A comprehensive bird survey organised jointly by the State Forest department and the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology of the South Wayanad and North Wayanad forest divisions on the Western Ghats recorded 177 species.
Out of the 177 species, 45 were found on sky islands and among them five species — Banasura chilappan, Black and orange flycatcher, Nilgiri sholakili, Bright-headed Cisticola and Long-billed pipit — are restricted to mountain tops.
Sky islands are unique habitats existing on mountain tops above 1,500 metres from mean sea level. Shola grasslands are the unique feature of these islands.
As many as 146 species of birds were recorded in the South Wayanad forest and 92 species in North Wayanad.
Three-day survey
A total of 58 birdwatchers across south India took part in the three-day survey and 18 camps were set up on the mountains, including the Camel’s Hump Mountain complex, Mandamala, Ambamala Vannathimala, Kurichyarmala, Banasuramala, Soorymudi and Brahmagiri mountain ranges for the survey.
Nineteen species of raptors, belonging to schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, were sighted from the South Wayanad mountain ranges. Apart from this, five species of pigeons, seven species of woodpeckers, three drongos, six bulbuls, eight babblers and eight species of flycatchers were recorded.
Banasura Chilappan ( Montecincla jerdoni), the newly described and one of the most endangered forest birds, was spotted in the Shola forests of above 1,800 metre elevation. Global distribution of the species is limited to the three mountain ranges of Wayanad, in an area of less than 50 sq km. It is estimated that less than 2,500 birds exist in these mountains.
Apart from Banasura Chilappan, endemic birds such as Grey-headed Bulbul, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Rufous Woodpecker, Nilgiri woodpigeon, White-bellied Treepie, Flame-throated Bulbul, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Wayanad Laughingthrush, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Malabar starling, Malabar Parakeet, and Malabar Barbets were sighted. Four Great Indian hornbills and 17 species of migratory birds were also observed during the survey.
South Wayanad forest division officer Shajna Karim supervised the survey. K.J. Jose, A. Harilal, R. Remya and P. Shaji, Forest Range Officers, coordinated field-level activities.
National park status
“Considering the small range of the habitat of Banasura Chilappan, the Camel’s Hump mountain ranges, should be elevated to a national park status to protect the remaining habitat of the bird species,” C.K. Vishnudas, Director, Hume Centre for Ecology, who coordinated the survey said. Prevention of forest fire in grasslands was an immediate requirement to ensure the protection of breeding of these birds, Mr. Vishnudas said.
