PART II –AVIFAUNA
BIODIVERSITY OF ERAVIPEROOR VILLAGE.
PART-1 A CHECK-LIST OF BIRDS FOUND IN ERAVIPEROOR VILLAGE.
The checklist of birds for this area was prepared on the basis of my observation from the year 1977-2012. To make it compact and less confusing, I have removed the field notes and also used abbreviations such as B- BREEDING, C-COMMON, R-RARE, VR-VERY RARE, M-MIGRANT, LM-LOCAL MIGRANT etc…
Clarification regarding dates
Dates given in the B-detail column denote the date or year in which nest with eggs or nestlings found for the first time since 1977.
Dates given in Season & Date column- Please do not compare and confuse the given dates with the annual migration dates (both inward & outward) of the concerned species recorded from Kerala. For eg: Garganey, this migrant duck species arrives in the backwaters of Kerala as early as September but usually enter this village limits only a month later. Likewise, they depart from here in January but only start their northward migration from the backwaters in mid April.
So the dates given are strictly based on observations within the boundaries of this village.
Photographs
I consider this as one of the best means of identifying any species. Ashly Mary Ipe, my daughter has been assisting me in photographing birds and other species in her spare time. Almost 95% of the photos were taken from within the limits of this village. I wish she can add more images to the checklist in the near future. My wife Bindu was of great service in the field during the photographing trips.
| Name | Breeding Details | C or R Status | Season & Date | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Grabe or Dabchick. Podiceps ruficollis. | Felis chaus | C | LM during SW and NE monsoon. |  |
| Spotted billed or Grey Pelican. Pelecanus philippensis | VR Vagrant | Between 1977 &2012 only 3 sightings, just 4 specimens. All the sightings in Jan:-Feb: Neither of them did land here. | ||
| Large Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo. | VR | One flock on the wing- June 1994 |  |
|
| Little Cormorant. Phalacrocorax niger . | B Since 1992 | C | Throughout the year. |  |
| Darter or Snakebird. Anhinga rufa. | R | Occasional straggler during monsoon. |  |
|
| Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea. | B No nests have been found but for the past couple of years juaniles have been found Oct:-Nov: | C | Throughout the year. |  |
| Little Green Heron. Ardeola striatus {ACN} Striated Heron. Butorides striatus | VR | First sight record .8th Feb:2008. | ||
| Paddy bird or Pond Heron. Ardeola grayii. | B | C | Throughout the year. |  |
Cattle Egret. Bubulcus ibis | C | Resident & LM. Throughout the year. |  |
|
| Large Egret. Ardea alba | R But regular. | LM Dec:-Feb & some times in June. |  |
|
| Median Egret. Egretta intermedia. Median Egret. Egretta intermedia. | C | LM No specific season. |  |
|
| Little Egret. Egretta garzetta. | C | Resident &LM mostly between Oct:-June. |  |
|
| Western Reef Egret. Egretta gularis. | R | Found in straggling ones in mixed flocks of Egrets. Oct:-Jan: |  |
|
| Black-crowned Night Heron. Nycticorax nycticorax. | B Saw 3 nests on a tree in1989. Still the tree serves as a favorable roosting site. | C | Resident & LM Throughout the year. |  |
| Yellow Bittern. Ixobrychus sinensis. | C | Resident . Throughout the year. |  |
|
| Chestnut Bittern. Or Cinnamon Bittern. Ixobrychus cinnamomeus. | C | Chestnut Bittern. Or Cinnamon Bittern. Ixobrychus cinnamomeus. | ||
| Black Bittern. Ixobrychus* flavicollis. Or Dupetor flavicollis? | B 18-8-1979 . | C | Resident Throughout the year. | |
| Asian Openbill. Anastomus oscitans. | R | LM Stray ones seen mostly during Nov:-May |  |
|
| Woolly-necked Stork. Ciconia episcopus. | R | LM seen in Jan:-Feb: | ||
| White Ibis. Or Black-headed Ibis. Threskiornis melanocephalus. Or T aethiopica?* | R | LM No specific season. Mostly seen on the wing but some specimens have been observed to have landed here since 2010. |  |
|
| Un identified duck | R But regular until the year 1996 or so. Afterwards it has become absent. | M A winter visiting duck always seen in small numbers in company with Garganey. | ||
