PRAKRITI, 16TH Nov 2020, Vol. II, Issue 05 Weekly magazine PQuest R A K R I T I For Nature Flora of the week Fauna of the week Bird of the week Tecoma stans Equus hemionus Ficedula parva or khur or Yellow or Red breasted trumpetbush Indian Wild Ass flycatcher Officers’ Club Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun P R A K R I T I, 16th Nov 2 0 2 0, V O L. II, I S S U E 05 FLORA OF THE WEEK Tecoma stans Yellow trumpetbush Introduction: Tecoma Stan is a species of flowering perennial shrub in the trumpet vine family, Bignoniaceae that is native to the Americas. Common names include yellow trumpet bush, yellow bells, yellow elder, ginger- Thomas. Tecoma Stans is the official flower of the United States Virgin Islands and the floral emblem of The Bahamas . Morphology: Yellow bells is an irregularly shaped, Flower deciduous shrub, normally 3-6 ft. tall in the r Classification US but more southerly varieties can reach 9 ft. It has several stems and slender, erect Kingdom: Plantae branches. Clusters of large, trumpet- Clade: Tracheophytes shaped, yellow flowers are very showy against the lance-shaped, olive-green Clade: Angiosperms leaves. Long, thin pods are conspicuous in Order: Lamiales autumn. Fruits are large, linear capsules somewhat flattened, 10-20 cm long. Bark is Family: Bignoniaceae tree light brown or pale in colour. Distribution- Genus: Tecoma Interesting fact- India, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Species: stans Yellow bells was discovered by Greg Uttar Pradesh, South America Grant. Its early flowering, heat Benefits: tolerance, vigour, and pest resistance plant. It has a very long flowering Use Ornamental: A showy, attractive, long-blooming accent shrub for rock gardens, perennial gardens, and other home landscapes within its range season, from early summer to late fall. This is a shrub or small tree that Use Wildlife: Nectar-insects, bees, hummingbirds. Seeds-Small mammals. Leaves- reaches 15-20 feet in height and can browsed by mammals. Trees can be planted as a live hedge Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds be pruned heavily after flowering to keep it compact. Larval Host: Dogface butterfly Medicinal Uses- Tecoma Stans is a herbal medicine used for treatment of diabetes, digestive problems, control of yeast infections, as powerful diuretic, vermifuge and tonic. Preliminary phytochemical screening of this plant revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones and traces of saponins and amino acids. Fruit Guided by: Central Academy for State Forest Service Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun- 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President, Officers’ Club Ph: 0135-2754575/ Fax: 0135-2756168; E-mail: [email protected] Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club Priti yadav | SFS2019 – 21| P1 V V V a a a P R A K R I T I, 16th Nov 2 0 2 0, V O L. II, I S S U E 05 FAUNA OF THE WEEK Equus hemionus khur Indian Wild Ass Introduction: The Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur), also called the Ghudkhur, Khur or Indian onager in the local Gujarati language, is a subspecies of the onager native to Southern Asia. Their population India is recorded as 6000 in March 2020 census. The last census held in 2015 showed there at 4451. They are significantly larger than donkeys; are 200-290 kg in size and 2.1-2.5 m in head-body length. Males are larger than females. The coat is usually sandy, but varies from reddish grey, fawn, to pale chestnut. The animal possesses an erect, dark mane which runs from the back of the head and along the neck. Biology: IUCN Status: Near Threatened Indian wild asses graze between dawn and dusk. It feeds on grass, leaves and fruits of plant Kingdom: Animalia (Prosospis sp. and Salvadora persica), crop, Prosopis pods, and saline vegetation like Suaeda Phylum: Chordata fruticosa. Stallions live either solitarily, or in small groups Class: Mammalia of twos and threes while family herds remain Order: Perissodactyla large. Mating season is in rainy season. When a mare comes into heat, she separates from the herd Family: Equidae with a stallion who battles against rivals for her possession. After few days, the pair returns to the herd. The mare gives birth to one foal. The male Genus: Equus foal weans away by 1–2 years of age, while the Species: hemionus female continues to stay with the family herd. Fun Fact : Threats: Changing land use patterns caused by the Mega Narmada Dam Project and the Sardar Sarovar It is one of the fastest of Indian animals, canals. with speeds clocked at about 70 – 80 Illegal salt panning in the LRK, which greatly disturbs the hydrological regime of the Ranns. km. per hour and can easily outrun a Overgrazing and proliferation of the invasive Prosopis Juliflora has greatly reduced the jeep. amount of forage available. The count of Indian wild ass was only Man-animal conflict is on the rise, due to crop raiding by Khurs. 