104 Indian Birds Vol. 1 No. 5 (September-October 2005) forest at c.1,200m a.s.l., near the ‘40km’ Acknowledgements Kazmierczak, K. 2000. A field guide to the birds milestone on the BR Hills-Chamarajanagar We sincerely thank S. Subramanya, S. Karthikeyan, of India. OM Book Service, New Delhi. Krishna, M. B. 2005. Sequential time-segment road. A pair was seen in the treetops of this L. Shyamal and M. B. Krishna for valuable inputs. We would also like to thank the staff of listing of birds of Biligiriranga Hills (Not formally ravine, at eye-level from a road that runs Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK) for edited) along the top edge of the ravine, on their support, particularly Sri. Basappa, and many 3.vi.2005. 1.vi.2003, and a single birds seen on Sholaga tribals for sharing our enthusiasm. Manakadan, R. and A. Pittie. 2001. Standardised common and scientific names of the birds of 8.xii.2003 and 31.i.2004. These records extend the Indian Subcontinent. Buceros 6 (1): 1-37. the known range of this species and may References Morris, R. C. 1927. A junglefowl problem. J. indicate that the species is resident in the Ali, Sálim and H. Whistler. 1942-1943. The birds Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 32 (2): 274. area. of Mysore. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 43: 130- Morris, R. C. 1936. Vultures feeding at night. J. 147, 318-341, 573-595; 44: 9-26, 206-220. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 38: 190. Muscicapidae Ali, Sálim and S. D. Ripley. 1987. Compact Morris, R. C. 1939. On the occurence of the Banded Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Crake Rallus c. amauroptera and the Malabar One individual recorded from scrub jungle Oxford University Press, Bombay. Woodpecker Macropicus j. hodgsonii in the at c.800m a.s.l., in the northern part of the Aravind, N. A., D. Rao, and P. S. Madhusudan. Biligirirangan Hills, S. India. J. Bombay Nat. 2001. Additions to the Birds of Biligiri Hist. Soc. 40 (4): 763. sanctuary, in May 2004, near the lake after Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Nani, A., L. Shyamal, D. Rajkumar and U. Rajkumar the Gumballi checkpost. Western Ghats, India. Zoos’ Print Journal 16 2004. A checklist of the birds of the BRT Hills Blue-throated Flycatcher Cyornis (7): 541-547. Wildlife Sanctuary. rubeculoides A single male recorded on Baskaran, S. T. 1992. Sighting of a Dusky Horned Prashanth, M. B. 2005. Tickell’s Thrush…? Owl. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 32 (9-10): 17. January 2005. 11.x.2003 in a bamboo clump in the garden BirdLife International. 2001. Threatened birds of Ramesh, B. R. 1989 Flora of Biligirirangan Hills. of a coffee plantation (Watapi Coffee estate) Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data book. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Madras University, at c.1,200m a.s.l. We also heard it uttering a (Eds.: Collar, N. J., Andreev, A. V., Chan, S., Madras. song very similar in pattern and quality to Crosby, M. J., Subramanya, S. and Tobias, J. A.) Rasmussen, P. C. and J. C. Anderton. 2005. Birds BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. 2 vols. that of Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis Collar, N. J., M. J. Crosby and A. J. Stattersfield. Smithsonian Institutions and Lynx Edicions, tickelliae. Although a winter migrant to 1994. Birds to Watch 2 – The World List of Washington and Barcelona. “SW Ghats and possibly Eastern Ghats” Threatened Birds. Birdlife International, Shyamal, L. 2003. A short trip in the Biligirirangans. (Rasmussen and Anderton 2005), this is the Cambridge. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 43 (5): 66-67 Ganeshaiah, K. N. and R. Uma Shaanker. 2003. A Srinivasa, T. S., S. Karthikeyan. and J. N. Prasad. first record of this species from BR Hills. decade of diversity ATREE and UAS, Bangalore. 1997. Faunal survey of the Biligirirangan Tickell’s Thrush Turdus unicolor A single Ganeshaiah, K. N., R. Uma Shaanker and K. S. Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. Merlin Nature Club, record of a female from the edge of a coffee Bawa. 1998. Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Bangalore. plantation near Bangli Podu in March 2004 Wildlife Sanctuary: Natural history, biodiversity Subramanya, S., O. C. Naveein, P. A. Ullas, N. S. and conservation. ATREE and VGKK, Prashanth and M. B. Krishna. 2004. at c.1,200m a.s.l. The bird was foraging in Bangalore. Biligiriranga WLS Trip Bird List. leaf litter in the typical thrush manner. This Grimmett, R., C. Inskipp and T. Inskipp. 1998. 3.vi.2005. is the southernmost winter record of this Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Christopher Uttangi, J. C. 2000. Ornithological tour of B. R. species till date, having previously been Helm, London. