The Birds of Goa

18 Pages·1999·10.5 MB·

by  Heinz Lainer

1
THE BIRDS OF GOA
1
HeinzLainer2
(With one text-figure)
Keywords: ornithologicalsurvey,populations, Goa,breedingrecords,migration
This annotated checklist is the result of 13 years ofintensive field study, including 1300
field trips, starting from 1980. The avifauna ofGoa has been studied in terms ofpopula-
tions, number ofsightings, migratory and breeding records ifpresent. These have been
compared with the records ofprevious decades, starting in 1972. The differences in the
observations over these two decades have been discussed, to provide an overview ofthe
avifaunaofGoa.
Introduction 1300 field trips of both short and extended
duration, commencing in 1980. The author,
Little work has been done on Goa’s admittedly an amateur ornithologist, found his
avifauna. The Portuguese who ruled the tiny occupationanextremelylonelyone,havingnever
territoryonIndia’sWestCoastfrom1510to 196 come across a birdwatcher of either Indian or
were, unlike their British counterparts, less foreign provenance over a span of nine years.
interested in birds as objects ofscientific study However, with the advent of low-priced direct
than in their nutritious and culinary properties! charter flights from Europe to Goa in the late
This attitude seems to have rubbed offon their eighties there is a rapidly growing number of
colonial subjects of 451 years, and is still mostlyBritishbirdwatchers visiting, usually for
prevalent. two or three weeks only. They are of the fast
In 1972, however, the Government ofthe movingandcompetitive ‘lifelist’ type,generally
erstwhile Union Territory of Goa, Daman and wellinformedaboutIndia’savifauna, extremely
Diu commissionedthe BombayNatural History keen and sharp-sighted. In their desire to notch
Societytoconductanornithologicalsurvey.This upasmany ‘new’ speciesaspossible, inthevery
led to a 16-day field trip by Dr. Salim Ali and short time available, they frequently get carried
R.B. Grubhattheendof1972. Workwasalmost awayandtendtomakeblatantmisidentifications
entirely restricted to thebelt ofdense evergreen which are then mirrored in the photocopied
and moist deciduous forests along the Western leaflets about their exploits that they publish,
Ghats, and consisted mainly of collecting circulate,andsellamongbirdwatchersinBritain.
specimens, resulting in the publication of a Itwas onlyrecently whenGordonFrost, a
systematic list comprising 154 species (Grubh knowledgeable, scrupulous fieldworker, settled
andAli 1975). UlhasRane visitedthe same area inGoathatIwasabletojoinforceswithafellow
thrice, foracoupleofweeksaltogether,in 1981- birdwatcher.
82 and added a further 33 species to this list Geographicaloutline
(Rane 1982)
This annotatedchecklististheresultof13 Goa is a narrow strip ofland 3,701 sq.km
years offairly intensive field studies and about inarea, 105 kmlong andup to 65 kmwide. Itis
flanked by the Arabian Sea to the West and the
'AcceptedFebruary,1998 Western Ghats (or Sahyadris) to the East. It lies
"PraiasdeSt.Antonio between 15°48'00" N and 14° 53’54" N lat. and
Anjuna403509
Goa between 74°20T3" E and 73° 40'33" E long.
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 203
THEBIRDSOFGOA
Physical features and vegetation types roundedand denselywoodedhills characteristic
ofthenorthernUttarKanaraGhats. Tropicalwet
For an ornithological survey, Goa is most evergreen forest occurs in strands and patches
conveniently split into three main physical in the deeper valleys over about 200 sq.km.
divisions, i.e.,thecoastalbelt,themidlandregion Tropical moist deciduous forests account for
and the Western Ghats. approx. 400 sq.km.
