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Gopi Avifauna of Bhitarkanika 1716 PAPER ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL 22(10): 2839-2847 AVIFAUNA OF BHITARKANIKA MANGROVES, INDIA G.V. Gopi 1, 2 and Bivash Pandav 3,4 1,3 Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India 2 (presently) G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and development, NE Unit, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh 791113, India 4 (presently) WWF-International, P.O. Box # 7660, Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal Email: 1 [email protected]; 3 [email protected] plus web supplement of 2 pages ABSTRACT This paper presents a comprehensive list of the birds of Bhitarkanika with special reference to globally threatened species occurring here. It is based, in large measure, on our observations throughout the protected area during August 2004 - December 2006 together with unpublished records contributed by other observers. A total of 263 bird species belonging to 63 families have been recorded. A total of 79 birds are added to the existing checklist published in 1997. An account about one of Indias largest breeding colony of water birds, and conservation importance of lesser known Sathbahaya wetland which serves as an important stopover for birds migrating to Chilka has also been mentioned. KEYWORDS Aquaculture, avifauna, Bhitarkanika mangroves, checklist, Chilka lake, heronry, Sathbahaya wetland Assessment of the current status of bird species and habitat Dani & Kar (1992), and Pandav (1996). Pandav (1996) listed a would benefit from the past bird surveys, natural history total of 169 bird species from Bhitarkanika. Nayak (2003, 2005) observations, community studies and abundance estimates. Ripley studied the ecology of resident birds of the Bhitarkanika heronry (1978) describes about the relative scarcity of avifauna when and also the seasonality and occurrence of the kingfishers in the he visited the Simplipal hills after 28 years. It is believed that an mangrove. Kalpana (2005) recently reported about the occurrence annotated list of the Bhitarkanika birds complete so far as present of Red-winged Crested Cuckoo in Bhitarkanika. Detailed knowledge permits will be of much value to future workers ecological studies pertaining to breeding patterns, resource interested in this particular region. Much new matter in the form partitioning in terms of space and food and conservation of hitherto unpublished field notes is included in this manuscript. assessment have been carried out recently in the Bhitarkanika A total of 263 birds belonging to 63 families were recorded of heronry (Gopi, 2007; Gopi et al., 2007). which 147 were resident, 99 were winter migrants, 15 were considered vagrants, 16 local migrants were summer migrants STUDY AREA and the status of a few birds like Peregrine Falcon, Indian Geographically, Bhitarkanika is located between 20030'- Skimmer, Booted Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle are yet to be 20048'N & 86045'-87003'E. It is the second largest existing ascertained. mangrove ecosystem of India, which has much significance with regard to ecological, geomorphological and biological background Ornithological history in Indian mangroves and Bhitarkanika that includes mangrove forests, rivers, creeks, estuaries, backwaters, mangroves in particular accreted land and mud flats. Table 1 shows the areas of various Very few studies have been so far carried out on the birds of wetland classes in Bhitarkanika. Bhitarkanika mangrove Indian mangroves and Bhitarkanika in particular. Mukerjee ecosystem flourishes in the deltaic region, formed by the rich (1969) studied the feeding habits of a few selected water birds in alluvial deposits of Brahmani, Baitarani, Maipura and Dhamra the mangrove forests of the Sunderbans. Prasad (1992) reports rivers (Image 1w). about a large inaccessible heronry in the Krishna mangroves in Faunal significance includes the occurrence of a sizeable Andhra Pradesh where flamingoes, Spot-billed Pelicans, Spoonbills population of Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Besides and Painted Storks nest together. Subramanya (1996) updated this, the Sanctuary is rich in other reptiles, birds and mammalian the existing information on the status, distribution and population. These mangrove forests are good habitat for King conservation of Indian heronries and listed Bhitarkanika as one Cobra, Indian Python and Water Monitor Lizard. The annual of the oldest and largest heronry in the country. Chaudhari & rainfall ranges from 920-3000mm. Bhitarkanika represents one Chakrabarti (1973) studied the breeding biology of Openbill of the richest and most diversified mangrove floras in the country. Stork, Little Cormorant and Large Egret. Several notes on species About 62 species of mangrove and its associates are found in diversity and checklist of birds in different Indian mangroves Bhitarkanika Sanctuary. Existence of three species of Rhizophora, like Thane Creek near