Avian species diversity and its distribution in south Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Oluvil, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka has been listed as the birding hotspots of the world and acts as a winter destination for its own avifauna and migratory birds. Most of the birds are diurnal, sleep at night, and are hungry in the morning, so they have to get out and eat during the light time of the day. The more the floral abundance is, the more the avifaunal diversity, including many endemics, it supports. Many of the birds prefer tall trees, and shrubs, some prefer to nest along streams, while others can be found in open fields. Areas with human footprinting and buildings can also be amazing places for birds because they act like an oasis in a sea of concrete. The main objective of the study was to assess the existing avifauna diversity and to analyze its distribution in different niches in South Eastern University, Oluvil, Sri Lanka , and to get familiar with residential as well as migratory birds in the particular habitat which is notable for its bird diversity. The South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Oluvil (7° 18′ 3.50″ N, 81° 51′ 19.10″ E) covers an area of 225 acres (91.06 Ha) and is located on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka in Ampara district, Eastern Sri Lanka. It contains various kinds of habitats within such as big trees, grassland, pond, gardens, and river bank. The habitats have varying ranges of vegetation. Data collection was done from December 2021 to February 2022 by using the Line transect method integrated with point counts to count birds at twenty sampling points. The points were marked using Global Positioning System (GPS).In the current study, an overall 53 avian species belonging to 15 orders and 33 families were recorded. Residential status revealed that out of the total (N=53) bird species, 44 species are residents as they live year-round, 05 are endemic and 05 are migrants. Investigation into the feeding habit of birds revealed that 32.1 % (n=17) were omnivorous, 26.4 % (n=14) were carnivorous, 24.5 % (n=13) insectivorous, 7.5% (n=04) granivorous, 5.7 % (n=03) nectarivore and 3.8 % (n=02) was found to be frugivorous. The study site is found to be rich in biodiversity and safe for avifauna.