Addition of Cinereous Vulture to Checklist of Birds of Similipal Biosphere Reserve

In the earlier checklist of Similipal published in 2014, we had not included Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus). Neither any past record nor any of the Avi-fauna Guides show Odisha as a migratory range for this specie except for a rescued individual from Bonai.

On 17th Dec 2014, a Juvenile individual ( photographed below) was rescued from Kaliasole beat in Deuli Range of Baripada Forest Division in North East Odisha. It looked very exhausted as per the Range officer of Deuli, Shri P K Mallick. It did not accept the dressed chicken that was given as food. Veterinary officer of Suliapada rendered the preliminary treatment.  Subsequently, the next day, it was transferred to Nandankanan Zoological park where it will be rehabilitated along with 2 other individuals. One of them was rescued sometime in 2011 from Bonai Forest Division1. 

This species breed in North West Pakistan and Afganistan. Stray records of breeding in J &K and Himachal Pradesh has been recorded from past. Their winter migratory range somewhere is a straight line from North of Maharashtra to West Bengal. But these 2 instances of the rescue of Cinereous  Vulture from places located in nothern half of Odisha tentatively indicates that their wintering range might be Odisha also. Based on this particular individual's rescue from Deuli, we are including Cinereous Vulture in the checklist of birds of Similipal Biosphere Reserve.

       

Rescue sites of the individual Vultures
Map Credit: Google Earth

References:

Naoroji Rishad; Birds of Prey of the Indian Subcontinent ; Om Publications (2006)

www.zoosprint.org/ZooPrintMagazine/2011/May/15.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinereous_vulture

Nuthatches of Similipal

• Presence of Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis)  and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta cinnamoventris)  is common across all the Ranges.
• Mostly seen in the Sal dominated forests compared to the Miscellaneous type of forests.
• Both the species are invariably seen as part of mixed hunting parties.
• Average flock size of Velvet fronted type is around 6-8 compared to 2-3 of the Chestnut bellied type.
• Velvet fronted is more common compared to the Chestnut bellied type.

  Location: Nigirdha ; Range: Nawana (North)
Chestnut Bellied Nuthatch

  Location: Jamuna chaka ; Range:National Park
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

On the Occurence of Grey Treepie in Similipal Tiger Reserve

In Similipal, on multiple occasions, we have come across Grey Treepie (Dendrocitta formosae), the closest cousin of our backyard chap, Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda). 

•  Mostly we have seen them foraging in the forested areas which is basically a Miscellaneous type and not dominated by the Sal (Shorea robusta) species.  
• Only exceptions are the stunted Sal vegetation of Patbil, Devasthali, Dhudram (especially around Dhudram nala) and Tinadiha where individuals are normally seen flocking from one tree to other. 
• The other areas where they are commonly observed are Nekdanacha & Tarinivila area of Upper Barhakamuda. 
• We have also photographed ( the individual below) them on the ascent of Jamunadanda ridge.
• Out of 6 occasions, on 4 occasions we had seen them in groups of 3-4 individuals
• Very restless and flush out rapidly on closer approach.
• Commonly known as Himalayan Treepie, the specie has a small population residing in the Eastern Ghats ( mostly in the forested tracts of Odisha) apart from the larger population that is resident of the lower Himalayan forests.

 

Black dots indicate ( a tentative estimation of the locations and is not based on GPS reading) the locations where the species have been photo-documented.

Source Map: http://similipal.org 


Reference:
Ali, Salim & Ripley, S Dillon ; Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan; OUP 1972/1987
 

Checklist of Birds of Similipal Biosphere Reserve

Here is the Checklist of Birds of Similipal Biosphere Reserve . One of the recent additions post publication of the Checklist is the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus). Will be writing on that addition in a few days from now.