The birds of Gujarat: A Salim Ali centenary year overview

43 Pages·1996·31.1 MB·

by  Lavkumar Khacher

JOURNAL
OF THE
BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY
SOCIETY
December 1996 Vol. 93 No. 3
THE BIRDS OF GUJARAT A SALIM ALI CENTENARY YEAR OVERVIEW
-
Lavkumar Khacher1
(With a plate and a map
)
Introduction seaboard were momentous occasions. To our north
was Wankaner with an actively knowledgeable
The late Dr. Salim Ali had undertaken field sporting family and much of today’s Jamnagar
surveys of what is today the Gujarat State in pre- district was thehunting ground oftheJam Sahebs of
independence years, largely atthe invitation ofsome Nawanagar. The outcome of all this active interest
of the Princely States of Kachchh, Vadodara, in birds produced two well illustrated books: the
Radhanpur, Palanpur, Khambhat and Rajpipla. birds of kutch by Salim Ali and the birds of
Collections were also made in the forest rich tribal saurashtra by Dharmakumarsinhji. All these and
area of the Dangs. These surveys had Salim in the several other princes were members of the Bombay
field “for varying periods ofa month to five months Natural History Society. In addition, there were
at a time between the years 1944 and 1946 with several “commoners” who either developed an
shorter field trips up to 1948.” The Kathiawar interest in birds through their association with their
peninsula, today known as Saurashtra, was partially feudal employers or who had developed an interest
covered, thanks to several “Gaekwadi” territories entirely on their own; among these mention must be
which touched on to the Gir forest and the southern made of the following stalwarts: Harinarayan
part of the Gulf of Kachchh in what is known as Acharya, Manubhai Jodhani, Niranjan Varma,
Okha Mandal, today ataluka oftheJamnagardistrict. Jaymal Parmar, Pradyumna Desai, Vijaygupta
Fortunately, the Kathiawar region was intensively Mauriya, Chhotubhai Sutar, Haribhai Chauhan and
“birded” by several, very keen naturalist families of the poet Dinkarray Vaidya. These men must be
which mine of Jasdan was one. To our south, the saluted since they all have contributed in moulding
Bhavnagar State was fully coveredby the threeroyal contemporary attitudes towards birds by their
brothers Maharaol Krishnakumarsinhji, popular writings in Gujarati. Pradyumna Desai was
Nirmalkumarsinhji and Dharmakumarsinhji. What an artist of considerable talent.
this sporting trio missed washardly worthrecording. Salim Ali renewed his active association with
Mycousin, thelateShivrajkumarKhachar and Iwere the newly established Gujarat State when BNHS
guided into high le—vel birdwatching by the started mistnet captures of birds for banding;
Bhavnagar “Gurus” their seasonal visits to Kachchh was his first choice. The netting operations
Hingolgadh and our return forays to the Bhavnagar were later started at Hingolgadh in Saurashtra and
the ornithologist established aclose and affectionate
‘646, Vastunirman, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382022. association with birdwatchers ofSaurashtra, Lalsinh
332 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST SOCIETY, Vol. 93 (1996)
THEBIRDS OF GUJARAT: A CENTENARY OVERVIEW 333
Raol particularly impressedhim andK.P.Jadav’sbird and intensely cultivated “champaigns” of mainland
drawings delighted him. Gujaratcontinues to have a Gujarat. This was on account ofthebasic sentiments
fairly large number of amateur birdwatchers and it of the people strongly influenced by the Jain and
is hoped that through this article concern for the Vaishnava repugnance for taking life, and a land
active conservation ofthe region’s still dramatically based economy which encouraged care ofthe land,
visiblebirdlife will berekindled and that the Society be it for agriculture, grazing, or growth of grass or
will see the importance ofonce again exploiting the trees. Technological limitations prevented over-
immensepotential within the State. Withoutpopular exploitation and this created a happy situation of
concern, the trends forewarned by S&lim Ali in 1954 what we today hear—so frequently talked about in
and continuallyharped on by othersincluding myself environment circles “Sustainable use of natural
will never be halted. resources”. Social restrictions were enforceable in
Lalsinh Raol has written extremely readable the mileau of the times and birdlife throve. True,
books in Gujarati which have used standardised there were pockets of poorly managed and even in
birdnames in the vernacular, and a checklist of the those times over-e—xploited lands, but they added
birds of Gujarat was updated by him and myself. habitat variety considerable areas were
Considerablenew information hadbeen accumulated overgrazed, poorly farmed and degraded, and there
by bioscience students ofthe SaurashtraUniversity, were communities which surreptitiously killed
Rajkot, where the late Prof. R.M. Naik gave our against the popular sentiments. Their impact,
interest a scientific aura. Notable among the young however, was low though they were the seeds of
men who acquired scientific credentials at the much of what we see today. With the advent of
University are Bhavbhuti Parasana who has to his democracy what had tended to be discreet came out
credit qualitative research on egrets and herons, and into the open and paradoxically, because of the still
Taej Mundkur who streaked like a meteor across existing strong sentiments against the taking oflife,
Saurashtra’s ornithological firmament to rekindlethe there has emerged no powerful, legally empowered
waning enthusiasm among those of us from hunting lobby capable of enforcing regulations.
