Landscape heterogeneity strongly influences the bird community structure. With the objectives to understand the richness, assemblages and guild structure of the bird communities in the contagious habitats around Jammu, we carried out the organized avian surveys from January 2017 to December 2017. During this study, 207 species of birds belonging to 63 families and 16 orders were recorded from six contrasting habitats (aquatic and terrestrial). Order Passeriformes (35 families) and family Muscicapidae (17 species) numerically dominated the area. The protected areas and semi disturbed landscapes revealed higher species richness while the moderately disturbed aquatic habitats reflected higher dominance. Based on our observations, 89 birds were found migratory and 10 as globally threatened. The baseline information so generated will prove handy in devising conservation and management plan for birds around Jammu.

Bird communities, assemblages, guild structure, contrasting habitats, globally threatened, management plan.

Landscape heterogeneity strongly influences the bird community structure. With the objectives to understand the richness, assemblages and guild structure of the bird communities in the contagious habitats around Jammu, we carried out the organized avian surveys from January 2017 to December 2017. During this study, 207 species of birds belonging to 63 families and 16 orders were recorded from six contrasting habitats (aquatic and terrestrial). Order Passeriformes (35 families) and family Muscicapidae (17 species) numerically dominated the area. The protected areas and semi disturbed landscapes revealed higher species richness while the moderately disturbed aquatic habitats reflected higher dominance. Based on our observations, 89 birds were found migratory and 10 as globally threatened. The baseline information so generated will prove handy in devising conservation and management plan for birds around Jammu.

Sohil, Asha and Sharma, Neeraj (2019). A preliminary Survey of Bird Communities around Jammu, (Jammu & Kashmir). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 11(2): 27-49.