Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2023 | 15(8): 23696–23709
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8494.15.8.23696-23709
#8494 | Received 27
April 2023 | Final received 24 July 2023 | Finally accepted 06 August 2023
Importance of conserving a
critical wintering ground for shorebirds in the Valinokkam Lagoon—a first study
of the avifaunal distribution of the southeastern coast of India
H. Byju 1, N.
Raveendran 2, S. Ravichandran 3 & R. Kishore 4
1,3 Centre of Advanced
Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu
608502, India.
2 Iragukal Amritha Nature Trust,
61, Ramachandra Thadaga Street, Thirumangalam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625706,
India.
4 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology
and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641108, India.
1 byjuhi@gmail.com (corresponding
author), 2 Iant.ravee@gmail.com, 3 sravicas@gmail.com, 4
kishorewfw@gmail.com
Editor: P.O. Nameer, Kerala Agricultural University,
Thrissur, India. Date of
publication: 26 August 2023 (online & print)
Citation: Byju, H., N. Raveendran, S. Ravichandran & R. Kishore (2023). Importance of
conserving a critical wintering ground for shorebirds in the Valinokkam
Lagoon—a first study of the avifaunal distribution of the southeastern coast of
India. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 15(8): 23696–23709. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8494.15.8.23696-23709
Copyright: © Byju et al. 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 authors declare no competing interests.
Author contributions: BH—conceptualization, writing and editing; YN, RN—data compilation, writing; SR—writing and editing; RK—writing and map
preparation.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank all our
birding friends and volunteers for several trips over the years for the bird
monitoring activities. We are also grateful to the support of the forest
department staff, specially Somu Prasad, from the Keelakarai range and the Gulf
of Mannar Wildlife Division, including all the wardens, for their continuous
support, active involvement, and guidance during several phases of the work. We
also remember the contributions of a few local community members and Salt
Corporation staff who assisted us in the field during some of our trips.
Abstract: Any new economic activity in a
virgin area brings landscape changes, making it essential to document baseline
biodiversity areas to understand the impacts on habitats. Avifaunal inventories
are critical for previously undocumented areas like the Valinokkam Lagoon in
the Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu, which is an undocumented wintering
site for shorebirds in the Central Asain Flyway (CAF). To formulate site and
species-specific conservation management tools, the first bird baseline recorded
154 species of 16 orders and 46 families from August 2016 to February 2023.
Order-wise, Charadriiformes (47 species) dominated the study area, followed by
Passeriformes (39 species) and Pelecaniformes (20 species). Furthermore,
according to the IUCN Red List Category, 11 Near Threatened (NT) species, one
Endangered (EN) species (Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris), and one
unassessed Hanuman Plover (Charadrius seebohmi) were recorded. The
relative abundance indicated that 61 % (94 species) were Common (C), 26.6% (41
species) were uncommon (UC), and 12.3 % (19 species) were rare (Ra). Based on
the residential status, winter visitors constituted 37.6 % (58 species) and one
Passage Migrant (Rosy Starling Pastor roseus). This baseline data
emphazises the importance of Valinokkam Lagoon as a crucial wintering site in
the CAF on the southeastern coast of
India for migratory shorebirds and the need for more conservation priorities
for regional endemic birds like Hanuman Plover.
Keywords:
Bird migration, Central Asian Flyway, Gulf of Mannar, Hanuman Plover
breeding, over summering, waterbirds, winter visitors.
Introduction
The documentation on avifaunal
diversity and distribution is widely done in India (Ali & Ripley 1987;
Rasmussen & Anderton 2005) and has helped to assess long-term landscape
changes, ecological assessments, and conservation planning (Kati &
Sekercioglu 2006), leading to new management ingenuities (Paul & Cooper
2005). The bird community structure of any area helps in understanding how the
landscape changes over time (Kattan & Franco 2004). As a fast-growing
economy, the country’s push for economic development for population demand is
ever-increasing, leading to landscape changes impacting the new virgin areas
(Jha et al. 2000; Purvis & Hector 2000; Velenturf & Purnell 2021).
