1Department of Zoology, All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management (Agricultural Ornithology), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab141004, India
2Department of Zoology, All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management (Agricultural Ornithology), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab141004, India
3Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab141004, India
Avian diversity is considered an environmental indicator for measuring ecosystem quality. The availability of food and its diverse types influence bird distribution and their community structure in agricultural landscapes. The current study investigated the role of T-perches as bird attractants in maize at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. A total of 39 species were observed belonging to 12 orders and 24 families. Insectivorous birds were observed as the most dominant feeding guild constituting 47.12%. Black drongo, jungle babbler, common myna, house crow, green bee-eater, and red-vented bulbul were noted utilizing t-perches for foraging purposes. The key factor driving the increase in insectivorous bird species seemed to be the additional perching sites available by installing T-perches.
Insectivorous birds, Maize, Passeriformes, Agricultural landscapes, T-perches, Environmental indicator, Pest control, Black drongo, Ecofriendly, Avian diversity, Vegetative stage, Foraging sites
