AVIFAUNA IN 3 VEGETATION TYPES ON MUNDANTHURAI PLATEAU, SOUTH-INDIA

Patterns of bird species diversity within three vegetation types were investigated by the line transect method on Mundanthurai Plateau, Sout h India. Minimum numbers of species and individuals were seen in the s tudy area during July and August. Such seasonal variation was more pro nounced in riverine and dry deciduous forest than in the secondary veg etation which was avoided by most of the winter migrants. There was a greater species overlap between riverine and dry deciduous forest than between riverine and secondary vegetation. No relationship could be e stablished between bird species diversity and tree species/foliage hei ght diversity. The secondary vegetation had fewer specialized forest s pecies and more generalists. Larger birds (>200 g) were rare but small er ones (<50 g) were more common. The paper emphasizes that the conser vation status of avifauna in managed forests in India needs to be asse ssed and monitored.