World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098 - PDF document

World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.3.73184Corresponding Author:Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India. E-mail: wildlife9protect@gmail.com240Noteworthy Records of Critically Endangered Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) Blewitti in the Amravati District of Maharashtra, Central IndiaKannadasan Narasimmarajan and Subhasis MahatoWildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013241Table 1: Locations of Forest owlet collections/observations in the Indian subcontinentSites nameHabitat TypeGPS CoordinateObserver and YearEastern MPDry deciduous----Blewitt (1872)(now) ChhattishgarhWesternmost OrrisaDry deciduous----Valentine Ball (1877)Taloda, Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous ----Davidson (1880 and 84)Shahada- ToranmalDry deciduous21° 49'N and 74°28'EKing and Rasmussen (1998)Taloda- Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous---Rasmussen and Ishtiaq (1999)Raipur villageDry deciduous21° 34'N and 77° 07'EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2000b)Khaknar FRDry deciduous----Jathar and Rahmani (2004)Yawal WLSDry deciduous21° 36' N and 75° 53' EChavan and Rithe (2009)AkraniDry deciduous21°49’N and 74°28’ EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2005)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Mehta, et.al. (2007)Northern MaharashtraDry deciduous---Yosef, et al. (2010)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Pande et al. (2011)Gurgipatti beat (Melghat TR)Dry deciduous21° 19’N and 76° 59’ EPresent record* Near Amravati,MaharashtraDry deciduous20°55’N and 77°59’ EPresent record*Fig. 1:Themapshowing few forest owletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti observations/recorded places in the Indiansubcontinant. Red dots are the present forest owlet records in the Amravati district of MaharashtraAnogeissus latifolia, Butea monosperma, Emblica400m to 600m, precisely all factors coexists withoffficinalis, oswellia serrata, Ougeinia oojeinensisandpresent records and this observations revealed that theLaegerstromia paviflora[12]. Habitat preference isaForest owlet may indeed be a habitat specificdynamic process as the natural systems are also dynamic(Table 1).The present record area (Amravati territorialandmany species are confined to specific habitat typesforest) was about 166 km southwards from the previous[7, 13]. Previous records of Forest owlets whereas all inrecord and it extending the distribution range where forestthe dry deciduous habitats, an altitudinal range betweenowlet recorded within Amravati district of Maharashtra. World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013242Fig. 2:AForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti on10.Pande,S., A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe and R. Yosef,Tectonagrandistree, Photographed on 14 April2011. Discovery of a possible hybrid of the Critically2011in Gurgipatti Beat, Melghat tiger reserve,EndangeredForest Owlet Athene blewitti andMaharashtra.SpottedOwlet Athene brama (Aves: Strigiformes)fromnorthern Maharashtra, India. Journal ofHowever the species may exist or approach up to theThreatened Taxa, 3: 1727-1730.urban limits, whereas the dry deciduous forests with11. Grimmett, R.C. and T.I. Inskipp, 1998. Birds of Indianmoderate canopy cover and favourable factors suchSubcontinent,Oxford University Press, New Delhi,perennial water source still exist. pp: 888.REFERENCESVocalizationsand behaviour of the Forest Owlet1.King, B.F. and P.C. Rasmussen, 1998.13.Narasimmarajan,K., B.B. Barman and Lalthan Puia,Therediscovery of the Forest Owlet Athene2012.Population density and group size of the Grey(Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail, 14: 53-55.Junglefowl(Gallus sonneratti) in the Melghat tiger2.IUCN.,2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.reserve,Maharashtra Central India. Journal ofVersion2010.4. www.iucnredlist. org. Downloaded onThreatened Taxa., 4(7): 2723-2726.01 January 2013.14.Chavan,R.A. and K.D. Rithe, 2009. An occurrence3.Rasmussen, P.C. and N.J. Collar, 1998.andBreeding record of the Forest Owlet AtheneIdentification,distribution and status of the Forest(Heteroglaux) blewitti from Yawal Wildlife sanctuary,Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail,Maharashtra, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.,14: 43-51.106(2): 207-208.4.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2005. The forest Owlet15. Davidson, J., 1881. Rough list of the birds of westernAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti vocalization,Khandesh. Stray Feathers, 10: 279-327.breeding biology and conservation Ibis, 147: 197-205.16.Ball, V., 1877. Notes on birds observed in5.Ishtiaq,I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000a. Cronism in thetheregion between the Mahanadi and GodavariForestOwlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktailrivers. Stray Feathers, 5: 410-420.16: 172-174. 6.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000b.Furtherinformation on status and distribution ofForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail,16: 125-130. 7.Jathar, G.A. and A.R. Rahmani, 2004.Ecologicalstudies of the forest spotted owlet Athene(Heteroglaux)blewitti. Technical report. BombayNatural History Society, Mumbai, India, pp: 77.8.Mehta, P., J. Kulkarni, D. Patil, P. Kolte andP. Khatavkar, 2007. A survey of critically endangeredforest owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti in CentralIndia. Final report. Envirosearch, Pune.9.Yosef,R., S.A. Pande, A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe andL.Mitchell, 2010. Interspecific intera-ctions of thecriticallyendangered Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti).Acta Ethologica, 13: 63-67.12.Rasmussen, P.C. and F. Ishtiaq, 1999.Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail, 15: 61-65. World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.3.73184Corresponding Author:Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India. 