SURVEY OF BIODIVERSITY AND POPULATION CHANGES OF BIRDS IN PARKS OF MASHHAD, KHORASAN PROVINCE, IRAN IN AUTUMN 2011 Case Study (Mellat and Pardis Ghaem Parks

Birds are invaluable animal species in many green spaces influencing the environment; thus, there is a need to study the urban biodiversity and to consider ecological knowledge in urban planning. The objective of this study was to describe the structure of the bird community and identify their diversity in Mellat and Pardis Ghaem parks in autumn 2011 in Mashhad, Iran. Overall, there were 29 species of birds in the parks, in 15 families and 5 orders. Families of Passeridae and Corvidae had the greatest number of birds with 268 and 265 individual birds, respectively, while Turdidae family had the greatest number of species with 5 species and 77 individual birds. Passeriformes order constituted 88% of the birds in Mellat and Pardis Ghaem parks. In autumn, accommodating 27 species and 712 individual birds, the large Mellat Park had the largest species richness (Margalef’s index=4.27) and heterogeneity (Shannon-Wiener index=3.95) due to its vastness that provided enough space for birds to find shelter and reproduce as well as due to its diverse vegetation of trees and shrubs. With 25 species and 516 individual birds, Pardis Ghaem Park had the highest species evenness (Hill’s index=0.73), which indicated homogenous distribution of bird species across this park. In fact, autumn has a major role in attracting birds to the parks and providing them with shelter and food due to favorable weather, migratory species, safety and abundant food provided by trees, particularly evergreen trees.

Keywords:

birds , park , biodiversity index , population changes , Mashhad , Iran