The rare Western Tragopan, a medium sized and brightly colored pheasant, has been sighted at two sites in the Pir Panjal range. The birds were sighted by a team from the species division of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Its status is a Schedule I species on the Wildlife Protection Act and ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List. The Tragopan is a victim of rampant poaching for its meat and plumage. The team also sighted another rare species, … Read More
Wild Buffaloes Sighted in Kamalapur Forest Range, Maharashta
Eight wild buffaloes in two groups were spotted in Kamalapur Forest Range in Nagpur, by veteran wildlife expert, Mahendrasignh Chouhan. The group had two calves indicating a breeding population. Wild buffaloes are facing extinction and are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. There are demands to declare the area as a buffalo sanctuary. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, SK Khetrapal, however is not keen on the idea as the area is Naxal infested making … Read More
Rare Wayanad Laughing Thrush Spotted After 23 years in Uttara Kannada
The rare Wayanad Laughing Thrush has been spotted again in the forests of the Joida Taluk in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. Dr. Ranjit Daniels had discovered the bird in these same forests in 1988. Prasanna Parab has discovered the bird in the Diggi Forests now. Only three species are found in South India — all enedmic to the Western Ghats. Parab has also spotted other rare birds such as the Malayan Night Heron and the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon in the … Read More
Wild Dogs (Dhole) spotted in Pungro, Eastern Nagaland
In a rare sighting, birdwatchers Atul Jain, Manoj Sharma and Harkirat Sanga spotted a pack of 6 Dhole or Indian wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) near Pungro town in Eastern Nagaland not far from the Myanmar border. The pack had four pups and two adults. Not suprisingly, the pack appeared to be scared as it was being chased by a local villager trying to hunt it down unsuccessfully with a stone. Not much is known about wild dogs from … Read More
Lost Amphibians of India (LAI) initiative rediscovers five species of frogs
Scientists from the University of Delhi and other researchers who collaborated with them in the LAI program have rediscovered five species of frogs previously believed to have been extinct. The rediscovered species are: Chalazodes Bubble-nest Frog (Raorchestes chalazodes), last reported 137 years ago; Anamalai Dot-frog (Ramanella anamalaiensis), last reported 74 years ago; Dehradun Stream frog (Amolops chakrataensis), last seen 26 years ago; Silent Valley tropical frog (Micrixalus thampii), last seen 31 years ago; and Elegant tropical frog (Micrixalus elegans), last … Read More
The Elusive Malabar Civet
Have we really lost another mammal species from India? If not, what has become of the Malabar civet? Intrigued, Divya Mudappa sets out to look for the species in the Western Ghats along with NIAS researcher Nandini, only to find the Indian civet. The Malabar civet, she says, is rare in museum collections too, and even a bad photograph of a wild Malabar civet would be better than none at all.
The forests of the Western Ghats are believed to … Read More
Camera trapping reveals wildlife rarely seen in Pilibhit
The Pilibhit Territorial Forest Division forests are spread over an area of 700 sq. km. They are a part of the Terai Arc landscape that stretches for over 800 km between the Rivers Yamuna in the west and Baghmati in the east (click image at bottom). Pilibhit’s forests are strategically located in the landscape and connect India’s Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Nepal’s Suklaphanta National Park through the Lagga Bagga forests. This forest division is in the process of being declared … Read More
Lost tiger population discovered in Bhutan
A “lost” population of tigers has been caught on camera living in the mountains of Bhutan, a discovery that could be crucial for the big cats’ survival. Their discovery has stunned experts, as the tigers are living at a higher altitude (~4000m) than any others known and appear to be successfully breeding. Their presence in the Bhutan highlands has been confirmed by footage taken by a BBC natural history camera crew.
Creating a nature reserve around the tigers could connect … Read More
First record of the “Bella” Ratsnake for India from Fakim WLS, Nagaland
As part of a Nagaland bird survey, explorers Shashank Dalvi and Ramki Sreenivasan stumbled upon this beautiful snake close to Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary above Pungro town in Eastern Nagaland close to the Myanmar border. It turned out to be new species for India — “Bella” Rat Snake (Maculophis bella bella). Bella means beautiful in Italian.
This small snake (2½-3 feet, 80-90 cm in length) appears to be a montane species found in higher elevations like 1500 – 2000m. … Read More
First record of the Jerdon’s Red Spotted Pit Viper for India from Eaglenest
While conducting a herpetofaunal survey of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, during 2006-2008, four Indian researchers reported the first record of the Jerdon’s Red Spotted Pit viper (Protobothrops jerdoni xanthomelas). Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary has become famous for a string of discoveries, re-discoveries and range extensions.
This venomous sub-species of Jerdon’s Pit viper is an addition to the 278 plus species of snakes documented in the country. With the addition of this species, the number … Read More
India’s Vanishing Birds
One of the most significant and exciting achievements of Indian ornithology, in recent years, was the rediscovery of the Jerdon’s Courser in 1986. The last authentic record, by Howard Campbell, was in 1900. First recorded by Capt. Surgeon T.C. Jerdon, an Indian Army Medical Officer, in 1848, it was subsequently reported by Blanford in 1867 and 1871. Always a rare bird, these limited sightings were restricted to a few river-valleys in Andhra Pradesh. Despite surveys by reputed ornithologists like Salim … Read More
Three Rare Laughing Thrushes Recorded in Eastern Nagaland, May 2010
Bird enthusiasts Shashank Dalvi and Ramki Sreenivasan made a 4-day visit to the Fakim / Saramati areas of Nagaland between 18-22 May 2010 near the Myanmar border. They were thrilled to sight, photograph and sound record three poorly known laughing thrushes. Some quick notes on these birds:
- Moustached [Ashy] Laughing Thrush— What was interesting about the Ashy was its atypical laughing thrush behavior. It preferred pine branches in addition to the usual thick undergrowth in the degraded slopes.
- Spot-breasted
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