Peechi Survey Adds 36 Species to Wildlife Checklist

A four-day wildlife survey in Kerala’s Peechi wildlife division, conducted from 8 to 11 October 2026, recorded 395 species of birds, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. It added 36 species to the division’s existing checklists: 22 butterflies, eight birds and six odonates.

Survey Coverage and Method

The Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department and the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS), Thiruvananthapuram, conducted the survey collaboratively. Teams worked from 10 designated base camps across Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Peechi–Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary and Chulannur Peafowl Sanctuary. The survey recorded birds, butterflies and odonates, a group comprising dragonflies and damselflies. It also noted sightings of tigers, leopards, herds of Asian elephants and gaurs; these mammal sightings were separate from the 395-species count of the three surveyed groups.

Species Recorded

The butterfly survey documented 174 species. New checklist entries included the Sahyadri plain puffin, common map, Sahyadri colour sergeant, bicolour ace and orange-spotted ace. Eleven of the recorded butterfly species are endemic to the Western Ghats. The odonate survey recorded 56 species, including six new entries for the division’s checklist. Eight of the recorded odonate species are endemic to the Western Ghats. Bird additions included the Malabar lark, purple heron, Siberian stonechat and eastern yellow wagtail; five recorded bird species are endemic to the Western Ghats.

Taxonomic and Regional Context

Odonata is the insect order that includes dragonflies and damselflies. Its aquatic immature stages, known as nymphs, develop in freshwater habitats before emerging as adults. Endemic species are naturally restricted to a particular geographic area or region. The Western Ghats extend along India’s western side and form a major mountain range. The survey’s records add species to the Peechi wildlife division checklists, while the mammal sightings include four large mammal groups: tigers, leopards, Asian elephants and gaurs.

Important Facts for Exams

• The survey recorded 395 species across birds, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies.
• The 36 new checklist entries comprised 22 butterfly species, eight bird species and six odonate species.
• Odonata is the insect order comprising dragonflies and damselflies.
• Five recorded bird species, eleven butterfly species and eight odonate species were reported as Western Ghats endemics.

The survey was conducted by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department and TNHS at 10 base camps across three sanctuaries.