Biodiversity Data Journal :
Research Article
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Corresponding author: Ankita Sinha (ankita171711@gmail.com)
Academic editor: Christopher Heckscher
Received: 12 Nov 2018 | Accepted: 14 Feb 2019 | Published: 30 Apr 2019
© 2019 Ankita Sinha, Hima Hariharan, Bhupendra Adhikari, Ramesh Krishnamurthy
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Sinha A, Hariharan H, Adhikari B, Krishnamurthy R (2019) Bird diversity along riverine areas in the Bhagirathi Valley, Uttarakhand, India. Biodiversity Data Journal 7: e31588. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.7.e31588
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Natural riverine areas mark ecotonal habitats harbouring a characteristically diverse faunal assemblage, especially birds that also use these habitats as pathways crucial for their movement. Increasingly, riverine systems are subjected to large-scale habitat alterations due to climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic changes. Therefore, it is important to understand broad-scale community patterns for conservation planning and prioritisation for these ecotone habitats. The Bhagirathi river is one of the major headwaters of the river Ganges; despite its rich and diverse fauna, little is known about the bird species that inhabit this montane region. This study presents an extensive list of 281 bird species from 59 families, their seasonal distribution and habitat associations as recorded from field surveys along the riverine areas between April 2013 and May 2018. The present communication simultaneously discusses a few noteworthy sightings for the region and provides a baseline for future research on the distribution of birds in the Western Himalaya.
Western Himalaya, riverine forests, Bhagirathi, habitat, elevational gradient, avifauna
Natural riverine areas encompass interfaces between land-aquatic systems with sharp environmental gradients representing the most diverse, dynamic and complex biophysical habitats on earth (
The Himalayan mountain system is globally renowned for its notable biological diversity, supported by the complex orogeny and consequent climatic and edaphic conditions. The avifauna of the Western Himalaya, an Endemic Bird Area (
Habitat alteration remains a major threat to montane ecosystems around the world, the phenomenon being pronounced in the Himalaya. Parallel to being biodiverse, freshwater systems are abode to millions of human population, the Ganges being the most densely populated river basin of the world (
In this study, we inventoried the avifauna of the Bhagirathi Valley in the Western Himalayan Region, India. There exists no previous published literature concerning avifauna for this region. We documented bird species occurring in the region during pre- and post-monsoon seasons along with reporting of some opportunistic records. We have discussed the habitat associations of the recorded bird species along with their seasonal distribution in the river basin. We also report some noteworthy sightings which are new to this region and the state. This is the first published multi-year study of distribution patterns of birds from the Bhagirathi valley, Uttarakhand, India.
The Himalaya encompasses the highest mountains in the world; snow and glacier melt run-off being the major source of water for the Himalayan rivers. Biogeographically, this enormous mountain range has been divided into Northwestern-, Western-, Central-, Eastern- and Trans-Himalayan regions (
The catchment has mean summer temperatures of 1.3°C–39.6°C and winter temperatures of -27.4 to 7.6°C, while annual precipitation ranges from 533–2,284 mm. Given the large altitudinal relief, the study area is characterised by diverse biomes. The river flows through deep gorges and narrow valleys and is lined by different land-uses ranging from agriculture to urban sprawls. The development of Tehri dam, Koteshwar hydropower plant and Kotli-Bhel hydropower project (under development in Bhagirathi basin) has led to the diversion of approximately 68 km (31%) of the river Bhagirathi; around 85 km (39%) of the riverine buffer zone has been submerged to a width of 1 km (
