COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND FORAGING GUILDS OF WINTER AVIFAUNA OF AN URBAN, PERENNIAL WETLAND OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

The present study was conducted to record the abundance and richness of waterbirds wintering at Saheb bandh, Purulia, India with special reference to community structure and foraging guilds. 24 different bird species that belonged to 9 families were recorded from the wetland during the study period (from October, 2017 through February, 2018). A modified point count method was used to measure the abundance of the waterbirds. The wetland was dominated by Lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica). Based on accessibility and types of resources this physical habitat had been divided into 4 distinct foraging habitats. As many as 11 different foraging techniques which were most prominent were recorded by diurnal ad libitum study of the waterbirds. Based on these two parameters total 9 feeding guilds of waterbirds were identified. Due to growing urbanization, increasing anthropogenic threats and altered land use pattern of the surrounding areas of the habitat, effective foraging and roosting areas of the birds were decreasing sharply. Sustainable and multiprong conservation measures will help the wetland to render its ecosystem services and help the dependent avifauna to flourish.