36 new wildlife records put Keralam’s Peechi’s biodiversity in the spotlight

From the Malabar Lark to the elusive Travancore Bambootail, Peechi’s forests have yielded a rich trove of biodiversity, with a four-day wildlife survey adding 36 species to existing checklists and recording 395 species of birds, butterflies and odonates across three sanctuaries.

Conducted from October 8 to 11 by the Forest and Wildlife department in association with the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS), Thiruvananthapuram, the survey covered Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Peechi–Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary and Chulannur Peafowl Sanctuary through 10 base camps. It also recorded 24 species endemic to the Western Ghats, highlighting the conservation value of the landscape.

“The combination of checklist additions and Western Ghats endemics demonstrates the importance of systematic seasonal inventories and taxonomic verification,” said Kalesh Sadasivan, who coordinated the scientific compilation for TNHS.

Eight additions

Birdwatchers documented 165 species, including eight additions to the existing checklist. The notable records included the Malabar Lark (Galerida malabarica), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) and Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis).

Five of the recorded birds are endemic to the Western Ghats: Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus), Malabar Parakeet (Psittacula columboides), White-bellied Treepie (Dendrocitta leucogastra), Malabar Barbet (Psilopogon malabaricus) and Crimson-backed Sunbird (Leptocoma minima).

Butterflies accounted for the largest share of the records, with 174 species documented, including 22 additions to the earlier checklist. Among the notable additions were the Sahyadri Plain Puffin (Appias indra shiva), Common Map (Cyrestis thyodamas indica), Sahyadri Colour Sergeant (Athyma inara sahyadriensis), Bicolour Ace (Halpe hyrtacus) and Orange-spotted Ace (Thoressa honorei).

The survey recorded 11 Western Ghats-endemic butterflies, including the Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio buddha), Malabar Rose (Pachliopta pandiyana), Sahyadri Lacewing (Cethosia mahratta), Southern Blue Oakleaf (Kallima horsfieldii), Travancore Evening Brown (Parantirrhoea marshalli) and Siva Sunbeam (Curetis siva).

The odonate survey documented 56 species, with six additions to the existing checklist. These included the Indian Emerald (Hemicordulia asiatica), Kodagu Clubtail (Gomphidia kodaguensis), Spotted Torrent-hawk (Epophthalmia frontalis binocellata), Coorg Bambootail (Caconeura ramburi), Malabar Bambootail (Melanoneura bilineata) and Blood-spotted Reedtail (Protosticta sanguinostigma).

Eight of the recorded odonates are endemic to the Western Ghats. Notable species included the Ruby-tailed Hawklet (Epithemis mariae), Fraser’s Torrent-dart (Euphaea fraseri), Travancore Bambootail (Esme mudiensis), Saffron Reedtail (Indosticta deccanensis) and Pied Reedtail (Protosticta gravelyi).

52 moth specie

Beyond the three principal groups, the survey recorded 52 moth species, 22 ant species, five cicada species and around 30 spider species. The presence of tigers, leopards, herds of Asian elephants and gaur further underscored the ecological significance of the forest landscape.

“Repeated surveys are essential to strengthen our knowledge of the wildlife of Peechi and Chimmony. The newly compiled records, particularly the endemic species, provide useful evidence for habitat management and future monitoring,” said M.K. Renjith, Wildlife Warden, Peechi Wildlife Division, who led the survey.

Conducted after the southwest monsoon, the October survey provides a seasonal baseline. A complementary pre-monsoon survey has been proposed to track seasonal changes in species composition, abundance, breeding activity and habitat use, particularly among butterflies, odonates and other invertebrates.

Comparing the two surveys could help distinguish resident species from seasonal visitors and improve the detection of species missed during individual assessments, strengthening long-term biodiversity monitoring and evidence-based management of the Peechi–Vazhani and Chimmony landscapes, the team said.

T.N. Rajesh, Assistant Wildlife Warden, Peechi; K.M. Muhammed Raphy, Assistant Wildlife Warden, Chimmony; and Salish Menachery, Wildlife Assistant, Peechi were part of the survey. TNHS’s technical coordination and scientific compilation were undertaken by Dr. Sadasivan and Anila V.M., research associate, with support from field experts, camp leaders and frontline forest staff.