Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2023 | 15(2): 22574-22585
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8112.15.2.22574-22585
#8112 | Received 23 July 2022 | Final received 02 February 2023 | Finally
accepted 23 February 2023
Distribution of avifauna on
twenty-one islands of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, India
H. Byju 1, N.
Raveendran 2 & S. Ravichandran 3
1,3 Centre of Advanced Study in
Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu 608502, India.
2 Iragukal Amritha Nature Trust,
61, Ramachandra Thadaga street, Thirumangalam, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625706,
India.
1 byjuhi@gmail.com (corresponding
author), 2 Iant.ravee@gmail.com, 3 sravicas@gmail.com
Abstract: Every research endeavour must
start with closing the information gap about species distribution and
biodiversity systematically. Even though enough avifaunal research has been
done on the Gulf of Mannar, southeastern India, there have been limited studies
about the avifauna from all 21 islands except two. Increasing species
occurrence data on distribution from all the islands is highlighted for the
future conservation plans for this Important Bird Area. We provide an updated
and detailed checklist and distribution of bird groups for all islands
individually from a sampling period of 2015–2022. A total of 96 bird species
belonging to 34 families from 13 orders were recorded from all the islands; of
which 58 species were waterbirds and other terrestrial ones. Of the 29
shorebird species recorded, one is Endangered and seven are Near Threatened by
IUCN Red List. Some of the earlier recorded species, not seen in our survey,
are not annotated as no record exists for the last decade.
Keywords: Central Asian Flyway,
conservation, Gulls, shorebirds, terns, waterbirds.
Editor: C. Srinivasulu, Osmania University,
Hyderabad, India. Date of
publication: 26 February 2023 (online & print)
Citation: Byju, H., N.
Raveendran & S. Ravichandran (2023). Distribution of avifauna on twenty-one islands of the Gulf of
Mannar Biosphere Reserve, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 15(2): 22574–22585. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8112.15.2.22574-22585
Copyright: © Byju et al. 2023. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium
by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding:
None.
Competing
interests: The
authors declare no competing interests.
Author
contributions: HB—designing
and planning the work and writing; NR—designing and planning, writing;
SR—writing.
Acknowledgements: We thank the entire team of the
Gulf of Mannar Wildlife department and the Wildlife Wardens who served during
the study period and facilitated and allowed us to do the work during the
entire period. The boat operators and the support team including S Chandrasekharan,
Abhishek, and veterinarian Ravi need to be specially mentioned. Our sincere
gratitude to Dr. S. Balachandran of BNHS for guidance in many field visits and
for vetting the list of birds. We also thank the anonymous reviewers and the
editor for improving the manuscript.
INTRODUCTION
Bird surveys are valuable for
learning about basic and applied ecology as well as for selecting conservation
priority areas (Daniels et al. 1991; Peterson et al. 2000). To our knowledge,
only two of the 21 islands in the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) has professional
bird checklists (Balachandran 1990). One of the crucial requirements for
determining a country’s real wealth is to monitor its biodiversity. Monitoring
of biodiversity can be used to assess the overall health of the ecosystem and
is a cost-effective technique to keep track of all the good and negative
changes that occur in biotic groups. Coastal wetlands’ stability, health, and
variability are frequently revealed by the status and distribution of coastal
birds. The structural and functional components of an ecosystem can alter in a
way that makes birds vulnerable. The primary elements that frequently determine
the diversity and density of bird populations are food, shelter, and human
disturbance (Ramesh & Ramachandran 2005).
With 10 distinctly different
biogeographical zones and many different habitat types, India is known among
the top 12 mega biodiversity countries supporting 1,348 bird species (Praveen
& Jayapal 2022), constituting about 12% of the world’s avifauna. The Indian
subcontinent harbours 1,419 species of birds. Out of the bird species found in
India, 310 species rely on wetlands (Kumar et al. 2005; Praveen et al. 2020;
Praveen & Jayapal 2022). India remains in the core central region of the
Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and holds some important wintering populations of
water bird species. Among the global flyways of migration, the CAF supports 257
species of waterbirds. Of these, 81 species are migratory birds of CAF
conservation concern, including three Critically Endangered species, six
Endangered species, and 13 Near Threatened species. Being part of one of the
key biodiversity hotspots in the world, the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
(GoMBR) is one of the important habitats for the coastal birds migrating as far
as the Arctic circle. About 187 species of aquatic and terrestrial birds have
been identified in this Important Bird Area (IBA) (Balachandran 1990, 1995),
which is famous for waders and seabirds (marine terns and gulls) where
sometimes >50,000 water birds are found including pelagic ones (Balachandran
1990). Its proximity to Sri Lanka makes this IBA an important site along the
CAF for both migratory water birds and passerines (Zafar & Rahmani 2003).