yesteryear. Today, there are knowledgeable amateur Livestock owners, who were always aproblem, were
MKS
groups in Bhuj lead by Himmatsinhji, and in emboldened, often encouraged by political
MKS
Bhavnagar encouraged by Shivbhadrasinhji. opportunism to circumvent restraints on entry into
There are competent amateurs in Jamnagar, grass preserves, most ofwhich very quickly merged
Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat. Hingolgadh into the surrounding overgrazed common lands.
continues to be a rallying point for naturalists. We Trees, whether they were on hills, along water
may yet be able to generate a powerful popular courses or forming avenues were mercilessly lopped
commitment for the conservation of Gujarat’s by goatherds, and felled by fuel gatherers. Kachchh
birdlife. Unless quality programmes are taken on in suffered the most, with an active charcoal mafia
thenext few years, Sdlirn All’swarning: “Conditions exploiting ancient stands of Acacia nilotica.
affecting wildlife in general, directly or indirectly, Waterbodies which hadbeen largelysacrosanctwere
have changed and are changing rapidly, and netted for the first time, and despite setting up of
unhappily not for the better”, in Part I ofhis paper. WildlifeAdvisory Boards andpromulgating wildlife
TheBirds ofGujarat (JBNHS Aug.-Dee. 1954) may laws thereevolved no effective means ofrestraint in
We
well be theunderstatement ofthe century! have, a democratic dispensation. Wildlife, particularly the
for all practical purposes, lost the Great Indian more visible, rapidly declined.
Bustard. Other species are in precarious situations. If the direct assault on wildlife had done
In the 1940s birdlife was plentiful and confiding, considerable damage and continues to do so even
—particularly so in theregions ofKachchh, Kathiawar today, it is a set of indirect effects which today
presentday Saurashtra, and thedenselypopulated threatens to produce an almost total collapse. What
334 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST SOCIETY, Vol. 93 (1996)
set these into motion needs to be examined ifwe are was not countenanced. Birdlife was particularly
to prevent the extinction of most of our birds and plentiful and diverse, as well as absurdly confiding.
other animals. Since most ofthedevelopments were Pulsating communal nesting colonies of ciconiids
initiated for thebetterment ofthe general population and cormorants existed everywhere and Sarus bred
and considerable gains have accrued, many ofthose fearlessly throughout the region. Unhappily, with
wanting to halt the processes find themselves water being supplied by taps, community concerns
isolated. Issues tend to be separated into those diminished and with overall authority weakening,
involving human welfare versus those for wildlife. today most wetlands, like other common lands, are
The same refrain was heard in the late forties by under intense pressure. Many are being encroached
political and social activists is today carried forward upon for cultivation or being used as dumping sites
by the more aggressive, more powerful near urban centres. Theperipheral trees are mutilated
“development” lobby with the political leadership for fodder and bark peeled off to kill the trees so as
invariably responding to populist appeals. to circumvent laws against felling live trees! Most
Fortunately, though it has taken time, the of the nesting colonies have gone. Several of the
general public has begun to realise that issues are larger tanks are leased out by the authorities for
not trees and animals againsthuman beings, but that fishing and the former sentimental proscriptions are
they involve groups aiming for highly personal gains dying out. Reed beds are cut by marginalised
at the cost of social benefits, and that efforts are communities for thatching. Moreinsidious, however,
aimed at quick short term gains, heedless of long is the poisoning ofthe water by greater quantities of
term losses, and at highly exploitative economics detergents and sewage inflows, and the draining in
contra sustainable utilisation of resources. Public of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers from
debates are on and it will suffice here merely to surrounding agriculture. Tidal forests have been
highlight a few basic issues: almost wiped out.