| Lesser Whistling Teal Or L.W Duck. Dendrocygna javanica. | B 27-7-1887 . Regular breeder since mid 1980s. | C | Resident & LM Throughout the year except in very dry season |  |
| Garganey. Anas querquedula. | C | M Nov:-Feb: | ||
| Cotton Teal. Or Cotton Pygmy-goose. Nettapus coromandelianus. | B July 1989. | C | Resident & LM Throughout the year except in very dry season. |  |
| Black-shouldered Kite. Elanus caeruleus. | R | Vagrant. Altogether 2 sightings. Mar:1995, Feb:96 | ||
| Oriental Honey Buzzard. Pernis ptilorhyncus. | R? Needs a status recheck. | LM Regular, no specific season. |  |
|
| Pariah Kite. Milvus migrant. | B Feb:1979. Now there are no nesting sights within our village limits. | R | LM & Resident? No specific season. | |
| Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus. | R | LM Seasonal. {during the fields are being ploughed and also during dry season} | ||
| Shikra Accipiter badius. | B Mar:-Jun:-many nesting sites. | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Marsh Harrier. Circus aeruginosus. | R | M Dec:-Feb: | ||
| Crested Serpent Eagle. Spilornis cheela. | R? Needs a status recheck. | LM No specific season. First sight record in 2003. nowadays regular. Two landing records since 15th July 2012 . |  |
|
| Oriental Hobby? *Most probably I must had mistook the Shahin Falcon for the Hobby. Ref: message from Mr.Praveen.J.{Keralabirder 7358.April27th 2012} | VR | Straggler , only one sighting-6th Jan:1998. | ||
| Red Spurfowl. Galloperdix spadica [Gmelin] | VR | Only one record 15th May 2008 . During the next five days this lone cock bird lived in a grove in my compound. It roosted on a bamboo thicket and was regular in giving out the roosting & wakeup calls. On the 6th day it simply vanished! | ||
| Indian Peafowl. Pavo cristatus. | VR | In 1995 an escaped cock bird roamed this area for 2 weeks. There are other stray, similar records in recent years as well. But no wild or semi wild specimens exist in this locality. | ||
| Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca. | R | LM & Resident till mid 1980s. Now there are no resident population very few LM seen during Feb:-May. | ||
| White-breasted Waterhen. Amaurornis phoenicurus. | B Aug:1978 | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Watercock. Or Kora. Gallicrex cinerea. | B Use to breed till 1984, no breeding evidence since then. | C? Needs status recheck | Resident* &LM For present status please Ref: Keralabirder message 7368 dated 2nd May 2012 |  |
| Indian Moorhen Or Common Moorhen. Gallinula chloropus. | B | C | LM Absent in dry season. | |
| Purple Swamphen. Porphyrio porphyrio. | B | B | Resident& LM Throughout the year. |  |
| Bronzewinged Jacana. Metopidius indicus. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Painted Snipe. Rostratula benghalensis. | VR | LM Straggler. 3 sightings Jan 1993, Jan: 96 & Feb: 2009. | ||
| Black- winged Stilt. Himantopus himantopus | C | M Or LM Regular in Nov:-Feb: | ||
| Red-wattled Lapwing. Vanellus indicus | B Mar:1981 | C | Resident& LM. No specific season. |  |
| Little Ringed Plover. Charadrius dubius. | R | M. Winter visitor. Dec:-Jan: | ||
| Red Shank*? Tringa tetanus. Needs ID check. | R | M Winter visitor. Nov:Feb: | ||
| Common Greenshank. Tringa nebularia. | R? Regular. Needs status recheck | M. Winter visitor. Nov:-Jan: |  |
|
| Green Sandpiper. Tringa ochropus. | C | M. Winter visitor. Sept:-Apri: |  |
|
| Wood Or Spotted Sandpiper. Tringa glareola. | C | M. Winter visitor. Sept:-Apri: |  |
|
| Little Stint.*? Calidris minuta. Needs ID check. | R | M Winter visitor. Oct:-Jan: | ||
| Pintail Snipe. Gallinago stenura. | C | M Winter visitor. Oct:-Apr: | ||
| Common Or Fantail Snipe. Gallinago gallinago. | C | M Winter visitor. Sept:-Apr: | ||
| Indian Whiskered Tern. Chlidonias hybridus | C | M Or LM Nov:-Mar: |  |
|
| Sooty Tern. Sterna fuscata. | VR | An accidental straggler {wind blown} was recovered on the 24th of July 2005 . Ref: Keralabirder message |  |
|
| Grey-fronted Green Pigeon. Dendrophassa pompadora. Affinis. | R. Regular. | LM. No specific season. |  |
|
| Jerdon’s Or Maroonbacked Imperial Pigeon. Ducula badia | R Regular | LM Seasonal, [Apr:-July:] has a regular fly route through this area. Few landing records also. Ref: Keralabirder message 7303 dated1st Apr: 2012. |  |
