapax (Temminck 1828) I R Sca + +

10 Osprey Pandionidae44 Osprey (203) Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus 1758) I W Pis +

11 Falcons Falconidae45 Lesser Kestrel (221) Falco naumanni Fleischer 1818 VU IV Ra w Car +46 Common Kestrel (222-224) Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus 1758 IV RW Car +47 Laggar (208) Falco jugger JE Gray 1834 NT I r Car +

12 Pheasants etc Phasianidae48 Grey Francolin (244-246) Francolinus pondicerianus (Gmelin) IV R Gra + + +49 Common Quail (250) Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus 1758) IV r w Gra +50 Indian Peafowl (311) Pavo cristatus Linnaeus 1758 I R Omn BRS (11) + + +

13 Cranes Gruidae51 Sarus Crane (323-324) Grus antigone (Linnaeus 1758) VU IV r Omn +52 Demoiselle Crane (326) Grus virgo (Linnaeus 1758) IV w Omn +

14 Moorhens amp Coots Rallidae53 Common Moorhen (347-347a) Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Omn +54 Common Coot (350) Fulica atra Linnaeus 1758 IV R Omn + + +

15 Painted-Snipes Rostratulidae55 Greater Painted-Snipe (429) Rostratula benghalensis (Linnaeus 1758) NLA Omn +

16 Plovers amp Lapwings Charadriidae56 Little Ringed Plover (379-380) Charadrius dubius Scopoli 1786 IV R Car +57 Kentish Plover (381-382) Charadrius alexandrinus Linnaeus 1758 IV w Car + +58 Lesser Sand Plover (384-384a) Charadrius mongolus Pallas 1776 IV Car + +59 Red-wattled Lapwing (366-368) Vanellus indicus (Boddaert 1783) IV R Car + + + +60 White-tailed Lapwing (362) Vanellus leucurus (Lichtenstein 1823) IV w Car +

17 Sandpipers Stints etc Scolopacidae61 Common Snipe (409) Gallinago gallinago (Linnaeus 1758) IV W AqA +62 Black-tailed Godwit (389-390) Limosa limosa (Linnaeus 1758) NT IV W Omn +63 Spotted Redshank (392) Tringa erythropus (Pallas 1764) IV W AqA +64 Common Redshank (393 394) Tringa totanus (Linnaeus 1758) IV w AqA +65 Common Greenshank (396) Tringa nebularia (Gunner 1767) IV W AqA +66 Green Sandpiper (397) Tringa ochropus Linnaeus 1758 IV W AqA + +67 Common Sandpiper (401) Actitis hypoleucos Linnaeus 1758 IV W AqA +68 Little Stint (416) Calidris minuta (Leisler 1812) IV W AqA +69 Temmincks Stint (417) Calidris temminckii (Leisler 1812) IV W AqA +70 Ruff (426) Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus 1758) IV w Omn +

18 Ibisbill Avocets amp Stilts Recurvirostridae71 Black-winged Stilt (430-431) Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Omn + + +72 Pied Avocet (432) Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus 1758 IV w AqA + +

19 Stone-Curlew amp Stone-Plovers Burhinidae73 Stone-Curlew (435-436) Burhinus oedicnemus (Linnaeus 1758) IV r Car +

20 Coursers amp Pratincoles Glareolidae74 Indian Courser (440) Cursorius coromandelicus (Gmelin 1789) NLA r Ins BRS (11) +

21 Gulls amp Terns Laridae75 Black-headed Gull (455) Larus ridibundus Linnaeus 1766 IV w Pis +76 Gull-billed Tern (460-461) Gelochelidon nilotica (Gmelin 1789) IV w AqA +77 River Tern (463) Sterna aurantia JE Gray 1831 IV R Pis + +78 Whiskered Tern (458) Chlidonias hybridus (Pallas 1811) IV w Pis +

22 Sandgrouse Pteroclididae79 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (487) Pterocles exustus Temminck 1825 IV R VeM + +

23 Pigeons amp Doves Columbidae80 Blue Rock Pigeon (516-517) Columba livia Gmelin 1789 R Gra + + +81 Little Brown Dove (541) Streptopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Gra + +82 Red Collared-Dove (535-536) Streptopelia tranquebarica (Hermann 1804) IV r Gra +83 Eurasian Collared-Dove (534) Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky 1838) IV R Gra + + +

24 Parakeets Psittacidae84 Rose-ringed Parakeet (549-550) Psittacula krameri (Scopoli 1769) IV R Fru +

25 Cuckoos amp Coucals Cuculidae85 Pied Crested Cuckoo (570-571) Clamator jacobinus (Boddaert 1783) IV S Ins +

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 21

A B C D E F G H I J K86 Asian Koel (590-592) Eudynamys scolopacea (Linnaeus 1758) IV r Fru +87 Greater Coucal (600-602) Centropus sinensis (Stephens 1815) IV R Car +

26 Owls Strigidae88 Spotted Owlet (650-652) Athene brama (Temminck 1821) IV R Ins + +

27 Swifts Apodidae89 Common Swift (696) Apus apus (Linnaeus 1758) NLA Ins +90 House Swift (702-706) Apus affinis (JE Gray 1830) NLA R Ins +

28 Kingfishers Alcedinidae91 White-breasted Kingfisher (735-738) Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Pis + +92 Lesser Pied Kingfisher (719-720) Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Pis +

29 Bee-eaters Meropidae93 Small Bee-eater ((749-752) Merops orientalis Latham 1801 NLA R Ins + + +94 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (747) Merops persicus Pallas 1773 NLA Ins + + +

30 Rollers Coraciidae95 Indian Roller (755-757) Coracias benghalensis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Ins + + +

31 Hoopoes Upupidae96 Common Hoopoe (763-766) Upupa epops Linnaeus 1758 NLA RS Ins +

32 Barbets Capitonidae97 Brown-headed Barbet (780-782) Megalaima zeylanica (Gmelin 1788) IV Fru BRS (11) +98 Crimson-throated Barbet (790-791) Megalaima rubricapilla (Gmelin 1788) IV Fru BRS (10) +

33 Woodpeckers Picidae99 Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker (818-23) Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus 1758) IV Ins BRS (11) +

34 Larks Alaudidae100 Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (879) Eremopterix nigriceps (Gould 1839) IV r Gra +101 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (878) Eremopterix grisea (Scopoli 1786) IV R Gra BRS (11) + +102 Rufous-tailed Finch-Lark (882-883) Ammomanes phoenicurus (Franklin 1831) IV r Gra +103 European Calandra-Lark (EL) Melanocorypha calandra (Linnaeus) +104 Eastern Calandra-Lark (892) Melanocorypha bimaculata (Meacuteneacutetriegraves 1832) IV Gra +105 Greater Short-toed Lark (885-886) Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler) IV W Gra + +106 Common Crested Lark (898-900) Galerida cristata (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Gra +

35 Swallows amp Martins Hirundinidae107 Plain Martin (912) Riparia paludicola (Vieillot 1817) NLA Ins +108 Common Swallow (916-918) Hirundo rustica Linnaeus 1758 NLA W Ins + +109 Wire-tailed Swallow (921) Hirundo smithii Leach 1818 NLA r Ins + +110 Red-rumped Swallow (923-928) Hirundo daurica Linnaeus 1771 NLA Ins + +

36 Wagtails amp Pipits Motacillidae111 White Wagtail (1885-1890) Motacilla alba Linnaeus 1758 IV W Ins +112 Large Pied Wagtail (1891) Motacilla maderaspatensis Gmelin 1789 IV r Ins + +113 Yellow Wagtail (1875-1880) Motacilla flava Linnaeus 1758 IV W Ins +114 Grey Wagtail (1884) Motacilla cinerea Tunstall 1771 IV w Ins +115 Paddyfield Pipit (1858-1860) Anthus rufulus Vieillot 1818 IV R Ins +116 Tawny Pipit (1861-1862) Anthus campestris (Linnaeus 1758) IV W Ins +

37 Bulbuls Pycnonotidae117 White-eared Bulbul (1123-1124) Pycnonotus leucotis (Gould 1836) IV R Fru BRS (13) + +118 Himalayan Bulbul (1125) Pycnonotus leucogenys (Gray 1835) IV Fru BRS (08) +119 Red-vented Bulbul (1126-1132) Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +

38 Shrikes Laniidae120 Bay-backed Shrike (939-940) Lanius vittatus Valenciennes 1826 NLA R Ins +121 Rufous-backed Shrike (946-948) Lanius schach Linnaeus 1758 NLA R Ins + +122 Great Grey Shrike (936) Lanius excubitor Linnaeus 1758 NLA Ins +123 Southern Grey Shrike (933-935) Lanius meridionalis Temminck 1820 NLA R Ins + +

39 Thrushes Chats etc Muscicapidae39a Robins amp Wheaters Turdinae

124 Oriental Magpie-Robin (1661-1664) Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Ins +125 Indian Robin (1717-1721) Saxicoloides fulicata (Linnaeus 1776) IV R Ins BRS (11) + +126 Pied Bushchat (1700-1703) Saxicola caprata (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Ins +127 Northern Wheatear (1708) Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus 1758) IV Ins +128 Desert Wheatear (1709-1710) Oenanthe deserti (Temminck 1825) IV W Ins + +

39b Babblers Timaliinae129 Rufous-bellied Babbler (1219-1223) Dumetia hyperythra (Franklin 1831) IV Ins BRS (11) +130 Common Babbler (1253-1254) Turdoides caudatus (Dumont 1823) IV R Ins + + +

22 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

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 ltnavbaratgmailcomgt

A B C D E F G H I J K

131 Striated Babbler (1255-1256) Turdoides earlei (Blyth 1844) IV R Ins BRS (12) +132 Large Grey Babbler (1258) Turdoides malcolmi (Sykes 1832) IV R Ins BRS (11) +133 White-headed Babbler (1267-1268) Turdoides affinis (Jerdon 1847) IV Ins BRS (11) +

39c Prinias Warblers etc Sylviinae134 Graceful Prinia (1508-1509) Prinia gracilis (Lichtenstein 1823) IV r Ins +135 Desert Warbler (1571) Sylvia nana (Hemprich amp Ehrenberg 1833) IV w Ins +136 Orphean Warbler (1565) Sylvia hortensis (Gmelin 1789) IV W Ins +

