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Site description (2004 baseline):

Kailam Wildlife Sanctuary is located within the Kailam-Tipaimukh Hill Range in Churachandpur district. The terrain is mainly hilly, with a large number of streams, and thick forested hillsides. Most of the streams flow from this hill range into the Tuivai river. This is another lesser known area of Manipur state. A hydroelectric power project is proposed on the Tipaimukh river, which is likely to submerge part of the Sanctuary (R.K.Ranjan Singh pers. comm. 2003) This proposed data deficient IBA is covered with Tropical Evergreen and Semi-evergreen Forests and Bamboo brakes.

AVIFAUNA: General information on avifauna is lacking, due to which this IBA is considered as Data Deficient. According to A. U. Choudhury (pers. comm. 2003), the bird life is extremely rich, like most of the tropical rainforest areas of Manipur. The Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis, a Vulnerable species, and Grey Sibia Heterophasia gracilis (Restricted Range species) according to BirdLife International (2001) have been reported, but their status and distribution within the site is not known. There are records of Mrs Hume’s Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae from nearby areas (Choudhury 2002), so it may occur at this site also. This site is famous for five species of hornbills: Brown Anorrhinus tickelli, Rufous-necked, Great Pied Buceros bicornis, Wreathed Aceros undulatus and Oriental Pied Anthracoceros albirostris. Kailam WLS is located in the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area. There are 21 restricted range species in this EBA. Considering the extent of natural forests still remaining in this IBA, most of the restricted range species of the Eastern Himalayas EBA are likely to occur here. The greater part of the Sanctuary is at 1,000 m above msl, so it falls in Biome-9 (Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest). In the higher reaches, between 1,000 m and 2,000 m, Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest (Biome-8) is seen. At least 114 biomerestricted species are likely to occur here. A detailed investigation of this IBA is urgently needed.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: As in the case of avifauna, not much is known about the mammalian and reptilian fauna. However, the area lies in the general distribution range of the Leopard Panthera pardus, Golden Cat Catopuma temmincki, Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis, Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates hoolock, Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides and Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus.

MAIN THREATS: Construction of dam; Jhum cultivation; Hunting.

Construction of the proposed Tipaimukh hydroelectric dam is a threat to this IBA as it will submerg a large part of the primary tropical forests. There has been some jhum cultivation around the Sanctuary. Hunting is common in the area as in other areas dominated by indigenous tribes.

Key contributors: W. Rajesh Singh, Salam Rajesh, R. K. Ranjan Singh and Anwaruddin Choudhury.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kailam Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kailam-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 22/11/2024.