on the status of Lesser Fish-eagle Ichthyophaga humilis in southern Kerala C. K. Vishnudas C. Sashikumar, C. K. Vishnudas, S. Raju, Lesser Fish-Eagle I. humilis at Parambikulam. 23 November 2009. P. A. Vinayan & S. Kannan Sashikumar, C., Vishnudas, C. K., Raju, S., Vinayan, P. A., & Kannan, S., 2011. On the status of Lesser Fish-Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis in southern Kerala. Indian BIRDS 7 (1): 7–9. C. Sashikumar, Sree Nilayam, Pattanur P O, Kannur 670595, Kerala, India. Email:
[email protected] C. K. Vishnudas, Vishnu Nivas, Karimkutty P O, Kalpetta 673121, Wayanad, Kerala, India. Email:
[email protected] S. Raju, Kavil Variam, Kodakara, Thrissur, Kerala, India. Email:
[email protected] P. A. Vinayan, Pandancheri House, Vemom P O, Mananthavady, Wayanad 670645, Kerala, India. Email:
[email protected] S. Kannan, Farm Manager, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Peruvannamuzhi P O, Calicut 673528, Kerala, India. Email:
[email protected] Introduction each field day and the birds observed in fixed distance bands were recorded; a total transect distance of 282.35 km was covered. Lesser Fish-Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis is classified as Near The overall distance covered during the survey was 1,100 km. Threatened by the IUCN (BirdLife International 2008). In India it is, Raptors were observed during the transect surveys as well as “Resident. The Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, afterwards. Regular observations were made from vantage points and the hills south of the Brahmaputra… In winter wanders to the to observe soaring raptors. Birds were observed using 8 x 40 plains of Haryana, U.P. and Bihar.” (Ripley 1982).