39d Flycatchers Muscicapinae137 Red-throated Flycatcher (1411-12) Ficedula parva (Bechstein 1792) IV w Ins

40 Tits Paridae138 Pied Tit (1798) Parus nuchalis Jerdon 1844 VU IV r Ins BRS (11) +

41 Sunbirds Nectariniidae139 Purple Sunbird (1916-1918) Nectarinia asiatica (Latham 1790) IV R Nec + +

42 Munias (Estrildid Finches) Estrildidae140 White-throated Munia (1966) Lonchura malabarica (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See +141 Spotted Munia (1974-1975) Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus 1758) IV r See +

43 Sparrows amp Weavers Ploceidae43a Sparrows Passerinae

142 House Sparrow (1938-1939a) Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See + + +143 Yellow-throated Sparrow (1948-49) Petronia xanthocollis (Burton 1838) IV R See +

44 Starlings amp Mynas Sturnidae144 Brahminy Starling (994) Sturnus pagodarum (Gmelin 1789) IV r Fru BRS (11) + +145 Rosy Starling (996) Sturnus roseus (Linnaeus 1758) IV P Fru +146 Asian Pied Starling (1002-1004) Sturnus contra Linnaeus 1758 IV R Ins +147 Common Myna (1006-1007) Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +148 Bank Myna (1008) Acridotheres ginginianus (Latham 1790) IV Ins BRS (11) +

45 Drongos Dicruridae149 Black Drongo (962-964) Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot 1817 IV R Ins + + +

46 Crows Corvidae150 Indian Treepie (1030a-1034) Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham 1790) IV R Fru +151 House Crow (1048-1051) Corvus splendens Vieillot 1817 V R Omn + +152 Jungle Crow (1054-1057) Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler 1827 IV Omn +153 Common Raven (1059-1060) Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 IV R Omn +

Legends for abbreviations used in the tableA Sl No B Systematic list C IUCN (2007)D BNHS (2002) E Residential status F Basic food habitG Jhunjhunwala et al (2001) H Rahmani 1997 (35 species) I Sivaperuman et al 2005 (91 species)

J Kumar et al 2006 (53 species) K Present study 2008 (60 species)

CR =Critically Endangered EN = Endangered VU = Vulnerable NT = Near Threatened

I = Schedule I IV = Schedule IV V = Schedule V NLA = Not Listed in the Act 0 = Inforation not available

R = Widespread resident r = Sparse local resident W = Widespread winter visitor w = Sparse local winter visitorRW = Widespread resident as well as winter visitor rw=Local sparse resident as well as local sparse winter visitorRa w = Rare sparse local winter visitorS = Widespread summer visitor RS = Widespread resident as well as summer visitorP = Widespread passage migrant = Residential status not known

AqA = Aquatic Animals Car = Carnivorous Fru = Frugivorous Gra = Granivorous Ins = Insectivorous Nec = Nectivorous Omn = Omnivorous Pis = Piscivorous Sca = Scavenger See = Seeds VeM = Vegetable Matter Not known ()

BRS = Biome Restricted Species BRS (08) = Sino-Himalayan Subtropical ForestBRS (10) = Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest BRS (11) = Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry ZoneBRS (12) = Indo-Gangetic Plains BRS (13) = Saharo-Sindian Desert

+ = present (Reported by the respective worker(s)

20 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

A B C D E F G H I J K40 Red-headed Vulture (178) Sarcogyps calvus (Scopoli 1786) CR IV r Sca BRS (11) +41 Montagus Harrier (191) Circus pygargus (Linnaeus 1758) I Car +42 White-eyed Buzzard (157) Butastur teesa (Franklin 1832) I Car BRS (11) +43 Tawny Eagle (168) Aquila rapax (Temminck 1828) I R Sca + +

10 Osprey Pandionidae44 Osprey (203) Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus 1758) I W Pis +

11 Falcons Falconidae45 Lesser Kestrel (221) Falco naumanni Fleischer 1818 VU IV Ra w Car +46 Common Kestrel (222-224) Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus 1758 IV RW Car +47 Laggar (208) Falco jugger JE Gray 1834 NT I r Car +

12 Pheasants etc Phasianidae48 Grey Francolin (244-246) Francolinus pondicerianus (Gmelin) IV R Gra + + +49 Common Quail (250) Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus 1758) IV r w Gra +50 Indian Peafowl (311) Pavo cristatus Linnaeus 1758 I R Omn BRS (11) + + +

13 Cranes Gruidae51 Sarus Crane (323-324) Grus antigone (Linnaeus 1758) VU IV r Omn +52 Demoiselle Crane (326) Grus virgo (Linnaeus 1758) IV w Omn +

14 Moorhens amp Coots Rallidae53 Common Moorhen (347-347a) Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Omn +54 Common Coot (350) Fulica atra Linnaeus 1758 IV R Omn + + +

15 Painted-Snipes Rostratulidae55 Greater Painted-Snipe (429) Rostratula benghalensis (Linnaeus 1758) NLA Omn +

16 Plovers amp Lapwings Charadriidae56 Little Ringed Plover (379-380) Charadrius dubius Scopoli 1786 IV R Car +57 Kentish Plover (381-382) Charadrius alexandrinus Linnaeus 1758 IV w Car + +58 Lesser Sand Plover (384-384a) Charadrius mongolus Pallas 1776 IV Car + +59 Red-wattled Lapwing (366-368) Vanellus indicus (Boddaert 1783) IV R Car + + + +60 White-tailed Lapwing (362) Vanellus leucurus (Lichtenstein 1823) IV w Car +

17 Sandpipers Stints etc Scolopacidae61 Common Snipe (409) Gallinago gallinago (Linnaeus 1758) IV W AqA +62 Black-tailed Godwit (389-390) Limosa limosa (Linnaeus 1758) NT IV W Omn +63 Spotted Redshank (392) Tringa erythropus (Pallas 1764) IV W AqA +64 Common Redshank (393 394) Tringa totanus (Linnaeus 1758) IV w AqA +65 Common Greenshank (396) Tringa nebularia (Gunner 1767) IV W AqA +66 Green Sandpiper (397) Tringa ochropus Linnaeus 1758 IV W AqA + +67 Common Sandpiper (401) Actitis hypoleucos Linnaeus 1758 IV W AqA +68 Little Stint (416) Calidris minuta (Leisler 1812) IV W AqA +69 Temmincks Stint (417) Calidris temminckii (Leisler 1812) IV W AqA +70 Ruff (426) Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus 1758) IV w Omn +

18 Ibisbill Avocets amp Stilts Recurvirostridae71 Black-winged Stilt (430-431) Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Omn + + +72 Pied Avocet (432) Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus 1758 IV w AqA + +

19 Stone-Curlew amp Stone-Plovers Burhinidae73 Stone-Curlew (435-436) Burhinus oedicnemus (Linnaeus 1758) IV r Car +

20 Coursers amp Pratincoles Glareolidae74 Indian Courser (440) Cursorius coromandelicus (Gmelin 1789) NLA r Ins BRS (11) +

21 Gulls amp Terns Laridae75 Black-headed Gull (455) Larus ridibundus Linnaeus 1766 IV w Pis +76 Gull-billed Tern (460-461) Gelochelidon nilotica (Gmelin 1789) IV w AqA +77 River Tern (463) Sterna aurantia JE Gray 1831 IV R Pis + +78 Whiskered Tern (458) Chlidonias hybridus (Pallas 1811) IV w Pis +

22 Sandgrouse Pteroclididae79 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (487) Pterocles exustus Temminck 1825 IV R VeM + +

23 Pigeons amp Doves Columbidae80 Blue Rock Pigeon (516-517) Columba livia Gmelin 1789 R Gra + + +81 Little Brown Dove (541) Streptopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Gra + +82 Red Collared-Dove (535-536) Streptopelia tranquebarica (Hermann 1804) IV r Gra +83 Eurasian Collared-Dove (534) Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky 1838) IV R Gra + + +

24 Parakeets Psittacidae84 Rose-ringed Parakeet (549-550) Psittacula krameri (Scopoli 1769) IV R Fru +

25 Cuckoos amp Coucals Cuculidae85 Pied Crested Cuckoo (570-571) Clamator jacobinus (Boddaert 1783) IV S Ins +

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 21

A B C D E F G H I J K86 Asian Koel (590-592) Eudynamys scolopacea (Linnaeus 1758) IV r Fru +87 Greater Coucal (600-602) Centropus sinensis (Stephens 1815) IV R Car +

26 Owls Strigidae88 Spotted Owlet (650-652) Athene brama (Temminck 1821) IV R Ins + +

27 Swifts Apodidae89 Common Swift (696) Apus apus (Linnaeus 1758) NLA Ins +90 House Swift (702-706) Apus affinis (JE Gray 1830) NLA R Ins +

28 Kingfishers Alcedinidae91 White-breasted Kingfisher (735-738) Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Pis + +92 Lesser Pied Kingfisher (719-720) Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Pis +

29 Bee-eaters Meropidae93 Small Bee-eater ((749-752) Merops orientalis Latham 1801 NLA R Ins + + +94 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (747) Merops persicus Pallas 1773 NLA Ins + + +

30 Rollers Coraciidae95 Indian Roller (755-757) Coracias benghalensis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Ins + + +

31 Hoopoes Upupidae96 Common Hoopoe (763-766) Upupa epops Linnaeus 1758 NLA RS Ins +

32 Barbets Capitonidae97 Brown-headed Barbet (780-782) Megalaima zeylanica (Gmelin 1788) IV Fru BRS (11) +98 Crimson-throated Barbet (790-791) Megalaima rubricapilla (Gmelin 1788) IV Fru BRS (10) +

33 Woodpeckers Picidae99 Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker (818-23) Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus 1758) IV Ins BRS (11) +

34 Larks Alaudidae100 Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (879) Eremopterix nigriceps (Gould 1839) IV r Gra +101 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (878) Eremopterix grisea (Scopoli 1786) IV R Gra BRS (11) + +102 Rufous-tailed Finch-Lark (882-883) Ammomanes phoenicurus (Franklin 1831) IV r Gra +103 European Calandra-Lark (EL) Melanocorypha calandra (Linnaeus) +104 Eastern Calandra-Lark (892) Melanocorypha bimaculata (Meacuteneacutetriegraves 1832) IV Gra +105 Greater Short-toed Lark (885-886) Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler) IV W Gra + +106 Common Crested Lark (898-900) Galerida cristata (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Gra +

