Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2016 | 8(1): 8333–8357
Avifauna of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, India with emphasis on Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings
Tariq Ahmed Shah 1, Vishal Ahuja 2, Martina Anandam 3 & Chelmala Srinivasulu 4
1,2,3 Field Research Division, Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society, 96 Kumudham Nagar, Vilankurichi Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India
1,4 Natural History Museum and Wildlife Biology & Taxonomy Lab, Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500007, India
4 Systematics, Ecology & Conservation Laboratory, Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), 96 Kumudham Nagar, Vilankurichi Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India
1 tariqahmed143@gmail.com, 2 vishal@zooreach.org, 3 martina@zooreach.org, 4 hyd2masawa@gmail.com (corresponding author),
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.1774.8.1.8333-8357 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:04535031-8C1A-46A3-B704-237E80666929
Editor: Rajiv S. Kalsi, Department of Zoology, M.L.N. College, Haryana, India. Date of publication: 26 January 2016 (online & print)
Manuscript details: Ms # 1774 | Received 19 January 2015 | Final received 15 January 2016 | Finally accepted 19 January 2016
Citation: Shah, T.A., V. Ahuja, M. Anandam & C. Srinivasulu (2016). Avifauna of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, India with emphasis on Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(1): 8333–8357; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.1774.8.1.8333-8357
Copyright: © Shah et al. 2016. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Funding: This study is an offshoot of the Himalayan Langur Project funded by CLP, MBZ and RSG.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Funding sources had no role in study design, data collection, results interpretation and manuscript writing.
Author Details: Tariq A. Shah worked as a researcher in the Himalayan Langur Project funded by CLP, MBZ and RSG and is presently a doctoral student working on the molecular phylogeny of Rhinopomatids of India at Department of Zoology, Osmania University. Vishal Ahuja worked as a researcher in the Himalayan Langur Project funded by CLP, MBZ and RSG and is presently working as a Researcher in the ‘conserving livelihood and Semnopithecus ajax project’ funded by CLP. Martina Anandam was a researcher with WILD and worked with the Himalayan Langur Project. Her work centers primarily on langurs and community conservation in the Himalayan biosphere. C. Srinivasulu heads the Wildlife Biology and Taxonomy Lab at Department of Zoology, Osmania University works on molecular phylogenetics, taxonomy, ecology and biogeography of tetrapods of South Asia.
Author Contribution: CS conceived the study; TAS, VA, MA conducted the field work; CS and TAS identified the birds and wrote the paper.
Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Dr. Sanjay Molur, Zoo Outreach Organization and WILD Society, Coimbatore, India for encouragement. We also thank the PCCF (Wildlife), Himachal Pradesh for study permit. The study is an offshoot of the Conservation Leadership Programme Grant on Himalayan Gray Langur Project. We also acknowledge the funding received through Rufford’s Small Grant Programme and Mohamad Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. TAS and CS thank the Head, Department of Zoology, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana State for facilities.
Abstract: The avifaunal diversity of Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh with emphasis on Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding was observed for a period of one year between 2012 and 2013. We observed 95 species of birds belonging to 12 orders and 40 families. Of this diversity, 41 species were abundant to common, 34 occasional and 20 rare. Most species were resident (83 species, including two species whose population increased during winters) and the rest were migrants (including nine winter migrating species and three summer migrating species). A total of 302 species of birds have been reported from Chamba District between 1884 and present. Analysis of recent published literature in conjunction with the present study reveals that 178 species of birds have been reported from Chamba District since 2000. The present study reports 11 new records for the district.
Keywords: Avifauna, Chamba District, checklist, Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, new records.
Introduction
Birds play vital roles in an ecosystem as they control pest populations through predation and scavenging, pollinate, and disperse seeds, leading to increase in plant coverage, and are also recognized as biological indicators (Gregory et al. 2003). Of the 9026 species of birds distributed across the world, India harbours about 1300 species, belonging to 88 families (Manakadan & Pittie 2001; Rasmussen & Anderton 2005). From the 1900s, detailed surveys of the Himalayan foothills cataloguing the birdlife were conducted. The oldest avifaunal surveys in Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh were conducted by Marshal (1884) and Littledale (1898), reporting a number of game birds, like the Cheer Pheasant, Western Tragopan, Himalayan Monal, Khalij Pheasant and the Chukor Partridge. The most recent studies of this area include that of Singh (2011) and Singh & Banyal (2013). Tak (1987), Mahabal (1992), Thakur et al. (2002), Pandey (1993) and Thakur (2008) also published notes on bird diversity in some selected areas of the Chamba District.
