The Hindu : 130 species of birds found in Nagarahole

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

130 species of birds found in Nagarahole

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI May 16. The Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park is one of the rich biodiversity spots in the country. A brief survey conducted by an NGO sometime back revealed that the moist deciduous forest was a suitable habitat for birds, butterflies and orb-spiders, and dry deciduous areas were favourable for land snails.The survey was part of the India Eco-Development Project in the park executed by ATREE, an NGO from Bangalore. The sampling sites included four major habitats such as the moist deciduous, dry deciduous, plantation, and scrub forests. Transects and plots were located at Veeranahosalli (scrub), east of Kallalla and in the core area, eight km. from Sunkadakatte (dry deciduous), Hulipatte Hadlu, a core area, and Hebballa (moist deciduous).

In addition, random sampling was done in moist deciduous areas around Nagarahole, Hadlus, and paddy fields. However, the findings cannot be taken as complete as it was only a short survey.

The survey revealed the presence of 130 species of birds. Sixty-two species were found in moist deciduous sites, 46 in the dry deciduous habitat, and the rest in scrub forests and plantation sites. Moist deciduous was <149>the most species-rich with 36 species found at Hebballa, and 26 in the Nagarahole Range. Species such as S<149>pider H<149>unter and S<149>cimit<149>tar B<149>abl<149>lers were found only at Hebballa.

The major focus of the sampling survey was to assess the abundance of frugivores<149> in different sites. Large pigeons were found in moist deciduous forests in the core area of the park. Hornbills <149>Great P<149>ied and Malabar G<149>rey were also found in the moist deciduous area, while H<149>ill M<149>ynas were found across the park. Fruiting<149> tree species preferred by birds such as Gre<149>vilia sp. <149>and Ficus sp. <149>were abundant in moist places. This was probably the reason for the lesser presence of the number of large frugivore species in these areas.<149>

Interestingly, some common species were missing from sampling sites. Prominent among them was fairy blue <149>bird (Irena P<149>uella). Similarly flycatcher diversity was found to be very low.

Dung beetles

As many as 39 species of dung beetles, representing nine genera, were collected during the survey, of which 27 species were identified. The <149>t<149>wo remarkable beetles were Heliocopris D<149>ominus and Onthophagus P<149>actolus. The former is said to be the biggest dung beetle in the country reported to have been found only in the north-<149>eastern region.

Butterflies

Sixty-eight species of butterflies were identified during the survey. Of them, 43 were found in moist deciduous forests. Only 13 species were found in plantation sites. The assessment of flowering trees indicated that only moist deciduous and scrub forests had some resource for adult butterflies.

Moths

Thirty-seven moth species were found during the sample survey. About 11 species were found in dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests. The scrub jungle had a higher number of species.

A total of 17 individuals were found in moist deciduous forests. Three species of honeybees, Apis C<149>erana, Apis D<149>orsata and Apis F<149>lorae, were noticed in these sites.

Molluscs

Freshwater molluscs were sampled in six different micro and macro habitats in and around the park.

Eleven species of freshwater mollusc were recorded, of which two were rare, one found in paddy fields and the other in Hadlus (open glades). Similarly, some species were restricted to streams and reservoirs in the park.

Among land snails, 16 species were found in moist and dry deciduous forest areas.

The presence of land snails was highest in dry deciduous forests (13 species) than in moist deciduous areas (seven species).

The micro-gastropods dominated moist deciduous forests than dry deciduous places. The existence of high moisture content could be the reason for their presence in those areas.

Orb-Spiders

Orb-Spiders (Araneomorphae) or "true spiders" were sampled, but because of rainfall not many webs were found. About 69 species of spiders were recorded.

Moist deciduous forests had 39 species, followed by dry deciduous, scrub, hadlu, and bamboo growing areas.

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