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary at K.Gudi. Newsletter Stattersfield, A. J., A. J. Long and D. C. Wege. for Birdwatchers 40 (4): 45-47. recorded “…in the peninsula to eastern M. 1998. Endemic Bird Areas of the World: P. (Bastar, Raipur), Orissa (Mayurbhanj, Priorities for biodiversity conservation. Birdlife Umesh Srinivasan is a medical doctor doing his Nilgiri), north-eastern Andhra (Anantagiri, International, U.K. internship in Mysore, with a keen interest in natural Lammasinghi), southern Bengal. In winter Islam, Z. and A. R. Rahmani. 2004. Important history. He has been working on the birds of BR Bird Areas in India: Priority areas for Hills for the past three years. frequents edges of forests and, in the conservation. Bombay Natural History Society, Prashanth N Srinivas is a medical doctor Peninsula groves and well wooded areas,” Mumbai, BirdLife International, UK and Oxford working with the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana (Ali and Ripley 1987). Most recently, it has University Press ,Mumbai Kendra at BR Hills. He coordinates the health and been recorded at Lalbagh botanical garden Karthikeyan, S., J. N. Prasad, and T. S. Srinivasa. biodiversity programs at the organization. He is 1995. Yellowthroated Bulbul Pycnonotus also documenting the traditional ecological in Bangalore (Prashanth 2005). xantholaemus (Jerdon) at Biligirirangan Hills, knowledge of the indigenous Sholaga tribe. Karnataka. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 92 (1): 123-124.

Bird watching in Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, Chamoli district, Uttaranchal: the upper Garhwal Himalayas Arun P. Singh Entomology Division, Forest Research Institute, P.O. New Forest, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal, India, 248006. E-mail: [email protected]. With 8 colour photos on the inside back cover.

bird survey was carried out from 13- between c. 30º27’-30º33’N, 79º10’-79º20’E and peak from Chopta Chatti in between this A16.v.2003 in areas lying in the south- along an altitudinal gradient, situated about route was also done. eastern part of Kedarnath Musk Deer 350km north of Delhi. This was done during The entire sanctuary lies in the northern Sanctuary (975km2) comprising Mandal a continuous 40km trek on a stretch of forest catchments of Alaknanda River, which is the (1,720m), Kanchula Kharak (2,665m), road from Mandal up to Duggal Bitta (on main tributary of River Ganga (Fig. 1). The Chopta Chatti (2,840m), Tunganath (3,600m) the Gopeshwar-Okhimath road). Besides area has one of the best, undisturbed forests and Duggal Bitta (2,360m), all located this, a 3.5km trek uphill to Tunganath temple designated as Himalayan wet-evergreen, Indian Birds Vol. 1 No. 5 (September-October 2005) 105 sub-tropical, temperate, sub-alpine and branches, grass and boulders. It came out Laughingthrush Garrulax albogularis, alpine (Champion and Seth 1968; Agrawala to feed in the open along the bases of tree White-browed Tit-Babbler Alcippe 1973; Green 1986). In Garhwal, this forest- trunks on the rocky slopes and retreated to vinipectus, Spotted Laughingthrush patch is a biodiversity hotspot as it has over its hideout on being disturbed. Overhead, Garrulax ocellatus, Rufous-bellied Niltava 650 plant species. The forests here spread a sailing Collared Falconet Microhierax Niltava sundara, Yellow-naped Yuhina and over the mountain slopes in large dense caerulescens1 made short downward Black-lored Yellow Tit Parus xanthogenys continuous patches, with a closed canopy. sweeps while circling and calling. A Crested in the forest alongside the road. Of interest Lichens (on oak trees), dwarf bamboos (e.g. Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela was also along this patch, and a first for me, were two Arundinaria falcata), numerous freshwater circling and calling. A few Alpine Swifts Yellow-browed Tits Sylviparus modestus1, streams and a high rainfall [c. 3,093mm Tachymarptis melba1 were also recorded feeding singly on insects on leaves of a large annually at 3,050m (Green 1986) are in the sky above the forest slopes of deciduous tree. An unidentified bird, which characteristic of the area besides enormous Mandal. looked like a Gold-headed Babbler Stachyris plant diversity (Pande et al. 2001)]. Daily, at dusk in Mandal, Indian Jungle chrysaea in plumage and size, was also 79 avian species were identified during Nightjars Caprimulgus indicus chased noted in the dense wet undergrowth. In the this study of which 14 were not reported by each other around the FRH garden and foliage were Grey-headed Flycatcher- Green (1986) who worked the same area from nursery beds. Their calls, “chuk-chuk-chuk- Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos, Grey- 