240Noteworthy Records of Critically Endangered Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) Blewitti in the Amravati District of Maharashtra, Central IndiaKannadasan Narasimmarajan and Subhasis MahatoWildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, IndiaINTRODUCTION[10]. It sat on a branch of thetree for about 10 minutes.The Forest OwletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewittiisin order to find other individuals or its nesting site;oneof the least known birds of India. The forest owletbut were unsuccessful. We approached the owlet up to awas first collected and described in 1872 by Blewitt [1].distance of 50 meters and got an opportunity to takeTheForest Owlet is Schedule I species protected underphotographs. We also carefully observed its plumage.theIndian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and is listed asThe crown, nape and back were unspotted brown,criticallyendangered species by IUCN 2003 (C2a)sharply contrasting with the broadly blackish and whitecategory in Red Data list [2]. It was considered extinct forbanded tail. The breast looked entirely dull brown,113 years, until its rediscovery on November 25, 1997,contrasting sharply with the white belly [11].inToranmal Reserve Forest of Shahada NandurbarOne week later, on another occasion we recuedadistrict, Maharashtra [1, 3-4]. Here we present the twoforest owlet in Amravati territorial forest guest house onopportunistic observations of Forest Owlet which were25 April 2011 where we resided in the territorial forestrecordedin two different localities on 14and 25Aprildivision guest house (20°55’39” N; 77°59’48” E).th2011 at Melghat Tiger Reserve and near AmravatiApparently the guest house was constructed in the forestterritorialforest area in Amravati district of Maharashtra.area (dry deciduous), fortunately the forest couldn’tDuring the survey on Tigers, co-predators and theircomes under any reserve. At 17:12 hrs we rescued a forestprey in Melghat tiger reserve, which is situated inowlet, unfortunately we were unable to photograph it duesouthern offshoot of Satpura Mountain range.to lack of camera. We were unable to determine the caseThe 1676.39 kmtiger reserve was established in 1973 isof the injury. The bird left eye was swollen and waslieson Amravati and Akola districts. Apparently theunable to fly. We provided water and first aid andhabitat of Melghat Tiger Reserve includes the Forestkept the bird in a safe place and we observed it plumage.Owlet reported by several studies [4-9]. But in the preciseThe rescued forest owlet precisely had collar visible andmannerphotographic observation of a rare and criticallywithout white spots, the crown is dull brown and uniform,endangered species is worth document. body plumage has mantle largely unspotted, moreover theOn 14 April 2011, 12: 33 hrs, a Forest Owlet wastail pattern is broadly banded with dark brown and whitespotted while returning from the transect survey inbands and most importantly the wings are broader andGurgipatti beat which lies in the undisturbed partbelowthe wings brown breast and black and white,ofthe core zone through compartment number 883wings are not pointed but primary and secondary inners(21° 36' 94" N; 75° 53' 147" E). The forest owlet washad white tip. photographed in on a Tectona grandis the dominant treeThereafter two and half hours later the bird flew fromspecies in the area. The heights of the trees rangedthe place where we kept and perched onabetween 10-30m. At about 12:33 hrs an owlet flewTerminalia tomentosa tree, whereas the areapast us and we noted the plumage pattern and colour.has dry deciduous forest ofTectona grandisWefollowed the bird and with the help of a field guideDendrocalamus strictus and other associated plantconfirmed it to be the critically endangered forest owletspecies in its habitat includes Terminalia tomentosa,There after we followed the bird for about thirty minutes World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.3.73184Corresponding Author:Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India. 240Noteworthy Records of Critically Endangered Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) Blewitti in the Amravati District of Maharashtra, Central IndiaKannadasan Narasimmarajan and Subhasis MahatoWildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, IndiaINTRODUCTION[10]. It sat on a branch of thetree for about 10 minutes.The Forest OwletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewittiisin order to find other individuals or its nesting site;oneof the least known birds of India. The forest owletbut were unsuccessful. We approached the owlet up to awas first collected and described in 1872 by Blewitt [1].distance of 50 meters and got an opportunity to takeTheForest Owlet is Schedule I species protected underphotographs. We also carefully observed its plumage.theIndian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and is listed asThe crown, nape and back were unspotted brown,criticallyendangered species by IUCN 2003 (C2a)sharply contrasting with the broadly blackish and whitecategory in Red Data list [2]. It was considered extinct forbanded tail. The breast looked entirely dull brown,113 years, until its rediscovery on November 25, 1997,contrasting sharply with the white belly [11].inToranmal Reserve Forest of Shahada NandurbarOne week later, on another occasion we recuedadistrict, Maharashtra [1, 3-4]. Here we present the twoforest owlet in Amravati territorial forest guest house onopportunistic observations of Forest Owlet which were25 April 2011 where we resided in the territorial forestrecordedin two different localities on 14and 25Aprildivision guest house (20°55’39” N; 77°59’48” E).th2011 at Melghat Tiger Reserve and near AmravatiApparently the guest house was constructed in the forestterritorialforest area in Amravati district of Maharashtra.area (dry deciduous), fortunately the forest couldn’tDuring the