Diversity and distribution of avifauna at Warathenna-Hakkinda Environmental Protection Area in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The present study was carried out in the recently established Warathenna-Hakkinda EPA in the Kandy District, Sri Lanka to investigate the avifaunal diversity and conservation threats. Sampling was conducted in two main habitat types: river islands and riverine forests. Both point count (10 m radius) and line transect (200 m long) methods were utilized and maximum of 30 minutes was used to sample the birds in each point. Food habit, niche type, endemism, abundance, and diversity indices (Shannon & Margalef) were calculated to compare the two habitats in this area. A total of 74 bird species belonging to 61 genera and 35 families were encountered from the study site. Among these, seven species are endemic: Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, and Sri Lanka Hill Mynah; while six were migratory: Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Indian Pitta, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail, and Grey Wagtail and the rest were non-endemic natives. Most of them were canopy and sub canopy dwellers associated with riverine forests and islands. According to the National Red List of Sri Lanka, three species, the Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon, Sri Lanka Hill Mynah, and Alpine Swift, are listed as threatened. Ardeidae, Alcedinidae, Columbidae, Accipitridae, and Apodidae were the most species rich families in this habitat. Out of the sampled species, 31% and 25% of the birds were carnivores and insectivores, respectively, while 5% were nectarivores. According to the avifauna, the riverine forests are more diverse (Shannon index H’= 2.55; Margalef’s index M= 10.92) than the river islands (H’= 2.29; M= 5.07) in this landscape. The variety of habitats along the Mahaweli River at Warathenna appears to aid in sustaining a rich bird community and this Environmental Protection Area will help create a safe haven for the birds.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Abie, K., B. Tilahun, A. Feyisa, T. Kumssa & A. Amare (2019). Bird species diversity and distribution in case of protected area. Species 20: 90–100.
Ali, S.l. & S.D. Ripley (2001). Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan together with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka (10 Vols.). 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, Delhi.
Ashton, M.S., S. Gunatilleke, N. De Zoysa, M.D. Dassanayake, N. Gunatilleke & S. Wijesundera (1997). A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka. WHT Publication (Pvt.) Ltd for the Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, 95 Cotta Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka.
Bambaradeniya, C.N.B., M.S.J. Perera, W.P.N. Perera, L.J.M. Wickramasinghe, L.D.C.B. Kekulandala, V.A.P. Samarawickrema, R.H.S.S. Fernando & V.A.M.P.K. Samarawickrema (2003). Composition of faunal species in the Sinharaja world Heritage site in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Forester 26: 21–40.
Bellanthudawa, B.K.A., N.M.S.K. Nawalage, S. Subanky, P.A.B.G. Panagoda, H.W.G.A.S. Weerasinghe, L.K.D.N. Tharaka, H.M.A.K. Handapangoda, H.K.A.D. Silva, D.M.S.N. Dissanayake & M.S.J. Abeywickrama (2019). Composition and Diversity Variation of Avifauna, along Different Vegetative Habitat Types in a Human-Modified Area, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Hindawi International Journal of Zoology 2019: 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9727609
BirdLife International (2008). Birds of Sri Lanka. http://www. ibasrilanka.net/birds.lk/threatened.asp.
Bossuyt, F., M. Meegaskumbura, N. Beenaerts, D.J. Gower, R. Pethiyagoda, K. Roelants, A. Mannaert, M. Wilkinson, M.M. Bahir, K.N.G.P.K.L. Manamendra-Arachchi, C.J. Schneider, O.V. Oommen & M.C. Milinkovitch (2004). Local endemism within the western Ghats–Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. Science 306: 479–481.
Chandrasiri, S.P., C. Dharmarathne & D. Mahaulpatha (2018). Diversity and Distribution of Avifauna at the Tropical Montane Cloud Forests of Horton Plains National Park. Journal of Tropical Forestry and Environment 8(1): 39–52.
Chao, A., R.L. Chazdon, R.K. Colwell & T.J. Shen (2005). A new statistical approach for assessing similarity of species composition with incidence and abundance data. Ecology Letters 8: 148–159.
Colwell, R.K. & J.A. Coddington (1994). Estimating terrestrial biodiversity through extrapolation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences 345(1311): 101–118.
Colwell, R.K., A. Chao, N.J. Gotelli, S.Y. Lin, C.X. Mao, R.L. Chazdon & J.T. Longino (2012). Models and estimators linking individual-based and sample-based rarefaction, extrapolation, and comparison of assemblages. Journal of Plant Ecology 5: 3–21.
De Silva Wijerathne, G. (2014). A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Oxford John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, 176pp.
Ellepola, G. (2014). A study of bird abundance and diversity in Udawattekele forest reserve, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Tigerpaper 41(2): 7–11.
Fernando, C.H. (1990). Zoological survey of Sri Lanka: Freshwater fauna and Fisheries of Sri Lanka. Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Gabadage, D.E., W.M.S. Botejue, T.D. Surasinghe, M.M. Bahir, M.B. Madawala, B. Dayananda, V.U. Weeratunga & D.M.S.S. Karunarathna (2015). Avifaunal diversity in the peripheral areas of the Maduruoya National Park in Sri Lanka: With conservation and management implications. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 8(2): 121–132.
