Study of winter avifaunal diversity from a man-made reservoir in the West Bengal, India

The present study was conducted to figure out the winter avifaunal diversity of the Bakreswar Reservoir, Birbhum district, West Bengal from November ۲۰۱۷ to February ۲۰۲۱ using point count and opportunistic spotting. A total of ۱۷۴ species of birds belonging to ۱۸ orders, ۴۷ families  and ۱۱۵ genera were noted during the study of which the family Anatidae was the most dominant family with ۲۱ species, followed by the Accipitridae with ۱۹ species, Motacillidae and Ardeidae with ۱۰ species each, The Lesser Whistling Teal Dendrocygna javanica, Red-crested pochard Netta rufina and Bar-headed goose Anser indicus were the most abundant species during the winter months. Four Vulnerable species and five Near Threatened species were also recorded in the present study area. Various diversity indices indicated that species assemblage in ۲۰۱۹–۲۰۲۰ was more diverse than other years. Some species such as the Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna (Linnaeus, ۱۷۵۸), Swinhoe’s Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis Swinhoe, ۱۸۶۱, Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, ۱۷۵۸), Pallas’ Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (Pallas, ۱۷۷۳), Black headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, ۱۷۶۶), Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, ۱۷۶۶) and Bonelii’s Eagle Aquilla fasciata Vieillot, ۱۸۲۲ are recorded for the first time from this region. Various threats like habitat destruction, habitat degradation and hunting of migratory and threatened birds pose the major problems in the present study location. More detailed study will surely reveal more facts on bird-habitat interactions from the Bakreswar dam of Birbhum district.  

Keywords:

Bakreswar Reservoir , Birbhum , migratory birds , point count , waterbirds