Recent sightings of Sri Lankan Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger in Northern Western Ghats between Kolhapur and Mumbai, India Amit Sayyed1 and Anil Mahabal2 The Sri Lankan Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger (Aves: Caprimulgiformes: Podargidae) is a bird with large head, wide gape and broad, swollen, hooked bill with eyes facing forward. It is resident and locally common in dense evergreen forest, secondary forest and cane brakes; but usually avoids plantations and disturbed forest (Ali & Ripley 1987, Rasmussen & Anderton 2012). Further, Ali & Ripley (1987) described it as apparently rare, nocturnal but seldom seen during day time. It has been categorized Fig 1(a). Previous Records and (b) Recent sightings of Sri Lankan as Least Concern in IUCN Red List Frogmouth in Western Ghats, India (2014). occurrence between these The distributional range of these districts. Therefore, we decided to birds in India extends from the undertake a preliminary survey to southern heavy rainfall tracts of locate their presence particularly the Western Ghats from 15°N in in districts such as Sindhudurg, north Kanara district (Karnataka) Ratnagari, Sangli, Satara and Pune southwards to Trivandrum district along with Raigad district which in Kerala (Ali & Ripley 1987). are forming a part of Northern According to Rasmussen & Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Anderton (2012) it occurs in Surveys were undertaken by team Western Ghats from Goa south and of Wildlife Protection and Research th in Sri Lanka (Fig. 1a). Giri (2002) Society Satara between 10 March rd sighted Sri Lankan Frogmouth in and 3 April, 2015 in forested Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary, tracts of these districts. We used Kolhapur district, Maharashtra and “call play –back” technique in indicated that this bird has which previously recorded call of extended its range further north the species using a digital recorder (of Goa). Kasambe (2012) (WRU 120) and a PMC recorder in recorded the range extension of wave format (sample rate 48,000 frogmouth in Sanjay Gandhi Hz), sound played on a (WRU 120) National Park (19°18’35”N and Fig 2. Sri Lankan Frogmouth with loudspeaker to get the Batrachostomus moniliger 72°57’ 48”E), Mumbai. Further, he response calls of the frogmouth. Besides the calling records, the has mentioned the sightings of Sri Lankan Frogmouth. After frogmouth by a birder Vaibhav numbers of frogmouths actually taking digital photographs it was sighted were also noted along with Deshmukh in Alibaug and Phansad released at the same place (Fig Wildlife Sanctuary (18°25’47”N their localities, co-ordinates and 2.). It disappeared in the thick altitude with using Kestrel 4500 and 72°56’ 20”E) in Raigad District foliage of tree. This could be a of Maharashtra in 2009 (Fig. 1a). weather meter. first record of Sri Lankan All the recent sightings of Sri Frogmouth in Satara district, Lankan Frogmouth recorded from On 5 March, 2015 in the morning Maharashtra. at 10:00 hrs, a local person 1 contacted the first author (AS) Wildlife Protection and Research The sightings of Sri Lankan Society Satara, Maharashtra. Email: stating that he has located a Frogmouth in Kolhapur district [email protected] strange looking bird lying beneath (Giri 2002) and in Raigad and (corresponding author) 2 the Ficus sp. tree near Police Mumbai districts of Maharashtra Scientist (Retd.) Zoological Survey of India, W.R.C. Akurdi, Pune, Headquarter, Satara City. After (Kasambe 2012) (Fig 1a.) revealed reaching there, it was identified as Maharashtra. Email: that there is a large gap in their [email protected] ZOO’s PRINT, Volume XXXI, Number 4, April 2016 13 Table 1. Recent sightings of Sri Lankan Frogmouth from various localities of Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra Date Locality and District Co-ordinates Altitude Birds Habitat sighted 21/07/2014 Amboli, Sindhudurg 15°57'36''N; 73°59'57''E 721 m 2 Dense forest 01/04/2015 Devrukh, Ratnagiri 17°2'54''N; 73°38'45''E 162 m 1 Light forest near border area of human habitation 12/ 03/2015 Chandoli (NP), Sangli 17°11′30″N; 73°46′30″E 747 m 5 Dense forest 17/03/2015 Maldev Koyna (TR), 17°46'48''N; 73°42'2''E 717 m 2 Dense forest Satara 23/03/2015 Chalkewadi, Satara 