Call count surveys as a tool to monitor habitats occupied by Cheer Pheasants (Catreus wallichii) in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

The vulnerable Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichii) is found in the western Himalayas. It prefers successional grasslands which are maintained by residents near villages. Therefore, it is prone to anthropogenic pressures which have led to local extinctions and a decline in population. We conducted five call count surveys at dusk and dawn from 15 April - 15 May 2020 in grasslands of Dharbhog panchayat, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh to assess presence of Cheer Pheasants in different habitat types. We used frequency of occurrence (number of encounters / number of visits) to determine presence or absence of Cheer Pheasant in an area of 10.5 km2 with ten established call count stations. We encountered Cheer Pheasants at six call count stations and the frequency of occurrence of the species ranged from 0 - 0.60. This survey provides an index of occupancy of the species and can be used to assess the change in habitat occupied by the species with time. The local forest department can also use these results to regulate over grazing and burning of grasslands during the breeding season in areas where we recorded the species.