Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2023 | 15(7): 23529–23544
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7520.15.7.23529-23544
#7520 | Received 13
June 2021 | Final received 19 June 2023 | Finally accepted 30 June 2023
Birds of Kanetiya area -
inventory, notable sightings, and overview of seasonal changes in reporting
frequency of bird species in an unprotected area of Himachal Pradesh, India
Samakshi Tiwari
Plot no. 26 B. Khasra no.-1328,
Oshonagar, Kanusi Kanpur road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 225073, India.
Abstract: Biodiversity of unprotected areas
in the western Himalayan region is under threat. Despite this, it is poorly
studied and documented. The citizen science platform eBird was used to record
bird species of the unprotected Kanetiya area (Darbhog panchayat), Shimla,
Himachal Pradesh from August 2019–2020. Reporting frequency using this data was
calculated to represent an index of species abundance. This was calculated
independently for each species across three seasons and reported as a metric
that can be tracked over time. One-hundred-and-twenty-four (20% of the species
from Himachal Pradesh) species of birds belonging to 13 orders and 43 families
were recorded. Of these, 37 (30%) were recorded year-round and the remaining
87% (80%) were migratory. The checklist consisted of five species of high
conservation concern and 22 species of moderate conservation concern. This
checklist also provides insights into the distributions of some species whose
ranges within India are not yet well defined (Northern Long-eared Owl Asio
otus, Aberrant Bush Warbler Horornis flavolivaceus, Himalayan Owl Strix
nivicolum) and into migration through this part of the Himalaya (Black
Stork Ciconia nigra). Locals can be educated to upload short checklists
for monitoring since they have helped the local forest department’s
conservation efforts.
Keywords: Abundance, checklist, eBird,
reporting frequency, western Himalaya.
Editor: Rajiv S. Kalsi, M.L.N. College, Haryana,
India. Date of publication: 26
July 2023 (online & print)
Citation: Tiwari, S. (2023). Birds of Kanetiya area - inventory, notable
sightings, and overview of seasonal changes in reporting frequency of bird
species in an unprotected area of Himachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 15(7): 23529–23544. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7520.15.7.23529-23544
Copyright: © Tiwari 2023. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in
any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of
publication.
Funding: None.
Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.
Author details: I started pursuing full-time
research in conservation and ecology in 2018. I volunteered to provide the
foundational work for the Urban Green Space Project at Forest
Research Institute, Dehradun and worked briefly with the Black Kites Project,
Wildlife Institute of India. In 2019, I joined the Cheer Pheasant
Reintroduction Program under the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, Shimla as a research assistant. Currently, I am not affiliated with any
institute but continue to learn, read, and write about conservation.
Acknowledgments: I thank Ashwin Viswanathan for commenting on various drafts of the
manuscript and suggesting the method for analyzing the data and reporting
frequency. I also thank Sandhya Marathe and Monica Kaushik for commenting on
early stages of the manuscript. I am grateful to residents, especially, Vikas
Thakur, Sanjeev Kumar, Satish Thakur, Laikram Thakur, Mamta Thakur, and Dhiman for sharing their personal observations with me. I am
grateful to Puja Sharma, Tim Inskipp, Rajah Jayapal, and staff of SACON and WII
library for providing various reference materials used in the manuscript. I
also thank the reviewers and the subject editor for their valuable
suggestions and constructive criticism. For methodology, I also referred to
https://www.slideshare.net/suhelq/neighbourhood-bird-monitoring-through-consistent-listing.
Introduction
Himachal
Pradesh in the western Himalaya is home to several species of animals and
plants. The protected area network of the state consists of five national
parks, 26 wildlife sanctuaries, and three conservation reserves spread across
8,391 km2 (Himachal Pradesh Forest Department 2022). Apart from
this, several species are found in the unprotected region, which makes up more
than 85% of the state. These include several endemic and threatened species
like the Musk Deer Moschus moschiferus, Cheer Pheasant Catreus
wallichii, and Himalayan Yew Taxus wallichiana. Although unprotected
areas of the western Himalaya support biodiversity, they are threatened by
deforestation, habitat alteration and habitat fragmentation caused by the
construction of roads and trails (Pandit et al. 2007; Pandit & Kumar 2013).
Habitats of such areas may change or degrade completely, leading to extinctions
even before the documentation of their biodiversity is complete (González-Oreja
2008). Conversion of natural habitat can specifically lead to local extinctions
of specialist species across various taxa (Korkeamäki & Suhonen 2002;
Munday 2004). For example, the Vulnerable Cheer Pheasant became locally extinct
in Jaunaji, Himachal Pradesh, after grasslands were converted into agricultural
lands (Kaul 2014). Medicinal plants like the Elephant’s Foot Dioscorea
deltoidea and Himalayan Yew are threatened with extinction due to
overexploitation (IUCN 2008). In private landholdings of rural areas, local
communities often burn grasses and understories to increase the yield of grass
in summer (Garson et al. 1992). This endangers native ground-dwelling birds and
other fauna (Manupriya 2019).
