Posts Tagged ‘Biodiversity Hotspot’
Citizen Science Beginnings in a Sinharaja Restoration Plot
Sri Lanka’s ethereal Sinharaja rain forest, now more broadly understood as the Sinharaja Adiviya, has been a vital South Asian conservation success story, a magnet for ecotourists and a key location for the study of tropical rainforest dynamics. In recent years efforts to restore boundary areas that were earlier converted to non-native plantations have produced remarkable success. Last December I worked with Professor Nimal Gunatilleke and Dr. Suranjan Fernando to organize an effort to conduct citizen science with students from the Overseas School of Colombo. Our goal was to participate in the monitoring of the forest dynamics in restoration plots near the Kudawa entrance. The effort, although modest in scope, was designed to germinate and trial methods that could then be replicated by other groups of school students and interested citizens in the Sinharaja Adiviya.
Citizen Science in the International Baccalaureate Context
The Group IV project is an interdisciplinary project-based learning exercise that is a requirement for all Diploma (DP) science students to complete. Schools develop Group IV programs that allow candidates from the traditional science classes (Biology, Chemistry & Physics) to collaborate across disciplines to address a broad thematic question. At OSC, the interdisciplinary Environmental Systems and Societies (ES&S) class participates in this process (though it has not been a requirement). When the topic involves ecology and field work, ES&S students are expected to play a lead role. In past years OSC Group IV projects have focused on themes of tea, energy generation, urban wetlands and the OSC campus as a system. Group IV work is not formally assessed but students are required to participate and demonstrate collaboration that is evidenced in a final reflection. Thus, the focus is very much on the process rather than the product.
In the 2023-24 school year, the science department made several changes to how we conduct the Group IV project. We moved it into the traditional DP1 science field trip slot rather than have it at the end of the academic year. Secondly, we made a conscious move to design a program around Citizen Science in a way that the students would contribute to something more than an IB Diploma requirement. By good fortune, I was in touch with Professor Nimal Gunatilleke at the beginning of the school year and he was interested in getting students into the Sinharaja restoration plots to help monitor the forest dynamics and how contrasting areas were recovering. The proposed idea had a clear ecological focus but my colleagues in the department liked the idea of us all working to collect and contribute data to the effort.
SETTING THE SINHARAJA RESTORATION CONTEXT
The restoration plots that our group worked in are part of an important experiment in ecological restoration in “ever-wet” Mixed Dipterocarp Forest (MDF) that Professor Nimal Gunatilleke has been the key leader of. The plots are set in plantations of non-native Pinus caribaea that were planted on Sinharaja’s’ boundary 3-4 decades ago. Today there are still vast areas of non-native timber plantations that are awaiting restoration and the Sinharaja study was designed to test and model appropriate restoration methods. Around two decades ago key manager realized that the plantations were not producing the results originally envisioned and they (at least, initially) did not do much to support the area’s rich biodiversity. The restoration project involved thinning (rather than clear-cutting) plantations in strips and then planting key rainforest species that were appropriate from an ecological succession point-of-view. Experiments were conducted in different widths of strips (1-3 rows of pines removed) and manipulation (either no manipulation or some amount of it). Pioneer, rather than climax, species were initially planted as they would be more tolerant of the abiotic conditions in the cut strips (more light, less humidity etc.). These included “site generalist” and “restricted native” and “naturalized species of utility value.” The Pinus plantations are located in Sinharaja’s buffer zone where controlled extraction and harvests are permitted. The plants with economic value were specially designed to help get buy-in from neighboring residents.
GROUP IV FIELDWORK
We had a relatively large group including 35 DP1 students and five faculty members. Because of our size, we were spread between two different guest houses (Martin’s & the Blue Magpie Lodge). We spent our first afternoon getting oriented and doing a trial plot in the secondary forest near the REEC Center above Martin’s. Professor Gunatilleke and Dr. Suranjan led this and it was good to see the kids getting the hang of the steps despite some hungry leeches. The method of examining trees with a GBH of <1cm and between 1 and 5 cm GBH was challenging for our students to grasp but they put in a good effort. We had the Sinharaja guides working with each of our eight groups and they played a key role in identifying what was being recorded. The data was recorded on paper and also on the Survey 123 app that I had set up in Colombo based on the parameters established by our mentors.