|
| Blue Rock Pigeon. Columba liva | B 17-12-1979 | C | Resident. Throughout the year. |  |
| Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis. | B | C | Resident. Throughout the year. |  |
| Emerald Dove Or Bronzewinged Dove. Chalcophaps indica. | B Apr: 1988. | C | Resident &LM. During very hot months[Feb:-Mar] majority of them move towards the foothills. |  |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet. Psittacula krameri. | B. 17-9-1979 . | C | Resident throughout the year. | |
| Plum-headed Parakeet. Psittacula cyanocephala. | Malabar Parakeet Or Bluewinged Parakeet | C | LM. Seasonal |  |
| Malabar Parakeet Or Bluewinged Parakeet | R. Regular | LM. Seasonal.June-Sept: | ||
| Vernal Hanging Parrot. Loriculus vernalis. | C | Resident &LM. Almost throughout the year. |  |
|
| Red winged Crested Cuckoo Clamator coromandus. | VR | Only one sighting-1st Mar:2006. Can be an accidental passage migrant. Ref: Keralabirder message8095. | ||
| Common Hawk- Cuckoo Or Brainfever bird. | B. Here they brood parasite in Jungle Babbler nests. | C | More or less resident. |  |
| Indian Cuckoo. Cuculus micropterus. | B Brood parasite on Black-headed Oriole & Drongo. [Circumstantial evidences | C | M or LM. Seasonal. Mar:-June. Departs with the onset of SW monsoon. | |
| Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris. *Prefer to get an ID check but do not have any pic: | VR | Only one sighting-21st Dec: 2000. A solitary specimen was seen in our rubber plantation. | ||
| Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea. | B Brood parasite on House Crow. Jungle Crow? | C | Resident& LM |  |
| Common Crow-Pheasant. Or Greater Coucal. Centropus sinensis. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Barn Owl. Tyto alba | R | Resident &LM. Not regular. 1st sighting 16th Nov:2006. Four or five sightings since then. | ||
| Collared Scops Owl. Otus bakkamoena | B. Saw an adult bird with two chicks in 1996. Date is missing. | C | Resident |  |
| Brown Fish Owl.*? Ketupa zeylonensis. Needs ID recheck. | VR | Accidental straggler. Just two sightings one in 1980.and another in 2003. | ||
| Barred Jungle Owlet. Glaucidium radiatum. | B. Young ones are found in June-Juiy. | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Brown Hawk-Owl. Ninox scutulata. | B. Saw a nest with three young ones-Feb:1996. | C | R No specific season. | |
| Spotted Owlet. Athene brama. | B. 19-3-1978 . | C? Needs status recheck | Was a common resident, breeding species till a few years ago. Now Absent or rare. | |
| Mottled Wood Owl. Strix ocellate. | R | First heard the bird[a pair] and saw one in Dec:2008. They became residents for the next two years. After this there was a long gap, again in Oct: 2012 I heard one. | ||
| Common Indian Nightjar. Caprimulgus asiaticus. | R | Straggler. Twice in 1995 Dec:-Jan: May not have specific season. | ||
| Large Brown-throated Spinetail Swift. | C. Seen on the wing. | LM. Seasonal [mostly during pre monsoon] May-June. On overcast days just before rains they fly towards the west and return east in a short while. Fly in astonishing speed. | ||
| Asian Palm Swift. Cypsiurus balasiensis. | B. Nov-Apri: in the fold of Beetlenut palm leaf. | C | Resident. Throughout the year. | |
| Pied Kingfisher. Ceryle rudis. | B. Said to breed on the banks of Manimala river. | C | Resident, no specific season. | |
| Common or Small blue Kingfisher. Alcedo atthis. | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
|
| Stork-billed Kingfisher. Halcyon cepensis. Or *Pelargopsis capensis? | B. Witnessed an un common nesting behavior in Aug:2007- Saw a pair excavating nest hole on a dead palm trunk! As per books holes are made into earth cuttings. | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| White-breasted or White-throated Kingfisher. Halcyon smyrnensis. | B April 1993 | C | Resident throughout the year |  |
| Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Merops philippinus. | C | LM. Seasonal Sep:-Apr: |  |
|
| Small Green Bee-eater. Merops orientalis. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Indian Roller or Blue Jay. Coracias benghalensis. | B. Mar:-Apr: | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Hoopoe. Upupa epops. | VR It was said to be more common in the 1950s | LM Two sightings-Dec:1995 &Jan:2011 | ||
