Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 April 2024 | 16(4): 25069–25081

 

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8192.16.4.25069-25081

#8192 | Received 22 September 2022 | Final received 17 March 2024 | Finally accepted 11 April 2024

 

 

Checklist and comparison of the bird diversity from the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, India

 

Praveen Kumar 1, Bharti Parmar 2   & Pardeep Kumar 3

 

1,3 Department of Soil Science, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176062, India.

1 Department of Environment Science, Govt. College, Ghumarwin, Himachal Pradesh, 174021, India.

2 Department of English, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen University, Himachal Pradesh, 174103, India.

1 pk.hpkv@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 bhartiparmar39@gmail.com, 3 drpardeep1968@gmail.com

 

 

Abstract: Agricultural ornithology plays a crucial role in managing and sustaining agroecosystems. In agriculture, birds such as insectivores and raptors serve as natural controllers of insect and rodent pests, contributing to integrated pest management strategies. In this study, a checklist of birds was compiled using data collected over three years (2019–2022) from the agricultural landscape surrounding Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur (HPAU), India. The study area comprises varied habitats including agricultural fields, forest patches, water bodies, and tea orchards. A total of 116 avian species, spanning 17 orders and 44 families were documented. Muscicapidae emerged as the most dominant family, comprising 16 species and exhibiting the highest relative diversity index value (13.79). A comparison with previous records revealed that 40 avian species were absent, while 34 bird species were reported for the first time in the study area. These finding revealed the significant shift in avian diversity at HPAU compared to previous assessments (HPAU 2019). The observed decline in avian diversity may be attributed to rapid habitat degradation driven by large-scale shrub trimming and other development activities, particularly construction projects.

 

Keywords: Avifauna, conservation, Kangra, Palampur, species richness, tea orchards.

 

 

Editor: Anil Kumar, Zoological Survey of India, Patna, India.             Date of publication: 26 April 2024 (online & print)

 

Citation: Kumar, P., B. Parmar & P. Kumar (2024). Checklist and comparison of the bird diversity from the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 16(4): 25069–25081. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8192.16.4.25069-25081

  

Copyright: © Kumar et al. 2024. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.  JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

 

Funding: Self-funded.

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Author details: Dr. Praveen Kumar is assistant professor in the Department of Environment Science, SVGC Ghumarwin. He carried out this research in CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University (HPKV), Palampur. He has published many papers related to spatial modeling and biodiversity conservation in many journals of national and international repute. Dr. Pardeep Kumar is a Principal Scientist, Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, CSK HPKV, Palampur, India. Ms. Bharti Parmar is a research scholar and pursuing her PhD from Department of English, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen University, Himachal Pradesh investigating the complex relationship between human and nature through eco-criticism in literature.

 

Author contributions: Praveen Kumar—data collection, data analysis, methodology, writing the original draft. Bharti Parmar—manuscript review & comments. Pardeep Kumar—writing, review & editing.

 

Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to the Department of Soil Science CSK HPKV Palampur, India, and the Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India. The authors are also thankful to Dr. Munish Sharma and Mr. Sabneet Kumar for helping in the field survey.

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Agricultural ornithology deals with regular monitoring and collection of scientific information on bird diversity in agroecosystems (Dhindsa & Saini 1994), which is a prerequisite for their management sustainably. The birds form a wide range of feeding guilds, viz., frugivore, granivore, insectivore, and nectarivore, and in an ecosystem, they act as primary consumers (herbivorous) to top carnivorous (fish-eating birds) (Kumar 2021a). Birds are an integral part of the food chain and contribute to a healthy ecosystem due to various ecological services rendered by them, viz., seed dispersal and pollination (Burin et al. 2016). In an agricultural landscape, avian diversity plays an essential role in controlling the insect-pest population (Railsback & Johnson 2014), and is thus useful for integrated pest management.

The montane landscapes of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) are a biodiversity hotspot (Myer 2000) and contribute about 80% of the avian diversity of the Indian subcontinent (Price et al. 2003; Chandra et al. 2018). In many countries like India, scientific information on bird diversity is limited, particularly for the agriculture landscape for providing input in agricultural sustainability. The large-sized university premises are also the subject of interest to understand the human-induced urban environment and vegetation association (Ali et al. 2013; Aggarwal et al. 2016; Chakdar et al. 2016; Rajashekara & Venkatesha 2017). Many campuses are unexplored and need to be evaluated for preparing a systematic management plan. Agriculture universities are known to possess monoculture or mixed crop with limited wildlife (Şekercioğlu et al. 2019). However, in hilly terrain such universities comprise a variety of habitats and a large area occupied with mixed vegetation that may enhance the bird diversity. The checklist of bird diversity prepared for such areas may be quite helpful for biodiversity conservation and long-term integrated pest management (IPM).