35 Swallows amp Martins Hirundinidae107 Plain Martin (912) Riparia paludicola (Vieillot 1817) NLA Ins +108 Common Swallow (916-918) Hirundo rustica Linnaeus 1758 NLA W Ins + +109 Wire-tailed Swallow (921) Hirundo smithii Leach 1818 NLA r Ins + +110 Red-rumped Swallow (923-928) Hirundo daurica Linnaeus 1771 NLA Ins + +

36 Wagtails amp Pipits Motacillidae111 White Wagtail (1885-1890) Motacilla alba Linnaeus 1758 IV W Ins +112 Large Pied Wagtail (1891) Motacilla maderaspatensis Gmelin 1789 IV r Ins + +113 Yellow Wagtail (1875-1880) Motacilla flava Linnaeus 1758 IV W Ins +114 Grey Wagtail (1884) Motacilla cinerea Tunstall 1771 IV w Ins +115 Paddyfield Pipit (1858-1860) Anthus rufulus Vieillot 1818 IV R Ins +116 Tawny Pipit (1861-1862) Anthus campestris (Linnaeus 1758) IV W Ins +

37 Bulbuls Pycnonotidae117 White-eared Bulbul (1123-1124) Pycnonotus leucotis (Gould 1836) IV R Fru BRS (13) + +118 Himalayan Bulbul (1125) Pycnonotus leucogenys (Gray 1835) IV Fru BRS (08) +119 Red-vented Bulbul (1126-1132) Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +

38 Shrikes Laniidae120 Bay-backed Shrike (939-940) Lanius vittatus Valenciennes 1826 NLA R Ins +121 Rufous-backed Shrike (946-948) Lanius schach Linnaeus 1758 NLA R Ins + +122 Great Grey Shrike (936) Lanius excubitor Linnaeus 1758 NLA Ins +123 Southern Grey Shrike (933-935) Lanius meridionalis Temminck 1820 NLA R Ins + +

39 Thrushes Chats etc Muscicapidae39a Robins amp Wheaters Turdinae

124 Oriental Magpie-Robin (1661-1664) Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Ins +125 Indian Robin (1717-1721) Saxicoloides fulicata (Linnaeus 1776) IV R Ins BRS (11) + +126 Pied Bushchat (1700-1703) Saxicola caprata (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Ins +127 Northern Wheatear (1708) Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus 1758) IV Ins +128 Desert Wheatear (1709-1710) Oenanthe deserti (Temminck 1825) IV W Ins + +

39b Babblers Timaliinae129 Rufous-bellied Babbler (1219-1223) Dumetia hyperythra (Franklin 1831) IV Ins BRS (11) +130 Common Babbler (1253-1254) Turdoides caudatus (Dumont 1823) IV R Ins + + +

22 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

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 ltnavbaratgmailcomgt

A B C D E F G H I J K

131 Striated Babbler (1255-1256) Turdoides earlei (Blyth 1844) IV R Ins BRS (12) +132 Large Grey Babbler (1258) Turdoides malcolmi (Sykes 1832) IV R Ins BRS (11) +133 White-headed Babbler (1267-1268) Turdoides affinis (Jerdon 1847) IV Ins BRS (11) +

39c Prinias Warblers etc Sylviinae134 Graceful Prinia (1508-1509) Prinia gracilis (Lichtenstein 1823) IV r Ins +135 Desert Warbler (1571) Sylvia nana (Hemprich amp Ehrenberg 1833) IV w Ins +136 Orphean Warbler (1565) Sylvia hortensis (Gmelin 1789) IV W Ins +

39d Flycatchers Muscicapinae137 Red-throated Flycatcher (1411-12) Ficedula parva (Bechstein 1792) IV w Ins

40 Tits Paridae138 Pied Tit (1798) Parus nuchalis Jerdon 1844 VU IV r Ins BRS (11) +

41 Sunbirds Nectariniidae139 Purple Sunbird (1916-1918) Nectarinia asiatica (Latham 1790) IV R Nec + +

42 Munias (Estrildid Finches) Estrildidae140 White-throated Munia (1966) Lonchura malabarica (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See +141 Spotted Munia (1974-1975) Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus 1758) IV r See +

43 Sparrows amp Weavers Ploceidae43a Sparrows Passerinae

142 House Sparrow (1938-1939a) Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See + + +143 Yellow-throated Sparrow (1948-49) Petronia xanthocollis (Burton 1838) IV R See +

44 Starlings amp Mynas Sturnidae144 Brahminy Starling (994) Sturnus pagodarum (Gmelin 1789) IV r Fru BRS (11) + +145 Rosy Starling (996) Sturnus roseus (Linnaeus 1758) IV P Fru +146 Asian Pied Starling (1002-1004) Sturnus contra Linnaeus 1758 IV R Ins +147 Common Myna (1006-1007) Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +148 Bank Myna (1008) Acridotheres ginginianus (Latham 1790) IV Ins BRS (11) +

45 Drongos Dicruridae149 Black Drongo (962-964) Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot 1817 IV R Ins + + +

46 Crows Corvidae150 Indian Treepie (1030a-1034) Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham 1790) IV R Fru +151 House Crow (1048-1051) Corvus splendens Vieillot 1817 V R Omn + +152 Jungle Crow (1054-1057) Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler 1827 IV Omn +153 Common Raven (1059-1060) Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 IV R Omn +

Legends for abbreviations used in the tableA Sl No B Systematic list C IUCN (2007)D BNHS (2002) E Residential status F Basic food habitG Jhunjhunwala et al (2001) H Rahmani 1997 (35 species) I Sivaperuman et al 2005 (91 species)

J Kumar et al 2006 (53 species) K Present study 2008 (60 species)

CR =Critically Endangered EN = Endangered VU = Vulnerable NT = Near Threatened

I = Schedule I IV = Schedule IV V = Schedule V NLA = Not Listed in the Act 0 = Inforation not available

R = Widespread resident r = Sparse local resident W = Widespread winter visitor w = Sparse local winter visitorRW = Widespread resident as well as winter visitor rw=Local sparse resident as well as local sparse winter visitorRa w = Rare sparse local winter visitorS = Widespread summer visitor RS = Widespread resident as well as summer visitorP = Widespread passage migrant = Residential status not known

AqA = Aquatic Animals Car = Carnivorous Fru = Frugivorous Gra = Granivorous Ins = Insectivorous Nec = Nectivorous Omn = Omnivorous Pis = Piscivorous Sca = Scavenger See = Seeds VeM = Vegetable Matter Not known ()

BRS = Biome Restricted Species BRS (08) = Sino-Himalayan Subtropical ForestBRS (10) = Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest BRS (11) = Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry ZoneBRS (12) = Indo-Gangetic Plains BRS (13) = Saharo-Sindian Desert

+ = present (Reported by the respective worker(s)

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 21

A B C D E F G H I J K86 Asian Koel (590-592) Eudynamys scolopacea (Linnaeus 1758) IV r Fru +87 Greater Coucal (600-602) Centropus sinensis (Stephens 1815) IV R Car +

26 Owls Strigidae88 Spotted Owlet (650-652) Athene brama (Temminck 1821) IV R Ins + +

27 Swifts Apodidae89 Common Swift (696) Apus apus (Linnaeus 1758) NLA Ins +90 House Swift (702-706) Apus affinis (JE Gray 1830) NLA R Ins +

28 Kingfishers Alcedinidae91 White-breasted Kingfisher (735-738) Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Pis + +92 Lesser Pied Kingfisher (719-720) Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Pis +

29 Bee-eaters Meropidae93 Small Bee-eater ((749-752) Merops orientalis Latham 1801 NLA R Ins + + +94 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (747) Merops persicus Pallas 1773 NLA Ins + + +

30 Rollers Coraciidae95 Indian Roller (755-757) Coracias benghalensis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Ins + + +

31 Hoopoes Upupidae96 Common Hoopoe (763-766) Upupa epops Linnaeus 1758 NLA RS Ins +

32 Barbets Capitonidae97 Brown-headed Barbet (780-782) Megalaima zeylanica (Gmelin 1788) IV Fru BRS (11) +98 Crimson-throated Barbet (790-791) Megalaima rubricapilla (Gmelin 1788) IV Fru BRS (10) +

33 Woodpeckers Picidae99 Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker (818-23) Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus 1758) IV Ins BRS (11) +

34 Larks Alaudidae100 Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (879) Eremopterix nigriceps (Gould 1839) IV r Gra +101 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (878) Eremopterix grisea (Scopoli 1786) IV R Gra BRS (11) + +102 Rufous-tailed Finch-Lark (882-883) Ammomanes phoenicurus (Franklin 1831) IV r Gra +103 European Calandra-Lark (EL) Melanocorypha calandra (Linnaeus) +104 Eastern Calandra-Lark (892) Melanocorypha bimaculata (Meacuteneacutetriegraves 1832) IV Gra +105 Greater Short-toed Lark (885-886) Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler) IV W Gra + +106 Common Crested Lark (898-900) Galerida cristata (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Gra +

35 Swallows amp Martins Hirundinidae107 Plain Martin (912) Riparia paludicola (Vieillot 1817) NLA Ins +108 Common Swallow (916-918) Hirundo rustica Linnaeus 1758 NLA W Ins + +109 Wire-tailed Swallow (921) Hirundo smithii Leach 1818 NLA r Ins + +110 Red-rumped Swallow (923-928) Hirundo daurica Linnaeus 1771 NLA Ins + +

36 Wagtails amp Pipits Motacillidae111 White Wagtail (1885-1890) Motacilla alba Linnaeus 1758 IV W Ins +112 Large Pied Wagtail (1891) Motacilla maderaspatensis Gmelin 1789 IV r Ins + +113 Yellow Wagtail (1875-1880) Motacilla flava Linnaeus 1758 IV W Ins +114 Grey Wagtail (1884) Motacilla cinerea Tunstall 1771 IV w Ins +115 Paddyfield Pipit (1858-1860) Anthus rufulus Vieillot 1818 IV R Ins +116 Tawny Pipit (1861-1862) Anthus campestris (Linnaeus 1758) IV W Ins +

