Avian Diversity and Habitat Preferences in Scrubland Ecosystems of the Eastern Ghats of Southern Odisha, India

Birds, potential pollinators and bio-indicators of ecosystem health, are important components of the global ecosystems. Habitat degradation and anthropogenic disturbance have influenced their survival. Here, we highlight the bird diversity and habitat preferences in scrublands in the Eastern Ghats by considering nine scrub sites. We documented 128 bird species, where Passeriformes were most abundant with 77 species. Shrub cover, herbaceous vegetation, exposed rock surfaces, bryophytes vegetation, and soil characteristics were studied to assess habitat preferences using analysis of variance, cluster analysis, and redundancy analysis. The studies on nine selected sites revealed reduced bird diversity in places of high anthropogenic disturbances and interrupted foraging. Argya strita, Cinnyris asiaticus, Merops orientalis, Picnonotus cafer, and Saxicola caprata showed close association with shrubs with ample foraging opportunities and nesting sites; Gracopica contra and Picnonotus jocosus showed preferences for herbs. C. asiaticus was not found to be associated with any vegetation. While herbs and shrubs have a strong and positive correlation, bryophytes and rocks exhibited strong but negative relationships. Scrubland sites with greater vegetation diversity and structural complexity supported more birds, indicating the significance of habitat characteristics in bird′s distribution. The present study at Koraput provides a basis for site-specific conservation to preserve the avian biodiversity in the Eastern Ghats of India. It also highlights the need for long-term monitoring and adaptive management to address environmental changes and ensure the preservation of these ecosystems.