Due to
these concerns, scientists, conservation managers, and local communities must
focus on monitoring and devising ways to conserve these habitats (Herremans
1998) and the species they support. This will require an inventory of taxa
found in different regions (Llanos et al. 2011; Sharma et al. 2018) and an
understanding of the effects of land use change on various floral and faunal
communities.
Birds can
be used as model taxa to understand the biodiversity health of an ecosystem
(Eglington et al. 2012). This is because they play diverse roles in an
ecosystem (e.g., pollinators, seed dispersers) (Garcia et al. 2010; Whelan et
al. 2015) and have an intricate association with their environment.
Subsequently, areas that support many birds of high conservation concern can be
prioritized for conservation. Repeated surveys can also draw attention to the
decline in functional diversity of bird species from an area. This can further
highlight the degradation in ecosystem services like decomposition,
pollination, and seed dispersal (Şekercioğlu et al. 2004).
An
informative baseline checklist of the birds of the human-dominated Kanetiya
area in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh is presented in this study. This landscape
lies in Darbhog panchayat, Shimla Rural tehsil. It lies outside the protected
area network and is shaped by various anthropogenic activities of the
residents. Reporting frequency has been used to provide an index of the
seasonal abundance of each species. This can be used as a baseline to assess
the change in species composition with time.
Materials and Methods
Study area
This study
uses checklists submitted by the author [ST] while visiting Seri, Bagdra,
Jalpan, Kool, and Undala villages and their surroundings. These villages lie
within the Kanetiya region (Figure 1) named after the local deity Kanetiya
Maharaj. The region comes under the jurisdiction of the Darbhog panchayat,
Shimla rural tehsil.
The
surveyed area spreads across 3.5 km2. Its elevation ranges from c.
1,480–2,190 m, between 31.0340–31.0115 °N and 77.2764–77.3004 °E. A tributary
of the river Yamuna flows through the lowest part of the sampled area. The
landscape is highly fragmented and comprises plant communities either dominated
by Banj Oak Quercus leucotrichophora, Deodar Cedrus deodara, or
grasslands scattered with Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii. The area has a
temperate climate and the temperature ranges from -9–31 °C. Snowfall occurs in
the area almost every year, and in January 2020, it reached an eight-year high
(Press Trust of India 2020). Residents used the area for fodder collection,
resin, wood collection, cattle grazing and religious purposes. In June 2019, a
forest patch of the area suffered from a fire that had spread to it from nearby
grasslands.
The area
lies 22 km from Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, 26 km from Churdhar Wildlife
Sanctuary, and 8 km from Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary (Google
Earth Pro 2020). Though it lies outside sanctuaries and national parks, the
Himachal Pradesh Forest Department in cooperation from residents has
reintroduced the Vulnerable Cheer Pheasant in grasslands between Seri and
Undala villages (IUCN 2020b). The reintroduction site consists of a demarcated
intensive management area that spreads across one square kilometer and consists
of grasslands and demarcated protected forests.
Data
collection
The bird
checklists were uploaded using the eBird mobile app while visiting the region
between August 2019 and August 2020. When all identified species were reported,
the checklists were deemed complete; however, if some species were deliberately
omitted, they were considered incomplete. Along with these details, the
checklists included the date, starting time, duration, observation type
(stationary/traveling) and track record. Species were recognized visually or by
call, and checked with field guides (Grimmett et al. 2011; Rasmussen &
Anderton 2012) and the Merlin picture identification app (The Cornell
Laboratory 2020) for confirmation. Photographs and call recordings of
unidentified species were shared with experts for identification.
Around 341
complete checklists from the eBird website were downloaded and combined with 11
complete checklists uploaded by other eBird users who visited the area during
the study period. If a checklist had been shared with multiple observers, the
version with the maximum number of species was chosen. In addition to the eBird
collection, a local reported one species (Cattle Egret Bulcus ibis). A
total of 212 checklists (60%) were less than an hour long, 107 checklists
ranged in length from one to two hours and 24 checklists, each lasting between
two and three hours. Two checklists were 4 to 5 hours long, while seven
checklists ranged in length 3–4 hours. The checklists concerned the three
seasons. These were the summer season (April through June; effort: 80
checklists), the monsoon season (July through September; effort: 37
checklists), and the winter season (October through March; effort: 235
checklists). The dataset included 100 stationary checklists (summer 22, monsoon
7, and winter 71) and 252 traveling checklists (summer 58, monsoon 29, and
winter 165). Throughout the course of the research, 346.28 hours were put in
(summer: 76.13; monsoon: 27.12; winter: 243.03), and 129.09 km were traveled
(summer: 23.6; monsoon: 22.96; winter: 82.53).
Data
analysis
Microsoft
Excel 2007 was used to organize the data and calculate the reporting frequency
of each species across different seasons. Reporting frequency is the percentage
of checklists in which a species was recorded over a given period ((number of
checklists a species was recorded during a season/number of total complete
checklists reported during the season) X 100) (Viswanathan et al. 2020; eBird
2021c). Reporting frequency was calculated for each species separately for
three seasons.
