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F o rF o rF o rF o rF o r e w o re w o re w o re w o re w o r ddddd

EPTRI is not responsible for theviews expressed by the authors.

Note

C o n t e n t sC o n t e n t sC o n t e n t sC o n t e n t sC o n t e n t s

R e a d e r s a r e . . . . . .WELCOME to contribute articles to our Newsletter.Theme of our next issue is “Demographic Trendsof Eastern Ghats”.

ENVIS Centre collects, collates and dessiminates

the information related to its core subject viz.

“Eastern Ghats”. Hence, the library of ENVIS at

EPTRI invites donation of reprints, bibliographic

collections, news clippings, posters, photographs

etc., from all sources. (URL : www.envis-eptri.org)

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TRAINING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE (EPTRI), HYDERABAD

The Eastern Ghats

We have pleasure in releasing EPTRI-ENVIS

Newsletter, Vol.8 No.1, 2002, which deals

with articles related to fauna of Eastern

Ghats. The articles throw light on ornithological

references based on the work that was conducted in

the Eastern Ghats. Pollinator Diversity highlights plant

and animal interactions related to fruit production in

some economically important trees. Land-use and

biodiversity of beneficial soil arthropods in Paderu are

discussed. Faunal Diversity in Gundla Brahmeshwaram

and Lanka Malleswara Sanctuaries of Eastern Ghats is

examined. Based on a miniature sheet, the presence of

some important migratory birds with their field

characteristics are listed. Further, the presence and

abundance of Black Drongo, an insectivorous bird is

also reported. Thus the newsletter intends to convey

the studies on endangered fauna to promote the

awareness about their conservation.

NATIONAL SEMINAR ONCONSERVATION OF EASTERN GHATS

24 - 26 March, 2002Organised by

EPTRI and TTDVenue: Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi

Volume 8 No.1, 2002

E P T R I - E N V I S N e w s l e t t e r

D o J o i n u sD o J o i n u sD o J o i n u sD o J o i n u sD o J o i n u s

Sila Thoranam, Tirupathi

• Foreword......................................................................................1

• Land-Use and the biodiversity of beneficial soilarthropods in Eastern Ghats, Paderu region (AndhraPradesh, India..............................................................................2-3Prof. M.Vikram Reddy and Mr. G.R.R. Prasad Rao

• Pollinator diversity versus fruit production in someeconomically important tree species in Eastern Ghatsforests of Andhra Pradesh...........................................................4-6Dr. Alluri Jacob Solomon Raju and Dr. S.Purnachandra Rao

• Faunal Diversity of Gundla Brameshwaram, EasternGhats, Andhra Pradesh...............................................................6Mr. Mathen Mathew

• A List of Ornithological References For The EasternGhats.............................................................................................7-9Mr. Aasheesh Pittie

• The Lankamalleshwara Sanctuary...............................................9Mr. Mathen Mathew

• Migratory Birds in Eastern Ghats terrain based on aMiniature Sheet (Depicting CommemorativeStamps)........................................................................................10Rajashekar Tummala

• Black Drongo –An Insectivorous Bird......................................11Rajashekar Tummala

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

The Eastern Ghats, a chain of hill ranges lying along the coastal plainsof east coast of the peninsular India, extend from Orissa to some

parts of Tamil Nadu passing through Andhra Pradesh, between 13o-20’

N (Latitude) and 78o-84’E (Longitude). These ghats range from 0 to2000 m above mean sea level, with varied geomorphology and typical ofprecambrian and quarternary formation being nearer to the coast. TheEastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh are spread over upland areas ofSrikakulam, Vizianagarm, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari,Krishna, and Guntur districts with spurs into Khammam, Karimnagarand Adilabad districts, and also extending to some parts of Prakasam,Kurnool, Cuddapah and Chittoor districts of the State.

According to R. Rajamani (1998), the Eastern Ghats have diverse faunaand flora, with different forest types such as tropical dry and moistdeciduous, evergreen, scrub and savanah and are “warm spots” ofbiodiversity if not “hotspots”. These ghats in Andhra Pradesh are coveredwith moist deciduous semi-evergreen and dry-evergreen forests withscattered savanahs (Anon.,1996). The faunal species, some of them beingendangered, are mammals (tigers, panthers, wild dogs, wolves, foxes andjackals-carnivores; elephants, wild buffaloes, guars, sambars, chowsinghas,nilgai, black-buck, sloth bears and spotted deer-herbivores), the smallermammals, slender loris (arboreal and nocturnal), bats, giant squirrels andjungle cat, and about 281 species of birds including Jerdon’s Courser,great pied hornbill, spider hunter and Pala pitta (Blue –Jay) and python,king cobra, golden hill geckos, and monitors-reptiles, and earthworms ofwestern Orissa, which were studied to some extent. However, littleinformation is documented on the invertebrates particularly thearthropods, which include entomofauna, and constitute the majorcomponent of the faunal biodiversity. Moreover, the arthropods in anyecosystem are very important in its structure and functioning. Thebeneficial role of arthropod biodiversity in the ecosystem is enormous.These arthropods according to their body size can be grouped intomicroarthropods, and macroarthropods. The macroarthropods mainlyinhabit the soil surface, the ‘O’ horizon of the upper most layer of theearth, which consists of two layers such as soil and litter layer the formerlayer lying immediately below the latter layer. The micro arthropods livemainly in the upper layers (up to 10 cm) of the soil that is usually mixedwith humus.