1. The coastal belt: Goa's 133 km long
coastline ischaracteristic ofSouthKonkan, with Climate
its sandy bays, beaches and rocky headlands
brokenbythewideestuariesoftheMandoviand The maritime, monsoon type climate of
Zuari rivers and interspersed with minor Goa is equable and moist or humid throughout
estuaries. Behindthecoaststretchesapatchwork the year. Except for the monsoon season, it is
quilt of paddy fields, well-wooded villages, temperate, with little demarcation between the
groves of coconut palms and evergreen leafy cold and hot weather periods.
trees, creeks, saltpans, saline and freshwater Annual rainfall is 250-320 cm along the
marshes. Along the larger rivers, this coastal coast and 510-760 cm on the higher slopes of
habitat extends into the interior as far as tidal the Ghats. Over 90% of precipitation occurs
influence reaches (over 40 km), forming inland duringtheSWmonsoonfromJunetoSeptember.
baysofbrackishandsalinemarshes.Over2,000 ha Seasonal variation in temperature is slight:
ofmangroves line Goa’s creeks andestuaries. May, the hottest month, has a mean daily
2. Themidlandregion:CentralGoaconsists temperature ofca. 30° C, January, thecoolest, ca.
m
by and large oflateritic plateaus 30-200 high, 25°C. Duetotheproximityofthe sea,the diurnal
withtheiroutlying detached elements abutting in range oftemperature is not large (4-6° C during
several places as headlands into the sea. They monsoonand 10-12° C in January-February).
are covered with stunted cashew trees, thorny Relativehumidity is high, evenduring the
scrub and coarse grass, while the scarp-faces, dry season it is generally above 60%.
especially the hollows and gullies, support
patches and strands ofremnant semi-evergreen Conservation
forest.Numerousperennialspringsfeedintensive
cultivation of areca, coconut, spice, fruit and Since Goa’s liberation from colonial rule
paddy in the often terracedvalleys. A goodpart in 1961, several measures were taken by the
ofthisregionisindeliblyscarredandirreversibly government to protect wildlife, with varying
degraded by large scale open cast and strip results. During the decade after liberation, the
mining ofiron and manganese ore. mosteffectivemeansofprotectionhasprovedto
3. The Western Ghats: The Sahyadris in be the politically motivated unavailability of
Goaextendina 125 kmlongarc,withaCrestline ammunitionforthelargenumberoffirearmsleft
constituting the eastern border with Karnataka. bythe Portuguese inthe hands ofthe landed and
About 600 sq. km in area, they have an average affluent class.
m
elevation of800 above msl, several hundred In 1967, a 240 sq.km area of prime wet
metreslowerthantheadjoiningsections,thereby evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous
creating the ‘Goa gap’. The northern part is of forest on and below the slope of the Western
the Deccan trap type with horizontally layered Ghats was notified as the Bhagwan Mahaveer
vertical cliff-faces reminiscent of South Wildlife Sanctuary (BMWS). This includes the
Maharashtrian hill-stations like Amboli, while Mollem, Collem and Dudhsagar areas largely
the southern and larger part consists of the covered by the previous ornithological
204 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999
THEBIRDSOFGOA
investigations. This sanctuary is still unspoiled, wellover35,000innormalyearsandover75,000
but is being increasingly opened up to in the winter of 1987-88, when large parts of
governmentsponsoredtourismwhichwillensure India were affected by drought, while Goa had
its degradation. Mammalian wildlife has the benefit of an adequate monsoon. The
recovered to an amazing degree fromnear non- Carambolim lake has been shownby way ofthe
existence atthe endofthe colonialeraandsince Asianmid-winterwaterfowlcount(Daniel 1988)
Grubh and Ali (1975) commented on its sorry to be the major wintering quarter ofmigratory
state in the early seventies. ducks in peninsular India, and one ofthe most
The Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, a small importantintheSubcontinent.UndertheRamsar
area of8 sq.km in a cluster ofoutlying hills, is Convention, which India signed in 1982, this
an obvious misnomer. Detached from the main village tank would qualify for inclusion in the
body of the Western Ghats, it features an list of about 300 protected wetlands of
abysmally ill-kept zoo, a botanical garden and internationalimportancetheworldover.Yet,the
an attached government-run tourist resort, Goa government deems it unfit even to be
makingitoneofGoa’sfavouritepicnicspotsbut declared a bird sanctuary!
