Regd. Office: Revathi Bhavan, Edathala P O, ALUVA-683561. Reg.No.: ER 18/10 of 2010 Telephone No.: 0484-2837414 Email:cochinnaturalhistorysociety@gmail.com


WELCOME TO THE COCHIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

The Cochin Natural History Society is a non-profit making, non-political charitable institution registered under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955. This is a society of amateur naturalists who live in harmony with nature and seek to protect and to preserve the biodiversity and healthy natural environment. The mandate of the society is to undertake studies and documentation of biodiversity around us and to draw attention to the aesthetic, economic, scientific and conservation aspects.The society also intends to provide a platform to those who are concerned to come together and share, enlarge and correct our knowledge about Nature and its magnificence. Any person, who has a love, interest and commitment towards conservation of our biodiversity and natural history may become a member of the society*.







"You can know the names of a bird in all languages of the world,but when you are finished ,
You will know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird.....
So let`s look at the bird and see what it`s doing --that`s what counts.
I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something."


-Nobel Laureate Richard P Feynman(1918-1988)


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

No-go for Athirappilly, Edakochi projects

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister for Environment and Forests (MoEF) Jairam Ramesh said here on Monday that even though the state government had made a brave attempt at getting the Athirappilly power project cleared, it cannot be given the green signal as he firmly believed that the project would not be in national interest.
With regard to the 240-MW Pooyamkutty project, he said the ball was in the state’s court and that the project has to be first examined and cleared by the state Forest Department. Also to get an absolute ‘No’ was the cricket stadium at Edakochi, which Jairam Ramesh described as a closed chapter. “They were not playing cricket with a straight bat. There were serious violations of the CRZ rules and there was rampant destruction of mangroves. The gameplan was to remove all the mangroves and get it classified as CRZ II instead of CRZ I,’’ said Jairam Ramesh.
“Kochi can think of a cricket stadium elsewhere,” he added. The Union Minister was briefing reporters after a three-hour-long discussion on various projects with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Forest Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, Ports Minister K Babu, Water Resources Minister P J Joseph, Transport minister V S Sivakumar, Chief Secretary P Prabhakaran and Shashi Tharoor MP.
One major decision arrived at during the meeting was setting up Kerala’s own authority for environmental clearances, namely the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the State-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), which would enable the clearing of projects at the state-level rather than them getting bogged down at the Centre.

The report published in The New Indian Express dated 14-6-2011

Red list of birds brings joy and agony


KOCHI: The Red list of birds released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has brought joy and agony alike for Kerala.

The conservation status of birds prepared by Birdlife International has downgraded the risk faced by Lesser Kestrel, a small falcon species, whereas it has raised the risk level of Nilgiri Pippit, a species endemic to Kerala.

Four vulture species — White-rumped, Indian, Slender-billed, and Red-headed — of Kerala remain on the ‘Critically Endangered' category this year too. The vulture species are mostly found in Wayanad. Those in the Critically Endangered category are the ones that are facing the high risk of extinction.

Five species, including the Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Florican, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Nilgiri Blue Robin, and White-bellied Blue Robin continue on the ‘Endangered' species list this year also. Eleven species, including Lesser Adjutant, Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, and Broad-Tailed Grassbird stay on the ‘Vulnerable' list whereas 19 others remain on the Near Threatened category.

Risk level of Lesser Kestrel was reduced to ‘Least Concern' from Vulnerable considering the improvement in its global population. The species underwent rapid decline in western Europe, South Africa and parts of its Asian range earlier. However, recent evidence indicated a stable or slightly positive population trend overall during the last three generations.

In Kerala, the species was reported from the Eravikulam National Park and the Periyar Tiger Reserve and 35 individuals were spotted at Thekkady during a bird census in 2008, said P.O. Nameer, South Asian coordinator, in situ, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, IUCN.

Nilgiri Pipit, a species endemic to the Western Ghats of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, faced increased risk of survival and has been classified as Vulnerable. Earlier, the status of the species was assessed as Near Threatened.

According to Birdlife International, the grassland habitat of the species is gradually being converted to plantations of tea, eucalyptus, and wattle. Livestock grazing and frequent fires also pose threats to the species. Disturbance may be increasing as even higher resorts are being constructed in the sholas that border areas of grasslands.