17°35'18"N; 73°48'43"E 1147 m Not noticed Open forest 21/03/2015 Kaas, Satara 17°42'53''N; 73°48'11''E 1165 m 1 Dense forest 05/03/2015 Satara city, Satara 17°41'13''N; 73°59'52''E 707 m 1 Human habitation 15/03/2015 Mahabaleshwer, Satara 17°54'57''N; 73°39'57''E 1370 m 3 Dense forest 29/03/2015 Mulshi, Pune 18°28'17''N; 73°29'19''E 700 m Not noticed Dense forest 30/03/2015 Bhira, Raigad 18°27'13''N; 73°23'17''E 100 m 2 Dense forest 14/03/2000 Chavani Village, Raigad 18°43'15"N; 73°19'54"E 348 m 2 Forest near border area of human habitation Abbreviation (NP): National Park, (TR): Tiger Reserve various localities have been compiled in Table 1 and References depicted in Fig1(b). Two earlier sightings (Sanjay Ali, S. and S.D. Ripley (1987). Compact Handbook of the Thakur, personal communication) have also been Birds of India and Pakistan. (Second Edition) Oxford added. University, Delhi. Pp. 1-735+ plates. Barve, S. (2010). Sri Lankan Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger of Kogar: filling in the “gaps”. Indian Birds, 5(6): Conclusion 179. The distribution and ecology of Sri Lankan Giri, B.V. (2002). Occurrence of the Ceylon Frogmouth Frogmouths have been adequately studied in the Batrachostomus moniliger (Family: Podargidae) in areas of Western Ghats Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.Journal of Karnataka states (viz. Sugathan 1981, Kannan 1993 Bombay Natural History Society, 99(1): 166-117. and 1994, Santharam 1995, Kumara & Singh 2006, IUCN (2014). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Barve 2010). Version 2014.3 www.iucnredlist.org downloaded on 22 Karanth (2003) while discussing the evolution of March 2014. disjunct distributions among some wet-zone species Kannan, R. (1993). Resent sightings of Ceylon Frogmouth including genus Batrachostomus of the Indian in India. Oriantal Bird Club Bulletin,17: 37-38. Kannan, R. (1994). Notes on The Stetus and Ecolodgy of subcontinent by testing various hypotheses using a the Ceylon Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger Blyth) phylogenetic approach: he pointed out that from the Annaimalai Hills of Tamilnadu. Journal of Bombay distribution data should be well-documented Natural History Society, 91(3): 454-455. throughout India for studying such species. Karanth, P.K. (2003). Evolution of disjunct distributions In this context, it can be stated that in general, the among wet-zone species of the Indian subcontinent: Testing recent sightings of Sri Lankan Frogmouth various hypotheses using a phylogenetic approach. Current Batrachostomus moniliger in Northern Western Science 85(9): 1276-1283. Ghats, particularly between Kolhapur and Mumbai Kasambe, R. (2012). Range Extension of Sri Lankan confirms a continuous population in suitable habitat Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger) up to Mumbai. patches by filling in the gaps. Newsletter For Birdwatchers, 52(3): 37. Kumara, H.N. and M. Singh (2006). Ceylon Frogmouth Kasambe (2012) has speculated that these birds Batrachostomus moniliger Blyth in the rain forest of Western could be found in the Dang district in Gujarat where Ghats, Karnataka. Journal of Bombay Natural History the Western Ghats culminate. In that case, it can be Society, 103(1): 100-101. stated that surveys are needed further north of Rasmussen, P.C. and J.C. Anderton (2012). Birds of Mumbai particularly in the areas of Thane and Nasik South Asia.The Ripley Guide, Vols.1 and 2. Second edition, districts which are forming a part of Northern Smithsonian Institute and Lynx Edicions, Washington D.C, Western Ghats of Maharashtra to record the presence Michigan and Barcelona, 387pp and 684pp. of Sri Lankan Frogmouth, if any. Sugathan, R. (1981). A survey of the Ceylon frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger) habitat in the western Ghats of Acknowledgments India Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 78(2): 309-316. Authors are thankful to Vinay Chavan, Jitendra Santharam, V. (1995). A Frogmouth “Darshan”.Bulack Patole, Datta Chavan, Abhijit Nale, Rahul Thombre, Buck, 11(1): 23-27. Prajakta Chavana team of Wildlife Protection and Research Society Satara, Maharashtra, for helping us in the field surveys. ZOO’s PRINT, Volume XXXI, Number 4, April 2016 14.