On our full day of data collection, we gathered the team at Martin’s and then hiked down to the restoration site. I’ve been walking by this site for many years and have been amazed and how it has changed such that it looks more like a rainforest than a plantation now (see attached historic pictures from earlier OSC studies). Nimal did a site briefing and then he and Suranjan assigned the groups to plots on the slop below the track leading to Martin’s from Kudawa village. Faculty members spread out with the groups, and we also got to work. Mechum Purnell, our secondary principal, moved between groups providing the lux readings using a Vernier probe. Science HOD, Robert LeBlanc ensured that the Chemistry aspects were being conducted properly (we measured nitrates and pH). Mohamed Haji, our new biology, teacher and I monitored several groups. Melinda Tondeur was on the road organizing a surprise birthday cake as a break after the second round of data had been collected. Tyler Echols ran back and forth to Martin’s to make sure that we had everything that was needed for the study. Each plot took about 30 minutes to study and the groups got better as they gathered more data. Unfortunately, we had to cut our day of fieldwork short when the skies opened up and it got wetter than our students were prepared for.
WRAPPING UP
The rest of our time in Sinharaja was spent in class groups. The ES&S class spent quality time with Nimal and Savitri and got a personalized lecture on the story of Sinharaja and the efforts to restore the rainforest after the logging destruction of the 19760s and 70s. As per tradition, I planned a visit to Moulawella on our last morning. This short but physically challenging hike rewards you with a broad view over Sinharaja and the Kudawa area. I think that it is important for students to see the view, take in the grandeur and appreciate the work of past generations who worked so hard to protect this vital rainforest from destruction in the name of economic development.
The data that we gathered is satisfactory but it is clear that we need to do more training and preparation before the next field study. Using Survey 123 worked really well and we have all the raw data on an online database that can be shared. Working with the Sinharaja guides to identify the plants was crucial. Most students are not botanically inclined and switching gears to think about leaves, stems, GBH and plant diversity is challenging for them. Most of our students did not let that hold them back and willingly learned from our mentors and the Sinharaja guides. The ESS& students made a good attempt to record the biodiversity they saw and load it up onto iNaturalist (you can see their submissions under the Sinharaja Biodiversity Observatory). We are now looking forward to coming back later this year to continue the restoration studies in Sinharaja with the next cohort of OSC science students.
REFERENCES
Ashton, Mark et al. “Restoration pathways for rain forest in southwest Sri Lanka: A review of concepts and models.” Forest Ecology and Management 154(3):409-430. December 2001. Web.
Ashton, Mark et al. “Restoration of rain forest beneath pine plantations: A relay floristic model with special application to tropical South Asia.” Forest Ecology and Management 329:351–359. October 2014. Web.
Ashton, Peter and David Lee. Trees & Forest of Tropical Asia: Exploring Tapovan. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2022. Print.
Ecosystem Conservation and Management Project ESCAMP. Sinharaja Forest Range Landscape Management Plan 2022. Colombo: Sri Lanka Forest Department, 2022. Print.
Florentine, Singarayer et al Ed. Ecological Restoration: Moving Forward Using Lessons Learned. Springer, 2023. Print & Web. See “Ecological Approaches to Forest Restoration: Lessons Learned from Tropical Wet Asia” for the article edited by Nimal Gunatilleke. It includes key case studies from Sinharaja, the Knuckles and the Anamalais.
Gunatilleke, C.V.S, et al. Ecology of Sinharaja Rain Forest and the Forest Dynamics Plot in Sri Lanka’s Natural World Heritage Site. Colombo: WHT Publications, 2004. Print.
Gunatilleke, C.V.S. WNPS Monthly Lecture: Saving Sinharaja. 11 December 2022. YouTube Video.
Harlin, John et al. “Turning students into citizen scientists.” Citizen Science. October 2018. Print & Web via ResearchGate.
Lockwood, Ian. “Preliminary Analysis of Land Cover in the Sinharaja Adiviya using Planet Dove Imagery.” Ian Lockwood Blog. September 2019. Web.
Lockwood, Ian. “Rewilding What Has Always Been Wild: Sri Lankan Restoration Stories” Sanctuary Asia. October 2024. Web.
