Large heronries in Kutch and the nesting of glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus at Luna Jheel, Kutch, Gujarat, India

4 Pages·1998·2.3 MB·

by  J K Tiwari

LARGE HERONRIES IN KUTCH AND THE NESTING OF GLOSSY IBIS
PLEGADISFALCINELLUS AT LUNA JHEEL, KUTCH, GUJARAT, INDIA
1
J. K. Tiwari2 and Asad R. Rahmani2,3
(With two text-figures)
Key words: Glossy Ibis, Plegadisfalcinellus Ciconiiformes, breeding, Rann of
,
Kutch, India
Whileconducting varioussurveys forthe grassland birds in Banni and other areas ofKutch,
we came across some large heronries, and discovered breeding glossy ibis Plegadis
falcinellus. We counted upto 250 nests ofglossy ibis in 1992 and 500 in 1994. No breeding
ofglossy ibis and other wading birds took place during the drought year of 1993.
Introduction grasslands, Kutch dist. Gujarat. The first large
heronry was discovered by us in September 1992
The glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus is a
near Luna village. Luna village is located on the
widely distributed water bird, found in Asia,
northernmost limit ofthe Banni grassland. Many
Europe, Africa, Central America and on many
low-lying villages in this region are inundated
islands (Hancock et al. 1992). Ali and Ripley
by heavy monsoons, causing them to be
(1983) and Roberts (1991) describe it as partly
seasonally abandoned. Such habitations in the
resident and nomadic, andpartly a wintervisitor.
Banni region are locally known as “jheel
In the Indian subcontinent so far, the breeding of =
villages” (jheel shallow wetland).
glossy ibis has been reported in Sind, Pakistan,
Oudh (north India), Orissa, Assam and Manipur
Survey Results
(Ali, 1945). All these records are very old and
do not mention details of the exact location of
While conducting various surveys for
nesting, year ofnesting and the number ofnests.
grassland birds in the Banni and other areas of
In the nonbreeding season, the glossy ibis can be
Kutch, we discovered four large heronries
seen in large flocks in many flooded portions of
(Fig described below:
1.),
Banni grassland and on the edge ofthe Great and
A. Luna Heronry: On 30th September
the Little Rann ofKutch. In the winter of 1992-
1992 at Luna village on the edge of the Great
94, some 500 to 700 glossy ibis were seen by us Rann ofKutch, about 80 km northwest ofBhuj,
at Vakeria-Dhand, Chhari-Dhand, Servo-Dhand,
we came across a huge heronry where eight
Kheeijog-Dhand, Abhada-Jheel andMokar-Jheel
species ofbirds were nesting, the glossy ibisbeing
(Dhand in Sindhi-Kutchi means a shallow
one of them (Tiwari 1993) (Table for other
1
seasonal lake).
species). From September 1992 to December
1994, the Luna heronry was visited many times.
Study Area
mm
Owing to poor rainfall in 1993 (60 only),
the Lunajheel was dry, hence nesting birds were
In June 1992, our field station was set up
absent from the heronry, but during two good
at Fulay village to study the ecology of Banni
rainfall years, a large number of nests were
'Accepted February, 1996. recorded at Luna on 30th September, 1992, and
^Bombay Natural History Society, Hombill House,
7th August, 1994. Many nests at that time had
S. B. Singh Road, Bombay- 400 023
We
3Centre ofWildlife & Ornithology, grown up young ones. therefore presume
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh- 202 002 that the nest building and incubation must have
68 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 95 (1998)
0 e 16 24
• Heronry-Site
Fig. 1. Large Heronries ofKutch dist. Gujarat (India)
started in June or July. The fledglings leave the nesting colony at Luna, but the colony was re-
nest by the end ofSeptember or October. established by the birds within a period ofabout
The Luna heronry is reputed to be about 20 days. The year 1994 receivedunusually heavy
50 years old. According to the villagers, after a rainfall (1250 mm), whereas the mean annual
good monsoon, the glossy ibis breeds regularly rainfall for Kutch dist. is 340 mm.
in Luna, along with other species. The discovery Nestlings ofglossy ibis, about one to three
ofsuch a large breeding colony ofglossy ibis is a weeks old, have apinkish rose colouredbill with
record from western India. two black bands on it, one broad band in the
Most ofthe nests were found on mesquite middle and one on top. The overall body
Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica trees. coloration of the young bird is faded blackish
During good rainfall years, water depth in Luna brown. The number of young birds in the nest
m
varies from 0.5 to 2.5 m. Snails, fishes and varied from one to three. House crows Corvus
frogs are abundant in thejheel. Besides fish and splendens were observedpreying onthe nestlings
macro-invertebrates, the glossy ibises were ofwaterbirds including about one to two weeks
observed feeding snails to their nestlings. old young ones ofthe glossy ibis.
A
Upto five nests were seen on any one tree. large spoonbill colonywas foundinLuna
The nearestnesting neighbours of the glossy ibis jheel in 1994, but it was located about half a
were mostly cattle egret Bubulcus ibis or night kilometre from the main heronry. The reason for
