Chennai, June 6 -- A total of 51 species belonging to five families were identified in the first comprehensive state-wide raptor assessment across all divisions in Tamil Nadu.
Forest department officials said Tamil Nadu is a significant habitat for raptors, hosting over 65 raptor species of the orders Accipitriformes, Falconiformes and Strigiformes.
Rapors are keystone species and provide various ecosystem services, and are considered bio-indicators of environmental health.
Stating that the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, and coastal wetlands of Tamil Nadu are vital raptor habitats, officials said decline of raptors globally hinders the ecosystem functions of birds of prey, including pollination, seed dispersal, scavenging, and predation....