Data Zone
Country/territory: India
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 681 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2003 | not assessed | high | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2004 baseline)
Narcondam is a very small (681 ha) island, located about 140 km east of the nearest inhabited island Diglipur in the North Andaman group. The island is of volcanic origin and rises steeply to a central peak of 706 m. It is almost entirely covered with Evergreen and Moist Deciduous forest. Grassy slopes dominate the southern and southeast aspects of the hill (BirdLife International 2001). The island was notified as a sanctuary to protect the globally Threatened and highly endemic Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami, which is restricted to this tiny island. As Narcondam Island is remote and difficult to reach, there have been only seven to eight visits by ornithologists to date: Osmaston (1905), Baker (1927), Abdulali (1971,1974), Hussain (1984), Vijayan and Sankaran, (2000) and Yahya and Zarri (2000, 2002a). The island is covered with Tropical Evergreen forest, Semievergreen forest, Moist Deciduous forest, Littoral forest and Mangrove forest (Pande et al. 1991). The island bears old, dead and decaying trees, interlaced with thorny creepers and luxuriantly flowering tall trees (Yahya and Zarri 2002a). The flora on the higher reaches of the hill is mostly evergreen and consists of Dipterocarpus, Sideroxylon and Ficus trees. However, some deciduous species (Bombax insigne) are also present. The vegetation towards the summit is mostly Moist Evergreen with several epiphytes. The lower hills following the shoreline have both deciduous and evergreen trees such as Terminalia catappa, T. bialata and Caryota mitis. The shoreline has some introduced species such as coconut and banana.
Key biodiversity
AVIFAUNA: Narcondam Island has the distinction of being the sole area of distribution of the Narcondam Hornbill. This hornbill has one of the smallest natural ranges of any bird species in the world (BirdLife International 2001). Thus it a high priority species for conservation. Hussain (1984) estimated a population of more than 400 birds, while Ravi Sankaran estimated the total to be around 330-360 birds. However, based on systematic line transect methods, Yahya and Zarri (2002a) estimated 432 birds, with an approximate density of 72 birds/sq. km. Flocks of up to 50 birds have also been reported congregating on fruiting figs on this island (Yahya and Zarri 2002a). Vijayan and Sankaran (2000) found that the hornbills were not distributed evenly. Higher densities were seen along the ridge that bisects the island and low densities were seen in the northern part of the island. This could be due to differences in availability of fruiting trees during the study area. Details of ecology and behaviour are given by Hussain (1984), Vijayan and Sankaran (2000) and Yahya and Zarri (2002a). The Andaman Scops Owl Otus balli is the other globally Threatened and Restricted Range bird species present on the island. Yahya and Zarri (2000b) recorded 22 species during their one month survey, including a sighting of 11 Fairy Terns Gygis alba. A specimen collected over a hundred years ago in the Bay of Bengal is the only record of this bird within Indian limits (Ali and Ripley 1987).
OTHER KEY FAUNA: As Narcondam is a tiny volcanic island, not connected to land mass, terrestrial mammalian fauna is absent. However, Nicobar Flying Fox Pteropus faunulus and Narcondam Small Flying Fox Pteropus hypomelanus are the most common mammals on this island. Among reptiles, Andaman Dwarf Gecko Cnemaspis kandiana, widely distributed in Andaman and Malay Archipelago, is also found on Narcondam Island. The Andaman Day Gecko Phelsuma andamanense, is also restricted in distribution to the Andaman group (Daniel 2002). The Common Amphibious Sea Snake Laticauda laticauda, confined to the Bay of Bengal and Nicobar Island, is seen here, while the Andaman Water Monitor Varanus salvator andamanensis is the only large predator on the island and is a threat to the Narcondam Hornbill, especially its young ones.
Acknowledgements
Key contributors: Ravi Sankaran, Ashfaq Ahmed Zarri and H. S. A. Yahya.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Narcondam Island Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/narcondam-island-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 22/11/2024.