Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary - Fauna

Fauna

This sanctuary is an area of high biodiversity, with many unique species of animals and birds. See photos

Land Animals

PCWBS is inhabited by fourteen mammal species, eighteen reptile species and nine amphibian species.

The Flagship species of the sanctuary is the Near Threatened Blackbuck antelope, the sole member of the antelope family in India and the most numerous large animal in the sanctuary. The population estimate of the Blackbuck at Point Calimere more than doubled in thirty years, from 750–800 in 1967 to 1,908 in 1998/99. It now has the largest population of Blackbuck in South India (1,450 in March 2005). This isolated population of Blackbuck probably survived unmolested throughout the centuries due to the locals’ now declining belief that eating its meat causes leprosy. The predators of the Blackbuck at Point Calimere are Jackals, and sometimes village dogs. Competition for food is from domestic and feral cattle.

Other notable animals include: Spotted Deer, Jackel, Bonnet Monkey, Wild Boar, Monitor lizard, Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Small Indian Civet, Star Tortoise, Indian Grey Mongoose, Black-naped Hare, Jungle Cat and Feral Pony.

Marine Animals

Bottlenose Dolphin is frequently seen along the shore of the sanctuary in morning and evening hours during the winter. The shoreline beaches of the sanctuary are a regular nesting site of the endangered Olive Ridley Turtle. In 2002 a pair of Bryde's Whale were found washed ashore near the sanctuary. One 10 ton 35-foot whale was successfully towed back to sea.

This was the first successful rescue of a beached whale in Asia.

Waterbirds

This site has recorded the second largest congregation of migratory waterbirds in India, with a peak population in excess of 100,000, representing 103 species. Bombay Natural History Society researchers have captured, studied, ringed and released over 200,000 birds during the course of several ornithological studies here in the past several years.

In October these waterbirds arrive from Rann of Kutch, Eastern Siberia, Northern Russia, Central Asia and parts of Europe for their feeding season and start returning to those breeding places in January. These waterbirds include threatened species as Spot-billed Pelican, Nordmann's Greenshank, Spoonbill Sandpiper and Black-necked Stork. Near threatened species include Black-headed Ibis, Asian Dowitcher, Lesser Flamingo, Spoonbill, Darter and Painted Stork.

Landbirds

Over 15 square kilometres (5.8 sq mi) of the best Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest in India
are in the sanctuary. They harbour a large variety of resident and migratory landbirds. The most common of the 35 resident species are White-browed bulbul, Brahminy kite, Small Green-billed Malkoha, Crow pheasant, Rose-ringed parakeet, Grey partridge, Blue-tailed Bee-eater and Common iora.

Spotted dove and Collared dove are common in the Mangroves.