A preliminary study on avifaunal diversity of Tehsil Karsog in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract The avifaunal diversity assessment is a valuable ecological tool, providing a significant measure for assessing the quality and quantity of various habitats. Karsog is located in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, India, in the Pir Panjal Himalayan range. Avifaunal study was conducted on a monthly basis in the Tehsil Karsog from December 2023 to June 2024. The study revealed the presence of 91 bird species, spanning over 63 genera, 38 families, 12 orders. The Order Passeriformes was the most diverse with 64 species, while Bucerotiformes and Strigiformes were represented by one species each. The Muscicapidae, with 12 species, was the dominant family in the study area. Analysis of data on relative abundance showed that of the 91 species recorded, 23 species (25.27%) were very common, 27 species (29.67%) were common, 26 species (28.57%) were uncommon, and 15 species (16.48%) were rare. Among the documented avifauna, 2 species, the Alexandrine Parakeet and the Himalayan Griffon are Near Threatened species as categorized by the IUCN Red List (2024). Assessment of data on feeding guild shows that, out of 91 species, 2 species (2.19%) are granivores, 3 species (3.29%) are carnivores, 11 species (12.08%) are omnivores, 17 species (18.68%) are insectivores and 58 species (63.73%) have varied type of feeding habits. It shows that 22 species (24.17%) have a narrow feeding guild meaning that they rely on limited type of food resources. Further analysis of data on the population status reveals that 17 species (18.68%) have declining population trend as per the IUCN global population trend assessment. This emphasizes the importance of implementing conservation strategies in the area under investigation.