Hence, there is a consistent need for monitoring new potential bird areas. For
long-term management approaches, local bird monitoring is critical (Gadgil
1996), and baseline knowledge is fundamental (Peterson et al. 2000; Llanos et
al. 2011). This helps in understanding the costs of habitation loss,
dilapidation, and climate change (Llanos et al. 2011).
The southeast coast of
India forms an important path in the Indian subcontinent of the CAF (Balachandran 2006; Sangha 2021), which
is the shortest flyway among the migratory pathways (Stroud et al. 2006).
Previous studies on the east coast of India revealed the declining trend of
shorebird populations and their habitats (Sandilyan et al. 2010; Kannan &
Pandiyan 2012; Rashiba et al. 2022; Byju et al. 2023a). The Gulf of Mannar
Marine Biosphere Park (GoM) serves as a significant link for both migratory and
resident shorebirds on the southeastern coast of India, along with the other
Important Bird Areas (IBA) like Chilika Lake in Odisha, Pulicat Lake in Andhra
Pradesh, and Point Calimere in Tamil Nadu (Balachandran 2006). Due to its
geographical proximity to Sri Lanka, GoM is an important stopover site in the
CAF for migratory waterbirds and passerines (Islam & Rahmani 2004). On the
Sri Lankan side, there are four IBAs (Anatidal-Thondamannar, Araly
South-Punale, Kaithady, and Kayts Island-Mandativu) in the Jaffna District
about 10 km away (Anonymous 2003) and has recorded 315 avian species
(Birdlife Internatonal 2022) including migratory shorebirds that migrate
annually from the northern autumn-winter to the tropics along the CAF
(Warakagoda & Sirivardana 2011) with the adjacent Indian mainland
(Rasmussen 2005).
Ramanathapuram District of Tamil
Nadu holds five bird sanctuaries, including two Ramsar sites and the GoM.
Recently, sightings of Artic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus (Byju &
Raveendran 2022a) and an unusual record of Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria
palpebrata (Byju & Raveendran 2022b) from the district highlight the
need for continuous monitoring of birds in the rapidly depleting environment
and the need of baseline surveys of populations from new extents. Updated
avifaunal details from the district have been reported from the 21 islands of
GoM (Byju et al. 2023a) and a new wintering site in Karangadu mangroves (Byju
et al. 2023b). The intensive and continuous monitoring of shorebirds also
revealed three breeding locations of newly elevated taxa Hanuman Plover Charadrius
seebohmi from the subspecies Charadrius alexandrinus seebohmi (Niroshan
et al. 2023) in the district (Byju et al. 2023c), which includes the present
study site. These findings emphasize the need for baseline data from unexplored
areas to help classify areas of conservation significance. This groundwork
emphasizes the need to conserve this critical shorebird wintering site in the
CAF and suggests elevating this site to protected status.
Materials
and Methods
Study Area
Valinokkam Lagoon (9.1661 oN,
78.6141 oE) is situated on the southeast coast of India, in the
Kadaladi Taluk of Ramanathapuram District in Tamil Nadu. The lagoon is
approximately 10.12 km long with an area of 1,145.84 ha and the salt pan
adjacent to it constitutes around
1,197.34 ha (Figure 1). Invasive Prosopis juliflora and Palmyra
Palm Borassus flabellifer trees surround the lagoon providing a habitat
for a variety of land birds. The State Salt Corporation pumps extra water from the sea and stores in
bunds for salt extraction forming a man-made
lagoon. This region gradually transformed into a mudflat that was home to several species of birds. The salt pans which
continuously harvest salt, contribute to the regular presence of birds in the
study site. Fishing activities and prawn culture are found only during a few
months when the water is plentiful. Along the edges of the lagoons halophytes
can also be seen.