Species
were classified as ‘year-round’ if they were reported across all three seasons,
and ‘seasonal’ if they were detected only during certain seasons. India
checklist v4.0 (Praveen et al. 2020) and IUCN Red List (IUCN 2020a) were used
to refer to the taxonomy of species and their threat status, respectively. State
of India’s Birds Report (SoIB 2020a) was used to categorize birds as per their
status of conservation concern. This report used short-term and long-term
population trends of species to categorize them as species of high, moderate,
and low conservation concern.
Results
One-hundred-and
-twenty-four bird species belonging to 13 orders and 43 families were recorded.
Of these, 37 were present year-round and 87 were seasonal. 74, 57, and 101
species were recorded in summer, monsoon, and winter, respectively.
Five
species of high conservation concern (SoIB 2020a) were recorded during the
study. All five had a low reporting frequency. These were Cheer Pheasant Catreus
wallichii (summer-10, winter- 2.55), Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus
(winter- 1.70), Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus (summer-1.25,
winter- 6.38), Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis (monsoon-2.70, winter-
11.06), and White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis (winter- 0.85). None
of these were record in all three seasons.
About 22
species of moderate conservation concern were identified (SoIB 2020a). In all
three seasons (summer, monsoon, and winter), the Himalayan Griffon Gyps
himalayensis had the highest reported frequency. In the summer and monsoon
seasons, the Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus was seen to report a frequency
of 52.5 and 32.43, respectively. Other species of moderate conservation concern
included the Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis,
Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus, Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus
chloronotus, and Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus, all of which had
very low reporting frequencies in all three seasons (<10) (Table 1).
Of the
remaining 97 species, 89 were of low conservation concern and eight had not
been categorized.
The most
frequently observed species during the summer were Striated Prinia Prinia
crinigera (68.75), Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenis (67.5),
Great Barbet Psilopogon virens (66.25), Large-billed Crow Corvus
macrorhynchos (65), Blue-throated Barbet Psilopogon asiaticus (52.5)
and Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus (52.5) (Figure 2). Of these, the
Blue-throated Barbet Psilopogon asiaticus and Upland Pipit Anthus
sylvanus were designated as seasonal. In the monsoon season, Himalayan
Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenis (78.38), Great Barbet Psilopogon virens
(43.24), Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera (40.54), Large-billed Crow Corvus
macrorhynchos (40.54), Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus
(40.54) and Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus (32.43) were reported most
frequently. All of the species that were most frequently reported during the
winter were recorded all year round. These include the Large-billed Crow Corvus
macrorhynchos (71.06), Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenis
(61.28), Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (50.64), Blue Whistling
Thrush Myophonus caeruleus (33.19), Grey-hooded Warbler Phylloscopus
xanthoschistos (29.36), and Great Barbet Psilopogon virens (27.23).
Thirty-seven
species were recorded in all three seasons and classified as year-round or
resident. These included species of moderate conservation concern like the
Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (summer- 37.5, monsoon-27.03,
winter- 50.64), Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (summer- 6.25, monsoon-
5.41, winter- 5.53), Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus (summer-
2.5, monsoon- 2.70, winter- 2.13), Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus
chloronotus (summer- 2.5, monsoon- 2.70, winter- 2.98), and Grey-headed
Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis (summer- 1.25, monsoon- 2.70,
winter- 0.43).
Of the
year-round species, 17 had the highest reporting frequency during summer
(Figure 2A), 12 during the monsoon (Figure 2B) and eight during the winter
season (Figure 2C).
Thirteen
species were exclusively recorded during the summer. Three of these, Black
Stork Ciconia nigra (an incidental record), Plumbeous Water Redstart Phoenicurus
fuliginosus (an incidental record) and Himalayan Cuckoo Cuculus
saturates (11.25) were of moderate conservation concern. Of the species
recorded exclusively during the monsoon, three, namely Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa
dauurica (2.7) and Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros (5.41) were
of moderate conservation concern and the Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Monticola
rufiventris (2.70) was of low conservation concern 37 species were recorded
exclusively during the winter. Among these, raptors like the Red-headed Vulture
Sarcogyps calvus (1.70) and White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
(0.85) were of high conservation concern. A few species of moderate
conservation concern like Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrosomia (0.43),
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos (0.85), Long-tailed Shrike Lanius
schach (1.70), Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana (0.43),
Black-throated Accentor Prunella atrogularis (2.13), Himalayan
White-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus thura (0.43), and White-capped Bunting
Emberiza stewarti (0.43) were exclusively recorded during this season.
Significant
sightings
The
following records are significant as they provide information about the species
which have been recently split like the Himalayan Owl Strix nivicolum
(Dixit et al. 2016). It also contains species that have patchy distributions
across India (for e.g., Northern Long-eared Owl Asio otus) (König &
Weick 2010; Grimmett et al. 2011) or western Himalaya (e.g., Cheer Pheasant Catreus
wallichii, Black Stork Ciconia nigra, and Rufous-chinned
Laughingthrush Garrulax rufogularis). The Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps
calvus (BirdLife International 2022) and Koklas Pheasant Pucrasia
macrolopha (BirdLife International 2016) are two records that additionally
include information about the species’ upper and lower elevation limits,
respectively.