1. Agriculture: The shift to largely single 3. Forestry Practices: Prior to the merger of
crop cultivation has destroyed thediversity ofniches the States, Wildlife fell under the purview ofShikar
within agricultural lands. Intensive agricultural Departments. Where the landed gentry lacked shikar
practices have destroyed hedgerows and obliterated compulsions, wildlife cared for itself, protected by
grass verges. Significantly, this practice was and largeby popular sentiment. There was, however,
encouraged as pest control action! Spraying of a lively awareness of wildlife which is common to
pesticides (on several occasions by low flying all people living close to the land. Some ofthe finest
airplanes) has created havoc. Hard sell advertising wildlife caretakers were from communities which
has resulted in an almostcompulsiveuseofinorganic also had traditions of snaring birds and small
fertilisers. After World War II ther—e had been drives mammals. Such men often enjoyed a considerable
to eradicate mosquitoes and rats rodent poisons reputation, their almost instinctive knowledge ofthe
DDT
and which poisoned the biosphere were wilderness being highly appreciated. In north
dumped on to an unsuspecting population. These Gujarat, Kachchh and Saurashtra there were Grass
processes, though now banned in more perceptive Departments enjoined to care for grasslands {Vidis
societies are still practised, if not actively in Kathiawar and Rakhals in Kachchh) from where
encouraged, in India and continue to weaken the grass was extracted as a valuable resource. Avenue
biological dynamics. Both insectivorous birds and trees fell within the purv—iew ofthe authority charged
raptors have registered a very significant decline. with road maintenance some of the major roads
2. The Wetlands: Village tanks were were shaded by magnificent, large, evergreen trees
traditionally central to the community and dominated by Ficus sp.
considerable tacit restraint was enforced to permit a With the merger of the newly formed
varied use. Invariably, killing of birds and fishing Saurashtra State and Kachchh into the bilingual
THEBIRDS OF GUJARAT: A CENTENARY OVERVIEW 335
Bombay State an omnibus Forest Department took large quantities of toxic effluents along with
over grasslands, roadside plantations and wildlife. untreated sewage from growing urban centres, of
Grassbecame a “minorforestproduce” and beautiful which aquatic lifehas borne the brunt. River Terns,
grasslands which had acquired characteristic Blackbellied Terns, Pied Kingfishers, Little
biological communities seemed an affront to the Cormorants and Darters have all but disappeared.
forester’seyes Roadside avenuesbecameextensions What impact the larger petrochemical and cement
!
offorestryplantations. Down the decadestheForest units are likely to have on birds is a matter of
Department, unable to adjustto thechanged political conjecture. Strategies will have to be worked out to
scenario, found its role in the democratic situation diffuse their impact. To conclude, the situation
quite like a tightrope walk. The resultant conflicts cannot be worse. The protagonists of “man first,
have still not been resolved. In any case, we find a everything else after” havedone their worst. Already
penchant for favouring quick growing exotics and environmental degradation is adversely affecting
nonbrowse species almost to the exclusion of all human beings and there is public concern. The
others. Despite the very notable efforts of a few ancient values for life are fortunately alive and the
officers, theDepartment which professionally is the band of dedicated birdwatchers is vigorous, more
guardian of biodiversity remains quite confused. youthful and fortunately less apologetic in advancing
There are indications of younger officers who are the cause. There need be no more losses if some
thinking ahead oftheirtimes and there isindeedhope qualitative and highly imaginative programmes are
of a renaissance in wildlife management involving undertaken. Birds arestill veryvisible and confiding;
the people. Unhappily, vast areas have been Gujarat is a major centre for wintering cranes, the
overgrown byProsopischilensis, thanksnotso much Sarus are still common and loved, peafowl are
to the tree’s great capacity, but to its aggressive plentiful and confiding almost everywhere;
propagation by the Department and on account of Jamnagar’s Ranmal Lake is a marvellous bird
