Wayanad Sky Island bird survey records 156 species

The Wayanad Sky Island Bird Survey 2026 documented 156 taxon of birds. The survey was conducted betwixt March 13 and 15 with the information of astir 55 birdwatchers. Among the taxon recorded were 8 threatened species, 20 taxon endemic to the Western Ghats, and 12 taxon that had not been recorded successful erstwhile surveys. The Wayanad Sky Island Bird Survey was initiated successful 2018 arsenic portion of the Kerala Bird Atlas programme.

The survey was jointly organised by the North Wayanad Forest Division, South Wayanad Forest Division, and the Hume Centre for Wildlife Biology. Birdwatchers were deployed crossed 11 basal camps to survey antithetic habitats of the entity islands located supra 1,200 metres, including forests, grasslands, and sholas.

In Wayanad district, entity islands hap successful upland ranges specified arsenic the Camel’s Hump, Banasura, Kurichyarmala, and Brahmagiri. Sky islands are high-elevation landscapes that stay geographically isolated and climatically chiseled from the surrounding regions.

Notable taxon recorded during the survey included the Himalayan Buzzard, Malayan Night Heron, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Black Baza, and Great Hornbill. The sighting of the Himalayan Buzzard, a raptor typically recovered successful the Himalayan ranges of northbound India, generated sizeable involvement among birdwatchers. This taxon has been recorded lone for the 2nd clip successful Kerala.

The survey besides confirmed a steadfast colonisation of the Banasura Chilappan (Banasura Laughingthrush), the territory vertebrate of Wayanad, which is recovered exclusively successful the district’s entity islands. The taxon is listed arsenic Endangered connected the IUCN Red List.

Several Western Ghats endemic taxon were besides recorded during the survey, including the Nilgiri Sholakili, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Wayanad Laughingthrush, and Nilgiri Woodpigeon.

Banasura Chilappan (Montecincla jerdoni), a precocious described taxon and 1 of the astir endangered wood birds successful India, was spotted successful sholas supra 1,800 metres. The planetary organisation of the taxon is constricted to 3 upland ranges successful Wayanad, covering an country of little than 50 quadrate kilometres. It is estimated that less than 2,500 individuals stay successful these mountains.

“Considering the constricted situation scope of the Banasura Chilappan, the Camel’s Hump upland scope should beryllium elevated to nationalist parkland presumption to support the remaining situation of this uncommon bird,” said C.K. Vishnudas, manager of the Hume Centre for Ecology, who coordinated the survey. The survey was inaugurated by Ajith K. Raman, DFO, South Wayanad Forest Division.