Gunatilleke, N., R. Pethiyagoda & S. Gunatilleke (2008). Biodiversity of Sri Lanka. Journal of National Science Foundation Sri Lanka 36(25): 25–61.
Gunawardena, K. & D.K. Weerakoon (2012). The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Birds in Sri Lanka. Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Harrison, J. (2011). A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 256pp.
Harrison, J. & T. Worfolk (1999). Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 219pp.
Henry, G.M. (1971). A Guide to the Birds of Ceylon. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
Hettiarachchi, T. & C.S. Wijesundara (2017). Conservational significance of Dunumadalawa Forest Reserve in Central Sri Lanka based on the endemism of its avifauna. Ceylon Journal of Science 46(3): 21–30.
Karunarathna, D.M.S.S., A.A.T. Amarasinghe & I.N. Bandara (2011). A survey of the avifaunal diversity of Samanala Nature Reserve, Sri Lanka. BirdingASIA 15: 84–91.
Karunaratna, N. (1986). Udavattekale: The Forbidden Forest of the Kings of Kandy. Department of National Archives, Colombo, xvi+152pp.
Kotagama, S.W. (1993). Wildlife conservation and development of the south east dry zone. The Southeast dry Zone of Sri Lanka. Agrarian Research and Training Institute, Colombo.
Kotagama, S.W. (2000). How many endemic birds? Loris 22(3): 23–24.
Kotagama, S. & A. Wijayasingha (1998). SirilakaKurullo (in Sinhala). The Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, Colombo.
Kumara, H.I.G.C. & V.A.M.P.K. Samarawikrama (2018). Diversity of dragonfly species in the Hakkinda islands of Mahaweliriver in the Gatabe area. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review 3(2): 1–14.
Linder, H. (1995). Setting conservation priorities: the importance of endemism and phylogeny in the southern African orchid genus Herschelia. Conservation Biology 9: 585–595.
Magurran, A.E. (1988). Ecological Diversity and its Measurement. Croom Helm Limited, London, 179pp.
MOE (2012). The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka, viii+476pp.
MoMD&E (2019). Biodiversity Profile - Sri Lanka, Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka, 211pp.
R Core Team (2014). A language and environment for statistical computing. R foundation for statistical computing, Vienna, Austria.
Rasmussen, P.C. & J.C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide, Vols. 1 and 2. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edition, Washington, D.C. and Barcelona, 1,067 pp, 180 pls.
Rathnayake, D.G.R.M.M.K., I.S.I. Arachchi, B.S. Pathirana & S. Wickramasinghe (2016). The Significance of Habitat Characteristics to the Spatial Distribution of Local Avian Assemblage at Gannoruwa Mountain Forest Reserve, Kandy, Sri Lanka. International Journal of Biodiversity 2016: 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8148910
Samarawickrama, V.A.M.P.K., D.R.N.S. Samarawickrama & J. Gunawardene (2012). A new site record of Gadaya (Labeo fisheri) in Mahaweli Ganga at Hakkinda, Warathenna, Central Province, Sri Lanka. In: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 60pp.
Santiapillai, C. & C. Wijesundara (2002). An Illustrated Guide to the Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka. Science Education Unit, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Silva, I.P., M.C. Prabhath & A.R. Sumanarathne (2017). Species diversity and abundance of avifauna in and around an urbanized lake situated at Peralanda -Ragama, North Colombo - Sri Lanka. WILDLANKA 5(2): 36–45.
Sinha, A., H. Hariharan, B.S. Adhikari & R. Krishnamurthy (2019). Bird diversity along riverine areas in the Bhagirathi Valley, Uttarakhand, India. Biodiversity Data Journal 7(e31588): 1–30.
Sri Lanka (2017). The National Environmental Act, 1980. Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 2024/6. June 19, 2017.
Subasinghe, K. & A.P. Sumanapala (2014). Biological and functional diversity of bird communities in natural and human modified habitats in Northern Flank of Knuckles Mountain Forest Range, Sri Lanka. BIODIVERSITAS 15: 200–205.
Thilakarathne, D., G.N. Hirimuthugoda, T. Lakkana & S. Kumburegama (2019). Ichthyofauna at Warathenna-Hakkinda environmental protection area in Kandy, Sri Lanka. WILDLANKA 7(4): 181–196.
Warakagoda, D., C. Inskipp, T. Inskipp & R. Grimmett (2012). Birds of Sri Lanka-Helm Field Guide. Christopher Helm, London, 224pp.
Weerakoon, W.M.B.M.B. (2015). Avifaunal diversity of Udawattakele, an urban forest reserve in the Kandy District. Sciscitator 2: 19–21.
Wijesundara, C. & C. Santiapillai (2001). The Diversity of resident birds in the campus of the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Journal of Eastern University Sri Lanka 2(1): 69–82.
Wijesundara, C. & M.D. Silva (2005). Species diversity, abundance and some aspects of the ecology of birds in selected habitats in the hill region of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science 33: 15–31.