The present study deals with the distribution and status of avifauna of Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings, with observation on birds from other areas of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh.
Study Area and Methods
The Chamba District (32011’30–33013’6”N & 75049’0–77o3’30”E), Himachal Pradesh, India is nestled in the foothills of the Himalaya, with many rural settlements distributed sparsely along the hills. Five wildlife sanctuaries, the Gamgul-Siyabehi Sanctuary (108.40km2), Kalatop-Khajjiar Sanctuary (17.17km2), Kugti Sanctuary (379km2), Sechu-Tuan Nalla Sanctuary (320.29km2) and Tundah Sanctuary are present in Chamba District (WII 2015).
The present study was conducted in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary (32031’56.4”N & 76002’18.9”E) and its surroundings including Chamba (32033’10.5”N & 76007’32.6”E), Gajnui (32031’48.7”N & 76004’55.1E”), Gate (32030’35.9”N & 76004’12.2”E), Talai (32030’51.2”N & 76003’26.8”E) and Jot (32029’14.4”N & 76003’35.4”E). We also made occasional opportunistic surveys in other parts of Chamba District to document avifaunal diversity. These areas are located at altitudes ranging from 1,185–2,768 m. The climate is mainly sub-tropical or temperate, with some areas being sub-arctic. The mean annual rainfall is about 800mm, mainly during the monsoon period. During the winter most of the areas remain covered under snow. Temperatures range from -100C to 350C. The Kalatop-Khajjiar Sanctuary (notified in 1958) (WII 2015) is located in the west of Chamba District and is one the oldest preserved forest of the Himachal Pradesh. The vegetation is mainly moist Deodar forest and western mixed coniferous forest with alpine pastures at certain higher elevations (Champion & Seth 1968). The dominating tree species are Deodar Cedrus deodara and Blue Pine Pinus wallichiana. Other common tree species inhabiting the place are Horse Chestnut Aesculus indica, Rhododendron Rhododendron arboreum, Oak Quercus ilex and Walnut Juglans regia. The shrubs comprise of Berberis sp., Prinsepia utilis, Rosa moschata, Rubus sp., Daphne sp. and Cannabis sativa. At higher elevations, Himalayan Silver Fir Abies pindrow and Yew Taxus baccata trees are more common.
The study was conducted from 05 May 2012 to 30 April 2013 and summarizes all the birds sighted. Streams, forests, grasslands and various potential bird habitats were explored to study the bird diversity. Surveys were carried out in early mornings and late evening hours (as the peak activity of birds lasts 1 or 2 hours after sunrise and before sunset) (Thakur 2010). Birds were sighted with the help of field binoculars (Olympus 8x40 magnification) and were photographed with Nikon D70s and Sony Camera with 70–300 mm zoom. Calls of some birds were also recorded. Identification was carried out with the help of various field guides like Ali (1949), Ali & Ripley (1983a,b), and Grimmett et al. (1999). The nomenclature is after Manakadan & Pittie (2004), and taxonomic arrangement is following Gill & Donsker (2014). The data recorded in each survey was kept separate and thus analyzed for relative abundance on the basis of frequency of sightings, as per MacKinnon & Phillips (1993) and Thakur (2008). The birds are categorized as A - Abundant (sighted more than 50 times), C - Common (sighted up to ten times), O - Occasional (sighted five times) and R - Rare (sighted once). Based on the presence/absence method, residential status of birds has been computed and different categories like resident, winter visitor and summer visitor were assigned.
Results and Discussion
During the year-long study, a total of 95 avian species belonging to 12 orders and 40 families were recorded (Table I, Images 1–95). Of the total species recorded, 19 species have been found to be abundant, 22 common, 34 occasional and 20 rare in occurrence. Eighty-one species of birds were resident species, nine species winter visitors, three species summer visitors and two species were residents whose population swelled during the winter season. Only two species of the total belonged to threatened category of IUCN with most being Least Concern.