The predatory species of these macro arthropods such as those belongingto Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Centipedes, ants, earwigs and spiders aremacrobiological-controlling agents. They feed on the harmful soil insectpests and their larvae, and serve as natural biological controlling agents(Edwards et al.,1975). They prevent the prey from reaching a populationsize not exceeding the specific carrying capacity. Many of these arthropodsdevour the seeds of weeds and help in weed control.

Thus, these predatory arthropods can have a decisive influence on thestructure and function of the ecosystems. They, together with otherfactors contribute to the attainment and maintenance of the ecosystemequillibrium (Odum and Reichholf,1980). The arthropods belonging

Land-Use and the biodiversity of beneficial soil arthropods inEastern Ghats, Paderu region (Andhra Pradesh), India.

Prof. M.Vikram Reddy and Mr. G.R.R. Prasad RaoDepartment of Zoology, Kakatiya University, Warangal-506 009. AP.

to Carabidae (Thiele, 1997), ants (Major, 1997), Araniedae andCollembola are also important as bioindicators of environmental qualitythrough their responses to various environmental perturbations beingsensitive to the external stresses. They possibly indicate the vegetationand soil conditions. The microarthropods play a critical role in litterdecomposition and nutrient cycling, soil formation and stabilization(Reddy, 1995). They enhance fungal metabolism grazing over thesenescent hyphae, spore inoculation and dispersal. It has been reportedthat the litter decomposition and nutrient cycling are many times fasterin the presence of microarthropods (Reddy, 1995). They are alsoindicators of soil quality, and are useful in loosening the soil to facilitateaeration and infilteration.

Human activities such as various patterns of land-use and land-coverchanges affect many aspects of the earth surface, such as atmosphere andecosystems. The activities particularly land-use drastically change thebiodiversity, and are responsible for a large fraction of species extinctions(Sala and Chapin, 2000). However, information on these factors affectingearth surface particularly in the tropical region is meager. The presentinvestigation on the effects of land-use on the biodiversity and densitiesof beneficial soil arthropods was conducted at Araku range in Paderuregion of the Eastern Ghats in Visakhapatnam district, with tropicalmoist mixed deciduous forest ( Annon, 1996).

The district is located between 17o 15’ and 18o 32’N Latitude and 18o

54’ and 83o 30’ E Longitude, with annual temperature ranging fromabout 18o C to 34o C and annual rainfall ranging from about 1000 to1500 mm, most of that falling from South West Monsoon, Paderu divisionis a hilly region with altitude ranging from 900 to 1615 m.

Different land use patterns such as “Podu Cultivation”, or “Shiftingcultivation” or “Slash and burning cultivation”, “Coffee cultivation”, anduse of different pesticides particularly insecticides and chemical fertilizersin agroecosystems were taken into consideration, as the former type ofland-use is the way of life for local hill tribal communities in this region.The forest area of this region is heavily affected by “Podu” cultivation,which is mainly used for growing ragi that being the main diet of thelocal tribes. For “Podu” cultivation, a patch for forestland is slashed on ahill slope during winter (January) and such slashing at different placescontinues till March. The dried slashed plant parts are burnt, and theashes of burnt material of each patch are spread on its area. Then, theseeds of the crop are sown. It has been observed that tribes adopt mixedcropping with different combinations of (ragi ) (bajra), jowar, castor orarhar (pigeon pea). The forestland that is cultivated in this manner for afew years is then left as fallow for some years; so that it can be regeneratedfor the next cycle of cultivation. Coffee cultivation because of the terrainof Eastern Ghats and its suitable environmental conditions has beenundertaken in large scale by Andhra Pradesh Forest Department in thisregion.

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The soil surface inhabiting beneficial arthropods across these land-usessuch as podu cultivated systems of one year and five years old, coffeeplantation systems and that of the adjacent degraded forest systems weresampled by pit-fall traps using wide mouthed bottles one third of whichwere filled with 0.5% of formaldehyde solution for preservation of thetrapped arthropods. The trap-bottles along with the arthropods werebrought to the laboratory for assessment of their biodiversity andenumeration of their densities under a stereoscopic binocular microscopewith 60x magnification.

