152 SHORT NOTES Forktail 22 (2006) Notable bird records from Mizoram in north-east India ANWARUDDIN CHOUDHURY The state of Mizoram (21°58′–24°30′N 92°16′–93°25′E) northern Mizoram, in March 1986 (five days), February is located in the southern part of north-east India (Fig. 1). 1987 (seven days) and April 1988 (5 days) while based in Formerly referred to as the Lushai Hills of southern Assam, southern Assam. During 2–17 April 2000, I visited parts it covers an area of 21,081 km2. Mizoram falls in the Indo- of Aizawl, Kolasib, Lawngtlai, Lunglei, Mamit, Saiha, Burma global biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al. 2000) and Serchhip districts and surveyed Dampa Sanctuary and the Eastern Himalaya Endemic Bird Area and Tiger Reserve, Ngengpui Willdlife Sanctuary, (Stattersfield et al. 1998). The entire state is hilly and Phawngpui National Park and the fringe of Khawnglung mountainous. The highest ranges are towards east with Wildlife Sanctuary. This included 61 km of foot transect the peaks of Phawngpui (2,157 m; the highest point in along paths and streams, 2.5 km of boat transects along Mizoram) and Lengteng (2,141 m). The lowest elevation, the Ngengpui River and Palak Dil, and 1,847 km of road <100 m, is in the riverbeds near the borders with Assam transects. During 15–22 February 2001, I visited parts of and Bangladesh border. The climate is tropical monsoon- type with a hot wet summer and a cool dry winter. Table 1. Details of sites mentioned in the text. Temperatures range from 7° to 34°C; annual rainfall ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 mm. The original vegetation type is tropical evergreen forest, Site (district) Coordinates Altitude (m) typically including Dipterocarpus turbinatus, Palaquium Artlang (Champhai) 23°27′N 93°12′E 1,500–1,950 polyanthum and Artocarpus chaplasha trees. Owing to Bhairabi (Mamit) 24°11′N 92°33′E 100 logging and jhum (slash-and-burn shifting cultivation), Blue Mountains 22°37′N 93°01′E 1,000–2,100 large areas have been replaced with bamboo, especially in (Phawngpui NP) older abandoned jhums. The least-disturbed forests are Chamdur (Lawngtlai) 22°15′N 92°42′E 200–300 found in the southern part of the state in Lawngtlai and Dampa WS (Mamit) 23°35′N 92°23′E 300–1,100 Saiha districts. In the higher areas of the east, subtropical Jamalpur (Cachar, Assam) 24°26′N 92°53′E60 broadleaf forest occurs, including Tetrameles nudiflora, Khawnglung WS (Serchhip) 23°10′N 93°0′E 600–1,000 Gmelina arborea and Bombax ceiba, with Quercus spp. and Kolodyne bridge 22°26′N 92°57′E 200 Rhododendron sp. at higher altitudes. (Lawngtlai and Saiha) The existing protected area network covers c.4.5% of Lailapur (Cachar, Assam) 24°30′N 92°48′E80 Mizoram. The main protected areas are Dampa Wildlife Lamzawl (Champhai) 23°50′N 93°09′E 1,000–1,200 2 Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve (500 km ), Murlen National Lawngtlai (Lawngtlai) 22°30′N 92°55′E 1,100–1,200 2 2 Park (150 km ), Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary (110 km ), Lengteng WS (Champhai) 23°50′N 93°13′E 1,000–2,100 Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary (80 km2) and Phawngpui Lunglei (Lunglei) 22°54′N 92°46′E 1,200–1,300 National Park (50 km2). Lurh Tlang (Champhai) 23°03′N 93°15′E 1,000–2,100 Owing to insurgency from the 1960s to 1987, Mizoram ′ ′ has been relatively little studied in recent decades. The Mampui (Lawngtlai) 22°30 N 92°50 E 1,000 few published works include Koelz (1954), Rao and Mawmatlang (Saiha) 22°18′N 93°06′E 1,200–2,100 Zoramthanga (1976), Choudhury (1996), Katju (1996), Murlen NP (Champhai) 23°37′N 93°18′E 1,000–1,600 and Ghose and Thanga (1998), with unpublished field 22°20–27′N Ngengpui WS (Lawngtlai) ′ 400–1,100 reports by Kaul et al. (1996), Robertson (1996) and 92°46–49 E Shankar Raman (1995), and more general information Ngopa (Champhai) 23°42′N 93°13′E 1,100–1,150 available in Ali and Ripley (1987) and Islam and Rahmani Ngur (Champhai) 23°32′N 93°22′E 1,300–2,070 (2004). North Diltlang (Champhai) 23°37′N 93°22′E 1,300–1,960 Pakuwa (Teirei) Nullah 24°05′N 92°28′E 100 (Mamit) METHODS Phura (Saiha) 22°15′N 92°54′E 350 South-west of Rabung 23°38′N 93°07′E >1,000 During fieldwork, I surveyed birds using direct (Champhai) observations (with 10×40 binoculars and a 10×46 Rawlbuk (Saiha) 23°40′N 92°59′E 1,200 telescope), noting calls (for some species only) and by Saiha (Saiha) 22°27′N 92°59′E 1,300 interviewing local forest staff, villagers and hunters. Direct Sairang (Mamit) 23°49′N 92°39′E 500 observations were made on foot along existing and newly Sangau (Saiha) 22°43′N 92°02′E 1,400 cut paths, and from vehicles along roads and tracks Surh Tlang (Champhai) 23°57′N 93°13′E 1,100–2,200 (particularly