Extensive Indian Hornbill
| Photo Credit: Particular Association
An intensive faunal peek within the Vazhachal natural world division in Thrissur, Kerala, has documented 26 species beforehand unrecorded from the map, highlighting the rich biodiversity of the main corridor within the Western Ghats.
The peek changed into once conducted by the Kerala Wooded area department in association with the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS) from February 26 to March 1.
Around 50 consultants and delegates, along with an equal substitute of wooded area frontline group, participated within the voice. Fourteen area camps were pickle up all over diverse habitats ranging from dry and moist deciduous forests to evergreen programs, masking elevations from the Malakkappara-Excessive Wooded area borders to the Chalakudy panorama. The researchers adopted a multi-taxa methodology to file butterflies, birds, odonates, cicadas, spiders, ants and other faunal teams.
Angled Sunbeam
| Photo Credit:
Particular Association
Butterfly diversity changed into once severely placing, with 175 species recorded for the duration of the peek, including 13 unusual additions to the Vazhachal natural world division’s checklist. Amongst the essential sightings were Purple-pickle Duke, Acute Sunbeam, Hampson’s Hedge Blue, White-tipped Lineblue, In fashion Tinsel and Sahyadri Red-noticed Flitter. Seasonal migration of Darkish Cerulean butterflies and tidy congregations of Blue Tigers, Darkish Blue Tigers and Crows were additionally noticed to reward an brisk seasonal movement even for the duration of the dry section.
The crew additionally recorded 187 species of birds, including 10 additions. The numerous sightings integrated Dim Stork, Dim-headed Ibis, Dim Baza, Elevated Spotted Eagle, Gigantic Hawk-Cuckoo, White-bellied Sholakili and Tree Pipit. Various essential observations were Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, White-rumped Shama, Grey-bellied Cuckoo and Blue-eared Kingfisher.
Moreover, the researchers reported healthy populations of Extensive Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill and Malabar Pied Hornbill. Their presence emphasises the structural integrity of the wooded area masks and fruiting tree networks internal the division.
Asian Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes elatus)
| Photo Credit:
Particular Association
Despite being a dry season, the peek documented 45 species of odonates, including three additions, viz., Trithemis pallidinervis,Lestes elatus and Caconeura risi. The crew additionally recorded 30 species of ants, 33 species of spiders and 6 species of cicadas, reflecting extensive arthropod diversity.
Natural world sightings
Natural world sightings for the duration of the peek integrated tigers, leopards, herds of elephant, stripe-necked mongoose and the endangered lion-tailed macaque.
Vazhachal Divisional Wooded area Officer Suresh Babu I.S., who led the voice, termed the addition of the unusual species, severely for the duration of a dry-season peek, as a unheard of fulfillment. The findings, he added, reaffirms ecological significance of the Vazhachal panorama as one in every of the most biologically critical wooded area divisions in Kerala.
TNHS analysis associate Kalesh Sadasivan facets out that the dimensions of additives recorded is an indication of how biologically beneath-documented the attach is. The habitat heterogeneity all over elevation gradients supports extensive faunal turnover.
A structured submit-monsoon peek is likely to portray even increased diversity, severely among butterflies and odonates, he added.
Published – March 10, 2026 01:39 pm IST