The area is of particular significance as these islands also serve as resting
places for birds migrating to and from the nearby Sri Lankan islands. The
Jaffna district of Sri Lanka which is the nearest to the GoMBR has 315 species
of birds including the migratory shorebirds (Birdlife International 2022). As
Sri Lanka is at the tip of peninsular India, many species migrate annually from
the northern autumn-winter to the tropics along the Central Asian-Indian Flyway
ending their southward journey on this island (Warakagoda & Sirivardana
2011). Most bird species in Sri Lanka are shared with the adjacent Indian
mainland and the rest of Asia (Rasmussen 2005). Many migrant species occurring
on the Indian mainland also occur in Sri Lanka (Rasmussen & Anderton 2005).
Bird distribution studies on the
southeast coast of India were earlier done (Ali 1979; Ali & Ripley 1983).
Biddulph (1938) studied the status of birds on Rameswaram Island. Balachandran (1990) studied the coastal birds
of Mandapam and the neighbouring islands of peninsular India. Also, 15 species of migratory shorebirds and
eight species of migratory terns were found to summer here, especially on
Manoli Island and Hare Island (Balachandran 1990). The earlier studies were
restricted only to two islands of the Mandapam region, Dhanushkodi and Pillaimadam
lagoons, and have not included a checklist of the avifaunal species from all 21
islands. The present study lists the current diversity and distribution of
coastal birds from all 21 islands of the GoMBR. This paper reports sight
records of a few rare and threatened species, and updates the previous
knowledge on the GoMBR with the first comprehensive list of the Island group’s
avifauna.
Study Area
The GoMBR, the first marine
biosphere reserve of India, is located off the southern extremity of India. At distances
ranging 0.2–8 km from the mainland, the GoMBR has a chain of 21 uninhabited
islands, from Mandapam to Tuticorin covering 682.76 ha (Figure 1). Most of the
islands are small, from a few hectares to less than 4 km2, running
roughly parallel to the coast. The GoMBR has a coastal length of about 141 km.
At the end of the peninsular extension is Pamban Island, which is connected to
the mainland by a railway bridge. The inshore region of Palk Bay is largely
muddy, while the GoMBR, is rocky and interspersed with small areas of sand and
mud (Balachandran 1995). The mixing of waters of Palk Bay and the Gulf of
Mannar takes place through the Pamban Pass and Adam’s Bridge between
Dhanushkodi and the west coast of Sri Lanka (Jayaraman 1954). Like Chilika Lake
in Odisha (an IBA) and Point Calimere in Tamil Nadu (an IBA), the GoMBR is
extremely important for migrant and resident waders. On the Sri Lanka side,
about 10 km away, in the Jaffna district, there are four IBAs
(Anatidal-Thondamannar, Araly South-Punale, Kaithady, and Kayts
Island-Mandativu) (Anonymous 2003).
The size, form, height, and
geomorphic characteristics of these islands vary considerably. The reduction of
vegetation cover results from human habitat damage including illegal coral
mining, dynamite fishing, and bottom trawling of which coral mining played a
major role (Asir et al. 2020). These islands have sand dunes along their
coastlines with salt-dominant plant species (e.g., Sesuvium postulacastrum,
Salicornia brachiata). Some of the islands contain trees (e.g., Acacia
planifrons, Borassus flabellifer, Thespesia populnea, Prosopis chilensis),
while the marshy sections of some of the islands are occupied by mangroves
(e.g., Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia marina) and allied species (e.g.,
Excoecaria agallocha, Salvadora persica, Pemphis acidula) (GOMBRT 2012).
Tropical weather prevails in the GoMBR due to the influence of both the South
West and North East monsoons. Only a very small portion of the region’s overall
rainfall is caused by the South West monsoon. Between mid-October and
mid-December, the north-east monsoon brings moderate to heavy rainfall along
with occasional gales. The average annual rainfall ranges 762–1,270 mm. Atypically hot weather is prevalent from January
to May. December is the month with the lowest temperature, which is 25OC.
In the GoMBR’s coastal regions, the wind velocity is typically high (Kumaraguru
et al. 2006). From June to December, the wind blows north-northeasterly before
switching to a westerly direction. In November, the wind speed is lowest and
maximum in August (Venkatraman & Gokula 2009).
