REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (RAP), BANGKOK FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS October-December 2005 Regional Quarterly Bulletin on Wildlife and National Parks Management Vol. XXXII : No. 4 Featuring Vol. XIX : No. 4 Contents Birds of Coimbatore Urban Area, India.........…………... 1 Study on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Biodiversity of Himachal Pradesh Himalayas......................…....… 6 Participatory Wildlife Conservation Initiatives in Nepal.… 11 Diversity of Spiders in Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary.. 18 Ecology of Purple Moorhen in Azhinhillam Wetlan…....… 23 Breeding of an Indian Giant Squirrel Pup at Arignar Anna Zoological Park......................................................…. 27 Food, Feeding, Behavior and Habitat Preferences of REGIONAL OFFICE Spiny-Tailed Lizard in the Thar Desert...................…... 30 FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC TIGERPAPER is a quarterly news bulletin dedicated to the exchange of information Second Announcement - Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission relating to wildlife and national parks management for the to meet in Dehradun, India....................................……… 1 Asia-Pacific Region. New Forest Assessment Indicates Overall Expansion of Asian Forests But Continued Decline of Natural Forests...................................................................….... 4 ISSN 1014 - 2789 Interested in Making Forest Management Work for the Poor?............................................................................ 6 Address Award-Winning Forestry at Tonle Sap -- Cambodia’s “Great Lake”…..…............................................……… 7 TIGERPAPER Jump Starting the Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Network..................................................................….. 9 Maliwan Mansion, Phra Atit Road Bangkok, 10200, Thailand Three New Websites Put FAO Information at User’s Tel: (662) 697-4000 Fingertips...................................................................... 10 Facsimile: (662) 697-4445 Upcoming RAP-Supported Forestry Meetings.....…………. 11 E-mail: [email protected] FAO Advancing Forest Rehabilitation Efforts in Tsunami-Affected Countries......................................….. 12 Editor: Janice Naewboonnien Asia-Pacific Forestry Chips and Clips……………..……. 13 Advisors: M. Kashio and P. Durst New RAP Forestry Publications………………………… 15 FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Calendar……………….…… 16 TIGERPAPER is dependent upon your free and voluntary The opinions expressed by the contributions in the form of articles, news items, and announcements in contributing authors are not the field of wildlife and nature conservation in the region. In order to necessarily those of FAO. The better serve the needs of our readers please write to us and send in the designations employed and the information you have or let us know if there is any information that you presentation of the material in the need. We appreciate receiving your letters and make all efforts to TIGERPAPER do not imply the respond. expression of any opinion on the part of FAO concerning the legal or Cover: Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) constitutional status of any country, Photo: V. Ramakantha, IFS territority or sea area, or the delimitation of frontiers. Vol. 32: No. 4 Oct-Dec 2005 | Birds of Coimbatore Urban Area| BIRDS OF COIMBATORE URBAN AREA, INDIA by V. Ramakantha, Thiru Selvan and R.J. Ranjit Daniels spread to epidemic proportions. Flycatchers, Introduction drongos and bee-eaters play an important role by destroying a lot of harmful insects. In spite of their ll landscapes have a native biodiversity pool, limited energetical role in most habitats, birds are which is a result of local climate and human A a powerful tool in environmental monitoring influences. This pool of biodiversity is often (Jarvinen and Vaisanen, 1979). Thus, even when fragmented and segregated within different afforded the least protection, the birds tend to ecosystems. One such ecosystem, which is return to us a lot more benefits than any other considerably rich in biodiversity, especially in India, group of vertebrates (Urquhart, 1987). As a part is the urban ecosystem. Avifauna in urban areas of the study carried out for the doctoral degree of is richer than any other vertebrate taxa and yet, the first author, the first ever checklist was pre- they remain a poorly studied group of organisms. pared for the Coimbatore urban area, following Many large cities of India support over 300 bird the taxonomy and nomenclature adopted by Ali species, with Delhi and its surroundings leading and Ripley (2001) in the Handbook of the Birds with 444 species, followed by Mumbai with 350 of India and Pakistan. species, and Pune with 332 species (Ingalhallikar et al., 2001). In Bangalore, one of the major urban Study area centers of southwestern