Seed dispersers of Dandeli

The diversity of tropical forest trees are predominantly  dependent on its natural seed dispersers. Perhaps this diversity among the trees is fairly maintained by the fructivorous birds and animals of the Dandeli forests.

Four fruit-eating bird species, the hornbills, forest pigeons, barbets, parakeets and one fruit eating squirrel are collectively responsible for dispersing the seeds of many of the Dandeli's tree species.

The giants including the near threatened Malabar pied hornbill, the vulnerable Great Indian hornbill, the Malabar gray hornbill, and Indian giant squirrel are often the unintentional farmers of the forest.

The compelling story behind this is, after eating the fruits, the indigestible part such as seeds are regurgitated later. These seeds are dispersed by birds and animals beyond the fences raised by the mankind. This plays a vital role in the local ecosystem by dispersing the seeds and some of them sprout to later turn out to be trees.

It is fascinating to see these fructivorous birds feeding on these fruits. A Malabar grey hornbill feeding on fruits on ground:

Small-fruits are delicately picked with the tips of their mandibles

Toss the fruit after checking ripeness and turn their heads back to swallow

A Brown headed barbet feeding on small-fruited figs:

Small-fruited figs(Ficus mysorensis/Ficus glomerata) are delicately picked with the tips of their mandibles

Swallowing the fruit after checking the ripeness

Brown headed barbet

The trees with small-fruited figs attract a lot of birds and mammals, and is favorite among them. These birds are valuable for the forest, as they are good seed dispersers of forest plants.

A female Plum-headed Parakeet, they are endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Females have grayish-blue head and lacking black collar

A male Plum-headed Parakeet, they have a plum-colored head, black chin stripe and collar

Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon

Green Imperial-Pigeon

Malabar pied hornbill, this large bird about 26 inch long is listed as near threatened species

The pretty but massive, maroon-colored Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel, endemic to India