Pethiyagoda, Rohan and Hiranya Sudhasinghe. The ecology and biogeography of Sri Lanka: a context for freshwater fishes. WHT Publications, 2021. Print & Web.
“Restoring a rainforest: The WNPS effort with Diyakothakanda.” Sunday Times. 2 June 2021. Web.
“Report on visit to Diyakothakanda Forest Restoration Site on 16 April 2018.” WNPS Roar: Ecological Restoration.” 2018. Web.
Sinharaja Biodiversity Observatory. iNaturalist Project. Web.
In Rāvana’s Throne Room: A Journey into the Knuckles Range
In the great Hindu epic the Ramayana the principle antagonist is Rāvana, king of Lanka. He is an intelligent and sophisticated deity who, through complicated circumstances involving key siblings, is cast in opposition to the hero Rama. I first encountered and read the Ramayana in Sally Noorullah’s South Asian Studies class at AIS/Dhaka. It was a bold move to incorporate an Indian epic in its entirety at a school that was otherwise quite American. At the time, we used a dense translation of Valmiki’s work that was challenging to get through (luckily the library had the visually-rich Amar Chitra Katha comic version to support our understanding). Ms. Noorullah, who later mentored me in my first year of teaching at AIS/D, brought passion and insight to the way she taught the themes of good/evil, dharma and the hero’s adventure. We capped off the learning with a week-long field trip to Calcutta (now Kolkata) where the class looked for evidence of the epic in museums, on the streets, at various temples, on the Hooghly river and in the delicious food of a myriad restaurants. The sections of the epic involving Lanka, the monkey king Hanuman and the penultimate battle were fixtures in my imagination. Now, many years later, I find myself living in Sri Lanka, a place where Ramayana tourism is developing into a niche market alongside beach, tea and heritage tourism. At the same time, there has been a revival of interest in Rāvana’s legacy and rethinking his traditional role as the villain of the story.
Stories of this mythic king filtered through my thoughts and dreams as a small group of us trekked deep into a wilderness that is closely associated with the legend of Rāvana. In August my family and I had just returned to Colombo from a restful summer holiday in the Pacific Northwest. All of us had been vaccinated and there was a window of time before OSC started the new school year. We didn’t know it then but Sri Lanka was on the verge of entering another prolonged lockdown. With help from Nadeera Weerasinghe at Sir John’s Bungalow I was able to plan and set up a three day backpacking trek that would take us deeper and further into the heart of the Knuckles (Dumbara) Range than any previous trip. I recruited veterans from last year’s Sinhagala trek including my son Lenny, former student Rashmi Bopitiya and colleague Andry Dejong. Crucially we were able to get the expert services of KC, the talented guide and herpetologist that has assisted my field visits to the Knuckles on previous visits.
Our destination was Duwili Eli (Falls), a location that is spoken of in whispers amongst hiking fraternities but is rarely visited by others because of the difficult and tiring access. Andry had visited the area soon after she arrived in Sri Lanka and our friend Mangala Karunaratne had camped at several locations near the falls. The series of falls that is associated with Duwili Eli and the idea of a long trek in a primeval forest in the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspots were enticing. In February on a long weekend visit to Sir John’s, KC had taken a different group of us towards the abandoned agricultural settlement of Walpolamulla, a stop about 4 km from the road head on the way to Duwili Eli. It was evident from that hike that this part of the Knuckles offered rich opportunities to experience forest wilderness and biodiversity. It was just a matter of having enough time and in August 2021 all the pieces came together serendipitously.
Day 1
With the goal of reaching Duwili Eli, it works to plan a multi-day hike with different stages and a base camp. KC had done the hike numerous times and we followed his guidance. Our group took a prep day to drive from Colombo to Riverston and Sir John’s bungalow. That gave us a chance to start our first full day of hiking refreshed.
We did the 13 km hike to Dumbara Falls on the first leg of our trek . The path starts out at Pitawala and crosses the Telgamu Oya before climbing up to the Manigala ridge. I had first been here with a group of OSC WWW students but torrential rains had forced us to retreat. The weather this time was relatively cool with a breeze and overcast skies-perfect for hiking. The path was surprising free of other trekkers-a consequence of the COVID situation and looming lock down. In the end, over the whole three day period we would meet only two other people on the trail.