Cheer
Pheasant Catreus wallichii (Image 1A): Other bird watchers and the
author recorded wild individuals 16 times (distinguish from reintroduced
individuals based on leg bands) using eBird (eBird 2022b). Sanjeev Kumar (a
resident) also photographed three individuals on 30 December 2019. The highest
count of birds was 12, recorded on 23 December 2019 (Tiwari 2019e). The absence
of this species during monsoon may be either due to local migration of the
species from the area or because Cheer Pheasants are less vocally active
outside the breeding season (Gaston 1980). This grassland bird is found where
areas are disturbed naturally or anthropogenically (Kaul et al. 2022). Cattle
grazing and grassland burning in the area help maintain the habitat which
supports this species.
Koklass
Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha: On 10 December 2019, Thakur (2019)
observed a male Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha about 100 m from
the Kanetiya Temple (height c. 2,200 m). According to BirdLife International
(2016), this is not far from the species’ lowest elevation range. Locals have
regularly reported seeing it at an elevation of 300 m higher, suggesting that
it may have locally relocated to this area.
Black Stork
Ciconia nigra (Image 1B) was recorded on 15 May 2020 (Tiwari 2020e). It
has isolated records in Himachal Pradesh (Grimmett et al. 2011). After 20
minutes of circling the area, it flew eastward, perhaps on its way back to its
breeding grounds.
Cattle
Egret Bubulcus ibis (Image 1C): Mamta Thakur (resident) recorded one
individual in the second week of January 2020. In this study, this species was
identified by its yellow beak and differentiated from the Intermediate egret Ardea
intermedia by its compact body. Though the species has few records from
Shimla district (eBird 2022a) and is a resident in altitudinally lower areas of
other districts (for e.g., Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, Sirmaur) (Grimmett et al.
2011) this is the only record of the species from the Kanetiya area.
Red-headed
Vulture Sarcogyps calvus (Image 1F): During the winter, this species was
seen flying over the forest located at an altitude of c. 2,000 m on four
occasions (01 December 2019 (Tiwari 2019c), 14 December 2019 (Tiwari 2019d), 10
March 2020 (Tiwari 2020a) and 14 February 2020 (Thakur 2020)). This is close to
the upper elevation limit of the bird (BirdLife International 2022).
Himalayan
Owl Strix nivicolum: The species was heard in Seri Village from a Pistacia
integerrima tree on 4 May 2020 (Tiwari 2020c) and 7 May 2020 (Tiwari
2020d). The distribution of this species is not very well known as it has
recently been split from the Tawny Owl Strix alco (Dixit et al. 2016).
Northern
Long-eared Owls Asio otus (Image 2D): Locals and the author recorded 1–4
individuals eight times in the grasslands near Seri village from 4–21 February
2020 (Tiwari & Kumar 2020). The species has erratic records from India
(König & Weick 2010; Grimmett et al. 2011) and has only 25 records from the
western Himalayan region (Tiwari & Kumar 2020).
Aberrant
Bush Warbler Horornis flavolivaceus: Sharma (2020) reported the species
on 20 February 2020 from the study area. BirdLife International (2017) record
its occurrence to the eastern boundary of Himachal Pradesh and Grimmett et al.
(2011) do not include Himachal Pradesh in the range of the species.
Nevertheless, the species has records from Himachal Pradesh on eBird (eBird
2021a). It has records throughout the Himalayan region, the westernmost from
Jammu & Kashmir (year 2019).
Rufous-chinned
Laughingthrush Garrulax rufogularis (Image 3F): On 30 November 2019
(Tiwari 2019b), four individuals were found in bushes near the foot of a cliff
that overhung a piece of grassland at a height of around 1,900 m. On the eBird
platform (eBird 2022c), this is the species’ fourth report from the Shimla
District. The species is widespread in the eastern hills of India and the
Himalaya, but its distribution in the western Himalaya is patchy (Grimmett et
al. 2011). In Himachal Pradesh, there are more than 100 records, however, they
are only found in Kangra (on the state’s western border) and the territories
around Shimla District (on the state’s eastern border).
Wallcreeper
Tichodroma muraria (Image 3G): One individual was recorded foraging on a
rock surface along the road near Seri Village on 23 October 2019 (Tiwari
2019a). This species is found at high altitudes in the Himalaya (c. 3,300–5,000
m) throughout the year but is known to move towards lower elevations (up to c.
600m (eBird 2022e)) during the winter (Kirwan et al. 2020). Therefore, it could
have been moving towards lower elevations at the onset of winter in the higher
Himalayan region.