The islands that are subdivided
as small groups based on the nearest land names are listed from south-west to
north-east in various groups given below with the extent of land coverage in
hectares. These islands, which are grouped into the Mandapam group, Keelakkarai
group, Vembar group, and Tuticorin group (Table 1), are mainly of coral origin.
As the coral reefs harbour a variety of sea animals and weeds, this stretch of
sea is biologically rich on the eastern coast of India.
Materials
and methods
Bird counts were carried out at
these islands during both low and high tide using binoculars during the peak
migratory period and intermittent data was collected during the non-migratory
period of two years from February 2017 to March 2019. The annual bird census
for the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022 conducted by the forest
department, with bird watching volunteers and monitored by us, was also considered
for the checklist. The frequency of visits depended on the availability of
boats and the tidal movements.
Birds were counted using the
direct count method from selected vantage points following Bibby et al. (2000).
The observations recorded while moving from one scanning point to another were
entered as incidental records. During low tide, the waders occur scattered all
over the exposed intertidal area and shallow areas for feeding, facilitating
easy identification. During high tide, they congregate in limited numbers and
high tide roost is available for them to count if it is a smaller flock or
estimate if the flock is denser (Howes & Bakewell 1989). Our main aim was
to document the avifauna of all the islands and to provide information on species
distribution. Terns and gulls feed in the sea and congregate at high tide
roost, and they were documented during that time. Bird’s congregation was
photographed with 400 or 600 mm tele lens and were checked for their
identification and enumeration (Hayman et al. 2011; Grimmett et al. 2014). The
status of waterbirds was categorised as Common (seen on most of the visits),
Uncommon (seen less than five times), and Rare (seen once or twice). The
migratory status of waterbirds was classified as, Resident (R), Resident but
not breeding (R/NB), Local Migrant (LM), and Winter Visitor (WV). We have
considered the old checklist prepared from GoMBR for apprising since the entire
21 island bird records were missing from the past except for some. Also, some
of the earlier recorded species of migratory shorebirds of the 1980s and early
2000s are not recorded at present in this area. The available checklist
prepared through the earlier study of only the two islands was upgraded with
the distribution status for all 21 islands. This species checklist can be used
as a baseline reference for future monitoring of individual islands and
conservation planning schemes adopted on the islands separately.
Results
and Discussion
The study recorded 96 species of
birds belonging to 34 families and 13 orders from the 21 uninhabited islands of
GoMBR during 2016–2022 (Table 2). The order Charadriiformes with 44 species
belonging to six families dominated followed by Passeriformes with 22 species
belonging to 13 families.
Water birds (n = 58) from the
islands belonging to the orders Charadriiformes (with six families),
Pelecaniformes (with two families), Anseriformes, Gruiformes, and Suliformes
(with one family each) were recorded (Table 3). Among families, the Family
Scolopacidae dominated (with 19 species), followed by Laridae (with 15
species), Ardeidae (with nine species), Charadridae (with six species),
Burhinidae & Anatidae (with two species each), and Rallidae, Recurvirostridae,
Dromadidae, & Threskiornithidae (each with one species) (Figure 2). The analysis of data on residential status
revealed that out of 58 waterbird species, 15 were residents; whereas the 39
species were winter visitors (Table 3).
Among the shorebirds, seven Near Threatened species (Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa
lapponica, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Red Knot Calidris
canutus, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Red-necked Stint Calidris
rufocollis, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, and Greater Thick-knee
Esacus recurvirostris) and one Endangered species (Great Knot Calidris
tenuirostris) were recorded.
Distribution Pattern of major
coastal bird groups at different groups of islands
Mandapam group of islands is near
the Pamban Bridge that connects the mainland with Rameswaram Island. Among all
other groups of islands, the maximum number of species observed along with the
highest number of some of the bird species were highest in these islands,
especially on Manoli Island. The number of water bird species recorded on this
island was the highest (inclusive of waders, ducks, terns, gulls, egrets, and
herons). Even though the trend is similar to the early studies from these
islands (Balachandran 1990; Daniel et al. 2007) overall count and the species
diversity have significantly reduced (Balachandran 2006); the earlier record of
26 species (Balachandran 1990) had reduced to 19 species of shorebirds in our
present study.