survey on Tigers, co-predators and theircomes under any reserve. At 17:12 hrs we rescued a forestprey in Melghat tiger reserve, which is situated inowlet, unfortunately we were unable to photograph it duesouthern offshoot of Satpura Mountain range.to lack of camera. We were unable to determine the caseThe 1676.39 kmtiger reserve was established in 1973 isof the injury. The bird left eye was swollen and waslieson Amravati and Akola districts. Apparently theunable to fly. We provided water and first aid andhabitat of Melghat Tiger Reserve includes the Forestkept the bird in a safe place and we observed it plumage.Owlet reported by several studies [4-9]. But in the preciseThe rescued forest owlet precisely had collar visible andmannerphotographic observation of a rare and criticallywithout white spots, the crown is dull brown and uniform,endangered species is worth document. body plumage has mantle largely unspotted, moreover theOn 14 April 2011, 12: 33 hrs, a Forest Owlet wastail pattern is broadly banded with dark brown and whitespotted while returning from the transect survey inbands and most importantly the wings are broader andGurgipatti beat which lies in the undisturbed partbelowthe wings brown breast and black and white,ofthe core zone through compartment number 883wings are not pointed but primary and secondary inners(21° 36' 94" N; 75° 53' 147" E). The forest owlet washad white tip. photographed in on a Tectona grandis the dominant treeThereafter two and half hours later the bird flew fromspecies in the area. The heights of the trees rangedthe place where we kept and perched onabetween 10-30m. At about 12:33 hrs an owlet flewTerminalia tomentosa tree, whereas the areapast us and we noted the plumage pattern and colour.has dry deciduous forest ofTectona grandisWefollowed the bird and with the help of a field guideDendrocalamus strictus and other associated plantconfirmed it to be the critically endangered forest owletspecies in its habitat includes Terminalia tomentosa,There after we followed the bird for about thirty minutes World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013241Table 1: Locations of Forest owlet collections/observations in the Indian subcontinentSites nameHabitat TypeGPS CoordinateObserver and YearEastern MPDry deciduous----Blewitt (1872)(now) ChhattishgarhWesternmost OrrisaDry deciduous----Valentine Ball (1877)Taloda, Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous ----Davidson (1880 and 84)Shahada- ToranmalDry deciduous21° 49'N and 74°28'EKing and Rasmussen (1998)Taloda- Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous---Rasmussen and Ishtiaq (1999)Raipur villageDry deciduous21° 34'N and 77° 07'EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2000b)Khaknar FRDry deciduous----Jathar and Rahmani (2004)Yawal WLSDry deciduous21° 36' N and 75° 53' EChavan and Rithe (2009)AkraniDry deciduous21°49’N and 74°28’ EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2005)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Mehta, et.al. (2007)Northern MaharashtraDry deciduous---Yosef, et al. (2010)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Pande et al. (2011)Gurgipatti beat (Melghat TR)Dry deciduous21° 19’N and 76° 59’ EPresent record* Near Amravati,MaharashtraDry deciduous20°55’N and 77°59’ EPresent record*Fig. 1:Themapshowing few forest owletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti observations/recorded places in the Indiansubcontinant. Red dots are the present forest owlet records in the Amravati district of MaharashtraAnogeissus latifolia, Butea monosperma, Emblica400m to 600m, precisely all factors coexists withoffficinalis, oswellia serrata, Ougeinia oojeinensisandpresent records and this observations revealed that theLaegerstromia paviflora[12]. Habitat preference isaForest owlet may indeed be a habitat specificdynamic process as the natural systems are also dynamic(Table 1).The present record area (Amravati territorialandmany species are confined to specific habitat typesforest) was about 166 km southwards from the previous[7, 13]. Previous records of Forest owlets whereas all inrecord and it extending the distribution range where forestthe dry deciduous habitats, an altitudinal range betweenowlet recorded within Amravati district of Maharashtra. World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013242Fig. 2:AForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti on10.Pande,S., A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe and R. Yosef,Tectonagrandistree, Photographed on 14 April2011. Discovery of a possible hybrid of the Critically2011in Gurgipatti Beat, Melghat tiger reserve,EndangeredForest Owlet Athene blewitti andMaharashtra.SpottedOwlet Athene brama (Aves: Strigiformes)fromnorthern Maharashtra, India. Journal ofHowever the species may exist or approach up to theThreatened Taxa, 3: 1727-1730.urban limits, whereas the dry deciduous forests with11. Grimmett, R.C. and T.I. Inskipp, 1998. Birds of Indianmoderate canopy cover and favourable factors suchSubcontinent,Oxford University Press, New Delhi,perennial water source still exist. pp: 888.REFERENCESVocalizationsand behaviour of the Forest Owlet1.King, B.F. and P.C. Rasmussen, 1998.13.Narasimmarajan,K., B.B. Barman and Lalthan Puia,Therediscovery of the Forest Owlet Athene2012.Population density and group size of the Grey(Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail, 14: 53-55.Junglefowl(Gallus sonneratti) in the Melghat tiger2.IUCN.,2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.reserve,Maharashtra Central India. Journal ofVersion2010.4. www.iucnredlist. org. Downloaded onThreatened Taxa., 4(7): 2723-2726.01 January 2013.14.Chavan,R.A. and K.D. Rithe, 2009. An occurrence3.Rasmussen, P.C. and N.J. Collar, 1998.andBreeding record of the Forest Owlet AtheneIdentification,distribution and status of the Forest(Heteroglaux) blewitti from Yawal Wildlife sanctuary,Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail,Maharashtra, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.,14: 43-51.106(2): 207-208.4.