Tree Pipit Anthus
trivialis (Image 3G): Three individuals were recorded in the fields of Seri
village (c. 1,850 m) on 20 March 2020 (Tiwari 2020b). This species is a
long-distant migrant. It winters (non-breeding season) in peninsular India and
migrates to the trans-Himalayas, parts of Europe and North and Central Asia
from mid-March to early May (SoIB 2020b; Tyler 2020). Therefore, these
individuals could have been moving towards their breeding grounds.
Table 1
presents a comprehensive checklist of bird species recorded in August 2019–2020
along with the IUCN category (IUCN 2020a), category of conservation concern
(SoIB 2020a) and reporting frequency across seasons of each species.
DISCUSSION
The environment of the Kanetiya region is shaped by local practices such
as grassland burning, cattle grazing, and resource collection. The effects of
human activities on bird diversity in the Himalayan terrain can be understood
by comparing it to surrounding protected areas. The locals often voluntarily
mitigate fires that occur in forest patches. Furthermore, locals protect small
swathes of forest known as Devta ka Jungle (sacred groves), which are devoted
to regional deities. Customary laws protect these areas from exploitation and
destruction Bisht & Ghildiyal 2007; Salick et al. 2007; Anthwal et al.
2010; Singh et al. 2019). These customary laws apply to the forest next to the
Kanetiya temple as well, and the land is protected by the locals.
The Cheer
Pheasant Reintroduction Programme has been in progress since November 2019 in
the designated protected forests and private grasslands close to Seri and
Undala villages (IUCN 2020b). The local forest department’s conservation
program has received backing from the community, which has also taken part. The
department could implement additional strategies that involve locals to promote
conservation. This may include preparing them to submit simple bird checklists
to eBird for monitoring.
Using the
citizen science platform eBird, a list of 124 species was created across 3.5 km2
with 39% of the species recorded from Shimla (eBird 2022d) and 20% of the
species from Himachal Pradesh. This variety is brought about by the
availability of several habitat types (Somveille et al. 2013; Dixit et al.
2016), elevation fluctuations, and unusual climatic conditions regarding
temperature and moisture (Graham et al. 2014). Due to fewer visits to
particular environments, some species may have been overlooked because of the
non-systematic observations used to create this checklist.
This area
is a breeding ground not only for the 37-year-round resident species but also
for birds recorded only during the summer. These include Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus
jotaka, Himalayan Cuckoo Cuculus saturates, Wedge-tailed Green
Pigeon Treron sphenurus, Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus,
Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus, Dusky Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne
concolor, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta cinnamoventris, Booted
Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus and Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus.
Additionally, birds like Black Stork Ciconia nigra, Oriental Honey
Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus, Northern Long-eared Owl Asio otus
and Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis might be using the area as a passage to
their breeding grounds as they have incidental records during the summer
season.
This area
might be serving as a passage to the wintering grounds for some species which
were recorded at either a very low reporting frequency or only once at the
onset of winter. These include Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus,
White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis, Aberrant Bush Warbler Horornis
flavolivaceus and Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria.
Despite
recording a high number of birds, some species that are recorded from nearby
areas couldn’t be recorded during the study period. These include the Green
Bee-eater Merops orientalis, Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus,
Spot-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas melanozanthos, Black-and-yellow Grosbeak Mycerobas
icterioides, Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus, Large Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx
sparverioides and Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus (eBird 2022d).
While the Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus was recorded during the
summer other sunbirds and flowerpeckers couldn’t be recorded in any season. I
also did not record the Black Kite Milvus migrans, which is frequently
reported from the Shimla district (eBird 2021b). As per local testimony, the
Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar used to occur in the area but became
locally extinct 10–15 years ago. Residents had also identified Indian Paradise
Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradise in previous years, but it was not
recorded during the study.
Some
species were recorded only near the village houses. These include the Rock
Pigeon Columba livia which was recorded across all three seasons at very
low frequencies (Summer- 2.5, monsoon- 2.70, winter- 0.85) and House Sparrow Passer
domesticus which was recorded at slightly higher frequencies across seasons
(summer- 16.25, monsoon- 10.81, winter- 17.45). The Common Myna Acridotheres
tristis was also recorded exclusively near village houses in the monsoon
(2.70) and winter (2.98).
Most
species recorded across all three seasons were rare (recorded with a low
reporting frequency) (Figure 3). This pattern is seen in many other studies
conducted across various ecosystems (Brown 1984).
Though such
non-systematically collected information is valuable (Barnes et al. 2015), the
scope of studies based on opportunistic observations can be limited (Snäll et
al. 2011; Bird et al. 2014; Henckel et al. 2020). Reporting frequency is a
function of abundance and detectability of a species (SoIB 2020a), but as
detectability of a species varies among observers with different abilities for
different species, it cannot be used to assess the change in population sizes
of birds. Therefore, this study only provides a baseline index of abundance
across seasons. A more systematic study based on consistent sampling protocol
and effort can provide better information on the change in population of
different species and can also be used to confirm true absences accurately
(Thompson 2002).
