Avifaunal diversity and conservation significance of coastal ecosystems on Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9248.16.12.26198-26212Keywords:
Bird migration, central asian flyway, gulf of mannar, hanuman plover breeding, over summering, shorebirds, waterbirds, winter visitorsAbstract
Biodiversity-rich areas tied to heritage, religious tourism, and ecotourism, often face changes to their landscapes due to infrastructure development. Such activities may threaten the species survival and disrupt the delicate ecosystems in these regions. Hence it becomes imperative to build up baseline species data from such areas for biodiversity conservation and management interventions. Towards achieving this objective, avifaunal inventories were documented from Kothandaramar Lagoon, Dhanushkodi Lagoon, and the Arichalmunai beach in Rameswaram Island, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, which is an important site for winter migrants. A total of 147 avian species belonging to 17 orders and 45 families from August 2021 to July 2023 were recorded. Order-wise, Charadriiformes (52 species) dominated the area, followed by Passeriformes (27 species) and Pelecaniformes (21 species). According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 11 ‘Near Threatened’, three ‘Vulnerable’, two ‘Endangered’ (Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris and Siberian Sandplover Anarhynchus mongolus), and one unassessed species (Hanuman Plover Charadrius seebohmi) were recorded. The relative abundance based on the frequency of observations indicated that 61% (90 species) were common, 22% (32 species) were uncommon, and 17% (25 species) were rare. Winter visitors constituted 42% (62 species) and one was a passage migrant (Rosy Starling Pastor roseus). Coastal lagoons of this region comprise diverse habitats that play a vital role for birds, which provide places for nesting, roosting, and foraging. This baseline data emphasizes the importance of Dhanushkodi Lagoon along with adjacent areas as an important wintering site on the southeastern coast of India for migratory shorebirds as well as highlights the importance of adjoining small forested patches thus required to be declared as a protected area.
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