Different soil arthropods belonging to a variety of taxa such as Collembola,Acarina, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diplopoda, Chilopoda,and Aranedae, were recorded while analyzing under the microscope. Itwas found that many of the species were hitherto unknown. Among thedifferent types of land-use, “Podu cultivation” systems harbouredminimum diversity and densities of these arthropods while coffeeplantations with silver oak plants in between, possessed relatively higherdiversity and densities of the arthropods. The diversity and densities ofthese arthropods were recorded more in the adjacent degraded forestland during some months. Among the cultivated land systems, lessernumber of their species and densities were recorded in the system wherechemical fertilizers were used compared to the system applied with organicfertilizers such as farmyard manure and compost while very meagerdiversity and densities of these arthropods were recorded from the farmersfield treated with organo-chlorine insecticides (Endosulfan, Aldrin,Endrin, etc.) compared to organophosphorus (Phospomidon, Parathion,Malathion, etc.) and Carbamates. Similar trends were recorded withearthworm densities across these land uses. From these observations, it isconcluded that “Podu” cultivation is the most serious practice whichquenched many of the speciesof these beneficial arthropodsform the system and reducedtheir densities to meagernumber compared to that ofother adjacent land-uses.Besides, the use of organo-chlorine insecticides most ofwhich are banned now, butavailable in rural areas, alsoshowed similar deleteriouseffects on both diversity anddensities of these beneficialnon-target arthropods. Similarfindings on the effects of“shifting” cultivation on thebeneficial soil arthropods werereported by Ao M. Alemla(1987) in the ghat regions ofNagaland in Northeast India,while Reddy (1995) havereviewed various research reports showing harmful effects of theinsecticides and other agricultural management practices on thesearthropods.

References:

Anonymous, 1996. Forest types in the Eastern Ghats. The Eastern GhatsEPTRI- 4. ENVIS Newsletter, 1(2):2-

Ao, M. Alemla 1987. Ecological investigations on the soil arthropodcommunities with Particular reference to insects of two“Jhum”agroecosystem of Nagaland, North Eastern India. Ph.D. Thesis(Supervisor:M.Vikram Reddy), North Eastern Hill University, Shillong,392 pp.

Edwards, C.A.Butler,G.G. and Lofty, J.R.1975. The invertebrate faunaof the park grass plots.II. Surface fauna. Rothamsted Report, part 2,63-69.

Major, J.D.1977. The possible use of ant fauna as indicators of land useand of the success of revegetation attempts. Proceedings of the WesternAustrialian Entomology Workshop, Perth (Australia).

Odum, E.P and Reichholf, J.1980. Okologio, Grundbergiffe,Verknupfungan Perspekkiven, BLV Mandhai, 208 pp.

Rajamani, R. 1998. Conservation of Eastern Ghats-I, In: Abstracts,National Seminar on Conservation of Eastern Ghats (24-26th

March, 1998), ENVIS, Centre, EPTRI, Hyderabad, IV-VI pp.

Reddy, M.V. (ed.) 1995. Soil Organisms and Litter Decomposition inthe Tropics, Oxford and IBH Publ.Co.Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi, andWestview Press, Colarado, 274 pp.

Reddy, M.V.(ed.) 1999.Management of TropicalAgroecosystems and thebeneficial Soil Biota, Oxford& IBH Publ.Ltd., New Delhi,and Science Publishers, Inc.,USA, 387 pp.

Sala, O.E. and Chapin, T,2000. Scenarios of GlobalBiodiversity, Global Changes.Newsletter, No.43, 7-11.

Thiele, H.U.1977. Carabidbeettles in their environments,Springer-Verlag, Berling,369 pp.

EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

A Coffee plantation near Paderu in Eastern Ghats

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

Some tree species of commercial and economicvalue occurring in Eastern Ghats forests and

also in anthropogenic habitats in Andhra Pradeshwere studied with respect to their breeding andtheir dependence on pollinator fauna for fruit/ seedproduction. The study reveals that the tree speciesshow different breeding systems. Of the tree speciesexamined , Terminalia tomentosa Wight & Arn.(Combretaceae), Sterculia foetida L. (Sterculiaceae)and Santalum album L. (Santalaceae) are self-incompatible and breed through xenogamy only.Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. (Fabaceae). Alangiumsalvifolium L.f. (Wang.) (Alangiaceae). Zizyphusmauritiana Lamk. (Rhamnaceae) and Sapindusemarginatus Vahl. (Sapindinaceae) are self-

Pollinator diversity versus fruit production in some economicallyimportant tree species in Eastern Ghats forests of Andhra Pradesh

Dr. Alluri Jacob Solomon Raju and Dr.S.Purnachandra RaoDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530 003. E -mail: ajsraju@yahoo.com

compatible and breed through geitonogamy andxenogamy; and Bauhinia purpurea L., Tamarindusindica L. (Ceasalpiniaceae). Tectona grandis L.f.(Verbenaceae). Pterocarpus santalinus L.f.(Fabaceae). Helicteres isora L. (Steruculiaceae) andCeiba pentandra (L).Gaertn. (Bombaceae) arealso self –compatible and breed throughautogamy, geitonogamy and xenogamy. Bothself incompatible and compatible trees areexclusively dependent on flower-visiting faunain the absence of which there would be no fruitproduction at all.The Flowers of all the tree species offer bothnectar and pollen as floral rewards to the flower-visiting animals. Examination of flower-visitors

