Data Zone
Country/territory: India
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 46,400 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2003 | not assessed | low | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2004 baseline)
Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the Lankamalai Hill ranges, is about 30 km from Cuddapah. This sanctuary was declared mainly for the Critically Endangered Jerdon’s Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus after its rediscovery in 1986 (Bhushan 1986). The major types of forest in this Sanctuary are Southern Tropical Thorn and Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous (Champion and Seth 1968). The Sanctuary bears dry deciduous forest in the higher elevations to scrub forest in the plains. Major floristic components of the scrub forest are thorny species of Acacia, Zizyphus and Carissa, and non-thorny species of Cassia, Hardwickia and Anogeissus. The Red Sandal Pterocarpus santalinus, endemic to Andhra Pradesh, occurs here.
Key biodiversity
AVIFAUNA: Nearly 200 bird species are found in this Sanctuary (P. Jeganathan and A. R. Rahmani in prep.). The Critically Endangered Jerdon’s Courser was restricted to a small patch of scrub jungle within this Sanctuary. Recent studies reveal that this bird is found in three more localities within the Sanctuary (Jeganathan 2002). The Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary has been selected on the basis of presence of a single species. It is a Secondary Area where a single Restricted Range species is found (Stattersfield et al. 1998).
OTHER KEY FAUNA: Although the Sanctuary was declared with the sole purpose of protecting the habitat of the Jerdon’s Courser, many other species have benefited, perhaps more than the target species! Leopard Panthera pardus, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus, Chital Axis axis, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Chinkara Gazella bennettii and Wild Boar Sus scrofa are seen in the forested areas. Even the Wolf Canis lupus has been sighted a couple of times since the year 2000 (P. Jeganathan pers. comm. 2001).
Acknowledgements
Key contributor: Panchapakesan Jeganathan.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sri-lankamalleswara-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 22/11/2024.