A pilot survey was conducted in the study area to understand the different habitat types present and the utilisation of those habitat types by various bird species. For every sighting, the habitat use by individual birds was noted and behaviour was classified as feeding, roosting or nesting. Bird checklists were meticulously maintained in all the accessible areas along the river around Rishikesh (300 m asl), Devprayag (700 m asl), New Tehri (2,100 m asl), Uttarkashi (1,300 m asl), Harsil (2,500 m asl) and Gangotri (3,200 m asl). Exhaustive bird lists were made during pre-monsoon (February-June) and post-monsoon (September-January) seasons at each of these locations between April 2013 and May 2018. A total of 72 trails of 500 m length each were walked at different times of the year by a single observer every time. Out of these, 41 were permanent which were sampled thrice every season for all the years. Apart from these, opportunistic sightings were also noted. Both vocalisations and direct sightings were used for bird identification. Photographs were taken on all possible occasions for future reference and especially for rare species previously unrecorded from this region. The identification of birds was based on standard literature (
A diverse population of birds belonging to 64 families were identified in the riverine areas along the Bhagirathi river (upper Ganges) at different elevations during the survey period. A total of 280 bird species were encountered during the survey period which constitutes almost 40% of the total number of species (693) reported from the state of Uttarakhand (
List of species recorded during the study period. Elevational distribution (in parentheses and measured in metres) for species regularly seen in the study area: * All Seasons, # Summer, √ Winter, α Passage migrant and β Vagrant following
Common name |
Scientific name |
Rishikesh (300) |
Devprayag (700) |
Tehri (2100) |
Uttarkashi (1300) |
Harsil (2500) |
Gangotri (3200) |
Ruddy Shelduck |
Tadorna ferruginea (Pallas, 1764) |
√ |
√ |
√ |
√ |
||
Red-crested Pochard |
Netta rufina (Pallas, 1773) |
√ |
|||||
Common Pochard |
Aythya farina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
√ |
||||
Ferruginous Duck |
Aythya nyroca (Güldenstädt, 1770) |
√ |
|||||
Northern Shoveller |
Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
√ |
||||
Gadwall |
Mareca strepera (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Eurasian Wigeon |
Mareca penelope (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Indian Spot-billed Duck |
Anas poecilorhyncha (J.R. Forster, 1781) |
√ |
|||||
Mallard |
Anas platyrynchos (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Northern Pintail |
Anas acuta (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Common Teal |
Anas crecca (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Common Hill Patridge |
Arborophila torqueola (Valenciennes, 1825) |
# |
# |
||||
Indian Peafowl |
Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Chukar Patridge |
Alectoris chukar (J.E. Gray, 1830) |
√ |
# |
# |
|||
Snow Patridge |
Lerwa lerwa (Hodgson, 1833) |
# |
|||||
Black Francolin |
Francolinus francolinus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Red Junglefowl |
Gallus gallus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Himalayan Monal |
Lophophorus impejanus (Latham, 1790) |
√ |
|||||
Cheer Pheasant |
Catreus wallichi (Hardwicke, 1827) |
# |
√ |
||||
Kalij Pheasant |
Lophura leucomelanos (Latham, 1790) |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
||
Koklass Pheasant |
Pucrasia macrolopha (Lesson, 1829) |
√ |
|||||
Common Pigeon |
Columba livia (J.F. Gmelin, 1789) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
Snow Pigeon |
Columba leuconota (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
√ |
||||
Oriental Turtle Dove |
Streptopelia orientalis (Latham, 1790) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
# |
Eurasian Collared Dove |
Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) |
* |
|||||
Spotted Dove |
Stireptopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786) |
* |
|||||
Yellow-legged Green Pigeon |
Treron phoenicopterus (Latham, 1790) |
* |
* |
||||
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon |
Treron sphenurus (Vigors, 1832) |
* |
|||||
Asian Emerald Dove |
Chalcophaps indica (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Large-tailed Nightjar |
Caprimulgus macrurus (Horsfield, 1821) |
# |
# |
||||
Indian Nightjar |
Caprimulgus asiaticus (Latham, 1790) |
# |
|||||
Himalayan Swiftlet |
Aerodramus brevirostris (Horsfield, 1840) |
* |
|||||
Indian House Swift |
Apus affinis (J.E. Gray, 1830) |
* |
* |
||||
Greater Coucal |
Centropus sinensis (Stephens, 1815) |
* |
|||||
Asian Koel |
Eudynamys scolopaceus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
# |
# |
|||
Large Hawk Cuckoo |
Hierococcyx sparverioides (Vigors, 1832) |
# |
# |
# |
# |
# |
|
Common Hawk Cuckoo |
Hierococcyx varius (Vahl, 1797) |
* |
|||||
Common Cuckoo |
Cuculus canorus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
|||||