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Terminalia tomentosaButter fly : Junonia lemonias

collecting nectar

Sterculia foetida: Male flowerHoney bee : Apis cerana indica

collecting pollen

Sterculia foetida : Male flowerFly : Chrysomya megacephala

collecting nectar

Pterocarpus santalinusHoney bee : Apis cerana indica

collecting pollen

Pterocarpus santalinusRock bee: Apis dorsata

collecting nectar

Pterocarpus santalinusButter fly : Euploea core

collecting nectar

Helicteres isoraBird (Quaker Babbler): Alcippe

poicephala collecting nectar

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

to these tree species indicates that the flower-visitors composition includesbees, wasps, flies, butterflies, hawkmoths, birds, and bats. The flower-visitors and their forage type on each tree species are given in Table 1.Bees dominate as pollinators over all others. However, birds are particularlyimportant for fruit production in Helicteres isora and bats for Ceibapentandra. Wasps ,flies, hawkmoths and butterflies in general play amajor role in pollination. The interaction between both partners, treesversus animals, mutually benefit each other, the trees for fruit productionand animals for food. As the trees flower at different times of the year, theflower –visiting insects find food from these trees during flowering period

Gundla Brameshwaram is situated on the Eastern Ghats south of thefamous Nagarjuna Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR). It is a large

tract of excellent forest composed of dry deciduous, moist deciduous andin some areas with tropical evergreen forests. There are glens of about oneto five acres or more in extent. There are several streams that cut throughthis plateau. The approach is very poor and this has served in preservingthis area. There is very little interference from people. My trip was veryshort and therefore cannot say this for sure.There were signs of some amount of treefelling, but the volume seems to be verylimited. Our trip was with regard to TigerCensus for the year 1999.

Our trip was also to ascertain the prey speciesand diversity, and if possible their density.We therefore took spotlights to identifywildlife at night in the forests, as they cameout to graze and forage. We were awe-struckby the large number of animals we saw. Thesanctuary is home to a very diverse andabundant spectrum of wildlife.

The one thing that struck all of us was theabundance of wildlife and their confidingnature. The density of herbivores wasastounding. The Sambur (Cervus concolor)was abundant everywhere. The males hadexceptionally large spread of antlers. Theother very common species was the MouseDeer (Tragulus meminna). This is a veryuncommon species and we were amazed tofind such large numbers of this deer here.They are very dependant on water and werealised the next morning that the area is fullof streams and nullahs, which are essentialfor this species. The Spotted Deer (Axis axis) were common along theplains. The Giant Indian Squirrel (Ratufa indica) were very commonespecially near the forest bunglow. The Tiger (Panthera tigris) was heardvery close to the place where we were staying. This was interesting sincethe bunglow has no electricity, and, we were assured by the forest staffpresent there that there was no threat from this big cat. The other largecat we came across was the Leopard (Panthera pardus). The sanctuary iscriss-crossed by the Leopards’ pugmarks.The Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus)were present in relatively stable numbers. We heard whistles that turned

out to be wild dogs calling each other. The call was mistaken for somebird.

The bird life was also very varied and held very high numbers. TheGrey Jungle-fowl (Gallus sonneratii) and the Painted Spurfowl(Gallopedrix lunulata) were very common along the way. Infact theGrey Jungle Fowl (Gallus sonneratii) were almost as common as the

country bantams one sees in villages. Wealso saw the chicks of the PaintedSpurfowl (Gallopedrix lunulata) whichwere a few days old and were surprisedas they flew in front of the Jeep in whichwe were travelling. The other commonbirds were the Green Imperial Pigeon(Ducula aenea) which virtually covereda Ficus tree as they devoured the fruitswith great relish. The Emerald Dove(Chalcophaps indica) took off like jewelsfrom the forest floor as we walked ordrove by.

The diversity is phenominal. The forestreminds one of what the Indian Forestswere in the early part of the twentiethcentury. As we drove around at nightspotting the animals, we were astoundedby their lack of fear, which is becausethey are left unmolested. The area holdsa great promise for wildlife to surviveand multiply. This could well be thelast resort of extremely wild country ofthe Eastern Ghats within the state ofAndhra Pradesh. There are a lot of SlothBears (Melursus urinus) which are amenace to the people living around the

sanctuary, as there are sporadic reports of attacks on villagers.This area, because of its location and also for the large numbers of wildlifeand plant life it holds, is a very unique place it should be declared in-violable, as it has one of the best bio-diversities to be found in theEastern Ghats, especially in our region of Andhra Pradesh, that has nothad too much interference from major forestry operations, especially inthe recent past thereby causing the forest to regenerate of its own.

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Faunal Diversity of Gundla Brameshwaram, Eastern Ghats, Andhra PradeshMr. Mathen Mathew, #6-3-912/1, Kapadia Lane, RajBhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad-500 0482.

Ratufa indica

(Photo Courtesy : Mr. Rajashekar Tummala, EPTRI - ENVIS Centre)

in addition to other floral resources. The trees examined provide amplefloral rewards and sustain a wide variety of insects and also some birdsand bats. Overall, such an interaction allows the perpetuation of trees aswell as a variety of pollinator fauna. Further, nesting and roosting habitatsof flower-visitors need to be protected in order to ensure their availabilityin the forests and fruit production in the obligately animal-dependenttree species, which are valued to man in variety of ways. The protectionof both tree species and pollinator fauna ensures the perpetuation ofbiodiversity as well as the supply of forest products to man on a sustainablebasis.

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Abdulali, Humayun (1945): Birds of the Vizagapatam District. Journalof the Bombay Natural History Society. 45(3): 333-347.

Abdulali, Humayun (1953): More about Vizagapatam birds. Journal ofthe Bombay Natural History Society. 51(3): 746-747.