Considering the importance of bird diversity, the present study was carried out at the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University (HPAU), India. An annotated checklist was prepared that provides baseline information for the conservation and management of bird diversity in a sustainable way.

 

Study Area

The present study was conducted in the university premise of HPAU Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India (76.5489°N & 32.1029°E). The study area comes under the agro-climatic zone II, which covers sediments derived from a geologically complex environment with a long-term erosion history that leads to varied geo-botanical landscapes. The study area is located in the foothill region of the Dhauladhar ranges characterized by snow-clad peaks in steep slopes (16–30 % gradient), while the university premise has an area of moderate topography with a 10–15 % gradient. The university premise is situated along the national highway (NH-154) criss-crossed by many linked roads and seasonal drainage.

The study area comprises varied habitat diversity such as agriculture (A), forest (F), grassland (G), tea orchards (T), wasteland (W), and water bodies (WB) (Figure 1). The agricultural fields and organic farms are extensively cultivated with seasonal crops, namely, maize Zea mays, wheat Triticum aestivum, okra Abelmoschus esculentus, cole crops Brassica spp. and their genotypes; while the rest of the area is cover with scattered patches of tea garden, wasteland and mixed vegetation forest. The main tree species include Bauhinia variegata, Callistemon viminalis, Cedrus deodara, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Populus sp., and Salix babylonica. There are many edible fruit plants such as Morus alba, Psidium guajava, Pyrus pashia, and Rubus spp., and many others, as reported by Kumar (2021b) for the foothill region of Dhauladhar ranges. The annual rainfall varies 1,500–1,800 mm. The climate of the study area is a monsoonal-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa) as per Köppen & Geiger’s classification (Peel et al. 2007).

 

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 

An annotated checklist of bird diversity was meticulously compiled following an extensive field survey conducted across 315 sites (refer to Figure 1) from 2019 to 2022. The survey encompassed both planned observations and numerous opportunistic sightings. The main survey sessions were carried out mainly from 0700 h to 0900 h and in the evening from 1700 h to 1830 h. Opportunistic sightings, on the other hand, were made near experimental farms, playground areas, and water bodies, adding valuable data to checklist. Several surveys were conducted along a specific track from gate 1 to gate 5 under streetlight condition between 1930 h to 2130 h throughout 2019–2020, with the exception of the COVID-19 lockdown period. While a subset of these surveys was meticulously planned and executed over 2–3 days per month, the majority were opportunistic, occurring 3–4 days each week. This survey encompasses transects and points established within the university premises across different habitats (A = 130; F = 32; G = 52; O = 17; T = 55; W = 21; WB = 8). Additionally, numerous opportunistic surveys were conducted during university activities, yielding rare sightings recorded once or twice in the study period. The opportunistic surveys primarily occurred while moving to experimental fields, near playground areas, and near water bodies. Observations were recorded using a Hanumex 30 x 60 binocular and Nikon 3300 camera with 70–300 mm zoom lens, while a large proportion of these records were geotagged using a Nikon p900 camera. Bird acoustic signals were also employed for species location. The identification of bird species was facilitated by various field guides (Singh 2015; Grimmett et al. 2016; Grewal & Bhatia 2017; Dhadwal 2018; Kalsi et al. 2020). The study area, characterized by a variety of habitats, necessitated a combination of belt transects (50 m wide), point surveys and call surveys. The transect length varied 300–500 m depending on habitat accessibility, while point surveys lasted approximately 20–30 minutes at specific locations.

The data collected from the well-planned survey (replicated twice) and opportunistic survey in the study period were complied and categorized based on encounter rate and sightings frequency into very common (VC), common (C), and rare (R) categories (MacKinnon & Phillipps 1993). VC denoted species sighted over 10 times across all seasons, C represented sightings occurring 7–9 times in specific habitats, and R indicated species sighted once or twice during the study period. The relative diversity (RDi) of families was calculated using a specified formula (Torre-Cuadros et al. 2007).

