Distribution records and extended range of the Sri Lanka Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger (Aves: Caprimulgiformes: Podargidae) in the Western Ghats: a review from 1862 to 2015

The Sri Lanka Frogmouth (or Ceylon Frogmouth) Batrachostomus moniliger is an endemic resident bird confined to the evergreen and secondary forests of Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats of India. The earlier distribution range of the Frogmouth was from the Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka to the southern tip of India and most of Sri Lanka. Recently, the range has been extended further north to Goa and up to Mumbai in Maharashtra. A number of observations summarized into 202 distributional records (published reports and records uploaded to eBird basic data set, Oriental Bird Images, and GBIF.org from the years 1862 to 2015) of the Frogmouth have been tabulated with its maps, and reviewed for their state-wise distribution records. The need of undertaking surveys to fill up the gaps in their distribution range as well as any further northward extension till the culmination of the Western Ghats has been discussed. It is urged that taxonomical and molecular phylogenetic studies are required to be carried out in different populations of Frogmouths across the entire range.