hardly a wildlife sanctuary. Though surrounded The most effective means of protection
by extensive open cast iron mines, the moist appears to be private ownership. At Corlim
deciduous forests beyond the sanctuary limits (Tiswadi), close to the Carambolim lake, the
harboura surprisinglyrichbirdlifetypical ofthe Swiss-owned Hindustan Ciba-Geigy Ltd.
middle section ofthe Western Ghats. produces at its Santa Monica plant a range of
The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary at Goa’s highly toxic pesticides for agricultural use. The
southern border to the Uttar Kanara district of large factory compound contains two shallow
Karnataka is 105 sq.km in size and consists of pondsthatgiveundisturbedsheltertoGoa’sonly
mainly riverine semi-evergreen and moist known heronry, and a safe haven to quite a
deciduous forests, interspersed with large tracts number ofmigrant and vagrant Ciconiidae and
underrubber,eucalyptusandteakplantationsand Threskiornithidae. Despite the tight security
a sprinkling of hamlets whose mostly tribal around the plant, ornithologists are encouraged
population is not yet weaned away from its by the General Manager, himself an amateur
traditionalslash-and-bummethodofcultivation. birdwatcher, to visit the site.
Poaching and large-scale illegal tree felling are
rampant. — A Note on the Systematic List
The western end ofChorao (Tiswadi), an All observations and records, if not
alluvial island in the inland estuary of the — mentioned otherwise, are by the author.
Mandoviriver, was only recently notifiedas the The number in brackets after the serial
Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. Its 1.8 sq. km number of each species refers to the
consist of the last sizeable mangrove forest in “Synopsis number” of Ali and Ripley
Goa’s coastal belt, and is therefore worth — (1995).
protecting, but it contains no avian life worth I have followed the sequence used in the
mentioning. Synopsis (Ripley 1982) by inserting the
On the other hand there is Carambolim speciesnumbered429-44betweennos. 361
lake, a freshwater village tank of 0.7 sq. km, — and 362.
situated close to the World Heritage site ofOld To facilitate locating places on a detailed
Goa. Throughoutthe year, itsustainsalargeand map, the name of the taluka (an
varied population ofresident waterfowl and in — administrative unit) is added in brackets.
winter an immense number ofmigratory ducks, Quantitative terms used in the text:
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 205
THEBIRDSOFGOA
Fig. 1: MapofGoa(with Wildlife Sanctuaries and otherplaces ofornithological interest)
206 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999
THEBIRDSOFGOA
Small numbers = <50 4. (25) Brown Booby S. leucogaster
Moderate = 50-200 (Boddaert)
Considerable ** = 200-1000 Vagrant. In early June 1997, I observed
Large = 1000-10000 anadultbirdcoming inandsettlingjustbeyond
Verylarge => 10000 thesurf-lineoffAnjunaBeach,possiblyastorm-
Abbreviations: blownspecimen, as theprevious day acyclonic
WS: Wildlife Sanctuary depression had crossed over from the northern
BMWS: Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Arabian Sea into Saurashtra. This appears tobe
Sanctuary onlythe secondrecordfromIndia’sWestCoast
HCGL: Hindustan Ciba- Geigy Ltd. (Handbook 1:34 35).
at Corlim (Tiswadi) 5. (26) CormorantPhalacrocoraxcarbo
(Linn.)
Systematic listof birds Rarevisitor. Onesandtwoswereobserved
in the HCGL compound at Corlim (Tiswadi)
(Unconfirmed records of birds that duringJune, September,DecemberandJanuary.
are difficult to identify in the field and records 6.(27)IndianShagP.fuscicollisStephens
within5kmbeyondGoa’sbordersareappended.) Breedingvisitor. Moderatenumbers(upto
1 (5)LittleGrebe Tachybaptusruficollis 100 pairs) breed annually in the heronry inside
(Pallas). the HCGL compound from mid-July to end of
Resident in moderate numbers. Thinly January.