Number of bird species in a family

RDi = –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– x 100

Total number of species

 

 

 

RESULTS                                                                                                                     

The annotated checklist of the HPAU- 2019–2022 revealed that a total of 116 bird species belonging to 17 orders and 44 families occur on the university premises. Muscicapidae family dominates over other families. The checklist reveals the Muscicapidae family contributes to 16 species followed by Picidae (7), Cisticolidae (6), Columbidae (5), Accipitridae, Ardeidae, Corvidae, Paridae, Psittaculidae, Strigidae, Sturnidae (4 each), Cuculidae, Dicruridae, Hirundinidae, Motacillidae, Phasianidae, Pycnonotidae, Timaliidae (3 each), and Fringillidae, Megalaimidae, Nectariniidae, Passeridae, Phylloscopidae, Rallidae, & Stenostiridae (2 each). While the remaining 19 families are poorly reported (Table 1). The RDi value was also calculated highest for the family Muscicapidae followed by other Picidae and Cisticolidae (Table 2). The family Muscicapidae was also reported as dominant in various studies (Sankar et al. 2006; Yaseen et al. 2011; Koli 2014). It is the largest family of birds in the Indian context (Manakadan & Pittie 2001).

The present checklist was also compared with the annotated checklist prepared by Kottawa-Arachchi (2022) and the checklist prepared for the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) 2015–2018 located in the foothill region of Dhauladhar ranges, Himachal Himalaya, India (Kumar 2021a). The CUHP is a university operating on a temporary campus with no agricultural activities, while the HPAU is characterized by a wide agricultural landscape and a large area under unmanaged tea orchards. These universities (viz., HPAU and CUHP) are separated by an aerial distance of approximately ~40 km. Table 1 represents the checklists and their comparison for the occurrence of bird species in two university premises and previously published records. The opportunistic sightings particularly near playground areas, agricultural fields, and wetland habitats provided a significant contribution to the observation of rare birds species. A comparison with the previous records, specifically HPAU-2019, revealed notable differences in the presence and abundance of common species. Many previously common species were not found during the study period, while others that were once abundant were either missing or now considered rare. Therefore the primary focus of this study lies in comparing the diversity and distribution across similar and varied landscape (refer to Table 1). Bird species newly recorded in the study area, compared to HPAU-2019, are shown in Images 2 & 3. Additionally, Kumar (2021a) has already provided photographic records of common species observed in CUHP 2015–2018 and HPAU 2019.

The present checklist HPAU 2019–2022 showed 98 common bird species and 18 species are new records while comparing the checklist CUHP 2015–2018. The difference in species composition can be correlated to the variation in habitat diversity, human intervention, and size of the study area. The checklist HPAU 2019–2022 was also compared with the previous records (i.e., HPAU 2019) that showed 82 species are common while a huge difference with new records, which are reported 34 in number, while, 40 bird species were found absent even considering the wide timeframe. Many common bird species (viz., Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectus, Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum, Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus, Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis, Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis) are not reported, which can easily be seen in their specific habitats as per their time of seasonal migration in the study area (Table 1).

Considering the similar timeframe, many species such as Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger, Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum, and Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis, were reported each year, found absent. Some raptor species, viz., Indian Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena, Barn Owl Tyto alba, and Brown Boobook Ninox scutulata, were also found unnoticed. Many common species recorded in the previous checklist (HPAU 2019) were either absent (40) or rarely seen. It has been reported that food resources, safe roosting sites, human disturbances, and environmental factors such as air, light, and noise pollution, and global warming affect the functional diversity of birds (Dutta 2017; Rajashekara & Venkatesha 2019; Matuoka et al. 2020). These factors also contribute to the varied distribution of bird diversity in the study area.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

The study represents the avifaunal diversity in the university premise located in the hilly terrain of the agro-climatic zone-II, Himachal Pradesh, India. The university lies in the foothill region of Dhauladhar ranges which are also known as flyover of many raptor species and is the major passage for local migration of many bird species to low land areas of the valley sub-region. The agricultural landscape within the study area exhibits diverse habitats, encompassing the expanse under agricultural fields. Conversely, the built-up locations predominately reflect the impact of developmental activities and habitat degradation. Areas designated as grasslands and forests are characterized by mixed vegetation, which serves as a significant contributor to bird diversity. Notably, the study area functions as a transition zone between human habitation and agricultural landscapes, encompassing unmanaged tea gardens, patches of forests, and various water bodies. These diverse features effectively draw in both migratory and resident bird species, distinctly augmenting the overall biodiversity of the area.