37 Bulbuls Pycnonotidae117 White-eared Bulbul (1123-1124) Pycnonotus leucotis (Gould 1836) IV R Fru BRS (13) + +118 Himalayan Bulbul (1125) Pycnonotus leucogenys (Gray 1835) IV Fru BRS (08) +119 Red-vented Bulbul (1126-1132) Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +

38 Shrikes Laniidae120 Bay-backed Shrike (939-940) Lanius vittatus Valenciennes 1826 NLA R Ins +121 Rufous-backed Shrike (946-948) Lanius schach Linnaeus 1758 NLA R Ins + +122 Great Grey Shrike (936) Lanius excubitor Linnaeus 1758 NLA Ins +123 Southern Grey Shrike (933-935) Lanius meridionalis Temminck 1820 NLA R Ins + +

39 Thrushes Chats etc Muscicapidae39a Robins amp Wheaters Turdinae

124 Oriental Magpie-Robin (1661-1664) Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus 1758) IV R Ins +125 Indian Robin (1717-1721) Saxicoloides fulicata (Linnaeus 1776) IV R Ins BRS (11) + +126 Pied Bushchat (1700-1703) Saxicola caprata (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Ins +127 Northern Wheatear (1708) Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus 1758) IV Ins +128 Desert Wheatear (1709-1710) Oenanthe deserti (Temminck 1825) IV W Ins + +

39b Babblers Timaliinae129 Rufous-bellied Babbler (1219-1223) Dumetia hyperythra (Franklin 1831) IV Ins BRS (11) +130 Common Babbler (1253-1254) Turdoides caudatus (Dumont 1823) IV R Ins + + +

22 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

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 ltnavbaratgmailcomgt

A B C D E F G H I J K

131 Striated Babbler (1255-1256) Turdoides earlei (Blyth 1844) IV R Ins BRS (12) +132 Large Grey Babbler (1258) Turdoides malcolmi (Sykes 1832) IV R Ins BRS (11) +133 White-headed Babbler (1267-1268) Turdoides affinis (Jerdon 1847) IV Ins BRS (11) +

39c Prinias Warblers etc Sylviinae134 Graceful Prinia (1508-1509) Prinia gracilis (Lichtenstein 1823) IV r Ins +135 Desert Warbler (1571) Sylvia nana (Hemprich amp Ehrenberg 1833) IV w Ins +136 Orphean Warbler (1565) Sylvia hortensis (Gmelin 1789) IV W Ins +

39d Flycatchers Muscicapinae137 Red-throated Flycatcher (1411-12) Ficedula parva (Bechstein 1792) IV w Ins

40 Tits Paridae138 Pied Tit (1798) Parus nuchalis Jerdon 1844 VU IV r Ins BRS (11) +

41 Sunbirds Nectariniidae139 Purple Sunbird (1916-1918) Nectarinia asiatica (Latham 1790) IV R Nec + +

42 Munias (Estrildid Finches) Estrildidae140 White-throated Munia (1966) Lonchura malabarica (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See +141 Spotted Munia (1974-1975) Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus 1758) IV r See +

43 Sparrows amp Weavers Ploceidae43a Sparrows Passerinae

142 House Sparrow (1938-1939a) Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See + + +143 Yellow-throated Sparrow (1948-49) Petronia xanthocollis (Burton 1838) IV R See +

44 Starlings amp Mynas Sturnidae144 Brahminy Starling (994) Sturnus pagodarum (Gmelin 1789) IV r Fru BRS (11) + +145 Rosy Starling (996) Sturnus roseus (Linnaeus 1758) IV P Fru +146 Asian Pied Starling (1002-1004) Sturnus contra Linnaeus 1758 IV R Ins +147 Common Myna (1006-1007) Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +148 Bank Myna (1008) Acridotheres ginginianus (Latham 1790) IV Ins BRS (11) +

45 Drongos Dicruridae149 Black Drongo (962-964) Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot 1817 IV R Ins + + +

46 Crows Corvidae150 Indian Treepie (1030a-1034) Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham 1790) IV R Fru +151 House Crow (1048-1051) Corvus splendens Vieillot 1817 V R Omn + +152 Jungle Crow (1054-1057) Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler 1827 IV Omn +153 Common Raven (1059-1060) Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 IV R Omn +

Legends for abbreviations used in the tableA Sl No B Systematic list C IUCN (2007)D BNHS (2002) E Residential status F Basic food habitG Jhunjhunwala et al (2001) H Rahmani 1997 (35 species) I Sivaperuman et al 2005 (91 species)

J Kumar et al 2006 (53 species) K Present study 2008 (60 species)

CR =Critically Endangered EN = Endangered VU = Vulnerable NT = Near Threatened

I = Schedule I IV = Schedule IV V = Schedule V NLA = Not Listed in the Act 0 = Inforation not available

R = Widespread resident r = Sparse local resident W = Widespread winter visitor w = Sparse local winter visitorRW = Widespread resident as well as winter visitor rw=Local sparse resident as well as local sparse winter visitorRa w = Rare sparse local winter visitorS = Widespread summer visitor RS = Widespread resident as well as summer visitorP = Widespread passage migrant = Residential status not known

AqA = Aquatic Animals Car = Carnivorous Fru = Frugivorous Gra = Granivorous Ins = Insectivorous Nec = Nectivorous Omn = Omnivorous Pis = Piscivorous Sca = Scavenger See = Seeds VeM = Vegetable Matter Not known ()

BRS = Biome Restricted Species BRS (08) = Sino-Himalayan Subtropical ForestBRS (10) = Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest BRS (11) = Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry ZoneBRS (12) = Indo-Gangetic Plains BRS (13) = Saharo-Sindian Desert

+ = present (Reported by the respective worker(s)

22 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

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 ltnavbaratgmailcomgt

A B C D E F G H I J K

131 Striated Babbler (1255-1256) Turdoides earlei (Blyth 1844) IV R Ins BRS (12) +132 Large Grey Babbler (1258) Turdoides malcolmi (Sykes 1832) IV R Ins BRS (11) +133 White-headed Babbler (1267-1268) Turdoides affinis (Jerdon 1847) IV Ins BRS (11) +

39c Prinias Warblers etc Sylviinae134 Graceful Prinia (1508-1509) Prinia gracilis (Lichtenstein 1823) IV r Ins +135 Desert Warbler (1571) Sylvia nana (Hemprich amp Ehrenberg 1833) IV w Ins +136 Orphean Warbler (1565) Sylvia hortensis (Gmelin 1789) IV W Ins +

39d Flycatchers Muscicapinae137 Red-throated Flycatcher (1411-12) Ficedula parva (Bechstein 1792) IV w Ins

40 Tits Paridae138 Pied Tit (1798) Parus nuchalis Jerdon 1844 VU IV r Ins BRS (11) +

41 Sunbirds Nectariniidae139 Purple Sunbird (1916-1918) Nectarinia asiatica (Latham 1790) IV R Nec + +

42 Munias (Estrildid Finches) Estrildidae140 White-throated Munia (1966) Lonchura malabarica (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See +141 Spotted Munia (1974-1975) Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus 1758) IV r See +

43 Sparrows amp Weavers Ploceidae43a Sparrows Passerinae

142 House Sparrow (1938-1939a) Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758) IV R See + + +143 Yellow-throated Sparrow (1948-49) Petronia xanthocollis (Burton 1838) IV R See +

44 Starlings amp Mynas Sturnidae144 Brahminy Starling (994) Sturnus pagodarum (Gmelin 1789) IV r Fru BRS (11) + +145 Rosy Starling (996) Sturnus roseus (Linnaeus 1758) IV P Fru +146 Asian Pied Starling (1002-1004) Sturnus contra Linnaeus 1758 IV R Ins +147 Common Myna (1006-1007) Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus 1766) IV R Fru + + +148 Bank Myna (1008) Acridotheres ginginianus (Latham 1790) IV Ins BRS (11) +

45 Drongos Dicruridae149 Black Drongo (962-964) Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot 1817 IV R Ins + + +

46 Crows Corvidae150 Indian Treepie (1030a-1034) Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham 1790) IV R Fru +151 House Crow (1048-1051) Corvus splendens Vieillot 1817 V R Omn + +152 Jungle Crow (1054-1057) Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler 1827 IV Omn +153 Common Raven (1059-1060) Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 IV R Omn +

Legends for abbreviations used in the tableA Sl No B Systematic list C IUCN (2007)D BNHS (2002) E Residential status F Basic food habitG Jhunjhunwala et al (2001) H Rahmani 1997 (35 species) I Sivaperuman et al 2005 (91 species)

J Kumar et al 2006 (53 species) K Present study 2008 (60 species)

CR =Critically Endangered EN = Endangered VU = Vulnerable NT = Near Threatened

I = Schedule I IV = Schedule IV V = Schedule V NLA = Not Listed in the Act 0 = Inforation not available

R = Widespread resident r = Sparse local resident W = Widespread winter visitor w = Sparse local winter visitorRW = Widespread resident as well as winter visitor rw=Local sparse resident as well as local sparse winter visitorRa w = Rare sparse local winter visitorS = Widespread summer visitor RS = Widespread resident as well as summer visitorP = Widespread passage migrant = Residential status not known

AqA = Aquatic Animals Car = Carnivorous Fru = Frugivorous Gra = Granivorous Ins = Insectivorous Nec = Nectivorous Omn = Omnivorous Pis = Piscivorous Sca = Scavenger See = Seeds VeM = Vegetable Matter Not known ()

BRS = Biome Restricted Species BRS (08) = Sino-Himalayan Subtropical ForestBRS (10) = Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest BRS (11) = Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry ZoneBRS (12) = Indo-Gangetic Plains BRS (13) = Saharo-Sindian Desert

+ = present (Reported by the respective worker(s)

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 23

and elsewhere in the country (Ali and Ripley 1983Parasharya and Naik 1990) The storks were also reportednesting on large Prosopis juliflora trees at Delhi Zoo (Desaiet al 1978 Urfi 1993) however nesting on Prosopis bushesstanding in water is uncommon

According to Shri Dharsinh Raydhan Prajapati of Palasvavillage (Pers Comm October 2005) the water of Munjasartank was used up for irrigation by the farmers The rapiddecline in water level might have forced the storks to desertthe colony before schedule However no mortality wasobserved at the nesting sites Many big trees such asBanyan Neem Peepal were present at the tank peripheryhowever the storks used only Prosopis for nesting