Himalayan Cuckoo |
Cuculus saturates (Blyth, 1843) |
# |
# |
||||
Demoiselle Crane |
Grus virgo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
β |
|||||
Black-crowned Night Heron |
Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Striated Heron |
Butorides striata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
|||||
Indian Pond Heron |
Ardeola grayii (Sykes, 1832) |
√ |
|||||
Cattle Egret |
Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Grey Heron |
Ardea cinerea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Great Egret |
Ardea alba (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Intermediate Egret |
Ardea intermedia (Wagler, 1829) |
* |
|||||
Little Egret |
Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
|||||
Little Cormorant |
Microcarbo niger (Vieillot, 1817) |
* |
* |
||||
Great Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
α |
α |
α |
α |
α |
|
Great Thick-knee |
Esacus recurvirostris (Cuvier, 1829) |
# |
|||||
Ibisbill |
Ibidoryncha struthersii (Vigors, 1832) |
* |
|||||
River Lapwing |
Vanellus duvaucelli (Lesson, 1826) |
* |
* |
||||
Red-wattled Lapwing |
Vanellus indicus (Boddaert, 1783) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Common Sandpiper |
Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
√ |
# |
# |
||
Green Sandpiper |
Tringa ochropus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Pallas's Gull |
Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (Pallas, 1773) |
√ |
|||||
Osprey |
Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Bearded Vulture |
Gypaetus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
||
Egyptian Vulture |
Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
||||
Crested Serpent Eagle |
Spilornis cheela (Latham, 1790) |
* |
|||||
Himalayan Vulture |
Gyps himalayensis (Hume, 1869) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Griffon Vulture |
Gyps fulvus (Hablizl, 1783) |
√ |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
|
Mountain Hawk Eagle |
Nisaetus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1836) |
# |
|||||
Changeable Hawk Eagle |
Nisaetus cirrhatus (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) |
* |
|||||
Steppe Eagle |
Aquila nipalensis (Hodgson, 1833) |
* |
* |
||||
Golden Eagle |
Aquila chrysaetos (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Hen Harrier |
Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
√ |
|||||
Shikra |
Accipiter badius (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) |
* |
* |
||||
Eurasian Sparrowhawk |
Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Northern Goshawk |
Accipiter genitilis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Pallas's Fish Eagle |
Haliaeetus leucoryphus (Pallas, 1771) |
* |
|||||
Black Kite |
Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Black-eared Kite |
Milvus migrans lineatus (Boddaert, 1783) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
√ |
|
White-eyed Buzzard |
Butastur teesa (Franklin, 1831) |
√ |
|||||
Himalayan Buzzard |
Buteo refectus (Portenko, 1935) |
√ |
# |
||||
Collared Owlet |
Glaucidium brodiei (E. Burton, 1836) |
* |
|||||
Asian Barred Owlet |
Glaucidium cuculoides (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
# |
# |
|||
Spotted Owlet |
Athene brama (Temminck, 1821) |
||||||
Brown Fish Owl |
Ketupa zeylonensis (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) |
* |
|||||
Indian Grey Hornbill |
Ocyceros birostris (Scopoli, 1786) |
* |
|||||
Common Hoopoe |
Upupa epops (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
# |
* |
# |
|
Speckled Piculet |
Picumnus innominatus (E. Burton, 1836) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Himalayan Golden-backed Woodpecker |
Dinopium shorii (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
|||||
Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker |
Dinopium benghalense (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Greater Yellownape |
Chrysophlegma flavinucha (Gould, 1834) |
* |
* |
||||
Lesser Yellow-naped Woodpecker |
Picus chlorolophus (Vieillot, 1818) |
* |
* |
# |
|||
Grey-headed Woodpecker |
Picus canus (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) |
* |
* |
* |
# |
||
Scaly-bellied Woodpecker |
Picus squamatus (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos canicapillus (Blyth, 1845) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Fulvuos-breasted Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos macei (Vieillot, 1818) |
* |
# |
||||
Brown-fronted Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos auriceps (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
|||||
