Faunal survey adds six first-time species records for Periyar Tiger Reserve
A four-day faunal survey in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (Thekkady area, Idukki district, Kerala) recorded six species not previously documented in the reserve: the golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis), the common onyx butterfly (Horaga onyx), and four odonate species—parakeet darner (Gynacantha millardi), fraser’s clubtail (Acrogomphus fraseri), spiny horntail (Burmagomphus chaukulensis), and nilgiri clawtail (Lamelligomphus nilgiriensis). The article says the reserve’s cumulative totals now stand at 347 bird species, 284 butterfly species, and an odonate checklist of 111 species for PTR.
These new distribution records expand the evidence base used to track species presence and habitat use in Periyar Tiger Reserve, supporting long-term conservation planning and management decisions.