Abdulali, Humayun (1984): Seasonality and occurrence of birds in theEastern Ghats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 81(1):191.

Ali, Salim (1977): ‘Mystery’ birds of India-2: Jerdon’s or Double-bandedCourser. Hornbill. 1977(October-December): 5-7.

Ali, Salim (1979): Indian Hill Birds. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press,Delhi. lvi+188 pages.

Allen, P.R. (1908): Notes on the Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotusxantholaemus. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 18(4):905-907.

Allen, P.R. (1994): Gleanings: Notes on the Yellow-throated BulbulPycnonotus xantholaemus. Mayura. 9: 25-27.

Anon. (1989): [Anthracocerus malabaricus]. Pitta. 16: 2.Anon. (1998): Proceedings of the National Seminar on Conservation of

Eastern Ghats. Environment Protection Training and ResearchInstitute, Hyderabad. xxvii+521 pages.

Anon. (2000): Avifauna of the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. TheEastern Ghats: EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter. 5(2): 2-5.

Arbuthnot, P.H. (1915): Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) in the EasternGhats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 23(4): 777.

Balachandran, S.; Mohapatra, K.K.; & Hussain, S.A. (1995): Moult inthree species of Bulbuls of the Genus Pycnonotus at Tirupati Hills ofthe Eastern Ghats, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural HistorySociety. 92(2): 151-159.

Beehler, B.; Raju, K.S.R.K.; & Ali, Shahid (1987): Avian use of man-disturbed forest in the Eastern Ghats, India. Ibis. 129(2): 197-211.

Bell, R.C. (1946): ‘Birds of Vizagapatam District’ - some notable omissions.Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 46(1): 189-190.

Bhushan, Bharat (1986): The G.B.M. Plateau Sanctuary. Hornbill.1986(3): 18-22.

Bhushan, Bharat (1999): Survey for the Jerdon’s or Double-bandedCourser Cursorius bitorquatus. Mayura. 12: 36-44.

Campbell, W.Howard (1906): Nesting of the White-bellied Drongo(Dicrurus caerulescens). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.17(1): 248.

Daniels, R.J.R. (1993): Birds of the Javadi Hills. Newsletter forBirdwatchers. 33(4): 71-72.

Fischer, C.E.C. (1923): Drongo and cicada. Journal of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society. 29(3): 839-840.

Hussain, S.A.; Panday, J.D.; & Shekar, P.B. (1976): Extension of range ofthe Large Yellownaped Woodpecker (Picus flavinucha flavinuchaGould). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 73(2): 394.

Karthikeyan, S. (1996): Bird attracting trees and birds of Shevaroys andKolli Hills. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 36(3): 49-51.

Karthikeyan, S. (1997): Yellowbrowed Bulbul Hypsipetes indicus (Jerdon)in the Kolli Hills (Tamil Nadu), Eastern Ghats. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 94(3): 570-571.

Kinnear, N.B. & Whistler, H. (1930): The Vernay Scientific Survey ofthe Eastern Ghats. Ornithological section. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 34(2): 386-400.

Kumar, P. (1983): A survey of the birds of Andhra Pradesh - Part VII.Mayura. 3(3-4): 9-11.

Kumar, P. (1983): Survey of the birds of Andhra Pradesh - VIII. Mayura.4(1): 3-7.

Majumdar, N. (1978): On the taxonomic status of the Eastern GhatsRufousbellied Munia, Lonchura kelaarti vernayi (Whistler andKinnear, 1933) [Aves: Ploceidae]. Journal of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society. 75(2): 493-495.

Majumdar, N. (1980): On the taxonomic status of the Eastern GhatsHill Myna, Gracula religiosa peninsularis Whistler & Kinnear, 1933[Aves: Sturnidae]. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.77(2): 331-332.

Mukherji, S.D. (1998): Forestry situation in Eastern Ghats. In: TheEastern Ghats: Proceedings of the National Seminar on Conservationof Eastern Ghats. (Ed: Anon.) Environment Protection Training andResearch Institute, Hyderabad, 247-255f.

Nagulu, V.; Rao, V.Vasudeva; & Srinivasulu, C. (1998): Biodiversity ofselect habitats in Eastern Ghat regions of Andhra Pradesh. In: TheEastern Ghats: Proceedings of the National Seminar on Conservationof Eastern Ghats. (Ed: Anon.) Environment Protection Training andResearch Institute, Hyderabad, 6-35.

Pittie, Aasheesh (1999): Field trip to Uma Maheshwaram, 22 November,1998. Pitta. 93: 1-2.

Pittie, Aasheesh (1999): Birding notes. Pitta. 93: 5-6.Pittie, Aasheesh (1999): Birding notes. Pitta. 101: 7-8.Pittie, Aasheesh (1999): Birding notes. Pitta. 104: 8.Pittie, Aasheesh (1999): Bird banding in the Sri Venkateshwara National

Park. Sanctuary Asia. 19(6): 56-59.Pittie, Aasheesh (2000): Birding notes. Pitta. 111: 4-6.Pittie, Aasheesh (2001): Birding notes. Pitta. 118: 7-8.Prasanna, M.; Belliappa, K.M.; & Vittal, B.S. (1997): Birds in Horsley

Hills. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 37(5): 76.Price, T. (1976): Studies in the Eastern Ghats. Newsletter for Birdwatchers.

