CASE REPORT ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL 15 (10): 339-343 BIRDS IN AND AROUND SRI VENKATESWARA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, ANDHRA PRADESH B. Anand Mohan Curator, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India Abstract Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary, Tirupathi and its adjoins. The A study of the bird fauna of Sri Venkateshwara Wildlife Sanctuary lies between 13038'N and 13055'N latitude; 79011'20" E Sanctuary, Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh revealed a total of and 79029'10" longitude. The elevation of the area ranges from 178 species. The study was conducted over three years 150 to 1129 m. Terrain is undulating. Average rainfall 900 mm. in different forest types such as wooded forests, dry Bulk of rainfall is from the North-East monsoon in addition to deciduous forests, wet lands, open scrub jungle and the scanty South-West monsoon. The area has 1500 vascular adjoining agricultural fields. plant species belonging to 174 families, of which nine are endemic. Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Keywords southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. The Sanctuary was Birds, inventory, Sri Venkateshwara Wildlife established in 1985. Parts of the Sanctuary is in Chittoor and Sanctuary, occurrence, habitat Cuddapah districts. Materials and methods Introduction From August 1991 to August 1994, the following field stations Very little information is available on the avifaunal resources of were monitored for avifauna. 1. Tirumala (Well wooded forest); Andhra Pradesh through the work done by Whistler and Kinner 2. Talakona (Well wooded forest); 3. Chamala (Dry deciduous (1930-37) on the Vernay Scientific survey of the Eastern Ghats forest); 4. Mamandur (Dry deciduous forest. This also includes and the Hyderabad State Ornithological Survey (Ali, 1933-34). Anjancyapuram and Mamandur Village tanks, which come under Later works were done by Abdulali (1945-53), S.A. Hussain (1976) wet lands); 5. Balapally (Dry deciduous forest. This also includes Shahid Ali (1976-83), K.S.R. Krishanam Raju (1971-85), N. Settigunta Village tank, which comes under wet lands); 6. Majumder (1978), Trevor Price (1976-83), S.D. Ripley (1975-88), Tirupathi (Open scrub forest); and 7. Srivarimettu (Open scrub B.M. Beehler (1985) etc. They are mostly restricted to the northern forest). Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and a few other patches in the state. In its earlier study, the Bombay Natural History Society For the purpose of this study, adjoining wetlands and village (BNHS) had field stations at Mamandur (Chittoor District), fields approximately to an extent of another 50 sq.km. was also Guvvalacheruvu and Ontimetta (Cuddapah District). The BNHS included in the study area, as the ecological boundaries of certain monitored the field stations from time to time for avifaunal bird species were overlapping with the adjoining areas. Thus resources. No specific complete checklist of birds of Sri the study area was 575 sq.km. in all. For the purpose of the Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary was prepared by any agency study, the vegetation and the approximate extent of the area was except, the reference of some common birds of the districts in marked as well wooded (WW 9%), dry deciduous (DD 63%), the District Forest Working Plans and checklist of birds in certain open scrub (OS 20%) and wet land area (WL 8%). divisions. In the present study, the checklist and the status of avifauna of Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary and its adjoining Based on the frequency of sightings in the field visits, the areas is prepared. following four categories were made on their occurrence. Study area Common: Observed through out the study in fairly good numbers and abundant in a particular locality. In general, if the The area of study was 525 sq.km. + 50 sq.km. which included Sri percentage of recordings were more than 50 times they were grouped in this category. Received on 31 March 1999 Accepted on 14 August 2000 ZOOS' PRINT Volume XV Number 10 October 2000 (RNI 2:1) 339 Birds in and around Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary B. Anand Mohan Occasional: Sightings were less than 50 per cent and more than preference. The details of categorization of the total recorded 20 per cent. bird species of the study area, according to their occurrence and habitat preference are given in Table 1. Uncommon: Found in small numbers and with less frequency. Sightings were less than 20 per cent and more than five per cent. The present study recorded 178 species of birds, belonging to Mostly the seasonal migratory birds of the wet lands belong to 49 families. Nearly 40 species of wet land birds are migratory this category. winter visitors. The main season for winter visitors is from September to February. There are 15 species of raptors. Osprey Rare: Seen in very small numbers and their frequency of sightings is a winter visitor found in the area from September to February. were less than five per cent. Yellow-browed Bulbul which is found in the Western Ghats is found rarely in the well wooded semi evergreen riparian forests Results and Discussion in the study area. Details of occurrence and habitat preference During the study period, 178 species of birds were recorded in of each species