Ornithofauna and its conservation in the Kuttanad wetlands, southern portion of Vembanad-Kole Ramsar site, India

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Published: Apr 26, 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o1870.1663-76

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S.P. Narayanan
A.P. Thomas
B. Sreekumar

Abstract

The avifauna of Kuttanad was studied from January 1995 to June 2007. Two-hundred-and-twenty-five taxa of birds belonging to 15 orders and 59 families were recorded. Among the birds recorded, 38% were migrants. Fifty-five species were found to breed in the area. Family Scolopaceidae showed maximum species diversity. European Roller Coracias garrulus recorded during this study is the first report of this species from Kerala. Ten globally threatened species were recorded. Kuttanad wetland shows greater species diversity, especially in the wetland birds, than the Kole wetlands of Kerala. Kumarakom heronry holds 8% of the biogeographical population of the Near Threatened Oriental Darter. Landscape alteration, hunting, felling of nesting trees and pesticides are the major detrimental factors for the survival of birds. Conservation aspects of birds of this region are discussed.

Article Details

Issue
Vol 3, No 4 (2011)
Section
Communications

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Author Biographies

S.P. Narayanan

S. Prasanth Narayanan is a research scholar at Mahatma Gandhi University. As part of his PhD programme, he is working on the ecology of the Oriental Darter of Kuttanad wetlands.

A.P. Thomas

A.P. Thomas is the Director of the Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, an inter-university centre of Mahatma Gandhi University. He has contributed more than 50 research papers in the field of environmental sciences.

B. Sreekumar

B. Sreekumar is a professional orthopaedic surgeon and the President of Kottayam Nature Society. Since 2001, who regularly conducts the annual waterfowl census at Vembanad Lake and adjacent regions, with the help of Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department.