Nicobar islands again

The first official record of animal diversity of the Great Nicobar

The Great Nicobar Island is located further south than Kanyakumari and is closer to Myanmar and Sumatra than to the Indian mainland. Over millennia of evolution and isolation, the island has developed its unique biological diversity. The devastating impact of the 2004 Asian Tsunami had an adverse impact on this biodiversity. Even as the island recovers, increasing human activity is causing habitat disturbance that is affecting the numbers of some of the critical species.

The Zoological Survey of India has published the first official record of the animal diversity of the Great Nicobar Island in a book titled Faunal diversity of Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.

“This is the first time a holistic account of the animal diversity of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve has been published. This book is going to provide baseline numbers for all future studies in Great Nicobar Island that are going to be conducted by the Zoological Survey of India. We are making this data publicly available to aid other organisations who aim to conserve its unique biodiversity,” said Kailash Chandra, director of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

In this study, done from April 2010 to March 2013 in the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, scientists at the ZSI recorded the animal diversity of this region from both its terrestrial and marine ecosystems. They also evaluated the success of conservation strategies implemented in this area and listed the factors that are putting the biodiversity in this hotspot at risk. The book lists a total of 1767 species of animals found on the island, which represents 23% of the total diversity of Andaman and Nicobar islands. It includes 558 terrestrial and 1209 marine species.

The marine flatworm Pseudoceros leptostichus. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

Pankaj Sekhsaria, a scientist at the Department of Humanities and Social Science, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi, and associated with Kalpavriksh, an organisation engaged with research, advocacy and legal issues in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, welcomes this research initiative by the ZSI. “These islands remain largely unexplored, and there is likely to be much here that is new to science. We need to make people aware of the richness and diversity of this region to gain more support for its protection and conservation,” he said.

The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago

The Andaman and Nicobar group comprising 572 islands is located between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean. These islands fall in the Indo-Malayan geographical region since they have a continuation with Myanmar in the north and Sumatra in the south. The Nicobar group comprises just 24 of the 572, and Great Nicobar is the largest island within this group.

It is home to only two tribes — the Shompen and the Nicobarese. There are just 219 Shompen left. They live in the dense interior parts of the reserve, and lead a semi-nomadic life, depending on forest resources for survival, shunning the outside world. The Nicobarese are farmers and fisherfolk who live in the coastal areas and are more open to interacting with outsiders.

The Nicobar pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

The 1044 square kilometre Great Nicobar island is an incredible biodiversity hotspot, bestowed with a variety of ecosystems ranging from grasslands, evergreen forests, mangroves, deciduous trees and coral reefs. It is, in fact, part of the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot, one of the four hotspots that India houses (the other three being Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Eastern Himalaya and Indo-Burma). The island was declared as a Biosphere Reserve in January 1989 by the Indian government and included in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program in May 2013.

“Great Nicobar Island is the southernmost island of India and one of the unique biodiversity hotspots of the world. There are many endemic and threatened species in this region, and it is important to conserve them because they aren’t found elsewhere,” remarked Chandra, who was the principal investigator of the study.

A mega-diverse island

The book is voluminous at 30 chapters and lists more than 300 species of fish, 139 molluscs like oysters, clams, squid and octopus, about 50 echinoderms like starfish and sea urchins, 25 sponges, 30 soft corals, 30 shrimps, four lobsters, and five sea slugs. It also has details of 34 reptiles, including eight geckos and 25 skinks. The diversity of invertebrates is equally high, with 55 butterfly species, 66 beetles and about 40 species of Orthoptera (locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers). Among the 155 species of moths, three — Vitesa nicobarica, Miltochrista danieli, and Nyctemera nicobarica — are endemic.

The Nicobar parakeet, Psittacula caniceps. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

“In addition to the endemic bird Nicobar crake that we discovered from Campbell Bay in 2011, we also found a new species of brightly coloured flatworm and one damselfly during this study,” remarked C. Raghunathan, scientist at the ZSI and a co-author of the book.

There are a total of 71 species of birds recorded in this region. Several endemic species such as the Nicobar serpent eagle (Spilornis klossi), Nicobar parakeet (Psittacula caniceps), Nicobar Scops-owl (Otus alius), jungle flycatcher (Cyornis nicobaricus), wood pigeon (Columba palumboides), and the Andaman cuckoo-dove (Macropygia rufipennis) are threatened by increased human settlements and resulting habitat modification. The population of the flightless Nicobar megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis), listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN, has been dwindling.