References

Ali S and Ripley S D (1983) Handbook of the Birds of Indiaand Pakistan Oxford University Press Delhi

Desai J H Menon G K and Shah R V (1978) Studies on thereproductive pattern of the Painted Stork Ibis leucocephalus(Pennant) Pavo 15(1amp2) 1-32

Parasharya B M and Naik R M (1990) Ciconiiform birdsbreeding in Bhavnagar city Gujarat A study of their nestingand plea for conservation In Conservation in DevelopingCountries Problems and Prospects Proceedings ofCentenary Seminar of Bombay Natural History Society (EdsDaniel J C and Serrao J S) BNHS and Oxford UniversityPress Bombay PP 429-445

Urfi A J (1993) Breeding patterns of Painted Storks Mycterialeucocephala (Pennant) at Delhi Zoo India ColonialWaterbirds 16(1) 95-97

Varu S N and Pomal A (2006) Kachchhma panikanthanapakshioni malavasahat Vihang 27 11-12

Enroll a Friend

If every Newsletter Member could enroljust one new member our reach

and linkage would be doubled immediately

Will you Help Please give the membership form

to a friend and urge himher to join

We visited Munjasar Tank (230 26 44 N 700

56 51 E) about 2-3 km south to Palasva village

in Rapar Taluka of Kachchh district on 25th January2006 The tank had almost dried up as the stored

water was being lifted for irrigation by installing diesel pumpsThe soil of tank was moist at the western end indicatingthat it had dried recently

The tank harbors a colony of Painted Stork which was firstnoticed by a group of bird watchers in 2005 A detailedaccount of the colony was given by Varu and Pomal (2006)They recorded about 150 active nests of Painted Stork and300 nests of Eurasian Spoonbill When we visited the colonyin January 2006 a total of 33 adult Painted Storks (Mycterialeucocephala) were seen soaring in the sky They hadnested on the Prosopis juliflora grown on tank bed and their9 juveniles (old enough to fly) were standing on ground as atestimony to their successful breeding Prosopis juliflora isthe dominating plant species within this tank The nestingactivities had ceased when we visited the site All thejuveniles had fledged from the nests and those present wereold enough to fly

The colony was primarily composed of Painted Storks nests

on Prosopis juliflora bushes In all 156 large nest platformswere counted on more than 40 bushes The number of nestson each bush varied between 2 and 6 most frequently 3This nesting site was spread over an area of 1 sq km Storkshad used thorny sticks of Prosopis juliflora as nestingmaterial All nests looked white due to deposition of excretaof the birds A few nests had fallen to the ground Severalsmall nest platforms of Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalealeucorodia) were also seen interspersed with the largernesting platforms of storks

Average height of Prosopis juliflora varied from 2 to 3 msuggesting that the nests might have been very close tothe water surface when the nesting activity commenced inSeptember Prosopis bushes standing in water undoubtedlyprovided a safe substratum for nesting and safety againstground predators

Painted Storks are known to nest on large trees such asBanyan (Ficus bengalensis) Peepal (Ficus religiosa) Neem(Azadirachta indica) Babul (Acacia nilotica) etc in Gujarat

Nesting of Painted Stork at Palasva Village Kachchh DistrictAnika Tere 1 AINP on Agricultural Ornithology Anand Agricultural University Anand - 388 110

1 Present Address Department of Zoology Faculty of Science M S University of BarodaVadodara - 390 002 Gujarat e-mail anikatererediffmailcom

24 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

Fig1 National Chambal Sanctuary with Locations referred to in the text (1 Keshoraipatan2 Pali 3 Rahu ka Gaon 4 Basai Dang 5 Pureini 6 Bharreh 7 Pachhnnada

Eco-Behavioural Studies of the Indian Skimmer(Rynchops albicollis) a Vulnerable Waterbird in the

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan IndiaSP Bhatnagar and Meenu Bhatnagar Waterfowl Research Station Ajmer-305006

E-mail spbhatnagar2002yahoocoinIntroduction

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan Kota hasa Wildlife Protected Area of 28000 (km2) This Wetland helpsin maintaining freshwater flows within Chambal RiverSystems (Kalisind Parbati Banas and Kuno (Fig1)

The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis Swainson 1838Local Name Panchira (Hindi) is one of the ThreatenedSpecies (Class Aves Order Charadriformes FamilyRynchopidae) found in the National Chambal WildlifeSanctuary Rajasthan Kota where it is patchily distributed

Zusi (1996) Islam and Rahmani (2002) and Kumar (2006)declared this bird as a Vulnerable Species due to its rapiddeclining population as a result of widespread degradationand disturbance of rivers and lakes

No detailed systematic studies have been carried out sofar on the eco-behaviour of this threatened Indian skimmer

in the past in India and is also poorly known and is by nomeans exhaustive To fill up the lacuna in the knowledge onthe eco-behaviour of the Indian Skimmer in the NationalChambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan Kota this study

was carried out The paucity ofinformation on the ecology andbiology of the Indian Skimmerprompted an extensive fieldstudy of this Wetland Bird

The present study is the firstattempt to gathersimultaneously base l ineinformation on the basic ecologyof Indian Skimmer that are foundin the Chambal River basinecosystem

The present study was carriedout for three consecutive yearsfrom 2005 to 2008 with thefollowing objectives

1 To obtain precise data on thepresent distribution of the IndianSkimmer

2 To examine Wetland habitatspresently holding IndianSkimmer

3To determine whether in suchWetland habitats the IndianSkimmer are transient orresident

4 To determine exact breedingareas to study the constraints

on such Wetland habitats and to prepare management plansfor such Wetland habitats for their complete protection

5 To study the ecology of the Indian Skimmer with specialreference to the breeding success of the species in Wetlandhabitats of its distribution and investigate the parametersrequired for breeding success

6 To study the dispersal and seasonal movements of theIndian Skimmer

7 To prepare on the basis of the data obtained amanagement plan for the conservation of the Indian skimmer

24 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

Fig1 National Chambal Sanctuary with Locations referred to in the text (1 Keshoraipatan2 Pali 3 Rahu ka Gaon 4 Basai Dang 5 Pureini 6 Bharreh 7 Pachhnnada

Eco-Behavioural Studies of the Indian Skimmer(Rynchops albicollis) a Vulnerable Waterbird in the

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan IndiaSP Bhatnagar and Meenu Bhatnagar Waterfowl Research Station Ajmer-305006

E-mail spbhatnagar2002yahoocoinIntroduction

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan Kota hasa Wildlife Protected Area of 28000 (km2) This Wetland helpsin maintaining freshwater flows within Chambal RiverSystems (Kalisind Parbati Banas and Kuno (Fig1)

The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis Swainson 1838Local Name Panchira (Hindi) is one of the ThreatenedSpecies (Class Aves Order Charadriformes FamilyRynchopidae) found in the National Chambal WildlifeSanctuary Rajasthan Kota where it is patchily distributed

Zusi (1996) Islam and Rahmani (2002) and Kumar (2006)declared this bird as a Vulnerable Species due to its rapiddeclining population as a result of widespread degradationand disturbance of rivers and lakes

No detailed systematic studies have been carried out sofar on the eco-behaviour of this threatened Indian skimmer

in the past in India and is also poorly known and is by nomeans exhaustive To fill up the lacuna in the knowledge onthe eco-behaviour of the Indian Skimmer in the NationalChambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan Kota this study

was carried out The paucity ofinformation on the ecology andbiology of the Indian Skimmerprompted an extensive fieldstudy of this Wetland Bird

The present study is the firstattempt to gathersimultaneously base l ineinformation on the basic ecologyof Indian Skimmer that are foundin the Chambal River basinecosystem

The present study was carriedout for three consecutive yearsfrom 2005 to 2008 with thefollowing objectives

1 To obtain precise data on thepresent distribution of the IndianSkimmer

2 To examine Wetland habitatspresently holding IndianSkimmer

3To determine whether in suchWetland habitats the IndianSkimmer are transient orresident

4 To determine exact breedingareas to study the constraints

on such Wetland habitats and to prepare management plansfor such Wetland habitats for their complete protection

5 To study the ecology of the Indian Skimmer with specialreference to the breeding success of the species in Wetlandhabitats of its distribution and investigate the parametersrequired for breeding success

6 To study the dispersal and seasonal movements of theIndian Skimmer

7 To prepare on the basis of the data obtained amanagement plan for the conservation of the Indian skimmer

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 25

The Standardised Common and Scientific Names andBinomial Nomenclature of the Indian Subcontinent byManakadan and Pitte (2001) and Vernacular names of theBirds of the Indian Subcontinent (Buceros (1998) 1 1-53)have been followed in the investigation

Methodology

Field observations were made using Binoculars (7x35 and20x50) and a Terrestrial Telescope (D = 80 mm F 900mm Startracker Refractor) in natural condition The naturalpopulation was assessed by directly counting the IndianSkimmer in all transects by foot in the Chambal Riveraquatic area habitat The Indian Skimmer density wasestimated by Line Transect Method (Emlen 1971) Directobservations of the Indian Skimmer in nature (RepeatedStandard Field Observations described by Hartley (1948

and 1953) were followed

Behavioural activities were studied by Focal AnimalSampling Method (Altman 1974) Regular observationsof behaviour and periodic nest searches were carried out forbreeding seasonality Calls were recorded with theapproximate distance of the display rattle using a SonyWalkman (Professional and UnidirectionalMicrophone) The Indian Skimmers were observedindividually during each visit and the duration of each activitywas measured with a Stopwatch Food and Feeding habitswere studied by direct standard f ield observationsFrequency of feeding and resting from different strata andlocations during different hours and months was recorded

Observations and Results

The observations and results of the findings are mentionedhere

1 The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis Swainson1838) is a species of waterbird one of the three membersof the skimmer family Rynchopidae It is found in the NationalChambal Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan Wetland habitatwhere it is patchily distributed The highest count totalsduring these periods were 155

