MIGRATORY WETLAND BIRDS DIVERSITY IN LOWER CHOTA NAGPUR PLATEAU WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PURULIA DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Conserving habitat for wide-ranging fauna species provides a challenge because impacts on these species tend to be dismissed based on the assumption that there is sufficient habitat in other areas of its range. This incremental loss of habitat is a serious conservation issue for a diversity of bird species. As knowledge of wide-ranging and migratory bird species increases, it often becomes evident that they select specific sites on a regular basis (i.e., the species exhibit site fidelity). Gaining a better understanding of site fidelity and selective habitat use for wide-ranging species is clearly important, but also extremely challenging. In this paper, challenges associated with conservation of the migratory and wide-ranging Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor are discussed as an example of how a recovery programme has aimed to address such conservation and management challenges. Despite the small population size (less than 2 500 birds), broad distribution (1 250 000 km2) and often cryptic nature, the implementation of the national recovery programme has been successful in the identification and protection of important habitats. This has been made possible by involving large numbers of volunteers who collect long-term sighting and habitat data over large areas, together with more detailed ecological research. This information is then used to inform the conservation assessment process and to improve habitat conservation throughout the range of the species.

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Status and conservation issues of wetland birds in Komaranahalli Lake, Davanagere District, Karnataka, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.2809.10.2.11290-11294 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 11290 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. N. Harisha ◽

B. B. Hosetti

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Wetland Birds ◽

Water Bird ◽

Limosa Limosa ◽

The Status ◽

Potential Habitats ◽

Water Birds ◽

The Impact ◽

Near Threatened

This study was carried out to assess the status and conservation issues of migratory water birds in Komaranahalli Kere, a lake in Malebennur, Harihar Taluk, Davanagere District from November 2012 to October 2013. The dominant family was Ardeidae represented by 10 species, followed by the Scolopacidae with seven species. The families with lowest representations of one species were Podicipididae, Anhingidae, Rostratulidae and Recurvirostridae. The study revealed that the lake harbors many resident and a few migratory bird species. Among the species recorded five species namely the Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala and River Tern Sterna aurantia are Near Threatened. The present study location is also facing tremendous conservation challenges by the impact of anthropogenic alteration of the habitats in and around the lake. Though the lake is highly disturbed, it still provides some potential habitats for a few migratory and several resident water bird species.

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Year-round spatial distribution and migration phenology of a rapidly declining trans-Saharan migrant—evidence of winter movements and breeding site fidelity in European turtle doves

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ◽

10.1007/s00265-021-03082-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (11) ◽

Author(s):

Yvonne R. Schumm ◽

Benjamin Metzger ◽

Eric Neuling ◽

Martin Austad ◽

Nicholas Galea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Site Fidelity ◽

Central And Eastern Europe ◽

Bird Species ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Tracking Data ◽

Migratory Species ◽

Satellite Transmitters ◽

Migration Strategies

Abstract Populations of migratory bird species have suffered a sustained and severe decline for several decades. Contrary to non-migratory species, understanding the causal mechanisms proves difficult (for migratory bird species) as underlying processes may operate across broad geographic ranges and stages of the annual cycle. Therefore, the identification of migration routes, wintering grounds, and stopover sites is crucial for the development of relevant conservation strategies for declining migrant bird species. We still lack fundamental data of the non-breeding movements for many migratory species, such as European turtle doves Streptopelia turtur, a trans-Saharan migrant. For this species, knowledge of non-breeding movements is mainly based on ringing data that are limited by a low recovery rate in Africa, and tracking studies with a strong bias towards individuals breeding in France. We used Argos satellite transmitters to obtain detailed year-round tracks and provide new insights on migration strategies and winter quarters, of turtle doves breeding in Central and Eastern Europe. The tracking data along with analysis of land cover data confirm previously assumed use of multiple wintering sites and the use of a wide range of forest and agricultural landscapes at the breeding grounds. Tracking data in combination with environmental parameters demonstrated that most environmental parameters and niche breadth differed between breeding and wintering grounds. “Niche tracking” was only observed regarding night-time temperatures. Furthermore, we provide evidence for breeding site fidelity of adult individuals and for home range size to increase with an increasing proportion of agricultural used areas. Significance statement The European turtle dove, a Palearctic-African migrant species, is one of the fastest declining birds in Europe. The rapid decline is presumed to be caused mainly by habitat modification and agricultural changes. Here, we represent data on migration strategies, flyways, and behavior on European breeding and African non-breeding sites of turtle doves breeding in Central and Eastern Europe equipped with satellite transmitters. Our results confirm the use of different migration flyways and reveal an indication for “niche switching” behavior in terms of environmental factors during the different annual phases. The migratory behaviors revealed by the tracking approach, e.g., prolonged stopovers during autumn migration in Europe overlapping with time of hunting activities, stopovers in North Africa during spring migration, or evidence for loop migration, are important protection-relevant findings, particularly for the Central-Eastern flyway, for which no tracking data has been analyzed prior to our study.