The inter-tidal zone around
Manoli and Manoliputti islands is the only place where a good congregation of
uncommon waders like Crab Plover Dromas ardeola, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa
lapponica, and Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus were observed. Crab
plovers are only found in these groups of islands in the entire GoMBR (Byju
2020), hence the significance of the bird distribution studies of these
islands. Our studies on other parts of the GoM including major congregation
areas like Dhanushkodi lagoon and Pillaimadam where Crab plovers were earlier
recorded were not recorded by us during the entire study period. The Northern
Pin-tailed Ducks Anas acuta was seen on Manoli Island, this species was
not reported in the earlier two studies (Balachandran 1990; Daniel et al. 2007)
from these coral islands but were recorded from other areas of GoMBR. The
absence of Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus and Broad-billed
Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus from the surveys done for several years
shows the impact on habitat change and depletion of food in these islands,
while the former being still reported from the southern coast end of Tuticorin
and the latter being sighted by us from the Dhanushkodi lagoon of the GoMBR,
both though less than ten individuals. Sivaperuman & Jayson (2012) reported
that there is a positive correlation between the population fluctuation and
distribution patterns of shorebirds with respect to their prey abundance. The
increased numbers of Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea in the Kole
wetland of Kerala’s west coast are due to the abundance of polychaetes and
crustaceans (Sivaperuman & Jayson 2012).
Pullivaasal and Poomarichan
islands among the Mandapam group of islands recorded hundreds of Lesser Crested
Tern Thalasseus bengalensis and Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus
bergii, Pallas Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus, Lesser Black-backed
Gull Larus fuscus, Caspian Tern Sterna caspia, and Brown-headed
Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus. Regular records of Osprey Pandion
haliaetus and occasional records of Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
and White-bellied Sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster are from these
islands. The dominant shorebird species were the Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius
mongolus. Among all the water bird species recorded from this group of
islands Gulls as a group were the dominant one. The highest count of Greater
Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, and Caspian Tern was observed during
February. During December, the Lesser Crested Tern and Greater Crested Tern were
the dominant species.
Kilakkarai, Tuticorin, and Vembar
group of islands
The three groups of islands,
Kilakarai, Tuticorin, and the Vembar, together constitute the remaining 14
islands. This group of islands recorded a smaller number of waders and less diversity
of birds compared to the other seven islands of the Mandapam group were
observed. The commonly recorded waders in all the islands include Lesser Sand
Plover Charadrius mongolus, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus,
and Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres. Gulls and terns, and a few other
waders as listed (Table 2). No single island in these three groups of islands
supports more than 500 waterbirds and a family-wise abundance of waterbirds are
given for all three island groups - Kilakarai, Vembar, and Tuticorin (Table 4).
The first record of the Brown Noddy Anous stolidus from GoMBR was from Kariyashulli Island
of the Tuticorin group. During January, Northern Pintail Anas acuta and
Garganey Anas querquedula were higher in count exceeding 1,000 in numbers.
As this is the first distribution checklist from these groups of islands, we
cannot compare this with the population abundance or the loss of species
diversity as from the Manoli and Hare islands of the Mandapam group.
Conservation
implications
A recent study done by Asir et
al. (2020) using the mapping data and toposheets of the Survey of India from
1969–2018 for all the 21 islands of GoMBR reports that Vilanguchalli Island of
the Tuticorin island group and Poovarasanpatti Island of Kilakkarai island
group are almost submerged. Among the 21 islands, the area cover of 15 islands
has reduced by 144.15 ha and four have their area expanded during the last
49 years. Asir et al. (2020) reported that overall, the Tuticorin group of
islands has experienced the highest percentage of land cover reduction
(78.55%), followed by Keelakarai (43.49%), Vembar (36.21%), and Mandapam
(21.84%) groups. This might be the reason for fewer birds found in these three
island groups in the present study. The four islands of the Mandapam group
whose area has increased (16.44%) are Hare Island, Manoli Island, Krusadai
Island, and Shingle Island (Asir et al. 2020). The abundance of the number of
birds compared to other islands along with the diversity of species including the
presence of Crab plovers and Pin-tailed ducks in these islands is a matter to
be further investigated.
Shorebirds face threats from the
degradation of intertidal habitats (Barter 2005; Moores et al. 2008) and the
extension of mangroves (Augustinus 1995; Aarif et al. 2014). In the area
between the Manoli and Manoliputti islands of the Mandapam group of islands, a
vegetative structure had grown along with the extension of mangroves to the
seaside degrading the intertidal zone for birds to forage and roost. It is
explicit that these uninhabited islands possess a meager diversity and
abundance of permanent resident birds. Even the scanty resident land birds are
not distributed in all the islands as it appears to solely depend on the
presence of humans, as they are closely associated with the latter. One of the
obstacles for the birds to colonize and thrive in this area could be the lack
of habitat diversity in terms of flora, geography, and topography coupled with
declining benthic diversity, which would provide a prey base. This is
comparable to research on some significant atolls in the Lakshadweep Islands
(Aju et al. 2021). Although there is a greater variety of birds in the Manoli
group of islands than in past studies, their numbers are rapidly declining in
GoMBR (Balachandran 2006).