2 It is 40-43 cm long with a wingspan of 108 cm It is blackabove and white below with a white collar and forehead Thewings are long and pointed with a white trailing edge Theshort forked tail is white with blackish central feathers Thelong thick bill is orange with a yellowish tip and has a lowermandible which is longer than the upper mandible The legsand webbed feet are distinctively red It has an aerodynamicbody and long supple wings that cut through the air withelegance

3 The Indian Skimmer forage for food by flying low over thewater with the bill open and the lower mandible skimmingthrough the water They feed mainly on medium-sized fishand fingerlings but also take crustaceans and water insectlarvae They feed at dusk and through the night Being aspecialised feeder they require clean clear waters Thisspecies is highly susceptible to surface water pollution Theysit in groups on sand-bars

4 It is most common on freshwater during the breedingSeason Breeding colonies are found on sandy or on sandyspits in Chambal River Basin They breed in colonies ofupto 45 pairs The nest is a simple scrape on the groundan unlined depression in the sand in a dry Chambal Riverbed The eggs are laid between March and May The eggsare buff and grayish white with brown blotches and streaksIncubation apparently is by females When first hatchedbills of downy chick are of normal shape and horn-colouredThere are three to five eggs in a clutch

5 Non-breeding adults are duller and browner than breedingbirds Juveniles are grey brown above with pale fringes tothe feathers on the back and wings The head has morewhite than in adult waterbirds and the bill is orange-brownwith dark tip

6 It has a high nasal screaming call but is often silentSometimes a deep yapping call in the breeding season

7 Due to increased human usage of Chambal River BasinWetland many colonies have been plundered andsubstrates mined cultivated and settled and many feedingareas have been over-exploited polluted and drained

8 Currently there are no conservation activities targetingthis Vulnerable Species Urgent attention is neededInvolvement of public community participation and publicawareness in conservation actions are needed

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Chief Wildlife Warden Government ofRajasthan Jaipur for providing permission facilities andDy Conservator of Forests Conservator (Wildlife) Kota forproviding assistance and information

ReferencesAltman J (1974) Observational Study of Behaviour Sampling

Methods Behaviour 49227-26

Emlen JT (1971) Population Estimates of Birds derived fromTransect Counts Auk 88 323 342

Hartley PHT (1948) The Assessment of the Food of BirdsIbis 90 361 382

Hartley PHT (1953) An Ecological Study of the Feeding Habitsof the English Titmice J Anim Ecol 22 261-288

Islam MZ and Rahmani R (2002) Threatened Birds of IndiaBuceros 7 (1 and 2) ix 1-102

Kumar NS (2006) Good-bye Indian Skimmer Sanctuary 25(4) 34-35

Manakadan R and Pittie A (2001) Standaradised Commonand Scientific Names of the Birds of the Indian SubcontinentBuceros 6 (1) 1-37

Zusi RL (1996) Family Rynchopidae (Skimmers) Pp 668-677 in del Hoyo J Ellott and Sargatal Jeds Handbook ofthe Birds of the World Vol 3 Lynx Edicions BarcelonaSpain

26 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

Beds)] (Figs 3 4 on page 29) we found a single deadindividual of a moderate-sized bird (larger than a crow andsmaller than an eagle and darker in colour) seemed to bea raptor (by its rufous brown plumage and aerodynamicsilhouette) in one of its corner The bird was partiallyentrapped in sludge cakes As the sludge tank wasabsolutely dried out due to incessant atmospheric heatowing to progressive summer we approached closer to thesludge bed near the dead bird On a closer examination ofa carcass the dead individual of a bird was found to be aPariah Kite (Milvus migrans govinda) As we searched theentire sludge bed with an awful astonishment we found intotal five dead individuals of Pariah Kite in a single sludgebed dispersed in different corners Later as we surveyed allthe sludge tanks (four in number with six sludge beds eachtotaling 24) of ASTP in total 42 carcasses of Pariah Kitewere reported Similarly a death of about 500 individuals ofdifferent species of migratory waterfowls has been reportedin oil-sand ponds of Alberta which was filled with oily toxicsludge (KokuRyu 2008) In Egypt large numbers of deadstorks have also been reported at poorly managedwastewater treatment plants (domestic and industrial) dueto drowning entrapment in sludge sinking in aninappropriate sewage ponds or die from drinkingcontaminated water (BioMap 2007) In recent past massmortality of Sea gulls by anthropogenic activities has alsobeen reported in Lakhota Lake Jamnagar Gujarat bySoni (2007)

The sewage sludge is the residual semi-solid material leftfrom industrial or wastewater treatment processes Itconsists of two basic forms raw primary sludge (faecal

material) and secondary sludge (a mixture of anaerobicmicrobes that help remove contaminants from wastewaterbefore it is discharged into rivers or seas) The sludge istransformed into biosolids using a number of complextreatments such as digestion thickening dewatering dryingand lime stabilization Treated biosolids can be producedin cake granular lumps pellet or liquid form and are spreadover the land before being incorporated into the soil or injecteddirectly into the soil by specialist contractors Such typesof digested sewage sludge can be used as a soil conditionerbut may contain toxic materials Therefore some of theEuropean countries eg Switzerland Sweden and Austriahave already banned the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer(Wikipedia 2009)

During the present investigation the recorded number ofdead individuals of Pariah Kite in sludge beds of ASTP wastoo high (40 to 50 in a month Dr MK Shah ASTP Authority

Mass Mortality of Pariah Kite (Milvus migrans)in Ahmedabad Sewage Treatment Plant Gujarat

Hiren Soni Lecturer in Animal Science Ashok amp Rita Patel Institute of Integrated Study amp Research inBiotechnology amp Allied Sciences (ARIBAS) New Vallabh Vidyanagar 388 121 E-

mailhirensoniyahoocom

The Black kite is commonly referred to as thePariah Kite (Milvus migrans govinda Sykes 1832)

due to its scavenging habits (Ripley 1982) belongsto Order Falconiformes and Family Accipitridae It is one ofthe resident birds of the Indian subcontinent widespreadthroughout the Indian Union in all biotopes and zonesexcluding Trans-Himalaya and Islands distinguished by itsforked tail (particularly in overhead flight) than all other kitesfound in India (Ali and Ripley 1995 1996) The bird isbrownish in colour chiefly dwells in rustic and urbanlocalities found either single or gregarious sexes alike butmorphologically female averages 2 to 6 per cent larger in allraces and 10 to 17 per cent heavier than male (Naoroji2007) while male proportionately 86 per cent of female insize (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001) Both sexes sharein the domestic duties From the ancestral time this speciesis treated as one of the only commonest dark raptor and aconfirmed commensal of man generally observed in nearbyhuman habitations scavenging in and around nomadicsettlements outlying hamlets villages towns and evenpopulated cities (Kazmierczak 2000) The feeding habit ofthe species is exhibited by an exclusive scoop-up of scrapsfrom a traffic-congested thoroughfare offal and garbage andalmost anything else that can be effortlessly procuredavoiding tangles of overhead telephone and electric wireswith masterful ease (Ali 2002)

On 7th March 2009 as a part of our industrial excursion wevisited 106 MLD Ahmedabad Sewage Treatment Plant(ASTP) managed by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) Gujarat The plant is functional from 1st July 2007and presently being operated and maintained by DNPInfrastructures Ahmedabad The detailed specifications ofASTP are mentioned herewith (Tables 1 2)

Table 1 ASTP Specifications I (General)

Plant Capacity 106 MLD (Million Liter per Day)Peak Factor 2Peak Flow 212 MLDPlant Type UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket)Design Year 2001-2003Operation and Maintenance commenced 2003-2004

We visited all the units of ASTP in an orderly sequence vizPrimary Treatment Unit 1st and 2nd Stage BiologicalTreatment Units Sludge Process Unit and Gas HandlingSystem During our visit to each unit as we reached Unit D [with Sub-Unit 2 (Sludge Tanks) and Sub-Unit 3 (Sludge

26 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

Beds)] (Figs 3 4 on page 29) we found a single deadindividual of a moderate-sized bird (larger than a crow andsmaller than an eagle and darker in colour) seemed to bea raptor (by its rufous brown plumage and aerodynamicsilhouette) in one of its corner The bird was partiallyentrapped in sludge cakes As the sludge tank wasabsolutely dried out due to incessant atmospheric heatowing to progressive summer we approached closer to thesludge bed near the dead bird On a closer examination ofa carcass the dead individual of a bird was found to be aPariah Kite (Milvus migrans govinda) As we searched theentire sludge bed with an awful astonishment we found intotal five dead individuals of Pariah Kite in a single sludgebed dispersed in different corners Later as we surveyed allthe sludge tanks (four in number with six sludge beds eachtotaling 24) of ASTP in total 42 carcasses of Pariah Kitewere reported Similarly a death of about 500 individuals ofdifferent species of migratory waterfowls has been reportedin oil-sand ponds of Alberta which was filled with oily toxicsludge (KokuRyu 2008) In Egypt large numbers of deadstorks have also been reported at poorly managedwastewater treatment plants (domestic and industrial) dueto drowning entrapment in sludge sinking in aninappropriate sewage ponds or die from drinkingcontaminated water (BioMap 2007) In recent past massmortality of Sea gulls by anthropogenic activities has alsobeen reported in Lakhota Lake Jamnagar Gujarat bySoni (2007)

The sewage sludge is the residual semi-solid material leftfrom industrial or wastewater treatment processes Itconsists of two basic forms raw primary sludge (faecal

material) and secondary sludge (a mixture of anaerobicmicrobes that help remove contaminants from wastewaterbefore it is discharged into rivers or seas) The sludge istransformed into biosolids using a number of complextreatments such as digestion thickening dewatering dryingand lime stabilization Treated biosolids can be producedin cake granular lumps pellet or liquid form and are spreadover the land before being incorporated into the soil or injecteddirectly into the soil by specialist contractors Such typesof digested sewage sludge can be used as a soil conditionerbut may contain toxic materials Therefore some of theEuropean countries eg Switzerland Sweden and Austriahave already banned the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer(Wikipedia 2009)

During the present investigation the recorded number ofdead individuals of Pariah Kite in sludge beds of ASTP wastoo high (40 to 50 in a month Dr MK Shah ASTP Authority

Mass Mortality of Pariah Kite (Milvus migrans)in Ahmedabad Sewage Treatment Plant Gujarat