16(11): 11-12.Price, T.D. (1990): The impact of the loss of forest on the birds of the

Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. In: Conservation in DevelopingCountries: Problems and Prospects. Proceedings of the Centenary Seminarof the Bombay Natural History Society. (Eds: Daniel, J.C. & Serrao,J.S.) Bombay Natural History Society & Oxford University Press,Bombay, 594-606.

Price, Trevor (1977): Eastern Ghats of India - an endangered area.Hornbill. 1977(July-September): 11-13.

Price, Trevor (1978): Some observations on the Warbler populations ofthe upland perennial wetlands in the Eastern Ghats. Journal of theBombay Natural History Society. 75(2): 488-490.

Price, Trevor (1982): Errata-corrections to “Seasonality and occurrenceof birds in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh” JBNHS 1979(76: 379-422). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 79(1):240.

A List of Ornithological References For The Eastern GhatsCompiled by

Mr. Aasheesh Pittie8-2-545, Road No. 7, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500 034. India.

8

Price, Trevor & Raju, K.S.R.Krishna (2000): The Eastern Ghats.Sanctuary Asia. 20(4): 28-33.

Price, Trevor D. (1979): The seasonality and occurrence of birds in theEastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Journal of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society. 76(3): 379-422.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. (1976): Fauna of the Eastern Ghats - plea for athorough study. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 16(6): 7-9.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. (1982): Report on the Preliminary Ecological Surveyof the Eastern Ghats - WWF-India Project. A.P. Nat. Hist. Soc.,Visakhapatnam. 1-87 pages.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. (1984): Avifaunal significances of the EasternGhats. Proceedings of the National Seminar on the Resources,Development, Environment. : .

Krishna Raju, K.S.R (1984): Avifaunal resources of northern Andhraghats and some ecological considerations. In: Proceedings of theSeminar on Resources Development and Environment in the EasternGhats. March 24-27, 1982. (: ),, 131-133.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. (1985): Checklist of the Birds of VisakhapatnamRegion. A.P. Nat. Hist. Soc., Visakhapatnam. 25 pages.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. & Reddi, C.S. (1990): Eco-developmental strategyfor the Eastern Ghats. In: Conservation in Developing Countries:Problems and Prospects. Proceedings of the Centenary Seminar of theBombay Natural History Society. (Eds: Daniel, J.C. & Serrao, J.S.)Bombay Natural History Society & Oxford University Press,Bombay, 207-211.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. & Price, Trevor D. (1973): Tree Sparrow Passermontanus (L.) in the Eastern Ghats. Journal of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society. 70(3): 557-558.

Krishna Raju, K.S.R. & Selvin, Justus P. (1971): Little Spiderhunter,Arachnothera longirostris (Latham) in the Eastern Ghats. Journal ofthe Bombay Natural History Society. 68(2): 454-455.

Rao, M.V.Subba (1998): Conservation and management of wildliferesources in the Eastern Ghats forests of Andhra Pradesh, India.In: The Eastern Ghats: Proceedings of the National Seminar onConservation of Eastern Ghats. (Ed: Anon.) Environment ProtectionTraining and Research Institute, Hyderabad, 285-290.

Rao, V.Vasudeva; Rao, J.V.Ramana; Nagulu, V.; & Srinivasulu, C. (1998):Conservation and action plans for habitat impacted by anthropogenicactivities and natural calamities. In: The Eastern Ghats: Proceedings ofthe National Seminar on Conservation of Eastern Ghats. (Ed: Anon.)Environment Protection Training and Research Institute, Hyderabad,294-298.

Rathinasabapathy, B. & Asokan, S. (1993): Avifaunal diversity indifferent vegetation types of Eastern Ghat of Andhra Pradesh. In:Bird Conservation: Strategies for the Nineties and Beyond. (Eds:Verghese, A.; Sridhar, S.; & Chakravarthy, A.K.) OrnithologicalSociety of India, Bangalore, 65-68.

Ripley, S.Dillon (1969): The name of the Jungle Babbler Turdoidesstriatus (Aves) from Orissa. Journal of the Bombay Natural HistorySociety. 66(1): 167-168.

Ripley, S.D. & Beehler, B.M. (1985): A new subspecies of the babblerMalacocincla abbotti from the Eastern Ghats, India. Bulletin of theBritish Ornithologists Club. 105(2): 66-67.

Ripley, S.Dillon; Beehler, Bruce M.; & Raju, K.S.R.Krishna (1987):Birds of the Visakhapatnam Ghats, Andhra Pradesh. Journal of theBombay Natural History Society. 84(3): 540-559.

Ripley, S.Dillon; Beehler, Bruce M.; & Raju, K.S.R.Krishna (1988): Birdsof the Visakhapatnam Ghats, Andhra Pradesh-2. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 85(1): 90-107.

Samant, Jay S. & Elangovan, V. (1997): Avifauna of the Eastern Ghats withspecial reference to the Jerdon’s Courser Cursorius bitorquatus. (Final)Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai. 13 pages.