| Malabar Gray Hornbill. Ocyceros griseus | VR.? Needs status recheck. First sighting June 2003, another one on the 28th of Aug:2005. Now some what common [May:-Sept:] | LM During SW mosoon. |  |
|
| Small Green Barbet or White-cheaked Barbet. Megalaima viridis. | B. 21-2-1982 . | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Coppersmith Barbet. Megalaima haemacephala. | B? In 1995 Jan: saw one bird excavating hole on a dead branch. | R | LM. Dec:-Apr: | |
| Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus. Or Micropterneus b ? | C | LM No specific season. |
||
| Little Scaly Bellied GreenWoodpecker. Picus myrmecophoneus | R | LM No specific season. First sighting-27th Sept:1997. [a straggler] Three more sightings since then. [2001,004 &006] | ||
| Small Yellownaped Woodpecker. Picus chlorolophus. | VR | LM One and only sighting on 5th Dec:2010. A peculiar single noted long drawing sound reveled its ID. | ||
| Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker. Or Black-rumped Flameback. Dinopium benghalense. | B 12-5-1981 | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Indian Goldenbacked Threetoed Woodpecker or Common Flameback.. Dinopium javanense. {D.j.malabaricum} | R | LM No specific season. | ||
| Yellowfronted Pied or Mahratta Woodpecker. Or Yellow-crowned Woodpecker. Dendrocopos mahrattensis. Or Picoides . m? | B. Feb: 1994 | C | Resident? & LM No specific season. | |
| Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker. Dendrocopos nanus. Ppcoides .n? | C | LM Mostly in Sept: -May. | ||
| Indian Pitta. Pitta brachyura. | C | LM Arrive with the beginning of NE monsoon in Oct: and departs in late May. | ||
| Dusky Crag Martin. Hirundo concolor. Needs ID check. | C | LM Seasonal, Dec:- Mar: | ||
| Barn Swallow. Hirundo rustica. | C | M? or LM. Sep:-May | ||
| Redrumped or Striated Swallow. Hirundo daurica. | C | M or LM Oct:- May. [usually arrives with the commencement of NE monsoon ] | ||
| Brown Shrike. Lanius cristatus | C | M Oct:-May. |  |
|
| Golden Oriole. Oriolus oriolus. | C | M Nov:-Apr: |  |
|
| Black-headed Oriole. Oriolus xanthornus. | B Apr:-May. | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Black Drongo. Or Kingcrow. Dicrurus macrocercus. D.adsimillis? | B. 4-3-1979 | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Ashy Drongo. Dicrurus leucophaeus. | C | Resident & LM Almost throughout the year. | ||
| Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. Dicrurus paradiseus. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Ashy Swallow-shrike Artamus fussus. | B 1980 | C | Resident throughout the year. | Ashy-Swallow-shrike.jpg |
| Greyheaded Myna. Sturnusmalabaricus. | C | LM Seasonal. |  |
|
| Rosy Pastor. Or Rosy Starling. Sturnus roseus. | C. In 2011-12 Flocks up to 30 were seen in association with Greyheaded Myna. | M Very few records prior to 2011- Dec:-Mar: |  |
|
Indian Myna or Common Myna. Acridotheres tristis | B. 1-4-1979 . | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Brahminy Myna. Or Blackheaded Myna. Sturnus pagodarum. | VR | Straggler. Two sightings.-one specimen in 1995 and another one on the 7th of Nov:1996. | ||
| Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Hill Myna or Garackle. Garacula religiosa. | R | LM First sighting- a single specimen on the 20th of Oct:2000.For the past 12 years. Five or six more sightings, small groups of these birds make a visit during Aug: and in Oct: when there is plenty of rain. Do not seem to stay in this locality. |  |
|
| Rufous Treepie. Dendrocitta vagabunda | B Apr: 1979. | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| House Crow. Corvus splendens. | B 15-1-1978 . | C | Resident throughout the year. | |
| Jungle Crow or Large-billed Crow. Corvus macrorhynchos. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Large Cuckoo-shrike. Coracina novaehollandiae. | B One record in June1996. | C? Status recheck needed | Resident? And LM. No specific season. | |
| Small Minivet. Pericrocotus cinnamomeus. | B One record-25th sept:1997 | R. Spotted only during the year 1997-98 | Straggler. Ref: field notes 1997-98. | |