The data collected over three years for bird diversity was compared with the previous records. We observed that the present checklist (HPAU 2019–2022) showed many discrepancies/variations with the previous record (HPAU) 2019 compiled by Kottawa-Arachchi (2022). Several avian species, viz., Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii, Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis, Lesser Fish-eagle Icthyophaga humilis, Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus, Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei, Scaly-bellied Woodpecker Picus squamatus, Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus, and many warbler, shrike, and minivet species were found absent. Most of these species even not recorded outside the university premises and surrounding areas of Palampur city. Some avian species, viz., White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis and Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus were recorded outside the university premises (Table 1). The previous checklist by Kottawa-Arachchi (2022) also reported many doubtful records such as Crow-billed Drongo Dicrurus annectens and Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura. Some of these species are not even reported in many birding sites surrounding the study area; moreover, many bird species have few records in the hilly state of Himalaya. Some of these species are mainly widespread residents in the Shivaliks and the foothills region. As most of the species are geotagged with an inbuilt Nikon p900 camera, the huge gap in previous records (HPAU 2019) seems to arise due to misidentification and sampling errors that may cause such reporting.

The more records in HPAU comparison to CUHP was due to the varied habitat diversity and larger study area. The absence of common species indicates the influence of unscientific anthropogenic activities and habitat loss. The results are in line with the findings that suggest the loss of habitat and development activities influences bird diversity (Rajashekara & Venkatesha 2019; Mbiba et al. 2021). The agricultural landscape in the Indian Himalayan region is predominately characterized by human modifications, with the agriculture university premise also exhibiting sign of habitat degradation and fragmentation. Throughout the survey, activities such as clearing new areas for experimental trials, developmental endeavours, large-scale shrub trimming, and unauthorized livestock grazing from the nearby villages have led to significant habitat destruction. However, despite these challenges, the hilly terrain of the agriculture university premise hold vast potential for habitat diversity, featuring wastelands, scattered patches of forest, grasslands, and water bodies. Nonetheless, the agricultural landscape and built-up areas are significantly impacted by habitat degradation, affecting the visitation and migration pattern of many shy bird species. Protection measures are essential for areas far from human habitation to prevent habitat fragmentation. Furthermore, the sites adorned with patches of forest, unmanaged tea orchards, and water bodies hold promise as potential areas for developing conservation strategies aimed at safeguarding avian species.

 

 

Table 1. Checklist of the bird diversity from the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University (HPAU 2019-2022) along with the previous records.

 

English name

Scientific name

Abundance

CUHP

(2015–2018)

HPAU

(2019)

HPAU

(2019–2022)

present study

GALLIFORMES

Phasianidae (partridges, pheasants, grouse)

1

Common Quail

Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

-

+

2

Black Francolin

Francolinus francolinus (Linnaeus, 1766)

R

+

+

+

3

Red Junglefowl

Gallus gallus (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

COLUMBIFORMES

Columbidae (pigeons)

4

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

VC

+

+

+

5

Oriental Turtle Dove

Streptopelia orientalis (Latham, 1790)

C

+

+

+

6

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838)

R

+

-

+

7

Spotted Dove

Streptopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786)

VC

+

+

+

8

Asian Emerald Dove

Chalcophaps indica (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

-

+

+

CUCULIFORMES

Cuculidae (cuckoos)

9

Greater Coucal

Centropus sinensis (Stephens, 1815)

C

+

+

+

10

Indian Cuckoo

Cuculus micropterus (Gould, 1838)

-

-

+

-

11

Asian Koel

Eudynamys scolopaceus (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

12

Banded Bay Cuckoo

Cacomantis sonneratii (Latham, 1790)

-

-

+

-

13

Common Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

-

+

14

Common Hawk-cuckoo

Hierococcyx varius (Vahl, 1797)

-

-

+

-

GRUIFORMES

Rallidae

15

Brown Crake

Zapornia akool (Sykes, 1832)

C

+

-

+

16

White-breasted Waterhen

Amaurornis phoenicurus (Pennant, 1769)

R

+

+

+

PELECANIFORMES

Ardeidae (herons)

17

Indian Pond Heron

Ardeola grayii (Sykes, 1832)

R

+

+

+

18

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758)

C

+

+

+

19

Great Egret

Ardea alba (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

-

+

-

20

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

-

-

+

21

 Black-crowned Night Heron 

Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

-

-

+

SULIFORMES

Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants)

