Abstract
Lohardaga Forest Division is a biodiversity rich area, but its avifaunal diversity has not been properly studied and the avifauna of Lohardaga Forest Division is still unknown. In order to fill up this lacuna, this survey was carried out to document the avifaunal diversity and abundance in the Lohardaga Forest Division for ongoing and future biodiversity actions. A total number of 3,213 birds belonging to 147 species grouped into 56 families were recorded from Lohardaga Forest Division during the study period. Out of these 2,270 were recorded from wetland habitats and 943 birds were recorded from forest habitats. Birds recorded from wetland habitats belongs to 78 species grouped into 28 family and birds recorded from forest habitats belongs to 77 species grouped into 28 families. The maximum number of birds was recorded at site 1, (1426) followed by Site 3, (642), site 8 (207), site 2 (202), and the minimum number was seen at site 5 (106). The Anatidae family shows the highest species richness in the study sites (9 species), followed by Ardeidae and Muscicapidae (8 species each), Accipitridae (7 species), Cuculidae (6 species), Cisticolidae, Charadriidae (5 species each), Sturnidae, Rallidae, Phasianidae, Motacillidae, Megalaimidae, Dicaeidae, Columbidae, Campephagidae (4 species each), Scolopacidae, Picidae, Oriolidae, Corvidae, Ciconiidae, Alcedinidae (3 species each), Threskiornithidae, Strigidae, Pycnonotidae, Psittaculidae, Podicipedidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Apodidae, Leiothrichidae, Laridae, Laniidae, Jacanidae, Hirundinidae, Estrildidae (2 species each) and Zosteropidae, Vangidae, Upupidae, Tytonidae, Turdidae, Timaliidae, Sittidae, Rhipiduridae, Ploceidae, Pittidae, Pellorneidae, Passeridae, Nectariniidae, Monarchidae, Meropidae, Falconidae, Coraciidae, Caprimulgidae, Bucerotidae, Alaudidae, Aegithinidae (1 species each). Among the avifauna, 114 (78%) were residents, 31 (20%) were winter migrants, 1 (1%) summer migrants and 1 (1%) Local migratory. The species richness of the selected sites varied from 28 to 67, while overall diversity value ranged from 0.94 to 3.86. Relative abundance of species recorded during this study was 43 rares, 21 irregulars, 53 scarces, 21 commons and 9 abundants. Among the recorded species all were placed in Least Concern category as per IUCN 3.1. According to Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 six Schedule-I species, 135 Schedule-IV species, one Schedule-V species were recorded, and rest were recorded in Not Listed category.