Abstract
Bird communities in Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary in the northern Western Ghats were studied using line transect and point count methods from the year 2011 to 2013. The updated checklist of birds at the Sanctuary is now represented by 164 bird species. The present study reported 35 new records to the area, while 15 earlier reported bird species were not observed. Overall, 55 insectivorous, 19 omnivorous, 14 granivorous, nine piscivorous, eight frugivorous, eight carnivorous and six nectarivorous species were observed. Out of these, 98 were residents, 17 winter visitors, three vagrant visitors and one was summer migrant. Four restricted range species were recorded from the Sanctuary as Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Columba elphinstonii, Malabar Grey Hornbill Ocyceros griseus, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher Cyornis pallipes and Crimson-backed Sunbird Leptocoma minima. Human activities such as pruning, cutting, grazing, fires, quarrying, trailing and camping were also reported in and around the Sanctuary.
Highlights
Birds are known as ecological indicators of habitat quality (Bibby 1999; Morelli et al 2014) as bird species composition varies across vegetation types and depends on stratification, canopy density, altitude, season and disturbance (Das 2008; Jayson & Mathew 2003)
The present study provides information on bird communities composition and their habitat utilization in the Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS)
The present study alone reported 149 species belonging to 59 families and 17 orders, of which 119 within TWS while 30 were just outside TWS limit
Summary
Birds are known as ecological indicators of habitat quality (Bibby 1999; Morelli et al 2014) as bird species composition varies across vegetation types and depends on stratification, canopy density, altitude, season and disturbance (Das 2008; Jayson & Mathew 2003). Comparing temporal information on bird communities helps to keep track of any change in species composition and alterations in habitats at local level. The present study provides information on bird communities composition and their habitat utilization in the Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS). The Sanctuary spans over 49.05km of geographical extent between 18020’–18030’N & 73021’-730 30’E and altitude ranging from 560–1,050 m. Vegetation in this northern part of the Western Ghats is broadly classified as tropical semi-evergreen forest (Champion & Seth 1968). The secondary vegetation formations include patches of open forest, scrubs and grasses. Among grassy patches species like Dimeria stafiana, Fimbristylis lawianus, Themeda triandra, Apluda mulica, Iscaemum polytrias, Hetropogon ritchiei, H. contortus, Sehina nervosa, Oplismenus burmannii, Arthraxon lanceolatus, A. hispida etc. are common (Datar 2016; Potdar et al 2012)
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