A bird
monitoring scheme focusing on unprotected areas can be developed by training
bird watchers across the Himalaya to consistently record birds. This will
require a simple and yet strict sampling design. Bird Count India (2021) is
executing a similar effort at the national level as the Patch Monitoring
Project. Such systemic surveys based on community participation can be more
widespread and less resource-intensive (Neate-Clegg et al. 2020). They will
also help create awareness and aid in conservation.
Table 1. Checklist of bird
species recorded in the Kanetiya region (3.5 km²) from August 2019–2020 along
with the IUCN category (IUCN 2020a), category of conservation concern (SoIB
2020a) and reporting frequency across seasons.
|
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
IUCN Red List status |
Status of conservation concern |
Summer (April–June) (80 checklists) |
Monsoon (July–September) (36 checklists) |
Winter (October–March) (235 checklists) |
Migratory status |
|
1 |
Indian Peafowl |
Pavo cristatus |
LC |
L |
3.75 |
0 |
1.28 |
S |
|
2 |
Black Francolin |
Francolinus francolinus |
LC |
L |
47.5 |
40.54 |
15.74 |
YR |
|
3 |
Red Junglefowl |
Gallus gallus |
LC |
L |
7.5 |
2.70 |
0 |
S |
|
4 |
Cheer Pheasant |
Catreus wallichii |
VU |
H |
10 |
0 |
2.55 |
S |
|
5 |
Kalij Pheasant |
Lophura leucomelanos |
LC |
L |
27.5 |
13.51 |
12.34 |
YR |
|
6 |
Koklass Pheasant |
Pucrasia macrolopha |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
7 |
Rock Pigeon |
Columba livia |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
2.70 |
0.85 |
YR |
|
8 |
Oriental Turtle Dove |
Streptopelia orientalis |
LC |
L |
17.5 |
10.81 |
0.85 |
YR |
|
9 |
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon |
Treron sphenurus |
LC |
L |
6.25 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
10 |
Himalayan Cuckoo |
Cuculus saturatus |
LC |
M |
11.25 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
11 |
Common Cuckoo |
Cuculus canorus |
LC |
M |
35 |
2.70 |
0 |
S |
|
12 |
Grey Nightjar |
Caprimulgus jotaka |
LC |
ND |
15 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
13 |
Black Stork |
Ciconia nigra |
LC |
M |
I* |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
14 |
Cattle Egret |
Bubulcus ibis |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
I* |
S |
|
15 |
Bearded Vulture |
Gypaetus barbatus |
NT |
M |
1.25 |
0 |
2.55 |
S |
|
16 |
Oriental Honey Buzzard |
Pernis ptilorhynchus |
LC |
L |
I* |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
17 |
Red-headed Vulture |
Sarcogyps calvus |
CR |
H |
0 |
0 |
1.70 |
S |
|
18 |
White-rumped Vulture |
Gyps bengalensis |
CR |
H |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
19 |
Himalayan Griffon |
Gyps himalayensis |
NT |
M |
37.5 |
27.03 |
50.64 |
YR |
|
20 |
Short-toed Snake Eagle |
Circaetus gallicus |
LC |
H |
1.25 |
0 |
6.38 |
S |
|
21 |
Mountain Hawk Eagle |
Nisaetus nipalensis |
LC |
L |
I* |
0 |
I* |
S |
|
22 |
Booted Eagle |
Hieraaetus pennatus |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
23 |
Steppe Eagle |
Aquila nipalensis |
EN |
H |
0 |
2.70 |
11.06 |
S |
|
24 |
Golden Eagle |
Aquila chrysaetos |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
25 |
Bonelli's Eagle |
Aquila fasciata |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
2.98 |
S |
|
26 |
Hen Harrier |
Circus cyaneus |
LC |
ND |
3.75 |
0 |
2.55 |
S |
|
27 |
Shikra |
Accipiter badius |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
2.13 |
S |
|
28 |
Mountain Scops Owl |
Otus spilocephalus |
LC |
ND |
6.25 |
0 |
4.68 |
S |
|
29 |
Collared Owlet |
Glaucidium brodiei |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
30 |
Asian Barred Owlet |
Glaucidium cuculoides |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
2.98 |
S |
|
31 |
Himalayan Owl |
Strix nivicolum |
LC |
ND |
I* |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
32 |
Northern Long-eared Owl |
Asio otus |
LC |
ND |
0 |
0 |
2.55 |
S |
|
33 |
Common Hoopoe |
Upupa epops |
LC |
M |
3.75 |
2.70 |
0 |
S |
|
34 |
Great Barbet |
Psilopogon virens |
LC |
L |
66.25 |
43.24 |
27.23 |
YR |
|
35 |
Blue-throated Barbet |
Psilopogon asiaticus |
LC |
L |
52.5 |
13.51 |
0 |
S |
|
36 |
Speckled Piculet |
Picumnus innominatus |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
1.28 |
S |
|
37 |
Brown-fronted Woodpecker |
Dendrocoptes auriceps |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
2.70 |
9.36 |
YR |
|
38 |
