The range of Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus (classified as Endangered) defines this Secondary Area. It is a poorly known nocturnal bird, recorded historically from the Penner and Godaveri valleys in Andhra Pradesh (east-central India; see map, p. 400) and was assumed extinct (King 1978-1979) until its rediscovery in January 1986. It is found in thin scrub on rocky and undulating ground including disturbed areas where regeneration is affected by grazing and firewood collection (Bhushan 1986a,b, Ali and Ripley 1987). Recent records are from an area of c.2,000 km² around the Lankamalai ranges (near the Penner valley) in southern Andhra Pradesh. Two protected areas, Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and Sri Venkateswara National Park, have recently been gazetted there, and a third is planned in a nearby area where the courser has been reported (Bhushan 1992).

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Endemic Bird Area factsheet: Eastern Andhra Pradesh. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/eba/factsheet/370 on 22/11/2024.