Hiren Soni Lecturer in Animal Science Ashok amp Rita Patel Institute of Integrated Study amp Research inBiotechnology amp Allied Sciences (ARIBAS) New Vallabh Vidyanagar 388 121 E-

mailhirensoniyahoocom

The Black kite is commonly referred to as thePariah Kite (Milvus migrans govinda Sykes 1832)

due to its scavenging habits (Ripley 1982) belongsto Order Falconiformes and Family Accipitridae It is one ofthe resident birds of the Indian subcontinent widespreadthroughout the Indian Union in all biotopes and zonesexcluding Trans-Himalaya and Islands distinguished by itsforked tail (particularly in overhead flight) than all other kitesfound in India (Ali and Ripley 1995 1996) The bird isbrownish in colour chiefly dwells in rustic and urbanlocalities found either single or gregarious sexes alike butmorphologically female averages 2 to 6 per cent larger in allraces and 10 to 17 per cent heavier than male (Naoroji2007) while male proportionately 86 per cent of female insize (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001) Both sexes sharein the domestic duties From the ancestral time this speciesis treated as one of the only commonest dark raptor and aconfirmed commensal of man generally observed in nearbyhuman habitations scavenging in and around nomadicsettlements outlying hamlets villages towns and evenpopulated cities (Kazmierczak 2000) The feeding habit ofthe species is exhibited by an exclusive scoop-up of scrapsfrom a traffic-congested thoroughfare offal and garbage andalmost anything else that can be effortlessly procuredavoiding tangles of overhead telephone and electric wireswith masterful ease (Ali 2002)

On 7th March 2009 as a part of our industrial excursion wevisited 106 MLD Ahmedabad Sewage Treatment Plant(ASTP) managed by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) Gujarat The plant is functional from 1st July 2007and presently being operated and maintained by DNPInfrastructures Ahmedabad The detailed specifications ofASTP are mentioned herewith (Tables 1 2)

Table 1 ASTP Specifications I (General)

Plant Capacity 106 MLD (Million Liter per Day)Peak Factor 2Peak Flow 212 MLDPlant Type UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket)Design Year 2001-2003Operation and Maintenance commenced 2003-2004

We visited all the units of ASTP in an orderly sequence vizPrimary Treatment Unit 1st and 2nd Stage BiologicalTreatment Units Sludge Process Unit and Gas HandlingSystem During our visit to each unit as we reached Unit D [with Sub-Unit 2 (Sludge Tanks) and Sub-Unit 3 (Sludge

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 27

Pers Comm) which could be due to close proximity of theplant by Vasna Barrage Pirana Dumping Yard and SabarmatiRiver frequently hovered by Pariah Kites in search of foodand nesting materials As the recorded mortality of PariahKite is gaining a peak day by day the projected mortalityrate (~ 480 to 500 birds per year) of the species could bealarming for the urbanites ecologists as well asconservationists As per the authorities of ASTP sludgetanks are filled with fluid sludge every week which get driedwithin two weeks and transformed into lumpy and fluffycakes of dry or stabilized sludge in fourth week Later theremaining water is discharged into River Sabarmati Thusfluid sludge (a treated wastewater) is converted into drysludge cakes within a month which are sold as manure ata rate of Rs 500 per quintal to the stakeholders which is tobe used by farmers in agricultural farming practices later

The probable reasons behind the communal death of PariahKites in ASTP could be due to the inconsistent compositionof domestic wastewater and industrial effluents infusion ofchemical residues along with heavy metals during thetreatment processes and unchecked toxicity levels (almostcritical than normal) of dry sludge cakes prior to its stake-holding It is proven that the treatment process does notremove 100 of the pathogens which profuse their growthsignificantly afresh after spreading which could have beenone of the major cause for the Kites mortality As a large

amount of sludge produces acids when get oxidized thepractice of adding sludge into agricultural farms to neutralizesoil acidity should discouraged in order to prevent themortality granivorous birds (Goio 2008)

In future to prevent such a huge mortality of Pariah Kitesas well as other resident birds in and around ASTP followingmitigating measures should be taken at immediate concerns(1) Checking the physico-chemical characteristics of inflowof domestic and industrial effluents before loading to thePrimary Treatment Unit (2) Viable processing of wastewaterduring 1st and 2nd Stage Biological Treatments (3) Monitoringof normal (permissible) toxicity levels of fluid sludge (4)Preparation of less toxic sludge beds with dry cakes (5)Covering each sludge bed with green mate to prevent falling

of birds therein (6) Use of reflector taps around each bedunit tank or plant to deviate the bird-path and (7) Incinerationof substantial amount of sludge to eliminate suchbiohazards

Till date as no such attempt has been made to report amass mortality of birds by sewage or sludge in India anation-wide systematic survey should be carried out to studythe effect of sewage and sludge on the communal death ofbirds in and around sewage treatment plants and sludgedisposal sites (landfills) of towns cities and metros In futuresuch types of case-studies may confer the causes concernsand preventive measures of mass mortality of birds due tospanning industrialization and urbanization to protect themfrom such man-made hazards

The author is grateful to Dr Swati Narolkar (FacultyEnvironmental Biotechnology ARIBAS) for her valuablesuggestions Mr MK Shah Mr Atul Patel and MrDevendra Patel (Authorities ASTP) for providing technicalinformation of the plant and all the students of IG-EBT forrendering their direct or indirect help throughout the study

Units

[A] Primary Treatment Unit

[B] 1st Stage BiologicalTreatment

[C] 2nd Stage BiologicalTreatment

[D] Sludge Process

[E] Gas Handling System

Sub-Units

(1) Inlet Sump(2) Inlet Chamber(3) Screen(4) Grit Chamber (Detritor)

(1) Division Tank DivisionBoxes and Distribution Boxes

(2) Reactor (UASB)

(1) Pre-Aerators(2) Aerated Lagoons

(1) Sludge Removal Valves andChambers(2) Sludge Tanks(3) Sludge Beds

(1) Gas Dome (2) Duel Fuel Generator(3) Gas Flaring System

Function

(1) Collection of raw sewage(2) Storage of raw sewage(3) Removal of floating materials eg Wood RubberPlastic etc with Step Screen and Mechanical Screen(4) To remove Sand Grit Cinders and other inorganicmaterials with Scrapper and Reciprocating Rack

Flow control

Trapping of particulate matter Partial or completedigestion of degradable matter Removal ofDissolved Organic Matter (DOM) by anaerobic bacteriaand its conversion into Biogas Settlement of SludgeCollection of water in Effluent Gutters and discharge itout of reactor

Removal of dissolved gases eg H2S CH

4 CO

2

Partial reduction in faecal coliforms and increase theconcentration of Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Flow control Storage of fluid sludgeCollection of Dry orStabilized sludge sold as Manure

Production of Biogas for generation of electricitySparkling fuel Flaring of excess gas

Table 2 ASTP Specifications II (Treatment Process)

28 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

References

Ali S 2002 The Book of Indian Birds 13th Revised EditionOxford University Press Mumbai 326 p

Ali S SD Ripley 1995 A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of theIndian Subcontinent Bombay Natural History Society OxfordUniversity Press Mumbai

Ali S SD Ripley 1996 A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of theIndian Subcontinent 2nd Edition (Reprint with Corrections)Bombay Natural History Society Oxford University PressMumbai

BioMap 2007 Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Projecthttpwwwbiomapegyptorgcasestudieswhite20storkBird20migration20case20studypdf

Ferguson-Lees DA Christie 2001 Raptors of the WorldChristopher Helm London

Goio E C 2008 Adding high doses of sludge to neutralise soilacidity not advisable The University of the Basque Countryh t t p w w w b a s q u e r e s e a r c h c o m berria_irakurriaspBerri_Kod=2016amphizk=I

Kazmierczak K 2000 A Field Guide to the Birds of India PicaPress East Sussex UK 352 p

KokuRyu R 2008 httpwwwmetafiltercom71300Ducks-in-Alberta-died-a-crude-death Accessed on March 25 2009

Naoroji R 2007 Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent OmBooks International New Delhi 692 p

Ripley SD 1982 A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistantogether with those of Nepal Bhutan Bangldesh and SriLanka 2nd Edition Bombay Natural History Society Bombay

Soni H (2007) Mass mortality of Sea Gulls at Lakhota LakeJamnagar Gujarat Flamingo (Newsletter of BirdConservation Society of Gujarat) Vol 5 (1 amp 2) 5-6

Wikipedia 2009 httpenwikipediaorgwikiSludge Accessedon March 25 2009

CORRESPONDENCE

CROWS HECKLING A MARSH HARRIER NIRMALA

CHATHOTH Volunteer Nature Club Surat

Sunday mornings if we (volunteers of Nature Club Surat) arein the city our destinations are Gavier Lake Eco farm Tapiriver bank or Dumas for birding On 29th March 2009 I chose tovisit the Gavier Lake I was not expecting much as the winterwas almost gone and I expected the lake to be empty But Iwas in for a surprise as always in nature The lake was shallowbecause the flow to the lake through the canal was minimalon account of diversion of water for irrigation of summer cropsHence about 30 to 40 of the lake was dry and this hadattracted so many waders to the lake The lake was full ofbirds and my checklist went up to 60 species for the day Icalled up other members of our club and we all settled for agood birding The Wagtails and Marsh Harriers had not yet

commenced their return journey or perhaps may be on theirlast leg Two Marsh Harriers were hovering over the lake makingthe birds to fly and settle This continued for some time Thenone of the Harriers caught a bird and settled on a drier part ofthe lake to savor its prey I was about 50 meters away from theHarrier and my binoculars were focused on the bird A HouseCrow arrived and perched on a tree near me and started callingin a peculiar manner I was annoyed by its repeated calls and Ishooed it away But instead of flying away it went to another treenearby and continued to call in the same manner Soon after Iignored the crow and kept a watch on the feeding activity of theHarrier To my surprise a few House Crows started landingnear the Harrier one after the other and I counted 32 Housecrows They gathered around the Harrier and pestered it to giveup its meal At that point the Harrier spread it wings and tail toform a semicircular barrier between its prey and the crows Thecrows did not give up one by one they started pulling the wingand tail feathers of the Harrier but seldom did they venture infront of the Harriers beak The Harrier did not bother much

about the heckling crowd completed its meal and went in searchof another The disappointed crows had to content themselveswith the meager leftovers such as feathers and bones of theprey Soon the crows left the spot nonchalantly Nature has givenme so many wonderful experiences and this was yet anothernoteworthy experience

e e e e e

FIRST SIGHTING OF COMMON SHELDUCK (Tadornatadorna) AND GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila) ATDEEPOR BEEL ONLY RAMSAR SITE OF ASSAMDIPANKAR LAHKAR PG Dept of Wildlife and ConservationBiology North Orissa University Baripada Orissa- 757003d i p a n k a r l a h k a r g m a i l c o m LAKHAN TERON Natu ra l is t Aaranyak andBISWAJIT BARUAH PG Dept of Wildlife and ConservationBiology North Orissa University Baripada Orissa- 757003