spread over the freshwater bodies of the 7.(28)LittleCormorantP.niger(Vieillot)
coastalbelt, thoughone specimenwas observed Anincreasinglycommonandconsiderably
in the totally saline estuary of the Tirakol numerous resident. In the dry season, the
river. Small numbers breed from July to populationisevenlyspreadoutoverwetlandsof
February. thecoastalregion(occasionallyuptothebaseof
2. (14) Wilson’s Storm Petrel Oceanites the Western Ghats). With the onset ofthe SW
oceanicus (Kuhl) monsoon,thesebirdscongregateatapondinside
Passage migrant in probably large the HCGL compound, where about 200 pairs
numbers. Migration along Goa’s coast starts in breedbetween late June andearlyDecember.
mid-August and peaks in the first week of 8. (29) DarterAnhinga rufa (Daudin)
September, when a sweep with a field-scope Apparentlyaregularbreedingvisitor. Upto
rarely shows less than 20 birds foraging and 10birds arriveby endMay atthe HCGL heronry
m
movingsouthwardatasedatepace(ca.200-300 andbreedtherefromendJunetoearlyNovember.
offshore). The last stragglers are seen in early Usuallybymid-Decemberallbirdshave left.
October. 9. (36) Grey HeronArdea cinerea Linn.
3. (23) Masked Booby Sula dactylatra Moderately common non-breeding
Lesson resident, found throughout the coastal belt.
Vagrant. Davidson (1898) ‘obtained a Duringthe SWmonsoon,thefewbirdsthathave
specimen ofthis bird at Sadasheogarh on June not evaded the rains gather at the fringes ofthe
23, 1893. It was blown ashore and captured heronry at Corlim (Tiswadi).
A
alive.’ Sadasheogarh, now renamed Sada- 10. (37)PurpleHeron purpureaLinn.
shivgad, isNorthKanara’snorthernmostcoastal Rather uncommon and moderately
village, andborders on Goa. numerous resident ofthe coastal belt and river
On August 4, 1997, I observed a masked basins as farastidal influence reaches. Up to 35
booby ca. 300 m. offshore atAnjuna (Bardez). pairs breed regularly in the HCGL heronry
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 207
THEBIRDSOFGOA
betweenmid-May andearly October. 17. (50) Indian Reef Heron E. gularis
11. (38) Little Green Heron Ardeola (Bose)
striatus (Linn.) A dry seasonvisitor, commonly occurs in
Common and considerably numerous moderate numbers, along the sea-shore and
residentofthecoastalstrip,fromoffshoreislands inland estuaries ofthe larger rivers, where over
and rocky sea-shore ascending the tidal rivers ahundredmaycongregateontidalmudflats.The
and creeks up to 15 km inland. Also found at reefheron’spre-monsoonwithdrawal lasts from
saltpans and rock-strewn freshwater streams. mid-Apriltillthe firstweekofJune when all the
Fledglings were seen in May. birdshavedisappeared, onlytoreturnfrommid-
12. (42) Pond Heron A. grayii (Sykes) September onwards. Although Dharmakumar-
Resident and local migrant. One of the sinhji and Lavkumar (1956) reported an
most common and numerous birds ofGoa, less enigmatic ‘heronry of reef herons right in the
soduringmonsoon. Foundfromoffshoreislands centreoftheOysterRockoffKaiwar’justadozen
to streams in dense evergreen forest along the km south ofGoa, there is no indication oftheir
WesternGhats strip. Uncommonbreederduring breeding anywhere in Goa.
the SW monsoon. 18. (52) Night Heron Nycticorax
13.(44)CattleEgretBubulcusibis(Linn.) nycticorax (Linn.)
