Purulia, the westernmost district of West Bengal, India is least explored with respect to the biological diversity and relatively little information is available to date. The present study was conducted from February 2017 to January 2018 to document avifaunal diversity in Purulia Town and surroundings. Sampling was done through the line transect method with photographic documentation and subsequent identification following suitable keys. Species richness and seasonal abundance were calculated. Altogether, 115 species of birds belonging to 19 orders and 43 families were recorded during the study period. Passeriformes was the most dominant order represented by 46 species during the study. The Shannon-Wiener (H’) value was highest for January (1.564). A large number of migratory birds visit Purulia every year mostly during winter and it is reflected in the present study. Diverse foraging habit among the birds was observed during the study period and omnivorous birds (29%) were found in highest number followed by invertivores (26%), carnivores (25%), granivores (8%), herbivores (7%), frugivores (3%), and nectarivores (2%). The present study is a preliminary effort to document the avifaunal diversity of Purulia and a more extensive systematic study should be carried out to investigate and protect the avifaunal diversity of this region.
A year-long study was conducted in the dry deciduous ecoregion of Purulia, West Bengal, India from March 2018 to February 2019 to document the diversity, species composition, and occurrence of odonata species in different seasons. Direct search and opportunistic sighting methods were used in combination at five selected sites, namely, the Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University campus, Saheb Bandh, the Surulia Deer Park (Mini Zoo), Ketika, and the Kansai river-side. A total of 11,471 individuals belonging to 8 families and 40 species were recorded during the study period. Anisoptera (dragonflies) were represented by 29 species belonging to 4 families, whereas Zygoptera (damselflies) were also found to be represented by 4 families but only 11 species. Libellulidae were found to be the largest family represented by 24 species, while the ground skimmer Diplacodes trivialis was the most dominant species. Species richness was the highest in the post-monsoon, whereas the Shannon diversity index was found to reach maximum values in winter. Overall, we conclude that the town of Purulia and its adjoining area with its patchy vegetation and extreme weather conditions have moderate odonate diversity.
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