ORNITHOLOGICAL SURVEY IN MALABAR

ORNITHOLOGICAL SURVEY IN MALABAR

Ornithology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of birds. Ornithological surveying

Therefore involves monitoring bird activity within the Port of Dover. Most birdwatchers, within and outside the county boundary, would agree that Kent is one of the premier counties in Britain for birds, partly because the extensive coastline produces habitats rich in diversity.

Why do we monitor bird activity? Long-term datasets become more valuable each year and are vital to scientists in helping them understand and predict the effects of climate, port operations and land-use changes on birds. As these impacts may vary with latitude, weather conditions, and habitat type, it is important to undertake surveys regularly.

Winter Bird and Breeding Bird Surveys are conducted throughout both the Eastern and Western Docks counting birds within the limits of the Port and those which are within 50 metres radius of the port limits. The surveys involve counting and mapping all birds present including any breeding activity during the Breeding Bird Survey. Flight paths are also noted for birds in transit from one area of the port to another. Winter Bird Surveys are conducted twice a month between October and February. Breeding Bird Surveys are also conducted bi-monthly but over the breeding season between March and May inclusive.

Monitoring nests and breeding activity over long periods of time creates baseline data that can be

used to help detect changes in the abundance, distribution, and overall productivity of breeding bird populations. The ability to detect changes in reproductive performance is a crucial part of assessing  population health and developing conservation guidelines or implementing management techniques. Mapping the location of each bird sighting raises awareness of bird activity and may affect future developments. As a port we aim to conserve our natural environment both in terms of physical and biological properties. Working towards this the port aims to schedule planned developments to create minimal impact throughout the breeding season by using the data collected .

The Forest Department of Kerala has just completed the first-ever ornithological survey for the Malabar region recording 341 species of birds. The survey is one of a kind notable for its sheer depth and span, more comprehensive than all such surveys undertaken so far in India. Hopefully, the five-member team including four eminent ornithologists commissioned by the Forest Department of Kerala, having completed such a through status report on the birds of Kerala, has established a new national benchmark for all such wildlife surveys in future.

The survey spans locations in North Kerala, which covers Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargode districts. The area extends from the Ghats, through the midlands, to the seacoast, which lies north of Palakkad Gap. The forest areas studied are the Silent Valley National Park, Mannarkad forest division, Nilambur North and South divisions, the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary and their neighbouring areas as well as the Reserve Forests of Kasargode district and the wetlands of North Malabar. Twelve locations, within them 58 sites and 103 transects, covering a distance of 2,200km were identified in the survey. This included six habitat types – tropical evergreen, tropical moist deciduous, tropical dry deciduous, Shola grassland, low elevation evergreen grassland and wetland areas. The 341 species of birds surveyed comes to 73.27 per cent of all bird species so far recorded from Kerala. The survey could successfully estimate the density of 48 species of birds. Yellow-browed Bulbul is credited with the highest density (122.4 birds/sq km) followed by Small Sunbird with a density of 109.7.

The other high-density birds recorded are White-cheeked Barbet, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Black-headed Babbler and Oriental White-eye. Interestingly the density estimate also includes some of the skulking birds such as Indian Blue Robin, White–throated Ground Thrush and Spotted Babbler but the density of such birds could not be estimated during the Travancore-Cochin Survey 2009. Density estimate for six migratory birds including Green Leaf-Warbler, Large–billed Leaf Warbler and Blyth’s Reed Warbler, and for some Western Ghat endemic birds such as Blue–winged Parakeet, Malabar Hornbill, Grey–headed Bulbul and Indian Rufus Babbler are also be obtained.  The survey also records the encounters of raptors, globally-threatened species of birds, rare birds, and abundant birds, as well as sightings of heronries of Malabar and breeding nests of birds. Of the 1,149 individual raptors belonging to 32 species encountered, 11 species are migrants and 21 residents. The two critically endangered vulture species, the White-backed vulture and Red-headed vulture, are sighted in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, the only region in Kerala that supports these vulture species.

22 of the 341 species surveyed belong to globally-threatened category as notified by IUCN. Alarmingly, of the 22 threatened species 17 are residents and, of which 9 are specifically endemic to Western Ghat. 15 species of birds are found to be abundant in the region, of which two are migrants, and one endemic. They include Yellow-browed Bulbul, Small Sunbird; Green Leaf-Warbler, Large–billed Leaf-Warbler and the three species of Bulbuls including the Black Bulbul. 15 species are found to be rare with only one sighting for each. Syke’s Warbler, Indian Grey Hornbill, Jerdon’s Bush Lark and Sirkeer Malkoha are some of the rare birds recorded. 121 breeding records for 58 species, of which five records each are for Malabar Grey Hornbill and Small Sunbird, four for White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, one each for Nilgiri Laughing-thrush and Black and Orange Flycatcher, and two for Wayanad Laughing-thrush, all of which are endemic to Western Ghat. The landmark survey was conducted by an efficient team of five ornithologists led by C. Sasikumar, the Chief Investigator, and his four research associates, C.K. Vishnudas, S. Raju, P.A. Vinayan and V.A. Shebin. The surveyors spent a year (from November 1 2010 to the middle of October 2011) during, which they had covered over 4000 km, trekking through treacherous forest areas enduring extreme weather conditions and threats from wild animals. 

                                                                         Prof. John Kurakar