Despite the
Fisheries Department’s efforts of educating and monitoring fishermen’s
community from preventing the indiscriminate destruction of marine life, it
continues. We have observed that in some of the islands closer to the coast,
the native vegetation has lost ground to the alien Prosopis chilensis,
which has taken over. Although coral quarrying for industrial purposes has been
outlawed, the coral reef has already been destroyed in several places. Corals,
seagrass, and mangroves are among the three unique ecosystems present on the
islands. Anthropogenic pressures like human settlements, though not permanent,
are found on Poomarichan, Pullivasal, and Manoliputti islands in the Mandapam
island group. They bring water from the shores for drinking and cook using the
vegetation from the islands. Deployment of traditional fishing gear was
infrequently recorded especially close to the mangrove fringes in many islands
which offer an ideal foraging ground for large wading birds. Similar
observations were reported in Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve (KVCR),
Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts, Kerala (Aarif et al. 2017). Proactive
efforts to remove the discarded fishing gear or plastic debris from these
islands, which are wintering as well as stopover grounds, could greatly reduce
injuries to migratory birds. Aarif et al. (2021) found similar threats posed by
leftover fishing gear injuring birds at KVCR. The long-distance migrant
shorebirds are highly dependent on a series of key stop-over sites between
wintering and more northerly breeding areas (Boere et al. 2006). Therefore, the
linkage between the coral islands of GoMBR and other major shorebird habitats
both within the east and west coast of India and other nearby countries like
Sri Lanka coming under the CAF must be understood by regular and systematic
monitoring as it holds several important long-distance migrant species.
Conclusion
The islands of GoMBR are home to
a high bird diversity supported by large expanses of natural ecosystems. As
there are still unaltered habitats in the study area, preemptive conservation
initiatives could help to protect them in the future. To create successful
conservation strategies, comprehensive assessments of species ecology, and
occurrences are essential. However, to date, no regular bird monitoring efforts
exist for all 21 islands, and many of the islands lack comprehensive
checklists. The importance of local landscapes for the conservation of avifauna
can only be understood by knowing the structure of the bird community of that
region (Kattan & Franco 2004). Our
distribution checklist can be used as baseline data for future monitoring and
to measure conservation success. Considering the limited data available on
species distributions and occurrences, this will foster to refine the
scientific focus and knowledge as the continuous expansion of monitoring birds
helps in maintaining the important sites of the congregation for some species
like Crab Plover in GoMBR are restricted to only one or two islands in a single
island group.
Table 1. The island groups with
area details and location.
|
Island groups |
Island Name |
Latitude & Longitude |
Area (Hectares) |
|
1. Tuticorin islands |
1. Vaan |
8.83639°N 78.21047°E |
16.00 |
|
2. Koswari |
8.86879°N 78.22506°E |
19.50 |
|
|
3. Vilanguchalli |
8.93815°N 78.26969°E |
0.95 |
|
|
4. Kariyachalli |
8.95409°N 78.25235°E |
16.46 |
|
|
2. Vembar islands |
1.Uppu Thanni |
9.08921°N 78.49148°E |
22.94 |
|
2. Puluvini Challi |
9.10320°N
78.53688°E |
6.12 |
|
|
3. Nalla Thanni |
9.10667°N 78.57885°E |
101.00 |
|
|
3. Kilakarai islands |
1. Anaipar |
9.15294°N 78.69481°E |
11.00 |
|
2. Valli Munai |
9.15354°N
78.73052°E |
6.72 |
|
|
3. Poovarasan Patti ( Kilinjan
paar) |
9.15413°N 78.76695°E |
0.50 |
|
|
4. Appa |
9.16582°N 78.82596°E |
28.63 |
|
|
5. Talairi |
9.18133°N 78.90673°E |
75.15 |
|
|
6. Valai |
9.18421°N 78.93866°E |
10.10 |
|
|
7. Mulli |
9.18641°N 78.96810°E |
10.20 |
|
|
4. Mandapam islands |
1. Hare (Musal) |
9.19912°N
79.07530°E |
124.00 |
|
2. Manoli |
9.21564°N
79.12834°E |
25.90 |
|
|
3. Manoli-putti |
9.21581°N
79.12800°E |
2.34 |
|
|
4. Poomarichan |
9.24538°N
79.17993°E |
16.58 |
|
|
5. Pullivasal |
9.23699°N
79.19100°E |
29.95 |
|
|
6. Kurusadai |
9.24690°N
79.20945°E |
65.80 |
|
|
7. Shingle |
9.24174°N 79.23563°E |
12.69 |
Table 2. Avifauna and their
distribution on 21 islands of GoMBR, India.