Bird survey method
In Valinokkam Lagoon, bird
surveys were done from August 2016 to March 2019 and from August 2020 to February
2023. In the other periods mentioned, incidental bird records were collected
through opportunistic encounters. The birds were observed during the peak hours
of their activity, from 0600–1000 h and 1600–1800 h. Later, bird surveys
were conducted using block count and direct visual count methods (Howes &
Bakewell 1989; Bibby et al. 2000). In this method, five scanning points
were identified based on the water availability throughout the year and the
congregation with a varying distance of 600–1,500 m (Figure 1), and birds in
the blocks were observed using Nikon binoculars (10 x 50) and photographed with
a Canon 100–400 mm lens and identified with the help of field guides (Grimmett
et al. 2011; Hayman et al. 2011). Since this is a man-made lagoon no impact
of tides were there for the study. Bird counting started after five minutes at
each scanning point to allow the waterbirds to settle down to the human
presence. The observations recorded while moving from one scanning point to
another were entered as incidental records. The residential status of the birds
were grouped under different categories like Resident (R), Resident/ Not
Breeding (R/NB)), Passage Migrant (PM), and Winter Visitor (WV) depending on
their timing and duration of occurrence (Grimmett et al. 2011). The common
name, scientific name, IUCN Red List status, and migratory status are followed
(Praveen & Jayapal 2023). With regard to MacKinnon & Phillipps (1993),
data were later analyzed for relative abundance based on the number of sightings:
common (C) sighted seven to nine times; uncommon (UC) sighted three to six
times; rare (Ra) sighted once or twice.
Results
and Discussions
Avifauna structure
A total of 154 species of birds
belonging to 46 families under 16 orders were recorded from the Valinokkam
Lagoon (Table 1) (Image 1–10). Order-wise, Charadriiformes dominated the study
site with 47 species, followed by Passeriformes (39 species) and Pelecaniformes
(20 species), with the lowest being Pheonicopteriformes, Caprimulgiformes,
Bucerotiformes, and Psittaciformes sharing one species each (Figure 2). The highest number of bird
species was found to be represented by the family Scolopacidae (22 species),
followed by Laridae (12 species), Ardeidae (10 species), Anatidae (nine
species) and Charadriidae (nine species)
(Figure 3).
The residential status of the
birds was: winter visitors (WV) constituted 37.6% (58 species) and one passage
migrant (PM) Rosy Starling Pastor roseus. The relative abundance
indicated that (61%) 94 species were common, 26.6% (41 species) were uncommon, and (12.3%) 19 species were rare.
Eleven ‘Near Threatened’ (NT) species: Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa
lapponica, Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus,
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris
ferruginea, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, Great Stone-curlew Esacus
recurvirostris, Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Painted Stork Mycteria
leucocephala, Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, Red Knot Calidris
canutus, Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis, one
‘Endangered’ (EN) Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, one unassessed
Hanuman Plover Charadrius seebohmi, and the rest of 141 were of ‘Least
Concern’ (LC) according to the IUCN Red List category.
Valinokkam is a crucial wintering
site on the southeastern coast
Tamil Nadu is home to 535 bird
species according to Praveen & Jayapal (2023), and Valinokkam recorded 154
species (28.78%). A total of 77 waterbird species reported from this study
site, including 35 species of shorebirds, 21 species of large wading birds,
nine species of ducks, four species of gulls, and eight species of
terns. Six of the nine duck species were winter visitors: Common Teal Anas crecca, Bar-headed Goose Anser
indicus, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Garganey Spatula querquedula,
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata, and Northern Pintail Anas acuta,
and the remaining three were residents/not breeding (R/NB) in the area:
Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos, Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas
poecilorhyncha, and Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica.
Except for the Northern Pintail, which was rare, all the other taxa were
uncommon among the ducks.
Among the 21 species of large
wading birds, including herons, egrets, and ibises, only one was a local
migrant (LM), Western Reef-Heron Egretta gularis and the rest were
residents/not breeding on the site. Eighteen species were common, three
species were uncommon, and two species were rare (Table 1). The most dominant
waterbird species identified were Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia, Little
Egret Egreta garzeta and Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax
fuscicollis. Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Black-headed Ibis
Threskiornis melanocephalus, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala,
and Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis are the other four
waterbirds classified to be Near Threatened. The presence of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus
roseus throughout the year is significant, as there is no breeding record
from any nearby known locations on the peninsular India. The populations ranged
from 200 to 8,000 individuals through out the period of observation. This also
highlights that during December to March the high numbers is due to the arrival
of migratory populations, which should be further investigated.
