AQUATIC BIRDS OF VARIOUS LAKES INAQUATIC BIRDS OF VARIOUS LAKES IN GREATER BANGALORE METROPOLITAN

CITYCITY

Rajashekar S and M G Venkatesha*Rajashekar, S. and M. G. Venkatesha*Department of Zoology Bangalore University

Jnana Bharthi Bangalore – 560 056

*venkatmelally@gmail com

1

venkatmelally@gmail.com

1. Introduction• Greater Bangalore Metropolitan City (GBMC) -Greater Bangalore Metropolitan City (GBMC)

capital city of Karnataka state & fifth largest city in India.

• Known - Garden City because of its many beautiful parks, lakes, gardens & natural vegetations.g

• Aquatic bird communities of GBMC occurring in various landscapes – imp. bioindicators - which h ld b d bi di ishould be protected to conserve biodiversity &

environment.

Lakes of GBMC attract wide variety of bird • Lakes of GBMC attract wide variety of bird fauna.

• Lake - balancing reservoir for sustaining native

2

• Lake - balancing reservoir for sustaining native flora & fauna.

•An ideal habitat to local & migratory bird spp.

•In any given habitat, there - no. of biotic & abiotic factors which may influence the di t ib ti b d & i t ti distribution, abundance & interactions among spp.

W t Bi d (W B )•Water Birds (W. B.):

- defined as “birds ecologically d d l d ” dependent on wetlands”

- recognized groups - known as wild f l f l h bi d & dfowl, water fowls, shore birds & waders.

- considered as indicator of quality of the l d

3

wetland ecosystem.

• W. B. terminal links in many aquatic food chains & as a result reflect food chains & as a result reflect changes originating in several different ecosystem components.y p

• Studies - depressed abundance of various bird spp in most parts of the various bird spp. in most parts of the world today especially urban areas are growing rapidly both in area & in g o g ap d y bot a ea &population.

• As not much information is available on • As not much information is available on incidence of aquatic birds in GBMC, a study is being conducted to know their

4

study is being conducted to know their incidence in different lakes.

2. Materials & methods2 1 Study sites:2. 1. Study sites:

• Lakes were chosen based - various types of habitat from all directions of GBMC. habitat from all directions of GBMC.

• Selected lakes from the GBMC were Anekal (AKL) Chandapura (CPL) Gottigere (GGL) (AKL), Chandapura (CPL), Gottigere (GGL), Hebbala Lake (HBL), Hesaraghatta (HGL), Hoskote (HKL) , Jakkuru (JL), Kengeri Hoskote (HKL) , Jakkuru (JL), Kengeri (KGL), Lake of Lalbagh Botanical Garden (LLBG), Medahalli (ML), Nelamangala (NML), Somanahalli (SML), Thippagondanahalli (TGHL), Ulsooru (UL) and Varthuru (VL) (Figure 1)

5

and Varthuru (VL) (Figure. 1).

JAKKURU LAKE

HEBBALA LAKE

HOSKOTE LAKE

LALBAGH LAKEMEDAHALLI LAKE

GOTTIGERE LAKE

VARLTHURU LAKE

6Figure 1. Location of different study lakes in GBMC

Photos of Some selected Lakes:

Anekal Lake Chandapura Lake

7Hebbala LakeHebbala Lake Hoskote Lake

2. 2. Survey and sampling method:

• At each site, using line transects /point counting of birds was made for 30 minutes within the visible radius at different times of the day from morning 07 00 AM to evening 06 00 PM when morning 07.00 AM to evening 06.00 PM when they are most active & conspicuous.

• Call notes of birds - used for locating birds. Call notes of birds used for locating birds.

• Surveys were conducted once a fortnight in the identified lakes during Feb. 2008 – Sep. 2008.

• Moreover, regular field observations - also made on the nests, nesting sites, feeding habitat, food source, water source & anthropogenic activities.source, water source & anthropogenic activities.

8

2. 3. Biodiversity indices:

• Population, species composition & diversity of W. B. in different lakes -assessed using various biodiversity assessed using various biodiversity indices such as Shanon-weiner diversity (H'),y ( ),Simpson index (1-D), Margalef’s species richness, Evenness [(e^H/S)], Percent abundance indices- used to estimate the populations of various aquatic bird species using PAST.

9

Name of Lakes in Abbreviated form

Name of species AKL CPL GGL HBL HGL HKL JL KGL LLBG ML NML SML TGHL UL VL

Little grebe + + + + + + + + + + + + + - +

3. Results and Discussions:3. Results and Discussions:

Spotted billed pelican + + + + + + + + + + + + + - -

Large cormorant + + + + + + + + + + + + - - +

Little cormorant + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Grey heron + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Grey heron + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Large egret + + + + - + + + + + - + + - +

Pond heron + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Cattle egret + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Median egret - + + + + + + - + + + - + - +

Little egret + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Painted stork + + + + + + + + + + + + + - +

Spotbill or grey duck - - + + + + + + + + + + + + +Spotbill or grey duck

Garganey teal + + + + + + + + + + + + + - +

Common peafowl - - - - - - - - - - - - + - -

Purple moorhen - - - - - + - - - + + - - - +

Common Coot + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Little ringed plover + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Common sandpiper + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Pied kingfisher + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

10

g

Small blue kingfisher + + + + + + + + + + + + + - +

Whitebreasted kingfisher + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Table. 1 Checklist & occurrence of aquatic bird fauna in different lakes of GBMC (Feb – Sept 2008).