 

 

 

 

22

Little Cormorant

Microcarbo niger (Vieillot, 1817)

R

+

-

+

23

Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis (Stephens, 1826)

-

-

+

-

CHARADRIIFORMES

Charadriidae (plovers & lapwings)

 

 

 

 

24

Red-wattled Lapwing

Vanellus indicus (Boddaert, 1783)

C

+

+

+

Scolopacidae (sandpipers)

 

 

 

 

25

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

-

+

26

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

-

+

-

ACCIPITRIFORMES

Accipitridae (kites, hawks and eagles)

27

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

28

White-rumped Vulture

Gyps bengalensis (Gmelin, J.F. 1788)

-

+

-

-

29

Shikra

Accipiter badius (Gmelin, J.F. 1788)

R

+

+

+

30

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

+

-

-

31

Black Kite

Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783)

C

+

+

+

32

Besra

Accipiter virgatus (Temminck, 1822)

-

-

+

-

33

Mountain Hawk-eagle

Nisaetus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1836)

-

-

+

-

34

Lesser Fish-eagle

Haliaeetus humilis (S. Müller & Schlegel, 1841)

-

-

+

-

35

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Pernis ptilorhynchus (Temminck, 1821)

-

-

+

-

36

Himalayan Buzzard  

Buteo refectus (Portenko, 1935)

R

-

-

+

CAPRIMULGIFORMES

Apodidae

37

House Swift

Apus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837)

-

-

+

-

STRIGIFORMES

Strigidae (owls)

38

Asian Barred Owlet

Glaucidium cuculoides (Vigors, 1831)

C

+

+

+

39

Collared Owlet

Taenioptynx brodiei (Burton, E. 1836)

-

-

+

-

40

Barn Owl

Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769)

R

-

-

+

41

Indian Scops Owl

Otus bakkamoena (Pennant, 1769)

C

-

-

+

42

Brown Boobook

Ninox scutulata (Raffles, 1822)

R

-

-

+

BUCEROTIFORMES

Bucerotidae (hornbills)

43

Indian Grey Hornbill

Ocyceros birostris (Scopoli, 1786)

C

+

+

+

Upupidae (hoopoes)

44

Common Hoopoe

Upupa epops (Linnaeus, 1758

R

+

+

+

PICIFORMES

Picidae (woodpeckers)

45

Speckled Piculet

Picumnus innominatus (Burton, E. 1836)

R

+

+

+

46

Back-rumped Flameback

Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

-

+

47

Lesser Yellow-naped Woodpecker

Picus chlorolophus (Vieillot, 1818)

R

+

-

+

48

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Picus canus (Gmelin, J.F. 1788)

R

+

+

+

49

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Dendrocopos canicapillus (Blyth, 1845)

C

+

+

+

50

Fulvous-breasted Pied Woodpecker

Dendrocopos macei (Vieillot, 1818)

R

+

+

+

51

Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker

Dendrocopos auriceps (Vigors, 1831)

-

+

-

+

52

Scaly-bellied Woodpecker

Picus squamatus (Vigors, 1831)

-

-

+

-

Megalaimidae

53

Great Barbet

Psilopogon virens (Boddaert, 1783)

C

+

+

+

54

Brown-headed Barbet

Psilopogon zeylanicus (Gmelin, J.F. 1788)

-

+

-

-

55

Blue-throated Barbet

Psilopogon asiaticus (Latham, 1790)

C

+

+

+

56

Coppersmith Barbet

Psilopogon haemacephalus (Müller, PLS, 1776)

-

-

+

-

CORACIIFORMES

Coraciidae (rollers)

57

Indian Roller

Coracias benghalensis (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

+

-

-

Alcedinidae (kingfishers)

 

 

 

 

58

White-throated Kingfisher

Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

FALCONIFORMES

Falconidae (falcons and caracaras)

 

 

 

 

59

Common Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

PSITTACIFORMES

Psittaculidae (Old World parrots)

60

Slaty-headed Parakeet

Psittacula himalayana (Lesson, 1832)

R

+

-

+

61

Plum-headed Parakeet

Psittacula cyanocephala (Linnaeus, 1766)

R

+

+

+

62

Alexandrine Parakeet

Psittacula eupatria (Linnaeus, 1766)

C

+

+

+

63

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769)

R

+

-

+

PASSERIFORMES

Campephagidae (minivets and cuckooshrikes)

