Salim Ali Centre for Orinithology and Natural History - Staff details

Welcome to the Home page of Dr. R. Sankaran

Senior Scientist, Conservation Ecology

	Research projects
	Publications
	Extension education
	Conservation Education and Advocacy

Research projects

A study on the status, ecology, and conservation perspectives of certain rare endemic avifauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

An ornithological survey of Nanda Devi National Park.

Status survey and conservation planning for the Lesser Florican in Western India.

Impact Assessment of nest collection on the Edible-nest Swiftlet in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Impact Assessment of nest collection on the Edible-nest Swiftlet in the Andaman Islands.

In-situ and ex-situ conservation of the Edible-nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga in the Andaman & Nicobar islands.

Publications

Research reports published / submitted:

1. Sankaran, R. 2000. Survey of Western India to identify Important Bird Areas for the Lesser Florican and other grassland species, and to rationalize the boundaries of identified IBA's. Unpublished report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

2. Vijayan, L., Sankaran, R., Sivakumar, K. & V. Murugan. 2000. A study on the ecology, status and conservation perspectives of certain rare endemic avifauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Final report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

3. Sankaran, R., Dorai, G., & A. Saxena. 2000. In-situ and ex-situ conservation of the Edible-nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Unpublished report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

4. Sankaran, R. 2000. The status of the Lesser Florican in 1999. Unpublished report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

5. Sankaran, R. 1998. The impact of nest collection on the Edible?nest Swiftlet in the Andaman & Nicobar islands. SACON Technical Report 6. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

6. Sankaran, R. 1998. The Narcondam Hornbill - Conservation Measures. A preliminary report. Unpublished report submitted to the Andaman & Nicobar Forest Department, Lt. Governor, Administration & Police Department.

7. Sankaran, R. 1998. Proposal for the management and protection of Gudda Endala Jod, Pali District for people and the Lesser Florican. Unpublished Report submitted to the Forest Secretary and the Chief Wildlife Warden, Rajasthan.

8. Sankaran, R. 1996. The status and conservation of the Lesser Florican in Rajasthan. Unpublished Report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

9. Sankaran, R. 1996. Background paper for the workshop on conservation of the Lesser Florican in Rajasthan. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

10. Sankaran, R. 1995. Impact assessment of nest collection on the Edible?nest Swiftlet in the Nicobar Islands. SACON Occasional Report 1. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

11. Sankaran, R. 1995. The Nicobar Megapode and other endemic avifauna of the Nicobar islands. SACON Technical Report 2. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

12. Anonymous 1995. Management and restoration of grasslands for people and the Lesser Florican. Action Plan. Complied by R Sankaran. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

13. Sankaran, R. 1994. The status of the Lesser Florican in 1994. Unpublished Report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

14. Sankaran, R. 1994. Background paper for the workshop on conservation of the Lesser Florican, Vadodara. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

15. Sankaran, R. 1993. The status and conservation of the Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis. Unpublished Report. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore.

16. Sankaran, R. 1993. An ornithological survey of Nada Devi National park. Pp 16-34 in Scientific and Ecological Expedition to Nanda Devi. Corps of Engineers (Army), WII, SACON, WWF-India, GBPHED, BSI.

	Papers published in professional journals:
	1. Sankaran, R. 2001. The status and conservation of the Edible-nest Swiftlet (Collocalia fuciphaga) in the Andaman & Nicobar islands. Biological Conservation 97: 283-294.
	2. Sankaran R. & Sivakumar K. 1999. Preliminary results of an ongoing study on the Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis. Zoologische Verhandelingen 327: 75-90.
	3. Sankaran, R. 1998. An annotated list of the endemic avifauna of the Nicobar islands. Forktail 13: 17?22.
	4. Sankaran, R. 1997. Developing a protected area network in the Nicobar Islands: The perspective of endemic avifauna. Biodiversity and Conservation 6: 797?815.
	5. Sankaran, R. 1997. Nesting in the Lesser Florican during the Southwest monsoon. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94: 401?403.
	6. Sankaran, R. 1997. The relation between bustard body size and display type. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94: 403?406.Sankaran, R. 1997. Habitat use in the Lesser Florican in a mosaic of grassland and cropland. The influence of grazing and rainfall. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94: 40?47.
	7. Sankaran, R. 1996. Aerial Display of the Lesser Florican. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 93: 401?410.
	8. Sankaran, R. 1996. Territorial displays of the Bengal Florican. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 93: 167?177.
	9. Sankaran, R. 1995. The distribution status and conservation of the Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis. Biological Conservation 72: 17?26.
	10. Sankaran, R. 1995. The decline of the Edible?nest Swiftlet in the Nicobar islands. Oriental Bird Club Bulletin 22: 42?45.
	11. Sankaran, R. 1995. A fresh initiative to conserve the Lesser Florican. Oriental Bird Club Bulletin 22: 51?54.
	12. Sankaran, R. 1994. Ornithological survey of Nanda Devi National Park, India. Forktail 10: 115?128.
	13. Sankaran, R. 1994. Some aspects of the territorial behaviour of the Lesser Florican. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 91: 173-186.

