OSAI

12 and 13 February, 2010
Dhaval Momaya and Mohan Raj K.
OSAI, Coimbatore

After an unsuccessful attempt to get permission to enter the Manamboli range, we decided to look for fauna on public and estate roads including the main Aliyar-Valparai state highway.

We visited Anamalai Nature Information Centre, Iyerpadi on the main Pollachi-Valparai highway. Built and maintained by the Nature Conservation Foundation, it is extremely well done and has great pictorials and write-ups in English and Tamil. A little souvenir shop also offers visitors books, video, posters and other paraphernelia.

We were joined by Shaik Hussain at Valparai, a Senior Research Fellow and Conservationist working for the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology's LaConES project (Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species).

The Aliyar-Valparai road is one of the most richest and biodiverse birding areas in southern India because of the fact that it covers altitudes from 300m to 2200m above MSL encompassing wetlands; dry scrub forest; savanna type grassland; dry, mixed and wet deciduous forests; tropical evergreen forest; montane evergreen forest and montane grassland habitats; all in a short stretch of about 65km.

Of note is that one tree (Ficus nervosa?) on the ghat road at about 700m above MSL attracted a variety of birds including five species of bulbuls (including the Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus, endemic to the southern peninsular India) and many other frugivorous and omnivorous birds to feed on its berry-like fruits. Also of note is that the males of the Common Iora were frequently exhibiting mating display in and around this tree.

We observed 73 bird species, 16 mammal species, 4 reptiles including 2 snake species, a few butterfly species and plenty of flora that we failed to identify.

List of Birds

• Common crow (Corvus splendens)
• Large-billed crow (Corvus macrohynchus)
• House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

• Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
• Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus)
• Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)

• Blyth's Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum)
• Unidentified Warbler

• Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)
• Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica)

• Common Tailorbird ( Orthotomus sutorius)
• Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)
• Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)

• Indian Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii)
• Yellow-billed Babbler or White-headed Babbler (Turdoides affinis)
• Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata)
• Rufous Babbler (Turdoides subrufa)

• Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus)
• Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)

• Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
• Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
• Yellow-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus)
• Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes ganeesa)
• Flame-throated Bulbul [previously a race of the Black-crested Bulbul P. melanicterus] (Pycnonotus gularis)
• White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus)

• Pale-billed flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)
• Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia multicolor)
• Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
• Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)

• Brown-headed Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica)
• White-cheeked Barbet (Megalaima viridis)
• Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
• Crimson-fronted Barbet (Megalaima malabarica) (Call Only)

• Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)
• White-bellied Drongo (Dicrurus caerulescens)
• Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus)
• Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)

• Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)
• Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
• Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

• Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

• Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis bengalensis)
• White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

• Blue-winged Parakeet (Psittacula columboides)

• Indian Silverbill (Euodice malabarica)
• Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus)

• Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus)
• Blue-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris)

• Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
• Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus jotaka)

• Asian Paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
• Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)
• Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)

• Small Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
• Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti)

• White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis)
• Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
• Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)

• Orange-headed Thrush (Zoothera citrina)
• Malabar Whistling Thrush ( Myophonus horsfieldii)
• Blue-capped Rock-thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus)

• Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii)
• Painted Spurfowl (Galloperdix lunulata)
• Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

• Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
• Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)

• Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)
• Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis)
• Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
• Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
• Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
• Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
• Shikra (Accipiter badius)

List of Reptiles

• South Indian Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis)
• Bronze Grass Skink (Eutropis macularia)

• Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus)
• Russell’s Kukri (Oligodon taeniolatus)

List of Amphibians

• Bronzed Frog (Sylvirana temporalis)

List of Mammals

• Common Indian Civet (Viverricula indica)
• Small Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)
• Brown Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni)

• Ruddy Mongoose (Herpestes smithii)
• Stripe-necked Mongoose (Herpestes vitticollis)

• Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica)

• Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis)

• Jungle Striped Squirrel (Funambulus tristriatus)
• Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica)
• Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis)

• Sambar (Rusa unicolor)
• Barking deer or Indian Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak)
• Gaur (Bos gaurus)

• Coromandel Grey Langur (Semnopithecus priam)
• Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johnii)
• Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata)
• Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)

• Asian Elephant Elephas maximus (trumpet heard, no direct sighting)

Road-kills

Unidentified Gerbil and Red-Whiskered Bulbul.