m
heron Nycticorax nycticorax. In August 1994, this couldbe that 1 to 2 highbushes, which are
torrential rains caused heavy damage to the utilisedbythe spoonbills fornesting, werepresent
LARGEHERONRIESINKUTCH 69
Table
1
LUNA HERONRY* NEST DETAILS
Species Nest Young Nest Nest Young
1992 1992 1993 1994 1994
Rainfall (640 mm) (60 mm) (1250 mm)
Common name
Cattle Egret 3000 5500 Nil 6500 8000
Little Egret 50 90 250 350
Median Egret 35 75 150 200
Night Heron 50 100 25 35
Little Cormorant 220 500 50 80
Spoonbill 5 10 400 650
White Ibis 40 100 50 80
Glossy Ibis 250 500 500 725
Total 3650 6875 Nil 7925 10120
* Most numbers are approximate
only in that area. Table 2
CHHARI-DHAND NEST DETAILS
B. Chhari-Dhand: This colony was in a
seasonal saucer-shaped natural depression in the Species No of Nests No ofYoung
Banni grassland which fills with water during
rains. The area and depth of this wetland varies Purple Heron 35 40
Night Heron 50 65
with rainfall. The maximum area recorded is
Spoonbill 500 850
km mm
around 80 sq. after 640 rains in 1992. Cattle Egret 1500 2500
During the monsoon, the entire area around Little Cormorant 1500 2600
Chhari-Dhand gets flooded and the excess water
Total 3585 6055
then flows down to the Great Rann of Kutch.
m
Thick mats of Eleocharis reeds, 1 to 2 high
grow on the outer fringes ofChhari-Dhand. The Discussion
depth ofthis wetland varies from 0.5 to 1.5 m.
Tamarix sp andSalvadorapersicabushes grow Nesting success and rainfall In the study
. :
scattered in the wetland area. About 3,600 nests area, nesting ofwading birds depends clearly on
of five species of waterbirds were estimated in the amount of rainfall. This seems to be
We
1994. usedboats to reachthebreeding colony particularly true for the glossy ibis. There are no
and on each bush/tree counted the nests. perennial natural waterbodies in the saline desert
C. Devisar: This is a shallow 4 sq. km lake of Kutch. The major colony sites in Kutch are
nearRudramataDam, 15 kmfromBhuj,thedistrict located either near dams and reservoirs or in the
headquarters ofKutch. Five species ofegrets and monsoon flooding areas in the Banni grassland
herons nest here in the month of August and and on the edge ofthe Great Rann ofKutch. The
We
September afterawellsetmonsoon. estimated rainfall pattern of Kutch is very irregular and
800 to 1000 nests in September 1992. erratic, and so is the nesting of wading birds.
D. Ningal: S. N. Varu, akeen ornithologist During threeyears ofour studyperiod, noheronry
ofBhuj, foundaheronrynearAnjarvillage where was seen during the drought year (Fig 2).
We
painted storks Mycteria leucocephala nest found that water-dependent species
regularly after a good monsoon. In September such as the glossy ibis, painted stork, egrets and
1992, he estimated up to 200 nests. herons breed only during good monsoon years.
70 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 95 (1998)
o>
x>
c
o
Total no. of
nests
Rainfall
Total no. of
young ones
Fig. 2. Rainfall pattern and nesting ofheronry birds at Lunajheel
Strict protection of the bird colonies ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
is afforded by Luna villagers to the heronry.
A
few years ago a pastoral community from a This study was done under the Grassland
&
neighbouring village used to collect young Ecology Project, funded by the U. S. Fish
birds for food, an activity which has now Wildlife Service, and sponsored by the Ministry
We
stopped. Large scale commercial fishing with- ofEnvironment and Forests, Govt, ofIndia.
out licence at Chhari-Dhand is today the main are gratefulto MrDavidFergusonandProf. Mark
threat to the nesting birds, because it depletes Behan ofthe USFWS, to Dr Jay Samant, former
their food. Pumping of water from Devisar Director, BNHS, and Prof. A. H. Musavi, former
&
and Ningal sites by farmers creates further Chairman, Centre of Wildlife Ornithology,
problems for the nesting birds because this Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Mr. S. N.
reduces the extent of the feeding areas. Varu and Ashwin Pomal provided information
According to the villagers, the painted stork on Devisar and Ningal. We thank Mr
used to nest in large numbers in Luna heronry, Himmatsinhji and Dr. Malcolm Coulter for their
but now it has stopped. The reason could kind suggestions. Lastly, we thank Muhammad
be the collection of the young ones in the Saidad andMehboob Alam for assisting us in the
past. field.
ENC ES
Ali, S. (1945): The Birds of Kutch. Oxford University Press. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers.
Press, London. Roberts, T. J. (1991): The Birds of Pakistan, (Vol I).
&
Ali, S. S.D. Rjpley(1983): The Handbookofthe Birds Oxford University Press, Karachi.
of India and Pakistan (Compact edition). Oxford Tiwari, J. K. (1993): New Breeding site for Glossy Ibis
University Press, Delhi. Plegadis falcinellus in India. Specialist Group on
&
Hancock, J. A,J. A. Kushlan M. P. Kahl(1992): Storks, Storks, Ibises, and Spoonbills Newsletter. Vol. 6 No.
Ibises, andSpoonbillsoftheWorld. LondonAcademic 1 & 2: 5-6