The recent distribution of endemic, disjunct and globally uncommon birds in the forests of Kerala State, south-west India

We surveyed the avifaunas of 24 forest areas in Kerala State, south-western India, over the period 1973-1997, recording 309 species. We give details h ere of distributions and status for all species endemic to South Asia and a ll those having isolated populations, disjunct from conspecifics in norther n India (disjunct species). Most bird species found in Kerala that are ende mic to southern India, or form disjunct populations, occur in forest habita ts. Those species endemic to the Western Ghats (passerines), or constitutin g disjunct populations (raptors) tend to have more restricted occurrence th an other forest birds. For the passerines this is because they are mainly c onfined to high elevation forests and grasslands: rather restricted habitat s in Kerala. The raptors may be more dependent than other species on large areas of forest and hence may have suffered from recent reductions in fores t cover. Current trends in forest clearance for agriculture and plantations and encroachment by settlers, threaten especially the birds of low and mid dle altitude forests. The present status of such birds as Malabar Pied Horn bill Anthracoceros coronatus, Great fared Nightjar Eurostopodus macrotis, L esser Coucal Centropus bengalensis and White-bellied Blue Flycatcher Cyorni s pallipes seems to be markedly worse than that described by Ali (1969) for the 1930s. These species, as well as Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis and Black-crested Baza Aviceda leuphotes, are patchily distributed at low densi ties and may be vulnerable to extirpation from local areas. Higher altitude habitats, where many endemics occur, cover smaller areas, but are less thr eatened. However, some species occurring at low densities (Rufous-bellied E agle Hieraaetus kienerii, White-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx major, Black -and-orange Flycatcher Ficedula nigrorufa, Broad-tailed Grassbird Schoenico la platyura) may be vulnerable to extirpation or extinction in the long ter m. Kerala has a large network of protected areas (National Parks, Sanctuari es). Effective protection of those areas should be sufficient to maintain m ost species, although the coverage of low altitude forest is poor and remai ning fragments should be carefully protected. There is continuous pressure on all habitats and bird populations will need to be carefully monitored in future if Kerala's endemic and disjunct populations are to be maintained.