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The Western Meghamalai. After a lapse of over six decades, Bhupathy Ghats has been recognized as one of the eight hottest et al. (2012) collated some information on the birds hotspots of global biodiversity for having a high degree of Meghamalai area. Subsequently, the first author of endemic animals/km2 (Myers et al. 2000). Recently, while carrying out a CEPF-ATREE and Rufford Small 39 locations of the Ghats have been declared as World Grant project systematically recorded birds of the area Heritage Sites by the UNESCO as an appreciation of during June 2011–December 2012. The present study their diverse and unique flora and fauna (Downloaded highlights the importance of the area for conserving from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342/ on 23 July birds in the Western Ghats. 2013). Daniels (2003) reported 508 bird species from the Western Ghats including 16 endemics, and BirdLife Materials and Methods International has identified the Western Ghats as an The Meghamalai landscape (9031’–90 51’N & 77010– Endemic Bird Area (Statersfield 1998). Rasmussen & 77030’E; ~480km2) comes under the administrative Anderton (2005) reported 26 endemic species from the control of the Theni Forest Division of Tamil Nadu State Western Ghats, but this is currently being debated. In (Fig. 1). The area has been included under the Periyar- the present paper, we consider 16 species as endemic to Agastiyamalai Corridor by Critical Ecosystem Partnership the Western Ghats. Fund (CEPF 2007). The major vegetation types include Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) program montane shola and grasslands, tropical wet evergreen, has accredited the Western Ghats and site-specific moist deciduous, dry deciduous forests, riparian and dry locations therein as high priority sites for protecting thorn forests, and economic crops (tea, coffee, cardamom highly threatened ecosystems (CEPF 2007). One such etc) and plantations (softwood and hard wood). A major site-specific location is Meghamalai. In a conservation portion of the landscape receives precipitation from Figure 1. Surveyed areas in Meghamalai landscape, southern Western Ghats. Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 November 2013 | 5(15): 4962–4972 4963 Birds of Meghamalai Babu & Bhupathy ƚŚĞ ŶŽƌƚŚͲĞĂƐƚ ŵŽŶƐŽŽŶ͕ ďƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂƚĞĂƵƐ ;Śŝůů ƚŽƉƐͿ sĂƌƵƐĂŶĂĚ ,ŝůůƐ͘ ůĂĐŬͲĂŶĚͲKƌĂŶŐĞ &ůLJĐĂƚĐŚĞƌ Ficedula ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞŚŝŐŚĞƌƌĂŝŶĨĂůůĚƵƌŝŶŐƚŚĞƐŽƵƚŚͲǁĞƐƚŵŽŶƐŽŽŶ͘ nigrorufa ǁĂƐ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶĨƌĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ ŝŶ sĞůůŝŵĂůĂŝ ĂŶĚ dŚĞŶŽƌƚŚĞƌŶƐůŽƉĞŽĨƚŚĞůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞŚĂƐƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJďĞĞŶ DĂŶĂůĂƌĞƐƚĂƚĞƐ͘'ƌĞLJͲďƌĞĂƐƚĞĚ>ĂƵŐŚŝŶŐƚŚƌƵƐŚǁĂƐŽŶĞ ĚĞĐůĂƌĞĚ ĂƐ ͞DĞŐŚĂŵĂůĂŝ tŝůĚůŝĨĞ ^ĂŶĐƚƵĂƌLJ͟ ;dĂŵŝů ŽĨƚŚĞŵŽƐƚĐŽŵŵŽŶƐƉĞĐŝĞƐŝŶƚŚĞŚŝŐŚĞůĞǀĂƟŽŶƐĂŶĚ EĂĚƵ'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ'ĂnjĞƩĞ;ϮϬϬϵͿ͘ ĂŶŽƚĂďůĞŶƵŵďĞƌǁĞƌĞƐĞĞŶŝŶDĞŐŚĂŵĂůĂŝDŽƵŶƚĂŝŶƐ͕ dŚĞ ŽĐĐƵƌƌĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ďŝƌĚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂ ǁĂƐ ǁŚŝĐŚƐƚĂƌƚƐĨƌŽŵ'ĂƌĚĂŶĂƐƚĂƚĞŝŶƚŚĞĞĂƐƚƚŽhƉƉĞƌ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƐƟĐĂůůLJ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ĮĞůĚ ǁŽƌŬ ďLJ ^Ąůŝŵ DĂŶĂůĂƌ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǁĞƐƚ͘ EŝůŐŝƌŝ WŝƉŝƚ Anthus nilghiriensis ůŝĞŶƚƌĞĨŽƌKƌŶŝƚŚŽůŽŐLJEĂƚƵƌĂů,ŝƐƚŽƌLJ;ϮϬϬϲʹϮϬϬϵͿ ĂŶĚ ƌŽĂĚͲƚĂŝůĞĚ 'ƌĂƐƐͲtĂƌďůĞƌ Schoenicola platyura ĂŶĚ tŝůĚůŝĨĞ /ŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ >ŝĂŝƐŽŶ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ^ŽĐŝĞƚLJ ǁĞƌĞƐĞůĚŽŵŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚŝŶŐƌĂƐƐůĂŶĚƐďĞƚǁĞĞŶDĂŚĂƌĂũĂ ;ϮϬϭϭʹϮϬϭϮͿ͘ /Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĂůƐŽ ĐŽůůĂƚĞĚ ƐĞĐŽŶĚĂƌLJ DĞƩƵĂŶĚDĂǀĂĚŝƐƚĂƚĞ͘EŝůŐŝƌŝtŽŽĚͲWŝŐĞŽŶColumba ĚĂƚĂ ĨƌŽŵ ƉƵďůŝƐŚĞĚ ǁŽƌŬƐ ;EŝĐŚŽůƐ ϭϵϰϰĂ͕ď͕ ϭϵϰϱ͖ elphinstonii ǁĂƐ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƵƉƉĞƌ ĞůĞǀĂƟŽŶ ;ŝ͘Ğ͕͘ ŝĚĚƵůƉŚ ϭϵϱϲͿ͘ dŚĞ ŶŽŵĞŶĐůĂƚƵƌĞ ĂŶĚ ĚĞƚĂŝůƐ ŽŶ хϭϬϬϬŵͿ ǁĞƚ ĞǀĞƌŐƌĞĞŶ ƚƌĂĐƚƐ ŽĨ hƉƉĞƌ DĂŶĂůĂƌ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶƐƚĂƚƵƐ;ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚ͕ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŵŝŐƌĂŶƚ͕ŵŝŐƌĂŶƚƐͿ͕ sĞůůŝŵĂůĂŝƐƚĂƚĞƐ͘ ĞŶĚĞŵŝƐŵ ĂŶĚ ĨĞĞĚŝŶŐ ŐƵŝůĚ ;ĂƋƵĂƟĐ ǀĞŐĞƚĂƌŝĂŶ͕ &ŽƌƚLJ ;ϭϱ͘ϳйͿ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ ŽĨ ďŝƌĚƐ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĂŶŝǀŽƌĞ͕ĨƌƵŐŝǀŽƌĞ͕ƉŝƐĐŝǀŽƌĞ͕ĐĂƌŶŝǀŽƌĞ͕ŽŵŶŝǀŽƌĞĂŶĚ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞ ǁĞƌĞ ǁĞƚůĂŶĚ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ Ϯϭϰ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ ŶĞĐƚĂƌŝǀŽƌĞͿ ǁĞƌĞ ŐůĞĂŶĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ůŝ Θ ZŝƉůĞLJ ;ϭϵϴϯͿ͘ ǁĞƌĞĨŽƌĞƐƚĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ͘/ŶƐĞĐƟǀŽƌĞƐĚŽŵŝŶĂƚĞĚƚŚĞďŝƌĚ dŚƌĞĂƚ ƐƚĂƚƵƐ ŽĨ ĞĂĐŚ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚͬƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ĂƐƐĞŵďůĂŐĞ ;ϭϯϬ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͕ ϱϭйͿ ĨŽůůŽǁĞĚ ďLJ ĨƌƵŐŝǀŽƌĞƐ ƚŚĞůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞǁĂƐĞdžƚƌĂĐƚĞĚĨƌŽŵ/hEZĞĚ>ŝƐƚ;/hE ;ϯϰ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͕ ϭϯйͿ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƌŶŝǀŽƌĞƐ ;Ϯϴ ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͕ ϭϭйͿ͘ ϮϬϭϮͿ͘ ŝŽŵĞͲƌĞƐƚƌŝĐƚĞĚ ĂƐƐĞŵďůĂŐĞƐ ŽĨ ďŝƌĚƐ ǁĞƌĞ ƋƵĂƟĐ ;ŚĞƌďŝǀŽƌĞƐͿ ĂŶĚ ŶĞĐƚĂƌŝǀŽƌĞƐ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĐĂƚĞŐŽƌŝnjĞĚĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ;/ƐůĂŵΘZĂŚŵĂŶŝϮϬϬϰͿ͘ ůĞĂƐƚ;ĞĂĐŚϱƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͕&ŝŐ͘ϮͿ͘ /ŶĂůů͕ϭϴŐůŽďĂůůLJƚŚƌĞĂƚĞŶĞĚďŝƌĚƐǁĞƌĞƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚĨƌŽŵ ZĞƐƵůƚƐ ƚŚŝƐ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƌŝƟĐĂůůLJ ŶĚĂŶŐĞƌĞĚ /ŶƚŽƚĂů͕ϮϱϰďŝƌĚƐƉĞĐŝĞƐďĞůŽŶŐŝŶŐƚŽϱϱĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐĂŶĚ >ŽŶŐͲďŝůůĞĚ sƵůƚƵƌĞ Gyps indicus͖ ĂŶĚ tŚŝƚĞͲďĞůůŝĞĚ ϭϴŽƌĚĞƌƐǁĞƌĞƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚŝŶDĞŐŚĂŵĂůĂŝ;dĂďůĞϭͿ͕ǁŚŝĐŚ ^ŚŽƌƚǁŝŶŐ͖ sƵůŶĞƌĂďůĞ ƌŽĂĚͲƚĂŝůĞĚ 'ƌĂƐƐͲtĂƌďůĞƌ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚŽĨϭϬŵŝŐƌĂƚŽƌLJ͕ϱϯƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŵŝŐƌĂƚŽƌLJĂŶĚϭϵϭ Schoenicola platyura͕zĞůůŽǁͲƚŚƌŽĂƚĞĚƵůďƵůPycnonotus ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͘dŚŝƐǁŽƌŬƐŽƵƚƚŽďĞϭϵйŽĨƚŚĞďŝƌĚ xantholaemus͕EŝůŐŝƌŝWŝƉŝƚAnthus nilghiriensisĂŶĚEŝůŐŝƌŝ ĨĂƵŶĂ ŽĨ /ŶĚŝĂ͘ &ŽƵƌƚĞĞŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŵ ĂƌĞ ĞŶĚĞŵŝĐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ tŽŽĚʹƉŝŐĞŽŶĂŶĚϭϭEĞĂƌdŚƌĞĂƚĞŶĞĚƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ;&ŝŐ͘ϯͿ͘ tĞƐƚĞƌŶ'ŚĂƚƐ͘ŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂďůĞƉŽƉƵůĂƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞ'ƌĞLJʹ KƵƚŽĨƚŚĞϭϭEĞĂƌdŚƌĞĂƚĞŶĞĚ͕ĨŽƵƌǁĞƌĞĂƋƵĂƟĐǁŚŝůĞ ďƌĞĂƐƚĞĚ>ĂƵŐŚŝŶŐƚŚƌƵƐŚGarrulax jerdoni;ϲŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐͬ ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƐĞǀĞŶ ǁĞƌĞ ƚĞƌƌĞƐƚƌŝĂů ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ͘ ŵŽŶŐ ƚŚĞ Ŭŵ ŝŶ ƚĞĂ ĞƐƚĂƚĞƐͿ͕ DĂůĂďĂƌ 'ƌĞLJ ,ŽƌŶďŝůů Ocyceros ƚŚƌĞĂƚĞŶĞĚƐƉĞĐŝĞƐŽĨƚŚĞĂƌĞĂ͕>ŽŶŐͲďŝůůĞĚsƵůƚƵƌĞĂŶĚ