A checklist of avian fauna at Jeypore Reserve Forest, eastern Assam, India with special reference to globally threatened and endemic species in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot

Abstract

Avifaunal survey of an Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot area - Jeypore Reserve Forest was carried out from July 2007 to July 2009. Altogether 270 species of avian fauna belonging to 56 families were identified during the survey, of which 58 species were frugivorous, 34 omnivorous, 15 carnivorous, 22 picivorous, five grainivorous and 136 were insectivorous in nature. Of all the bird species recorded, 14 were globally threatened species, five were endemic to this region, 153 were resident common species, 87 resident rare species, 16 migratory common species and 14 were migratory rare species. The endemic species recorded in the study area were Anorrhinus tickelli, Sphenocichla humei, Pellorneum palustre, Yuhina bakeri and Heterophasia pulchella. The globally threatened species include two Critically Endangered, Gyps indicus and Gyps bengalensis, one Endangered, Cairina scutulata, four Vulnerable, Leptoptilos javanicus, Francolinus gularis, Columba punicea, Turdoides longitostris, and seven Near Threatened, Anhinga melanogaster, Arborophila atrogularis, Anorrhinus tickelli, Buceros bicornis, Sphenocichla humei, Pellorneum palustre and Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus.