Avian faunal diversity in adjoining forest habitats along the Sharda River system near the Indo-Nepal border, India

Abstract An extensive survey was conducted along the Sharda River system at the Indo-Nepal border using the line-transect and direct observation methods from August 2017 to July 2019. A total of 203 bird species belonging to 63 families and 16 orders were observed throughout the study period. The highest number of individuals recorded from Sharda Sagar Dam (17,799, 32%), followed by Surai Reserved Forest (13,208, 24%), Pancheshwar (9,363, 17%), Jauljibi (8,977, 16%), and Tawaghat (6,062, 11%), whereas the number of species was higher in Surai Reserved Forest (109) followed by Sharda Sagar Dam (82), Pancheshwar (80), Jauljibi (76) and Tawaghat (66). Different diversity indices were used to analyze the avian diversity and show variation across different study sites. One-way ANOVA and post hoc tests were performed to understand the significant difference of avian species diversity in different study areas. The results showed a strong indication of avian diversity.