India, as many as 330 species of birds have been recorded, of which 220 The Coimbatore urban area, sprawling over 105.6 occur regularly in the urban area (George, 1994). km2 of city corporation limits, was taken as the The community organization of birds often varies boundary of the study. The urban area is located considerably from being dominated by crows and between 11ºN latitude and 77ºE longitude. The kites in the hearts of cities to very diverse altitude of the entire landscape varies from to 467 associations of flycatchers, barbets and babblers m to 500 m above mean sea level. The climate in the less crowded suburbs (Daniels, 1991). here is tropical with an average rainfall of 490 mm, mostly falling from October to December Birds in the urban landscapes perform a regula- during the northeast monsoon. Summers are hot tory function by controlling the population of with maximum temperatures sometimes rising up phytophagus insects, which could otherwise to 38ºC during May- June. 11 Vol. 32: No. 4 Oct-Dec 2005 Checklist of birds of Coimbatore urban area Common Name Genus and Species Family Order Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Podicipedidae Podicipediformes Spotbilled Pelican*** Pelecanus philippensis Pelicanidae Pelicaniformes Indian shag Phalacrocorax fusicollis Phalocrocoracidae Pelicaniformes Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger Phalocrocoracidae Pelicaniformes Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster Phalocrocoracidae Pelicaniformes Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Cattle Egret Bubulucus ibis Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Birds of Coimbatore Urban Area | Great Egret Casmerodius albus Ardeidae Ciconiiformes | Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Little Egret Egretta garzetta Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Blackcrowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Ardeidae Ciconiiformes Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala Ciconiidae Ciconiiformes Lesser Adjutant¨ Leptoptilos javanicus Ciconiidae Ciconiiformes Blackheaded Ibis¨ Threskiornis melanocephalus Ciconiidae Ciconiiformes Northern Pintail*** Anas acuta Anatidae Anseriformes Common Teal*** Anas crecca Anatidae Anseriformes Spotbilled Duck Anas poecilorhyncha Anatidae Anseriformes Garganey (Blue Winged Anas querquedula Anatidae Anseriformes Teal)*** Northern shoveller*** Anas clypeata Anatidae Anseriformes Blackwinged Kite Elanus caeruleus Accipitridae Falconiformes Black Kite Milvus migrans Accipitridae Falconiformes Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Accipitridae Falconiformes Shikra Accipiter badius Accipitridae Falconiformes Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Accipitridae Falconiformes Western Marsh Harrier*** Circus aeruginosus Accipitridae Falconiformes Common Kestrel*** Falco tinnunculus Falconidae Falconiformes Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus Phasinidae Galliformes Common Bustard Quail Turnix suscitator Phasinidae Galliformes Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus Phasinidae Galliformes Whitebreasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Rallidae Gruiformes Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Rallidae Gruiformes Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Rallidae Gruiformes Common Coot Fulica atra Rallidae Gruiformes Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirugus Jacanidae Charadriiformes Bronzewinged Jacana Metopidius indicus Jacanidae Charadriiformes Redwattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Charadriidae Charadriiformes Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus Charadriidae Charadriiformes Little Ringed Plover*** Charadrius dubius Charadriidae Charadriiformes Green sandpiper*** Tringa ochropus Scolopacidae Charadriiformes Wood sandpiper*** Tringa glareola Scolopacidae Charadriiformes Common Sandpiper*** Tringa hypoleucos Scolopacidae Charadriiformes Little Stint***¨ Calidris minuta Scolopacidae Charadriiformes Temminck’s Stint***¨ Calidris temminckii Scolopacidae Charadriiformes Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis Rostratulidae Charadriiformes Blackwinged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Recurvirostridae Charadriiformes Rock Pigeon Columba livia Columbidae Columbiformes Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocta Columbidae Columbiformes Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Columbidae Columbiformes Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Columbidae Columbiformes (Little Brown Dove) 2 Vol. 32: No. 4 Oct-Dec 2005 | Roseringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Psittacidae Psittaciformes Birds of Coimbatore Urban Area| Pied Cuckoo Oxylophus jacobinus Cuculidae Cuculiformes (Pied Crested Cuckoo) Common Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus varius Cuculidae Cuculiformes Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea Cuculidae Cuculiformes Greater