Wintering waterbird assemblage in an emerging wetland of West Bengal, India: characterization for conservation management

Abstract

Waterbirds constitute a prominent biota and reflect the ecosystem health and functionality of the freshwater wetlands. Documentation of the bird species assemblages of wetlands is therefore carried out as a part of monitoring of wetlands from a sustainability viewpoint. Using the emerging wetland of Purbasthali, West Bengal, India, as a model study area, the diversity of the associated bird species was estimated to supplement necessary information for conservation management of birds and ecosystems. The point count method was applied to count the waterbirds from each sighting location with a 25 m radius covering 360° arc and the counting period lasted 10 min for each site, and counts were made in the winter of 2016/2017. The data on the waterbirds encountered were recorded and subjected to diversity analysis, including the residential status, global population trend and feeding guilds. Apparently, the wetland was considered as suitable habitat for 27 waterbird species, which could be grouped under 24 genera, 10 families and 5 orders. Among these, the family Anatidae with maximum relative density and abundance dominated in the wetland. Out of the 27 recorded species, 5 species were widespread winter visitors, 3 species widespread resident, as well as, widespread winter visitors and 2 species were sparse local winter visitors. A globally near threatened species, the Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) was very common in the sampling sites. The waterbird assemblage in the wetland was dominated by carnivores followed by omnivores and herbivores. The abundance of the waterbirds with considerable variations in the foraging guild reflects availability and exploitation of multiple resources of the Purbasthali wetlands. Prominence in the differences in relative abundance of the different waterbirds could be linked with the heterogeneity in the habitat quality. The present information on waterbird assemblage calls for appropriate measures for conservation of the species and appropriate management of Purbasthali wetlands.

Assessing avian diversity and conservation status in Dighal Wetlands, Haryana, India

“…However, wetland habitats across India face significant threats, including habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation; water quality deterioration due to contamination; recreational pressures; and developmental activities (Kumar & Sharma 2018;Chakraborty et al 2021;Kaur & Brraich 2021;Mandal et al 2021;Yashmita-Ulman & Singh 2022;Anand et al 2023;Muralikrishnan et al 2023). The Dighal wetlands are no exception, as they support a diverse community of winter migrants and species of global conservation concern, all of which are vulnerable to various anthropogenic pressures.…”

“…Birds occupy several trophic levels in the nutrient cycle of wetland ecosystems (Kumar & Sharma 2018;Chakraborty et al 2021;Rai & Vanita 2021;Rajpar et al 2022;Yashmita-Ulman & Singh 2022). Wetlands are important for both resident and migratory birds.…”

Wildlife Ecological Spectrum: unveiling alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ) diversity of the Kaptai National Park, Bangladesh

“…The management of Kaptai National Park has evolved to address both conservation and community needs. The Integrated Protected Area Comanagement (IPAC) project, launched in 2009, integrates local communities into the park's stewardship (Chakraborty et al, 2021;Nolan & Callan, 2006; M. M. Smith et al, 2020). This project promotes the sustainable use of resources while protecting the park's ecological integrity, aiming to resolve con icts and enhance conservation efforts.…”

Assemblage of wetland bird Species in Purbasthali Oxbow Lake, West Bengal, India: Implications for Management

“…The Purbasthali wetland is an important repository of various resident and migratory water bird species as it provides favourable space for breeding, foraging, roosting and watering . Avifaunal diversity of Purbasthali wetland has been studied by Chowdhury (2017), , , Debnath et al (2018) and Chakraborty et al (2021). These works presented a checklist based on both water birds and terrestrial birds living around the wetland.…”

“…These works presented a checklist based on both water birds and terrestrial birds living around the wetland. Subsequently, 74 water bird species have been identified by however; Debnath et al (2018) found 86 species, Chowdhury (2017) reported 89 species while Chakraborty et al (2021) has identified 27 species. have emphasized how human intervention has reduced the diversity among waders.…”