COIMBATORE: In a first in the Coimbatore forest division, Maculate Lancer (Salanoemia sala), a small skipper butterfly, was spotted in the Boluvampatti during a survey conducted on Saturday and Sunday. The survey was conducted by 82 naturalists from the Coimbatore Nature Society (CNS), The Nature and Butterfly Society (TNBS), and WWF-India along with 68 forest staff. A total of 228 bird species and 170 butterfly species were recorded.
A Pavendhan, president of The Nature and Butterfly Society (TNBS) said "Coimbatore forest division continues to be a haven for butterflies and sighting of the Maculate Lancer species from higher elevation evergreen forests of Boluvampatti range augers well for the species as well as other rare species found within the same limits.
DFO TK Ashok Kumar said "The data generated through surveys would form a base data for area-specific, species-specific management plans. The four-year-long surveys have indicated the richness in bio-diversity of certain areas with respect to birds and butterflies in terms of rarities and population, and the division is exploring possibilities for a special status for such areas.
G Prakash, a senior member of Coimbatore Nature Society, said active participation of the young birding community in surveys can help in nature conservation.
D. Boominathan, Landscape Coordinator, WWF-India, mentioned that scientific monitoring of birds and butterflies at regular intervals helps build the database that captures the changes happening in the population and identifies hot spots.
BUTTERFLY FAMILY - SPECIES
Swallowtails (Papilionidae) - 15 -
Whites and Yellows (Pieridae) - 25
Brush- foot (Nymphalidae) - 50
Blues (Lycaenidae) - 46
Skippers (Hesperiidae) - 38
Other sightings include Common Mime, Malabar Rose, Malabar Banded Swallowtail, Nilgiri Grass Yellow, Chocolate Albatross and Dark Evening Brown.
FAMILY - SPECIES
Passerine birds - 118
Waterbirds 25
Raptors - 16
Barbets and Woodpeckers - 11
Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers - 10
Doves and Pigeons - 8
Cuckoos - 8
Ground-feeders - 7 species
Other interesting sightings include Great Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Rain Quail, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon and Yellow-footed Green Pigeon