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos macei |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
2.13 |
S |
|
39 |
Himalayan Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos himalayensis |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
2.13 |
S |
|
40 |
Lesser Yellownape |
Picus chlorolophus |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
41 |
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker |
Picus squamatus |
LC |
L |
28.75 |
27.03 |
19.15 |
YR |
|
42 |
Grey-headed Woodpecker |
Picus canus |
LC |
L |
0 |
8.11 |
2.55 |
S |
|
43 |
Common Kestrel |
Falco tinnunculus |
LC |
M |
6.25 |
5.41 |
5.53 |
YR |
|
44 |
Eurasian Hobby |
Falco subbuteo |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
45 |
Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
46 |
Slaty-headed Parakeet |
Psittacula himalayana |
LC |
L |
43.75 |
13.51 |
12.34 |
YR |
|
47 |
Long-tailed Minivet |
Pericrocotus ethologus |
LC |
M |
2.5 |
2.70 |
2.13 |
YR |
|
48 |
White-browed Shrike-babbler |
Pteruthius aeralatus |
LC |
ND |
1.25 |
0 |
1.28 |
S |
|
49 |
White-throated Fantail |
Rhipidura albicollis |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
2.13 |
S |
|
50 |
Black Drongo |
Dicrurus macrocercus |
LC |
L |
5 |
8.12 |
1.28 |
YR |
|
51 |
Ashy Drongo |
Dicrurus leucophaeus |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
52 |
Long-tailed Shrike |
Lanius schach |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
1.70 |
S |
|
53 |
Eurasian Jay |
Garrulus glandarius |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
54 |
Black-headed Jay |
Garrulus lanceolatus |
LC |
L |
10 |
5.41 |
5.96 |
YR |
|
55 |
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie |
Urocissa flavirostris |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
56 |
Red-billed Blue Magpie |
Urocissa erythroryncha |
LC |
L |
5 |
8.11 |
3.83 |
YR |
|
57 |
Grey Treepie |
Dendrocitta formosae |
LC |
L |
13.75 |
27.03 |
17.02 |
YR |
|
58 |
Spotted Nutcracker |
Nucifraga caryocatactes |
LC |
ND |
10 |
29.73 |
0 |
S |
|
59 |
Large-billed Crow |
Corvus macrorhynchos |
LC |
L |
65 |
40.54 |
71.06 |
YR |
|
60 |
Yellow-bellied Fantail |
Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
61 |
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher |
Culicicapa ceylonensis |
LC |
M |
1.25 |
2.70 |
0.43 |
YR |
|
62 |
Coal Tit |
Periparus ater |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
1.70 |
S |
|
63 |
Green-backed Tit |
Parus monticolus |
LC |
L |
5 |
10.81 |
11.91 |
YR |
|
64 |
Cinereous Tit |
Parus cinereus |
LC |
L |
7.5 |
16.22 |
10.64 |
YR |
|
65 |
Himalayan Black-lored Tit |
Machlolophus xanthogenys |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
8.11 |
4.26 |
YR |
|
66 |
Striated Prinia |
Prinia crinigera |
LC |
L |
68.75 |
40.54 |
5.11 |
YR |
|
67 |
Dusky Crag Martin |
Ptyonoprogne concolor |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
68 |
Red-rumped Swallow |
Cecropis daurica |
LC |
L |
10 |
5.41 |
1.70 |
YR |
|
69 |
Himalayan Bulbul |
Pycnonotus leucogenis |
LC |
L |
67.5 |
78.38 |
61.28 |
YR |
|
70 |
Black Bulbul |
Hypsipetes leucocephalus |
LC |
L |
3.75 |
16.23 |
1.70 |
YR |
|
71 |
Buff-barred Warbler |
Phylloscopus pulcher |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
72 |
Hume's Warbler |
Phylloscopus humei |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
73 |
Lemon-rumped Warbler |
Phylloscopus chloronotus |
LC |
M |
2.5 |
2.70 |
2.98 |
YR |
|
74 |
Common Chiffchaff |
Phylloscopus collybita |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
75 |
Grey-hooded Warbler |
Phylloscopus xanthoschistos |
LC |
L |
47.5 |
27.03 |
29.36 |
YR |
|
76 |
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler |
Horornis fortipes |
LC |
L |
6.25 |
5.41 |
0.851 |
YR |
|
77 |
Aberrant Bush Warbler |
Horornis flavolivaceus |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
78 |
Black-throated Tit |
Aegithalos concinnus |
LC |
L |
13.75 |
5.41 |
16.17 |
YR |
|
79 |
Whiskered Yuhina |
Yuhina flavicollis |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
80 |
Indian White-eye |
Zosterops palpebrosus |
LC |
L |
12.5 |
21.62 |
3.83 |
YR |
|
81 |
Black-chinned Babbler |
Cyanoderma pyrrhops |
LC |
L |
0 |
8.11 |
1.28 |
S |
|
82 |
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler |
Erythrogenys erythrogenys |
LC |
L |
32.5 |
29.73 |
13.62 |
YR |
|
83 |
Jungle Babbler |
Argya striata |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
84 |