	Participation in seminars and symposia and papers presented:
	4. Pan-Asian Ornithological Congress. 26-29 October 2000. Perideniya, Sri Lanka.
	Papers presented and to be published in the proceedings.
	a. R. Sankaran. In-situ and ex situ conservation of the Edible-nest Swiftlet in the Andaman & Nicobar islands
	b. R Sankaran. Conserving scattered populations: the case of the Lesser Florican Sypheotides indica in western India and its implications for the Important Bird Area programme.
	5. 1st International symposium and workshop on Protected Areas in Desert Ecosystems, Abu Dhabi 23rd to 25th January 2000.
	Paper presented and to be published in the proceedings.
	a. Sankaran, R. & Rahmani, A.R. The role of grazing enclosures of the Desert National park in the conservation of wildlife in the Thar Desert, India.
	6. National seminar on wildlife conservation, research and management. 10-13 August 1998, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun.
	Paper presented.
	a. Sankaran, R. The status and conservation of the Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami.
	7. The IIIrd International Megapode symposium, 12-14, December, 1997. Nhill, Australia.
	Paper presented and published in the proceedings:
	1. Sankaran R. & Sivakumar K. 1999. Preliminary results of an ongoing study on the Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis.
	2. Ist Pan Asian Ornithological Congress 9-13 November, 1996, Coimbatore, India.
	Paper presented and submitted for publication in the proceedings:
	a. Sivakumar K & Sankaran R. The incubation mound and mound use patterns in the Nicobar Megapode.
	3. XII BirdLife Asia Conference, 14-16 November 1996, Coimbatore, India..
	4. First National Seminar on changing scenario of bird ecology and conservation. 12-14 November, 1993. Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore.
	Papers presented and published in the proceedings:
	a. Sankaran, R. & Vijayan, L. 1993. The avifauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands: A review and the current scenario. Pp 255-271 in Bird conservation. Strategies for the nineties and beyond. in A. Verghese, S. Sridhar & A.K. Chakravarthy eds). Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore.

	Miscellaneous publications
	a. Florican News
	Extension education
	a. Lectures given
	On conservation issues and sustainable development in the Andaman & Nicobar islands. Fisheries Department, Port Blair. 26th June 1997.
	In the Nicobar Islands. India International Centre, organised by Ranthambhor Foundation. 4 September 1996.
	On the Lesser Florican. Kota. 28th July 1996.
	On birds. To schoolteachers. SACON, Coimbatore. 25th October 1995.
	On the Lesser Florican. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. 8 July 1995.
	On Nicobar Islands. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. 7 July 1995.
	On the Lesser Florican. Vadodara. 2nd December 1994.
	On the Lesser Florican. Centre for Wildlife & Ornithology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. 11 May 1994.
	On the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Centre for Wildlife & Ornithology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. 10 May 1994
	On wildlife conservation. Rishi Valley School, Andhra Pradesh. 6 July 1994.
	On grasslands of western India. 21st public hearing of environment and development. The peoples commission on environment and development, Friedrich Naumann, Stiftung and WWF, Rajkot., 17 September, 1994.
	On Nanda Devi. To the Governing Council of SACON and participants of the Avian Conservation Workshop, Coimbatore. 2 August, 1993.
	Ornithological Survey of Nanda Devi. To the first meeting of the scientific advisory committee on Biosphere Reserves under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Paryavaran Bhavan, New Delhi. 26 August, 1993.
	On findings of the Bird & Mammal survey of the Nanda Devi Expedition. To the Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army, New Delhi. 12 July, 1993.
	On the ornithological survey of Nanda Devi. To the Engineer in Chief, Corps of Engineers, New Delhi. 9 July, 1993.
	On the Floricans. Lalit Kala Academy, Madras. 25 July 1993.
	Several informal impromptu lectures at schools, colleges, villages.

	Conservation Education and Advocacy
	Designed and produced a poster on the Lesser Florican in Hindi and Gujarathi. Distributed the poster in important florican areas in schools, colleges, and panchayats and to interested individuals. Distributed posters through the Forest Department and District administrations.
	Advocated Lesser Florican conservation in rural areas of western India, which included Saurashtra & Kutch, Malwa Plateau, eastern and central Rajasthan. Such field visits were conducted during the monsoon each year between 1994 and 1997.
	Developed a florican conservation network in villages in important florican areas. The network is called the Florican Watch.
	Wrote, produced and distributed a newsletter on Lesser Florican Conservation called `Florican News'.
	Advocated inclusion of certain grasslands into the florican conservation network with the respective state governments. The visits to western India doing extension activity for the Lesser Florican covered approximately 8 months, in 8 field visits.
	During my field trips I normally spend a considerable amount of effort in communicating and discussing with local people about sustainable use of natural resources. I also spend a considerable amount of effort in discussing and advocating sustainable development and nature conservation with all levels of the Government.