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Item Ecological Reconnaissance and conservation assessment of avifauna in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2018) Sati, Surabhi; Vishwakarma, Anurag; Singh, Ashutosh; Ben, Clement; Gopi, G.V.The Western Ghats have been designated a World Heritage Site by UfiESCO because of their Outstanding Universal Values (OUVs), and they support several threatened plant and animal species. The birds of the Western Ghats have received a great deal of academic and conservation attention because of their endemism and the conservation threats they face. However, SUM MAR Y there is only limited empirical ecological information on the avifauna of Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR). Hence, a systematic study of the avifauna 'lias required to fill the existing knowledge gap and for long-term conservation. This study was initiated in collaboration with STR, Maharashtra and Wildlife Institute of India. The study was conducted between October 2015 and February 2018. The area was divided into four major habitat types, namely agriculture land, grassland, shrubland and forest. The aim of the study was to assess the conservation importance of STR with respect to the avifauna by, understanding the diversity, abundance and habitat utilization in relation to the anthropogenic pressure in different seasons (autumn, winter, summer) . Systematic field data were collected using the point count method to determine the distribution and abundance of species. The bird species, number of individuals (male, female and juvenile), habitat variables, vegetation characteristics and disturbance variables were recorded and quantified. The bird abundances and diversities of the different habitat types were compared and related to habitat features. Bird densities were estimated using the distance sampling method. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') was used to determine the species diversity. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the bird abundance and the habitat features within habitat types. A total of 218 species of bird belonging to 55 families were recorded during the study. Seven of these are threatened species. The highest number of recorded species (30) was in the family Accipitridae. Seven endemic birds of the Western Ghats were also recorded. We found that there is a significant relation between the bird density and diversity within a habitat type across the three sampling seasons. In autumn, the density ranged from 733. 7 5 ± 63.14 to 485 .91 ±46.01 per Kml. The highest density was recorded in agriculture land and the lowest in forest. In winter the density ranged from 1573.3 ± 90.27 to 519.83 ± 31.43, the highest being in agriculture land and the lowest in forest. In summer the density ranged from 900.59 ± 58.58 to 403.00 ± 39.97, the highest being in shrubland and the lowest in grassland. The study found higher bird densities in autumn and winter in areas with highly intense agriculture activities as human disturbed areas such as agriculture areas provide heterogeneous habitats that attract human-tolerant bird species. It was also observed that during summer, shrubland had the highest density of birds whereas the lowest density was in grassland and agriculture land. In summer the grasslands and agriculture lands were usually dry. Farmers burn field residues, and hence shrubland provided a more open habitat that supports shrubs that provide food and canopy cover for different bird species. Unlike the bird density, the diversity of the avifauna was high in forest in all three seasons. In autumn, the diversity index values ranged from 3.867 to 3.533, and in winter the diversity index values ranged from 3.895 to 3. 551.ln summer the diversity index values ranged from 3. 941 to 3. 258. The diversity was highest in forest and lowest in grassland in all three seasons. We observed unusual flowering of the Dhak, Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (Fabaceae). The flowering time of the species is March-April though sometimes it also flowers in late February and the flowering lasts till early May. Notably, during our of the field surveys, we observed 10 fully grown individuals of B. monosperma in full bloom from mid November to late December in Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. Through continuous monitoring of these individuals in the tiger reserve t:le confirmed unusual phenological events that have not been reported earlier for this species. The change in phenological events of this species could be attributed to climatic change, irregular drought patterns or genetic factors, albeit further research is needed. The study reveals the relationship between avifauna species richness and habitat patterns and addresses the effects of anthropogenic pressure on avian species richness and its distribution patterns. Also, this study provides evidence that settlement are as can serve as refuges for birds. Therefore, conservation efforts should be directed towards making communities view human-occupied areas as habitats for birds and not as lost habitats. Hence scientific understanding backed by empirical evidence about the process and patterns of avifaunal assemblages in STR can be used to formulate a robust conservation plan for the birds of the reserve.