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos mahrattensis (Latham, 1801) |
# |
|||||
Himalayan Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos himalayensis (Jardine & Selby, 1831) |
* |
# |
||||
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos hyperythrus (Vigors, 1831) |
# |
|||||
Great Barbet |
Psilopogon virens (Boddaert, 1783) |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
# |
|
Brown-headed Barbet |
Psilopogon zeylanicus (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) |
* |
|||||
Lineated Barbet |
Psilopogon lineatus (Vieillot, 1816) |
* |
|||||
Blue-throated Barbet |
Psilopogon asiaticus (Latham, 1790) |
* |
* |
||||
Green Bee-eater |
Merops orientalis (Latham, 1801) |
* |
* |
* |
|||
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater |
Merops leschenaulti (Vieillot, 1817) |
* |
* |
||||
Dollarbird |
Eurystomus orientalis (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
|||||
Common Kingfisher |
Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
|||
Crested Kingfisher |
Megaceryle lugubris (Temminck, 1834) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Pied Kingfisher |
Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
White-throated Kingfisher |
Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Common Kestrel |
Falco tinnunculus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
|
Eurasian Hobby |
Falco subbuteo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
|||||
Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus (Tunstall, 1771) |
* |
* |
||||
Slaty-headed Parakeet |
Psittacula himalayana (Lesson, 1832) |
√ |
√ |
* |
|||
Plum-headed Parakeet |
Psittacula cyanocephala (Linnaeus, 1766) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
||
Alexandrine Parakeet |
Psittacula eupatria (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
|||||
Rose-ringed Parakeet |
Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Long-tailed Minivet |
Pericrocotus ethologus (Bangs & J.C. Phillips, 1914) |
√ |
√ |
* |
# |
||
Scarlet Minivet |
Pericrocotus (flammeus) speciosus (J.R. Forster, 1781) |
√ |
√ |
* |
|||
Large Cuckooshrike |
Coracina javensis (Horsfield, 1821) |
* |
|||||
Himalayan Shrike-babbler |
Pteruthius ripleyi (Biswas, 1960) |
√ |
|||||
Green Shrike-babbler |
Pteruthius xanthochlorus (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
√ |
|||||
Maroon Oriole |
Oriolus trailii (Vigors, 1832) |
√ |
√ |
* |
|||
Black-hooded Oriole |
Oriolus xanthornus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Indian Golden Oriole |
Oriolus (oriolus) kundoo (Sykes, 1832) |
# |
|||||
Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike |
Hemipus picatus (Sykes, 1832) |
√ |
|||||
Black Drongo |
Dicrurus macrocercus (Vieillot, 1817) |
* |
|||||
Ashy Drongo |
Dicrurus leucophaeus (Vieillot, 1817) |
√ |
# |
# |
# |
||
Hair-crested Drongo |
Dicrurus hottentottus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
* |
* |
|||
White-throated Fantail |
Rhipidura albicollis (Vieillot, 1818) |
√ |
√ |
# |
|||
Bay-backed Shrike |
Lanius vittatus (Valenciennes, 1826) |
* |
|||||
Long-tailed Shrike |
Lanius schach (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
|
Grey-backed Shrike |
Lanius tephronotus (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
|||||
Rufous Treepie |
Dendrocitta vagabunda (Latham, 1790) |
* |
* |
||||
Grey Treepie |
Dendrocitta formosae (Swinhoe, 1863) |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
* |
|
Red-billed Chough |
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
|||||
Yellow-billed Chough |
Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
|||||
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie |
Urocissa flavirostris (Blyth, 1846) |
* |
* |
# |
# |
||
Red-billed Blue Magpie |
Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Boddaert, 1783) |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
# |
|
Eurasian Jay |
Garrulus glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Black-headed Jay |
Garrulus lanceolatus (Vigors, 1830) |
* |
|||||
Spotted Nutcracker |
Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
|||||
House Crow |
Corvus splendens (Vieillot, 1817) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Large-billed Crow |
Corvus macrorhynchos (Wagler, 1827) |
* |
* |
* |
|||
Indian Paradise-flycatcher |
Terpsiphone paradisi (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
# |
# |
# |
||
Pale-billed Flowerpecker |
Dicaeum erythrorynchos (Latham, 1790) |
* |
# |
||||
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker |
Dicaeum ignipectus (Latham, 1790) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Purple Sunbird |