At Walpolamulla we paused at the old terraced fields to take in a panoramic view of our paths ahead. The building at the former village have mostly been abandoned and it site now mainly used for grazing and a trekking campsite. From the terraces you get fine view over the Kalu Ganga valley towards Duwili Eli. On the opposite (eastern) slope several slivers of water in the forest were visible to the naked eye. The waterfalls were enclosed in dense forest and seemed rather far away. Above them loomed the distinctivly shaped Thunhisgala. This three summited mountain (1627 m) is also named Kalupahana for its tallest point. It is visible in the Meemure valley, especially on the route to the Nitrox Cave (see my Duke of Edinburgh blog post from last year).
The path descends into the valley on a forested path that is still used by buffalo herders during the wet season. The area is very wild but every once in a while we would see piles of stones and tile chards that indicated a human presence at some point in the past. At one stream, a slab of lichen-covered granite once must have served as an altar (there was no evidence of modern iconography and I wondered if it was pre-Buddhist). We had timed our trek during a relatively dry spell. The South Western monsoon was hammering the windward side of the Knuckles and the summits were usually incased in mist, as the name Dumbara (misty mountains) hints at. There were few leeches on the trail but we did discover ticks and chiggers later. For the rest of the hike there were few opportunities to see where we were and the trail was entirely under the forest canopy.
In the late afternoon the path wound through a gallery of tall trees and enormous boulders before taking us to Dumbara Falls, the site of our basecamp. Here, the water from upper tributaries break through ramparts of a granite canyon to cascade 20 or so meters into a dark, elliptical pool. Over millions of years the force of the water has ripped away chunks of rock in large, slab fragments. Several of those slabs provide ideal camping spots-above the torrent of water at a level gradient with a sweet view of the thundering falls.
Day 2
After a camp breakfast we zipped up our tents, put away food and left our campsite on the 2nd day to explore upstream to Duwili Eli with light packs. It is a steep but relatively short 4-7 kilometers of walking (my Strava heat does not seem to be accurate because of the tree cover). The highlight this day was the exquisite forest and different streams. I was curious to explore out to a patch of pantana (grasslands) on the edge of the forest. It seems to have been a chena (slash & burn) plot from some time ago but KC was unsure of its origin. The grass was so high that I was not able to get my bearings or a decent picture of the surrounding hills.
Duwili Eli is the top-most in the series of waterfalls. It includes a cave that is part of a ledge that the water falls over. A Ficus tree has colonized the face and its roots provide a natural protective grate. We reached the area just as a midday shower blew down across the high Knuckles ridge. When it cleared, we took in the views back towards Walpolamulla and Riverston. The cave is a popular camping spot and there is ample dry space. There was a small inscription in a script that was not obvious and it looked as if the cave had been visited for many years. I wondered about it and what links to Rāvana’s legend it might hold.
I was prepared for macro photography on this trip but I found that much my energy was expended on just getting around and I came back with few exiting images. Rashmi was using her new pair of binoculars and we were on the lookout for birds on all days. On the path returning to camp I caught a glimpse of a female Malabar trogon and then a pair of Sri Lankan Grey Hornbills. The drone of the Yellow Fronted Barbet was our constant companion when we were away from the thunder of the stream. When we got back to camp we swam in the pool below Dumbara Falls-a great way to wash away the sweat and strain of the day.
Day 3
For a 2nd morning in a row we awoke to the thunder of the falls and beams of sunlight streaming through the high forested ridge. KC’s cooking did wonders for our morale and Lenny and I certainly needed it. Though Dumbara Falls offers one the finest campsites that we have been in, our tent was pitched on bare rock and we had neglected to bring sleeping mats! KC cooked up fried eggs on a well-used frying pan and added them to our vat of Maggie noodles for our nightly meals. For breakfast we had cereal and hot chocolate -the simple things always make such a difference in the wilderness.