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2005. The forest Owlet15. Davidson, J., 1881. Rough list of the birds of westernAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti vocalization,Khandesh. Stray Feathers, 10: 279-327.breeding biology and conservation Ibis, 147: 197-205.16.Ball, V., 1877. Notes on birds observed in5.Ishtiaq,I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000a. Cronism in thetheregion between the Mahanadi and GodavariForestOwlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktailrivers. Stray Feathers, 5: 410-420.16: 172-174. 6.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000b.Furtherinformation on status and distribution ofForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail,16: 125-130. 7.Jathar, G.A. and A.R. Rahmani, 2004.Ecologicalstudies of the forest spotted owlet Athene(Heteroglaux)blewitti. Technical report. BombayNatural History Society, Mumbai, India, pp: 77.8.Mehta, P., J. Kulkarni, D. Patil, P. Kolte andP. Khatavkar, 2007. A survey of critically endangeredforest owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti in CentralIndia. Final report. Envirosearch, Pune.9.Yosef,R., S.A. Pande, A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe andL.Mitchell, 2010. Interspecific intera-ctions of thecriticallyendangered Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti).Acta Ethologica, 13: 63-67.12.Rasmussen, P.C. and F. Ishtiaq, 1999.Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail, 15: 61-65. World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.3.73184Corresponding Author:Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India. 240Noteworthy Records of Critically Endangered Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) Blewitti in the Amravati District of Maharashtra, Central IndiaKannadasan Narasimmarajan and Subhasis MahatoWildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, IndiaINTRODUCTION[10]. It sat on a branch of thetree for about 10 minutes.The Forest OwletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewittiisin order to find other individuals or its nesting site;oneof the least known birds of India. The forest owletbut were unsuccessful. We approached the owlet up to awas first collected and described in 1872 by Blewitt [1].distance of 50 meters and got an opportunity to takeTheForest Owlet is Schedule I species protected underphotographs. We also carefully observed its plumage.theIndian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and is listed asThe crown, nape and back were unspotted brown,criticallyendangered species by IUCN 2003 (C2a)sharply contrasting with the broadly blackish and whitecategory in Red Data list [2]. It was considered extinct forbanded tail. The breast looked entirely dull brown,113 years, until its rediscovery on November 25, 1997,contrasting sharply with the white belly [11].inToranmal Reserve Forest of Shahada NandurbarOne week later, on another occasion we recuedadistrict, Maharashtra [1, 3-4]. Here we present the twoforest owlet in Amravati territorial forest guest house onopportunistic observations of Forest Owlet which were25 April 2011 where we resided in the territorial forestrecordedin two different localities on 14and 25Aprildivision guest house (20°55’39” N; 77°59’48” E).th2011 at Melghat Tiger Reserve and near AmravatiApparently the guest house was constructed in the forestterritorialforest area in Amravati district of Maharashtra.area (dry deciduous), fortunately the forest couldn’tDuring the survey on Tigers, co-predators and theircomes under any reserve. At 17:12 hrs we rescued a forestprey in Melghat tiger reserve, which is situated inowlet, unfortunately we were unable to photograph it duesouthern offshoot of Satpura Mountain range.to lack of camera. We were unable to determine the caseThe 1676.39 kmtiger reserve was established in 1973 isof the injury. The bird left eye was swollen and waslieson Amravati and Akola districts. Apparently theunable to fly. We provided water and first aid andhabitat of Melghat Tiger Reserve includes the Forestkept the bird in a safe place and we observed it plumage.Owlet reported by several studies [4-9]. But in the preciseThe rescued forest owlet precisely had collar visible andmannerphotographic observation of a rare and criticallywithout white spots, the crown is dull brown and uniform,endangered species is worth document. body plumage has mantle largely unspotted, moreover theOn 14 April 2011, 12: 33 hrs, a Forest Owlet wastail pattern is broadly banded with dark brown and whitespotted while returning from the transect survey inbands and most importantly the wings are broader andGurgipatti beat which lies in the undisturbed partbelowthe wings brown breast and black and white,ofthe core zone through compartment number 883wings are not pointed but primary and secondary inners(21° 36' 94" N; 75° 53' 147" E). The forest owlet washad white tip. photographed in on a Tectona grandis the dominant treeThereafter two and half hours later the bird flew fromspecies in the area. The heights of the trees rangedthe place where we kept and perched onabetween 10-30m. At about 12:33 hrs an owlet flewTerminalia tomentosa tree, whereas the areapast us and we noted the plumage pattern and colour.has dry deciduous forest ofTectona grandisWefollowed the bird and with the help of a field guideDendrocalamus strictus and other associated plantconfirmed it to be the critically endangered forest owletspecies in its habitat includes Terminalia tomentosa,There after we followed the bird for about thirty minutes World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013241Table 1: Locations of Forest owlet collections/observations in the Indian subcontinentSites nameHabitat TypeGPS CoordinateObserver and YearEastern MPDry deciduous----Blewitt (1872)(now) ChhattishgarhWesternmost OrrisaDry deciduous----Valentine Ball (1877)Taloda, Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous ----Davidson (1880 and 84)Shahada- ToranmalDry