BIRD CONSERVATION NEPAL - NEWSLETTER 1 Bird Conservation Nepal QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 18 BULLETIN NO. 3 SEPTEMBER 2009 Birds of Dharan Forests IBA, Eastern Lowland Nepal Yub Raj Basnet Background Forest areas of Dharan Forest are contiguously surrounded by The Dharan Forest is named after a small town Dharan which village areas inhabited by caste groups such as Tharus, Rai, is located in the northern part of the forest in Sunsari and Limbu, Chhetri, Brahman and Tamang. As in other parts of Morang district under the Koshi administrative zone in the Nepal local people of the Dharan Forests IBA are also heavily east Nepal. The area lies between 26°37’ N and 26°48’ N dependent on forest resources for fuel wood, fodder and latitude and 87°10’E and 87°37’ E longitude. The Dharan timber. There are large areas of tropical forests that are likely Forest areas covers approximately 50,000 hectares at altitudes to support significant populations of species characteristic of ranging from 100m to 1300m asl (Baral and Inskipp 2005). the Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest and Indo-Malayan Most of the forest area is situated in the plain and foothills of Tropical Dry Zone biomes (Baral and Inskipp 2005).This study Morang and Sunsari district. The Dharan Forests area is one was conducted in the forest areas of Dharan Forest in Morang of 12 IBAs that are unprotected (Baral and Inskipp 2005). The and Sunsari districts at the altitude 100m-600m, where the area is easily accessible by road. Dharan Forests area lies in forest area covers approximately 40,000 hectares. the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (Stattersfield et al., 1998). Large part of the forest area is national forest managed Flora directly by the Department of Forests and some of the forests The principal vegetation of the area comprises tropical are recently developed as community forest. More than 75 evergreen forest. The tropical evergreen forest is characterized forest user groups are benefiting from forest resources in the by dense vegetation with large sized trees and comparatively Dharan Forests IBA. warm and heavy rainfall during summer. The community forests are mainly dominated by mature Sal Shorea robusta. The associated species with Sal are Karma Adina cardifolia, Amla Phyllanthus emblica, Hade Lagerstroemia parviflora, Bel Aegle marmelos, Simal Bombax ceiba, Rajbrikshya Cassia fistula and Saaj Terminalia alata. Fauna Wild mammals found in the area are Spotted Deer Axis axis, Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Jungle Cat Felis chaus, Terai Grey Langur Semnopithecus hector, Indian Hare Lepus nigricolis, Rhesus Monkey Macaca mulatta, Black Giant Squirrel Ratufa bicolor and Northern Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennanti. Asiatic Wild Elephant Elephas maximus regularly visits the forests. 2 BIRD CONSERVATION NEPAL - NEWSLETTER Bird survey methods species were recorded in two seasons and 65 species were Extensive bird surveys in forest areas of Dharan Forests recorded in only one season. Most of them were migratory IBA were carried out four times, first in pre-monsoon (May and few were rare for the area. 2007), second in post-monsoon (October 2007), third in the winter season (January 2008) and fourth in the spring season Threatened species A total of 10 nationally threatened species; i.e. three critical, (March 2008) to obtain many residential birds during their two endangered and five vulnerable (Baral and Inskipp 2004) breeding season as well as migratory birds in Dharan Forest. were observed from the Dharan forests IBA. This constitutes Observations were carried out in different community forests 5.1% of the species observed during the survey and 7.5% of as well as the national forest of the Morang and Sunsari Nepal’s nationally threatened birds. The list of threatened districts. Birds were recorded in Sal forest, mixed forest, species recorded during the survey is shown in table 1. bushes, bamboo clumps, grasslands and streams. Most of the birds were observed by direct observation method. Calls Among the nationally threatened species Abbott’s Babbler were also noted of certain shy and skulking species. Bird Malacocincla abbotti was recorded in Kalabanjar forest (site sounds were also used to detect or identify the bird species. 