The 35 shorebird species reported
included 30 winter visitors, and five species that were nesting locally. The
breeding birds include the Indian Stone Curlew Burhinus indicus, Great
Stone Curlew Esacus recurvirostris (one-time peak count of 12),
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus
himantopus, and the regionally endemic Hanuman Plover. Further, seven
species of shorebirds recorded were in the IUCN Red Listed ‘Near Threatened’
category: Great Stone Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian
Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, and Red Knot, and one species was
in the ‘Endangered’ category—the Great Knot. The Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius
mongolus (one-time peak count of 4,000) was the most dominant species
among the shorebirds recorded, followed by the Little Stint Calidris minuta
(one-time peak count of 3,000) and the Kentish Plover Charadrius
alexandrinus (one-time peak count of 2,800).
Apart from the shorebirds and
other waterbirds mentioned, four species of gulls, viz., Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus
genei, Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Brown-headed
Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus, and Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus
fuscus, were documented from this site. Of these, the most dominant ones
were Black-headed Gull and Brown-headed Gulls. In addition, eight species of
terns, viz., Little Tern Sternula albifrons, Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon
nilotica, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias
hybrida, Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus
bergii, Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis, and Sandwich
Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis were also encountered. Through out the
research period, Greater Crested Tern was the most prevalent species, followed
by the Lesser Crested Tern.
According to Skagen & Knopf
(1993), the diversity, abundance, and distribution of shorebirds are determined
by the distinctive characteristics of diverse geographical locations, which are
influenced by factors such as food availability, substrate character and
quality, water quality, and other factors. In this present study, majority of
shorebird species were recorded in the study area from late August through May,
while other shorebird species were observed in smaller numbers during June and
July. Species like Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, Common
Redshank Tringa totanus, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia,
Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris
ferruginea, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres, Whimbrel Numenius
phaeopus, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius
mongolus, and Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii were seen
over-summering in most of the study years. We also observed that most of the
over-summering birds were either juveniles or sexually unfit. In every year of
the study, a few birds over-summed in breeding plumage, like the Kentish
Plover, the Black-bellied Plover, the Ruddy Turnstone, and the Curlew Sandpiper
(Byju et al. in press). The Lesser Crested Tern and Greater Crested Tern are
both found throughout the year. Similarly, several over-summer shorebird
species have been reported from Kadalundi Vallikkunnu Community Reserve (KVCR)
(Aarif et al. 2020) and Changaram wetlands (Anand et al. 2023). Moreover, due
to the periodic pumping of fresh seawater into it for salt extraction in
response to the need for salt production, it can be deduced that the food
supplies required for over-summering shorebirds are readily accessible
throughout the year in this lagoon. Based on the above observations, it is
evident that this habitat provides shelter and food resources for
over-summering shorebirds.
On the east coast of India, 48
shorebird species have been reported (Sangha 2021). In Valinokkam, we
documented 35 species (73%) among them, which explicates the criticality of
this wintering site in the CAF for shorebirds. Mudflats on the eastern coast of
India recorded higher density, diversity, and richness of shorebirds (Pandiyan
& Asokan 2016; Aarif et al. 2021; Rao et al. 2022). The findings of
Valinokkam also substantiate these studies, as 35 shorebird species were
recorded when compared to 34 at Pulicat Lake (Kannan & Pandiyan 2012). The
study of the abundance and spatiotemporal patterns of shorebird populations is
necessary to devise management strategies for every ecosystem (Gourley et al.
2010). Therefore, in addition to the previously mentioned areas, it is important to perform extensive investigations
to identify all crucial shorebird and
stopover sites, seasons, and ecosystems along the Indian coast (Rao et al.
2022). Between breeding and wintering locations, stop-over sites are
essential for supporting long-distance migratory shorebirds (Boere et al.
2006). Valinokkam is a critical wintering site since it is close to other
significant wintering sites in
Karangadu (Byju et al. 2023b), GoM, IBA s of Sri Lanka, and other significant
eastern coast shorebird sites within the country on the CAF.
