1. Study of Avian Diversity in and
around Chinari, District
Hattian, Azad Jammu and
Kashmir, Pakistan
MASAUD, N1
., AWAN, M.S1
., MINHAS, R.A1
.,
DAR, N. I2
.,AND ALI, U3
.
1
Department of Zoology, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 2
Wildlife and
Fisheries Department of AJ&K, 3
Department of Environmental Science, PMAS-Arid
Agriculture University Rawalpindi

2. INTRODUCTION
Bird
Warm blooded animals, body covered by feathers, lay
egg, evolved million of years ago
Occurrence
 Found all over the world, from Arctic to Kalahari and Africa
to Himalayan forests.
 Tolerate extreme weather conditions.
Diversity
 About 10,000 species found all over the world.
 Of them 1400 species are found in Asia.
 688 species listed in Pakistan.
 200 reported in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

3. Continued….
Importance
Important insect predators.
Game animals.
Provide esthetic pleasure (eco-tourism)
Migration
19% of the total bird species are migratory.
Migrate for long distance, non-stop over seas,
from north pole to south pole.
Some fly as high as 20,000 feet above the sea
level.
Migratory route of Pakistan is called Green
Route or Route No. 4.

4. OBJECTIVES
To enlist and describe existing bird’s species and
their abundance in the study area.
To compare species richness and species
abundance between study sites and different
seasons.
To calculate the Shannon-wiener index of avian
fauna in and around Chinari.
Developing GIS based information regarding
species richness and species abundance of bird’s
fauna.

5. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
Chinari is situated on 34o
08'34.292-09'19.89'' NL
and 73o
50'16.26''-58'34.01''E at an elevation of
1066-1539 m.
Qazinaag Game Reserve.
 Temperature of study area ranges between 1.1-
35.5˚C with average rainfall of 330.7 mm
annually.

6. Map of the study area showing study sites surveyed during study period

7. Continued….
The important vegetation of the area includes
Pinus wallichiana, Cedrus deodara, Picea
smithiana, Abies pindrow, Taxus wallichiana, Acer
caesium, Aesculus indica, Acacia modesta etc.
The important shrubs of the area include Berberis
lycium, Indigofera gerardiana, Lonicera
quinquilocularis, Parrotia jacquemontiana etc.

8. Methodology
Transect Walk
Point Count
For Larger habitat, radius was 50 m.
For Smaller habitat, radius was 25m.
Sighting
Early in the morning at 5:30 am during spring, 5:00 am
during summer and 6:00 am during autumn.
Before evening at 4:30 p.m. during spring, 6:30 p.m.
during summer and 6:00 p.m. during autumn.

9. Results and Discussion
A total of 72 bird species belonging to 13 orders
and 39 families were observed and identified.
Over all relative abundance was recorded highest
for Common myna (0.005) and lowest for
Common starling (0.001).
 Species richness was recorded highest in summer
(n=54) followed by autumn (46) and spring
(n=40).
Species abundance was highest during summer
(316) followed by spring (311) and autumn (280).

10. Continued….
Out of 72 species, 69% belonged to order
Passariformes followed by Coraciformes (5.5%),
Columbiformes, Strigifarmes (4.16% both),
Psitassiformes, Accipitiformes, Faolconiformes,
Charadiformes (2.77% of each), Piciformes,
Galliformes, Apodiformes, Cuculiformes and
Carimulyiformes (1.3% each).
The prominent bird species includes, Wagtail,
Kingfisher, Bulbul, Doves, Crows, Warbler,
Vultures, Chats, Thrushes, Woodpecker,
Flycatcher, Nuthatches, Magpie, Tree pie,
Swallows and leaf birds.

12. Fig 3 Percentage relative abundance of bird species belonging to different
orders recorded during the year 2009

13. Fig 4 Species richness of bird’s species recorded during different seasons of
the year 2009

14. Fig 5 Species abundance curve among study sites surveyed during the year
2009

15. Fig 6 Species richness curve among study sites surveyed during the year 2009

16. Map 2 showing compression between species richness and abundance in
different sites of the study area during study period.

