The Cochin Natural History Society (CNHS), in collaboration with the Kerala Forest Department and the College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, will conduct a bird survey in Malayattoor Forest Division in July and September.
The survey will be conducted in all habitats across the Malayattoor Forest Division. It is a follow-up to a bird survey conducted in March, 2011 by CNHS. During the first survey, 195 birds, including many Western Ghat endemics, were reported from the Malayattoor Reserve Forests and based on it, the Malayattoor Reserve Forests have been identified as Potential Important Bird Area (Potential IBA number 51).
The survey will be conducted in 64 locations spread across the Malayattoor Forest Division in two phases in July and September.
A seminar in this regard was held at the office of the Divisional Forest Officer, Malayattoor, at Kodanad recently.
The methodology, scope and importance of the survey were discussed at the seminar. The first phase of the survey will be held on July 22 and 23, across 30 locations in five ranges of the Malayattoor Division.
The survey results will be compared with the earlier results, and an analysis will help formulate conservation plans for the reserve forests.