The trail back followed the same route.The major stream crossing at the Kalu Ganga gave us a chance to refreshed and rehydrated and to look for creatures. There were dozens of emerald winged dragonflies-most likely Shining Gossamerwings (Euphaea splendens) – filtering above the water. Moving away from the stream, KC found a Brown Vine Snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) consuming a (still alive) Dry Zone Lowland Kangaroo Lizard (Otocryptis nigristigma). Both of these are not commonly seen. The toughest part was climbing back up to Walpolamulla in the middle (and heat) of the day. Crossing the saddle near Manigala we encountered a brief, rather refreshing rain shower. We were back at the trailhead at Pitawala around 2:00. After dropping off KC our group of four returned to Sir John’s to have a night of rest before returning to Colombo. All of us were a bit sore from carrying the packs but when the lockdown set in 24 hours after returning we realized that we had been very fortunate to get away. As for Rāvana’s secrets, we need a few more lifetimes to explore the Dumbara Hills…
REFERENCES
Bambaradeniya Channa and S P Ekanayake. A Guide to the Biodiversity of the Knuckles Forest Range. Colombo: IUCN. 2003. Print.
De Silva, Anslem, Ed. The Diversity of the Dumbara Mountains. (Lyriocephalus Special Issue). November 2005. Amphibia and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka. Print.
Harinda. “Knuckles Duwili Eli through Walpolamulla – The Most Wanted trip of the year.” Lakdasun Trips. April 24. Web.
Lockwood, Ian. “Knuckles Explorations.” Ian Lockwood Blog. January 2019. Web.
Lockwood, Ian. “Qualifying in the Time of the Pandemic: A DofE QAJ in Meemure.” CAS Pathways. 12 May 2020. Web.
Jayewardene, Sunela. The Line of Lanka: Myths & Memoires of an Island. Colombo: Sail Fish, 2017. Print.
Sanmugeswaran, Pathmanesan. “Reclaiming Ravana in Sri Lanka: Ravana’s Sinhala Buddhist Apotheosis and Tamil Responses.” South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. 2019. Web.
Thattekad Winter 2019 Visit
A highlight of the winter holidays was spending time in Thattekad with Lenny looking for and photographing the key endemic bird species of the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. My time staying with KV Eldhose at Thattekad last June (as documented in an earlier post) was quiet but rewarding. The December visit was during peak season and Eldhose’s place was full up and rocking. Our four days and three nights were a fast-paced series of birding encounters with many highlights that have taken me months (and an unplanned curfew/lock down thanks to COVID-19) to process and appreciate. Unlike my normally solitary bird forays, the December outings in Thattekad were accomplished as part of a group(s). Lenny and I were there with guided teams of photographers from Pune and Chennai and then independent birders from the US and UK. As usual, either Eldhose or his trusty lieutenants Adjomon and Vimal accompanied the groups out.
In mid-December Lenny and I took a scenic drive from Kodai down to Bodi, over the Ghats and through the Cardamom Hills to reach Thattekad (about six hours of driving). We had an auspicious start when our arrival coincided with the pursuit of one of the most difficult birds to see in the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. A pair of Sri Lanka Bay Owls (Phodilus assimilis) was roosting in the primary forest and we were invited to take a peak. After a short 20 minute drive up the road Vimal guided us into a thick tangle of canes, dense shrubbery and towering rainforest trees. My 600 mm lens was still cold from having been up in Kodai and it fogged up when I took it out of the pelican case. It took nearly an hour to acclimatize so the shots of the Bay owl were taken with the 200-500 mm lens that Lenny used on the trip (we had taken it out to photograph Euphorbia trees for Bruce Dejong on the Bodi ghat).
All of Eldhose’s cottages were full and we stayed in the main house. He was busy running his operation with key support provided by his wife Amy and daughter Ashy. The groups from Chennai and Pune were friendly and during the brief moments where we weren’t out finding birds we shared stories and images. The Chennai group was composed of middle aged and older men from the Photographic Society of Madras and was led by Saravanan Janakarajan. We spent time with them in the hides, in the primary forest and in the evening looking for owls. Lenny and I also got to know Jim and Maggie, a friendly couple from Seattle.
A SUPERB DAILY ROUTINE
Our pattern was to visit a hide visit close to Eldhose’s home at first light. That offered a chance to photograph the reclusive Slaty-breasted Rail (Gallirallus striatus) and then the more reliable starlings, trees pies, woodpeckers and drongos. The hide is close to the house and cottages but it is tiny and we had to take turns. My photographs were taken on the 2nd last morning. Rather than have breakfast at home, all the groups headed out to the primary forest 7:30 and ate breakfast on the way at Kuttampuzha. A simple road side café overlooking a tributary of the Periyar river offered classic Kerala breakfast fare (appam, puttu, paratha, beef curry, chickpeas etc.)
