The birds of Patan district of Gujarat, India

Abstract

Study on the birds of Patan district was conducted during 2006-2008. Observations on bird species were recorded at two locations in each Taluka. Observations on breeding status, residential status, and utilization of site by various species, foraging guild and flocking habit were recorded by frequent visit of each site during study period. In all 141 bird species found in the Patan district, majority of them being regular breeder (88=62.41%), followed by irregular resident (22=15.60%), regular migrant bird species (14=9.93%) and more or less equal number of irregular migrant bird species (13=9.22%) were noted in Patan district, whereas, only three bird species were irregular breeder and Rosy Starling, Sturnus roseus was the only species found to be transient. It was also revealed that majority of bird species used the site under observation for foraging (96=68.09%) followed by foraging and nesting (17=12.06%) and foraging and cover (9=6.38%). None of the bird species recorded used the site solely either as cover or for roosting or nesting. Majority of bird species (77 = 54.61%) were ground forager, followed by ear head gleaner (12 = 8.51%), hawkers (10 = 7.09%), 51 species of birds (36.17%) preferred to live in group and only 10 species exhibited both solitary as well as group flocking habit.