thecontinued assaultby fuel gatherers anddomestic sanctuary and Bhavnagar’s Victoria Park and Pele
We
stock on native species. Birdlife has suffered. Gardens arepulsating waterbird nesting sites; around
have lost the Great Indian Bustard. Ahmedabad there is a large number ofvillage tanks
4. Industrialisation: Much of Gujarat’s where stork colonies thrive; flamingoes of both
industrial development has had a direct as well as species regularly nest in the Ranns; in the Gulf of
indirect adverse effect on theenvironment in general Kachchh there are coral and mangrove islands that
and birdlife in particular. The need forlift irrigation, are largely undisturbed, with thriving colonies of
particularly in the Saurashtraregion encouraged the egrets, herons and darters; the tidal mudflats draw
—
vigorous manufacturing ofdiesel engines andpumps teeming flocks ofPalaearctic waders each autumn
in the small scale industries and an intensive flocks ofbirds pass over down the Indus flyway to
marketing drive within the area that resulted in peninsularIndia orto ArabiaandEastAfrica. Gujarat
overdrawing of water from rivers and subsoil remains a major avian area of the world. Bird
aquifers. All watercourses today have totally dried enthusiasts need to articulatetheirconcerns and work
up and former perennial river pools and their in cooperation on projects which would arouse
reedbeds have disappeared. The widespread use of popular interest.
pesticides and inorganic fertilisers has already been
A
referred to. great majority of the more profitable Physiography
industries are manufacturing detergents, chemicals
and dyes, all of which are produced by processes In part I ofhis paper, “The Birds ofGujarat”,
which are banned in industrially advanced countries. S&lim Ali very succinctly outlines the great diversity
The end products are, however, in demand there, of Gujarat’s biotopes ranging as they do, in his
hence the profitability. Rivers and depressions carry language, “from practically ptare sandy desert (e.g.
336 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol 93 (1996)
the Great Rann ofKutch) with an annual rainfall of themselves unique bird habitats on account of the
less than 10 inches, to tropical semi-evergreen forest rich detritus generated for marine life, and in
(e.g. portions ofNavsari districtandtheSuratDangs) providing roosting and nesting sites for herons,
with an annual precipitation of over 80 inches”. It egrets, spoonbills, ibises, cormorants and darters.
maybe noted thatboth theGreat and theLittleRann There is, however, a significant difference in that
of Kachchh are not sandy deserts, in fact they are the GulfofKhambhat is highly—turbid on account of
not deserts in the accepted sense as are th—e Thar large rivers flowing into it the estuaries of
Desert ofJaisalmer, Rajasthan orthe Sahara they Sabarmati, Mahe, Narmada and Tapti permit inflow
are vast, flat saltpans often glistening like a Polar of tidal influence far into the alluvial plains, thus
seawhen saltencrustation ismaximum; atothertimes interlacing with saline habitats the vastplains to the
they are vast stretches ofblue, highly saline water, a westand south ofAhmedabad which are themselves
period when their lifeless expanses start pulsating converted into, quoting S61im Ali” ... a chain of
with life. Understanding thisDr. Jekyll andMr. Hyde marshyjheels ... attracting abundant wildfowl”. The
character of the Ranns would make it possible to Nal Sarovar is perhaps the most well known of the
ensure that there is no confrontation between the brackish water lakes. There are a host of freshwater
needs of salt industries and ofwildlife. As a matter jheels notably Kanhewal, Narda, Pariej, etc., all
offact, thedanger ofdenotification oftheLittleRann creating a rich mosaic of wetlands. The Gulf of
ofKachchh as a wildlife sanctuary isemanating from Kachchh wedged between Saurashtra to the south
this very absence of understanding. Also, few and Kachchh to the north has no large river flowing
naturalists seemto be alive to the factthat therainfall in. Tides are high, there are immense mudflats
whether averaging less than 10" or topping 80" per equally attractive to shore birds, but the waters are
annum is caused under the influence of the SW clear and there arecoral and mangroveislands along
monsoon with most of the precipitation occurring the sheltered Saurashtra coast. Much mangrove