Santharam, V. (1991): Yellowbrowed Bulbul Hypsipetes indicus (Jerdon)in the Eastern Ghats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.88(2): 287-288.

Shiva Kumar, N. (1987): Birdwatching at Horsley Konda, ChittoorDistrict, Andhra Pradesh. Mayura. 6(1-4): 6-7.

Subramanya, S. & Prasad, J.N. (1992): Birds of Horsley Hills. Newsletterfor Birdwatchers. 32(9-10): 8-10.

Subramanya, S. & Prasad, J.N. (1996): Yellowthroated Bulbuls at HorsleyHills. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 93(1): 55-58.

Subramanya, S.; Prasad, J.N.; & Karthikeyan, S. (1995): In search of theYellow-throated Bulbul. Sanctuary Asia. 15(5): 68-70.

Taher, Humayun (1999): Field trip to Umamaheshwaram - 28.xi.1999.Pitta. 104: 1-2.

Venkataraman, C. & Ramaswamy, G. (1993): Diversity of bird species inthe Eastern Ghats of India. In: Bird Conservation: Strategies for theNineties and Beyond. (Eds: Verghese, A.; Sridhar, S.; & Chakravarthy,A.K.) Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore, 125-129.

Whistler, H. (1931): [Description of a new subspecies from the EasternGhats named Leucocirca pectoralis vernayi]. Bulletin of the BritishOrnithologists Club. 52(354): 40-41.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1932): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats (Ornithological section). Journal of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society. 35(3): 505-524.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1932): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats, part II. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.35(4): 737-760.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1932): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats. Part III. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.36(1): 67-93.

Whistler, Hugh & Kinnear, N.B. (1933): The Vernay Scientific Survey ofthe Eastern Ghats (Ornithological section). Part IV. Journal of theBombay Natural History Society. 36(2): 334-352.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1933): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats (Ornithological section), part V. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 36(3): 561-590.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1933): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats. Part VI. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.36(4): 832-844.

Whistler, Hugh & Kinnear, N.B. (1934): The Vernay Scientific Survey ofthe Eastern Ghats (Ornithological section). Part VII. Journal of theBombay Natural History Society. 37(1): 96-105.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1934): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats, part VIII. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.37(2): 281-297.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1934): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats. (Ornithological section) part IX. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 37(3): 515-528.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1935): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats (Ornithological section). Part X. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 37(4): 751-763.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1935): The Vernay Scientific Survey of theEastern Ghats. Part XI. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.38(1): 26-40.

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1935): The Vernay Scientific Survey of the Eastern Ghats, part XII. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.38(2): 232-240.

Whistler, Hugh & Kinnear, N.B. (1936): The Vernay Scientific Survey of the Eastern Ghats (Ornithological section). Part XIII. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 38(3): 418-437.

Whistler, Hugh & Kinnear, N.B. (1936): The Vernay Scientific Survey of the Eastern Ghats. (Ornithological section). Part XIV. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 38(4): 672-698.

Whistler, Hugh & Kinnear, N.B. (1937): The Vernay Scientific Survey of the Eastern Ghats. (Ornithological section). Part XV. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 39(2): 246-263.

Whistler, H. & Kinnear, N.B. (1937): The Vernay Scientific Survey of the Eastern Ghats (Ornithological section). Part XVI. Journal of the BombayNatural History Society. 39(3): 447-463.

In the district of Cuddapah is located the Lanlamalleshwara Sanctuaryin the midst of the Southern part of the Eastern Ghats. The pride and

the reason for fame for this otherwise not-too-impressive area is that it ishome to the Jerdon’s Courser (Cursoriusbitorquatus (Blyth) referred to locally as theKalivi Kodi. The quest for this bird begansoon after Jerdon described it in thebeginning of the last century. It was notuntil 1986 that Dr. Bharat Bhushan of theBombay Natural History Society, with thehelp of Aithanna was able to procure aspecimen.

The area which is home to the Jerdon’sCourser is hilly, gently rolling land which iscut by a number of streams that originatesas springs and then empty themselves intothe Pennar River. The area is typical drythorny forest with short woody stemmedherbage. There is the stunted tree forest sotypical to this area having among others theRed Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus Linn.f.) and the Sandalwood (Santalum albumLinn. ). The entire area is boulder strewnand, is a very good habitat for so reclusive abird like the Jerdon’s Courser.

In 1996 we went to the LankamalleshwaraSanctuary to see for ourselves this elusivenocturnal bird. The fauna was also veryimpressive. There were marks of leopard(Panthera pardus), Chital Deer/SpottedDeer (Axis axis) and wild boar (Sus scrofa).

The birdlife too is very impressive. We came across a lot of birds like theLoten’s Sunbird (Nectarinia lotenia), Shikra (Accipiter badius), Yellow-eyed Babblers (Chrysomma sinense) and several others. We were interestedto know if the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) referred to as the“Battameka Pitta” was known to visit the area. The diversity of bird and

animal life is varied and needs a broad based study to understand thisecosystem, especially since it is host to the very endemic Jerdon’s Courserwhose nearest relatives – of the same genus - are found on the African

Plains.