Order-wise analysis showed that Passeriformes (69 species) dominated the avifaunal diversity, followed by Falconiformes (6 species), Galliformes and Coraciiformes (4 species each), Piciformes and Columbiformes (3 species each), and Pelecaniformes, Anseriformes, Charadriiformes, Psittaciformes, Strigiformes and Apodiformes (1 species each). Family-wise analysis showed Muscicapidae (15 species) were most abundant, followed by Corvidae (6 species), Accipitridae and Motacillidae (5 species each), Phasianidae, Leiothricidae, Turdidae and Passeridae (4 species each), Columbidae, Pycnonotidae, Phylloscopidae, Paridae and Nectariniidae (3 species), Alcedinidae, Picidae, Campephagidae, Cisticolidae, Sturnidae and Fringillidae (2 species each), and Phalacrocoracidae, Anatidae, Falconidae, Scolopacidae, Psittacidae, Strigidae, Apodidae, Coraciidae, Upupidae, Megalaimidae, Hirundinidae, Monarchidae, Cinclidae, Prunellidae, Aegitalidae, Tichodromidae, Certhiidae, Dicaeidae, Zosteropidae, Emberizidae and Dicruridae represented by 1 species each (Fig. 1).
An earlier study of birds in Chamba District by Saikia et al. (2008) in Pangi Valley reports the presence of 62 species belonging to 19 families. Another study on the avifauna of south-eastern region of the district by Singh (2011) revealed the presence of 103 species recorded from Kuther-Batola-Holi-Deol-Nayagaon areas in 2008–2009. A later study of avifauna of Khajjiar Lake by Singh & Banyal (2013) reported the presence of 77 species of birds belonging to 31 families. The region from where Singh (2011) reported bird diversity forms the upper catchment area of the Ravi River in Chamba District. As our study pertains to the lower catchment area of the Ravi River, it is important to compare species sighted during our study with that of Singh (2011) to understand the altitudinal variations. As many as 40 species are such that were reported by Singh (2011) but not sighted by us (Table 1).
Taking into account the historic records and earlier studies (see Table 1), a total of 302 species have been recorded so far from Chamba District, of which 178 species have recorded from 2000 onwards and the rest (124 species) that have been reported earlier but have not been observed in the recent years (Table 1). Our study reports 11 new records for the district: Anser indicus Bar-headed Goose, Streptopelia turtur European Turtle Dove, Coracias garrulus European Roller, Anthus hodgsoni Oriental Tree Pipit, Turdus rubrocanus Chestnut Thrush, Pheonicurus frontalis Blue-fronted Redstart, Saxicola maurus Asian Stone Chat, Phylloscopus griseolus Olivaceous Leaf-Warbler, Phylloscopus subviridis Brook’s Leaf Warbler, Dicaeum agile Thick-billed Flowerpecker, and Passer pyrrhonotus Sind Sparrow.
The important orders with more than five species recorded during the present study are – (i) Passeriformes: This order is represented by 69 species belonging to 25 families and important among them are Muscicapidae (15 species), Corvidae (6 species), Motacillidae (5 species), Leiothrichidae, Turdididae, and Passeridae (4 species each), Pycnonotidae, Paridae, Phylloscopidae and Nectariniidae (3 species each), and Campephagidae, Cisticolidae, Sturnidae, Fringillidae (2 species each), and (ii) Falconiformes (this order is represented by six species belonging to two families, 5 species in Accipitiridae and 1 species in Falconidae).
The annotated checklist of avifauna of Chamba District with those sighted in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its adjoining areas is provided below:
1. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional. Resident. Two records, one at Khajjiar Lake and another in Kuranh, near Jamwal Villa in Ravi River. This species has not been reported by recent workers in Chamba District. There is a historic record of this species by Marshal (1884).
2. Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus (Latham, 1790)
Occasional. Winter visitor. Recorded near Khajjiar Lake. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
3. Black Kite Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783)
Abundant. Resident/Winter visitor. Recorded in various places like Gajnui, Chamba, Jot, Talai, Dugli, Khajjiar, Saun, Chanadu and Miyari. Seen throughout the year, local populations increase during winter months. Earlier reported by many, conspicuously absent from Singh (2011).
4. Shikra Accipiter badius (Gmelin, 1788)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Saun and Gate. This species has not been reported by recent workers in Chamba District. There is a historic record of this species by Marshal (1884).
5. Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (Hume, 1869)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Jot, Talai, Dugli and Mortu. This species has been reported by Saikia et al. (2008), Singh (2011), Singh & Banyal (2013), but does not appear in earlier lists.
6. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare. Resident. Recorded near Gajnui. IUCN status - Endangered. This species has been reported by Saikia et al. (2008), Singh (2011), Singh & Banyal (2013), and also by Thakur et al. (2002).
7. Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Jot. This species has been reported Saikia et al. (2009) and Singh & Banyal (2013), but not by Singh (2011) and any of the earlier workers.
8. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Talai and Mortu. This species has not been reported by Singh & Banyal (2013) at Khajjiar Lake, while Saikia et al. (2008) and Singh (2011) reported its occurrence in Chamba District.
9. Chukor Alectoris chukar (J.E. Gray, 1830)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Saun. This species has been earlier reported only by Saikia et al. (2008).
10. Impeyan Monal Lophophorus impejanus (Latham, 1790)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in dense forests of Sallun Dhar at an altitude of 3200 m asl. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
11. Kaleej Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos (Latham, 1790)
Common. Resident. Recorded in dense forests of Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Jot, Miyari, Chamba, Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and Dugli. This species was also commonly sighted in forested tracts of Chamba District. This species has not been reported by Saikia et al. (2008) and other earlier workers.
12. Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha (Lesson, 1829)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011) and Singh & Banyal (2013).
13. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii (Leisler, 1812)
Rare. Summer Visitor. Recorded on the Ravi river bed in Chamba. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
14. Blue Rock Pigeon Columba livia (Gmelin, 1789)
Abundant. Resident. Present almost everywhere except in very high altitudes. This species has been earlier reported only by Saikia et al. (2008) and Singh & Banyal (2013).
15. European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional. Winter Visitor. Recorded in Talai in pine forests. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
16. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Dugli and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has been historically reported only by Marshal (1884), missing from all recent checklists.
17. Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana (Lesson, 1832)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Saun, Dugli, Jot and Chamba. This species is common in all the forested tracts of Chamba District. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
18. Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded near Saun and Chamba bus stand. This species has been earlier reported by all workers except Saikia et al. (2008), and also historically reported by Marshal (1884).
19. House Swift Apus affinis (J.E. Gray, 1830)
Common. Resident. Recorded in plenty in Chamba township and its surroundings. This species has been reported by all earlier workers except Saikia et al. (2008) and Singh (2011).
20. Greater Pied Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris (Temminck, 1834)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Kiri, Lagga and Chamba. This species has been earlier reported by Singh (2011), and Singh & Banyal (2013).
21. White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Chamba. This species has not been reported by recent workers, except Mahabal (1993). Historically, Marshal (1884) reported its occurrence in the Chamba region.
22. European Roller Coracias garrulus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare. Winter Visitor. Recorded in Gajnui. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
23. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional, Summer Visitor. Recorded in Gajnui and Talai. This species has been reported by all recent workers, except Thakur et al. (2002).
24. Great Barbet Megalaima virens (Boddaert, 1783)
Abundant. Resident. Widely distributed in almost all forested regions of Chamba District. Calls were also frequently recorded. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
25. Large Scaly-bellied Green Woodpecker Picus squamatus (Vigors, 1831)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajnui, Saun, Talai and Jot. This species was also observed in other forested tracts of Chamba District. This species has been reported by all earlier workers including Mahabal (1993) and Thakur et al. (2002).
26. Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker Dendrocopos auriceps (Vigors, 1831)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Jot and Miyari. Potential habitat of the bird is pine and quercus forests. This species has been earlier reported by Mahabal (1993) and all recent checklists except Singh & Banyal (2013).
27. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica (Linnaeus, 1771)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Saun, Jot and Chamba township. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
28. White Wagtail Motacilla alba (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional. Winter Visitor. Recorded in Khajjiar and Jot. This species was earlier reported by Singh (2011).
29. Large Pied Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis (Gmelin, 1789)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded on the Ravi river bed in Chamba. This species has been earlier reported by Singh & Banyal (2013). Historically, Marshal (1884) reported its presence in Chamba region.
30. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea (Tunstall, 1771)
Occasional. Winter Visitor. Recorded on the Ravi river bed in Chamba. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
31. Oriental Tree Pipit Anthus hodgsoni (Richmond, 1907)
Occasional. Resident/Winter visitor. Recorded in Bhaloli near Chamba township. Seen throughout the year, local populations increase during winter months. This species is the first record for the Chamba District.
32. Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus (Blyth, 1845)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in dry grasslands covered with stones in Gajnui and Jot areas of Chamba. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
33. Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus (Bangs & Phillips, 1914)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui and Talai area in pine forests. This species has been earlier reported by all except Saikia et al. (2008).
34. Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus (Forster, 1781)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Bhaloli near Chamba township. This species has been earlier reported by Mahabal (1993) and Saikia et al. (2008).
35. Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys (Gray, 183)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Jot, Talai, Gate, Saun, Gajnui and Chamba. This species was also commonly observed in other parts of Chamba District. This species has been earlier reported by all except Saikia et al. (2008).
36. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai, Gate, Saun, Dugli and Khajjiar-Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has been earlier reported by Mahabal (1993), and historically by Marshal (1884).
37. Asian Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus (P.L.S. Muller, 1776)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in almost all the forests of Chamba. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
38. Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii (Temminck, 1820)
Occasional, Resident. Recorded in Karpok near a hill stream. This species has been earlier reported by all except Singh & Banyal (2013).
39. Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata (Blyth, 1843)
Occasional, Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Saun, Gate, Miyari and Jot. After Marshal (1884), this constitutes the first report of this from Chamba District.
40. Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma (Latham, 1790)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in pine forests of Talai. This species has been earlier reported by Mahabal (1993) and Singh (2011).
41. Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus (Hodgson, 1846)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in thick mixed forests of Kaithali. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
42. Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis (Pallas, 1776)
Rare. Winter Visitor. Recorded near Chanadu. This species has been earlier reported by Singh (2011).
43. Purple Cochoa purpurea (Hodgson, 1836)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Khajjiar and Talai. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
44. Blue-headed Rock-Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus (Vigors, 1832)
Resident. Summer Visitor. Recorded in Gajnui, Gate and Saun. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
45. Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush Monticola rufiventris (Jardine & Selby, 1833)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Bandhal. This species has been earlier reported only by Thakur et al. (2002) and, Singh & Banyal (2013).
46. Blue Whistling-Thrush Myiophonus caeruleus (Scopoli, 1786)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Saun, Gate, Miyari, Jot and Chamba. This species was also found in other forested tracts of Chamba District. This species has been earlier reported by all.
47. Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai and Chamba. This species has been earlier reported only by Mahabal (1993).
48. Blue-capped Redstart Phoenicurus coeruleocephala (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Winter Visitor. Recorded in Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Gate and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has been earlier recorded by Singh (2011).
49. Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis (Vigors, 1832)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Miyari, Saun, Gajnui and Jot. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
50. White-capped Redstart Phoenicurus leucocephalus (Vigors, 1831)
Common. Resident. Recorded on the river bed of Ravi in Chamba, Kuranh, Rathiyar, Jot and Mortu. This species has been earlier reported by all except Singh (2011).
51. Plumbeous Redstart Phoenicurus fuliginosus (Vigors, 1831)
Common. Resident. Recorded near on the river bed of Ravi in Chamba, Kuranh, Rathiyar, Jot and Mortu. This species has been earlier reported by all except Singh (2011).
52. Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri (Vigors, 1832)
Common. Resident. Recorded near streams and rivers in Gajnui, Rathiyar, Saun, Jot, Bamouth and Karpok. This species shows affinity to water body. This species has been earlier reported by all except Singh & Banyal (2013).
53. Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus (Vigors, 1831)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Saun, Bamouth, and Dugli near streams. This species has been earlier reported by all except Saikia et al. (2008).
54. Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea (Gray, 1846)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Saun, Gate, Miyari, Dugli, Jot and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has been earlier reported by all, except Saikia et al. (2008).
55. Asian Stonechat Saxicola maurus (Pallas, 1773)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Saun, Gate, Jot and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This is the first report of this species in Chamba District.
56. Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti (Temminck, 1825)
Rare. Winter visitor. Recorded once only in Talai. This species has been earlier reported by Singh (2011).
57. Ultramarine Flycatcher Ficedula superciliaris (Jerdon, 1840)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui and Bandhal. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers except Singh (2011).
58. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina (Swainson, 1838)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Khajjiar, Talai, Miyari and Chanadu. This species was observed in agriculture fields, orchards and quercus forests. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers except Thakur et al. (2002) and Saikia et al. (2008).
59. Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Bandhal. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
60. Streaked Laughingthrush Garrulax lineatus (Vigors, 1831)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in thick shrubrey of almost all parts of Chamba. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
61. Variegated Laughingthrush Garrulax variegatus (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Jasorgad and Gajnui. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers except Thakur et al. (2002) and Saikia et al. (2008).