17. Fig 7 Abundance of bird’s species recorded during different seasons of the
year 2009

18. Map 3 showing the compression of species richness between different seasons
at different sites of the study area during 2009.

19. Fig 8 Diversity indices of different seasons recorded during the year 2009
Seasonal Shannon-wiener index of these species were recorded highest (4.95) in
summer season followed by spring (4.2) and autumn.

20. Fig 9 Migration status of bird’s species along with their percentages recorded
during the year 2009
Of the total 8 (11.1%) species were resident birds, 9 (12.5%) species were
resident confined to Himalayan ecosystem, 7 (9.72%) species were summar
visitors, 5 (6.94%) species were winter visitor, 12 (16.6%) species showed
seasonal altitudinal migration while remaining 30 (41.6%) species were confined
to Himalayan ecosystem.

21. Fig 10 Population status of bird’s species along with their percentages
recorded during the year 2009
The population status is calculated as 50 (69%) species were common, 4 (5.55%)
species were abundant, and 9 (1.25%) species were rare while the remaining 9
(1.25%) species were frequent.

22. Plate 1 Natural habitat at Garmanda

23. Plate 2 Grey tit sitting on tree of apple at Gujar bandi

24. Plate 3 Himalayan Griffon vultures sitting on tree at Tillikot

25. Plate 4 Kestral (Falco tinunculus) sitting in verandah at Chakhamma

26. Plate 5 Pair of Hoopoe sitting on ground at Gojar-bandi

27. Plate 6 Blossom headed parakeet sitting on tree at Qazinag

28. Plate 7 Paradise flycatcher sitting on tree at Tillikot

29. Plate 8 Yellow wagtail sitting on grass at Kathai

30. Plate 9 Large pied wagtail sitting on ground at Gojar bandi

31. Plate 10 White cheeked bulbul searching food in water

32. Plate 11 Bulbul sitting on Rose plant at Chumm

33. Plate 12 Golden fronted leaf bird sitting on tree at Gojjar-bandi

34. Plate 13 Leaf bird sitting on tree at Kathai

35. Plate 14 Himalayan tree creeper sitting on bark of tree at Tillikot

36. Plate 15 Whistling thrush sitting in a pot at Garmanda

37. Plate 16 Pied Bush Chat sitting on tree of (Accasia Arabica) at Kathai

38. Plate 17 Grey shrike sitting on wire at Gojar bandi

39. Plate 19 Jungle crow sitting on bark of tree

40. Plate 20 Common mynas sitting on rock at Tillikot

41. Plate 21 Grey tit sitting on tree of apple at Gujar bandi

42. Conclusion
A significant difference in the biomass of the
birds between the different seasons of the
year, 2009.
The availability of food may be one of the
cause of this variation.
Breeding in summer season could be an
important source of variation and higher
diversity index in summer.
Migration from higher altitudes towards
lower decrease diversity index in winter.

43. Continued….
Besides natural vegetation, cultivated areas
are important source for the diversity of
avian fauna in the study area.
Most of the birds depend on the food in
the form of seeds, grains, weeds or insects
hence they are closer to the agricultural
lands.
Due to different requirements of food and
space, the interspecific and intraspecific
competition seemed within the bearable
limits.

44. Continued….
Destruction of the habitats resulted in the
eradication of some species like golden
oriole, vultures, and rollers and have
migrated to higher elevations, vegetated
and undistributed areas around Chinari.

45. Recommendations
Research collaboration should be built between
Wildlife Department AJK and Department of
Zoology, the University of AJK to carry out
detailed surveys for the proper management and
of wildlife species of the area.
Some endangered and vulnerable species (Cheer
pheasant and Westren horned tragopon)
categorized under international conservation
status are present in the study area. It is therefore,
pertinent that protection and conservation
programms for the area should be based on the
presence of these species.

46. Thank You