White-throated Laughingthrush |
Pterorhinus albogularis |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
I* |
S |
|
85 |
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush |
Ianthocincla rufogularis |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
86 |
Streaked Laughingthrush |
Trochalopteron lineatum |
LC |
L |
26.25 |
13.51 |
20 |
YR |
|
87 |
Variegated Laughingthrush |
Trochalopteron variegatum |
LC |
L |
3.75 |
0 |
8.94 |
S |
|
88 |
Rufous Sibia |
Heterophasia capistrata |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
8.09 |
S |
|
89 |
Chestnut-tailed Minla |
Actinodura strigula |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
1.28 |
S |
|
90 |
Wallcreeper |
Tichodroma muraria |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
91 |
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch |
Sitta cinnamoventris |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
92 |
Bar-tailed Treecreeper |
Certhia himalayana |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
2.98 |
S |
|
93 |
Common Myna |
Acridotheres tristis |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
2.98 |
S |
|
94 |
Grey-winged Blackbird |
Turdus boulboul |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
2.70 |
0.43 |
YR |
|
95 |
Black-throated Thrush |
Turdus atrogularis |
LC |
ND |
2.5 |
0 |
2.98 |
S |
|
96 |
Asian Brown Flycatcher |
Muscicapa dauurica |
LC |
M |
0 |
2.7 |
0 |
S |
|
97 |
Verditer Flycatcher |
Eumyias thalassinus |
LC |
L |
20 |
5.41 |
3.83 |
YR |
|
98 |
Blue Whistling Thrush |
Myophonus caeruleus |
LC |
L |
23.75 |
24.32 |
33.19 |
YR |
|
99 |
Himalayan Bush Robin |
Tarsiger rufilatus |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
1.28 |
S |
|
100 |
Ultramarine Flycatcher |
Ficedula superciliaris |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
101 |
Plumbeous Water Redstart |
Phoenicurus fuliginosus |
LC |
M |
I* |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
102 |
Blue-capped Redstart |
Phoenicurus coeruleocephala |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
20.43 |
S |
|
103 |
Black Redstart |
Phoenicurus ochruros |
LC |
M |
0 |
5.41 |
0 |
S |
|
104 |
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush |
Monticola rufiventris |
LC |
L |
0 |
2.70 |
0 |
S |
|
105 |
Blue-capped Rock Thrush |
Monticola cinclorhyncha |
LC |
L |
8.75 |
5.41 |
0 |
S |
|
106 |
Siberian Stonechat |
Saxicola maurus |
LC |
L |
20 |
13.51 |
1.70 |
YR |
|
107 |
Grey Bushchat |
Saxicola ferreus |
LC |
L |
16.25 |
5.41 |
7.66 |
YR |
|
108 |
Purple Sunbird |
Cinnyris asiaticus |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
109 |
Scaly-breasted Munia |
Lonchura punctulata |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.85 |
S |
|
110 |
Altai Accentor |
Prunella himalayana |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
111 |
Rufous-breasted Accentor |
Prunella strophiata |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
1.70 |
S |
|
112 |
Black-throated Accentor |
Prunella atrogularis |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
2.13 |
S |
|
113 |
House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus |
LC |
L |
16.25 |
10.81 |
17.45 |
YR |
|
114 |
Russet Sparrow |
Passer cinnamomeus |
LC |
L |
8.75 |
0 |
5.96 |
S |
|
115 |
Upland Pipit |
Anthus sylvanus |
LC |
M |
52.5 |
32.43 |
0 |
S |
|
116 |
Tree Pipit |
Anthus trivialis |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
117 |
Common Rosefinch |
Carpodacus erythrinus |
LC |
L |
6.25 |
0 |
0 |
S |
|
118 |
Pink-browed Rosefinch |
Carpodacus rodochroa |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
1.703 |
S |
|
119 |
Himalayan white-browed rosefinch |
Carpodacus thura |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
120 |
Plain Mountain Finch |
Leucosticte nemoricola |
LC |
L |
0 |
0 |
3.83 |
S |
|
121 |
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch |
Chloris spinoides |
LC |
M |
0 |
2.70 |
2.13 |
S |
|
122 |
Fire-fronted Serin |
Serinus pusillus |
LC |
L |
2.5 |
0 |
5.53 |
S |
|
123 |
Rock Bunting |
Emberiza cia |
LC |
L |
1.25 |
0 |
19.15 |
S |
|
124 |
White-capped Bunting |
Emberiza stewarti |
LC |
M |
0 |
0 |
0.43 |
S |
|
* Incidental Record(s) LC—Least Concern | EN—Endangered | NT—Near
Threatened | VU—Vulnerable | CR—Critically Endangered. H—High | M—Moderate | L—Low | ND—Not Determined. S—Seasonal | YR—Year-round. |
||||||||
For
figures & images - - click here for full PDF
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