between June end and September. The rest of the vegetation still exists on the outlying islands and
year is a long drought. Also not appreciated is that several important heronries exist. The Gulf of
rainfall fluctuations are considerable andparticularly Kachchh at its head extends on to tidal flats which
so in Kachchh, with some of the heaviest down- merge with the expanses of the Little Rann of
pours experienced anywhere in the subcontinent. Kachchh. Seasonallypowerful windsdrivesea water
Wind velocities during the height of both the into the Little Rann as they do up the Kori Creek on
monsoons are very high over Saurashtra and the west ofKachchh on to the Great Rann; the Gulf
Kachchh, generating a correspondingly intenserate and the Ranns are thus interlinked systems of great
ofevaporation. Knowledge and awareness of these biological significance. TheRannsimperceptiblyrise
factors would make reforestation efforts signifi- on the edges to form grasslands and sedge marshes,
cantly different here than elsewhere. Success or the largest of which is the famous range land of
failure in revegetating the land on a qualitative Banni. In the not too great antiquity, Saurashtra and
basis will determine the survival of Gujarat's Kachchh were islands and the Ranns were shallow
avifauna. inland seas with tideswashing up fromboth theGulfs
The two Gulfs ofKachchh and Khambhathave to mingle in the Little Rann. The entire complex of
not been adequately recognised, nor are their shallow seas, salt pans, tidal mud, coral reefs and
differences sufficiently highlighted before. Both mangrove jungles fringed by typha marshes and
Gulfs are tapering in and as such, experience great extensive waterlogged depressions into which fresh
tidal rise and fall at their heads, creating wide tidal water collects during the rains creates an amazingly
mudflats eminently suited fortheteeming multitudes rich bird paradise terminal to the great alluvial plain
We
ofnorthern shorebirds, and forthe flamingoes. Both of the Indus. have here a nodal area of
theGulfswere fringed by excellentmangrove forests, considerable importance for migrating birds. In his
THEBIRDS OF GUJARAT: A CENTENARY OVERVIEW 331
inimitable language S&lim Ali stated thus: “The population. The valley of the Tapti separates the
geographical position ofKutch, Banaskanthaand the Rajpiplahills from the escarpments overlooking the
Kathiawar peninsula and the natural conditions that Dangs which are the northernmost reach of the
obtain make them ideal venues for the study of dramatic Sahyadris of Maharashtra. The higher
...
Indian bird migration”. He goes on to mention that rainfall supports moist deciduous forests which
Kachchh “lies athwart the main route of the hordes harbour forest species of the wetter tropical forests
of species that sweep into India from the north and of southeast Asia. The rivers and streams of
northwestin autumn and out in the reverse direction Saurashtra and eastern Gujarat were shaded by
in spring.” This massed avian transit is still visible, evergreen forest corridors which, in years gone by,
unhappily less so among raptors andsomepasserines formed a network amidst drier situations producing
but with undiminished numbers where waders are an unique intermingling offorest species with those
concerned. Theregion alsohas migrants fromCentral of savannah and thorn jungles. It is of utmost
Asia to Arabia and East Africa passing through importance to ensure that this biodiversity is
mainly during autumn. These are passage migrants protected by highly qualitative afforestation
teeming for a month or so in October, to be gone by programmes which can best be achieved by
mid November, demonstrating marvellously how encouraging natural regeneration as against the
birds optimise the rich availability of food after the highlymanipulativeplantation drives. Management
monsoon rains; the same birds, however, return to of grasslands and wetlands needs to be strongly
Central Asiapresumably by the Red Sea and across emphasised. The story of the Great Indian Bustard
Iraq. In doing so they benefit from a food source should not be repeated with other species.
generated by winter rains in those areas; in any case, Paradoxically, the peoples’ needs and those of the
they arenot seen in our area on theirreturn migration. birds converge, and herein lies our hope.