720 in 1976. Many highways pass through Khur habitat, increasing risk of traffic-induced mortality. Distribution: It is predominately found in Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary in Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) in Gujarat, and surrounding areas. In recent times, it has extended its range significantly to encompass the Greater Rann of Kutch (GRK), as well as parts of Ahmedabad district. Also reported in Rajasthan’s Jalore district. Guided by: Central Academy for State Forest Service Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President, Officers’ Club Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun- 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club Bhanendra Singh | SFS2019 – 21| P2 Ph: 0135-2754575/ Fax: 0135-2756168; E-mail: [email protected] V V V PRAKRITI, 16th Nov 2020, Vol. II, Issue 5 BIRD OF THE WEEK Red breasted flycatcher Ficedula parva Description: The Red-breasted Flycatcher‟s scientific name Ficedula parva, tells us that it is a small (parva) fig-eating bird (Ficedula). This small passerine bird of the Old World Flycatcher family therefore, can be found occasionally feeding on figs (banyan, peepal) in our urban gardens. The bird remains quite silent in winters, but often gives itself away with its rattling „zrrt, zrrt‟ calls, echoing in our backyards and other forest scrub patches of the city. Size: 11 to 12 cm Weight: Average 11-12 g. Wingspan: 19-21 cm average Range: The Red-breasted Flycatcher found in Central, east and south east Europe East to southwest Siberia north Turkey Caucasus and Iran. It winters in Pakistan and North West and central India. It is scarce in North Africa. Breeds: The bird breeds from spring to summer. Habitat: - The Red-breasted Flycatcher breed in both mixed and deciduous woodland near water and usually favours mature with clearing and waterside. It may frequent Red breasted flycatcher orchards too and locally spruce forests. It often breeds at high altitude between 800 to 3000 meters. (Female) The Red-breasted Flycatcher prefers low, open perches in trees that serve as vantage Conservation status points. From here, it makes circular flights in pursuit of insects, and mostly prefers to return to the same perch. Least Concern RANGE & DISTRIBUTION The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these species and Domain: Eukaryota has listed them as “Least Concern” Kingdom: Animalia It is a distinct small flycatcher — males have a reddish- Phylum: Chordata orange throat that extends till the upper breast, whereas the females are overall brown. Both have creamy-white under Class: Aves parts. Males possess a certain grey cast to crown and face, Order: Passeriformes which the female lacks, but both sexes have white sides to the long blackish tail, which they often cock while perched. Family: Muscicapidae Another characteristic feature in this bird is that its wing- Genus: Ficedula tips are downward drooping while it is perched. (Wing tips do not generally droop and are well in-sync with the Species: parva flanks). SOME OTHER FACTS: It is often very difficult to tell males from females for up to the first three years. Males only develop the red color on their throat and breast in their second or third year. Its pointed black bill (beak), the bird is quite an aerial insectivore, dashing and swooping in on insects in flight every now and then, as well as on unfortunate caterpillars in foliage. The wide array of insects beetles, butterflies, damselflies and invertebrates like spiders found in our region serves as a sumptuous buffet of sorts for the little fur ball. Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun, 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President Officers‟ Club Ph: 0135-2754575/Fax: 0135-2756168 Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers‟ Club Raj Kumar Sharma |SFS 2019-21 P3 .