Charakla Saltpans: a Haven for Black necked Grebe Podiceps Nigricollis Brehm

2005·1.3 MB·

by  Anika Jadhav

2
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
thank all of them as well as the residents of the surveyed 'Nature Conservation Foundation,
areas for their support, hospitality, and for sharing their 3076/5,IVCrossGokulamPark,
knowledge with us. Mysore570002,Karnataka, India,
international Snow LeopardTrust,
December2,2003 CHARUDUTT MISHRA1 4649N. SunnysideAvenue,
APARAJITA DATTA1 Suite325,Seattle,WA98103,USA.
M.D. MADHUSUDAN1 Email:[email protected]
REFERENCES
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CHARAKLA SALTPANS: A HAVEN FOR BLACK-NECKED GREBE
6.
PODICEPS NIGR1COLLIS BREHM
During a survey ofcoastal birds from January I 1-14, nigricollisat foursites (Table 1) in Jamnagarand Porbandar
2003, we counted 1,432 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps districtsofGujarat.Thehighestconcentrationofabout 1,400
228 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 102 (2), May-Aug 2005
)
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Table1:CountofBlack-neckedGrebesduringJanuary2003,Gujarat IndiadatedJune26, 1999.
Two hundred and fifty birds represent 1%
Site District Date Number
biogeographicalpopulationofBlack-neckedGrebe(Wetlands
Charakla saltpans Jamnagar 12.1.2003 1405 International 2002).Asitebecomesinternationally important
MeedhaTidal Regulator Porbandar 12.1.2003 5 if it supports more than 1% biogeographical population of
Rosy Pier saltpans Jamnagar 14.1.2003 4 any one species of waterfowl regularly. Charakla Saltpans
Sanctuary saltpans Jamnagar 14.1.2003 18 seemstobeaninternationally importantsiteforBlack-necked
Total 1432 Grebe as it has supported high concentrations ofthe species
on aregularbasis since 996.
1
All the present sightings are on the Gulf of Kachchh
grebes was recorded at Charakla Saltpans, near Dwarka
(22° 14' N,69°01'E);thegrebeswereseeninthesaltpaninthree (Jamnagar district) or in its vicinity (Porbandar district).
Parasharya and Mukherjee (1998) had also reported
groupsof1000,375and30individualseach.Grebesobservedat concentrationofgrebesaroundthesetwodistricts. Grimmett
the otherthree sites were foundeithersingly or in pairs.
We also saw one white coloured Black-necked Grebe, etal. (1998) and Kazmierczak (2000) have reported regular
occurrenceofgrebesalong thecoastofthe GulfofKachchh.
with some black splashes on the head and sides of its body,
amongstagroupofthousandbirdsatCharaklaSaltpans. The Hence, all the saltpans along the southern coast of the Gulf
ofKachchh should be checked for the occurrence ofBlack-
white grebe was at ease with the other grebes with normal
neckedGrebe.
plumage and was also seen diving occasionally like its
conspecifics.
May23,2003 ANIKA JADHAV
ThehighestconcentrationofBlack-neckedGrebes(201
B.M. PARASHARYA
wasfirstreported in December 1996fromCharaklaSaltpans
AINPonAgricultural Ornithology,
(Parasharyaetal. 1998). Earlier, about 50 grebes (Balarand
GujaratAgriculturalUniversity,
Balar 1999) had been spotted on January 10, 1996; and
Bhaskaran (1996) had spotted about 51 grebes in October Anand,Gujarat388 1 10,India.
1996.Since 1996,significantlyhigherconcentrationsofgrebes
BHARAT RUGHANI
have been observed every year at the same site by the
5,Wadi Plot. Bharatnivas,
birdwatchersofGujarat.BalarandBalar 1999)reportedabout
(
Porbandar,Gujarat360575,
800-1000 grebes in January 1999; they had taken several
India.
photographs, one of which was published in the Times of
REFE
Balar,(Rin.BG.uj&araRt.i)B.alar (1999): Charaklanu Pakshilirth. Vihang3: 10 ParashaSreyrvai,ceB,.NM.ew&DeAlehsih.ita Mukherjee (1998): Arecord numberof
Bhaskaran,S.T.(1996):Black-neckedGrebesandGreatCrestedGrebes Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis from Gujarat.
inGujarat.NewsletterforBirdwatchers36(6): 114. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 95: 335-336.
Grimmeii. R., C. Inskipp & T. Inskipp (1998): Birds of the Indian Wetlands International (2002): Waterbird Population Estimates -
Subcontinent. Oxford University Press, Delhi. Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12,
Kazmierczak,K.(2000):AFieldGuidetotheBirdsofIndia.OmBook Wegeningen. The Netherlands.
MIGRATION OF BLACK-EARED OR LARGE INDIAN KITE MILVUS MIGRANS
7.
LINEATUS (GRAY) FROM MONGOLIA TO NORTH-EASTERN INDIA
The Black-eared orLarge Indian KiteMilvusmigrans through Bhutanon September5.Thus, littledataisavailable
lineatus (Gray) is regarded as a resident with unclear on itsmigration.
abundanceinAssam(Choudhury2000)whilethesubspecies A single specimen of Milvus migrans lineatus was
govinda is among the most abundant birds. Ah and Ripley captured live by a villager near Loktak Lake in Manipur on
(1987)hadquotedBaker(FBI No. 1788,Vol. 5: l24)aboutits October22,2001. ItwasnearMayongImphal(24°36'N,93°
breeding in the hills, south of the Brahmaputra river and 54'E)towardseastofthe lakeatanelevationof790mabove
mentionedthatelsewhereinIndia(excludingextremesouth) msl. Effortstobuythebirdandreleaseitbackdid notsucceed
itisawintervisitorinsmallnumbers.Onmigrationtheystated, as the owner refused to sell it. The bird had a ring marked
referringFrankLudlow(Ibis 1937: 493),comingfromnorth “Hiddensee Germania EA 096970”. After a lot of
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 102 (2), May-Aug 2005 229