Cinnyris asiaticus (Latham, 1790) |
* |
* |
* |
# |
||
Black-throated Sunbird |
Aethopyga saturate (Hodgson, 1836) |
β |
|||||
Crimson Sunbird |
Aethopyga siparaja (Raffles, 1822) |
* |
* |
* |
# |
||
Golden-fronted Leafbird |
Chloropsis aurifrons (Temminck, 1829) |
# |
|||||
Rufous-breasted Accentor |
Prunella strophiata (Blyth, 1843) |
√ |
# |
||||
Blak-throated Accentor |
Prunella atrogularis (von Brandt, 1843) |
√ |
* |
||||
White-rumped Munia |
Lonchura striata (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
* |
* |
|||
Scaly-breasted Munia |
Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
# |
# |
||
House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
Russet Sparrow |
Passer cinnamomeus (Gould, 1836) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
# |
Yellow-throated Sparrow |
Gymnoris xanthocollis (E. Burton, 1838) |
# |
# |
||||
Olive-backed Pipit |
Anthus hodgsoni (Richmond, 1907) |
# |
|||||
Rosy Pipit |
Anthus roseatus (Blyth, 1847) |
# |
|||||
Paddyfield Pipit |
Anthus rufulus (Vieillot, 1818) |
# |
# |
||||
Grey Wagtail |
Motacilla cinerea (Tunstall, 1771) |
√ |
√ |
# |
* |
* |
# |
Citrine Wagtail |
Motacilla citreola (Pallas, 1776) |
# |
|||||
White-browed Wagtail |
Motacilla maderaspatensis (J.F. Gmelin, 1789) |
* |
* |
# |
# |
||
White Wagtail |
Motacilla alba (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
# |
||||
Black-and-yellow Grosbeak |
Mycerobas icterioides (Vigors, 1831) |
# |
# |
||||
Collared Grosbeak |
Mycerobas affnis (Blyth, 1855) |
√ |
|||||
Spot-winged Grosbeak |
Mycerobas melanozanthos (Hodgson, 1836) |
* |
|||||
Common Rosefinch |
Carpodacus erythrinus (Pallas, 1770) |
√ |
√ |
# |
|||
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch |
Carpodacus pulcherrimus (F. Moore, 1856) |
√ |
|||||
Pink-browed Rosefinch |
Carpodacus rodochroa (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
√ |
# |
|||
Spot-winged Rosefinch |
Carpodacus rodopeplus (Vigors, 1831) |
# |
|||||
Red-headed Bullfinch |
Pyrrhula erythrocephala (Vigors, 1832) |
√ |
# |
||||
Dark-breasted Rosefinch |
Procarduelis nipalensis (Hodgson, 1836) |
√ |
√ |
# |
|||
Plain Mountain Finch |
Leucosticte nemoricola (Hodgson, 1836) |
√ |
|||||
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch |
Chloris spinoides (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
√ |
# |
# |
||
European Goldfinch |
Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
|||||
Fire-fronted Serin |
Serinus pusillus (Pallas, 1811) |
√ |
# |
||||
Crested Bunting |
Melophus lathami (J.E. Gray, 1831) |
# |
|||||
Rock Bunting |
Emberiza cia (Linnaeus, 1766) |
√ |
# |
# |
|||
Yellow-bellied Fairy Fantail |
Chelidorhynx hypoxantha (Blyth, 1843) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
# |
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher |
Culicicapa ceylonensis (Swainson, 1820) |
√ |
√ |
# |
# |
# |
|
Coal Tit |
Periparus ater(melanolophus) (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
# |
||||
Rufous-naped Tit |
Periparus rufonuchalis (Blyth, 1849) |
# |
# |
||||
Rufous-vented Tit |
Periparus rubidiventris (Blyth, 1847) |
# |
# |
||||
Green-backed Tit |
Parus monticolus (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
|
Cinereous Tit |
Parus cinereus (Vieillot, 1818) |
√ |
√ |
# |
* |
# |
|
Black-lored Tit |
Machlolophus xanthogenys (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
# |
||||
Striated Prinia |
Prinia crinigera (Hodgson, 1836) |
* |
|||||
Grey-breasted Prinia |
Prinia hodgsonii (Blyth, 1844) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Ashy Prinia |
Prinia socialis (Sykes, 1832) |
* |
|||||
Plain Prinia |
Prinia inornata (Sykes, 1832) |
* |
|||||
Common Tailorbird |
Orthotomus sutorius (Pennant, 1769) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler |
Pnoepyga albiventer (Hodgson, 1837) |
* |
|||||
Streak-throated Swallow |
Petrochelidon fluvicola (Blyth, 1855) |
* |
|||||
Red-rumped Swallow |
Cecropis daurica (Laxmann, 1769) |
* |
* |
||||
Wire-tailed Swallow |
Hirundo smithii (Leach, 1818) |
# |
# |
||||
Barn Swallow |
Hirundo rustica (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
# |
# |
|||
Dusky Crag Martin |
Ptyonoprogne concolor (Sykes, 1832) |
* |
|||||
Grey-throated Martin |
Riparia chinensis (J.E. Gray, 1830) |
* |
|||||
Black Bulbul |
Hipsypetes leucocephalus (J.F. Gmelin, 1789) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Red-whiskered Bulbul |
Pycnonotus jocosus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
# |
||||
Himalayan Bulbul |
Pycnonotus leucogenis (J.E. Gray, 1835) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
# |
|
Red-vented Bulbul |
Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Hume's Leaf Warbler |
Abrornis humei (W.E. Brooks, 1878) |
√ |
√ |
# |
* |
# |
|
Lemon-rumped Warbler |
Abrornis chloronotus (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
√ |
√ |
# |
# |
# |
|
Buff-barred Warbler |
Abrornis pulcher (Blyth, 1845) |
# |
# |
||||
Tickell's Leaf Warbler |
Phylloscopus affinis (Tickell, 1833) |
# |
# |
||||
Whistler's Warbler |
Seicercus whistleri (Ticehurst, 1925) |
√ |
√ |
# |
√ |
||
Greenish Warbler |
Seicercus trochiloides (Sundevall, 1837) |
α |
Α |
# |
|||
Large-billed Leaf Warbler |
Seicercus magnirostris (Blyth, 1843) |
# |
|||||
Blyth's Leaf Warbler |
Seicercus reguloides (Blyth, 1842) |
# |
# |
||||
Western Crowned Leaf Warbler |
Seicercus occipitalis (Blyth, 1845) |
# |
|||||
Grey-hooded Leaf Warbler |
Seicercus xanthoschistos (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
# |
Grey-sided Bush Warbler |
Cettia brunnifrons (Hodgson, 1845) |
# |
|||||
Chestnut-headed Tesia |
Cettia castaneocoronata (E. Burton, 1836) |
√ |
# |
# |
|||
Black-faced Warbler |
Abroscopus schisticeps (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
* |
|||||
Brown-flanked Bush Warbler |
Horornis forticeps (Hodgson, 1845) |
# |
|||||
Black-throated Tit |
Aegithalos concinnus (Gould, 1855) |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
||
Whiskered Yuhina |
Yuhina flavicollis (Hodgson, 1836) |
√ |
√ |
# |
√ |
# |
# |
Oriental White-eye |
Zosterops palpebrosus (Temminck, 1824) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
# |
|
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler |
Erythrogenys erythrogenys (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Black-chinned Babbler |
Cyanoderma pyrrhops (Blyth, 1844) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Puff-throated Babbler |
Pellorneum ruficeps (Swainson, 1832) |
* |
* |
||||
Striated Laughingthrush |
Grammatoptila striata (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
|||||
Jungle Babbler |
Turdoides striata (Dumont, 1823) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
White-crested Laughingthrush |
Garrulax leucolophus (Hardwicke, 1816) |
* |
* |
||||
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush |
Garrulax rufogularis (Gould, 1835) |
# |
|||||
White-throated Laughingthrush |
Garrulax albogularis (Gould, 1836) |
√ |
# |
# |
|||
Streaked Laughingthrush |
Trochalopteron lineatum (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
||
Variegated Laughingthrush |
Trochalopteron variegatum (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush |
Trochalopteron erythrocephalum (Vigors, 1832) |
* |
|||||
Rufous Sibia |
Heterophasia capistrata (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
# |
* |
|||
Red-billed Leiothrix |
Leiothrix lutea (Scopoli, 1786) |
* |
* |
||||
Bar-tailed treecreeper |
Certhia himalayana (Vigors, 1832) |
# |
# |
# |
|||
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch |
Sitta(castanea) cinnamoventris (Blyth, 1842) |
√ |
√ |
* |
|||
White-tailed Nuthatch |
Sitta himalayensis (Jardine & Selby, 1835) |
√ |
# |
||||
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch |
Sitta frontalis (Swainson, 1820) |
√ |
|||||
Wallcreeper |
Tichodroma muraria (Linnaeus, 1766) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
||
Eurasian Wren |
Troglodytes troglodytes (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
√ |
||||
Asain Pied Starling |
Gracupica contra (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
|||||
Chestnut-tailed Starling |
Sturnia malabarica (J.F. Gmelin, 1789) |
# |
|||||
Common Myna |
Acridotheres tristris (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
* |
# |
|||
Brown Dipper |
Cinclus pallasii (Temminck, 1820) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
# |
Indian Robin |
Saxicoloides fulicatus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
* |
|||||
Oriental Magpie Robin |
Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
* |
* |
* |
* |
||
Dark-sided Flycatcher |
Muscicapa sibirica (J.F. Gmelin, 1789) |
# |
|||||
Asian Brown Flycatcher |
Muscicapa dauurica (Pallas, 1811) |
# |
|||||
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher |
Cyornis tickelliae (Blyth, 1843) |
# |
|||||
Rufous-bellied Niltava |
Niltava sundara (Hodgson, 1837) |
√ |
√ |
# |
# |
# |
|
Small Niltava |
Niltava macgrigoriae (E. Burton, 1836) |
√ |
* |
||||
Verditer Flycatcher |
Eumyias thalassinus (Swainson, 1838) |
√ |
√ |
* |
# |
# |
|
Hodgsons's Blue Robin |
Luscinia phaenicuroides (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
√ |
|||||
Little Forktail |
Enicurus scouleri (Vigors, 1832) |
√ |
√ |
* |
# |
||
