Abstract
Watershed avifaunal inventories are useful in devising management strategies appropriate to the habitat, as well as species conservation. The Chenab River basin forms one of the largest and most important river basins in Jammu & Kashmir. The upper Chenab catchment offers a rich and diverse fauna, especially birds, owing to variety of habitats, different climatic regimes, and a wide range of altitude,. We present an avifaunal list of four watersheds—Bhot, Marusudar, Kalnai and Neeru of the Chenab River basin including Kishtwar Town and the surrounding area of the upper Chenab catchment over an elevation range of 820–4,500 m. The list includes 251 species belonging to 60 families and 150 genera of which six are globally threatened, 127 residents, 124 migrants and three new to the state. The paper also describes species-wise habitat occupancy, feeding behaviour, migratory status and abundance of the avifauna. The study reveals that mosaic habitats comprising forests, riverbeds, rangelands and rocky outcrops are crucial for the conservation of birds in the region.
Highlights
Owing to its distinct climate and physiography, the Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir comprises an impressive avifaunal diversity unique to higher altitudes (Rahmani et al 2013) with 21 important bird areas (IBAs) (Islam & Rahmani 2004) and seven potential IBAs (Rahmani 2012) home to 12 globally threatened bird species and six near threatened species (Rahmani et al 2013) mostly restricted to Kashmir and Ladakh
The aim of this study is to present a list of bird species in different hitherto little or unexplored landscapes of the upper Chenab catchment within the geographical limits of Jammu & Kashmir
Study area The complex physiography and topographic complexity of the mountain ranges of the upper Chenab catchment has resulted in extreme habitat and microclimatic heterogeneity especially in the highlands
Summary
Owing to its distinct climate and physiography, the Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir comprises an impressive avifaunal diversity unique to higher altitudes (Rahmani et al 2013) with 21 important bird areas (IBAs) (Islam & Rahmani 2004) and seven potential IBAs (Rahmani 2012) home to 12 globally threatened bird species and six near threatened species (Rahmani et al 2013) mostly restricted to Kashmir and Ladakh. The changes in environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture and oxygen from the low valleys to mountain summits lead to higher turnover and species diversity to specific elevations in the mountains than other habitats of equivalent areas (Graham et al 2014). This characteristic elevation stratification in the mountain ecosystem makes the avian communities dynamic (Dixit et al 2016). No accurate definition of these zones has yet been attempted for the Himalaya as a whole, but the division of the zones as proposed by Whistler (1929) of the outer Himalaya more or less fits in the context of the present study area, i.e., Foothill zone (150–1,200 m), Ban-Oak zone (1,200–2,450 m), Kharsu-Oak zone (2,450–3,350 m), and Alpine zone (3,350m and above)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
