Surat: Forest in South Gujarat – From Letter to Dang – is a bird paradise where the camping species varies to make a fertile green forest in the northernmost part of the Western Ghats where they live.
This was confirmed by the latest research on Avian diversity entitled, ‘Bird Letter-Dang: The 75-Year Consolidated Checklist (1944-2020)’ was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
This study has a special emphasis on noted bird records and hotspots from the north side of Ghats of Gujarat.
This paper has been written together by Nikunj Jambu from the Avian Division of Avian and Biology of Wildlife, Department of Zoology, University of Maharaja Ijirao Baroda along with Kaushal Patel from the Wildlife Conservation Society (Bengaluru).
“A total of 297 species belonging to 21 orders and 70 families have been recorded from the landscape of the Dang representing 51.03% of Avifauna which was recorded from Gujarat and 22.85% of Indian bird species.
Both protected areas – Purna Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) and VANSDA National Park (VNP) – is home to 77.44% (PWS) and 65.32% (VNP) of 297 species recorded from landscapes.
High diversity can be caused by intense changes in coincidence of habitat for the last 125 years ( 1897-2020), “said the researchers.
Speaking with Toi, Kaushal said, “We have reported a total of 297 species of birds belonging to 70 families and 21 orders including the first note of Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon in Gujarat and PWS.
We have repaid Spurfowl Red, Jungle Bush Quail, White-Spoted Fantail and India Yellow Tit, who is suspected of extinct locally from PWS.
“The author said that 19 species were included in various categories according to the IUCN red list.
Seven each is categorized in categories that are threatened and vulnerable, two in each endangered and endangered category, while one as a lack of data.
West Ghat Records Endemic Nilgiri Wood Pigeons from Surat-Dang are additional from the list of countries.
“Even though it became part of the area of ​​the bird endemic and hotspot of global biodiversity, Avifaunal diversity was less documented in PWS and VNP, the designated landscape.
A number of studies of birds have been carried out after the collection of Dr.
Salim Ali in 1944-48,” the researchers said , This duo surveyed protected and unprotected areas in 2012-13 and 2015-2018 for documentation and presented a list of consolidated birds from surveys as primary data.