Ornithofauna Diversity of Tehsil Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan

Muhammad Amir Sial, Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, PakistanFollow

Abstract

Tehsil Pakpattan is situated in the Doab region of Punjab, Pakistan, along the Sutlej River. The present study aimed to evaluate the avian biodiversity of Tehsil Pakpattan. The study included the evaluation of species diversity, IUCN Red List status, migratory description, and feeding habits of the bird populations of Tehsil Pakpattan. Regular surveys were conducted at ten different localities in Tehsil Pakpattan, including Islam Colony, Kanipur, Farid Kot, 14 S/P, Chak Khagga, Musewal, 8 S/P, Noorpur, Green Town, and Bonga Niaz Khan, from January 2022 to April 2023. The Shannon‒Wiener diversity index value (R' = 3.41) indicated the notable diversity of the bird populations in the study area. A total of 1884 individuals representing 41 species, 30 families, and 12 orders were recorded. The highest diversity was in the order Passeriformes. The most common birds in the observed population were cattle egrets (n = 160), house crows (n = 150), Asian green bee-eaters (n = 100), rock pigeons (n=100), brown rock chats (n = 98) and house sparrows (n = 90). Among all the species, 34 were residents, 2 were summer breeders, and one was a winter visitor. Thirty-seven (75.60 %) of the bird species belonged to the least concern (LC), 2 (4.87 %) were nearly threatened (NT), and 2 (4.84 %) were vulnerable (VU) categories of the IUCN Red List.