deciduous21° 49'N and 74°28'EKing and Rasmussen (1998)Taloda- Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous---Rasmussen and Ishtiaq (1999)Raipur villageDry deciduous21° 34'N and 77° 07'EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2000b)Khaknar FRDry deciduous----Jathar and Rahmani (2004)Yawal WLSDry deciduous21° 36' N and 75° 53' EChavan and Rithe (2009)AkraniDry deciduous21°49’N and 74°28’ EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2005)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Mehta, et.al. (2007)Northern MaharashtraDry deciduous---Yosef, et al. (2010)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Pande et al. (2011)Gurgipatti beat (Melghat TR)Dry deciduous21° 19’N and 76° 59’ EPresent record* Near Amravati,MaharashtraDry deciduous20°55’N and 77°59’ EPresent record*Fig. 1:Themapshowing few forest owletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti observations/recorded places in the Indiansubcontinant. Red dots are the present forest owlet records in the Amravati district of MaharashtraAnogeissus latifolia, Butea monosperma, Emblica400m to 600m, precisely all factors coexists withoffficinalis, oswellia serrata, Ougeinia oojeinensisandpresent records and this observations revealed that theLaegerstromia paviflora[12]. Habitat preference isaForest owlet may indeed be a habitat specificdynamic process as the natural systems are also dynamic(Table 1).The present record area (Amravati territorialandmany species are confined to specific habitat typesforest) was about 166 km southwards from the previous[7, 13]. Previous records of Forest owlets whereas all inrecord and it extending the distribution range where forestthe dry deciduous habitats, an altitudinal range betweenowlet recorded within Amravati district of Maharashtra. World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013242Fig. 2:AForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti on10.Pande,S., A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe and R. Yosef,Tectonagrandistree, Photographed on 14 April2011. Discovery of a possible hybrid of the Critically2011in Gurgipatti Beat, Melghat tiger reserve,EndangeredForest Owlet Athene blewitti andMaharashtra.SpottedOwlet Athene brama (Aves: Strigiformes)fromnorthern Maharashtra, India. Journal ofHowever the species may exist or approach up to theThreatened Taxa, 3: 1727-1730.urban limits, whereas the dry deciduous forests with11. Grimmett, R.C. and T.I. Inskipp, 1998. Birds of Indianmoderate canopy cover and favourable factors suchSubcontinent,Oxford University Press, New Delhi,perennial water source still exist. pp: 888.REFERENCESVocalizationsand behaviour of the Forest Owlet1.King, B.F. and P.C. Rasmussen, 1998.13.Narasimmarajan,K., B.B. Barman and Lalthan Puia,Therediscovery of the Forest Owlet Athene2012.Population density and group size of the Grey(Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail, 14: 53-55.Junglefowl(Gallus sonneratti) in the Melghat tiger2.IUCN.,2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.reserve,Maharashtra Central India. Journal ofVersion2010.4. www.iucnredlist. org. Downloaded onThreatened Taxa., 4(7): 2723-2726.01 January 2013.14.Chavan,R.A. and K.D. Rithe, 2009. An occurrence3.Rasmussen, P.C. and N.J. Collar, 1998.andBreeding record of the Forest Owlet AtheneIdentification,distribution and status of the Forest(Heteroglaux) blewitti from Yawal Wildlife sanctuary,Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail,Maharashtra, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.,14: 43-51.106(2): 207-208.4.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2005. The forest Owlet15. Davidson, J., 1881. Rough list of the birds of westernAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti vocalization,Khandesh. Stray Feathers, 10: 279-327.breeding biology and conservation Ibis, 147: 197-205.16.Ball, V., 1877. Notes on birds observed in5.Ishtiaq,I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000a. Cronism in thetheregion between the Mahanadi and GodavariForestOwlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktailrivers. Stray Feathers, 5: 410-420.16: 172-174. 6.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000b.Furtherinformation on status and distribution ofForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail,16: 125-130. 7.Jathar, G.A. and A.R. Rahmani, 2004.Ecologicalstudies of the forest spotted owlet Athene(Heteroglaux)blewitti. Technical report. BombayNatural History Society, Mumbai, India, pp: 77.8.Mehta, P., J. Kulkarni, D. Patil, P. Kolte andP. Khatavkar, 2007. A survey of critically endangeredforest owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti in CentralIndia. Final report. Envirosearch, Pune.9.Yosef,R., S.A. Pande, A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe andL.Mitchell, 2010. Interspecific intera-ctions of thecriticallyendangered Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti).Acta Ethologica, 13: 63-67.12.Rasmussen, P.C. and F. Ishtiaq, 1999.Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail, 15: 61-65. World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.3.73184Corresponding Author:Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India. 