The Nicobar megapode, Megapodius nicobariensis. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

The need for conservation

Agriculture, tourism, and deforestation due to urban development are adversely affecting the overall flora and fauna of this region, according to this report.

This region is amongst the best sites for nesting turtles, especially for leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), green turtles and hawksbills (Eretmochelys imricata). However, increased sand mining and beach pollution are posing a threat to their breeding sites.

The leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

“Improved patrolling on beaches during nesting season and increasing public awareness may help conserve these animals,” Chandra observed.

Of the total of 78 species of crabs recorded in this region, “the population of coconut crab, which is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act is continuously decreasing, and special measures must be initiated to prevent this loss,” warned Chandra.

The coconut crab or robber crab, Birgus latro. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

Several endemic species find a place on the IUCN Red List – the Nicobar flying fox (Pteropus faunulus) is categorised Vulnerable, and the Nicobar tree shrew (Tupaia nicobarica) and Miller’s Nicobar rat (Rattus burrus) are listed as endangered.

The numbers of long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), the only primate species in this region is also facing threats in areas adjoining human settlements such as farms. Their numbers seem stable as of now but they may be experiencing the brunt of habitat loss, as there are frequent reports of human-macaque conflict, Chandra said. Villagers use domesticated dogs to protect their crops from the macaques. His team reported significant numbers of handicapped and injured adult animals in their survey.

The Nicobar long-tailed macaque, Macaca fascicularis. Picture from Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and Port Blair, India.

Meera Anna Oommen, associate director of the Dakshin Foundation, agrees that “the long-tailed macaques frequently raid crops on the Great Nicobar Island,” but believes that their numbers are unlikely to be affected in the long run. She visited the Great Nicobar Island trying to habituate a troop as a part of her study. “But they are an aggressive lot and rowdy to boot,” she explained. They are as common and problematic as the bonnet and rhesus monkeys on mainland India, she adds.

[Read: These coconut-eating macaques love to floss their teeth].

According to Chandra, another concern in the Great Nicobar Island is poaching of sea cucumbers and seashells by divers from neighbouring countries in these waters. “Stringent measures to curb this activity need to be implemented to conserve these valuable resources,” he warned.

The 2004 tsunami wiped out 6915 hectares of forestland from the Great Nicobar. The natural mangrove vegetation and coconut plantations have recovered significantly but not completely.

Chandra believes that in addition to listing the animal diversity of the Great Nicobar Island and being a reference manual for scientists, this book will educate citizens, fuel discussions and encourage organisations to take up conservation measures in this region in the future.

CITATION:

Faunal diversity of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. Edited by Chandra K., Raghunathan C., & Mondal T. (2017). Published by the Zoological Survey of India.

Agriculture, Amphibians, Animals, Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Coast, Coral Reefs, Deforestation, Endangered species, Endemic species, Habitat Loss, Insects, Islands, New species, Oceans, Plants, Protected Areas, Reptiles, Wildlife

Narcondam Hornbills

Happy news for the new year, and I hope Rutland Island also gets to survive.

Narcondam Hornbills edge back from the brink

The island habitat of the endangered species was slated to host a defence post, raising ecologists’ concerns 

Amid shrinking natural habitats and climate change driving several species to the brink of extinction, reports of a growing population of the endangered Narcondam Hornbill offer ecologists some cheer.

A visit to Narcondam on December 16 and 17 by C. Sivaperuman, a scientist with the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), found a healthy population of the bird. “We could spot a number of breeding pairs and young birds. In a span of a few hours, we could spot more than a hundred of these birds,” Mr. Sivaperuman told The Hindu.

With a velvet-black plumage and an oversized yellow beak, the Narcondam Hornbill and its remote habitat were the centre of a controversy following a 2014 proposal to install a Defence Ministry listening post on the remote island in the Andaman and Nicobar chain. The 7 sq. km. island, a declared wildlife sanctuary, is near Myanmar’s Coco island, where the Chinese have a military presence. 

Despite strong reservations from a number of environmentalists and experts, the office of the Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had suggested in August 2014 that an alternative home for the species be considered as Narcondam was a “vital place for strategic surveillance and establishment of a radar station”.

Fortunately for the bird, considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and on the Red List of threatened species, the Defence Ministry did not pursue the matter. 

D.M. Shukla, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Andaman and Nicobar Island, told The Hindu that there had been no construction on the island, except for a police outpost.

According to experts, Yahya and Zarri conducted one of the last detailed studies on the Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) in 2002, when they estimated 68-85 breeding pairs of the bird with a population of about 400 individuals. 

Though Mr. Sivaperuman has not conducted a count of the birds on the island, he said, “The number is definitely more than 400.” 

Plans are afoot for long-term studies of the endangered bird. “Considering the isolation of this important species and scanty information on its ecology and biology, a two-day survey was conducted to prepare a long-term monitoring proposal,” Mr. Sivaperuman said. 

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Swallows and us - coexistence in the hills

We saw them nesting in the roof of an enclosure in Dandeli.  It was close to sundown, and the parents were busy zipping in and out of the nests, bringing feed.  They were so fast, I was unable to see them except as a moving speck!


Ducking shoppers, hidden swallows - ALL - The Hindu


By Janaki Lenin

The shopkeeper is serving his customer when something drops on the counter near his elbow. The man doesn’t even flinch, continuing with the transaction. On closer look, there are many white-and-black bird droppings on the newspaper beside him.
High above their heads, four identical chicks sit motionless in a small earthen cup. A barn swallow that swoops into the shop lands on the edge of the nest. All three mouths gape wide, each vying for the insect tidbit. A few years ago, the parents had ferried several pellets of mud and grass mixed with their saliva to build this nest. As it dried, it hardened to form a cup to which they return every year.
At first, the parent birds ate their newborns’ excrement, keeping the nest hygienic and saving the shopkeeper the hassle of cleaning it. Then the offspring pooped faeces enclosed in a membranous sac for easy disposal. But now the chicks are older and their parents can’t deal with their frequent pooping. So the chicks back up to the edge of their cosy nest and aim out to the cash counter below. These random squirts could have targeted merchandise, the billing machine, or the shopkeeper’s head had he not made some changes. He cleared the area of stock and moved his chair. Instead, the droppings hit a newspaper that the man changes as needed.
Elevator nestMany shops in market areas across the Himalayas — from Kullu in Himachal Pradesh to Kurseong in West Bengal — host the nests of barn swallows. Some have three or four nests, and the space above people’s heads is busy with air traffic as the parent birds speed in and out, provisioning their young.
When humans began building shelters, these cave-nesting birds were spoilt for choice. Unlike other birds that seek natural settings far away from humans to raise their young, barn swallows, as their name suggests, seem to idealise human-made structures.
Suhel Quader of the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) says even restaurants tolerate the birds’ unhygienic toilet habits. They affix a metal plate below the nests to catch the poop, so it doesn’t contaminate their clientele’s plates.
No raptor has the gumption to fly into small spaces crowded with people. So the diminutive birds go about the business of rearing babies without having to look over their shoulders all the time. But people bring their own set of problems, such as pet cats. If the birds choose the spot well, no feline can scale sheer walls. An American book says the birds even nest in slow-moving trains!
Another unorthodox nesting location that Quader has noticed is the handle of a shop’s rolling shutter. Every morning, when the establishment opens for business, the birds enjoy an elevator ride from the floor to the roof. And every evening, they come down to the ground. A shopkeeper told a surprised Quader that his shop had no rodents to bother the chicks.
Elephant tricksBut what of the humans? No one appreciates filth falling on their heads or floors. Elsewhere in the subcontinent, we dislike cobwebs, and we don’t tolerate house geckos soiling the ceiling. American wildlife agencies advise homeowners who don’t want the birds nesting in their homes to install barriers, make noise, remove nests before they lay their eggs, or paint a nonstick silicone paint, so the mud doesn’t stick. But in the Himalayas, the birds got lucky.
The hill folk think barn swallows bring them good luck. Some try to offer full board, laying out feed for them, but the birds are content with boarding alone. They prefer to catch their own meals in a high-speed chase. These small birds sit on overhead electric lines, watching the hustle and bustle of the street below. When one spots its quarry, it swoops down, weaving its way between pushcarts, vehicles, and pedestrians. The bird snaps up its insect prey in mid-flight and dives into the shop or house to cram its prize into a hungry yellow mouth.
What happens when the shop closes for the day? Shopkeepers told Sanjay Sondhi of Kalpavriksh that the birds know the shops’ schedules and swoop in before closing time. Most of these are family-run establishments that open every day and take no days off. If they can’t open the shop themselves, they make sure someone else does.
At a police station in Uttarakhand, Quader noticed barn swallows come and go through a broken window, so they were not dependent on the police to let them in.
The owner of a pharmacy in Kurseong cut a hole in the shutter for the birds so they’d have their own entrance. But they refused to use it, to his distress. Santhosha Gubbi, a forester, writes in his blog that he borrowed an idea from a colleague, who had persuaded wild elephants to use an underpass in Rajaji National Park. He collected balls of elephant dung and placed them strategically along the trail he wanted the animals to use. On seeing and smelling the ordure, the animals assumed that since others had passed through, the passage must be safe to use. Gubbi advised the pharmacy owner to smear swallow dropping on the exit hole. Apparently, barn swallows reason like elephants, and the trick worked.
Once the youngsters fledge, the parents lay another round of eggs, and the whole scenario plays out again before cold winds sweep down from the mountains.
Even restaurants tolerate the birds’ unhygienic toilet habits. They affix a plate below the nests to catch the poop

