Rare pigeon sighted at Arippa

Thiruvananthapuram: Nilgiri Wood Pigeon-Columba elphinstonii, an endemic and threatened bird of the Western Ghats was sighted at Arippa Ammayambalam Pacha reserve forests by the city-based bird and nature lovers’ forum Warblers and Waders with the support of the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department.

These pigeons are mainly frugivorous, that is fruit eaters and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests, C Susanth, founding member of the Warblers and Waders told DC. “These birds very rarely come to the lower elevation forests to seek food”, said Mr Susanth said.

The sighting of the bird was during the two-day Bird watching camp at Arippa Ammayambalam Pacha forests bordering Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam Districts with the support of the Kerala Forest Department conducted on June 25 and 26 in connection with the 24th death anniversary of Prof.K.K.Neelakantan, Ornithologist and writer popularly known as by his pen name Induchudan.

Induchudan’s Magnus opus “Keralathile Pakshikal” or Birds of Kerala attracts youngsters to the bird and nature watching field.  The Nilgiri wood pigeon is a large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in south western India. The habitat of this forest bird is higher elevation shola forests of the Western Ghats.

This is the second time this threatened and vulnerable bird included in the endemic status by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has been seen at Arippa lowland evergreen forests after a 27-year interval. The last sighting of the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon from Arippa was in 1989 by C.Susanth founder member of Warblers andWaders during his bird studies at Arippa.

The two days of bird watching sessions were led by bird watchers C.Susanth, R.Jaya-prakash, K.A.Kishore, S.S.Raheesh and Dr. Abhiram Chandran.  Around 60 bird species were recorded in this camp. Sighting of Brown Fish Owl a rather uncommon nocturnal bird, Ceylon Bay Owl a rare nocturnal bird, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Malabar Parakeet, Grey headed Bulbul, Small Sunbird, Rufous Babbler, White-bellied Tree pie; White-bellied Woodpecker and White-bellied Blue Flycatcher were also significant.