SEASONAL VARIATION IN BIRD DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE IN DARJEELING HILLS OF THE EASTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA

The Darjeeling part of the Eastern Himalaya is recognized as an important bird and biodiversity area and endemic bird area.The region harbours over 43% of the 986 bird species found in the Himalaya hotspots, many of which are globally threatened and endemic.The birds provide various ecosystem services and these are key indicators of ecosystem health.However, in recent years, these birds are facing significant threats from anthropogenic activities and climate change.This study focuses on documenting of bird diversity in Gangamaya Park, along the IBA corridors in the Darjeeling Hills, India, and examines seasonal variation in the bird community across different habitats through point count method.The study area harboured 93 species, with high species richness observed during the dry season.Passerines comprised 80.6% of the bird species, 58.09% were found in forest habitats, and 61.29% were insectivores.Although, all the species found were under the LC category, 10.75% are listed in CITES appendices, 15% are listed in Convention on Migratory Species Appendix II, and as much as 20% were full migratory.Across season and habitat, Shannon-Weiner index and Simpson's index were consistently higher in the dry season.However, the rainy season showed better species evenness and dominance.Significantly higher species abundance was observed in habitats along the streams in the dry seasons.These findings highlight rich bird species diversity with distinct seasonal variations in the Darjeeling Hills.Despite having high species richness, researches on bird community outside protected areas is very limited.This study will serve as baseline information on seasonal variation in bird species and further the cause for conservation efforts.