Rutuchakkra Nature Park (Nitsure, 2002), Heritiera and Avicennia each and four species of Bruguiera are some Mahul Creek, Mumbai (Verma, 2002), Gulf of Kutch mangroves of the interesting features of the flora of Bhitarkanika. The (Stanley, 2002), Pitchavaram mangroves (Sethuraman, 1997) were dominant genera of mangroves and its associates include Acanthus, all published in different sources including symposia proceedings Achrostichum, Aegialitis, Aglaia, Avicennia, Excoecaria, Brownlowia, and newsletters. Samant (1985) recorded 121 species of birds in Ratnagiri mangroves in Maharashtra. Notes on the avifauna of W See Images in the web supplement at www.zoosprint.org Bhitarkanika mangroves occur at random, but an initial checklist of the birds of Bhitarkanika was attempted in the early 1990s by Manuscript 1716; © ZOO; Date of publication 21 September 2007 Received 10 February 2007; Revised received 23 July 2007; Finally accepted 01 September 2007; Edited by C. Srinivasulu October 2007 | ISSN 0973-2535 (Print edition); 0973-2551 (Online edition) www.zoosprint.org 2839 Conservation of avifauna of Bhitarkanika mangroves, India G.V. Gopi & B. Pandav Table 1. Various wetland classes and their area in Bhitarkanika Table 2. List of globally threatened bird species in Bhitarkanika and their status according to IUCN/Birdlife Mangrove Mud flat Sandy area Coastal Plantation International Red Data List 2006 in km2 in km2 in km2 in km2 Species Category 267.14 57.87 23.25 9.43 Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis VU Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus VU Bruguiera, Ceriops, Rhizophora, Heritiera, Hibiscus, Kandelia, Lumnitzera, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala NT Phoenix, Sonneratia, Suaeda etc. Black necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus NT Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri VU Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus VU METHODS White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis VR The checklist is based primarily on field work conducted in Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga VU Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer EN Bhitarkanika mangroves (Image 1w) from August 2004- December Brown-winged Kingfisher Halcyon amauroptera NT 2006. A total of 452 days were spent in the field observing bird Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis VU Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus NT diversity. Birds were observed from 0500- 1600hr with the help Darter Anhinga melanogaster NT of a spotting scope and 8x40 Bushnell binoculars. During winters, Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus NT all the major habitats were visited twice a week for monitoring Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea VU Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa NT wintering waterfowls. Surveys were conducted on foot in Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda NT mangrove forests and agricultural fields, while in the rivers and small creeks birds were observed using mechanised motor boats and non-mechanised country boats, respectively. Black-necked Stork: A solitary bird is frequently spotted in In the heronry, total counts were carried out during the last the open meadows of Bhitarkanika forest block. During week of August to enumerate the number of bird species nesting September 2005 a juvenile was spotted in the open meadows of and number of nests of each species. Every tree was marked and Bhitarkanika forest block. bird species nesting and number of nests in each tree were Baers Pochard: Sighted twice; two birds were first sighted recorded. Nests were identified with aid of parent bird or chicks. near Dobanthi (Barunei) in November 2005 and five birds were In absence of both, nest material and nest design were used to sighted in the Satabhaya intertidal wetlands on 8 November 2006. identify the species nesting. We have also included information White-backed Vulture: Approximate population of 10 from published literature, as cited in the text. Nomenclature individuals are present near Ragadapatia and Barapita forest follows Manakadan and Pittie (2002), except as noted. block. Two old nests were located on Sonneratia apetala trees with The status (movement and seasonality of occurrence) and three adults and two juveniles on 17 March 2005. frequency of bird sightings in various habitats have been worked Spotted Greenshank: Two birds were sighted on 23 January out basing on different parameters listed below. 2003 in Udabali islands adjoining the sea and two birds were Status: A taxon was accorded any one of the following: R - sighted on 10 December 2005 near Barunei river mouth. Resident throughout the year; LM - Resident with some local Brown-winged Kingfisher: This species was sighted all over movements; SM - Summer Migrant, MM - Monsoon Migrant; the National Park in the mangrove areas. An approximate WM - Winter Migrant; V - Vagrant
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