JoTT COMMUNI C ATION 3(12): 2253–2262 Human interference and avifaunal diversity of two wetlands of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India Tanmay Datta Department of Zoology, Ananda Chandra College, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal 735101, India Email:
[email protected] Date of publication (online): 26 December 2011 Abstract: Avifaunal diversity and abundance were studied in two wetlands of Jalpaiguri Date of publication (print): 26 December 2011 District, West Bengal, India, in relation to eight wetland characteristics supposedly ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print) directly or indirectly affected by human activities. Although the climatic and geophysical conditions of both the wetlands are almost similar, a total of 80 bird species were recorded Editor: Rajiv S. Kalsi from one wetland and the other supported only 42 species. The relationship between Manuscript details: habitat characteristics and community structure varied throughout the year, suggesting Ms # o2739 that the birds respond differently to one or other habitat characteristic depending on Received 28 March 2011 the season. Larger wetland size supported higher bird diversity and abundance as far Final received 18 October 2011 as resident and local migrants are concerned. Winter migrant density and diversity, Finally accepted 28 October 2011 however, reached higher values in structurally more heterogeneous wetlands having fewer submerged aquatic vegetation. All these habitat characteristics become highly Citation: Datta, T. (2011). Human interference and avifaunal diversity of two wetlands of Jalpaig- influenced by intense agricultural practices in the wetland with fewer bird diversity and uri, West Bengal, India. Journal of Threatened density. Taxa 3(12): 2253–2262. Keywords: Habitat heterogeneity, human interference, Jalpaiguri, submerged aquatic Copyright: © Tanmay Datta 2011.