Spotted Forktail |
Enicurus maculatus (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
* |
# |
# |
||
Blue Whistling Thrush |
Myophnus caeruleus (Scopoli, 1786) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
* |
Golden Bush Robin |
Tarsiger crysaeus (Hodgson, 1845) |
* |
|||||
Himalayan Bush Robin |
Tarsiger rufilatus (Hodgson, 1845) |
√ |
* |
# |
|||
Rusty-tailed Flycatcher |
Ficedula ruficauda (Swainson, 1838) |
# |
|||||
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher |
Ficedula strophiata (Hodgson, 1837) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
# |
|
Ultramarine Flycatcher |
Ficedula superciliaris (Jerdon, 1840) |
√ |
√ |
# |
# |
||
Slaty-blue Flycatcher |
Ficedula tricolor (Hodgson, 1845) |
√ |
√ |
||||
Blue-fronted Redstart |
Phoenicurus frontalis (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
* |
* |
|||
Blue-capped Redstart |
Phoenicurus coeruleocephala (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
√ |
* |
# |
||
White-capped Water Redstart |
Phoenicurus leucocephalus (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
# |
Plumbeous Water Redstart |
Phoenicurus fuliginosus (Vigors, 1831) |
√ |
* |
* |
* |
* |
# |
Blue-capped Rock Thrush |
Monticola cincloryncha (Vigors, 1831) |
* |
* |
||||
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush |
Monticola rufiventris (Jardine & Selby, 1833) |
* |
* |
# |
|||
Blue Rock Thrush |
Monticola solitarius (Linnaeus, 1758) |
# |
|||||
Siberian Stonechat |
Saxicola maurus (Pallas, 1773) |
√ |
* |
* |
|||
Pied Bushchat |
Saxicola caprata (Linnaeus, 1766) |
# |
# |
||||
Grey Bushchat |
Saxicola ferreus (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
# |
# |
||||
Desert Wheatear |
Oenanthe deserti (Temminck, 1825) |
α |
|||||
Grandala |
Grandala coelicolor (Hodgson, 1843) |
√ |
|||||
Long-tailed Thrush |
Zoothera dixoni (Seebohm, 1881) |
* |
* |
||||
Alpine Thrush |
Zoothera mollissima (Blyth, 1842) |
√ |
|||||
Scaly Thrush |
Zoothera dauma (Latham, 1790) |
√ |
|||||
Orange-headed Thrush |
Geokichla citrina (Latham, 1790) |
# |
|||||
Mistle Thrush |
Turdus viscivorus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
√ |
√ |
||||
Grey-winged Blackbird |
Turdus boulboul (Latham, 1790) |
* |
|||||
Tickell's Thrush |
Turdus unicolor (Tickell, 1833) |
* |
|||||
White-collared Blackbird |
Turdus albocintus (Royle, 1840) |
# |
# |
# |
|||
Chestnut Thrush |
Turdus rubrocanus (J.E. & G.R. Gray, 1847) |
√ |
|||||
Black-throated Thrush |
Turdus artrogularis (Jarocki, 1819) |
√ |
# |
# |
Total bird species richness and turnover across seasons at different elevations (m asl) sampled along the river Bhagirathi. Mid-elevations around Uttarkashi showed maximum species richness and showed least species turnover. Lower elevations around Rishikesh and Devprayag (300-700 m asl) showed moderate species richness and high species turnover. Very high elevation around Gangotri showed less species richness.
There was a large amount of seasonal turnover at each location, demonstrating substantial elevational migration undertaken by a large fraction of the avian community (Fig.
Ornithologically noteworthy sightings from the region are discussed below.
Ibisbill (Fig.
Photographic records of some species encountered in the Bhagirathi basin, Uttarakhand.
Cheer Pheasant (Fig.
Demoiselle Crane (Fig.
Northern Shoveller: A single bird was seen in early March 2018 in Dharali (near Harsil at 2,600 m asl), often roosting along vegetated banks of the main river channel in a pool-like stretch where flow was not fast. Groups of two to three birds were seen in the backwaters of the Maneri dam in winters of 2013, 2014 and 2017.
Northern Goshawk (Fig.
Photographic records of some species encountered in the Bhagirathi basin, Uttarakhand.
Golden Bush Robin (Fig.
Desert Wheatear (Fig.
Wallcreeper (Fig.
Large-billed Leaf Warbler: The species was recorded breeding in summer in Harsil. It occupied coniferous forests, almost invariably in the vicinity of torrential streams. They were usually seen foraging from top canopy, but often in the middle canopy of very tall deodars. Birds were frequently sighted singly or in pairs along the stream under overhanging bank with tangled roots of fallen trees often overlooking a stream.
Black-throated Sunbird: A single male bird was seen in Uttarkashi, Maneri, around an elevation of 1,300 m asl amidst human settlement with plantations. Bird was seen voraciously feeding from blooms of Callistemon (bottle-brush) with frequent trills on an overcast day (21 March 2018). Reported sporadically from Uttarakhand, this is probably the western-most distribution record for this species.