240Noteworthy Records of Critically Endangered Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) Blewitti in the Amravati District of Maharashtra, Central IndiaKannadasan Narasimmarajan and Subhasis MahatoWildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, IndiaINTRODUCTION[10]. It sat on a branch of thetree for about 10 minutes.The Forest OwletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewittiisin order to find other individuals or its nesting site;oneof the least known birds of India. The forest owletbut were unsuccessful. We approached the owlet up to awas first collected and described in 1872 by Blewitt [1].distance of 50 meters and got an opportunity to takeTheForest Owlet is Schedule I species protected underphotographs. We also carefully observed its plumage.theIndian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and is listed asThe crown, nape and back were unspotted brown,criticallyendangered species by IUCN 2003 (C2a)sharply contrasting with the broadly blackish and whitecategory in Red Data list [2]. It was considered extinct forbanded tail. The breast looked entirely dull brown,113 years, until its rediscovery on November 25, 1997,contrasting sharply with the white belly [11].inToranmal Reserve Forest of Shahada NandurbarOne week later, on another occasion we recuedadistrict, Maharashtra [1, 3-4]. Here we present the twoforest owlet in Amravati territorial forest guest house onopportunistic observations of Forest Owlet which were25 April 2011 where we resided in the territorial forestrecordedin two different localities on 14and 25Aprildivision guest house (20°55’39” N; 77°59’48” E).th2011 at Melghat Tiger Reserve and near AmravatiApparently the guest house was constructed in the forestterritorialforest area in Amravati district of Maharashtra.area (dry deciduous), fortunately the forest couldn’tDuring the survey on Tigers, co-predators and theircomes under any reserve. At 17:12 hrs we rescued a forestprey in Melghat tiger reserve, which is situated inowlet, unfortunately we were unable to photograph it duesouthern offshoot of Satpura Mountain range.to lack of camera. We were unable to determine the caseThe 1676.39 kmtiger reserve was established in 1973 isof the injury. The bird left eye was swollen and waslieson Amravati and Akola districts. Apparently theunable to fly. We provided water and first aid andhabitat of Melghat Tiger Reserve includes the Forestkept the bird in a safe place and we observed it plumage.Owlet reported by several studies [4-9]. But in the preciseThe rescued forest owlet precisely had collar visible andmannerphotographic observation of a rare and criticallywithout white spots, the crown is dull brown and uniform,endangered species is worth document. body plumage has mantle largely unspotted, moreover theOn 14 April 2011, 12: 33 hrs, a Forest Owlet wastail pattern is broadly banded with dark brown and whitespotted while returning from the transect survey inbands and most importantly the wings are broader andGurgipatti beat which lies in the undisturbed partbelowthe wings brown breast and black and white,ofthe core zone through compartment number 883wings are not pointed but primary and secondary inners(21° 36' 94" N; 75° 53' 147" E). The forest owlet washad white tip. photographed in on a Tectona grandis the dominant treeThereafter two and half hours later the bird flew fromspecies in the area. The heights of the trees rangedthe place where we kept and perched onabetween 10-30m. At about 12:33 hrs an owlet flewTerminalia tomentosa tree, whereas the areapast us and we noted the plumage pattern and colour.has dry deciduous forest ofTectona grandisWefollowed the bird and with the help of a field guideDendrocalamus strictus and other associated plantconfirmed it to be the critically endangered forest owletspecies in its habitat includes Terminalia tomentosa,There after we followed the bird for about thirty minutes World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013241Table 1: Locations of Forest owlet collections/observations in the Indian subcontinentSites nameHabitat TypeGPS CoordinateObserver and YearEastern MPDry deciduous----Blewitt (1872)(now) ChhattishgarhWesternmost OrrisaDry deciduous----Valentine Ball (1877)Taloda, Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous ----Davidson (1880 and 84)Shahada- ToranmalDry deciduous21° 49'N and 74°28'EKing and Rasmussen (1998)Taloda- Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous---Rasmussen and Ishtiaq (1999)Raipur villageDry deciduous21° 34'N and 77° 07'EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2000b)Khaknar FRDry deciduous----Jathar and Rahmani (2004)Yawal WLSDry deciduous21° 36' N and 75° 53' EChavan and Rithe (2009)AkraniDry deciduous21°49’N and 74°28’ EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2005)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Mehta, et.al. (2007)Northern MaharashtraDry deciduous---Yosef, et al. (2010)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Pande et al. (2011)Gurgipatti beat (Melghat TR)Dry deciduous21° 19’N and 76° 59’ EPresent record* Near Amravati,MaharashtraDry deciduous20°55’N and 77°59’ EPresent record*Fig. 1:Themapshowing few forest owletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti observations/recorded places in the Indiansubcontinant. Red dots are the present forest owlet records in the Amravati district of MaharashtraAnogeissus latifolia, Butea monosperma, Emblica400m to 600m, precisely all factors coexists withoffficinalis, oswellia serrata, Ougeinia oojeinensisandpresent records and this observations revealed that theLaegerstromia paviflora[12]. Habitat preference isaForest owlet may indeed be a habitat specificdynamic process as the natural systems are also dynamic(Table 1).The present record area (Amravati territorialandmany species are confined to specific habitat typesforest) was about 166 km southwards from the previous[7, 13]. Previous records of Forest owlets whereas all inrecord and it extending the distribution range where forestthe dry deciduous habitats, an altitudinal range betweenowlet recorded within Amravati district of Maharashtra. World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013242Fig. 2:AForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti on10.Pande,S., A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe and R. Yosef,Tectonagrandistree, Photographed on 14 April2011. Discovery of a possible hybrid of the Critically2011in Gurgipatti Beat, Melghat tiger reserve,EndangeredForest Owlet Athene blewitti andMaharashtra.SpottedOwlet Athene brama (Aves: Strigiformes)fromnorthern Maharashtra, India. Journal ofHowever the species may exist or approach up to theThreatened Taxa, 3: 1727-1730.urban limits, whereas the dry deciduous forests with11. Grimmett, R.C. and T.I. Inskipp, 1998. Birds