GW Pelican?

eBird India Checklist – Sholinganallur/Perumbakkam Marsh, Kancheepuram County, Tamil Nadu, IN – Sun Dec 31, 2017 – 74 species

Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalusA single bird was actively feeding along with a huge flock of Spot-billed Pelicans. Initially looked good for a Great White Pelican, but on closer look, got a bit confused because of the orange skin (usually pink) around eye which extends to the bulged forehead. Later, we could find some similar looking GWP images in the net.
Looks like there are some aberrations in GW Pelicans and ours is such an aberrant individual.
We saw the bird around 6.50am, observed it closely for around 10 minutes, but then it just vanished!

There are some detailed pictures posted on e-bird, at the link.



Moral of the story:  Look at every bird in a flock, from now on!

The treepie

The treepie called me to my window.
Softly,
Like water dripping in a pool
Bob-o-link, bob-o-link.

The teak tree leaves and the wind did their best to hide it from me.
I caught but a glimpse.


Why do I smile so?



Rufous tree pie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) on the teak tree (Tectona grandis) in my neighbour's garden.

The wild olive party

Red bugs - Melamphaus faber (as far as I can make out)- of the Pyrrhocoridae family, feasting on fruits of Sterculia foetida

Flat shaped, and seeming to be permanently conjoined, these bugs are the same family as the cotton stainer bugs of the Dysdercus genus.  Those bugs leave a red/yellow stain on cotton, as well as cut the strands, which basically makes the cotton useless for our human industrial use I guess.

I suppose they are all cousins, but I don't think this one is that one. There are supposedly some 300 types of these, with different kinds of markings.  Uff!  Now I need to peer at these things more closely as well.

In the meantime, the bugs in question were of course having a jolly feast of wild olive  over ripe goo.

The rooster

The Grey Jungle Cock, Nature’s own alarm clock, roams the wooded areas of Munnar when not being snared - The Hindu



A delightful description on the comic rooster.

Sun, cloud, sea and me

It was one of those days - everything seemed wrong - sinkholes on Mount Road, Ripon building falling apart, smog mask on my niece in Delhi, non-stop drilling for the last one month in a neighbouring apartment, real estate dealings that frustrate, ridiculous political fuss over a movie, power failure accompanied by an EB man on top of the transformer with what seemed as utter disregard to safety - and I was ready to move out of the city; and country for that matter.

While I seriously reviewed New Zealand, Scotland, Canada and Scotland, my more sensible husband gently suggested that I go for a walk.  I needed the exercise he said, the fresh air would do me good, he said.  (I think he just wanted me and my ranting out of the house.)  And so I went.

Oh Madras, all is forgiven.

The clouds caught the light of the setting sun and magically transformed the waters into gold and orange.  

In a minute, it was gone.
A minute that filled me with so much awe, delight and elation.
I am so lucky.

And today morning, it was a silvery sea.  A black and white portrait, ever changing, as the clouds scudded by with the strong breezes from the north.

Blue skies ever since,
Peace at home.
A relieved husband.

The Pheasant Tailed Jacanas of Pallikaranai

I remember when I first saw the Jacana walk on water (well almost), it just blew my mind, and I spent hours at Dungarpur just observing their spidery legs and jerky movements.  

The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is quite common in the wetlands of Chennai, and always make for interesting sightings as they dart on top of the floating vegetation.

Mr Ramanan is a regular Sunday visitor to the marshes of Pallikaranai and Sholinganallur and has documented their courtship and breeding over several years. The females are larger and more colourful than the male and are polyandrous.  it is the males that incubate the eggs!

Mr Ramanan notes, "In 2016 in the month of June I had come across two active nests of Pheasant Tailed Jacanas closer to the road side itself. The female is polyandrous and the male takes care of entire breeding of the chicks."

Mr Ramanan noted that the smaller male chased the female with which he had previously mated, 

went underneath the bird, pushed it from the squatting position.  it looked as if the male was suspicious of the female, and did not want another clutch of eggs of another male in its territory?

In another instant, Mr Ramanan observed the male take the chicks under its wing, when a predator was sighted.  The alarm call had been raised by the female.