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Assessment of Avifaunal Diversity and Threats to them in Phewa Wetland, Nepal

Forestry: Journal of Institute of Forestry, Nepal ◽

10.3126/forestry.v16i0.28352 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 31-47

Author(s):

Namrata Devi Khatri ◽

Bijaya Neupane ◽

Yajna Prasad Timilsina ◽

Suman Ghimire

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Species Evenness ◽

Wetland Birds ◽

Point Count ◽

Major Threat ◽

Direct Observations ◽

Line Transects ◽

Water Disposal

We assessed species diversity and relative abundance during February - March by employing transect method in four line transects and 30 point count stations, and associated threats by direct observations and consultation with people (n= 1) living in vicinity of Phewa wetland. We counted 2651 bird individuals of 148 species belonging to 104 Genera of 44 Families under 11 Orders. Anatidae and Passeriformes with 11% and 39%, respectively were the dominant family and order among the recorded species. Out of these, seven bird species were globally threatened and 12 were nationally threatened. Terrestrial birds had higher species diversity (H'= 3.27), species richness (R= 11.98) and species evenness (e= 0.74) as compared to wetland birds (H' = 3.07, R= 8.44 and e = 0.73). Common pigeon (7.50%) was the most abundant bird followed by lesser whistling duck (6.98%). People in the vicinity of Phewa wetland reported that water pollution caused by domestic sewages and waste water disposal was the major threat to birds and their habitat. Phewa wetland is providing crucial habitat to adequate residential and migratory bird species for which it should be protected for further enhancement of number of avian species.

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Diversity of Birds in Ousteri Wetland, Puducherry, India

Our Nature ◽

10.3126/on.v8i1.4335 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 247-253 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. Padmavathy ◽

R. Alexandar ◽

M. Anbarashan

Keyword(s):

Food Availability ◽

Water Retention ◽

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Freshwater Wetland ◽

Line Transect ◽

Wetland Birds ◽

Different Seasons ◽

Weed Infestation ◽

Line Transect Method

Wetlands are very fragile and constitute treasure of biodiversity. The avifaunal diversity in Ousteri freshwater wetland, Puducherry, India, was studied to form a baseline data about several local and migratory bird species of this wetland. Birds are surveyed by direct sighting, calls and variable width line-transect method was carried out in December, 2009 to January, 2010. It resulted in total of 109 species of both migratory and local birds. Such unique diverse systems are under threats like reduction in water retention in this pond in summer, weed infestation; variations in food availability in different seasons, hunting, poaching and threat of predation on the breeding activity of birds affected the avifauna diversity in the study area.DOI: 10.3126/on.v8i1.4335

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Light enough to travel: migratory bats have smaller brains, but not larger hippocampi, than sedentary species

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2010.0744 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 233-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Liam P. McGuire ◽

John M. Ratcliffe

Keyword(s):

Brain Size ◽

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Behavioural Flexibility ◽

Migratory Species ◽

Trade Off ◽

Phylogenetically Independent Contrasts ◽

Energy Trade ◽

Hippocampus Volume

Migratory bird species have smaller brains than non-migratory species. The behavioural flexibility/migratory precursor hypothesis suggests that sedentary birds have larger brains to allow the behavioural flexibility required in a seasonally variable habitat. The energy trade-off hypothesis proposes that brains are heavy, energetically expensive and therefore, incompatible with migration. Here, we compared relative brain, neocortex and hippocampus volume between migratory and sedentary bats at the species-level and using phylogenetically independent contrasts. We found that migratory bats had relatively smaller brains and neocortices than sedentary species. Our results support the energy trade-off hypothesis because bats do not exhibit the same degree of flexibility in diet selection as sedentary birds. Our results also suggest that bat brain size differences are subtler than those found in birds, perhaps owing to bats' shorter migration distances. Conversely, we found no difference in relative hippocampus volume between migratory and sedentary species, underscoring our limited understanding of the role of the hippocampus in bats.

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Status and conservation issues of wetland birds in Komaranahalli Lake, Davanagere District, Karnataka, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.2809.10.2.11295-11302 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 11295

Author(s):

M. N. Harisha ◽

B. B. Hosetti

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Wetland Birds ◽

Water Bird ◽

Limosa Limosa ◽

The Status ◽

Potential Habitats ◽

Water Birds ◽

The Impact ◽

Near Threatened

This study was carried out to assess the status and conservation issues of migratory water birds in Komaranahalli Kere, a lake in Malebennur, Harihar Taluk, Davanagere District from November 2012 to October 2013. The dominant family was Ardeidae represented by 10 species, followed by the Scolopacidae with seven species. The families with lowest representations of one species were Podicipididae, Anhingidae, Rostratulidae and Recurvirostridae. The study revealed that the lake harbors many resident and a few migratory bird species. Among the species recorded five species namely the Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala and River Tern Sterna aurantia are Near Threatened. The present study location is also facing tremendous conservation challenges by the impact of anthropogenic alteration of the habitats in and around the lake. Though the lake is highly disturbed, it still provides some potential habitats for a few migratory and several resident water bird species.