64

Orange Minivet

Pericrocotus flammeus (Forster, J.R. 1781)

R

+

-

+

65

Long-tailed Minivet

Pericrocotus ethologus (Bangs & Phillips, 1914)

-

-

+

-

66

Small Minivet

Pericrocotus cinnamomeus (Linnaeus, 1766)

-

-

+

-

Dicruridae (drongos)

67

Black Drongo

Dicrurus macrocercus (Vieillot, 1817)

C

+

+

+

68

Ashy Drongo

Dicrurus leucophaeus (Vieillot, 1817)

C

+

+

+

69

Hair-crested Drongo

Dicrurus hottentottus (Linnaeus, 1766)

R

+

+

+

70

Crow-billed Drongo                 

Dicrurus annectens (Hodgson, 1836)

 

-

+

-

Cinclidae

71

Brown Dipper

Cinclus pallasii (Temminck, 1820)

-

-

+

-

Pittidae

72

Indian Pitta

 

Pitta brachyura (Linnaeus, 1766)

-

-

+

-

Cettiidae

73

Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler

Horornis fortipes (Hodgson, 1845)

-

-

+

 

-

74

Grey-sided Bush Warbler

Cettia brunnifrons (Hodgson, 1845)

-

-

+

-

Phylloscopidae

75

Ashy-throated Warbler

Phylloscopus maculipennis (Blyth, 1867)

-

-

+

-

76

Blyth's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus reguloides (Blyth, 1842)

-

-

+

-

77

Greenish Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus trochiloides (Sundevall, 1837)

-

-

+

-

78

Whistler’s Warbler

Phylloscopus whistleri (Ticehurst, 1925)

-

-

+

-

Alaudidae

79

Indian Bushlark

Mirafra erythroptera (Blyth, 1845)

-

-

+

-

80

Oriental Skylark

Alauda gulgula (Franklin, 1831)

-

-

+

-

Dicaeidae

81

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

Dicaeum ignipectus (Blyth, 1843)

R

-

-

+

Sylviidae

82

Yellow-eyed Babbler

Chrysomma sinense (Gmelin, J.F. 1789)

-

-

+

+

Acrocephalidae

83

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus dumetorum (Blyth, 1849)

-

-

+

-

Estrildidae

84

Indian Silverbill

Euodice malabarica (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

-

+

-

Laniidae

85

Brown Shrike

Lanius cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

-

+

-

86

Long-tailed Shrike

Lanius schach (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

+

+

-

Rhipiduridae (fantails)

87

White-throated Fantail

Rhipidura albicollis (Vieillot, 1818)

R

+

+

+

Corvidae (crows and jays)

88

Rufous Treepie

Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham, 1790)

C

+

-

+

89

Grey Treepie

Dendrocitta formosae (Swinhoe, 1863)

R

+

-

-

90

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

Urocissa flavirostris (Blyth, 1846)

C

+

+

+

91

Red-billed Blue Magpie

Urocissa erythroryncha (Boddaert, 1783)

R

+

+

+

92

Large-billed Crow

Corvus macrorhynchos (Wagler, 1827)

C

+

+

+

93

Black-headed Jay

Garrulus lanceolatus (Vigors, 1830)

-

-

+

-

Monarchidae (monarchs & paradise flycatchers)

94

Indian Paradise-flycatcher

Terpsiphone paradisi (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

Nectariniidae (sunbirds)

95

Purple Sunbird

Cinnyris asiaticus (Latham, 1790)

R

+

-

+

96

Crimson Sunbird

Aethopyga siparaja (Raffles, 1822)

R

+

+

+

Estrildidae (waxbills)

97

Scaly-breasted Munia

Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus, 1758)

C

+

-

+

Passeridae (sparrows, snowfinches, and allies)

98

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

VC

+

+

+

99

Russet Sparrow

Passer cinnamomeus (Gould, 1836)

VC

+

+

+

Motacillidae (wagtails and pipits)

100

Paddyfield Pipit

Anthus rufulus (Vieillot, 1818)

C

+

+

+

101

Long-billed Pipit

Anthus similis (Jerdon, 1840)

-

-

+

-

102

Grey Wagtail

Motacilla cinerea (Tunstall, 1771)

R

+

+

+

103

White-browed Wagtail

Motacilla maderaspatensis (Gmelin, J.F. 1789)

C

+

-

-

104

White Wagtail

Motacilla alba (Linnaeus, 1758)

