Temporal variations of large wading birds in the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India

Objectives: To assess the temporal variations of the large wading birds in the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary and to suggest management recommendations for the better management of the wading birds visited in the sanctuary seasonally. Methods and Statistical analysis: The population characteristic of large wading birds was carried out by employing a ‘direct count’ method. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to understand the impact of various seasons on the population characteristics of large wading birds. Findings: In total, 13 species of large wading birds were observed. Among the 13 species, the Black-headed Ibis and Painted stork are Near Threatened category (IUCN, 2020). Greater Flamingos showed the highest density than the other large wading birds observed from the PCWLS. The density, diversity and species richness of large wading birds were relatively greater in monsoon than the other seasons studied. The population characteristics of large wading birds varied significantly among the months and seasons (P<0.001). Novelty and applications : The diversity of large wading birds is declined when compared to the previous studies. The study revealed that the PCWLS is required intensive assessment of the various ecological factors of the sanctuary for managing various species of waterbirds visited seasonally.Keywords: Conservation; large wading birds; population; waterbirds; wetlands