Chainpur and Hanspuri (18003)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Chainpur and Hanspuri
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.7667, Longitude: 92.8000
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 36.72893
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Chainpur and Hanspuri are two small islands of the Andaman Islands group in the Bay of Bengal. The two islands lie in Middle Andaman. Proximity to the equator and the sea ensures a hot, humid, and uniform climate. The Andamans receive rainfall from both the southwest and northeast monsoon. Maximum precipitation is between May and December, the driest period being between January and April (Sankaran 1995). These islands are covered with tropical evergreen forests. The common tree species are Dipterocarpus griffithii, Hopea odorata, Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Cerebera odollam, Heritiera littoralis, Barringtonia racemosa, Ficus retusa, and Sideroxylon longipetiolatum. Shrub species are Pandanus andamanensium and P. tectorius. Among the climbers, Calamus longisetu and Daemonorops manii are common.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: In the Endemic Bird Area of Andaman Islands (Stattersfield et al. 1998), 13 restricted range species have been listed, of which 9 have been reported from this IBA. The Andaman Crake Rallina canningi, an endemic and Vulnerable species, is also found here, although population figures and status are unknown, as it is highly elusive. The Andaman teal Anas gibberifrons albogularis, which is endemic to the Andaman Islands, is also found here. Vijayan and Sankaran (2000) found 12 Andaman Teals in the wetlands of Hanspuri. The Andaman Teal is not listed as rare by BirdLife International (2001) as it was considered a subspecies of Grey Teal Anas gibberifrons (Ali and Ripley 1987, Grimmett et al. 1998). The Grey Teal is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and many islands (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Recently, Rasmussen and Anderton (in press) have elevated Andaman Teal to species level as Anas albogularis. If this is accepted, then the Andaman Teal would be one of the rarest ducks in the world, as Vijayan and Sankaran (2000) have estimated that not more than 600 are left in the Andaman Islands. Therefore, the wetlands of Hanspuri have much greater importance than was thought earlier because 2% of the world’s population of this highly endangered and Restricted Range species is found here. Other Restricted Range species include the Andaman Serpent-Eagle Spilornis elgini, Andaman Scops Owl Otus balli, Andaman Hawk-owl Ninox affinis, Andaman Black Woodpecker Dryocopus hodgei, and the Andaman Crake Rallina canningi, which is also globally threatened. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Originally, there were no large wild mammals on these islands. The Wild Pig Sus scrofa andamanensis is supposed to have been introduced by the first human settlers. The Spotted Deer Axis axis and Himalayan Palm Civet Paguma larvata were brought in by the British in more recent times. Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus is perhaps the only indigenous mammal on the islands. Andaman Water Monitor Lizard Varanus salvator andamanensis and Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus are native to these islands.
Delineation rationale: 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 3673 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (3700 ha).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 | |
| Forest | 95 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Poaching; Modern agriculture; Habitat destruction; Urbanisation. The Andaman Wild Pig population has declined drastically due to poaching by the local people. Hunting of common birds is also reported in this area. The fast growing human population exerts increasing pressure on the biodiversity, which is deteriorating rapidly.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Ali, S. and Ripley, S. D. (1987) Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (Second Edition). Oxford University Press, Delhi. BirdLife International (2001) Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. (1998) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Christopher Helm (Publishers) Ltd., London, U.K. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Sargatal, J. (eds.) (1992) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Rasmussen, P. C. and Anderton, J. C. (in press) Birds of South Asia: the Ripley guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Sankaran, R. (1995) The Nicobar Megapode and other endemic Avifauna of the Nicobar Islands status and Conservation. SACON- Technical Report 2, Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, India. Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J., and Wege, D. C. (1998) Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. BirdLife International Series No. 7. BirdLife International, U.K. Vijayan, L. and Sankaran, R. (2000) A Study of the Ecology, Status and Conservation Perspectives of Certain Rare Endemic Avifauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Final Report. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore. Pp. 184.