We set off at night with Aithanna in thelead. After walking in the starlit night forover three hours, using a battery operateddevise that made a humming noise similarto the cicadas and other insects that inhabitthat part of the forest to mask the soundof our foot-falls; flashing a powerfultorchlight at various known locations ofthis very elusive bird, we chanced uponone in the middle of a glen some five acresin extent. We were able to go very close tothe bird without frightening it.

The area is very interesting since it isboulder strewn, has small bushes thatclothe the area and is home to an astonishingvariety of wildlife. What surprised us wasthe occurrence of the Leopard in so meagera landscape. They occasionally prey onthe goats, sheep and village dogs. We wereinformed that the Leopard population isvery good and that the wild boar raid thecrops quite regularly.

This is a habitat that has to be preserved.It is extremely important for the survivalof the Jerdon’s Courser as well as a numberof other wildlife that share this forest.

The Lankamalleshwara SanctuaryMr. Mathen Mathew

# 6-3-912/1, Kapadia Lane, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad-500 482.

Pterocarpus santalinus Linn.f.

(Photo Courtesy : Mr. Rajashekar Tummala, EPTRI - ENVIS Centre)

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

Some of the migratory birds which are found in Eastern Ghats terrainare depicted in the Miniature sheet issued by the Department of

Posts & Telegraph on 25.5.2000. The brief descriptions of thecharacteristic of the birds are listed beneath with their scientific names.

1. Rosy Pastor ( Sturnus roseus ( Linnaeus, 1758) is rose pink starling,or myna, with a glistening black head, neck , upper breast,wings and tail. It is a winter visitor and is found in the terrain ofEastern Ghats.

2. Garganey Teal ( Anas querquedula (Linnaeus, 1758) is one ofthe most commonest and most widespread migratory ducks. Itis one of the most earliest and last to leave . It is widely distributed

throughout India and is found extensively in the Eastern Ghatsterrain.

3. The European White Stork ( Cicona ciconia ( Linnaeus, 1758)is a long legged, long necked bird bigger than a Vulture in size.It arrives in India in the months of September/ October andleaves in the months of March/April. It is found in the EasternGhats terrain.

Migratory Birds in Eastern Ghats terrain based on a Miniature Sheet(Depicting Commemorative Stamps)

Rajashekar Tummala, Project Faculty, ENVIS-EPTRI, 91/4, Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500 032.

4. The Forest Wagtail ( Dendronanthus indicus (Gmelin, 1789) isslightly bigger than sparrow and has olive brown upper sideand blackish brown wings. It is a winter visitor and is found inthe Eastern Ghats terrain.

The other birds which are also found in the Eastern Ghatsterrain figuring in the miniature sheet are Common Teal,Marsh Sandpiper, Red Crested Pochard, Pintail.

References:

1. The Book of Indian Birds, Salim Ali, Salim Ali CentenaryEdition Revised and Enlarged.1996. Bombay Natural History

Society, Oxford University Press.

2. Buceros: Envis Newsletter : Avian Ecology & Inland WetlandsVol.6, No.1.(2001) Standardised Common and ScientificNames of the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. RanjitManakadan & Aasheesh Pittie

3. www.geocities.com\dakshina_kan_pa\art8\may.html

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EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 8 No.1, 2002

Black Drongos Dicrurus macrocercus Vielliot,1817, which are widelydistributed through out the Indian Subcontinent is a known

insectivorous bird which is of economic importance in AgriculturalOrnithology. They belong to the order Dicruridae.

They are reported from most of the Eastern Ghats jurisdiction of AndhraPradesh Region, The range of the plants pests Drongos forage areSemilooopers, ( Achea janata) of Castor ,Bollworms ( Heliothis armigera)of cotton, redgram, sunflower etc. Usually the bird is found perched onthe tip of the horizontal branch of the trees and it is solitary.

The characteristics of the bird: Glossy black bird, with slim, long, deeplyforked tail with an inverted “ V” Shape. Often found perched ontelegraphic lines or riding back of the cattle-back to snap up the flushedinsects. Frequently chases the bigger birds like crows in its territory, dueto this characteristic, it is known as ‘ Kotwal’ in North India, othersmaller birds like Oriole lay their nests quite close to the Drongos nest. Itis good mimic, with several confusing calls. And a great acrobat in air.

Black Drongo –An Insectivorous BirdRajashekar Tummala, Project Faculty, EPTRI-ENVIS-Centre, Hyderabad-500 032.

References:

1. Buceros :Envis Newsletter: Avian Ecology & Inland WetlandsVol.6.No.1.(2001)Standardised Common and ScientificNames of the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. RanjitManakadan & Aasheesh Pittie.

2. Unpublished ( Observations on Feeding Behavior of BlackDrongos in Eastern Ghats region ,Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu,Palakonda Ranges, Andhra Pradesh.) Rajashekar Tummala,Project Faculty, ENVIS Centre, EPTRI, Hyderabad-500 032.

3. The Book of Indian Birds , Salim Ali , Salim Ali CentenaryEdition, Revised and Enlarged Edition.1996.

4. Birds of Pune, Kalpavriksh Publication, 2001.

Dicrurus macrocercusVielliot,1817

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