Conservation Significance
We assume that the unscientific
removal of Prosopis juliflora from the peripheries of the lagoon in the
last two years of study had dented the breeding population of Great Stone
Curlew and Indian Stone Curlew in the area as we were unable to find the
earlier population numbers during the later stages of the study. The breeding
of the Short-toed Snake-Eagle Circaetus gallicus here on Prosopis
is another important observation. Recent cutting of Prosopis juliflora exposed the lagoon
to the public as the access from the nearby roads have become easier. Even
though the area had not reported any poaching off late, some activities were
reported earlier as per the locals.
Migratory shorebirds adapt to
diverse coastal habitats, placing them as a global indicator species for
habitat changes (Koskimies 1989; Piersma & Lindstrom 2004). Rashiba et al.
(2022) emphasized the steady decline of shorebirds on the Indian east coast,
including GoM over the past decade. In the Valinokkam lagoon, pumping sea water
for salt production creates artificial wetlands that provide additional habitat
for feeding, roosting, and breeding for shorebirds. Saline wetlands are also
known to support a diverse array of plant and animal life, which can provide an
abundant food source for shorebirds. The traditional salt pans with water
storage ponds that form the artificial lagoon for the state salt corporation
are shallow and muddy, and the salinity is not much higher than the seawater,
which is more used by shorebirds than the actual salt pans that are shallow
evaporation ponds. This could be one of the reasons why small shorebirds prefer
this site. Similar findings have also been reported from Thailand’s salt pans
(Isola et al. 2000; Warnock et al. 2002). Salt production companies can work
with conservation organizations and researchers to develop management practices
that are compatible with maintaining shorebird diversity. This will help
balance economic development with environmental protection.
There are several advantages to
having a basic avifaunal checklist in an unexplored area. It provides baseline
data for identifying areas and species that need conservation and for creating
awareness about the importance of birds and their habitats. In addition, it
furthers research on the behaviour, ecology, and distribution of the birds.
Moreover, it attracts bird watchers and promotes tourism with the help of local
communities. The new wintering site in the CAF is also significant, as it helps
conservationists develop strategies and take measures to mitigate threats such
as habitat loss, pollution, hunting, and disturbance.
Conclusion
This pivotal study of a new
avifaunal checklist from the wintering site of Valinokkam Lagoon offers crucial
baseline data on bird species distribution that aids in the identification of
sites with high conservation value and guides conservation and management
decisions. Our understanding of the distribution and ecology of bird species
can be enhanced by using this information to fill in knowledge gaps.
Establishing this preliminary data might serve as foundation basis for tracking bird population changes over
time, aiding conservation efforts. This work could also
serve as a starting point for further research on habitat use and population
dynamics, leading to a deeper understanding of the ecology and conservation
needs of bird species, including migratory shorebirds and breeding studies of
unassessed Hanuman Plovers from this critical wintering site on the southeast
coast of India.
Table 1. Avifaunal checklist
of Valinokkam Lagoon, Ramanathapuram,
Tamil Nadu, India.
|
|
Order/Family/Common name |
Scientific name |
IUCN Red List status |
Resident status |
Relative abundance |
|
|
Anseriformes: Anatidae |
||||
|
1 |
Knob-billed Duck |
Sarkidiornis melanotos |
LC |
R/NB |
UC |
|
2 |
Common Teal |
Anas crecca |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
3 |
Bar-headed Goose |
Anser indicus |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
4 |
Greylag Goose |
Anser anser |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
5 |
Garganey |
Spatula querquedula |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
6 |
Northern Shoveler |
Spatula clypeata |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
7 |
Indian Spot-billed Duck |
Anas poecilorhyncha |
LC |
R/NB |
UC |
|
8 |
Lesser Whistling Duck |
Dendrocygna javanica |
LC |
R/NB |
UC |
|
9 |
Northern Pintail |
Anas acuta |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
|
Phoenicopteriformes: Phoenicopteridae |