1979 to 1981 (these are marked with the chuk-chuk” and “chuckoo-chuckoo- faced Phylloscopus maculipennis and superscript “1” after the scientific name). In chuckoo”, ending with a “woo-wo-woo- Blyth’s P. reguloides Leaf-Warblers besides addition, two species identified are globally woo” were continuous and engine-like. A a species that could not be identified. threatened (species marked as “2” in Brown Wood-Owl Strix leptogrammica1 At Kanchula Kharak, a white morph Nepal superscript) while two species are westward was spotted perched on a tree behind the Wren-Babbler was photographed feeding range extensions (species marked as “3” in FRH, twice, at dusk and dawn. Its call, and hiding in bushes / hole on an open damp superscript) in the Himalayas. uttered by bending its body and inflating muddy slope with grass and bushes along At the forest rest house (FRH) in Mandal its throat, started with a short “wuh” at the roadside. It was also heard a few times (base camp) the calls of Rufous Sibia dusk, and when it became darker, as it gave its typical call, “tii-ti-ti-ti-ti-it-it-ti- Heterophasia capistrata1, Great Barbet lengthened to “wuh-wu-whoo”, repeated ti” (starting with a high rapid series of “ti’s” Megalaima virens, Indian Cuculus at short intervals of 5-10sec. Another owl and descending in tone after half way micropterus and Common C. canorus responded to these calls, form a distance through to almost a sudden break in the end, Cuckoo, Streaked Garrulax lineatus and of about c.50m. as if being generated by a motor engine that Striated Laughingthrush G. striatus, Black Trekking in the morning through the starts and accelerates with full power but Bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis1, jungle on a trail towards Kanchula Kharak soon slows down and stops suddenly). Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus, Grey- (13km from Mandal), small parties of Stripe- A Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul, and throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis (2-4 birds), sparverioides was heard and identified from Wedge-tailed Green-Pigeon Treron three Yellow-naped Yuhinas Y. flavicollis1, its song. Its call sounds similar to the ‘brain sphenura filled the morning air. Pairs of and six Bar-throated Minlas Minla strigula fever’ notes of a Brainfever Bird H. varius Kaleej Lophura leucomelanos hamiltoni were noted feeding on berries in low canopy but is more subdued and less shrilly. The pheasants roamed along the FRH among bushes. Maroon Orioles Oriolus Oriental Cuckoo’s Cuculus saturatus “oop- compound. They were numerous in the traillii were common and sang all along oop-oop” was heard from time to time. At jungle too. Other common birds in the broad- this route. On the sloping forest floor the Musk Deer farm and breeding center leaved forest at Mandal included the Red- amongst the dry leaves, pairs of Common were Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferra1 and billed Urocissa erythrorhyncha1 and Hill-Partridges Arborophila torqueola were Large Scaly-bellied Green Woodpecker Yellow-billed U. flavirostris Blue Magpie, common. Their call, a deep, mournful, hollow Picus squamatus. Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae, ascending whistled “whoooa”, ended Further ahead, in the Rhododendron Eurasian Garrulus glandarius and Black- abruptly. It was given off several times with arboreum (flowering was over for the headed G. lanceolatus Jay, Rusty-cheeked small gaps and often followed by an excited season) forest, along the meadows at Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus rapid whistle, “bobwhite-bobwhite- Chopta Chatti (located below Tunganath erythrogenys, Long-tailed Minivet bobwhite”. Sometimes there was a response peak), a pair of Orange-gorgetted Pericrocotus ethologus, Oriental Turtle- to such calls by other individuals present Flycatchers Ficedula strophiata, Spot- Dove Streptopelia orientalis, Ashy Drongo in the same or other nullahs. Along the winged Crested Parus melanolophus and Dicrurus leucophaeus and, Slaty-headed forest streams, Spotted Enicurus Red-headed Tit Aegithalos concinnus, and Parakeet Psittacula himalayana. maculatus and Black-backed E. Rusty-flanked Tree-Creeper Certhia In the dense lush green ‘nullahs’ around immaculatus Forktail, a Greater Long-billed nipalensis, moving low on the tree trunk, Mandal, Chestnut-headed Tesias Tesia Thrush Zoothera monticola2 and a pair of were observed. While on the open ground, castaneocoronata1 (1+2; pair probably nesting Green-tailed Sunbirds Aethopyga collecting nesting material (moss / lichens,) nesting) were observed in undergrowth nipalensis, were noted. The twittering song was a pair of Himalayan Pied Woodpecker thick with ferns and climbers. Close by, near of a Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina Dendrocopos himalayensis and White- flowing water, a rufous morph of the Nepal was heard in the canopy of small trees. tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis. Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga immaculata1, 2, 3 fed Nearing Kanchula Kharak I encountered The alpine scrub enroute Tunganath peak near its nest, which was located beside the Grey-headed Flycatcher Culicicapa had Rhododendron campanulatum stream in a dense tuft of ferns, fallen ceylonensis, White-throated 106 Indian Birds Vol. 1 No. 5 (September-October 2005) blossoming and a beautiful purple colored References Forestry 24 (4): 456-470. Primula sp. at the higher reaches. Here, in Agarwala, N. K. 1973: Working Plan for the the shrubbery, a Golden Bush-Robin Kedarnath Forest Division 1972-73 to 1981- Dr Arun P. Singh is working on the conservation 82. Working plans, circle Nainital, Uttar of biodiversity of the western Himalayas with Tarsiger chrysaeus pair was observed in Pradesh. special reference to butterflies and birds, since last courtship display. Amongst Rhododendron Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K. 1968. A revised 13 years. He is keen on trekking, bird counts, bird bushes, the male chased the female, running survey of the forest types of India. Government photography, teaching, and writing. He recieved on the ground, with a fanned tail, displaying of India, New Delhi. the Dr Sálim Ali National Wildlife Fellowship Green, M. J. B. 1986. The birds of the Kedarnath Award 2001, recently for research on avian the black inverted ‘T’ on his golden tail. Sanctuary, Chamoli District, Uttar Pradesh: wildlife, awarded by the Ministry of Environment Besides, Orange-barred Leaf-Warblers Status and Distribution. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. and Forests, Government of India. Besides Phylloscopus pulcher1 were numerous (10+) Soc. 83: 603-617. research, also worked in UNDP, IDRC (Canada), in the bushes and on silver fir Abies sp. Pande, P. K., J. D. S. Negi, and S. C. Sharma, 2001. World Bank aided projects on forest conservation Plant species diversity and vegetation analysis and poverty alleviation, in India. (probably nesting). The Rhododendron in moist temperate Himalayan forest. Indian J. shrubs also held Variegated Laughingthrush Garrulax variegatus, Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus, White-browed Bush-Robin Tarsiger indicus (singing from tree top), Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis pair, three Striped-throated Yuhina, Oriental Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsonii and Rufous Sibia. At Tunganath peak (near the temple), Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos was common and a White-capped Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus was seen along a small stream. Two Himalayan Griffons Gyps himalayensis sailed close by several times. Further down, on way from Chopta Chatti towards Duggal Bitta village, in rocky alpine meadows of Kharsu oak Quercus semecarpifolia a pair of White-collard Blackbirds Turdus albocinctus was feeding on the ground and a Rufous-bellied Pied Woodpecker Hypopicus hyperythrus on a tree. Returning towards Mandal, near Chopta, a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos flew along the rocky slopes. Birds seen close to Mandal village, in lower cultivated areas along the forest’s periphery were: Common Myna Acridotheres tristis, Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata1, Cinnamon Tree Sparrow Passer rutilans1, Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer, Rock Bunting Emberiza cia, Chestnut-bellied Rock- Thrush Monticola rufiventris, House Swift Apus affinis, etc.

Notes from a drought year in Rishi Valley V. Santharam Institute of Bird Studies and Natural History, Rishi Valley 517352, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Email: [email protected]

his (2004-2005) is the fourth long ago. Even in early December (2003), on the campus for several years now. The T consecutive year that rains failed in trees had begun shedding leaves and a few ubiquitous White-breasted Waterhens Rishi Valley (Chittoor district) and the dry branches came crashing down. The Amaurornis phoenicurus that used to surrounding Rayalseema region of Andhra mighty banyan Ficus benghalensis, the advertise their presence with loud calls were Pradesh (India). There has been no surface veteran of the campus, lost a couple of large now conspicuously absent. So were the water anywhere on the campus; the last bit branches. Little Grebe), Common Moorhens Gallinula of water in the “Last Pond” had dried up There have been hardly any waterbirds chloropus, egrets Egretta spp., waders, and