Influence of seasonal change and anthropogenic activities on the avifauna composition in a seasonal wetland of India

Abstract

Abstract Seasonal wetlands harbour a mosaic of habitats that support a variety of niches for bird species. When seasonal change and anthropogenic activities are coupled with the landscape, the species richness and species composition are presumably influenced by such factors. This study aimed to evaluate avifauna diversity, to investigate feeding guilds, and to determine the impact of seasonality and tourism pressure as anthropogenic disturbance on the avian community of a wetland. Comprehensive surveys were conducted to gather all necessary data, followed by the application of analytical methods to assess the hypotheses formulated in the current research. A total of 61 bird species belonging to 14 orders have been recorded during this year-round study, where Passeriformes was the most dominant order with 27 bird species. The species richness was highest in winter, and five feeding guilds were identified. This study revealed a significant role of seasonality, and tourism pressure on avian species richness of Bortir Bil. The outcomes of the present study could serve as an important baseline to adopt sustainable and bird-friendly management plan for this seasonal wetland.