Data Zone
Country/territory: India
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 10,501 hectares (105.01 km2)
| 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)
Talakaveri Sanctuary, situated in the Western Ghats, is mostly covered with tropical evergreen forests. It derives its name from the source of the Cauvery river (tala = head). This point is also a pilgrimage centre (Lal et al. 1994). The Sanctuary is approached by a 115 km road from Mangalore (via Puttur, Sulya and Madikeri) to Bhagamandala, which is 8 km from the eastern boundary of the Sanctuary. A few coffee and cardamom plantations are present within the Sanctuary (Manjrekar 2000). The Sanctuary consists of Tropical Evergreen Forests, Tropical Semi-evergreen Forests and grasslands (Lal et al. 1994). Cane and bamboo are found in the lower storey, as also shrub species such as Strobilanthes sp., Leea sambucina and Pandanus sp. (Manjrekar 2000).
Key biodiversity
AVIFAUNA: There is not much information in the literature on this interesting Sanctuary, except for a popular article by Pittie (2000). He noted 62 species (A. Pittie in litt. 2003), including seven species listed in Biome-10 by BirdLife International (undated). According T. Shivanand (pers. comm. 2003) and A. Ahmad (in litt. 2002), this IBA has all the restricted range species, which should be expected here. Stattersfield et al. (1998) have listed 16 restricted range species in the Western Ghats Endemic Bird Area. This IBA has 13 of them. Only the Nilgiri Pipit Anthus nilghiriensis, Wynaad Laughingthrush Garrulax delesserti, and Nilgiri Laughingthrush G. cachinnans are missing, as they do not have a natural distribution so far north.
OTHER KEY FAUNA: This sanctuary has almost all the larger mammals seen in the Western Ghats such as the Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard P. pardus, Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Gaur Bos frontalis, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus, Bonnet Macaque Macaca radiata, Lion-tailed Macaque M. silenus, Common Langur Semnopithecus entellus, Chital Axis axis, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica and Common Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista petaurista. Smaller carnivores include the Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii, and wild cats.Pangolin Manis crassicaudata is also reported. Reptile and amphibian fauna are also rich but an authentic checklist is not available.
Acknowledgements
Key contributors: Thejaswi Shivanand and Ameen Ahmed.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/talakaveri-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 23/12/2024.