of Indianmoderate canopy cover and favourable factors suchSubcontinent,Oxford University Press, New Delhi,perennial water source still exist. pp: 888.REFERENCESVocalizationsand behaviour of the Forest Owlet1.King, B.F. and P.C. Rasmussen, 1998.13.Narasimmarajan,K., B.B. Barman and Lalthan Puia,Therediscovery of the Forest Owlet Athene2012.Population density and group size of the Grey(Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail, 14: 53-55.Junglefowl(Gallus sonneratti) in the Melghat tiger2.IUCN.,2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.reserve,Maharashtra Central India. Journal ofVersion2010.4. www.iucnredlist. org. Downloaded onThreatened Taxa., 4(7): 2723-2726.01 January 2013.14.Chavan,R.A. and K.D. Rithe, 2009. An occurrence3.Rasmussen, P.C. and N.J. Collar, 1998.andBreeding record of the Forest Owlet AtheneIdentification,distribution and status of the Forest(Heteroglaux) blewitti from Yawal Wildlife sanctuary,Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail,Maharashtra, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.,14: 43-51.106(2): 207-208.4.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2005. The forest Owlet15. Davidson, J., 1881. Rough list of the birds of westernAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti vocalization,Khandesh. Stray Feathers, 10: 279-327.breeding biology and conservation Ibis, 147: 197-205.16.Ball, V., 1877. Notes on birds observed in5.Ishtiaq,I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000a. Cronism in thetheregion between the Mahanadi and GodavariForestOwlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktailrivers. Stray Feathers, 5: 410-420.16: 172-174. 6.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000b.Furtherinformation on status and distribution ofForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail,16: 125-130. 7.Jathar, G.A. and A.R. Rahmani, 2004.Ecologicalstudies of the forest spotted owlet Athene(Heteroglaux)blewitti. Technical report. BombayNatural History Society, Mumbai, India, pp: 77.8.Mehta, P., J. Kulkarni, D. Patil, P. Kolte andP. Khatavkar, 2007. A survey of critically endangeredforest owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti in CentralIndia. Final report. Envirosearch, Pune.9.Yosef,R., S.A. Pande, A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe andL.Mitchell, 2010. Interspecific intera-ctions of thecriticallyendangered Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti).Acta Ethologica, 13: 63-67.12.Rasmussen, P.C. and F. Ishtiaq, 1999.Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail, 15: 61-65. World Journal of Zoology 8 (3): 240-242, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.3.73184Corresponding Author:Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, India. 240Noteworthy Records of Critically Endangered Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) Blewitti in the Amravati District of Maharashtra, Central IndiaKannadasan Narasimmarajan and Subhasis MahatoWildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun-248001, IndiaINTRODUCTION[10]. It sat on a branch of thetree for about 10 minutes.The Forest OwletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewittiisin order to find other individuals or its nesting site;oneof the least known birds of India. The forest owletbut were unsuccessful. We approached the owlet up to awas first collected and described in 1872 by Blewitt [1].distance of 50 meters and got an opportunity to takeTheForest Owlet is Schedule I species protected underphotographs. We also carefully observed its plumage.theIndian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and is listed asThe crown, nape and back were unspotted brown,criticallyendangered species by IUCN 2003 (C2a)sharply contrasting with the broadly blackish and whitecategory in Red Data list [2]. It was considered extinct forbanded tail. The breast looked entirely dull brown,113 years, until its rediscovery on November 25, 1997,contrasting sharply with the white belly [11].inToranmal Reserve Forest of Shahada NandurbarOne week later, on another occasion we recuedadistrict, Maharashtra [1, 3-4]. Here we present the twoforest owlet in Amravati territorial forest guest house onopportunistic observations of Forest Owlet which were25 April 2011 where we resided in the territorial forestrecordedin two different localities on 14and 25Aprildivision guest house (20°55’39” N; 77°59’48” E).th2011 at Melghat Tiger Reserve and near AmravatiApparently the guest house was constructed in the forestterritorialforest area in Amravati district of Maharashtra.area (dry deciduous), fortunately the forest couldn’tDuring the survey on Tigers, co-predators and theircomes under any reserve. At 17:12 hrs we rescued a forestprey in Melghat tiger reserve, which is situated inowlet, unfortunately we were unable to photograph it duesouthern offshoot of Satpura Mountain range.to lack of camera. We were unable to determine the caseThe 1676.39 kmtiger reserve was established in 1973 isof the injury. The bird left eye was swollen and waslieson Amravati and Akola districts. Apparently theunable to fly. We provided water and first aid andhabitat of Melghat Tiger Reserve includes the Forestkept the bird in a safe place and we observed it plumage.Owlet reported by several studies [4-9]. But in the preciseThe rescued forest owlet precisely had collar visible andmannerphotographic observation of a rare and criticallywithout white spots, the crown is dull brown and uniform,endangered species is worth document. body plumage has mantle largely unspotted, moreover theOn 14 April 2011, 12: 33 hrs, a Forest Owlet wastail pattern is broadly banded with dark brown and whitespotted while returning from the transect survey inbands and most importantly the wings are broader andGurgipatti beat which lies in the undisturbed partbelowthe wings brown breast and black and white,ofthe core zone through compartment number 883wings are not pointed but primary and secondary inners(21° 36' 94" N; 75° 53' 