Avian richness and habitat selection patterns in Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve, Uttarakhand, India

Authors

  • Ankita Das Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
  • Soumya Dasgupta Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
  • Ramesh Krishnamurthy Wildlife Institute of India, Post Box 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10073.18.5.28784-28806

Keywords:

Bird diversity, habitat heterogeneity, habitats, indicator species, microhabitats, rank abundance curve, relative abundance, resource selection function, terai grasslands, wetland

Abstract

A survey of avifauna was carried out in Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve (JJCR) of Haridwar Forest Division, Uttarakhand, during 2018–2020. The point count method was used to count birds in six habitats, viz.: plantation, mixed deciduous forest, riverine habitat, scrub forest, grasslands, and agricultural field. Ten replications each were done in the summer and winter seasons. The sampling effort across the six habitats, namely, plantation, mixed deciduous forest, scrub forest, riverine, grassland, and agricultural field, was 280, 150, 120, 250, 210, and 150 man minutes, respectively, resulting in a total effort of 1,160 man-minutes. There were 110 bird species in summer season and 131 bird species in winter season and a richness index of 17.73. Muscicapidae family had the highest relative diversity, followed by Accipitridae and Cuculidae. Rank abundance curve showed dominance of a few birds during winter season. Using the resource selection function (RSF), we examined seasonal habitat preferences of avian communities in the JJCR landscape. A total of 48 bird species in summer and 71 bird species in winter exhibited 100% habitat selection for specific habitat types. Riverine habitats showed the highest ecological significance, with 20 and 30 species exhibiting complete selection during summer and winter, respectively. Among the 170 recorded species, habitat specialists (103) outnumbered generalists (63), though the latter were more abundant. The remaining four species are human commensals. Riverine habitats supported the maximum number of specialists due to their distinct riparian vegetation and transitional features. Grassland specialists such as the White-tailed Stonechat, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Striated Grassbird, and Bristled Grassbird (Vulnerable) highlight the conservation importance of grasslands. PERMANOVA confirmed significant seasonal and vertical variations in species composition (p = 0.0001), while indicator species analysis identified 60 and 64 key indicator species for summer and winter, respectively. The strong habitat specialization observed in riverine and grassland ecosystems underscores the need for prioritized management within this Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).

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