The large number ofamateur birdwatchers in Gujarat
are raring to help in manning observation posts “... AND THE BIRDS
...
strung out along the northern base of the transverse
rangeofhills ...” from KuarBeytin thewesttoBelain Apart from the highly visible and confiding
the east, overlooking the flat Great Rann to the north. birdlife ofGujarat, and the area’s nodal position on
Whatcouldnotbeachieved in the feudal agemay well a major migratory route as already referred to, the
happen under a democratic dispensation, field great diversity of habitats resulting from the
ornithology in India will indeed “come into its own”. geomorphology and the fact that the region is
Ifthe Ranns, thetwo Gulfswiththeir tidal flats, wedged, as it were, between thedeserts ofSindh and
mangrove marshes and fresh water jheels have Rajasthan which themselves are extensions of the
tended to be dramatised as bird habitats ofGujarat, Saharo-Arabian system, and the Indo-Oriental
the undulating plateaux and volcanic extrusions of plateaux of peninsular India, Gujarat has a very
Kachchh and Saurashtra are equally important diverse composition floristically and hence avian.
biotopes with their valuable grasslands, thorn and Careless or thoughtless damage to the ecosystems
dry deciduous forests. Along the eastern boundary of the region resulting from various human actions
of the State are outcrops of the Aravalli range and would mean theloss ofsome important bird species.
the eroded escarpments of Mewar in the north and In the Dangs and the Rajpipla hills we have the
of the Malwa plateau to the east. Still further south already doubtful existence of the Forest Spotted
beyond the rift valley down which flows the Owlet Athene blewitti. The Heartspotted
Narmada, draining water from the heartland of WoodpeckerHemicircuscanente and theGreatBlack
central India, are the outliers of the Satpura WoodpeckerDryocopusjavensis may well be lost if
mountains looming above Rajpipla. Good moist favoured forest remnants are cleared or further
deciduous forest still exists, with a delightful bird degraded. The endemic Whitewinged Black Tit
338 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST SOCIETY, Vol. 93 (1996)
Parus nuchalis which favours thorn and Salvadora Having given a rather generalised idea ofthe
forests of Kachchh and adjacent north Gujarat has present scenario which may appear rather alarmist,
me
suffered a shrinking of its already circumscribed let hasten to reiterate that Gujarat still continues
range, thanks to the spread ofalien species. Neglect tobeamajor avian region oftheworld. Birdwatchers
of and faulty afforestation drives in grasslands has visiting us invariably go away with excitement as
placed the Lesser Florican Sypheotides indica in a indeed did S£lim Ali on his last visit to Saurashtra
precarious situation in its major breeding areas of where, for the firsttimehe saw Crab PloversDramas
Saurashtra. Gujarat enjoys the responsibility of ardeola in flocks of hundreds. In the report on his
conserving the largest nesting location of the surveyshehas this to say for this attractivebird “Not
Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in the world and met with by the Surveys, and apparently a very rare
the only nesting sites of the Lesser Flamingo vagrant”. In fact, during his “rediscovery” of
Phoeniconaias minor outside Africa; any thought- Kachchh and Saurashtra with the starting of
lessdevelopmentin thesehithertolargelyundisturbed mistnetting, aconsiderableamountofinteresting new
areas might mean a major ornithological disaster. information emerged and several new additions were
Pollution of rivers and waterbodies and made to Gujarat’s bird list. We await thepublication
destruction ofAcacia trees around villagereservoirs of the considerable data accumulated in the sixties
have wiped out hundreds ofcommunal nesting sites and seventies.
ofherons, egrets, spoonbill, ibis and cormorants. The Thispaperconcludesbyenumeratingeach avian
world’s largestpopulation oftheDarterAnhinga rufa family with specific comments on the conservation
A
continues to survive on the coral and mangrove problems of the group. systematic list is not
islands off the Jamnagar coast of the Gulf of attempted; Gujarat’s Checklist is available with
Kachchh; thispopulation along withvigorous nesting standardised vernacular names. S&lim Ali, who
communities ofthe GreyHeronArdea cinerea Large embarked onhis trystwithbirdsbyusing asystematic
,
Egret A. alba and the Smaller Egret Egretta listingwhichstartedwithCrowsandendedwithDivers
,
intermedia depend heavily on the few mangrove (in the case ofGujaratitwouldbe the Grebes) wentto
groves for their continued reproduction. The once considerable pains to explain why in his 1954 paper
commonly widespread LittleEgretEgretta garzetta he had reversed the order. In the intervening years,
has lost most ofits inland nesting sites and we may placement ofbird families has once again undergone
well lose this species as it has oflate been reported afurtherreshufflingsothatwenowendwiththefinches
to interbreed with the Reef Heron E. gularis of the instead of the crows! This arrangement was adopted
coasts. Saurashtra is a major wintering area of the by Dr. Dillon Ripley in the synopsis as also it appears
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo while the in the handbook ofbirds ofindla and Pakistan and a
,
salinegrassland verges ofthe estuaries and the Ranns PICTORIALGUIDETOTHEBIRDSOFTHEINDIANSUBCONTINENT;
areimportant wintering areas for theCommon Crane this arrangement is followed here. Almost half a
Grusgrus already, theplanting ofProsopischilensis century after S£lim Ali’s collection forays into
,
on these valuable crane habitats is causing concern. the region, we are poised in a scenario which may
The intensely cultivated plains of Mehsana, well result in a great many deletions from Guja-
Ahmedabad and Kheda are the stronghold of the rat’s checklist. I consider it appropriate that a loud
Sams Crane Grus antigone. Unhappily, breeding and clear warning goes out in this, his Centenary
failures are causing concern. Birds ofprey have, as Year.
