Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Species Composition And Analysis Of Foraging Guilds Of Birds From A Sub-urban Sprawl: A Contemporary Study In And Around West Bengal State University Campus, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India


Affiliations
1 Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Berunanpukuria, P.O. Malikapur, Dist. North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal., India
2 Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, 10, K.N.C. Road, Barasat, Dist. North 24 Parganas, Pin-700124, West Bengal., India
3 Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Rd, Ballygunge, Kolkata, Pin-700019, West Bengal., India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Natural avifaunal diversity is the nature’s reliable monitoring tool for checking ecosystem’s health and the Bengal plain is not an exception. Extensive survey with standard field ecology methods carried out during August 2018 to September, 2019 in and around the West Bengal State University (WBSU) campus revealed the presence of 65 bird species from 16 orders and 37 different families of terrestrial, aquatic and waders. Family-wise relative diversity index has been calculated and observed birds were divided into seven major categories of foraging guilds. Most bird species were found to be insectivorous (23) followed by other foraging guilds. This is perhaps the first effort in recent times to prepare a list of birds in and around the WBSU. Pertinently, only a single species of family Anhingidae was found with Near Threatened (NT) status of IUCN in the study area. The study area also has a diverse flora and water bodies, facing drastic change in becoming a sub-urban sprawl.

Keywords

Avifauna, Field observations, West Bengal State University, Foraging guilds, Species list, RDi, Sub-urban sprawl.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Ali, S. and Daniel, J. C. 2002. The Book of Indian Birds. 13th edn. Oxford University Press, 326 pp. ISBN: 0195665236, 9780195665239.

  • Altmann, J. 1974. Observational study of behaviour sampling methods. Behaviour, 49(3): 227-267.

  • Anonymous, 2011. District Census Handbook North Twenty Four Parganas. Village and town wise primary census abstract (PCA). Series 20, Part XII-B. Directorate of Census Operations. West Bengal.

  • Arya, A. K., Singh, A. and Bhatt, D. 2019. Pesticide applications in agriculture and their effects on birds: an overview. In: V. Kumar, R. Kumar, J. Singh and P. Kumar (eds.), Contaminants in Agriculture and Environment: Health Risks and Remediation. Vol. 1. Agro Environ Media, Haridwar, India, pp. 129-137.

  • Basavarajappa, S. 2006. Avifauna of agro-ecosystems of Maidan area of Karnataka. Zoos’ Print J., 21(4): 2217-2219.

  • Bhadra, T., Mukhopadhyay, A. and Hazra, S. 2017. Identification of river discontinuity using geo-informatics to improve freshwater flow and ecosystem services in Indian Sundarban Delta. Ch. 10. In: S. Hazra, A. Mukhopadhyay, A. R. Ghosh, D. Mitra and V. K. Dadhwal (eds.), Environment and Earth Observation, pp. 137-152. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.

  • Blair, B. R. 2004. The effects of urban sprawl on birds at multiple levels of biological organization. Ecol. Soc., 9(5): 2.

  • Brooks, T. M., Balmford, A., Burgess, N., Hansen, L. A., Moore, J., Rahbek, C., Williams, P. H., Bennun, L., Byaruhanga, A., Kasoma, P., Njoroge, P., Pomeroy, D. and Wondafrash, M. 2001. Conservation priorities for birds and biodiversity: do east African important bird areas represent species diversity in other terrestrial vertebrate groups? Ostrich, 15: 3-12.

  • Cunningham., S. A., Atwood, S. J., Bawa, K. S., Benton, T. G., Broadhurst, L. M., Didham, R. K., McIntyre, S., Perfecto, I., Samways, M. J., Tscharntke, T., Vandermeer, J., Villard, M.-A., Young, A. G. and Lindenmayer, D. B. 2013. To close the yield-gap while saving biodiversity will require multiple locally relevant strategies. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 173: 20-27.

  • Dal, P. and Vaghela A. K. 2015. Preliminary survey of avifaunal diversity around Shetrunji River, Dhari, India. J. Biol. Earth Sci., 5(1): 19-24.

