Distribution of breeding Phylloscopus and Seicercus warblers in the Himalayas: Role of ecomorphology and competition.

Abstract

Present study is carried out for the overarching goal of understanding the ecological and historical determinants of geographic and altitudinal distribution of sixteen breeding Phylloscopus and Seicercus species in the Himalayas. The broad research objectives were as follows: 1. Assess the availability of arthropod resources across the eastern and western Himalaya along the elevational gradients. 2. Identify the climatic correlates of the breeding distribution of Phylloscopidae. 3. Examine the geographic variation in foraging ecology of Phylloscopidae across the Himalayan bioclimatic gradient.