ICON - 3: BIRDS IN UPPER BHAVANI

ICON - 3:  BIRDS IN UPPER BHAVANI

BY P. S. SUNDAR

As it has happened for all my articles, I have received a plethora of appreciation and thanks for my article ICON 2: BIRDS AS ICON OF THE NILGIRIS which appears in this blog.  I am grateful to them all for their encouraging words. As I had mentioned in my many lectures and articles, birds, sometimes their absence rather than presence, help people understand the impact of what human-beings hail as their civilisation. 

As I wrote in my above article, the meticulous work done by ornithology enthusiasts of the Nilgiris who pioneered an organised survey in five zones of this bird-domain district, which get migrants as well, to mark the Big Bird Day (BBD) on Feb 16, 2014, has come out with interesting findings.   Thanks to the efforts of everyone who participated in the survey responding to the clarion call of organisers, Jamuna Raju, SRK Ramasamy and G A Vikram, opportunity has arisen for studying the impact of population explosion and industrialisation etc on environment -- after all, birds are barometers of environment as they send messages, sometimes alert, with their habitat changes!

In this backdrop, I thought it fit to provide the list of bird species sighted in the five zones by the BBD Nilgiris 2014 team as per the compilation Jamuna Raju and G B Henriksen had sent me.  

Herewith the first list of 96 species sighted by the team guided by Henriksen and A Sivalingam at Upper Bhavani zone.  "There were 23 participants in my team. We split in three smaller groups and covered Avalanche, Upper Bhavani, Penstock, Geddai, Mulli, Korakundah and Kinnakorai", Henriksen informed me.  
     

Upper Bhavani

Henriksen Greaves + Aggal Sivalingam

96 species

Purple SunBird

Loten's Sunbird

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Spotted Dove

Emerald Dove

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Greenish Leaf Warbler

Nilgiri Flowerpecker

Pale-billed Flowerpecker

Jungle Myna

Jungle Crow

Jungle Babbler

Puff-throated Babbler

Schimittar Babbler

Rufous Babbler

Red-vented Bulbul

Yellow-throated Bulbul

Yellow-browed Bulbul

Black Bulbul

Grey-headed Bulbul

House Sparrow

Shaheen Falcon

Crested Serpent Eagle

Black Eagle

Black Winged Kite

White Eyed Buzzard

Common Buzzard

Bonellis Eagle

Crested Hawk Eagle

Common Hoopoe

Indian Robin

Oriental Magpie Robin

Oriental White Eye

Malabar Parakeet

Bronzed Drongo

White-bellied Drongo

Indian Black Bird

Barn Swallow

Common Wood Swallow

Malabar Whistling Thrush

Nilgiri Laughing Thrush

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Shikra

Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike

Long-tailed Shrike

Golden Oriole

Black-hooded Oriole

Scarlet Minivet

Grey Jungle Fowl

Red Spurfowl

Indian Peafowl

Brown Fish Owl

Indian Eagle Owl

Black and Orange flycatcher

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Nilgiri Flycatcher

Tickells Blue Flycatcher

Canary Flycatcher

Kashmir Flycatcher

Velvet-fronted nuthatch

Malabar Trogan

Lesser Flameback

Vernal Hanging Parrot

Ashy Prinia

Grey Wagtail

White Rumped Spinetail

Pied Bushchat

Common Iora

Great Tit

Asian Koel

Greater Coucal

Common Hawk cuckoo

Grey-bellied Cuckoo

Green Bee Eater

Chestnut-headed Beeeater

Blue-bearded Bee eater

White-Cheeked Barbet

Copper Smith Barbet

Common Rosefinch

White-throated Kingfisher

Crested Tree Swift

Leafbird

Indian Rufous Treepie

Nilgiri Pipit

Paddy Field Pipit

Black Leaf Tit

Black-lowered Tit

Common Tailorbird

Crested Goshawk

Common Kestrel

Painted Bushquail

Duskey Craig Martin

Brown-backed Needle tail

Raven