  • Debnath, A., Kumar, R., Singh, T. and Prawasi, R. 2020. The impact of rapid urbanization on vegetation cover and land surface temperature in Barasat Municipal Area. Ch. 1. In: S. Kanga, V. N. Mishra and S. K. Singh (eds.), Sustainable Development Practices Using Geoinformatics. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., pp. 1-21.

  • Dhindsa, M. S. and Saini, H. K. 1994. Agricultural ornithology: An Indian perspective. J. Biosci., 19(4): 391-402.

  • Duijne, R. J. V., Choithani, C. and Pfeffer, K. 2020. New urban geographies of West Bengal, East India. J. Maps, 16(1): 172-183.

  • Egerer, M. and Buchholz, S. 2021. Reframing urban “wildlife” to promote inclusive conservation science and practice. Biodivers. Conserv., 30: 2255-2266.

  • Gregory, R. D., Noble, D., Field, R., Marchant, J., Raven, M. and Gibbons, D. W. 2003. Using birds as indicators of biodiversity. Ornis Hungarica, 12-13: 11-24.

  • Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. 2016. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Oxford, 480 pp.

  • Hassan-Aboushiba, A. B., Ramli, R. and Sofian-Azirun, M. 2011. Species composition and feeding guilds of birds utilizing Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Area in Carey Island, Malaysia. 2nd International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, IPCBEE, 6: 28-31. IACSIT Press, Singapore.

  • Jayadevan, P., Jayapal, R., and Pittie, A. 2016. A Checklist of the birds of India. Indian Birds, 11(5 & 6): 113-172.

  • Kazantzidis, S. and Goutner, V. 2008. Abundance and habitat use by herons (Ardeidae) in the Axios Delta, northern Greece. J. Biol. Res., 10: 129-138.

  • Species composition and analysis of foraging guilds of birds....West Bengal, India

  • Kumar, A., Sati, J. P., Tak, P. C. and Alfred, J. R. B. 2005. Handbook on Indian Wetland Birds and their Conservation, pp. i-xxvi + 1- 468. Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata.

  • Kumar, A. B. 2006. A checklist of avifauna of the Bharathapuzha river basin, Kerala. Zoos’ Print J., 21(8): 2300-2355.

  • Kumar, P. and Sahu, S. 2020. Composition, diversity and foraging guilds of avifauna in agricultural landscapes in Panipat, Haryana, India. J. Threat. Taxa, 12(1): 15140-15153.

  • Members of H.E.A.L. Killing Fields at Bortir Beel, near Kolkata, West Bengal. Conservation India, 12th December, 2020. www.conservationindia.org/articles/killing-fields-at-bortir-beel-near-kolkata-west-bengal. Accessed on 24th August 2021.

  • Mondal, J. Brutal hunting of birds, Baisha Bil, West Bengal. Conservation India. 11th September, 2013. www.conservationindia.org/gallery/brutal-hunting-of-birds-baisha-bil-west-bengal. Accessed on 24th August 2021.

  • Mukherjee, K. and Ray, R. 2017. An analytical study on the relationship between lulc dynamics and land surface thermal environment - a case study on Barasat municipal area, North 24 parganas, West Bengal, India. IJRSG., 6(2): 20-29.

  • Mukhopadhyay, S. and Mazumdar, S. 2017. Composition, diversity and foraging guilds of avifauna in a suburban area of southern West Bengal, India. The Ring., 39(1): 103-120.

  • Mukhopadhyay, S., Chattopadhyay, U. and Sarkar, D. 2015. Diversity of butterfly fauna in Barasat. Bionotes, 17(2): 47-49.

  • Nandi. N. C., Das, S. R., Bhuinya, S. and Dasgupta, J. M. 1993. Wetland faunal resources of West Bengal. I. North and South 24-Parganas districts. Rec. zool. Surv. India, Occ. Paper No., 150: 1-50.

  • Narayana, B. L., Rao, V. V. and Reddy V. V. 2019. Composition of birds in agricultural landscapes of Peddagattu and Sherpally area: a proposed uranium mining sites in Nalgonda, Telangana, India. Proc. Zool. Soc., Kolkata, 72(4): 380-400.

  • Prain, D. 1903. Bengal Plants. Vols. 1 & 2. Calcutta.