This is the male's protection posture, with all the chicks underneath, looking like a single adult with eight legs!

Mr Ramanan captured this picture of the female's frightened posture, with body erect but tail down.  (And do see those claws!)

"Once the threat disappeared they started feeding as usual."

"The breeding plumages of the sickle shaped tail with predominant amount of chocolate-brown colour and in flight a large amount white, was observed from the month of May to June this year. On one occasion when the early morning sun rays peeped through the clouds, it painted the female Pheasant-Tailed Jacana with the golden touch of rays which really accentuated its silky golden coloured nape."

Mr Ramanan continued his watch of the PTJs through the summer of 2016 and 2017.  "The sign of chasing all other birds like white breasted water-hen and purple moorhen, from their territory in the month of July, indicated that it has already laid the eggs.  As expected the first chick emerged on the 4th of August, and were seen with the male Pheasant-Tailed Jacana which had shed the tail by that time. I was expecting for some more chicks on subsequent days but it was not to be and the male has only one chick as on 11th of August. On 9th of August again came across the protection display. This time just like last year the female raised the alarm call when a common kite hovered over it and the male with the feeble call attracted the chick and took it under its wings.   The female immediately hovered over and chased the Common Kite. It is clear from the above that female also played an active role while breeding in case of threat, apart from the role of guarding their territory."

Incubating male seen at Sholinganallur.

Notice the large brown eggs! PTJ females usually lay a clutch of four.

When a Shikra was sighted, the male PTJ aggressively left its clutch unguarded and chased the predator.

Returning after a successful chase!

With his keen eye, patience and regular documentation, Mr Ramanan has been able to put together an entire series on the breeding of the PTJs, which makes for a fascinating account.

The marshes and wetlands of Chennai - important and precious for so many creatures big and small.

The teak tree butterfly garden

Tectona grandis.  In flower.  Our neighbour's garden

October 2nd

October brings flowers in plenty to our neighbour's teak tree.  I love to watch the tree.  I watch from our bedroom and I watch from our balcony.  Sometimes it is a Drongo that provides entertainment,  quite often the rose-ringed parakeets perch on the uppermost branch and screech indignantly while squirrels scamper up and down the tree trunk.  Today, it was the butterflies and bees show that I binge watched.

All through the day the Common Emigrants flitted ceaselessly from flower to flower, up and down, side to side.  The window frames seemed to be filled with these wandering whites.  As I followed them with my binoculars, a  Crimson Rose fluttered into view, its flight less rushed and frenzied as it gently alighted on a  flower. A light breeze rustled those large teak leaves and it flew on.

Then there was a blur of yellow, a pair of Tawny Costers and a bunch of Common Leopards flitted around on the left.  More white Common Emigrants to the right, and among them sat one Chocolate  Pansy, with its ragged wing edges, slowly circling on the same flower, unlike the other butterflies.

It was the turns of the blues then, a bunch of Blue Tigers and Glassy Tigers passed by.  They did not seem terribly interested and moved on quickly.  Teak nectar was not their favourite drink maybe? A Common Crow also drifted by, but seemed disinterested with the drinks on offer and floated away.

More Common Emigrants, yellow ones and whiter ones.  Oh wait, that yellow one opened its wings, could it be the Yellow Orange Tip (Ixias pyrene).  These butterflies generally come in after the monsoons, so have the rains brought them?   More whites, but these had black edges.  With Bhanu's Field Guide I identified them as Common Albatross Appias albina.

And into the "garden" came a much larger butterfly, solitary, green and black, fluttering its wings even as it alighted on a flower.  it was beautiful and striking, and was unfamiliar to me.  Flick through the book, peer through the binoculars, and now its gone behind the large teak leaf, hmmm a swallowtail for sure, no not a peacock, oh its back in view, I really need to learn to read Tamil, scan the book once again.  Could it be a Tailed Jay?  I need to verify.  Search in Duck Duck Go Go.   Graphium agamemnon, common and not threatened, more frequent post monsoon.  And its host plant is the Polyalthia!  Maybe that's what it was.  Nothing else fitted the bill.

The enduring Teak
and the ephemeral butterfly
Entwined.

Oct 3rd

Common Jezebels this morning, at the tree.

Oct 4th

And a pair of Danaid Eggfly were having a leisurely sip.

Oct 7th

I continue to see new species.  Today, two Common Jays chased each other from flower to flower.  At the crown, Plain Tigers fluttered through the blooms.

Urban musings

The days rush and blur.

Pause.
My garden blooms fade even before I get to know them.