Status and Distribution of Avifauna in Ramnagar Forest Division, Western Terai-Arc Landscape, Uttarakhand

Tanveer Ahmed; Harendra Singh Bargali; Afifullah Khan

doi:10.36808/if/2019/v145i10/149193

Status and Distribution of Avifauna in Ramnagar Forest Division, Western Terai-Arc Landscape, Uttarakhand

Authors

Tanveer Ahmed Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh - 202002, Uttar Pradesh
Harendra Singh Bargali The Corbett Foundation, Ramnagar, Uttarakhand
Afifullah Khan Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh - 202002, Uttar Pradesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2019/v145i10/149193

Keywords:

Birds, Community Structure, Feeding Guild, Multiple-Use Reserve Forest, Uttarakhand.

Abstract

Mushrooming human population, large scale agriculture and infrastructural development projects over the last two decades have fragmented and degraded the habitats outside the protected areas. Scientific studies on birds in Terai-Arc Landscape are primarily restricted to protected areas. Authors have assessed the status and distribution of birds between November 2016 and June 2017 in Ramnagar Forest Division, Uttarakhand. Data on birds was collected by employing Mckinnon's Species Richness method, on 1 km randomly laid transects in various habitats. A total of 254 species representing 18 orders and 64 families including three vulnerable and five near threatened species were encountered with the domination of Passeriformes (146 species). Most of the recorded species were resident (73.2%) followed by winter visitor (20.4%). Woodland supported the highest bird diversity (H = 3.869) and feeding guild diversity (H = 1.403). Majority of species were insectivore (143 species) which dominated human habitation/agriculture, scrubland, grassland, and woodland while carnivore and piscivore in a barren land and water body respectively. The current information is expected to aid in planning future conservation and management strategies outside protected areas.

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