A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF AVIFAUNA OF GULBARGA FORT, KALABURAGI, INDIA

This paper deals with preliminary study of avifauna in and around the Gulbarga fort area, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India. The study area is located in the Northern part of the state and lies between 76°.04′ and 77°.42 east longitude, and 17°.12′ and 17°.46′ North latitude and is placed 45 meters above the mean sea level. As the selected study area of Kalaburagi presents a number of lentic water bodies, which support a large diversity of avifauna. Study was undertaken for duration of one year from March 2019 to March 2020. The objective of the study included evaluation of species composition, abundance, species richness and distribution of avifauna in the selected study area. Wetlands around the fort area provides habitat for many types of avifaunal species which are the one of the significant indicators of the health of ecosystem. We hypothesized that large pond (moat) around the Gulbarga fort area would support a greater abundance, richness, and diversity of birds by providing grounds for feeding, breeding and nesting for many birds. Line and point transect technique method were used for the survey purpose. The field survey was made to assess avian faunal diversity by conducting weekly observations. A total of 42 species of birds belonging to 14 orders and 26 families were recorded. Among the birds recorded in this study, 16 species were Omnivorous, 9 Carnivorous, 7 Insectivorous, 4 Piscivorous, 2 Frugivorous, 2 Granivorous, 2 Herbivorous. However, pond around the fort area is in degrading condition due to the negligence of local people residing at the edge and urban conditions near to the pond. Hence, it is essential that appropriate conservation measures be taken for its successful conservation and innovations.