  • Ray, M., and Pal, S. 2020. An overview of floral and faunal diversity in and around Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College Campuses, West Bengal, India. Eur. J. Biol. Res., 10(1): 11-25.

  • Saha, D., Sarma, T. K. and Mukherjee S. K. 2016. Some medicinal plants of North 24 parganas district of West Bengal (India). Int. J. Pharm. Biol. Sci., 6(3): 191-206.

  • Saha, S., Das, I. and Raychaudhuri, D. 2017. Spider faunal diversity of Barasat and Basirhat, 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. World News Nat. Sciences, 15: 49-85.

  • Sánchez-Bayo, F. 2011. Impacts of agricultural pesticides on terrestrial ecosystems. Ch. 4. In: F. Sánchez-Bayo, P. J. van den Brink and R. M. Mann (eds.), Ecological Impacts of Toxic Chemicals., pp. 63-77. Bentham Science Publishers.

  • Sanyal, A. K., Alfred, J. R. B, Venkataraman, K., Tiwari, S. K., Mitra, S. 2012. Status of Biodiversity of West Bengal. Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata, 969 pp.

  • Sharma, A. Biomonitors: Indiscriminate pesticide use kills birds in Malda. Down To Earth. 31st October, 2002. www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/ biomonitors-15342. Accessed on 24th August 2021.

  • Sinha, S. 2010. Handbook on Wildlife Law Enforcement in India. TRAFFIC: India, New Delhi, 198 pp.

  • Sutherland, W. J. 2006. Ecological Census Techniques – A Handbook. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press, 432 pp.

  • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019. Downloaded on 2 July 2020; www. iucnredlist.org.

  • Torre-Cuadros, M. D. L. A. L., Herrando-Perez, S. and Young, K. R. 2007. Diversity and structure patterns for tropical montane and premontane forests of central Peru, with an assessment of the use of higher-taxon surrogacy. Biodivers. Conserv., 16(10): 2965-2988.

  • Vijayan, L., Prasad, S. N., Sridharan, N. and Guptha, M. B. 2006. Status of Wetlands and Wetland Birds in Selected Districts of Tamilnadu. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Coimbatore, pp. 1-68.

  • Whelan, C. J., Wenny, D. G. and Marquis, R. J. 2008. Ecosystem services provided by birds. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 1134: 25-60.

  • Zakaria, M., Rajpar, M. N. and Sajap, A. S. 2009. Species diversity and foraging guilds of birds in Paya Indah Wetland Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia. Int. J. Zool. Res., 5(3): 86-100.


Abstract Views: 187

PDF Views: 0




  • Species Composition And Analysis Of Foraging Guilds Of Birds From A Sub-urban Sprawl: A Contemporary Study In And Around West Bengal State University Campus, North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India

Abstract Views: 187  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Debojyoty Ghosh
Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Berunanpukuria, P.O. Malikapur, Dist. North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal., India
Pradipta Kumar Ghosh
Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, 10, K.N.C. Road, Barasat, Dist. North 24 Parganas, Pin-700124, West Bengal., India
Debjyoti Bandhu Banerjee
Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Rd, Ballygunge, Kolkata, Pin-700019, West Bengal., India

Abstract


Natural avifaunal diversity is the nature’s reliable monitoring tool for checking ecosystem’s health and the Bengal plain is not an exception. Extensive survey with standard field ecology methods carried out during August 2018 to September, 2019 in and around the West Bengal State University (WBSU) campus revealed the presence of 65 bird species from 16 orders and 37 different families of terrestrial, aquatic and waders. Family-wise relative diversity index has been calculated and observed birds were divided into seven major categories of foraging guilds. Most bird species were found to be insectivorous (23) followed by other foraging guilds. This is perhaps the first effort in recent times to prepare a list of birds in and around the WBSU. Pertinently, only a single species of family Anhingidae was found with Near Threatened (NT) status of IUCN in the study area. The study area also has a diverse flora and water bodies, facing drastic change in becoming a sub-urban sprawl.

Keywords


Avifauna, Field observations, West Bengal State University, Foraging guilds, Species list, RDi, Sub-urban sprawl.

References