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
Shingle |
Kurusadai |
Pulli vasal |
Poomarichan |
Manoliputti |
Manoli |
Musal |
Mulli |
Valai |
Talairi |
Appa |
Poovarasanpatti |
Vali munai |
Anaipar |
Nallathanni |
Puluvinichalli |
Uppu thanni |
Vilanguchalli |
Karyachalli |
Koswari |
Vaan |
|
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Garganey |
Spatula querquedula |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Pintail |
Anas acuta |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order:
Gruiformes Family: Rallidae |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
White-breasted Waterhen |
Amaurornis phoenicurus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Blackbellied Plover |
Pluvialis squatarola |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kentish Plover |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lesser Sand Plover |
Charadrius mongolus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greater Sand Plover |
Charadrius leschenaultii |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Pacific Golden Plover |
Pluvialis fulva |
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Red-wattled Lapwing |
Vanellus indicus |
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Family:
Scolopacidae |
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Pin-tailed Snipe |
Gallinago stenura |
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Black-tailed Godwit |
Limosa limosa |
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Bar-tailed Godwit |
Limosa lapponica |
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Whimbrel |
Numenius phaeopus |
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Eurasian Curlew |
Numenius arquata |
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Common Redshank |
Tringa totanus |
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Common Greenshank |
Tringa nebularia |
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Green Sandpiper |
Tringa ochropus |
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Wood Sandpiper |
Tringa glareola |
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Terek Sandpiper |
Xenus cinereus |
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Common Sandpiper |
Actitis hypoleucos |
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Ruddy Turnstone |
Arenaria interpres |
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Great Knot |
Calidris tenuirostris |
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Red Knot |
Calidris canutus |
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Sanderling |
Calidris alba |
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Little Stint |
Calidris minuta |
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Red-necked Stint |
Calidris ruficollis |
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Dunlin |
Calidris alpina |
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Curlew Sandpiper |
Calidris ferruginea |
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Family:
Recurvirostridae |
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Black-winged Stilt |
Himantopus himantopus |
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Family:
Dromadidae |
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Crab Plover |
Dromas ardeola |
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Family:
Burhinidae |
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Indian Thick-knee |
Esacus magnirostris |
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Greater Thick-knee |
Esacus recurvirostris |
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Family:
Laridae |
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Lesser
Black-backed Gull |
Larus
fuscus |
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Pallas's
Gull |
Ichthyaetus
ichthyaetus |
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Brown-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus
brunnicephalus |
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Blackheaded Gull |
Chroicocephalus
ridibundus |
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Slender-billed Gull |
Chroicocephalus
genei |
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Gullbilled Tern |
Gelochelidon
nilotica |
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Caspian Tern |
Hydroprogne
caspia |
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Lesser Crested Tern |
Thalasseus
bengalensis |
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Greater Crested Tern |
Thalasseus
bergii |
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Common Tern |
Sterna
hirundo |
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Sandwich Tern |
Thalasseus
sandvicensis |
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Saunder’s Tern |
Sternula saundersi |
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Little Tern |
Sternula
albifrons |
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Whiskered Tern |
Chlidonias
hybrida |
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Brown Noddy |
Anous
stolidus |
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Order:
Suliformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae
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Little Cormorant |
Microcarbo
niger |
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Order:
Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae |
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Grey Heron |
Ardea
cinerea |
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Purple Heron |
Ardea
purpurea |
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Great Egret |
Ardea alba |
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Little Egret |
Egretta
garzetta |