C

+

+

+

Fringillidae (finches, euphonias, and Hawaiian honeycreepers)

105

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinus (Pallas, 1770)

R

+

+

+

106

Yellow-breasted Greenfinch

Chloris spinoides (Vigors, 1831)

R

+

+

+

Emberizidae (Old World buntings)

107

White-capped Bunting

Emberiza stewarti (Blyth, 1854)

R

+

-

-

Stenostiridae (fairy-flycatcher and crested-flycatchers)

108

Yellow-bellied Fairy-fantail

Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus (Blyth, 1843)

C

+

+

+

109

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher

Culicicapa ceylonensis (Swainson, 1820)

R

+

+

+

Paridae (tits, chickadees)

110

Coal Tit

Periparus ater (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

-

+

111

Cinereous Tit

Parus cinereus (Vieillot, 1818)

VC

+

-

+

112

Himalayan Black-lored Tit

Machlolophus xanthogenys (Vigors, 1831)

R

+

+

+

113

Green-backed Tit

Parus monticolus (Vigors, 1831)

-

-

+

-

114

Black-throated Tit

Aegithalos concinnus (Gould, 1855)

-

-

+

+

Sittidae

 

115

White-tailed Nuthatch

Sitta himalayensis (Jardine & Selby, 1835)

-

-

+

-

Cisticolidae (cisticolas)

116

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis (Rafinesque, 1810)

R

+

-

-

117

Grey-breasted Prinia

Prinia hodgsonii (Blyth, 1844)

C

+

+

+

118

Jungle Prinia

Prinia sylvatica (Jerdon, 1840)

R

+

+

+

119

Ashy Prinia

Prinia socialis (Sykes, 1832)

R

+

+

+

120

Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius (Pennant, 1769)

C

+

+

+

121

Plain Prinia

Prinia inornata (Sykes, 1832)

R

-

+

+

122

Himalayan Prinia

Prinia crinigera (Hodgson, 1836)

R

-

+

+

Hirundinidae (swallows)

123

Red-rumped Swallow

Cecropis daurica (Laxmann, 1769)

VC

+

+

+

124

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica (Linnaeus, 1758)

R

+

+

+

125

 

Wire-tailed Swallow

Hirundo smithii (Leach, 1818)

R

-

-

+

Pycnonotidae (bulbuls)

126

Black Bulbul

Hypsipetes leucocephalus (Gmelin, J.F. 1789)

C

+

+

+

127

Himalayan Bulbul

Pycnonotus leucogenis (Gray, J.E. 1835)

VC

+

+

+

128

Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766)

VC

+

+

+

Phylloscopidae (Old World leaf warblers )

129

Lemon-rumped Warbler

Phylloscopus chloronotus (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847)

C

+

+

+

130

Grey-hooded Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus xanthoschistos (Gray, JE and Gray, GR, 1847)

C

+

+

+

Aegithalidae (long-tailed tits)

131

Black-throated Tit

Aegithalos concinnus (Gould, 1855)

R

+

+

 

+

Zosteropidae (white-eyes and yuhinas)

 

 

 

 

132

Oriental White-eye

Zosterops palpebrosus (Temminck, 1824)

C

+

+

+

Timaliidae (scimitar babblers and allies)

133

White-browed Scimitar Babbler

Pomatorhinus schisticeps (Hodgson, 1836)

R

+

-

-

134

Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler

Erythrogenys erythrogenys (Vigors, 1831)

C

+

+

+

135

Black-chinned Babbler

Cyanoderma pyrrhops (Blyth, 1844)

R

+

+

+

136

Puff-throated Babbler

Pellorneum ruficeps (Swainson, 1832)

R

+

+

+

Leiothrichidae (babblers, laughing thrushes, and allies)

137

Jungle Babbler

Argya striata (Dumont, 1823)

VC

+

-

-

138

Streaked LaughingThrush

Trochalopteron lineatum (Vigors, 1831)

R

+

-

-

139

Rufous Sibia

Heterophasia capistrata (Vigors, 1831)

R

+

+

+

Certhiidae (treecreepers)

140

Bar-tailed Treecreeper

Certhia himalayana (Vigors, 1832)

C

+

+

+

Sturnidae (starlings)

141

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758)

-

+

-

-

142

Brahminy Starling

Sturnia pagodarum (Gmelin, J.F. 1789)

