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Physical Habitat Attributes Influence Diversity and Turnover of Waterbirds Wintering at Wetlands on Central Asian and East Asian-Australasian Flyways in Eastern India

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Abstract

We assessed waterbirds richness and abundance in 13 selected wetlands with varied physiographic features and climatic heterogeneity, situated along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), West Bengal, India. We aimed to test the prediction that the features of physical habitats (area, mean depth, shore length) are important determinants of migratory waterbird richness and abundance. Three consecutive surveys were conducted at each of the wetlands in the mid-wintering season. 117 species of waterbirds were found in the study areas which belong to 21 families. Wetlands on river floodplains (like Gajoldoba and Purbasthali) had greater species richness. Significance correlations between different physical features and the total birds, number of species and different diversity indices were noted. The sites with larger differences in the characters of the physical habitats, shown Whittaker’s index of beta-diversity (βw) highest viz. between Gajoldoba and Rasik Beel and also between Gajoldoba and Santragachi jheel. The canonical correspondence analysis plot depicted that abundance of waders, dabblers and divers were under the influence of shore length, area and depth respectively while the water-associated birds were under the influence of these three factors. Furthermore, waterbirds were excellent indicators of wetland health and the present study recorded their abundance and richness at the important wintering sites along the length and breadth of the state of West Bengal. This study would help in formulating future strategies for the conservation of waterbirds migrating along with CAF and EAAF.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to Prof. Sanjoy Chakraborty, Principal and Dr. Anjan Biswas of Government College of Engineering and Leather Technology (GCELT), Kolkata, Dr. Asitava Chatterjee, DM, West Bengal Forest Development Corporation, Purulia; Mr. Samiran Jha, Conservationist, Malda for cooperation and necessary infrastructural support.

Funding

1st author is thankful to University Grant Commission (UGC), Govt. of India for Junior Research Fellowship [16 − 6(DEC.2017)/2018(NET/CSIR] that helped in completing this work. The last author is thankful to the UGC for awarding Emeritus Fellowship (F.6–6/2016-17/EMERITUS-2015-17-GEN-5244/SA-II).

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AM did field study, data collection, manuscript preparation; SP did field study, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation and paper communication; SA did field study and data collection. SKM did the study design, hypothesis and manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to Sudin Pal.

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Mukherjee, A., Pal, S., Adhikari, S. et al. Physical Habitat Attributes Influence Diversity and Turnover of Waterbirds Wintering at Wetlands on Central Asian and East Asian-Australasian Flyways in Eastern India. Wetlands 42, 50 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01559-1

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