||||
|
10 |
Greater Flamingo |
Phoenicopterus roseus |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
|
Columbiformes: Columbidae |
||||
|
11 |
Rock Pigeon |
Columba livia |
LC |
R |
C |
|
12 |
Spotted Dove |
Spilopelia chinensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
13 |
Eurasian collared Dove |
Streptopelia decaocto |
LC |
R |
C |
|
14 |
Laughing Dove |
Spilopelia senegalensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
15 |
Red Collared Dove |
Streptopella tranquebarica |
LC |
R |
UC |
|
|
Caprimulgiformes: Apodidae |
||||
|
16 |
Asian Palm Swift |
Cypsiurus balasiensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Cuculiformes: Cuculidae |
||||
|
17 |
Asian Koel |
Eudynamys scolopaceus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
18 |
Common Hawk Cuckoo |
Hierococcyx varius |
LC |
R |
Ra |
|
19 |
Greater Coucal |
Centropus sinensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
20 |
Blue-faced Malkoha |
Phaenicophaeus viridirostris |
LC |
R |
C |
|
21 |
Pied Cuckoo |
Clamator jacobinus |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
|
Galliformes: Phasianidae |
||||
|
22 |
Grey Francolin |
Ortygornis pondicerianus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
23 |
Indian Peafowl |
Pavo cristatus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Pelecaniformes: Ciconiidae |
||||
|
24 |
Asian Openbill Stork |
Anastomus oscitans |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
25 |
Painted Stork |
Mycteria leucocephala |
NT |
R/NB |
C |
|
|
Pelecanidae |
||||
|
26 |
Spot-billed Pelican |
Pelecanus philippensis |
NT |
R/NB |
C |
|
|
Ardeidae |
||||
|
27 |
Black-crowned Night Heron |
Nycticorax nycticorax |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
28 |
Cattle Egret |
Bubulcus ibis |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
29 |
Purple Heron |
Ardea purpurea |
LC |
R/NB |
UC |
|
30 |
Grey Heron |
Ardea cinerea |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
31 |
Indian Pond Heron |
Ardeola grayii |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
32 |
Intermediate Egret |
Ardea intermedia |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
33 |
Great Egret |
Ardea alba |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
34 |
Little Egret |
Egretta garzetta |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
35 |
Striated Heron |
Butorides striata |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
36 |
Western Reef Egret |
Egretta gularis |
LC |
LM |
UC |
|
|
Threskiornithidae |
||||
|
37 |
Black-headed Ibis |
Threskiornis melanocephalus |
NT |
R/NB |
C |
|
38 |
Eurasian Spoonbill |
Platalea leucorodia |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
39 |
Glossy Ibis |
Plegadis falcinellus |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
|
Phalacrocoracidae |
||||
|
40 |
Great Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax carbo |
LC |
R/NB |
UC |
|
41 |
Indian Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax fuscicollis |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
42 |
Little Cormorant |
Microcarbo niger |
LC |
R/NB |
C |
|
|
Anhingidae |
||||
|
43 |
Oriental Darter |
Anhinga melanogaster |
NT |
R/NB |
UC |
|
|
Charadriiformes: Recurvirostridae |
||||
|
44 |
Black-winged Stilt |
Himantopus himantopus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
45 |
Pied Avocet |
Recurvirostra avosetta |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
|
Burhinidae |
||||
|
46 |
Indian Stone-Curlew |
Burhinus indicus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
47 |
Great Stone-Curlew |
Esacus recurvirostris |
NT |
R |
UC |
|
|
Charadriidae |
||||
|
48 |
Black-bellied Plover |
Pluvialis squatarola |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
49 |
Pacific Golden Plover |
Pluvialis fulva |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
50 |
Lesser Sand Plover |
Charadrius mongolus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
51 |
Greater Sand Plover |
Charadrius leschenaultii |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
52 |
Kentish Plover |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
53 |
Common Ringed Plover |
Charadrius hiaticula |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
54 |
Hanuman Plover |
Charadrius seebohmi |
NA |
R |
C |
|
55 |
Little Ringed Plover |
Charadrius dubius |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
56 |
Red-wattled Lapwing |
Vanellus indicus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Scolopacidae |
||||
|
57 |
Black-tailed Godwit |
Limosa limosa |
NT |
WV |
UC |