A common and numerous dry season Uncommon winter visitor in small
visitor ranging from the coastal belt to the foot numbers. There are just a dozen or so records,
ofthe Ghats. Up to 2,000 birds may congregate ranging from the end ofOctober to mid-March,
at the Carambolim tank in April before moving all from the coastal belt and riverbasins. Hume
out in the first week ofJune to evade the rains. (1876)mentionedtohaveseena‘colony’ ofnight
They return towards mid-September when the heronsonSt.George’sIslandoffBogmaloBeach
worstofthe monsoonis over. (Marmagoa) but does not say if they were
14. (46) Large Egret Ardea alba Linn. breeding. However, there was certainly no
Fairly uncommon resident in moderate breeding colony in Goa for the last 17 years.
numbers. Confined to the coastal belt where up 19. (53) Malay Bittern Gorsachius
to 50 individuals maybe encounteredina single melanolophus (Raffles)
marsh. About the same numbers breed between I observed a single Malay bittern in semi-
late April and mid-September at the heronry in evergreen forest at the foot ofthe Anmod Ghat,
the HCGL compound. in the BMWS, in July 1985, at the height ofthe
SW
15. (47)SmallerEgretEgrettaintermedia monsoon. Davidson(1898)reportedto ‘have
(Wagler) seen the bird at ...Anshi..., all in May, and at
Acommonandmoderatelynumerouslocal many places round Karwar in the rains’. Both
migrant. Restricted to the coastal belt and river locations are only a dozen km to the south of
basins. Mostbirds absent themselves during the Goa.
SWmonsoon, frommid-Junetomid-September, 20. (56) Chestnut Bittern Ixohrychus
presumably moving up into the Deccan. cinnamomeus (Gmelin)
16. (49) Little EgretE. garzetta (Linn.) A fairly common and moderately
Common and very numerous dry season numerousmonsoonvisitorthatisfoundinpaddy
visitor,fromjustbehindthesea-shoretothebase fields,atpondsandmangrove-linedcreeks, from
oftheWesternGhats. Theseegretsleavebymid- justbehindthesea-shoretothebaseoftheGhats.
June and return towards mid-September with This bittern makes its appearance towards the
only a few individuals staying on during the end of June and winds up its season by mid-
rains. October, unseasonalrecordsbeing few.
208 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999
9
THEBIRDSOFGOA
21 (57)YellowBitternI.sinensis(Gmelin) forest at the base ofthe Western Ghats. Not yet
.
Status unclear. There were a number of recorded during June-July.
sightings oftwo adults and an immature bird at 28. (69) White Ibis Threskiornis
a patch ofsea-holly in a saline marsh along the aethiopica (Latham)
Baga (Bardez) creek, between December 1995 Rather rare visitor in very small numbers.
and May 1996. Liable to turn up at any season, on freshwater
22. (60) Painted Stork Mycteria bodies throughout the coastal belt and river
leucocephala (Pennant) basins.
Stray. Throughout March 1997, up to 4 29. (71) Glossy Ibis Plegadisfalcinellus
birds were seen in marshes at Shiroda (Ponda) (Linn.)
and attheirnight-roost inthe HCGL compound Scarcewintervisitorinmoderatenumbers.
at Corlim (Tiswadi). Since 1988, this species appears irregularly in
23. (61) Openbill Stork Anastomus singles and groups of up to 72 individuals at
oscitans (Boddaert) riverinefreshwatermarshesofthecoastalregion.
An uncommon and rather irregular dry 30. (72) Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
seasonvisitortothecoastalbeltandriverbasins; (Linn.)
up to 60 birds were counted in a single marsh. Straggler. There are 8 records ofup to 1
In recent years, appearances and even birds from the Carambolim lake and the ponds
oversummering seemto be more frequent. inthe HCGL compound, all during March, May
24. (62) White-necked Stork Ciconia and June.
episcopus (Boddaert) 31. (88) Lesser Whistling Teal
Uncommon,butregulardryseasonvisitor Dendrocygnajavanica (Horsfield)
in moderate numbers. Met with at creeks and A resident in small numbers, and a dry
marshes of the coastal region, where up to 55 season visitor in considerable numbers. Found
individuals may congregate. Occasionally seen at wetlands ofthe coastal belt and river basins,
soaringalongorabovethecrestoftheSahyadris. and occasionally seen travelling over the open
Their habitual night-roost is at the HCGL sea along the coastline. Gatherings ofup to 800
compound.NotyetrecordedbetweenearlyJune birdsarenotuncommonattheCarambolimlake;
andmid-October. the highestnumber, 1300+ ducks, was recorded
25. (63) White Stork C. ciconia (Linn.) at the HCGL ponds in March. These birds are
Vagrant. A single adult was observed absent from the end of April till late August,
soaring above the Dudhsagar waterfalls, in the though a dozen or so hang on throughout the
BMWS, and resting in the HCGL compound at monsoon, now and then. Breeding is rare, seen
Corlim (Tiswadi), in February 1998. in August-September.