Red-headed Bullfinch (Fig.
Black and Yellow Grosbeak (Mycerobas icterioides): Sighted usually in pairs around Harsil at an elevation of 2,700 m asl in summer, 2014 and 2015 in moss covered boughs of Cedrus deodara, feeding on shrubs and collecting nest material. A pair was also spotted around Bhatwadi in a patch of Alnus nepalenis on multiple days in February 2017.
Spot-winged Grosbeak (Mycerobas melanoxanthos) (Fig.
Crested Bunting (Melophus lathami): A pair of birds were seen foraging along charred grassy patches near a perennial stream (joining the main river) along a stony path used by villagers, in Devprayag. They were often resting on pebbles, rocks and bushes or thorn thickets. Their body colour was concealed by the surroundings.
Red-fronted Serin (Fig.
Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch (Fig.
Riverine habitats are important for birds globally, with around 60 specialist species recognised and up to 23% of all bird species utilising freshwaters, including rivers, for part or all of their life cycles (
These habitats are crucial for riverine specialists. We documented seven riverine obligate species: White-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus leucocephalus), Plumbeous water Redstart (Phoenicurus fuliginosus), Little Forktail (Enicurus scouleri), Spotted Forktail (Enicurus maculatus), Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasi), Crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris) and Ibisbill (Ibidoryncha struthersii). Many others used the riverine habitats opportunistically. The Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), Common Sandpiper (Actitis hyoleucos) and White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) were found to be breeding on higher elevation river banks. Birds like the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrenensis) and River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelli) feed substantially from river production although they are found along inland waters as well. The studied bird community constituted a large number of terrestrial species (n=227) as well as water-dependent species (n=51). The bird community shows a predominance of species (n=30) from the Muscicapidae family probably owing to the fact that riparian areas produce higher numbers of insects (
List of IUCN red-listed species that were encountered during the survey period along the riverine areas of the Bhagirathi river.
Common Name |
Scientific name |
IUCN category |
Egyptian Vulture |
Neophron percnopterus |
Endangered |
Steppe Eagle |
Aquila nipalensis |
Endangered |
Pallas's Fish-eagle |
Haliaeetus leucoryphus |
Endangered |
Cheer Pheasant |
Catreuswallichii |
Vulnerable |
Common Pochard |
Aythya farina |
Vulnerable |
Ferruginous Duck |
Aythya nyroca |
Near Threatened |
Great Thick-knee |
Esacus recurvirostris |
Near Threatened |
River Lapwing |
Vanellus duvaucelii |
Near Threatened |
Himalayan Griffon |
Gyps himalayensis |
Near Threatened |
Alexandrine Parakeet |
Psittacula eupatria |
Near Threatened |
Bearded Vulture |
Gypaetus barbatus |
Near Threatened |
Understanding species habitat requirements is imperative in guiding management recommendations for conservation planning, as it may help to reduce the division often apparent between modellers and conservation practitioners. Observational field studies, like ours, lay the foundation for the same by documentaing species distribution for areas which lie outside protected areas. Shifts in the structure and function of many freshwater ecosystems are attributed to climatic changes leading to decreases in primary productivity and uncoupling of trophic linkages along with shifts in the composition of riverine communities. This renders these riverine ecosystems and dependent flora and fauna vulnerable to ecological malfunctioning and ultimately biodiversity loss. Specifically in our study area, due to the development of the Tehri dam and Koteshwar hydropower plant, around 153 km (almost 71%) of river length has been affected. Bank-nesting species are vulnerable to loss of riparian habitat and nest flooding during sensitive periods of their annual cycles such as breeding (
The authors thank the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India for financial assistance under the grant (SERB No: F.No.SERB/SR/SO/PS/06/2010) and National Mission on Himalayan Studies (MOEFCC and GBPNIHESD, Almora) for funding. Thanks are also due to the Director, Dean and Dr. S. Sathyakumar of Wildlife Institute of India. We thank Dr. Vinay Bhargav, Uttarakhand Forest Department for facilitating fieldwork. Jaswant Singh, field assistants, Neeraj and Naresh, Sprih Harsh and colleagues at the Wildlife Institute of India, especially, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Tanvi Gaur, Ranjana Pal and Naitik Patel are thanked for accompanying the team during field days. Nilanjan Chatterjee and Meghna Bandopadhyay are thanked for sharing their photographs of the studied species.
This table and the bar graph summarises the number of bird species from each family