Abstracto

Diversity of Birds in Some Ecological Niches of Western Ghats in Maharashtra (India)

Swati S Bopinwar, Dilip B Meshram, Minakshi T Bharati, Waman N Paunikar and Tarun K Ghosh

A comparative study of avi faunal diversity in selected locations of Western Ghats in Maharashtra was undertaken during winter and summer seasons in 2010. Total 50 different species of birds were encountered in four sites out of which 30 and 46 species were observed during winter and summer seasons respectively. Of these, 26 species were common in both the study periods. Species diversity was significantly more in site C than that recorded in sites A and B in both the seasons. Indian myna and house sparrow were most dominant during winter, while little cormorant, purple sun bird and redvented bulbul outnumbered others in summer.Majority of birds were insectivores in habits followed by frugivores and piscivores birds. Indian myna and red whiskered bulbul, followed by house crow, were ranked at top levels on the basis of habitat index in winter and summer seasons respectively.