Additions to birds of Goa, India

The link below highlights the presence of 3 birds not reported earlier from the State, the Slaty-legged Crake (Rallina eurizonoides), Spotted Creeper (Salpornis spilonotus) and Streaked Weaver (Ploceus manyar).
http://www.indianbirds.in/Archives2011_7.2.html

Nest in Sugarcane plantation in Keri-Sattari

Streaked Weaver - Male

The paper, as any scientific/peer reviewed paper would, contains the latest tally of birds for Goa which stands at 462. After the work by Heinz Lainer and his report on 420 birds, the Zoological Survey of India in 2008, through the Fauna of Goa series added 38 species. The report by ZSI is based on work of Heinz Lainer and the birds in Appendix (contains unconfirmed records of birds that are difficult to identify in the field or are frequently misidentified, or are contentious for various other reasons) were also included.


Though scientific papers would list the birds species from Goa as 462, personally I feel that the bird count of the State is actually 425, since only five species have been added after the work by Heinz, one by Paul Holt and four by I and Pankaj Lad.

This does not mean that the species listed as unconfirmed cannot be found in the State.While birding picks up as a hobby within the youth, the importance of keeping notes and observations seems to be on the wane. The need to emphasize on importance of regular observations, monitoring and above all maintain data over just weekend birding and photography is felt more as bird habitats fast shrink or deteriorate in our State.