Birds Breeding in Unmanaged Monoculture Plantations in Goa, India

It is controversial whether monoculture plantations support birds, particularly their breeding or not. The present study was conducted in monoculture plantations of Teak, Cashew and Australian Acacia, for two years from March 2001 to February, 2003 in Goa and bird species and their breeding was observed and recorded. Put together eleven bird species were observed, out of which five were recorded from teak plantation and cashew plantation and four from Acacia plantation. Teak plantation seemed better due to abundant supply of earthworms as bird's food, and cashew plantation thick undergrowth giving protective cover and food for ground foragers. Presence of undergrowth and stray indigenous trees seems to have improved condition in the plantations for bird species.