to spot birds kept as pets, and preserved Tantlang (Champhai) 23°09′N 93°15′E 1,000–2,100 specimens such as hornbill casques and feathers which Thingfal (Lunglei) 22°37′N 92°55′E 900–1,000 are often displayed outside huts). I carried out a total of Tipaimukh (Aizawl) 24°12′N 93°0′E 150 41 days fieldwork in Mizoram during 1986–2001. This West Phaileng (Mamit) 23°42′N 92°30′E 500 included fieldwork in Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit districts, Forktail 22 (2006) SHORT NOTES 153 Aizawl, Kolasib and Champhai districts and surveyed reported by local people at twelve additional sites Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary and Murlen National Park. (Choudhury 2005). This includied 30 km of foot transects and 943 km of road transects. Localities are detailed in Table 1. GREY PEACOCK PHEASANT Polyplectron bicalcaratum I recorded this species in: the Inner Line reserve forests, Aizawl and Kolasib districts (heard 1987–1988); Ngengpui SIGNIFICANT RECORDS Wildlife Sanctuaries (April 2000); Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary (February 2001); Murlen National Park (heard Details are provided for the more interesting and significant in February 2001); Dampa sanctuary (heard in April 2000); records, including five threatened and seven Near at five sites between Rawlbuk and Ngopa, Champhai Threatened species. Records of galliformes and large district (heard in February 2001); and Lamzawl, Champhai raptors are included, given the high hunting pressures on district (snared bird seen in February 2001). these species in the region. IUCN Red List status follows BirdLife International (2004) and restricted-range status GREAT HORNBILL Buceros bicornis follows Stattersfield et al. (1998). Near Threatened. This species was presumably once commoner, given the number of preserved casques I saw WHITE-CHEEKED PARTRIDGE Arborophila atrogularis in villages (e.g. >20 seen between Lunglei and Lawngtlai), Near Threatened. This common species was frequently but it has now become extremely rare and locally extirpated encountered in forest in Mamit, Kolasib and Aizawl owing to hunting and habitat loss. I only recorded two districts, near the Assam border, especially in Inner Line birds in the field: between Ngopa and Rabung, Champhai reserve forest during 1986–1988. district, in February 2001. MOUNTAIN BAMBOO PARTRIDGE Bambusicola fytchii BROWN HORNBILL Anorrhinus tickelli I observed a covey of at least six birds at Farpak, Phawngpui Near Threatened. This species was not seen in the field. National Park, on 13 April 2000, heard calls from four Only a single casque was seen in Vapar village, Champhai sites around Farpak on the mornings of 13 and 14 April district; it was probably more than a decade old and was 2000, and also recorded the species at three sites in reportedly shot near Murlen National Park. In 1987, I Champai district in February 2001: near the south-western saw one in flight south-west of Jamalpur, Assam, very boundary of Lengteng Sanctuary, c.4 km south-west of close to the Mizoram border (Choudhury 2000). Lengteng sanctuary towards Lamzawl, and 5 km west of Champhai. Large populations probably occur in Mizoram WREATHED HORNBILL Rhyticeros undulatus given the abundance of bamboo brakes throughout the Like other hornbills, this species was previously commoner state. in the state, but is now extremely rare and locally extirpated. I did not record any in the field, but saw a BLYTH’S TRAGOPAN Tragopan blythii casque of a fairly recently killed bird from near or inside Vulnerable. Restricted-range. This species is known in Dampa Wildlife Sanctuary at Teirei. Old casques dating Mizoram only from Phawngpui National Park, where I from the 1980s or early 1990s were seen in Vapar near recorded five males calling within a 3 km² area at Farpak Murlen National Park, and Sangau and Thaltlang near on 12 April 2000. I estimate that there is c.20 km² of Phawngpui National Park in February 2001. potential habitat for the species in the park. Local villagers in Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary and Murlen National Park ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL Anthracoceros albirostris did not recognise images of the species. Preserved casques and feathers of this species were seen in most of the villages surveyed in or near: Dampa, KALIJ PHEASANT Lophura leucomelanos Ngengpui, Khawnglung and Lengteng Wildlife I recorded many sightings of this species in northern areas Sanctuaries; Murlen and Phawngpui National Parks; Inner of Mizoram, especially near the Assam-Mizoram border Line and Ngengpui reserve forests; and the forests of in Mamit, Kolasib and Aizawl districts during 1986–1988. Lawngtlai and Saiha districts.