Diversity and temporal variation of the bird community in paddy fields of Kadhiramangalam, Tamil Nadu, India

Main Article Content

Chaithra Shree Jayasimhan
Pramod Padmanabhan

Abstract

Paddy, a major food crop of India, provides a variety of habitats in a short period of time and supports diverse organisms.  Paddy fields also harbour many birds with varying species composition across the different cultivation phases of paddy.  This study, conducted in the paddy fields of Kadhiramangalam, Tamil Nadu, India, recorded the bird community composition there during the various cultivation phases of paddy.  The bird community data was analysed and a total of 87 bird species were recorded from the study area belonging to 41 families and 13 orders.  The growth phase (PS 3) is the most diverse phase.  The bird composition showed a significant variation across the paddy cultivation phases with overall average dissimilarity of 71.41%.  The patterns shown by graphs of bird species composition across the paddy cultivation phases is based on guild, habitat usage and order overlap and elucidates that the change in bird community composition temporally can be attributed to the niche variability across the paddy cultivation phases.  The major species contributing to these changes observed are Black-headed Munia, Baya Weaver, Common Sandpiper, Barn Swallow, Common Myna, and Black Drongo in this region. 


 

Article Details

Section
Communications

References

Agristat (2016). Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and farmer’s welfare, Directorate of Economics and Statistics. pp. 73–216, 322–344. DOA: 6th March 2018. http://eands.dacnet.nic.in/PDF/Glance-2016.pdf

Ali, S.& D. Ripley (1978). Handbook of birds of India and Pakistan 2nd Edition, Vols. 1–10, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2060pp.

Asokan, S. & A.M.S. Ali (2010). Foraging behaviour of selected insectivorous birds in Cauvery delta region of Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 2(2): 690–694. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2201.690-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2201.690-4

Bambaradeniya, C.N.B., J.P. Edirisinghe, D.N. De Silva, C.V.S. Gunatilleke, K.B. Ranawana & S. Wijekoon (2004). Biodiversity associated with an irrigated rice agro-ecosystem in Sri Lanka. Biodiversity and Conservation 13: 1715–1753; https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BIOC.0000029331.92656.de DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BIOC.0000029331.92656.de

Bambaradeniya, C.N.B., K.T. Fonseka & C.L. Ambagahawatte (1998). A preliminary study on fauna and flora of a rice field in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science (Biological Sciences) 25: 1–22.

Beri, Y.P., M.B. Jotwani, S.S. Misra & D. Chander (1968). Studies on relative bird damage to different experimental hybrids of bajra. Indian Journal of Entomology 31: 68–71.

Bhatnagar, R.K. (1976). Bird pests of agriculture and their control. Proceedings of National Academy of Science India B. 46: 249–261.

Borad, C.K., A. Mukherjee & B.M. Parashaya (2000). Conservation of the avian biodiversity in paddy (Oryza sativa) crop agroecosystem. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 70(6): 378–381.

Chahal, B.S., G.S. Simwat & H.S. Brar (1973). Bird pests of crops and their control. Pesticides 7(5): 18–20.

Chakravarthy, A.K. (1988). Bird predators of pod borers of field bean. Tropical Pest Management 34: 395–398.

Clarke, K.R. & R.H. Green (1988). Statistical design and analysis of biological effects study. Marine Ecology Progress Series 46: 213–226.

Dhindsa, M.S. & H.K. Saini (1994). Agricultural ornithology: An Indian perspective. Journal of Biological Sciences 19(4): 391–402.

Dhindsa, M.S. & H.S. Toor (1980). Extent of bird damage to rice nurseries and its control in Punjab. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 50: 715–719.

Dhindsa, M.S., H.S. Toor & P.S. Sandhu (1984). Community structure of birds damaging pearl millets and sorghum and estimation of grain loss. Indian Journal of Ecology 11: 154–159.

Edirisinghe, J.P. & C.N.B. Bambaradeniya (2006). Rice fields: An ecosystem rich in biodiversity. Journal of National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka 34(2): 57–59.

Edirisinghe, J.P. & C.N.B. Bambaradeniya (2008). Composition, structure and dynamics of arthropod communities in a rice agro-ecosystem. Ceylon Journal of Science (Biological Sciences) 37(1): 23–48.

Elphick, C.S., K.C. Parsons, M. Fasola & L. Mugica (eds.) (2010). Ecology and Conservation of Birds in Rice Fields: A global Review - Waterbirds 33(special publication 1): 246pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1675/063.033.s101

Gopisundar, K.S. & S. Subramanya (2010). Bird use of rice fields in the Indian subcontinent. Waterbirds 33(sp1): 44–70. https://doi.org/10.1675/063.033.s104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1675/063.033.s104

Hammer, Ø., D.A.T. Harper & P.D. Ryan (2001). PAST: Paleontological StatisticsSoftware Package for Education and Data Analysis. Paleontologia Electronica 4: 9.

Jain, M.B. & I. Prakash (1974). Bird damage in relation to varietal differences in bajra crop. Annals of Arid Zone 13: 139–144.

Jotwani, M.B., Y.P. Beri & K.K. Verma (1969). A note on bird damage to millets. Allahabad farmer 43: 43–44.

Magurran, A.E. (1988). Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Princeton University Press, New Jersey, i–x+179pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7358-0

Marco-Mendez, C., P. Prado, L.M. Ferrero- Vicente, C. Ibanez & J.L. Sanchez- Lizaso (2015). Rice fields used as feeding habitats for waterfowl throughout the growing season. Waterbirds 38(3): 238–251.

Morris, E.K. , T. Caruso, F. Buscot, M. Fischer, C. Hancock, T.S. Maier, T. Meiners, C. Muller, E. Obermaier, D. Prati, S.A. Socher, I. Sonnemann, N. Waschke, T. Wubet, S. Wurst & M.C. Rillig (2014). Choosing and using diversity indices: insights for ecological applications from the German biodiversity Exploratories. Ecology and Evolution 4(18): 3514–3524. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece.3.1155

Nam, H., Y. Choi & J. Yoo (2015). Distribution of waterbirds in rice fields and their use of foraging habitats. Waterbirds 38(2): 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1675/063.038.0206 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1675/063.038.0206

Parashaya, B.M., J.F. Dodia , D.N. Yadav & R.C. Patel (1986). Sarus Crane damage to paddy crop. Pavo 24: 87–90.

Parashya, B.M., J.F. Dodia, K.L. Mathew & D.N. Yadav (1994). Natural regulation of White-grub (Holotrichiaesp: Scarabidae) by birds in agroecosystem. Journal of Biological Sciences 19(4): 381–389.

Praveen J., R. Jayapal & A. Pittie (2016). A checklist of the birds of India. Indian Birds 11(5&6): 113–170.

Saini, H.K. & H.S. Toor (1991). Feeding ecology and damage potential of feral pigeons Columba livia in agricultural habitat: Gerfaut 81: 195–206.

Sicemore, G.C. & M.B. Maine (2012). Quality of flooded rice and fallow fields as foraging habitat for little blue herons and great egrets in the Everglades agricultural area, U.S.A. Waterbirds 35(3): 381–393.

Sridhara, S., M.V.V. Subramanyam & R.V. Krishnamoorthy (1983). Bird foraging and its economic effect in the paddy fields of Bangalore (India). Birds Control Seminars Proceedings 246: 151–159.

Subramanya, S. (1987). Studies on birds of rice fields with special reference to certain pest species. PhD Thesis. Department of Entomology. University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, viii+173pp. http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/2049702

Sutherland, W.J. (2000). The Conservation Handbook: Research, Management and Policy. Chapter 4: 36–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470999356