The primary forest, where most of the key birding is accomplished, is actually not a large forest area like Parambikulam, Periyar or Vazhachal. It isn’t even technically part of the Salim Ali Sanctuary, the protected area that Thattekad is associated with. But there is enough habitat diversity and remnant lowlands tropical rainforest to offer opportunities to see all sorts of key Western Ghats birds. It’s not the sort of place that you can wander around on your own and we were accompanied by Adjomon and Vimal. They had their hands full and it would have been better to be in a smaller group but we did fine. The habitat is ideal for Malabar Trogons (Harpactes fasciatus), which I never tire of photographing. They are shy but will sit still in a shaded area if you are fortunate. We saw Sri Lankan Frogmouths (Batrachostomus moniliger) on three different occasions and the guides have several spots that they check reliably.
Our birding mornings typically stretched on to about 1:00-2:00 PM and then we headed back to Eldhose’s to eat, rest briefly and get ready for the afternoon programs. There was a rotation of hides to visit and the groups took turns visiting them. Just behind his newly constructed rooms, a rare Slaty-legged Crake (Rallina eurizonoides) appeared like clockwork every afternoon at the edge of the wetland to look for mealworms. The other two hides are the “Treepie” and “Flycatcher hides.” Both of these are located on privately owned land that adjoins forest patches. They offer unparalleled opportunities to see and photograph key species up close and personal. White-bellied Treepie (Dendrocitta leucogastra), Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica), Red Spurfowl (Galloperdix spadicea) and Fairy Bluebird (Irena puella) were my personal favorites at the Treepie hide. Lenny and I spent a wonderful afternoon-almost three hours- at the Flycatcher hide with Jim and Maggie. The diversity of flycatchers and other birds was truly dazzling and it was difficult to keep track of the different species as they came in for an afternoon bath and feed. The key flycatchers included the Blue-throated flycatcher (Cyornis rubeculoides), White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (Cyronis pallipes), Rusty-tailed Flycatcher (Muscicapa ruficauda) and Indian paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi). We were also treated to exquisite views of an Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura), Orange-headed Thrush (Geokichla citrina) and Malabar Whistling-thrush (Myophonus horsfieldii).
Evenings at Eldhose’s always started with an effort to see the Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) at twilight. This experience had been a highlight of the June trip and sure enough an individual of this rare endemic species came back this time. All of us photographers, armed with tripods and lenses (see images), were lined up and seated for the show. We had one excellent sighting and then two nights where it decided not to visit. Before dinner we had the opportunity to go out looking for rare night birds in the nearby secondary forest. Here the rarities included the Great Eared-nightjar (Lyncornis macrotis) and Forest Eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis). The nightjar sat in the same place very evening while the Forest Eagle-owl was shy and hard to see. I did manage a blurry image on the 2nd evening.
On our last morning before Lenny and I returned to Kodai we had a chance to photograph the Grey Jungle Fowl (Gallus sonneratii). This is a bird that I have been listening to for much of my life and I’ve frequently seen it on hikes in the Palani Hills. But the sighting near Eldhose’s gave me a whole new appreciation for its beauty (especially in the male individuals). Soon after we packed up, said goodbye to Eldhose, Amy and Ashy and headed back to Kodai to be there in time for a Christmas in the hills. The sightings of birds and experiences in Thattekad left us with an overwhelming sense of awe and appreciation for the diversity of winged life forms in the southern Western Ghats.
FURTHER READING & REFERENCES
Ali, Salim. Birds of Kerala, 3rd Edition. Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department. Thiruvananthapuram, 1999.Print.
Birding South India. (Eldhose’s website). Web.
Grimmett, Richard Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent, Second Edition. London: Helms Field Guide/Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.
Kazmierczak, Krys. and Raj Singh. A Birdwatcher’ Guide to India. Devon, UK: Prion,1998. Print.
Rasmussen, Pamela C. and John Anderson. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 &2, Second Edition. Washington DC: Smithsonian, 2012. Print.
Sreenivasan, Ramki. “Thattekad Check List and Trip Report.” Birds of India. ND. Web.