Conservation status, feeding guilds, and diversity of birds in Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka, India

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the importance of habitat quality for the diversity, distribution, and abundance of avifauna in Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Ballari District from February 2015 to January 2016. A total number of 189 species of birds, belonging to 62 families and 18 orders were recorded during the survey. A family-wise analysis showed that the families Accipitridae (12 species), followed by Muscicapidae (11 species), Ardeidae & Alaudidae (8 species each), and Cuculidae (7 species) dominated the avifauna of the region. The residential status of birds revealed that 74% (140 species) were resident, 23% (44 species) were winter, 2% (3 species) were summer and 1% (2 species) was passage migrant’s species. The study resulted in the recording of fives globally Near Threatened category, viz, Painted Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, River Tern, and Pallid Harrier; and two Vulnerable species, viz, Yellow-throated Bulbul and Woolly-necked Stork. The feeding guild analysis revealed that the insectivorous guild has the most number of recorded avian species (33%, 63 species), followed by carnivorous (31%, 58 species) and least by nectarivorous (1%, 2 species). This study provides baseline data for monitoring the avifauna in the sanctuary and demonstrates the importance of the area in bird conservation. The study also highlights the negative impact of anthropogenic activities as the main cause for the loss of diversity of both birds and their habitat and the urgent need to conserve this biodiversity-rich area with long-term monitoring programs.