As the species often occupies habitat at the very top of hills, it is potentially threatened by the effects of climate change. Its present population is estimated to be between 2,500 and 9,999 mature individuals, according to the report.

In Kerala, the species is found in high altitude areas including the wildlife sanctuaries of Neyyar, Peppara, Shendurny, Chinnar, Aaralam, and the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Its presence has also been reported from Ponmudi Kallar and the hills of Munnar, Nelliampathy, and Siruvani, said Dr. Nameer, who is also a coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network. Vulnerable status was accorded to the species as it had a small range in which its habitat was severely fragmented and declining in extent and quality.

K.S. Sudhi

The report published in The Hindu dated 14-6-2011

Monday, June 13, 2011

Great Indian Bustard facing extinction



KOCHI: The Great Indian Bustard, a bird species once found in abundance across the grasslands of India, is facing the risk of extinction.

The 2011 Red List of birds, released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has enlisted the bird in the Critically Endangered category, the highest level of threat. The population of the species is estimated to be just 250.

Hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation have reduced the number of this species, which was found in large numbers in the grasslands of India and Pakistan. But their population is now restricted to small and isolated fragments of remaining habitats, says the Birdlife International, which prepared the list.

The BirdLife International “coordinates the categorisation and documentation of all bird species for the IUCN Red List.” According to the 2011 assessment, 1,253 species are considered threatened with extinction. These include albatrosses, cranes, parrots, pheasants, and pigeons. The larger-bodied species and those with low reproductive rates are more likely to be threatened, the report says.

The Bustard species has been classified as critically endangered “as it has undergone an extremely rapid decline owing to a multitude of threats, including habitat loss and degradation and disturbance. It now requires an urgent acceleration in targeted conservation actions in order to prevent it from becoming functionally extinct.”

The birds have unmistakable, large, brown-and-white body with black crown and wing markings. The males have whitish neck and under parts with narrow black breast-band. The females are smaller, with greyer neck and typically no breast-band. The population of the bird was estimated to be around 300 in 2008. The population viability analysis lends some support to a predicted decline of over 50 per cent of the species in the next 47 years if no additional conservation actions are taken, the report cautions.

In India, the bird is now restricted to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Earlier it was distributed from Punjab east through Orissa and south to Tamil Nadu, says P.O. Nameer, South Asian coordinator, in situ, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, IUCN.

Besides the Bustard, the list has enumerated 15 species from India as critically endangered and 16 as endangered ones. There are 55 vulnerable ones and 65 near-threatened bird species in the country. Some of the critically endangered Indian varieties include the Himalayan Quail, Pink-headed Duck, White-bellied Heron and Christmas Island Frigatebird. The vulture species found in India namely the White-backed, the Indian, the Slender-billed and the Red-headed are also in the critical list, says Dr. Nameer.

The list has classified 189 species worldwide as critically endangered, 381 as endangered with very high risk of extinction and 683 as vulnerable with high risk of extinction. It has also listed 843 species as near-threatened. A total of 2,096 species were treated as global conservation priorities. The threat status of 62 species could not be properly assessed following deficiency of data.

K.S. Sudhi

The report published in The Hindu dated 13-6-2011

CNHS Annual Report 2010-2011

Dear members,

We welcome you to the First Annual General Body meeting of our Society.
Our society was formed and registered on 13th January 2010 under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955)and with Reg. No. ER 18/10 of 2010 .The Society was formed by seven like minded individuals interested in the study and conservation of the biodiversity of the region .We have now grown by adding more members and have fifteen members on our rolls now. We are in the process of enrolling more like-minded persons. The Society is formed with the broad aim of exploring, studying and protecting the rich biodiversity around us.

I. OFFICE BEARERS FOR THE REPORT YEAR:
1. Dr. Dilip K.G President
2. Mrs.Smitha.K.Komath Vice President
3. Mr. Vishnupriyan Kartha K Secretary
4. Mr. Ginu George Treasurer
5. Mr. Jai .P.Jacob Joint Secretary
6. Mr. Manoj P.G. Joint Secretary
7. Mr. Anil. N.S. Member
In the past year we have undertaken various activities along these lines. We have listed below the details:
1. Our Society conducted an intensive Bird Survey in Pampadumpara region of Mankulam Division along with the Kerala Forest Department to search and to locate a single species of bird – Nilgiri Laughingthrush (Trochlapteron cachinnans cachinnans) - which was believed to be present in the region. The effort was also a humble attempt to add to the existing faunistic wealth of the area.