62. Bar-throated Minla Minla strigula (Hodgson, 1838)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Jot, Miyari and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This has been earlier reported by Singh (2011).
63. Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui and Chanadu. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
64. Brown Prinia Prinia crinigera (Hodgson, 1836)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in meadows of Gajnui. This species has been earlier been reported by Singh (2011).
65. Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis (Lichtenstein, 1823)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui. This species has not been reported by any recent workers except historically by Marshal (1884).
66. Olivaceous Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus (Blyth, 1847)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai, Miyari and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species was mostly found on Berberis sp. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
67. Brooks’ Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus subviridis (Brooks, 1872)
Abundant. Winter visitor. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and Chamba. This species is commonly found in dense shrubs throughout Chamba District. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
68. Grey-headed Flycatcher-Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos (G.R. Gray & J.E. Gray, 1846)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai, Miyari and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species was mostly found on Berberis sp. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
69. Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus (Gould, 1855)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded throughout the Chamba District. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers, except Saikia et al. (2008).
70. Spot-winged Crested Tit Parus melanolophus (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Dugli, Talai and Jot. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
71. Great Tit Parus major (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai and in almost all parts of Chamba. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers including Thakur et al. (2002).
72. Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus (Vigors, 1831)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai, Dugli, Miyari, Chanadu and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. Found in shrubs near hill streams. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
73. Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria (Linnaeus, 1766)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Mortu and Kodul. This species has been earlier reported only by Saikia et al. (2008).
74. Bar-tailed Tree-Creeper Certhia himalayana (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Dugli, Gate and Khajjiar. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
75. Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile (Tickell, 1833)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Gate, Chanadu, Miyari and Jot. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
76. Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica (Latham, 1790)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Bhandal. This species has been earlier reported only by Mahabal (1993), and historically by Marshal (1884).
77. Crimson sunbird Aethopyga siparaja (Raffles, 1822)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui and Bhandal. This species has been earlier reported by Mahabal (1993), Singh (2011), and historically by Marshal (1884).
78. Fire-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga ignicauda (Hodgson, 1836)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Bhandal. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011), and historically by Marshal (1884).
79. Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus (Temminck, 1824)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Gate, Talai and Jot. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers, except Saikia et al. (2008).
80. Rock Bunting Emberiza cia (Linnaeus, 1766)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai and Jot. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
81. Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus (Pallas, 1770)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Rathiyar and Talai. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers except Singh & Banyal (2013).
82. Pink-browed Rosefinch Carpodacus rhodochroa (Vigors, 1831)
Occasional. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Talai, Rathiyar and Jot. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
83. House Sparrow Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Gate, Talai, Dugli and Saun. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
84. Sind Sparrow Passer pyrrhonotus (Blyth, 1844)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Chalei, Gajnui, Saun and Gate. This is the first report of this species from Chamba District.
85. Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans Temminck, (1835)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Dugli, Gate and Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers except Singh (2011).
86. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Jot, Talai, Saun, Gate, Dugli and Jot. Saun has good population of this species. This species has not been earlier reported by any recent workers. Historically, Marshal (1884) reported its occurrence in Chamba region.
87. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in many areas of the Chamba District. This species has been earlier reported by all workers except Saikia et al. (2008).
88. Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus (Wagler, 1827)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Chamba. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers except Saikia et al. (2008).
89. Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus (Vieillot, 1817)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Gajnui, Rathiyar, Chamba, Saun and Jot. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
90. Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus (Vigors, 1831)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Gate and Tissa. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
91. Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris (Blyth, 1846)
Abundant. Resident. Recorded in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gajnui, Saun, Talai, Dugli, Gate, Miyari, Chanadu and Bhandal. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
92. Indian Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham, 1790)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Chamba and Gajnui. This species has been earlier reported by Mahabal (1993) and Singh (2011).
93. Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae (Swinhoe, 1863)
Common. Resident. Recorded in Daresh, Chiplodu and Gajnui. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh & Banyal (2013).
94. Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linnaeus, 1758)
Rare. Resident. Recorded in Bairagad. This species has been earlier reported only by Singh (2011).
95. Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos (Wagler, 1827)
Abundant, Resident. Recorded in many areas of the Chamba District. This species has been earlier reported by all recent workers.
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