are given in Table 2. The scientific names and the area. Taking account of the frequency of habitat preference, taxonomic classification of birds listed in table 1 follow Inskipp each species was assigned to one of the categories. For the et al. (1996). The common names follows Manakadan et al. purpose of assigning habitat preference, certain species like (1998). Blue Rock Pigeon, which occurs in the rocky ledges of the hills, were combined with the well wooded forests and species like Acknowledgements Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Large Pied Wagtail were assigned The author is thankful to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department to wet land habitat, since they prefer stream banks and other for providing the opportunity to work in the area; to Prof. Rama wet land/marshy area associated species like Baya were also Murthy, Former Vice-Chancellor, S.V. University, Tirupathi for assigned in the wet land category according to their habitat his encouragement. References Ali, S. (1997). The book of Indian birds. Bombay Natural History Society. Ali, S. and S.D. Ripley (1983). A pictorial guide to the birds of the Table 1. The occurrence and habitat preference of birds in Sri Indian subcontinent. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 177 pp. Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary Anand Mohan, B. (1991). Check list of birds (114 Nos) of S.V.N.P. and S.V.W.L.S. Forest Department of Andhra Pradesh. Occurrence Habitat preference Total Inskipp, T., N. Lindsey & W. Duckworth (1996). An Annotated Well Dry Open Wet Checklist of the Birds of the Oriental Region. Oriental Bird Club, U.K. Wooded Deciduous Scrub Land Manakadan, R., J.C. Daniel, A.R. Rahmani, M. Inamdar and G. Ugra (1998). Standardized English common names of the birds of the Common 5 13 30 6 54 Indian sub-continent - a proposal. Buceros 3(2): 55 pp. Bombay Occasional 1 5 8 6 20 Natural History Society, Mumbai. Uncommon 11 16 27 37 91 Osman, S.M. (1991). Hunters of the air. WWF India. Rare 3 3 1 6 13 Taher, S.A. and A. Pittie (1989). A checklist of birds of Andhra Pradesh, Pitta 14: ii Total 20 37 66 55 178 Woodcock, M.W. (1979). Collins Handguide to the birds of the Indian Sub-continent. Collins, London, 176 pp. 340 ZOOS' PRINT Volume XV Number 10 October 2000 (RNI 2:1) Table 2. Birds in and around Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary. Sanctuary Wildlife SriVenkateshwara inandaround Birds Mohan Anannd B. SI.# Common Name Scientific Name Occurence Habitat SI.# Common Name Scientific Name Occurence Habitat Podicipedidae 31. Tawny Eagle Aquila vindhiana UC WL 1. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis UC WL 32. Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus UC OS 33. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus UC WL ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL Volume XV Number 10October 2000 (RNI2:1) Volume ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL Phalacrocoracidae 34. Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus UC WW 2. Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger UC WL 35. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus CDD Anhingidae 36. Indian Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus UC WL 3. Darter or Snake-bird Anhinga melanogaster UC WL 37. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus CWL 38. Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus RWL Ardeidae 39. Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis UC WL 4. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea UC WL 40. Black Kite Milvus migrans CWL 5. Paddy Bird or Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii CWL41. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus UC OS 6. Little Green Heron Ardeola striatus OWL42. Osprey Pandion haliaetus RWL 7. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis CWL43. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela RWL 8. Little Egret Egretta garzetta CWL44. Changeable Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus CWL 9. Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia UC WL 10. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax CWLPhasianidae 45. Black-breasted or Rain quail Coturnix coromandelica OOS Ciconidae 46. Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus COS 11. Asian Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans RWL47. Red Spurfowl Galloperdix spadicea ODD 12. White Stork Ciconia ciconia RWL48. Grey Junglefowl Gallus sonneratii ODD 13. White-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus UC WL 49. Common/Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus ODD 14. Black Stork Ciconia nigra RWL50. Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula asiatica COS 15. Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus RWL 16. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala UC WL Turnicidae 51. Barred Button Quail Turnix suscitator COS Threskiornithidae 17. Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa RWLRallidae 52. Coot Fulica atra UC WL Anatidae 53. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus UC WL 18. Northern Pintail Anas acuta UC WL 54. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio UC WL 19. Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata UC WL 20. Common Teal Anas crecca UC WL Jacanidae 21. Erasian Wigeon Anas penelope UC WL 55.