has alreadybeen indicated, shown adramatic decline. —
The reasons are manifold, but if the huge Conservation needs A systematic appraisal
concentrations ofwintering harriers in the Velavadar
National Park are any indication, habitat damage is An appraisal of conservation needs of birds
one of the main reasons. has been made at specific levels. We know the
THEBIRDS OF GUJARAT: A CENTENARY OVERVIEW 339
reasons for the extirpation of the Great Indian migrants. It disperses during the southwest monsoon
Bustard; therewasno need for thistohavehappened. to nest in rainfed depressions. Threat is mainly from
Scientific studies by ornithologists of the Lesser pesticide and inorganic chemical manure
Florican substantiatewhat wehave all been warning concentrations in the water affecting aquatic insects
against and, demonstrating forcefully that the and fish on which the young are fed. During the
degradation of grasslands has damaged Gujarat’s non-breeding season, the birds concentrate on the
—
agrarian economy the florican’s needs are the perennial waterbodieswheretheygetentangledin fish
same as those of human beings. The quality of the nets.
environment is at stake and birds, in their varied
niches, are excellent indicators of environmental Family Procellariidae: Petrels and Shearwaters
quality. In attempting to provide niches for different
birds we may well enrich the human environment These are all birds of the open ocean.
and enhance our quality oflife. Occurrence in our area is accidental. We can
contribute little towards their conservation.
Family Gaviidae: Loons and Divers Family Hydrobatjdae: Storm Petrels
Vagrant to the subcontinent as winter visitors, Pelagic, undoubtedly occuring on high seas.
however, their essentially marine habitat during the Little information from seafarers. No conservation
non-breeding winter months makes their possibility action recommendable.
greater off our seaboard. Overfishing and oil slicks
pose major threats. Family Phaethontidae: Tropic Birds
Family Podicipedidae: Grebes Tropical OceanicBirds. Occasional in ourseas.
No No
quantitative information. conservation action
Ofthe four species ofGrebeson theIndianList, recommendations.
in the 1940s both the Great Crested Grebe Podiceps
cristatusandtheBlackneckedGrebePnigricolliswere Family Pelecanidae: Pelicans
considered “rare winter visitors” or vagrants. P.
cristatus was first recorded nesting on the Khijadia Three species mainly winter visitors. Great
Wetland near Jamnagar by Taej Mundkur and for the fliers optimallyusing waterbodies. The RosyPelican
last decade there has been regular breeding there and Pelecanus roseus successfully nested with
assured sightings on several reservoirs ofSaurashtra, flamingoes in the Great Rann. S£lim Ali discovered
Kachchh and central Gujarat. Freshwater jheels the nesting in 1960. They may regularly nest with
adjoining salinemarshes appeartobefavouredlocales the flamingoes. Pelicans need plenty offish and the
and P. cristatus may spread to suitable water bodies main conservation need is to ensure water quality
along the coast, provided these are not polluted by of freshwater jheels. The Dalmatian Pelican P.
sewageanduntreated industrial effluents.P nigricollis crispusis a threatened species worldwide, while the
hasbeen recorded on several occasionson open, deeper Spottedbilled Pelican P philippenis nests in South
reservoirs and appears to be less ofavagrantthan was India in declining numbers.