26. (65) Black Stork C. nigra (Linn.) 32. (90) Ruddy Shelduck Tadonia
Vagrant. An adult and an immature ferruginea (Pallas)
specimen were recorded in January 1998 at the I have had only three sightings ofup to
ponds inthe HCGL compound. 20 birds, from different wetlands in the river
27. (68) Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos basins, inNovember-December.
javanicus (Horsfield) 33. (93) Pintail Anas acuta Linn.
Small numbers (up to 18 in a group) of A regular winter visitor in very large
this rather scarce visitor are found regularly at numbers, occurs sporadically in wetlands ofthe
wetlandssituatedbetweentheZuariandMandovi riverbasins, mainlyatthe Carambolim lake and
rivers, the focalpointbeing the HCGL heronry. on mudflats in the nearby inland-estuary of
One bird was seen circling low over secondary Mandovi, with maximum numbers (Jan.-Feb.)
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 209
THEBIRDSOFGOA
averagingcloseto35,000overaperiodof6years. freshwaterwetlandthroughoutthecoastalregion,
More than 70,000 birds were estimated to be and occasionally even over the open sea. Well
present for a couple ofweeks in January 1988, over 4,000 birds winter regularly at the
the largest single number recorded in the area Carambolim lake (maximum 8,000+ in January
covered by the annual Asian Mid-winter 1991). These ducks start arriving by the end of
Waterfowl Count for this year (Daniel 1988). September and depart towards the end ofApril,
Apparently, thedroughtconditionsprevailing in with a few staying onright into July.
A
northernIndiahadforcedthebirds furthersouth 40. (105) Shoveller clypeata Linn.
into the peninsula, where wetlands were filled A41.regular winter visitor to freshwater
by a more than sufficient monsoon. bodies of the coastal belt and to estuaries. A
The majority ofpintails arrive in the first maximum number of 11 birds was recorded at
week ofOctober and leave by late March, with the Carambolim lake. Present from late
one or two drakes lingering on right into the Septembertill early May.
rains. (108)CommonPochardAythyaferina
34. (94) Common TealA. crecca Linn. (Linn.)
Uncommon winter visitor in small Very rare winter visitor. I have three
numbers. Foundatwetlandsofthecoastalregion records ofup to 6 birds from Carambolim lake
fromtheendofOctobertillearlyApril, inflocks and the tidai mudflats ofthe Mandovi river, in
ranging up to 200 (at the Carambolim lake). October,NovemberandJanuary.
3356..(97) SpotbillDuckA.poecilorhyncha 42. (109) Ferruginous Duck A. nyroca
J.R. Forster (Giildenstadt)
A very rare winter visitor to the A scarce winter visitor, the 7 existing
Carambolim lake and the nearby inland-estuary records are of a single bird in the fully saline
of Mandovi, in January and March. There are mouth ofthe Chapora river, in November, and
only 5 records from 4 years. The maximum ofup to three birds at the Carambolim lake, in
number, 12birds,wasseenbyWilloughby(1996) December-January.
in March. 43. (Ill)TuftedDuckA.fuligula(Linn.)
