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Site description (2004 baseline):

Sei Dam, on the River Sei, forms a large water reservoir used mainly for irrigation by the local tribal population. The reservoir serves as an important wintering ground for migratory birds. At the peak period of migration, congregations of more than 10,000 birds can be seen at the site. Moreover, the site falls in the belt of Gogunda-Pindwara Forests, which were once considered important breeding ground for the avifauna (Satish K. Sharma pers. comm. 2003). Due to human activities, this belt is quite disturbed, leaving only fragmented patches of natural forest. Seri Dam is around 90 km by road from Udaipur City on the Udaipur-Pindwara Road. Important flora around the Sei waterbody consists of Anogeissus latifolia, Boswellia serrata, Phoenix sylvestris, Sterculia urens, Mangifera indica, Syzygium heynianum, Butea monosperma, Ficus bengalensis and Vitex negundo.

AVIFAUNA: The site harbours around 200 birds species (Satish K. Sharma pers. comm. 2003) and lies in Biome-11. The BirdLife International (undated) has listed 59 species in Biome-11. In the forests surrounding the Sei Dam, about 30 out of these 59 species are known to occur. We have included this site as on IBA mainly because a stretch of thorn forest from Sei Dam to Anadara is important for the globally threatened White-winged Black Tit or Pied Tit Parus nuchalis and the Green Munia Amandava formosa. As the thorn forest is still present, although in degraded condition, it could be quite important for these two species. Detailed studies are urgently required. In the shallow zones of the reservoir, Sarus Crane Grus antigone is found, but it is not known how significant this site is for this species. Kulshreshtha (2002) has seen 17 waterbirds in the Sei Dam, including 25 Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus and Oriental White Ibis or Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus but none of them were in any significant numbers. Therefore, this site is identified as an IBA more for the presence of Pied Tit and Green Munia, than for its waterfowl population.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: The forest area surrounding the site harbours Leopard Panthera pardus, Hyena Hyaena hyaena, Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus, Four-horned Antelope, Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata, Porcupine Hystrix indica and Langur Semnopithecus entellus.

MAIN THREATS: Excessive fishing by tribals; Encroachment on marginal areas.

The area surrounding the Sei Dam is under the Forest Department. The tribal population around the site depends largely on fuelwood collection. Their cattle graze on the forest vegetation. To check these adverse factors in the forest areas adjoining the Dam, alternatives such as development of non-conventional energy resources (biogas plant installation) to meet the tribals fuel needs and development of pasture land to meet the problem of grazing, should be encouraged by the administration.

Key contributor: Satish K. Sharma.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sei Dam reservoir and surrounding environs (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sei-dam-reservoir-and-surrounding-environs-iba-india on 23/12/2024.