Advances in Zoology and Botany Vol. 12(2), pp. 115 - 126
DOI: 10.13189/azb.2024.120204
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An Annotated Avifaunal Checklist of Sikkal Tank, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nādu, India with Notes on the Site's Importance on Waterbird Conservation

Byju H ^1,*, Raveendran N ², S. Ravichandran ¹, Kishore R ³, Reshmi Vijayan ^4
1 Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, India
² Iragukal Amritha Nature Trust, India
³ Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, India
⁴ Department of Zoology, BJM Government College, India

ABSTRACT

This is the first record of an avifaunal checklist of birds reported from the Sikkal tank in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. The study was conducted from January 2022 to February 2023. The present study documented 86 bird species from 16 orders and 41 families. Among the families, Ardeidae (7 species) was dominant, followed by Accipitridae (5 species), Cuculidae, Columbidae, Rallidae, Cisticolidae, and Threskiornithidae (4 species each), and Anatidae, and Alaudidae (3 species each) that represented the bird species of the tank. Among the waterbirds, we recorded four globally Near Threatened species - Blackheaded Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, and Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis, according to the IUCN Red List category. Sixty-five (75.6%) bird species were common during the study; fifteen (17.4%) uncommon and six rare. 83% (n = 68) were residents, 5% (n = 4) were resident/not breeding, 3% (n = 3) were local migrants, 8% (n = 7) were winter visitors, and one species was a passage migrant (Rosy Starling Pastor roseus). This baseline valuable information from the Sikkal tank could serve as data for avian conservation strategies and emphasize the need for the protection of new wetland areas by elevating the protection status in the ever-increasing developmental pressure of the society.

KEYWORDS
Wetlands, Waterbirds, Gulf of Mannar Biosphere, Heronry, Shorebirds

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Byju H , Raveendran N , S. Ravichandran , Kishore R , Reshmi Vijayan , "An Annotated Avifaunal Checklist of Sikkal Tank, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nādu, India with Notes on the Site's Importance on Waterbird Conservation," Advances in Zoology and Botany, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 115 - 126, 2024. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2024.120204.

(b). APA Format:
Byju H , Raveendran N , S. Ravichandran , Kishore R , Reshmi Vijayan (2024). An Annotated Avifaunal Checklist of Sikkal Tank, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nādu, India with Notes on the Site's Importance on Waterbird Conservation. Advances in Zoology and Botany, 12(2), 115 - 126. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2024.120204.