2. Our society successfully organized the Kerala Bird Race 2010 along with Kerala Birder and HSBC Banking Corporation. Around 140 enthusiastic bird watchers including our members participated in it, and the Chief Guests of the concluding ceremony were Hon. Minister for Transport Adv. Jose Thettayil and Dr. B S Corrie Addl. PCCF of Kerala Forest Department. Both of them congratulated the participants and enlightened us on the importance conservation of nature and the need to encourage people, to get actively involved in bird watching and other such nature study activities.

3. House Sparrow Monitoring Project (ongoing project).

Recently there has been several reports of on a possible decline on the numbers of house sparrows from all over .To build up a bench mark data of the House sparrows in our locality, our President Dr. Dilip K G initiated an ongoing study on the sighting and monitoring of the sparrows from our region .It is an ongoing project and all our members are earnestly requested to contribute to this study by recording sightings of the House Sparrows on our Blog.

4. Mission Woodcock (ongoing project).

This is an exploratory mission to find an elusive and sporadic straggler to the lower plains -Woodcock. The Woodcock (Scolapax rusticola) has been sighted for several days at Kodunganur, (lat. 80 30’ 56.58” N., long. 770 23.05” E. 22 mts. MSL) Trivandrum in November 1988, in a nutmeg plantation! Our society endeavours to locate this bird in similar habitats adjacent to Periyar in Ernakulam and Karamanayar in Trivandrum from November 2009 onwards, following the hunch that the bird may be visiting similar habitats during the season. Hence the mission is to look-out for this bird during the North-East Monsoon season in nutmeg plantations along the riverbanks of Periyar at Kalady and Karamanayar at Kodunganur, where thin films of water lay stagnated after the rains. Any report of sighting elsewhere is also welcomed and will be duly acknowledged.

5. Planting of Mangrove Saplings in the coastal regions of Kochi, in connection with the Wildlife Week celebration 2010.

The members of CNHS actively took part in the Wildlife Week Celebrations and our members Mr. Basil Peter and Mr. Nelson initiated planting of various species of mangrove saplings supplied by Kerala Forest Department, in Kalathara wetlands, near Thoppumpady.

6. Conducted a one day bird watching trip to Bhooththankettu-Idamalayar region on 5th December 2010.Twenty enthusiastic bird watchers including our members participated in the programme and we sighted about 78 species of birds and got some good pictures also.

7. Conducted a preliminary Survey at the Dewaswam Padam Wetlands of Varapuzha, Kochi.

The CNHS was approached by some farmers and activists of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) from Varapuzha, Kochi to find out some solutions to a serious problem faced by them. Their grievance was that the Purple Swamphens - variedly known as Purple Moorhen, Gallinule or Purple Coot – are causing immense damages to their paddy cultivation, leaving them helpless against the already uneconomic agriculture. This was another instance of Human-Wildlife conflict which warranted a balanced but effective intervention by those concerned with human-nonhuman survival. The Devaswom Paadam Water Bird Count- Februaray 2011 was the sequel of an earlier enquiry conducted by the Cochin Natural History Society (CNHS) in January 2011 with the aim of assessing the extent and gravity of destruction caused by the Purple Swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio) to the paddy cultivation in the region. The Water bird count conducted in February 2011 was significant because this was the first water bird count that has ever taken place in the wetlands of Ernakulam district. It has been instrumental in contributing to the Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC).


8. Bird Survey Camp in Malayattoor-Idamalayar-Pooyamkutty Forests. (11th to 14th February 2011)

Our Society along with Kerala Birder internet mailing group and Kerala Forest Department conducted a major Bird Diversity Assessment Survey in the whole of Malayattoor Division of forests covering approx. 600 sqkms. Seventy amateur birdwatchers and ornithologists from all over south India including our members took part in the survey and submitted a preliminary report to the KFD. The data so collected is being analyzed by a team led by Prof.Dr. P O Nameer of College of Forestry, KAU and the final report will be submitted soon.