R

+

-

+

143

Chestnut-tailed Starling

Sturnia malabarica (Gmelin, J.F. 1789)

R

+

+

+

144

Common Myna

Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766)

VC

+

+

+

145

Jungle Myna

Acridotheres fuscus (Wagler, 1827)

R

+

+

+

Muscicapidae (chats and flycatchers)

146

Indian Robin

Copsychus fulicatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

C

+

-

+

147

Oriental Magpie Robin

Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus, 1758)

VC

+

+

+

148

Rufous-bellied Niltava

Niltava sundara (Hodgson, 1837)

R

+

-

+

149

Verditer Flycatcher

Eumyias thalassinus (Swainson, 1838)

VC

+

+

+

150

Spotted Forktail

Enicurus maculatus (Vigors, 1831)

R

+

-

+

151

Blue Whistling Thrush

Myophonus caeruleus (Scopoli, 1786)

VC

+

+

+

152

White-tailed Rubythroat

Calliope pectoralis (Gould, 1837)

C

+

-

-

153

Slaty-blue Flycatcher

Ficedula tricolor (Hodgson, 1845)

R

+

+

-

154

Blue-fronted Redstart

Phoenicurus frontalis (Vigors, 1831)

C

+

-

+

155

Plumbeous Water Redstart

Phoenicurus fuliginosus (Vigors, 1831)

VC

+

+

+

156

White-capped Water Redstart

Phoenicurus leucocephalus (Vigors, 1831)

VC

+

+

+

157

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush

Monticola rufiventris (Jardine & Selby, 1833)

R

+

+

+

158

Common Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus (Pallas, 1773)

R

+

+

+

159

Pied Bushchat

Saxicola caprata (Linnaeus, 1766)

R

+

+

+

160

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Muscicapa dauurica (Pallas, 1811)

-

-

+

+

161

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher

Ficedula ruficauda (Swainson, 1838)

-

-

+

-

162

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher

Ficedula strophiata (Hodgson, 1837)

-

-

+

-

163

Blue-capped Redstart

Phoenicurus coeruleocephala (Vigors, 1831)

R

-

-

+

164

Grey Bushchat

Saxicola ferreus (Gray, JE and Gray, GR, 1847)

VC

+

+

+

165

Himalayan Bush Robin

Tarsiger rufilatus (Hodgson, 1845)

R

-

-

+

Turdidae (thrushes)

166

Grey-winged Blackbird

Turdus boulboul (Latham, 1790)

R

+

+

-

167

Black-throated Thrush

Turdus atrogularis (Jarocki, 1819)

C

-

-

+

CORACIIFORMES

Meropidae

168

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Merops philippinus (Linnaeus, 1767)

R

-

+

-

169

Green Bee-eater

Merops orientalis (Latham, 1801)

R

-

-

+

C—common | VC—very common | R—rare.

 

Table 2. Relative diversity (RDi) of avian families in Agricultural University Himachal Pradesh, India.

 

Family

RDi

1

Phasianidae

2.59

2

Columbidae

4.31

3

Cuculidae

2.59

4

Rallidae

1.72

5

Ardeidae

3.45

6

Phalacrocoracidae

0.86

7

Charadriidae

0.86

8

Scolopacidae

0.86

9

Accipitridae

3.45

10

Strigidae

3.45

11

Bucerotidae

0.86

12

Upupidae

0.86

13

Picidae

6.03

14

Megalaimidae

1.72

15

Alcedinidae

0.86

16

Falconidae

0.86

17

Psittaculidae

3.45

18

Campephagidae

0.86

19

Dicruridae

2.59

20

Dicaeidae

0.86

21

Sylviidae

0.86

22

Rhipiduridae

0.86

23

Corvidae

3.45

24

Monarchidae

0.86

25

Nectariniidae

1.72

26

Estrildidae

0.86

27

Passeridae

1.72

28

Motacillidae

2.59

29

Fringillidae

1.72

30

Stenostiridae

1.72

31

Paridae

3.45

32

Cisticolidae

5.17

33

Hirundinidae

2.59

34

Pycnonotidae

2.59

35

Phylloscopidae

1.72

36

Aegithalidae

0.86

37

Zosteropidae

0.86

38

Timaliidae

2.59

39

Leiothrichidae

0.86

40

Certhiidae

0.86

41

Sturnidae

3.45

42

Muscicapidae

13.79

43

Turdidae

0.86

44

Meropidae

0.86

 

 

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