| Common Iora. Aegithina tiphia. | B. June 1995. | C | Resident throughout the year. | |
| Goldmantled Chloropsis. Chloropsis cochinchinensis. | C | Resident throughout the year. | ||
| Redwiskered Bulbul. Pycnonotus jocosus. | B March 1977 | C | Resident & LM Throughout the year. |  |
| Redvented Bulbul. Pycnonotus cafer. | B | C | Resident? & LM No specific season | |
| Jungle Babbler. Turdoides striatus. | B. 11-4-1979 . | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher. Muscicapa tickelliae. Needs ID recheck. | VR | Straggler. A single one in 1996. | ||
| Paradise Flycatcher. Terpsiphone | C | LM Or M. Oct:-May. | ||
| Un Identified Flycatcher. | Early Nov:- | |||
| Blacknaped Blue Flycatcher Hypothymis azurea. Needs ID recheck. | VR | Straggler. Dec:-Feb: | ||
| Brown Flycatcher. Muscicapa latirostris Raffles. | C? | LM. Three sightings in 1997 [ three solitary ones] Appeared again in Nov:2011and lived in and around a shady grove until the end of Feb:2012. | ||
| Ashy Prinia. Prinia socialis. | B 11-2-1982 . | C | Resident throughout the year. | |
| Plain Prinia Prinia inomata. | C | Resident & LM | ||
| Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii. Needs ID recheck. | C | LM Dec:-Mar: | ||
| Common Tailorbird. Orthotomus sutorius. | B July 1980 | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Paddyfield Warbler. Acrocephalus agricola. | C | Seasonal | ||
| Blyth ’s Reed Warbler. Acrocephalus dumetorum. | C | M or LM Mostly in winter months. | ||
| Greenish Warbler. Phylloscopus trochiloides. | C | M. Starts to arrive in the end of Sep:- seen throughout the winter &summer months. | ||
| Magpie-Robin. Copsychus saularis. | B 12-3-1978 . | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrine cyanotus. | B | C | Resident & LM |  |
| Great Tit. Parus major. | C | LM. Winter & Summer | ||
| Paddyfield Pipit. Anthus rufulus. | B. 8th Mar:2000. [Breeding details-Ref: field notes] | C | LM Winter & Summer. [Sep:-Apr:] | |
| Forest Wagtail. Motacilla indica. | C | M Winter & Summer. [Sep:-May] |  |
|
| Yellow Wagtail.[Grey headed]. Motacilla fluva. [tumbergi] | C | M. Winter & Summer. | ||
| Grey Wagtail. Motacilla caspica. | C | M Winter & Summer |  grey_wagtail.jpg |
|
| White-browed Wagtail. Or Large pied Wagtail. Motacilla maderaspatensis | R. Regular. | LM Mostly in winter & summer. |  |
|
| White Wagtail. Motacilla alba | R? | LM. Mostly during monsoons. Usually in flooded play ground {near ERV: junction} rather than in paddy fields. | ||
| Tickell’s or Pale-billed Flowerpecker. Dicaeum erythrorynchos. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Purple-rumped Sunbird. Nectarinia zeylonica. | B No specific season. | C | Resident throughout the year. | |
| Purple Sunbird. Nectarinia asiatica. | B 24-10-1979 | C? | Resident throughout the year. | |
| Maroonbreasted or Loten’s Sunbird. Nectarinia lotenia Linnaeus. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Baya Weaver bird. Ploceus philippinus. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| White-rumped Munia. Lonchura striata. | B | C | Resident throughout the year. |  |
| Scaly-breasted Munia. Lonchura punctulata | R | Two sightings-two birds in Sep:1995 and a flock of eight on the 25th of Sep:1996. | ||
| Northern Pintail Anas acuta | R Rare within the prescribed limits seems to have a regular flyway over this place since 2001 | A Straggler Female was found with a group of wintering Garganey in January 2002., just inside our southern limits | ||
| Common Sandpiper. Actitis hypoleucos. | 1st sight record-21st Dec:2012 | M Since this date, for the next three months a pair was regularly seen between Poovapuzha – Azekanakayam stretch especially in the vicinity of the check dams built across Manimala river. | ||
| Chestnut-headed Bee-eater. Merops leschenaulti | Rare First sighting 20th Jan 2013. | LM A group of 8 birds seen hunting Bees. Ref: Keralabirder message 8351 dated21st Jan 2013 |  |
|
| Bronzed Drongo. Dicrurus aeneus | Rare,Confirmed its ID on 12th Feb:2013 | LM A pair was seen here in Feb-May season. |  |
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| Spot-billed Duck. Anas poecilorhyncha | VR | A pair seen feeding in Mannattupadem.(first sighting record)17th June 2013. |