(100)MallardA.platyrhynchosLinn. Vagrant. I saw two drakes on the tidal
VeryrarewintervisitortotheCarambolim mudflats in the inland estuary of the Mandovi
lake andmudflats inthe Mandoviriver. Ihave4 river, inNovember 1987.
records in 3 years ofupto 15 birds fromNov. to 44. (114) Cotton Teal Nettapus
Feb. coromandelianus (Gmelin)
37. (101) Gadwall A. strepera Linn. Common, dry season visitor to wetlands
A rare winter visitor to the inland estuary throughoutthe coastal andmidlandregions. The
of the Mandovi and Carambolim lake. There largest gatherings, often more than 400,
were6sightingsofupto7birds,betweenOctober occasionally up to 800 birds, are found at the
and March. Carambolim lake. Generally absent from early
38. (103) WigeonA. penelope Linn. May till mid-November, though a few regularly
VeryrarewintervisitortotheCarambolim stay on during the rains.
lake and mudflats in the Mandovi. The existing 45. (115) Comb Duck Sarkidiornis
5 records are of single birds, between October melanotos (Pennant)
and March. A regular winter visitor from mid-
39.(104)GarganeyA. querquedulalAnn. November to early April, with one or two birds
A dry season visitor in large numbers. It lingering on till the end ofMay. Found only at
might turn up at any saline, brackish or theCarambolimlakeandthepondsintheHCGL
210 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999
THEBIRDSOFGOA
compound at Corlim (Tiswadi), where up to 80 51. (139) Shikra Accipiter badius
birds may congregate. (Gmelin)
46. (124) Black-winged Kite Elanus A fairly common, moderately numerous
caeruleus (Desfontaines) resident from the seashore to the base of the
Uncommon dry season visitor in small Western Ghats. Breeding in April and July.
numbers. Occurs from the coastal plain to the Numbers are declining steadily since the mid-
foot ofthe Western Ghats, between the end of eighties.
October and early June. 52.(144)CrestedGoshawks, trivirgatus
47. (127) Black-crested Baza Aviceda (Temminck)
leuphotes (Dumont) Rare resident(?). Grubh and Ali (1975)
Status unclear. I have tworecords (March sighted this raptor in the BMWS during Nov.-
1987 and 1989) from the same ridge in dense, Dec. 1972. Saha and Dasgupta collected a
wet, evergreen forest, in the BMWS, at an specimen in the Bondla WS in October 1977. I
altitude ofca. 500 m. have recorded a single bird in the Cotigao WS
48. (130) Honey Buzzard Pernis in October 1987, and a pair each in May 1996
ptilorhyncus (Temminck) and 1997, both in display flight near the
A fairly common dry season breeding Dudhsagar waterfalls in the BMWS.
visitor that takes evasive action during the 53.(147)Sparrow-HawkA. nisus(Linn.)
monsoon, absenting itselffrom the end ofMay A rare winter visitor. There are 5 records
tillmid-October. Moderate butslowlydeclining of single birds from the BMWS, in October,
numbers(rapidlyinthecoastalbelt)ofthisraptor January and February.
arealmostevenlyspreadoutoverthewholestate. 54. (151) Besra Sparrow-Hawk A.
Breeding was recorded throughout the dry virgatus (Temminck)
season. First noted by Rane (1982) sometime
49. (133) Pariah Kite Milvus migrans between April and June 1982, in the BMWS. I
(Boddaert) sawthreebirdsatdifferentlocalitiesofthe same
A very common (almost) resident in WSonasingledayinFebruary 1987andasingle
considerable numbers. Found throughout the bird in December 1995.
coastalbeltand,toalesserdegree,inthemidland 55. (153) Long-legged Buzzard Buteo
region. This raptor is the most typical monsoon rufinus (Cretzschmar)
fugitive and the most accurate indicator of the Stray. Throughout January and February
imminent rains. It leaves a week ahead of the 1997, one bird frequented pasture land at the
advancing monsoon in a steady stream, at times coastal village ofCandolim (Bardez).
over 50 birds within 10 minutes, moving 56. (157) White-eyed Buzzard-Eagle
northwards along the coast. The return Butastur teesa (Franklin)
movement in early September is less dramatic. Saha and Dasgupta (1992) reportedly saw
50. (135)BrahminyKiteHaliasiurindus this raptor near Margao (Salcete) and Valpoi
(Boddaert) (Sattari) in December 1968 and January 1969,
A very common resident of the coastal respectively. SpecimenswerecollectedbyGrubh
BMWS
region, where congregations ofup to 300 birds and Ali (1975) in the and others were
may occur at suitable wetlands. It moves up noted at Mayem (Bicholim) and Canacona, in
along the larger rivers as far as tidal influence Nov.-Dec. 1972.
reaches. Numbers decline sharply during I have identified this bird with certainty
monsoon. Breeding was recorded in April and only once, on Chorao Island (Tiswadi), in
August. February 1985.