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Intermediate Egret |
Ardea
intermedia |
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Western Reef Heron |
Egretta
gularis |
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Indian Pond Heron |
Ardeola
grayii |
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Straited Heron |
Butorides
striata |
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Blackcrowned Night Heron |
Nycticorax
nycticorax |
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Family: Threskiornithidae |
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Eurasian Spoonbill |
Platalea
leucorodia |
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Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae |
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-White-throated Kingfisher |
Halcyon smyrnensis |
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Pied Kingfisher |
Ceryle rudis |
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Common Kingfisher |
Alcedo atthis |
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Family: Meropidae |
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Blue-tailed Bee-eater |
Merops philippinus |
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Family: Coraciidae |
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Indian Roller |
Coracias benghalensis |
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Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae |
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Common Kestrel |
Falco tinnunculus |
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Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus |
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Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae. |
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Black Kite |
Milvus migrans |
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Brahminy Kite |
Haliastur indus |
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White-bellied Sea Eagle |
Haliaeetus leucogaster |
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Family: Pandionidae |
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Osprey |
Pandion haliaetus |
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Order Psittaciformes Family: Psittaculidae |
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Rose-ringed Parakeet |
Psittacula krameri |
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Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae |
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Jacobin Cuckoo |
Clamator jacobinus |
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Chestnut-winged Cuckoo |
Clamator coromandus |
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Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae |
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Asian Palm Swift |
Cypsiurus balasiensis |
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Order: Bucerotiformes Family: Upupidae |
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Eurasian Hoopoe |
Upupa epops |
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Order: Passeriformes Family: Dicrunidae |
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Black Drongo |
Dicrurus macrocercus |
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Family: Corvidae |
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House Crow |
Corvus splendens |
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Large-billed Crow |
Corvus macrorhynchos |
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Family: Hirundinidae |
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Barn Swallow |
Hirundo rustica |
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Red-rumped Swallow |
Cecropis daurica |
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Family: Alaudidae |
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Jerdon’s Bushlark |
Mirafra affinis |
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Ashy-crowned Sparrowlark |
Eremopterix griseus |
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Oriental Skylark |
Alauda gulgula |
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Family: Pycnonotidae |
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Red-vented Bulbul |
Pycnonotus cafer |
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Family: Cisticolidae |
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Plain Prinia |
Prinia inornata |
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Zitting Cisticola |
Cisticola juncidis |
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Common Tailorbird |
Orthotomus sutorius |
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Family: Acrocephalidae |
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Blyth’s Reed Warbler |
Acrocephalus dumetorum |
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Booted Warbler |
Iduna caligata |
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Family: Sturnidae |
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Rosy Starling |
Pastor roseus |
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Family: Muscipidae |
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Indian Robin |
Copsychus fulicatus |
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Family: Nectariniidae |
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Purple Sunbird |
Cinnyris asiaticus |
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Purple rumped Sunbird |
Leptocoma zeylonica |
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Family: Passeridae |
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House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus |
