Avian fauna in agricultural habitats of Punjab state

The present study enlists 189 species of birds belonging to 17 orders, 56 families and 117 genera recorded during the surveys conducted in 207 villages under 19 districts of Punjab between 2011–2013. The study added 62 species of birds to the earlier check list of bird species, making it a consolidated list of 189 bird species from the Punjab State. Of these, 111 were recorded as resident species, 47 resident migrant, 30 migrant and one species in the vagrant category. Observations of the avian diversity in relation to their habitat types, i.e., Type A (Agricultural habitat); Type B (Residential area - urban/rural); Type C (Aquatic habitat/ponds/canal/river/wetland) and Type D (Uncultivated area/forest/barren land) revealed 125, 63, 67 and 19 species, respectively, with some species having overlapping habitat types, i.e., occupying more than one habitat type. In term of conservation status, of the recorded 189 avian species, 10 species were in critical endangered category. Critical endangered category further comprised of one endangered, one vulnerable and eight near threatened species.