Status and distribution of the White-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx major in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Goa, India

Abstract

The White-bellied Shortwing is a Globally Threatened, endemic bird found in the Western Ghats of southern India. Given the few recent records of the species from its range, its population is thought to have dwindled with increasing habitat fragmentation and disturbance. A previous survey covered the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu while this survey covers the states of Karnataka and Goa; thus together the two surveys cover the species' entire prospective range. The survey resulted in 11 sightings of White-bellied Shortwing in the unique shola forests. Encounter rates in Karnataka were much lower than in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while no shortwings were sighted in Goa. Effects of sampling effort and detectability were examined as probable causes of the low encounter rates and one site was re-sampled. Conservation problems are highlighted and suggestions are made.