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Migration‐tracking integrated phylogeography supports long‐distance dispersal‐driven divergence for a migratory bird species in the Japanese archipelago

Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1002/ece3.7387 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daisuke Aoki ◽

Haruna Sakamoto ◽

Munehiro Kitazawa ◽

Alexey P. Kryukov ◽

Masaoki Takagi

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Long Distance Dispersal ◽

Long Distance ◽

Japanese Archipelago ◽

The Japanese Archipelago

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Elevational niche-shift migration: Why the degree of elevational change matters for the ecology, evolution, and physiology of migratory birds

The Auk ◽

10.1093/ornithology/ukaa087 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jessie L Williamson ◽

Christopher C Witt

Keyword(s):

Partial Pressure ◽

Bird Species ◽

Seasonal Migration ◽

Critical Examination ◽

Niche Shift ◽

Migratory Connectivity ◽

Migratory Species ◽

Arterial Blood ◽

Air Density ◽

Elevational Migration

Abstract Elevational migration can be defined as roundtrip seasonal movement that involves upward and downward shifts in elevation. These shifts incur physiological challenges that are proportional to the degree of elevational change. Larger shifts in elevation correspond to larger shifts in partial pressure of oxygen, air density, temperature, and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Although most avian examples of elevational migration involve subtle shifts that would have minimal impacts on physiology, shifts of any magnitude have previously been considered under the broad umbrella of “elevational migration”. Here, we consider extreme seasonal elevational movements (≥2,000 m), sufficient to shift the elevational dimension of the eco-climatic niche. Migratory bird populations typically maintain inter-seasonal stability in the temperature, precipitation, and elevational aspects of their climatic niches, a tendency that likely reflects genetic physiological specialization on environmental conditions such as atmospheric pressure. A shift of ≥2,000 m involves a ≥20% change in air density and oxygen partial pressure, sufficient to incur functionally impactful declines in arterial blood-oxygen saturation and require compensatory shifts in respiratory physiology. We refer to this phenomenon as elevational niche-shift migration (ENSM). In this review, we analyzed >4 million occurrence records to identify 105 populations, representing 92 bird species, that undergo complete or partial ENSM. We identified key ecological and evolutionary questions regarding the causes and consequences of ENSM. Our synthesis reveals that ENSM has evolved independently in at least 29 avian families spanning 10 orders. Nonetheless, ENSM is rare relative to other forms of seasonal migration, consistent with the general tendency of seasonal niche conservatism by migratory species and evolutionarily conserved elevational range limits. For many migratory species and populations, within-species patterns of migratory connectivity are not sufficiently understood to determine ENSM status. ENSM is distinguished by its scale within the broader phenomenon of elevational migration. Critical examination of ENSM illustrates fundamental constraints on the ecology and evolution of migration systems, topographical influences on geographic patterns of migratory connectivity, and the remarkable metabolic flexibility of certain bird species that allows them to occupy disparate elevations across different seasons.

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Using Bioacoustics to Examine Vocal Phenology of Neotropical Migratory Birds on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona

Birds ◽

10.3390/birds2030019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 261-274

Author(s):

Heather L. Bateman ◽

Sidney B. Riddle ◽

Erin S. Cubley

Keyword(s):

Sonoran Desert ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Riparian Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Yellow Warbler ◽

Habitat Features ◽

The Usa ◽

Vocal Activity

Passive acoustic recorders have been used successfully as automated survey tools to detect terrestrial wildlife. However, few studies have monitored Neotropical migratory bird use of riparian forest habitat using this technology. Within dryland ecosystems, the forests along rivers support high bird diversity. Many bird species of conservation concern require these floodplain forest habitats for foraging, migration stop-overs, and breeding. Few studies have explored the use of acoustic records in riverine systems designated for conservation for their natural resource value via the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in the USA. Using acoustic recorders, we document vocal activity of four riparian-obligate species (Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii; Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra; Yellow Warbler, Setophaga petechial; and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus) to determine species occurrence along a Wild and Scenic River. We established three study reaches along the perennial Lower Verde River, in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA. Nine acoustic recorders were used over the period of 80–120 days during the summer of 2018. We measured vegetation composition and structure in 100 m2 plots paired with acoustic recorders. Visualizing vocal activity showed that three species were calling and singing at each reach; whereas, one species, the cuckoo, had fewer recordings and occurred later in the summer. We demonstrate the utility of acoustic monitoring even when applied to rare birds in complex riparian habitats. This information is important for land management and conservation efforts concerning these species of interest and identifying important habitat features in Southwestern US riparian woodlands.

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