Deepor Beel as proposed WLS (26o0326 - 26o0926N and90o36 39 - 90o46 25 E) is a fresh water natural wetlandoccupying an area of around 414 Km2 in the Kamrup district ofAssam It is the lone Ramsar Site of the state and the second ofits kind in Northeast India after Loktok in Manipur The Beel hasa perennial water-holding area of about 101 Km2 which extendsup to 401Km2 during floods It was proposed as a Bird

Sanctuary with 41Km2 core area About 122 species ofseasonal migratory and residential birds visit the Beel everyyear (P Saikia and PC Bhattacharjee Unpublished)Considering the importance of the wetland Deepor Beel hasbeen included in Asian Directory (DA Scott (ed) 1989) and hasbeen also declared as a Ramsar Site (no1207) in 2002

On Sunday December 6 2006 I visited the wetland for birdwatching On approaching the water body I observed a flock offive white ducks having distinct chestnut band on the breastdark head with pink bill The ducks were identified as CommonShelduck (Grimmett et al1999 Ali and Ripely1983) after havingobserved at close quarters

The birds had dark green head with scapular stripe which canbe clearly observed from a distance The neck plumage was

28 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009

References

Ali S 2002 The Book of Indian Birds 13th Revised EditionOxford University Press Mumbai 326 p

Ali S SD Ripley 1995 A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of theIndian Subcontinent Bombay Natural History Society OxfordUniversity Press Mumbai

Ali S SD Ripley 1996 A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of theIndian Subcontinent 2nd Edition (Reprint with Corrections)Bombay Natural History Society Oxford University PressMumbai

BioMap 2007 Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Projecthttpwwwbiomapegyptorgcasestudieswhite20storkBird20migration20case20studypdf

Ferguson-Lees DA Christie 2001 Raptors of the WorldChristopher Helm London

Goio E C 2008 Adding high doses of sludge to neutralise soilacidity not advisable The University of the Basque Countryh t t p w w w b a s q u e r e s e a r c h c o m berria_irakurriaspBerri_Kod=2016amphizk=I

Kazmierczak K 2000 A Field Guide to the Birds of India PicaPress East Sussex UK 352 p

KokuRyu R 2008 httpwwwmetafiltercom71300Ducks-in-Alberta-died-a-crude-death Accessed on March 25 2009

Naoroji R 2007 Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent OmBooks International New Delhi 692 p

Ripley SD 1982 A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistantogether with those of Nepal Bhutan Bangldesh and SriLanka 2nd Edition Bombay Natural History Society Bombay

Soni H (2007) Mass mortality of Sea Gulls at Lakhota LakeJamnagar Gujarat Flamingo (Newsletter of BirdConservation Society of Gujarat) Vol 5 (1 amp 2) 5-6

Wikipedia 2009 httpenwikipediaorgwikiSludge Accessedon March 25 2009

CORRESPONDENCE

CROWS HECKLING A MARSH HARRIER NIRMALA

CHATHOTH Volunteer Nature Club Surat

Sunday mornings if we (volunteers of Nature Club Surat) arein the city our destinations are Gavier Lake Eco farm Tapiriver bank or Dumas for birding On 29th March 2009 I chose tovisit the Gavier Lake I was not expecting much as the winterwas almost gone and I expected the lake to be empty But Iwas in for a surprise as always in nature The lake was shallowbecause the flow to the lake through the canal was minimalon account of diversion of water for irrigation of summer cropsHence about 30 to 40 of the lake was dry and this hadattracted so many waders to the lake The lake was full ofbirds and my checklist went up to 60 species for the day Icalled up other members of our club and we all settled for agood birding The Wagtails and Marsh Harriers had not yet

commenced their return journey or perhaps may be on theirlast leg Two Marsh Harriers were hovering over the lake makingthe birds to fly and settle This continued for some time Thenone of the Harriers caught a bird and settled on a drier part ofthe lake to savor its prey I was about 50 meters away from theHarrier and my binoculars were focused on the bird A HouseCrow arrived and perched on a tree near me and started callingin a peculiar manner I was annoyed by its repeated calls and Ishooed it away But instead of flying away it went to another treenearby and continued to call in the same manner Soon after Iignored the crow and kept a watch on the feeding activity of theHarrier To my surprise a few House Crows started landingnear the Harrier one after the other and I counted 32 Housecrows They gathered around the Harrier and pestered it to giveup its meal At that point the Harrier spread it wings and tail toform a semicircular barrier between its prey and the crows Thecrows did not give up one by one they started pulling the wingand tail feathers of the Harrier but seldom did they venture infront of the Harriers beak The Harrier did not bother much

about the heckling crowd completed its meal and went in searchof another The disappointed crows had to content themselveswith the meager leftovers such as feathers and bones of theprey Soon the crows left the spot nonchalantly Nature has givenme so many wonderful experiences and this was yet anothernoteworthy experience

e e e e e

FIRST SIGHTING OF COMMON SHELDUCK (Tadornatadorna) AND GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila) ATDEEPOR BEEL ONLY RAMSAR SITE OF ASSAMDIPANKAR LAHKAR PG Dept of Wildlife and ConservationBiology North Orissa University Baripada Orissa- 757003d i p a n k a r l a h k a r g m a i l c o m LAKHAN TERON Natu ra l is t Aaranyak andBISWAJIT BARUAH PG Dept of Wildlife and ConservationBiology North Orissa University Baripada Orissa- 757003

Deepor Beel as proposed WLS (26o0326 - 26o0926N and90o36 39 - 90o46 25 E) is a fresh water natural wetlandoccupying an area of around 414 Km2 in the Kamrup district ofAssam It is the lone Ramsar Site of the state and the second ofits kind in Northeast India after Loktok in Manipur The Beel hasa perennial water-holding area of about 101 Km2 which extendsup to 401Km2 during floods It was proposed as a Bird

Sanctuary with 41Km2 core area About 122 species ofseasonal migratory and residential birds visit the Beel everyyear (P Saikia and PC Bhattacharjee Unpublished)Considering the importance of the wetland Deepor Beel hasbeen included in Asian Directory (DA Scott (ed) 1989) and hasbeen also declared as a Ramsar Site (no1207) in 2002

On Sunday December 6 2006 I visited the wetland for birdwatching On approaching the water body I observed a flock offive white ducks having distinct chestnut band on the breastdark head with pink bill The ducks were identified as CommonShelduck (Grimmett et al1999 Ali and Ripely1983) after havingobserved at close quarters

The birds had dark green head with scapular stripe which canbe clearly observed from a distance The neck plumage was

Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009 29

Address for Correspondence Newsletter for Birdwatchers

No 10 Sirur Park B Street SeshadripuramBangalore 560 020 India

Tel 080 2356 1142 2346 4682E-mail ltnavbaratgmailcomgt

Printed and Published bi-monthly byS Sridhar at Navbharath Enterprises

Seshadripuram Bangalore - 560 020 Indiafor Private Circulation only

Front Cover A Waterfowl Portfolio 1 Spot-billedPelican (Pelecanus philippensis) 2 Bar-headed Geese(Anser indicus) 3 Black ibis (Pseudibis papillosa)4 Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)All photographs by Ashish Pamer

dark green and tail black The flock of birds was not disturbedand continues to feed in the shallow water of the Beel for nearly20 minutes They were observed foraging close to the RuddyShelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) No calls were herd

As I moved to the Southern side of the wetland on boat I sawanother flock of ducks looking similar to the Tufted Duck (Aythyafuligula) but differed from the Tufted Duck in not having thecharacteristic occipital tuft As I focused my binocular I couldidentify an individual as the Greater Scaup The frontal view ofthe Greater Scaup looks very similar to the Tufted Duck butthrough the binocular its deep green head and grey throat wasdistinctly observed The mantel portion was dark white and tailwas black The flock was observed for approximately 10 minutesfrom approximately 60ft and 8 adults were recorded

Common Shelduck is uncommon winter visitor and occursporadically and irregularly in small parties and generally foundin open lake and large rivers (Ali and Ripely 1983) The GreaterScaup is also winter visitor (Grimmett et al1999)

The Common Shelduck and Greater Scaup are not included inthe checklist of the birds of Deepor Beel earlier (Barman et al1995) Thus this is the first report of these two rare species ofducks at Deepor Beel

For the above study we are thankful to Mr L Teron DrBTalukdar Dr R Barman Dr HJ Singha and MF Ahmed ofAaranyak I am also thankful to Mr B Baruah Mr S ChoudhuryI also convey my thanks to Mr Patgiri Range officer forestdepartment of Assam Wildlife Division

References

Ali and SDRipely(1983) Hand Book of The Birds of India And PakistanCompact Edition Oxford University Press Delhi

BarmanR P Saikia HJ Singha BK Talukdar And PCBhattacharjee(1995) Study on The Population Trend of Water Birdsat Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary Assam Vol 33 Nos1 And 2pp 25 to 40 PAVO

GrimmettR C Inskipp and I Inskipp (1999) Pocket Guide to the Birds ofthe Indian Sub-continent Oxford University Press Delhi

ScottDA(ed)(1989) A Dictionary of Asian Wetlands IUCN GlandSwitzerland pp 452-453

Fig 1 Sewage tank (Holistic view)

Fig 2 Sewage tank with sewage beds (Closer view)

Fig 3 Kite lying dead on sludge cakes

Fig 4 Dead Kite entrapped in sludge cakes

Photographs of the articleMass Mortality of Pariah Kites at ASTP by Hiren Soni

32 Newsletter for Birdwatchers 49 (2) 2009