9. In addition to the above, our members took part in many birdwatching programmes, surveys and environmental education programmes in their individual capacity. Some of them are Neyyar-Peppara Bird Survey and the recently held pan Kerala Wild Life Population Estimation exercise.

All these efforts have hopefully contributed to increasing the knowledge and data on the rich biodiversity of our region. This will surely help in raising awareness of authorities and shall help in protecting and nurturing the biodiversity of our area.

At the end of the current year we have fifteen persons on our membership .We earnestly request our members to persuade more like -minded persons to join our society.

10. In order to disseminate the information of our society`s activities and to publish the results of our various activities and also to provide a platform to communicate with members etc we have started a blog called http://cochinnaturalhistorysociety.blogspot.com. The initiative for this was taken by our Vice President Smt. Smitha K .Komath. She also designed the blog.

CONCLUSION:

We have been able to do much work towards our goals during the report year with the whole hearted participation of our esteemed members. We look forward to continue our efforts to study and protect our biodiversity and environment and solicit the participation and co-operation our members and general public in this endeavor.

With this we place this report in our first Annual General body Meeting for the consideration and approval of our members.



Sd/- Sd/- Sd/-

President Secretary Treasurer

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Prasanth’s Birdwatching Report 5-6-2011

Today I visited Kadamakkudy from 8.30 am to 11.30 am for Birdwatching. There was intermittent rain throughout my visit. I have seen the following birds,

1. Little Cormorant
2. Great Cormorant
3. Little Egret
4. Grey Heron
5. Purple Heron
6. Large Egret
7. Median Egret
8. Indian Pond Heron
9. Black crowned Night Heron
10. Oriental White Ibis
11. Brahminy Kite
12. Osprey
13. Purple Moorhen
14. Bronze winged Jacana
15. Red wattled Lapwing
16. Common Redshank
17. Common Greenshank
18. Common Sandpiper
19. Black winged Stilt
20. Whiskered Tern
21. Small Blue Kingfisher
22. Stork billed Kingfisher
23. White breasted Kingfisher
24. House Swallow
25. Plain Prinia
26. Ashy Prinia
27. Common Myna
28. Jungle Myna
29. Black Drongo
30. House Crow

For some pictures visit,

http://drsprasanth.blogspot.com/

Dr. S. Prasanth

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Wetlands( Conservation and Management) Rules 2010

Dear all,

At the bottom of the blog a link to the full text of the Wetlands(Conservation & Management)Rules 2010 is given for your reference and information

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Prasanth’s Birdwatching Report 30-1-2011

I went for birdwatching to Koottikkal along with Madhu Krishnan from 6.30 am to 12.30 pm on 30-1-2011. We had seen the following birds,

1. Little Cormorant
2. Indian Pond Heron
3. Red Spurfowl
4. Grey Junglefowl
5. Whiskered Tern
6. Spotted Dove
7. Emerald Dove
8. Green Imperial Pigeon
9. Plum-headed Parakeet
10. Blue-winged Parakeet
11. Asian Koel
12. Greater Coucal
13. Jungle Owlet
14. White-breasted Kingfisher
15. Oriental Broad-billed Roller
16. Malabar Grey Hornbill
17. White-cheeked Barbet
18. Great Black Woodpecker
19. Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker
20. Greater Golden-backed Woodpecker
21. Heart-spotted Woodpecker
22. Red-whiskered Bulbul
23. Common Iora
24. Jerdon's Chloropsis
25. White-throated Ground thrush
26. Oriental Magpie Robin
27. Jungle Babbler
28. White-headed Babbler
29. Greenish Leaf Warbler
30. Asian Paradise Flycatcher
31. Purple Sunbird
32. Grey-headed Starling
33. Southern Hill Myna
34. Eurasian Golden Oriole
35. Black-naped Oriole
36. Black-headed Oriole
37. Black Drongo
38. Bronzed Drongo
39. Greater Racker-tailed Drongo
40. Indian Treepie
41. White-bellied Treepie
42. House Crow
43. Jungle Crow.

For some pictures visit,

http://drsprasanth.blogspot.com/

Dr. S. Prasanth