Abundance and diversity of waterbirds in Karaikal Mangrove, Puducherry Union Territory Duraimurugan V.*, Jeevanandham P.**, Paramanandham J.* *P.G. and Research, Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, A.V.C College Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India **Department of Zoology, TBML College, Poraiyar, Tamil Nadu, India Online published on 24 October, 2019. Abstract Mangroves are one of the diverse and critically most important ecosystems in the world. It has an evergreen, salt tolerant plant community, which grows in inter-tidal coastal zones of tropical and subtropical regions of the world and providing an ideal foraging and nursery grounds for a wide array of aquatic and terrestrial species including invertebrates, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals. Among the various fauna, birds are one of the best bio-indicators of habitat quality. Monitoring of species abundance and diversity are useful technique for assessing the quality of the system. Maintenance of good species diversity is a positive management objective. The aim of the present study is to understand the water birds abundance and diversity in the mangroves of Karaikal district The study revealed the occurrence of 34 bird species comprising of 11 families and 6 orders. The identified water birds were ecologically classified into five group viz large waders, small waders, swimming birds, divers and aerial forages. Among the ecological groups, large waders were highest abundance (8.45 ± 0.434) followed by small wader (4.82 ± 0.406). The swimming birds were in the low abundance (0.08 ± 0.05). According to IUCN Anastomus oscitans, Calidris ferruginea and Mycteria leucocephala were the Near Threatened and the remaining water birds and the remaining 56 species were listed under ‘Least Concern. The occurrences of water bird species along suitable habitats are the highlights of this mangrove area for the welfare of both the local people and birds. Top Keywords Abundance, Diversity, Fauna, Mangrove, Water bird. Top |