|
58 |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
Limosa lapponica |
NT |
WV |
UC |
|
59 |
Whimbrel |
Numenius phaeopus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
60 |
Eurasian Curlew |
Numenius arquata |
NT |
WV |
C |
|
61 |
Temminck's Stint |
Calidris temminckii |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
62 |
Little Stint |
Calidris minuta |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
63 |
Ruff |
Calidris pugnax |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
64 |
Curlew Sandpiper |
Calidris ferruginea |
NT |
WV |
C |
|
65 |
Dunlin |
Calidris alpina |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
66 |
Red necked Stint |
Calidris ruficollis |
NT |
WV |
Ra |
|
67 |
Common Sandpiper |
Actitis hypoleucos |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
68 |
Ruddy Turnstone |
Arenaria interpres |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
69 |
Green Sandpiper |
Tringa ochropus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
70 |
Marsh Sandpiper |
Tringa stagnatilis |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
71 |
Wood Sandpiper |
Tringa glareola |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
72 |
Common Greenshank |
Tringa nebularia |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
73 |
Common Redshank |
Tringa totanus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
74 |
Terek Sandpiper |
Xenus cinereus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
75 |
Sanderling |
Calidris alba |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
76 |
Great Knot |
Calidris tenuirostris |
EN |
WV |
UC |
|
77 |
Red Knot |
Calidris canutus |
NT |
WV |
UC |
|
78 |
Common Snipe |
Gallinago gallinago |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
|
Laridae |
||||
|
79 |
Slender-bill Gull |
Chroicocephalus genei |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
80 |
Black-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
81 |
Brown-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
82 |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
Larus fuscus |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
83 |
Common Tern |
Sterna hirundo |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
84 |
Little Tern |
Sternula albifrons |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
85 |
Caspian Tern |
Hydroprogne caspia |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
86 |
Greater Crested Tern |
Thalasseus bergii |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
87 |
Lesser Crested Tern |
Thalasseus bengalensis |
LC |
WV |
C |
|
88 |
Sandwich Tern |
Thalasseus sandvicensis |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
89 |
Gull-billed Tern |
Gelochelidon nilotica |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
90 |
Whiskered Tern |
Chlidonias hybrida |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
|
Accipitriformes: Pandionidae |
||||
|
91 |
Osprey |
Pandion haliaetus |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
|
Accipitridae |
||||
|
92 |
Booted Eagle |
Hieraaetus pennatus |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
93 |
Black Kite |
Milvus migrans |
LC |
R |
C |
|
94 |
Black-winged Kite |
Elanus caeruleus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
95 |
Brahminy Kite |
Haliastur
indus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
96 |
Shikra |
Accipiter badius |
LC |
R |
C |
|
97 |
Short-toed snake eagle |
Circaetus gallicus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
98 |
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier |
Circus aeruginosus |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
99 |
White-eyed Buzzard |
Butastur teesa |
LC |
R |
Ra |
|
100 |
Oriental Honey-buzzard |
Pernis ptilorhynchus |
LC |
LM |
UC |
|
101 |
European Honey-buzzard |
Pernis apivorus |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
102 |
White-bellied Sea Eagle |
Haliaeetus leucogaster |
LC |
LM |
C |
|
|
Strigiformes: Strigidae |
||||
|
103 |
Spotted Owlet |
Athene brama |
LC |
R |
C |
|
104 |
Short eared Owl |
Asio flammeus |
LC |
R |
UC |
|
|
Bucerotiformes: Upupidae |
||||
|
105 |
Common Hoopoe |
Upupa epops |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Piciformes: Picidae |
||||
|
106 |
Black-rumped Flameback |
Dinopium benghalense |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Megalaimidae |
||||
|
107 |
Coppersmith Barbet |
Psilopogon haemacephalus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Coraciiformes:Meropidae |
||||
|
108 |
Blue-tailed Bee-eater |