Order FamilyNo. of speciesy p

Ciconiiformes Ardeidae 6Coraciiformes Alcedinidae 3Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae 2Anseriformes Anatidae 2R llid R llid 2Rallidae Rallidae 2Charadridae Charadridae 1Ciconiidae Ciconiidae 1Ciconiidae Ciconiidae 1Galliformes Phasianidae 1Pelecaniformes Pelecanidae 1Podicipediformes Podicipitidae 1Recurvirostridae Recurvirostridae 1

11

Total 21

Table. 2. Number of species of aquatic birds under various families

Photos courtesy: www.birding.in

Bubulcus ibisBubulcus ibis -- abundantabundantEgretta garzetta Egretta garzetta -- abundantabundant

12Fulica atra Fulica atra -- abundantabundant Halcyon smyrnensis Halcyon smyrnensis -- abundantabundant

Photos courtesy: www.birding.in

Porphyrio porphyrio Porphyrio porphyrio -- abundantabundant Anas querquedula - abundant

13Ceryle rudis - abundant Phalacrocorax niger - abundant

Photos courtesy: www.birding.in

Ardea cinerea - abundant Pelecanus philippensis - abundant

14

Phalacrocorax carbo - abundant Ardeola grayji - abundant

Name of Study sites% abundance

No. of Spp.

Mean No. of Individuals

ShannonDiversity (H)

Simpson Index(1-D)

Evenness(e^H/S)

Margalef'srichness

A k l L kAnekal Lake 8.16 18 347 2.45 0.89 0.64 2.14

Chandapura Lake 5.1 18 217 2.62 0.92 0.76 2.28

Gottigere Lake 3.88 18 165 2.48 0.89 0.66 2.37

Hebbala Lake 12.18 19 519 2.27 0.87 0.51 2.16Hebbala Lake 12.18 19 519 2.27 0.87 0.51 2.16

Hesaraghatta Lake 2.92 17 124 2.22 0.84 0.54 2.32

Hoskote Lake 3.28 20 140 2.74 0.92 0.78 2.71

Jakkuru Lake 3.77 19 161 2.39 0.87 0.57 2.52

Kengeri Lake 4.72 18 201 2.46 0.89 0.65 2.3

Lake of Lalbagh Botanical Garden 4.81 19 205 2.54 0.9 0.67 2.43

Medahalli Lake 26.52 20 1129 1.92 0.8 0.34 2.09

Nelamangala Lake 5.46 19 233 2.64 0.91 0.74 2.39

Somanahalli Lake 3.01 18 128 2.4 0.88 0.61 2.45

Thippagondanahalli Lake 5 54 19 236 2 32 0 86 0 54 2 39Lake 5.54 19 236 2.32 0.86 0.54 2.39

Ulsooru Lake 0.99 11 42 2.08 0.85 0.73 1.72

Varthuru Lake 9.65 19 411 2.59 0.9 0.7 2.22

Total 100

15Table. 3 Percent Abundance, number of species and Mean No. of

individuals, and biodiversity indices of aquatic birds in different lakes in GBMC region (Feb. – Sep. 2008).

UL1%

HGL3%

SML3%

HKL3%

JL4% GGL

ML26% 4%

4%KGL5%

26%

LLBG5%

HBLCPL5%

NML

TGHL6%

AKL8%

VL10%

12%

5%

16Figure. 2 Percent abundance of Aquatic birds at different

lakes in GBMC (Feb. – Sep. 2008)

300350400

uals

150200250300

Indi

vidu

50100150

No.

of

0FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP

Months 2008

Fig. 3 Total abundance of Aquatic birds in different months

Months 2008

17

• Presence / activities of aquatic birds in these lakes are perhaps - availability of plenty of various food and water sources; suitable host various food and water sources; suitable host trees & plantations for nesting.

• In above lakes, aquatic plants with proportionate herbaceous flora have come up all over the lake area invite a lot of bird spp. for ppselection of their habitat & collection of food.

• Less abundance of aquatic birds at Ulsooru lake • Less abundance of aquatic birds at Ulsooru lake may be due to motor boating & other recreation activities.

• From the observations - made out that availability of food, water sources & nesting

18

y , gsites in a particular lake forms an imp. aspect for occurrence of aquatic birds.

• Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes), & Alt th hil id f d Alternanthera philoxeroides found growing in margins of all GBMC lakes.

• Moreover, in these areas weeds, shrubs & bushes of various plant species were also common.

• Crows, Mynas & common paraiah kites Crows, Mynas & common paraiah kites commonly found around the study lakes were not found interfering with the activities of aquatic birds.

• Predation pressure - minor importance 19

• Predation pressure minor importance in W.B. population.

4. Conclusion• Availability of variety of food sources & water

sources for both adults & nestlings; essential sources for both adults & nestlings; essential nesting sites around the food sources primarily play an imp. role in the abundance of aquatic bird populations. bird populations.

• Eutrophication /De - weeding of water hyacinth & alligator weed in GBMC lakes such as CPL, GGL KGL ML NML VL t b i d t GGL, KGL, ML, NML, VL to be carried out on war - footing basis in all lakes for sustaining aquatic bird populations as these weed, reduce the lake area area.

• An adverse effects of other factors such as pollution, high anthropogenic activities, etc. on h bi d l i i i l kthe bird populations in city lakes?

• Repeated studies of same lake for a longer period will help to determine the status of

20

period will help to determine the status of abundance & conservation aspects of W. B.

21