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Site description (2004 baseline):

Thaishola lies at the southwestern end of the Nilgiri Hills (Zarri et al. 2002). Taia Shola (= mother forest in Tamil) as the name suggests is a large, dense, undisturbed natural forest. A considerable area of the forest was reclaimed for tea plantation in the past, but now the remaining area is well protected. The forest, being undisturbed, harbours a host of resident and migratory bird species. There have been few botanical explorations in this area, while research on the bird community was almost nonexistent until the recent initiative by the BNHS. The major vegetation type at this site is Shola (Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forest) as classified by Champion and Seth (1968). Rhododendron nilagiricum, Rubus spp., Strobilanthes spp., Rhodomyrtes tomentosa, Solanum spp. are among the species commonly seen at the forest edges. These forests also harbour in their dense undergrowth a variety of ground as well as epiphytic orchids. The forest at this IBA is generally tall, up to 20 m. There is no grassland in the vicinity, but a few patches of plantation can be seen at the fringes. Thick shola stretches over the top of the hill, and is surrounded by the tea plantations of the Thaishola Tea Estate.

AVIFAUNA: Thaishola is an important area for conservation of threatened birds in the Upper Nilgiris. Several species, including the Malabar Trogon Harpactes fasciatus, Grey-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus priocephalus and Yellow-browed Bulbul Iole indica have been recorded from this IBA. Threatened species such as the Nilgiri Laughingthrush Garrulax cachinnans, the Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon Columba elphinstonii and the White-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx major are frequently sighted in this pristine shola habitat (Zarri et al. 2002). This site is also home to several resident and migrant raptor species, including the White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa, the Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, the Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela and the Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis. The site lies in the Western Ghats Endemic Bird Area (EBA) where Stattersfield et al. (1998) have listed 16 restricted range species. Seven of them are found in Thaishola. All the five restricted range species associated with Wet Temperate and Subtropical Broadleaf Hill Forest (Stattersfield et al. 1998) are found. This site is located in Biome-10 (Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forests). Fifteen species represent this biome. Five have been recorded in this site. The site is an important wintering area for many birds that are listed in other biomes such as the Tickell’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis, Large-billed Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris and Indian Blue Robin Luscinia brunnea. This site qualifies three IBA criteria: A1 because it has globally threatened species; A2 because it has seven restricted range species confined to the Western Ghats EBA; and, A3 because it has many biome-restricted species.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: Thaishola harbours almost all the mammals species expected in a Montane Evergreen shola habitat. Troops of Nilgiri Langur Trachypithecus johni are seen or heard throughout the forest. Tiger Panthera tigris, and Leopard P. pardus are uncommonly sighted and their major prey Sambar Cervus unicolor and Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak are very common. The Asian Elephants Elephas maximus frequent this site during their seasonal migration through the Nilgiris. Golden Jackal Canis aureus and packs of Wild Dog Cuon alpinus are also commonly reported. Besides, the Forest provides home to a number of small carnivores such as the Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, Common mongoose Herpestes edwardsi, and lesser cats.

Thaishola is under the control of the Forest Department and the surrounding land under the Thaishola Tea Estate management. Though the present estate management has taken special care and strictly controls human disturbance of any sort from the resident workers, commercial interests in future could become a problem for the area. Presently the Thaishola Tea Estate is organic-in-progress, and has minimized the use of inorganic pesticides, which are potentially hazardous to the birds in particular. The inclusion of this IBA site in the neighbouring Mukurthi National Park (another IBA) could safeguard this important forest from future commercial exploitation. Fortunately, grazing, the bane of all Indian forests, is not seen in Thaishola. Similarly, poaching appears to be minimal due to the protection afforded by the tea estate management and the Forest Department.

Key contributor: Ashfaq Ahmed Zarri.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Thaishola (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/thaishola-iba-india on 22/11/2024.