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Sangha, H. S., 2017. Status of Northern Long-eared Owl Asio otus at Harike, Punjab, a moulting juvenile Griffon , by consulting various works . Indian BIRDS 13 (3): 81. (Alström 1997; Naoroji 2006; Grimmett et al. 2011; Kazmierczak Scully, J., 1881. A contribution to the ornithology of Gilgit. Ibis 23 (3): 415–453. 2015), bearing in mind the following identification pointers: Sharma, A., 2020. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64544595. [Accessed on 15June 2020.] Shelley, B. A. G., 1895. The nesting of the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 10 (1): 149. Stoliczka, F., 1868. Ornithological observations in the Sutlej valley, N. W. Himalaya. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal XXXVII (Part II No 1): 1–70. Stoliczka, F., 1872. Notice of the Mammals and Birds inhabiting Kachh. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal XLI (Part II No III): 211–258. Thakkar, M., 2020.Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64739659. [Accessed on 15June 2020] Thakur, S., 2020a. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64344611. [Accessed on 15June 2020.]

Thakur, S., 2020b. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64439304. [Accessed D. Gajamohanraj on 15June 2020.] Tiwari, S., 2020a. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64380695. [Accessed on 15June 2020.] Tiwari, S., 2020b. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64391494. [Accessed on 15June 2020.] 159. , moulting juvenile, Moyar Valley. Tiwari, S., 2020c. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64410267. [Accessed on 15June 2020.] Tiwari, S., 2020d. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S64413738. [Accessed • Rufous/cinnamon tone to the plumage (especially the on 15June 2020.] underparts), rufous brown axillaries, and leading edges. Tiwari, V., 2020. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64403849. [Accessed on • Head and neck are covered in short whitish feathers 15June 2020.] (distinguished from similar by paler head and Tomer, N., 2020. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S65852467. [Accessed on neck). 15June 2020.] • Differentiated from juvenile Indian Vulture by deeper, shorter Warren, L., 1974. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S16755608. [Accessed on 19 bill, and a more rufous colour. June 2020.] • Prominent white band on the underwing coverts, dark flight Whistler, H., 1925. The birds of Lahul, N.W. Himalaya. Ibis 67 (1): 152–208. feathers and tail, and serrated trailing edge to wings and tail. Whistler, H., 1926. The birds of the Kangra District, Punjab. [Part II.]. Ibis 68 (4): • The shape tends to be subtly different from a Himalayan 724–783. Griffon G. himalayensis; the head appears slightly larger, the Williams, C., Delany, S., & Sulston, C., 1982. University of Southampton Ornithological body less barrel-shaped, and the tail slightly shorter. Project 1981-2. Preliminary report. Unpublished. Yadav, A., 2020. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S64258669. [Accessed on 15June 2020.] According to Naoroji (2006), the Griffon Vulture is resident in Zargar, B. N., 2019a. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S54096829. most of , , and Kashmir, and a winter migrant [Accessed on 19 June 2020.] to the plains of India, where migrant populations comprise Zargar, B. N., 2019b. Website URL: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S54097600. mainly juvenile and immature birds that tend to wander out of [Accessed on 19 June 2020.] their normal distribution range. They are also known to straggle – Samakshi Tiwari & Sanjeev Kumar further southwards into the Deccan, keeping mostly to desert Satish Thakur, Village Seri, PO Darbhog, Tehsil & District Shimla 171012, Himachal Pradesh, India. E-mail: [email protected] [ST] tracts, open grassland, semi-arid areas, and bare hills. Incidentally, Sanjeev Kumar, Wildlife guard, O/o Range Forest Officer Kufri, Wildlife Division, Wildlife Wing, Masinagudi, the Moyar Valley, and the surrounding the area fit Himachal Pradesh 171012, India. E-mail: [email protected] [SK] these habitat criteria. This record of the juvenile Griffon Vulture appears to be the first A Griffon Vulture fulvus from Moyar Valley, for Tamil Nadu and probably the first definitive record for southern Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu India. There are very few reports from southern India and many On 26 March 2017, the second day of the vulture survey conducted of the historical reports have been erroneous, and misidentified in Masinagudi, my associate Kishore Kumaran, and I observed Indian (Ali & Abdulali 1945). One specimen was collected vulture movements in the Moyar Valley (11.58°N, 76.83°E), from a flock of 50 at Jagalbet [=Jagabed], Uttara Kannada District, between 0930 h and 1130 h. I sighted several individuals of the Karnataka (Koelz 1942), and accepted for the Karnataka checklist White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis and the Indian Vulture (Praveen et al. 2016). However, Ali & Abdulali (1945) had earlier G. indicus passing towards the Thengumarahada Forest Range. expressed reservations on Koelz’s record, particularly his count of There was also another group of vultures soaring in the same 50 Griffons. I am unable to locate this specimen of Koelz, and area, of which I took some photographs. In that group, I noticed Rasmussen & Anderton (2012) did not include Karnataka in its that one of the vultures had a different colour and wing pattern, distribution map. Hence, I recommend this species be retracted which at that time I dismissed as probably an Indian Vulture from the state checklist. Other reports for southern India have juvenile. mainly come from the states of Andhra Pradesh (one report) I was unable to review it until later on, and when I did so, I and Telangana (five reports) – all of them between 1985 and was quite surprised to find that the photograph [159] taken on 2004 and mapped in Grimmett et al. (2011) and/or in Naoroji 26 March 2017 closely resembled a Griffon Vulture G. fulvus. I (2006). These are from Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park, was able to ascertain and establish the fact that it was indeed Telangana (Pittie 1985), Narsapur Reserve Forest, Telangana Correspondence 161