Merops philippinus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
109 |
Green Bee-eater |
Merops orientalis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Coraciidae |
||||
|
110 |
Indian Roller |
Coracias benghalensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Alcedinidae |
||||
|
111 |
Pied Kingfisher |
Ceryle rudis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
112 |
White-throated Kingfisher |
Halcyon smyrnensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Falconiformes:Falconidae |
||||
|
113 |
Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
114 |
Eurasian Kestrel |
Falco tinnunculus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Psittaciformes: Psittacidae |
||||
|
115 |
Rose-ringed Parakeet |
Psittacula krameri |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Passeriformes: Artamidae |
||||
|
116 |
Ashy Woodswallow |
Artamus fuscus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Dicruridae |
||||
|
117 |
Black Drongo |
Dicrurus macrocercus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
118 |
Ashy Drongo |
Dicrurus leucophaeus |
LC |
R |
UC |
|
|
Laniidae |
||||
|
119 |
Brown Shrike |
Lanius cristatus |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
120 |
Bay-backed Shrike |
Lanius vittatus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Vangidae |
||||
|
121 |
Common Woodshrike |
Tephrodornis pondicerianus |
LC |
R |
Ra |
|
|
Corvidae |
|
|
|
|
|
122 |
House Crow |
Corvus splendens |
LC |
R |
C |
|
123 |
Rufous Treepie |
Dendrocitta vagabunda |
LC |
R |
C |
|
124 |
Large-billed Crow |
Corvus macrorhynchos |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Nectariniidae |
|
|
|
|
|
125 |
Purple-rumped Sunbird |
Leptocoma
zeylonica |
LC |
R |
C |
|
126 |
Purple Sunbird |
Cinnyris asiaticus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Ploceidae |
||||
|
127 |
Baya Weaver |
Ploceus philippinus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Estrildidae |
||||
|
128 |
Indian Silverbill |
Euodice malabarica |
LC |
R |
C |
|
129 |
Scaly-breasted Munia |
Lonchura punctulata |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Passeridae |
||||
|
130 |
House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
131 |
Yellow-throated Sparrow |
Gymnoris xanthocollis |
LC |
R |
UC |
|
|
Motacillidae |
||||
|
132 |
Tawny Pipit |
Anthus campestris |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
133 |
Paddy Field Pipit |
Anthus rufulus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
134 |
White-browed Wagtail |
Motacilla maderaspatensis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
135 |
Western Yellow Wagtail |
Motacilla flava |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
|
Alaudidae |
||||
|
136 |
Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark |
Eremopterix griseus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
137 |
Jerdon’s Bushlark |
Mirafra affinis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
138 |
Oriental Skylark |
Alauda gulgula |
LC |
R |
C |
|
139 |
Sykes’s Short-toed Lark |
Calandrella dukhunensis |
LC |
WV |
UC |
|
|
Cisticolidae |
||||
|
140 |
Common Tailorbird |
Orthotomus sutorius |
LC |
R |
C |
|
141 |
Plain Prinia |
Prinia inornata |
LC |
R |
C |
|
142 |
Zitting Cisticola |
Cisticola juncidis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
143 |
Ashy Prinia |
Prinia socialis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Leiotrichidae |
||||
|
144 |
Yellow-billed Babbler |
Argya affinis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Acrocephalidae |
||||
|
145 |
Blyth's Reed Warbler |
Acrocephalus dumetorum |
LC |
R/NB |
UC |
|
146 |
Booted Warbler |
Iduna caligata |
LC |
R/NB |
Ra |
|
|
Hirundinidae |
||||
|
147 |
Barn Swallow |
Hirundo rustica |
LC |
WV |
Ra |
|
148 |
Red-rumped Swallow |
Cecropis daurica |
LC |
R |
UC |
|
|
Pycnonotidae |
||||
|
149 |
Red-vented Bulbul |
Pycnonotus cafer |
LC |
R |
C |
|
|
Sturnidae |
||||
|
150 |
Brahminy Starling |
Sturnia pagodarum |
LC |
R |
UC |
|
151 |
Common Myna |
Acridotheres tristis |
LC |
R |
C |
|
152 |
Rosy Starling |
Pastor roseus |
LC |
PM |
UC |
|
|
Muscicapidae |
||||
|
153 |
Indian Robin |
Copsychus fulicatus |
LC |
R |
C |
|
154 |
Pied Bushchat |
Saxicola caprata |
LC |
R |
C |
IUCN Red list status: LC—Least
Concern | NT—Near Threatened | EN—Endangered |NA: Not assessed | Resident
status: WV—Winter Visitor | LM—Local Migrant | R—Resident |
R/NB—Resident/Non-Breeding | Relative abundance: C—Common | UC—Uncommon |
Ra—Rare.
For
figures & images - - click here for full PDF
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