Species Diversity and Density of Some Common Birds in Relation to Human Disturbance along the Bank of Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, Northwestern India

This study was conducted to estimate species density and diversity of some common resident bird species in relation to increasing human disturbance along the bank of Dal Lake during summer 2013. Data were collected by direct counts made on three fixed width transects (1 km long and 0.1 km wide) which were marked on the road running along the bank of the lake. These three transects represent a gradient of disturbance due to human habitation whereby the first and farthest transect involved low degree and the third transect involved a high level of disturbance. In total, 1,161 birds belonging to 20 species were recorded. Mean bird density differed significantly between transects (ANOVA; F = 3.494, P = 0.037) with the highest being 67.7±26.80 birds/km2 on the first transect and the least density on the third transect (4.5±1.77 birds/km2). The maximum number of bird species (19) was recorded in the low level disturbance transect followed by the medium level of disturbance transect (15) and least in the high level disturbance transect (5). The species studied showed their wariness by avoiding unwanted human social interactions when it lives very near human habitations despite being residents. The low density and low diversity of these birds in the high human disturbance transect point to an almost unbearable tolerance of these species to humans which might ultimately force them to avoid human habitations leading to a more impoverished environment.