Organisation

Birds of Nilgiris

This month Enviro Meet was held on 28th May, 2012 at Hotel Tamil Nadu, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore. Special address given by Dr.P.J.Vasanthan, Deputy Director, Medical Services (TB), Nilgiri District on 'Birds of Nilgiris'. Air Vice Marshal (Retd)Rtn Dr. N.Vijayakumar, AVSM VSM, Principal, SNT Global Academy of Management Studies and Technology, Madukkarai presided over the programme.

Dr.Vasanthan said that the total species of the Nilgiris are 279 of 62 families. Of these 279 bird species, 52 are migrants, nine are local migrants, 18 are endemic to Western Ghats, eight are nearly threatened species, five are vulnerable species, three are endangered species and three critically endangered species.

He said that total geographical area of Nilgiris district is 2,500 sq km at an altitude ranging from the deepest Moyyar gorge at 300m altitude to the highest point of Dodabetta peak at an altitude of 2,600m.

The Nilgiris district has a total human population of 7.3 lakh.

Nilgiris district is geographically divided into four regions i.e., Nilgiris Plateau, South Eastern outer slopes, Segur plateau and the Nilgiris Wayanad Plateau.

Main threats for birds in the Nilgiris plateau are global warming and mismanagement of grasslands and marshlands.

In Segur plateau, the threats are incorrect zoning of the landscape, forest fires, unregulated tourism, manipulation forestry, exotic plant species, etc.