Ornithofauna and its conservation in the Kuttanad wetlands, southern portion of Vembanad-Kole Ramsar site, India

S Prasanth Narayanan,B Sreekumar,A.P Thomas

doi:10.11609/jott.o1870.1663-76

Abstract

The avifauna of Kuttanad was studied from January 1995 to June 2007. Two-hundred-and-twenty-five taxa of birds belonging to 15 orders and 59 families were recorded. Among the birds recorded, 38% were migrants. Fifty-five species were found to breed in the area. Family Scolopaceidae showed maximum species diversity. European Roller Coracias garrulus recorded during this study is the first report of this species from Kerala. Ten globally threatened species were recorded. Kuttanad wetland shows greater species diversity, especially in the wetland birds, than the Kole wetlands of Kerala. Kumarakom heronry holds 8% of the biogeographical population of the Near Threatened Oriental Darter. Landscape alteration, hunting, felling of nesting trees and pesticides are the major detrimental factors for the survival of birds. Conservation aspects of birds of this region are discussed.

Highlights

Wetlands are complex and productive ecosystems (Maltby 1986; Unni 2002) that occupy about six percent of the Earth’s land surface (Maltby & Turner 1983)
Most of the land birds were seen at the eastern boundaries of Kuttanad, where Kuttanad wetlands meet midland areas of Kerala
Kuttanad wetland is rich in wetland bird species

Summary

Introduction

Wetlands are complex and productive ecosystems (Maltby 1986; Unni 2002) that occupy about six percent of the Earth’s land surface (Maltby & Turner 1983). Wetlands are important habitats for birds, which use them for feeding, roosting, nesting and rearing young (Weller 1999; Stewart 2001). The use of wetlands by birds during the breeding cycle ranges widely, with some depending almost totally on wetlands for breeding, feeding or shelter during their breeding cycles. The only detailed study regarding birds in this region is the midwinter water bird count. Nature Education Society, Thrissur, organized the first water bird survey in the Vembanad Lake (NEST 1993). Since 2001, regular Midwinter Waterbird Count is being carried out at different parts of Kuttanad wetlands by Kottayam Nature Society (KNS) in association with Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department (Sreekumar 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), but most of the surveys were concentrated in and around the premises of Vembanad Lake.

Methods

Results

Conclusion