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 211
THEBIRDSOFGOA
57. (161) CrestedHawk-EagleSpizaetus they used to breed occasionally at Malim
cirrhatus (Gmelin) (Bardez), just across the Mandovi river. Some
Anuncommonresident, insmallnumbers, ventureup to 15 kminland alongthe largertidal
of the Western Ghats section and patches of riversandevenascendnon-tidalriversintodense
remnantevergreenandsemi-evergreenforeston semi-evergreen forest (Cotigao WS).
the scarp of plateaus facing the coastal strip. 64. (175) Grey-headed Fishing Eagle
Breeding was noted in February, March and Ichthyphaga ichthyaetus (Horsfield)
August. Vagrant. A single sub-adult was observed
58. (163) Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus at a freshwater reservoir on top of a barren
fasciatus (Vieillot) lateritic plateau near Sancoale (Marmagoa), in
Straggler. I have three sightings ofsingle November 1987.
birds from the coastal lowlands, during the 65. (185) Indian White-backed Vulture
months ofJanuary-March. Gyps bengalensis (Gmelin)
59. (164) Booted Hawk-Eagle H. A not frequently seen resident. The not
pennatus (Gmelin) very local population of approx. 45 birds may
A common winter visitor in small turn up anywhere, from a seaside village to the
numbers. FoundbetweenearlyOctoberandmid- crest of the Western Ghats. A shaip decline in
April, mainly in the coastal belt, rarely at the numbers has been noticed since 1995.
base ofthe Ghats. 66. (186) Egyptian Vulture Neophron
60. (165) Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle percnopterus (Linn.)
H. kienerii (E. Geoffroy) Stray.Asinglewasobservedsoaringabove
Very rare resident. Single birds were the Dudhsagar waterfalls in the BMWS, in
recorded in all seasons at the top of the January 1997.
Dudhsagar waterfalls, in the BMWS. 67. (190)PaleHarrier Circusmacrourus
61. (170) Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila (S.G. Gmelin)
clanga Pallas Rather scarce, irregular winter visitor (in
Scarcewintervisitorinverysmallnumbers ones and twos). Recorded in the coastal plains
tolargerwetlandsinthecoastalregion, fromend and on isolated coastal plateaus from mid-
October to late March. Octoberto early March.
62. (172) Black Eagle Ictinaetus 68.(191)Montagu’sHarrierC.pygargus
malayensis (Temminck) (Linn.)
Uncommon,butregulardryseasonvisitor, Rareandirregularwintervisitor. Thereare
in small numbers, from the first week of only 5 records (ofsingles and a pair in eleven
)
November to mid-May. Found mainly in the years, all from the coastal lowlands, between
Western Ghats and their outlying hills, rarely in DecemberandFebruary.
the coastal belt. 69. (192) Pied Harrier C. melanoleucos
63. (173) White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Pennant)
Haliaeetus leucogaster (Gmelin) Vagrant. I had a sighting ofthe strikingly
A fairly common resident along the sea- patternedmale onDivar (Tiswadi) island, in the
coast. The breeding population along Goa’s inland-estuary of the Mandovi, in December
133kmlongcoastlineconsistsofatleast 16pairs; 1989.
breeding season appears to be September to 70. (193) Marsh Harrier C. aeruginosus
January. (Linn.)
These beautiful eagles are still a fairly Aregularandfairlycommonwintervisitor
common sight at the state capital Panaji, where in small numbers. Confined to the coastal belt
212 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999