Natural remnants are refuges for rare birds in an urban area: a study from Pune city, India

Abstract

The green spaces in many urban areas are under severe threats; the area under green cover is declining, habitat quality is deteriorating due to fast urbanisation and the booming real estate market. Therefore, we investigated the avian richness of a natural remnant area and compared it with species richness data previously published in the literature about gardens, urban parks, and academic campuses in Pune, India. In two years of our survey, we recorded 65 species at the natural remnant site, 15 of which are rare considered in urban areas. Among recorded species, 17 are habitat specialists and 14 have declining population. Natural remnant patches are generally inaccessible to the general public; they have undergrowth of vegetation and aerial leaf litter, which may be the reason for the higher species richness and the occurrence of rare species. Our findings indicate that the natural remnant site in Pune has a unique and relatively rich assemblage of bird species, thus provide further support for the notion that natural remnant sites are valuable for urban biodiversity conservation. Therefore, we suggest that small, isolated patches of natural vegetation should receive more attention in conservation planning.