1), Panbara Community forest (site 3), Budikhola watershed Mackinnon’s species richness counting method (Mackinnon (site 5) and Kerabari forest area (site 8). The bird is listed as and Phillips, 1993) was followed to determine the species- critically endangered in the national red data book on birds. richness of the area. Another nationally threatened species Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni was observed in Kalabanjar forest (site 1) near by Results and Discussion Sardu khola south from Dharan. Probably this critically endangered species is summer visitor (Basnet et al 1999) and Bird diversity Dharan forest is the most important site in Nepal. A total of 197 species belonging to 14 orders and 45 families was recorded from the Dharan Forests IBA within the 72 A pair of Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera was seen over bird lists between May 2007 and March 2008. Among them the Budhi khola upstream (site 6) near Yangshila VDC on 143 species were residents, 45 species were winter visitors 18 October 2007. Similarly, one Grey-headed Fish Eagle and 9 were summer visitors. Winter and spring seasons are Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus was observed in Panbara forest (site important to find out more new species. The number of 3) south from Pancha Kanya VDC on 31 March 2008. running species according to list number as well as survey and the species discovery curve are shown in figure 1. As Globally threatened species (category Vulnerable) Lesser the curve is still rising and relatively steeply this indicates Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus (BirdLife International 2008) that with more fieldwork it is very likely that more species was observed in all four seasons. Two nesting colonies will be found. During the survey, few unclear observations were found from the Dharan Forests IBA one at Santi were made due to very short glance which are omitted in this Community Forest, (site 4) Hasposha VDC, Tarahara and report. This might obtain in further survey. another from Singhadevi Community Forest, (site 9) Dagihat VDC, Bhawnne. Calls of Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus were During the survey 58 species were recorded in all seasons. frequently noted in both seasons from Kalabanjar forest Mostly they were residential and common species. Likewise (site 1), fireline at Sewti west (site 2), Panbara forest (site 3), 41 species were recorded in three seasons. Similarly, 33 Riverine forest of Budhikola (site 5) and Kerabari forests (site Series 1 250 200 150 100 Number of Running Species 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869 70 71 72 List Number Figure 1: species discovery curve BIRD CONSERVATION NEPAL - NEWSLETTER 3 Biome restricted species Dharan forests IBA supports five types of biome-restricted species. Among the observed species 31 species (15.74% of the total species) recorded were biome-restricted species. Among them, four were Eurasian High Montane Biome species, one was Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest Biome species, nine were Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest Biome species, three were Indo-Chinese Topical Moist Forest Biome species, and 14 were Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone Biome species. Breeding birds We have noticed many breeding activities during field visit. Lesser Adjutant by Paul Sterry Even though May (first field visit) is considered post breeding 8). One individual of Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans was period for most of the species, we observed few breeding recorded from Betana Pokhari, (site 9) wetland of Belbari VDC activities. On 13 May 2007 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch were on 10 January 2008 and one individual of Black Stork Ciconia observed feeding to their chicks. Similarly, on 14 May 2007 nigra was observed in Budi khola (site 5) near Sunderpur VDC Oriental White-eye was feeding their chicks. Active nest on 18 January 2008. of Dollar Bird Eurystomus orientalis and Common Myna Acridotheres tristis were also observed on 16 May 2007. A pair of Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis was flying above the Sal forest (site 8) near Kerabari VDC on On 28 October 2007 (Second field visit) seven active nests 16 May 2007. Many flocks of Hill Mynas Gracula religiosa of Lesser Adjutant were recorded along with their chicks in were recorded in all four seasons frequently from Janta the nesting tree of Simal at Santi Community Forest, Tarahara, community forests (site 7), riverine forests (site 5) and Panbara Sunsari. During third visit a total of 26 individuals of Lesser forests (site 3). Although the forest of the Dharan Forests IBA Adjutant was recorded in the nesting site of Tarahara. is large and mature type, we could not record Great Hornbill Similarly, a new nesting colony of Lesser Adjutant was found Buceros bicornis from the area. This globally near-threatened in Singhadevi Community Forest, Bhawnne, Morang. Five species was recorded twice at Raja Rani Community Forest nests were located in this new colony. which is contiguous with Dharan forest (Basnet et al, 2006). But we recorded 26 individuals of Oriental Pied Hornbill On 27 March 2008 Jungle Babblers Turdoides striatus were Anthracoceros albirostris in a flock on 20 January 2008 at observed carrying nest material in mixed Sal forest near Sewti riverine forest of Banchauri.