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Yellow-throated Sparrow |
Gymnoris xanthocollis |
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Family: Estrildidae |
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Indian Silverbill |
Euodice malabarica |
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|
|
Family: Motacillidae |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
White-browed Wagtail |
Motacilla maderaspatensis |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
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|
|
Table 3. List of water birds
recorded from the 21 islands of GoMBR, India.
|
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
IUCN Red list status |
Migration status |
|
|
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Garganey |
Spatula querquedula |
LC |
WV |
|
|
2 |
Northern pintail |
Anas acuta |
LC |
WV |
|
|
Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae |
|||||
|
1 |
White-breasted waterhen |
Amaurornis phoenicurus |
LC |
R |
|
|
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Black-bellied plover |
Pluvialis squatarola |
LC |
WV |
|
|
2 |
Kentish Plover |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
LC |
LM/R |
|
|
3 |
Lesser Sand Plover |
Charadrius mongolus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
4 |
Greater Sand Plover |
Charadrius
leschenaultii |
LC |
WV |
|
|
5 |
Pacific Golden Plover |
Pluvialis fulva |
LC |
WV |
|
|
6 |
Red-wattled Lapwing |
Vanellus indicus |
LC |
R |
|
|
Family: Scolopacidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Pin-tailed Snipe |
Gallinago stenura |
LC |
WV |
|
|
2 |
Black-tailed Godwit |
Limosa limosa |
NT |
WV |
|
|
3 |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
Limosa lapponica |
NT |
WV |
|
|
4 |
Whimbrel |
Numenius phaeopus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
5 |
Eurasian Curlew |
Numenius arquata |
NT |
WV |
|
|
6 |
Common Redshank |
Tringa totanus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
7 |
Common Greenshank |
Tringa nebularia |
LC |
WV |
|
|
8 |
Green Sandpiper |
Tringa ochropus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
9 |
Wood Sandpiper |
Tringa glareola |
LC |
WV |
|
|
10 |
Terek Sandpiper |
Xenus cinereus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
11 |
Common Sandpiper |
Actitis hypoleucos |
LC |
WV |
|
|
12 |
Ruddy Turnstone |
Arenaria interpres |
LC |
WV |
|
|
13 |
Great Knot |
Calidris tenuirostris |
EN |
WV |
|
|
14 |
Red Knot |
Calidris canutus |
NT |
WV |
|
|
15 |
Sanderling |
Calidris alba |
LC |
WV |
|
|
16 |
Little Stint |
Calidris minuta |
LC |
WV |
|
|
17 |
Red-necked Stint |
Calidris ruficollis |
NT |
WV |
|
|
18 |
Dunlin |
Calidris alpina |
LC |
WV |
|
|
19 |
Curlew Sandpiper |
Calidris ferruginea |
NT |
WV |
|
|
Family:
Recurvirostridae |
|||||
|
1 |
Black-winged Stilt |
Himantopus himantopus |
LC |
R |
|
|
Family: Dromadidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Crab Plover |
Dromas ardeola |
LC |
WV |
|
|
Family: Burhinidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Indian Thick-knee |
Burhinus indicus |
LC |
R |
|
|
2 |
Greater Thick-knee |
Esacus recurvirostris |
NT |
R |
|
|
Family: Laridae |
|||||
|
1 |
Lesser Black-backed
Gull |
Larus fuscus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
2 |
Pallas's Gull |
Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
3 |
Brown-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus
brunnicephalus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
4 |
Black-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus
ridibundus |
LC |
WV |
|
|
5 |
Slender bill Gull |
Chroicocephalus genei |
LC |
WV |
|
|
6 |
Gull-billed Tern |
Gelochelidon nilotica |
LC |
WV |
|
|
7 |
Caspian Tern |
Hydroprogne caspia |
LC |
WV |
|
|
8 |
Lesser Crested Tern |
Thalasseus bengalensis |
LC |
R/LM |
|
|
9 |
Greater Crested Tern |
Thalasseus bergii |
LC |
WV |
|
|
10 |
Common Tern |
Sterna hirundo |
LC |
WV |
|
|
11 |
Sandwich tern |
Thalasseus sandvicensis |
LC |
WV |
|
|
12 |
Saunders tern |
Sternula saundersi |
LC |
WV |
|
|
13 |
Little Tern |
Sternula albifrons |
LC |
WV |
|
|
14 |
Whiskered Tern |
Chlidonias hybrida |
LC |
WV |
|
|
15 |
Brown Noddy |
Anous stolidus |
LC |
V |
|
|
Order: Suliformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Little Cormorant |
Microcarbo niger |
LC |
R |
|
|
Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Ardeidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Grey Heron |
Ardea cinerea |
LC |
R |
|
|
2 |
Purple Heron |
Ardea purpurea |
LC |
R |
|
|
3 |
Great Egret |
Ardea alba |
LC |
R |
|
|
4 |
Intermediate Egret |
Ardea intermedia |
LC |
R |
|
|
5 |
Little Egret |
Egretta garzetta |
LC |
R |
|
|
6 |
Western Reef Heron |
Egretta gularis |
LC |
R/LM |
|
|
7 |
Indian pond Heron |
Ardeola grayii |
LC |
R |
|
|
8 |
Striated Heron |
Butorides striata |
LC |
R |
|
|
9 |
Black-crowned Night Heron |
Nycticorax nycticorax |
LC |
R |
|
|
Family: Threskiornithidae |
|||||
|
1 |
Eurasian Spoonbill |
Platalea leucorodia |
LC |
R/NB |
|
LC—Least
Concern | NT—Near Threatened | EN—Endangered | V—Vagrant | WV—Winter Visitor |
LM—Local Migrant | R—Resident | R/NB—Resident/Non-Breeding.
Table 4. The Waterbird group population maximum
estimated on the island subgroups of GoM-BR, India.
|
Families |
Mandapam island group |
Keezhakarai island group |
Vembar island group |
Tuticorin island group |
|
Laridae |
5000–10000 |
1000–2000 |
>1000 |
>500 |
|
Anatidae |
2000–3000 |
<1000 |
- |
- |
|
Charadridriidae, Scolopacidae,
Recurvirostridae, Dromididae, Burhinidae |
3000–5000 |
>1000 |
>1000 |
>500 |
|
Rallidae, Phalacrocoracidae,
Ardedae, Threskiornithridae |
500–1000 |
200–300 |
100 |
300–500 |
For figures - -
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