(Pittie 1989), Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh (Pittie 1990), Srinivasulu, C., 2004. Birds of Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal Raigir Tank, Telangana (Pittie 1993), Bhongir Tank, Telangana of the Bombay Natural History Society 101 (1): 3–25. (Pittie 1993), and three sightings from Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, – D. Gajamohanraj 65, Mahaliamman Koil Street, Near Flower Market, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Telangana (Srinivasulu 2004). These records do not have the E-mail: [email protected] necessary details to evaluate the identification. The southernmost definitive record till date is a specimen in the Bombay Natural A note on the behaviour of the Common Kingfisher History Society’s collection, collected in February 1893 from Alcedo atthis Mumbai by J. M. Mason (Ali & Abdulali 1945). The Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis is a widespread resident There are a total of nine vulture species occurring in India. of India and is categorized under species of Least Concern The Moyar Valley is the only place in Tamil Nadu where one can under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Grimmett et regularly see the four resident species: White-rumped Vulture, al. 2011; BirdLife International 2020). It inhabits various types of Indian Vulture, Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus, and waterbodies with suitable nest sites and accessible aquatic prey Neophron percnopterus. Apart from these, two species (Fry & Fry 2010). vagrants, the Himalayan Griffon G. himalayensis (Praveen et al. On 05 November 2016, at 1214 h, a Common Kingfisher 2014) and Aegypius monachus (Samson et al. was sighted perched on a rock amidst a natural spring (Aalgual 2019) have also been recorded here. The sighting of this juvenile Spring) in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan (27.36ºN, 76.42ºE); Griffon Vulture makes it the seventh species to be recorded in suddenly it began to call repeatedly. We noticed another the Moyar Valley. Common Kingfisher making calls from a nearby perch, and both I want to thank Ashwin Viswanathan, Nirav Bhatt, Christopher the individuals were identified to be females, given their clearly G. R. Bowden, Praveen J., Rajah Jayapal, Sarayu Ramakrishnan, visible orange lower mandibles (Grimmett et al. 2011). Both the H. Byju, and S. Bharathidasan for their valuable inputs in individuals were seen on the same rock after few calls [160]. confirming the identification. I also want to thank Chetan These calls were heard for 10 seconds, after which both the Joshi and S Chandrasekaran for giving me the opportunity to kingfishers were seen struggling on the surface of the water. One participate in the vulture survey, and G. Parameswaran and individual grappled with another and tried to push it down into Sharang Satish for their help in preparing this manuscript. the water [161]. In a few seconds, both the individuals were seen I would like to thank Praveen J for his help and guidance in in the air grabbing each other’s beaks and again one individual improving this manuscript. was dragging the other under water. This entire observation lasted for 136 seconds after which one of the individual flew to References nearby perch inside the forest. Ali, S., & Abdulali, H., 1945. Some recent records of the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus fulvescens Hume) in Peninsular India - a correction. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 45 (2): 236–237. Alström, P., 1997. Field identification of Asian Gyps vultures. Oriental Club Bulletin 25: 32–49. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C., & Inskipp, T., 2011. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2nd ed. London: Oxford University Press & Christopher Helm. Pp. 1–528. Kazmierczak, K., 2015. A field guide to the birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Bloomsbury Publishing, London. Pp. 1–352. Koelz, W., 1942. Notes on the birds of the Londa neighbourhood, Bombay Presidency. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 43 (1): 11–33. Naoroji, R., 2006. Birds of prey of the Indian Subcontinent. Reprint ed. : Om Books International. Pp. 1–692. Pittie, A., 1985. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S20437365. [Accessed on 10 August 2020.] Pittie, A., 1989. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S20399333. [Accessed on 10 August 2020.] Pittie, A., 1990. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S20377772. [Accessed on 10 160. Both individuals perched on the same rock bed in between the Aalgul spring August 2020.] Pittie, A., 1993. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S20398919. [Accessed on 10 August 2020.] Pittie, A., 1993. Website URL: https://ebird.org/checklist/S20398918. [Accessed on 10 August 2020.] Praveen J., Subramanya, S., & Raj, V. M., 2016. A checklist of the birds of Karnataka. Indian BIRDS 12 (4&5): 89–118. Praveen J., Nameer, P. O., Karuthedathu, D., Ramaiah, C., Balakrishnan, B., Rao, K.

M., Shurpali, S., Puttaswamaiah, R., & Tavcar, I., 2014. On the vagrancy of the Sengupta Debaprasad Both: Gyps himalayensis to southern India. Indian BIRDS 9 (1): 19–22. Rasmussen, P. C., & Anderton, J. C., 2012. Birds of South Asia: the Ripley guide. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. 2 vols. Pp. 1–378; 1–683. Samson, A., Ramakrishnan, B., Selvan, V., & Manigandan, S., 2019. Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, and its status in southern India. Indian BIRDS 15 (3): 93–94. 161. One individual stumping and forcing the other in water.