The Community Structure of Avian Fauna in Garhwal Himalaya Uttarakhand

Birds are feathered, biped, warm blooded animals whose body temperature remains more or less constant and independent of the surrounding temperature. These occur in all regions of the world, from the tropics to the poles. They occur in virtually every habitat, from the lowest deserts to the highest mountains (Bird Life International, 2008). Out of the total 1178 birds reported in India, 76 species are endemic and their distribution has been concentrated in area of high rainfall (Birdlife International, 1992). Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand which occupies the western part of the Great Himalaya has diverse land forms, great altitudinal variation 286m (at Chilla) to 7817m (the Nanda Devi peak-II; Fleming et al., 1979), a variety of habitats and being situated between the Indo-Chinese and Palaearctic regions has rich faunal diversity including many endemic and threatened species. Over hunting and habitats destruction especially after independence caused decline in the wildlife including bird fauna. Recently, many changes in landscape, habitats and land use patterns due to fast development (extension of urbanization, roads networks, hydroelectric projects, etc).