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Home , Grey heron, Heron, Indian pond heron, Intermediate egret, List of birds of Kerala, Little cormorant

reported from district, followed by , Water of , and . 16 of the 26 of colonially nesting large water birds that are known to breed in heronries across Water birds or aquatic birds are a large and varied Kerala namely, Great Phalacrocorax carbo, group of birds that live associated with fresh water Indian Shag P. fuscicollis, sources such as rivers, lakes, dams and . niger, Oriental melanogaster, Night However many sea and shore birds can also be Little Cormorant nycticorax, Ardeola grayii, regularly found in fresh water, eg. and Cattle , garzetta, migratory . Water birds include: , geese size, including village ponds and drains. Usually quite intermedia, and ( ); (Order gregarious and confi ding. Often mixing with Indian Ardea alba, Ardea purpurea, Podicipediformes); , and cormorants Cormorant to fi sh. Feeds on fi sh, and A. cinerea, Anastomus oscitans, (Order ); , , aquatic . rapidly often close to water. Holds Woolly-necked Stork episcopus, Black–headed and (Order Ciconiiformes); cranes, rails, wings open to dry. It has special nictitating membranes Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus and moorhens and coots (Order ); and waders that cover and protect the eyes underwater. Nests in Mycteria leucocephala were found to nest in Kerala. (Order ). Webbed feet, bills, legs tree colonies with other water birds. adapted to feed in water and the ability to dive from Hunted for game and meat, poisoned by pesticides, the surface or the air to catch prey in water are the and deprived of their natural habitat, herons, once Indian Darter or - - Anhinga melanogaster main adaptations found in water birds. a common sight decline in numbers over the years. Aimed at restoring their numbers, Kerala State Large, dark with very slender long, snake- Ornithologically, Kerala is one of the well studied states Biodiversity Board (KSBB) had launched a State- like neck (giving this species its alternative name of in with a rich diversity of avifauna hosting more wide heronry conservation programme (Kottilla ‘snakebird’), pointed bill and long tail. Adults black than 150 species of water birds including migratory Samrakshana Programme) with the involvement of above and below with silvery feathers on wings. Dark ones. – kole system, one of the local people, in 21 heronries in the region brown head and neck. Sexually dimorphic. Males black three Ramsar sites in Kerala is the largest estuarine spanning and Alappuzha districts. The and dark brown , erectile crest on nape and system in Kerala spread over four districts. The area programme is implemented with the support of larger bill than female. Females much paler plumage accounts for about 85 per cent of the state’s water bird Kottayam Nature Society. on neck and underparts. Nestlings very white looking population. Bird life International has declared this and immature are brown with white from throat to as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Wetlands of Kerala Some of the most commom water birds belly. Inhabits either fresh or brackish water and seemed to be supporting a stable population of found in Kerala found in lakes, rivers, marshes, swamps, estuaries, water birds amid concerns over the declining wetland Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger stretches of the state. - Indian Darter Small, black, -sized water bird with round short Heronries, places where herons or colonially head, long tail, short, thick neck and short bill. When nesting large water birds gather together over breeding, mainly glossy black, with white head many generations for nesting and raising young plumes whitish throat and stubby bill. Sexes similar. ones are indicators of healthy wetland systems. Non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner and In Kerala maximum numbers of heronries are lack the head plumes. Inhabits water bodies of all bays, lagoons and mangrove swamps. Feed mainly on -Bubulcus ibis fi sh. Expert diver for fi sh which it spears. Perches on posts or branch with wings open to dry. Nest in mixed Medium-sized, stocky, usually snow white, heron species heronries. IUCN categorized and evaluated with a short neck and stout yellow bill. Very stocky Water Birds of Kerala darter birds and listed as “Near Threatened”. compared to other . In breeding season the species has a heavy jowl, orange-buff crown, neck, breast and mantle. Sexes similar. Habit of foraging in pasture lands in association with livestock whose movements and grazing activities fl ush out insects and other potential prey items. Commonest heron. Inhabits wetland, grassland, cultivation (follows plough), garbage dumps, open woodland, and urban parks. Very active feeder, mainly on large insects, such as those disturbed by ungulates. Sociable Indian Pond Heron - Ardeola grayii and confi ding. Share their breeding or nesting sites with other birds. Stocky, small, earthy brown heron with contrasting white wings and tail. Usually earth brown with heavily dark-streaked buff head, neck and breast. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Most of the birds have attractive breeding plumes during reproductive stage. Maroon hair like plumes on back and long occipital crest. Legs turn bright yellow, sometimes salmon-pink, occasional pink or red legs. Wings and White-throated kingfi sher tail always white, strikingly contrasting in fl ight. Short, thick legs and dark-tipped, yellow bill. Sexes alike. Occurs wherever there is water, including temporary puddles. Solitary but several birds may feed close together. Roosts communally. Feed on insects, fi sh and . Remains motionless slowly stalkprey. Nests in tree colonies. Grey-headed swamphen

Kerala State Biodiversity Board L-14, Jai Nagar, Medical College P.O, Thiruvananthapuram-695011 Phone: 0471-2554740 , Fax-0471-2448234 www.keralabiodiversity.org [email protected] Cattle Egret Kerala State Biodiversity Board