Journals Information
Advances in Zoology and Botany Vol. 11(6), pp. 475 - 484
DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110608
Reprint (PDF) (1249Kb)
Winter Assemblage of Birds in and Around Sheeal Lake, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India
Shampa Bag *
Department of Zoology, Ananda Mohan College, India
ABSTRACT
Murshidabad District in the Gangetic Plain of West Bengal is well known for its rich avifaunal diversity. A large number of migratory birds gather at different locations in the district especially around the wetland areas during the winter which is yet to be documented till date. Sheeal Lake is about a 6.5sq km shallow lake in the remote rural area of the district under Nadia-Murshidabad Forest Division, West Bengal, and is chiefly dominated by agroecosystems and sparsely populated human settlements. The objective of the study is to prepare a checklist of the avifaunal diversity in and around Sheeal Lake. The avifaunal diversity using standard method and photographic documentation was done. 614 individuals of 55 avian species belonging to 27 families and 14 orders were documented. Anatidae is the most dominant family with the most number of individuals. Passeriformes represented by 12 families, were the most diverse. 10 habitat strata and 9 feeding guilds were identified. The bird community is dominated by omnivore (39%) followed by insectivore (21%), carnivore (17%), nectarivore (5%), granivore and piscivore (5% each), frugivore (4%), herbivore (2%), and scavenger (1%). Biodiversity indices (Berger-Parker=0.385 & Shannon=2.93) show moderate dominance, fair evenness and richness of bird species during winter. Spread of the human settlement around the pristine ecosystem results in conflicts and occasional hunting which are the threats identified.
KEYWORDS
Sheeal Lake, Bird Assemblage, Winter Birds, Avifaunal Diversity, Wetland, Biodiversity
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Shampa Bag , "Winter Assemblage of Birds in and Around Sheeal Lake, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India," Advances in Zoology and Botany, Vol. 11, No. 6, pp. 475 - 484, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110608.
(b). APA Format:
Shampa Bag (2023). Winter Assemblage of Birds in and Around Sheeal Lake, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India. Advances in Zoology and Botany, 11(6), 475 - 484. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110608.