Muthukuzhi (India) IBA | Text | BirdLife International

IN289

Muthukuzhi

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Site description (2004 baseline):

Site location and context

Almost the entire area of Muthukuzhi lies within the Kalakad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) (part of Virapuli Reserved Forest annexed to KMTR). Some areas in and around the Upper Kodayar reservoir belong to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. This IBA is a transition zone from mid-elevation tropical wet evergreen forests to montane shola grasslands. There are extensive grasslands around the reservoir, and patches of evergreen forest on the slopes. The vegetation on the islands within the reservoir has been badly altered due to planting of non-indigenous species like Eucalyptus sp.

Key biodiversity

AVIFAUNA: Detailed information on avifauna is lacking, however, as this site is within the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, the birdlife is not very different from the Reserve. This is a Data Deficient site.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: Gaur Bos frontalis, Tiger Panthera tigiris, Leopard P. pardus, Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak, Mouse Deer Moschiola meminna, Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus, Nilgiri Langur Trachypithecus johnii, Brown-palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni and Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsi and many other mammals are recorded from this IBA (Johnsingh 2001).

Pressure/threats to key biodiversity

MAIN THREATS: Disturbance; Forest fires; Grazing; Exotic tree plantations; Invasive species.

Disturbance is caused due to reservoir and electricity board settlements, roads and operations. The other threats to this IBA are the fragmentation of habitat, exotic tree plantations programmes especially Eucalyptus sp., forest fires and grazing. The adjoining grasslands are grazed by cattle and feral buffalos.

Acknowledgements

Key contributors: Divya Mudappa, T. R. Shankar Raman and Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Muthukuzhi (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/muthukuzhi-iba-india on 23/12/2024.