147" E). The forest owlet washad white tip. photographed in on a Tectona grandis the dominant treeThereafter two and half hours later the bird flew fromspecies in the area. The heights of the trees rangedthe place where we kept and perched onabetween 10-30m. At about 12:33 hrs an owlet flewTerminalia tomentosa tree, whereas the areapast us and we noted the plumage pattern and colour.has dry deciduous forest ofTectona grandisWefollowed the bird and with the help of a field guideDendrocalamus strictus and other associated plantconfirmed it to be the critically endangered forest owletspecies in its habitat includes Terminalia tomentosa,There after we followed the bird for about thirty minutes World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013241Table 1: Locations of Forest owlet collections/observations in the Indian subcontinentSites nameHabitat TypeGPS CoordinateObserver and YearEastern MPDry deciduous----Blewitt (1872)(now) ChhattishgarhWesternmost OrrisaDry deciduous----Valentine Ball (1877)Taloda, Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous ----Davidson (1880 and 84)Shahada- ToranmalDry deciduous21° 49'N and 74°28'EKing and Rasmussen (1998)Taloda- Khandesh, MaharashtraDry deciduous---Rasmussen and Ishtiaq (1999)Raipur villageDry deciduous21° 34'N and 77° 07'EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2000b)Khaknar FRDry deciduous----Jathar and Rahmani (2004)Yawal WLSDry deciduous21° 36' N and 75° 53' EChavan and Rithe (2009)AkraniDry deciduous21°49’N and 74°28’ EIshtiaq and Rahmani (2005)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Mehta, et.al. (2007)Northern MaharashtraDry deciduous---Yosef, et al. (2010)Melghat TRDry deciduous---Pande et al. (2011)Gurgipatti beat (Melghat TR)Dry deciduous21° 19’N and 76° 59’ EPresent record* Near Amravati,MaharashtraDry deciduous20°55’N and 77°59’ EPresent record*Fig. 1:Themapshowing few forest owletAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti observations/recorded places in the Indiansubcontinant. Red dots are the present forest owlet records in the Amravati district of MaharashtraAnogeissus latifolia, Butea monosperma, Emblica400m to 600m, precisely all factors coexists withoffficinalis, oswellia serrata, Ougeinia oojeinensisandpresent records and this observations revealed that theLaegerstromia paviflora[12]. Habitat preference isaForest owlet may indeed be a habitat specificdynamic process as the natural systems are also dynamic(Table 1).The present record area (Amravati territorialandmany species are confined to specific habitat typesforest) was about 166 km southwards from the previous[7, 13]. Previous records of Forest owlets whereas all inrecord and it extending the distribution range where forestthe dry deciduous habitats, an altitudinal range betweenowlet recorded within Amravati district of Maharashtra. World J. Zool., 8 (3): 240-242, 2013242Fig. 2:AForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti on10.Pande,S., A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe and R. Yosef,Tectonagrandistree, Photographed on 14 April2011. Discovery of a possible hybrid of the Critically2011in Gurgipatti Beat, Melghat tiger reserve,EndangeredForest Owlet Athene blewitti andMaharashtra.SpottedOwlet Athene brama (Aves: Strigiformes)fromnorthern Maharashtra, India. Journal ofHowever the species may exist or approach up to theThreatened Taxa, 3: 1727-1730.urban limits, whereas the dry deciduous forests with11. Grimmett, R.C. and T.I. Inskipp, 1998. Birds of Indianmoderate canopy cover and favourable factors suchSubcontinent,Oxford University Press, New Delhi,perennial water source still exist. pp: 888.REFERENCESVocalizationsand behaviour of the Forest Owlet1.King, B.F. and P.C. Rasmussen, 1998.13.Narasimmarajan,K., B.B. Barman and Lalthan Puia,Therediscovery of the Forest Owlet Athene2012.Population density and group size of the Grey(Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail, 14: 53-55.Junglefowl(Gallus sonneratti) in the Melghat tiger2.IUCN.,2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.reserve,Maharashtra Central India. Journal ofVersion2010.4. www.iucnredlist. org. Downloaded onThreatened Taxa., 4(7): 2723-2726.01 January 2013.14.Chavan,R.A. and K.D. Rithe, 2009. An occurrence3.Rasmussen, P.C. and N.J. Collar, 1998.andBreeding record of the Forest Owlet AtheneIdentification,distribution and status of the Forest(Heteroglaux) blewitti from Yawal Wildlife sanctuary,Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktail,Maharashtra, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.,14: 43-51.106(2): 207-208.4.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2005. The forest Owlet15. Davidson, J., 1881. Rough list of the birds of westernAthene (Heteroglaux) blewitti vocalization,Khandesh. Stray Feathers, 10: 279-327.breeding biology and conservation Ibis, 147: 197-205.16.Ball, V., 1877. Notes on birds observed in5.Ishtiaq,I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000a. Cronism in thetheregion between the Mahanadi and GodavariForestOwlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti Forktailrivers. Stray Feathers, 5: 410-420.16: 172-174. 6.Ishtiaq, I. and A.R. Rahmani, 2000b.Furtherinformation on status and distribution ofForest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail,16: 125-130. 7.Jathar, G.A. and A.R. Rahmani, 2004.Ecologicalstudies of the forest spotted owlet Athene(Heteroglaux)blewitti. Technical report. BombayNatural History Society, Mumbai, India, pp: 77.8.Mehta, P., J. Kulkarni, D. Patil, P. Kolte andP. Khatavkar, 2007. A survey of critically endangeredforest owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti in CentralIndia. Final report. Envirosearch, Pune.9.Yosef,R., S.A. Pande, A. Pawashe, R. Kasambe andL.Mitchell, 2010. Interspecific intera-ctions of thecriticallyendangered Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti).Acta Ethologica, 13: 63-67.12.Rasmussen, P.C. and F. Ishtiaq, 1999.Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail, 15: 61-65.