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

Bird Diversity of a Riparian Forest in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India


Affiliations
1 Landscape Ecology Division, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


A total of 158 species of birds belonging to 56 families was recorded in a lowland riparian forest in along Bhavani river in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India from August 2012 to July 2014. Of the 158 species of birds, 110 species were residents, 33 were winter migrants and 15 summer migrants. The order Passeriformes was highest in dominance followed by Piciformes and Falconiformes. Insectivores (47%) constituted the most predominant guild followed by frugivores (20%). Highest species richness (127) was observed in February and lowest (75) in July. Maximum diversity value (4.23) was recorded in December. Avifauna of the study area comprised one threatened species, Nilgiri Woodpigeon (Columba elphinstonii)- Vulnerable and five near-threatened species and four endemic species. This study illustrated useful information on bird diversity of a low-land riparian forest which serves as a baseline for future research and monitoring.

Keywords

Birds, Lesser Fish-Eagle, Hornbills, Bhavani River.
Font Size

User
About The Authors

P. Manikandan
Landscape Ecology Division, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
India

Landscape Ecology

P. Balasubramanian
Landscape Ecology Division, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
India


Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications

  • Ali S. and Ripley S.D. (1983). Compact handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 462pp.
  • Ali S. (2002). The Book of Indian Birds (13th Revised Edition). Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 326pp.
  • Anon. (1956). Occurrence of the Black-capped Kingfisher, Halcyon pileata at Coimbatore, south India, J. the Bombay Natural History Society, 53: 698.
  • Balasubramanian P., Saravanan R. and Maheswaran B. (2004). Fruit preferences of Malabar Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus in Western Ghats, India, Bird Conservation International, 4: S69–S79.
  • Bibby C.J., Burgess N.D. and Hall D.A. (1992). Bird Census Techniques: Academic press, London, New York, 248pp.
  • Birdlife International (2001). Threatened birds of Asia: The Birdlife International Red Data Book. (Collar, N.J., Ed.). Birdlife International: Cambridge, U.K.
  • BirdLife International (2012). IUCN Red List for Birds. http://www.birdlife.org/. Cited on 17 Nov., 2015.
  • BirdLife International (2013). IUCN Red List for Birds. http://www.birdlife.org/. Cited on 17 Nov., 2015.
  • Bhadja P. and Vaghela A. (2013). Study on avifaunal diversity from two freshwater reservoirs of Rajkot, Gujarat, India. Inter. J. Research Zoology, 3(2):16–20.
  • Blair R.B. (1999). Birds and butterflies along an urban gradient: Surrogate taxa for assessing biodiversity? Ecological Applications, 9:164–170.
  • Darveau M., Beauchensne P., Belanger L., Huot J. and Larue P. (1995). Riparian forest strips as habitat for breeding birds in boreal forest, J. Wildlife Management, 59: 67-78.
  • DelHoyo, J. and Collar, N. J. (2014) HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol.1. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 903pp.
  • Farooqui A., Ray J.G., Farooqui S.A., Tiwari R.K. and Khan Z.A. (2010). Tropical rainforest vegetation, climate and sea level during the Pleistocene in Kerala, India, Quaternary International, 213: 2–11.
  • Jayson E.A. and Mathew D.N. (2000). Diversity and species – Abundance distribution of birds in the tropical forest of Silent Valley, Kerala, J. the Bombay Natural History Society, 97(3): 390–398.
  • Johnsingh A.J.T. and Joshu J. (1994). Avifauna in three vegetation types on Mundanthurai Plateau, South India, J. Tropical Ecology, 10: 323–335.
  • Joshua, J. and Johnsingh, A.J.T. (1988). Observation of birds on Mundanthurai, Plateau, Tamil Nadu, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 85: 565–577.
  • Manjunath and Joshi B. (2012). Avifaunal diversity in Gulbarga region, North Karnatak, Recent Research in Science and Technology, 4(7): 27–34.
  • Naiman R.J., Decamps H. and Pollock M. (1993). The role of riparian corridors in maintaining regional biodiversity, Ecological Applications, 3: 209–212.
  • Naoroji R. (2006). Birds of prey of the Indian sub-continent. Om Books International, New Delhi, 692pp.
  • Peter J.S., Revathi R., Jaisankar I. and Durai Rasu P. (2015). Study on Avifaunal diversity and species richness in foot hills of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India, Indian Forester, 141(10): 1067–1074.
  • Praveen J. (2011). An update on the distribution of Lesser Fish-eagle Ichthyophaga humilis in southern India, Indian Birds, 7(1): 14-16.p
  • Rasmussen P.C and Anderton J.C. (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. 1. Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx Edicions, Washington, D.C., Michigan and Barcelona, 370pp.
  • Sanalkumar M.G., Nandakumar S., Vaisakh S., Balamurali R.S. and Sankar S. (2012). A notational composition of bird species of Nilgiris western slope forests-A paradise of avifauna in the southern Western Ghats, Inter. J. Scientific and Research publications, 2(11): 1-2.
  • Simeone A., Araya M.B., Bernal M., Diebold E.N., Grzybowski K., Michaels M., Teare J. A., Wallace R.S. and Willis M.J. (2002). Oceanographic and climatic factors influencing breeding and colony attendance patterns of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti in central Chile, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 227: 43–50.

Abstract Views: 806

PDF Views: 0




  • Bird Diversity of a Riparian Forest in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India

Abstract Views: 806  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

P. Manikandan
Landscape Ecology Division, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
P. Balasubramanian
Landscape Ecology Division, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


A total of 158 species of birds belonging to 56 families was recorded in a lowland riparian forest in along Bhavani river in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India from August 2012 to July 2014. Of the 158 species of birds, 110 species were residents, 33 were winter migrants and 15 summer migrants. The order Passeriformes was highest in dominance followed by Piciformes and Falconiformes. Insectivores (47%) constituted the most predominant guild followed by frugivores (20%). Highest species richness (127) was observed in February and lowest (75) in July. Maximum diversity value (4.23) was recorded in December. Avifauna of the study area comprised one threatened species, Nilgiri Woodpigeon (Columba elphinstonii)- Vulnerable and five near-threatened species and four endemic species. This study illustrated useful information on bird diversity of a low-land riparian forest which serves as a baseline for future research and monitoring.

Keywords


Birds, Lesser Fish-Eagle, Hornbills, Bhavani River.

References