believed. TheRedneckedGrebeP griseigenahasbeen
unsatisfactorily identified and more regular Family Sulidae: Boobies
birdwatching is needed to confidently place it, albeit
as a rare winter visitor, on our checklist. The Little Three species of these oceanic island-nesting
Grebe Pruficollis continues to be a common resident birds occur out at sea. Sightings are unreported
specieswithnumbers augmentedin winterbynorthern except for occasional storm driven birds on our
340 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURALHIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 93 (1996)
shores. Information needs to be collated. No ofGrey Heron Ardea cinerea Large Egret A. alba.
,
conservation action indicated within our area. SmallerEgretEgretta intermedia IndianReefHeron
,
E. gularis and Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants and on remnantmangrovejungles in theMarineNational
Darter Park off Jamnagar; breeding commences early in
April and continues into May and June. On the
Gujarat has a major role to play in the Bhavnagar coast and in locations in the city nesting
continuedsuccess ofthis family.Formerlytherewere continuesduring thesouthwestmonsoon. Augustand
thriving nesting colonies of the Large Cormorant September are important in flooded areas of
Phalacrocoraxcarbo, theLittle CormorantP. niger Ahmedabad and KhedaDistricts. Most oftheinland
and the Darter Anhinga melanogaster across colonies of Kachchh and Saurashtra are lost. The
Kachchh, Saurashtra and mainland Gujarat. Most of LittleEgretE. garzetta which nested during therains
these colonial nesting sites are lost on account of over the region is now compelled to nest with E.
felling oftrees. The pollution and drying up ofriver gularis and interbreeding has been reported. The
poolshas reduced fishpopulations, hencethesebirds. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea is less common than
In fact the Darter can no longer be considered earlier in the century on account of loss of the
“Common” in freshwater locales, though a favoured reedbeds. The Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
significant population remains centred on the and the Pond Heron Ardeola grayii are holding out
mangrove swamps of the Gulf of Kachchh. well and nesting colonies are established in every
Signific—antly, the Darter is considered a freshwater available grove of tall trees during the height ofthe
species the GulfofKachchhpopulation is marine southwest monsoon. The mangrove nesting site at
and the Marine National Park off Jamnagar and Kandla referred to by S£lim Ali no longer exists. If
extending to Beyt Dwarka is an important area for birds are still nesting at Kandla they would have
conservation of this species which, because of transferred to new trees inland as they have in the
pollution offreshwaterhabitats, is endangered. Trees precincts of Bhavnagar port. Night Herons N.
in flooded areas are important forcormorantsto nest nycticorax are to be found all over the region in
on. The Indian Shag P. fuscicollis still remains an full crowned old trees, seen within urban locales.
enigma and S£lim Ali’s 1954 comment “Noted: Scilim Ali writes about the Little Green Heron
Kanewal (Cambay). Possibly overlooked elsewhere” Ardeola striatus “Solosin bushes bordering streams
holds true. Ibelieve theimmense flocksperiodically and tidal mangroves... Doubtless resident, but no
observed near Jamnagar and flying up some of the data on breeding within area”. We have not yet
Saurashtra rivers could be of this species. Nesting bettered this information. Water pollution and
colonies have to be yet confirmed. Fishing nets in destruction of waterside vegetation undoubtedly
Kanewal and other freshwater jheels are a threat to must have had adverse effects on this little heron’s
these diving fish predators. range.
In his surveys S£lim Ali came across none of
Family Fregahdae: Frigate Birds the bitterns. Both the Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus
sinensis and the Chestnut Bittern /. cinnamomeus
Birds ofoceanic islands. Notyetreported from have been recorded flying over reedbeds by many
our area. Two species in Indian Ocean. birdwatchers. Parasarya has confirmed nesting
records of these two bitterns along with that of the
Family Ardeidae: Herons, Egrets and Bitterns Black Bittern flavicollis while Lalsinh Raol has a
/.
recent sighting of the Bittern Botaurus stellaris in
Gujarat is an important area for this family. In North Gujarat, a species referred to by S£lim ali on
theGulfofKachchh therearemixed nesting colonies the basis ofold shikar records. Birdwatchers should