ials used for this research

include: - Suunto altimeter for

recording altitude at the point
count along the river with
uniform interval of 200 m.
Global Positioning System
(GPS, Garmin
etreks) was used for
recording latitude and
longitude coordinates in the
point count and
measuring tape for measuring
the uniform distance between
the point counts. Digital
camera
(Canon EOS 550D) was utilized
to take images of unidentified
bird species for identification
and
binocular for observation and
reference books on birds.
Survey data sheet, pencils,
eraser and
field books were also used for
recording birds and vegetation
dat
INTRODUCTION
Forest is the most significant habitat for birds by supporting around 75% of all bird species
while only 45% of all bird species have adapted to humans modified habitats (Birdlife
International2008).Human activities such as farming, settlement, charcoal making, pole cutting
and firewood collection have contributed in degradation which has extensively damaged the
natural habitat of birds, affecting their variety and variability (Storch et al.2003).The threats to
bird populations are immeasurable including habitat loss, fragmentation and severe
anthropogenic pressures. Therefore the need to study the current composition and status of bird
species as a basis for future monitoring and implementation of appropriate conservation
measures.Birds constitute one of the common fauna of all habitat types, and because they are
responsive to change, their diversity and abundance can reflect ecological trends in other
biodiversity.
Study Area
Punatshangchhu (referred to as Sunkosh River in this paper) has a total length of about 320
kilometers from its source in Bhutan to its confluence point with Brahmaputra in India.
Therefore its river basin is one of the major river basins in Bhutan which cover six administrative
Dzongkhags with human population of more than 162071 living in the basin of this river
(Choden 2009). The human Population density in this basin is only 8 persons per km²
(Population and Housing Census of Bhutan 2005). The study site falls under Tsirang and Dagana
as represented in Figure 1 and both the Dzongkhag falls within the temperate zone in the north
and sub-tropical zone in the south (Dagana Dzongkhag Administration2015). Sunkosh River
flowing in between Tsirang Dzongkhag and Dagana Dzongkhag passes through Sunkosh satellite
town where Royal Government of Bhutan has strategic plan to build huge reservoir in the
area(Dorji 2009).
The river crosses through six different geogs namely Tshangkha and Drujaygang under Dagana
Dzongkhag and Barzhong, Rangthangling, Tsholingkhar and Tsirangtoe under Tsirang
Dzongkhag. The study area under Changchey river confluence ranges from 27°01'17.9"N to
090°04'35.5"E with an altitude range between 325 to 360 masl. Settlement area lies between
27°00'57.7"N to 090°04'20.5"E and the altitude ranges from 299 to 324 meters above sea level.
The undisturbed forest lies between 27°59'19.6"N to 090°04'28.2"E and altitude ranges from 267
to 299 masl. Compared to forested area, river confluence and settlement area were observed as
most disturbed due to human activities like stone crushing plant, sand dredging works and
agricultural activities.

Materials
The materials used for this research include: - Suunto altimeter for recording altitude at the point
count along the river with uniform interval of 200 m. Global Positioning System (GPS, Garmin
etreks) was used for recording latitude and longitude coordinates in the point count and
measuring tape for measuring the uniform distance between the point counts. Digital camera
(Canon EOS 550D) was utilized to take images of unidentified bird species for identification and
binocular for observation and reference books on birds. Survey data sheet, pencils, eraser and
field books were also used for recording birds and vegetation data

Methods
Owing to the site condition, point count survey method was followed by data collection.. A
binocular (Olympus), camera (Canon EOS 5D) and guide books were used to confirm the
identification of the birds. Birds were identified to the species level and their taxonomic groups
were properly categorized based on field guides. This study was expanded to all birds. For every
bird species the following parameters were recorded: (i) name of the bird; (ii) the number of bird
species at every sighting; (iii) habitat types.
The plots were visited twice and the survey was conducted from 0500 hrs till 1000 hrs and
1500 hrs to 1900 hrs when the birds are more active. The plots are laid out along the river bank
at a systematic interval of 200 meters. In total, 30 number of plots (n) were obtained along the
river covering 6 kilometers of distance in the entire study area. The number of birds on the
ground, water and overhead resting were recorded within 3600 from each point. Before moving
to the next plot, the count lasted for 15 minutes in each plot as supported by stating that longer
periods are preferred for multiple species than single species which is usually (5-10) minutes.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data analysis
Compilation and analysis of data were done using Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS (Statistical
Package for Social Science). SPSS program was also used to produce graphs and figures. The
GIS software was used for data management, data analysis and production of simple maps.

Bird species composition

The population structure pattern in percent had shown that Red-vented Bulbul from the
Pycnonotidae family has the highest relative abundance of 15.27% followed by Rhyacornis
fuliginosus (Vigors 1831) from Muscicapidae family with 10.69%. A total of 59 bird species
distributed to 30 families were recorded from the study area with an altitude range of 267 to 360
m during the study period. The Bird Species Composition (BSC) in each of the three habitat
types varied from 19 to 36 species. The highest bird species composition was recorded in the
settlement area with 36 species followed by undisturbed forest with 32 species. River confluence
was recorded as the lowest in bird species composition with 19 bird species (Figure 2).
During the survey period, White-bellied Heron was recorded at an altitude of 335 meters
above sea level which is listed as critically endangered species under the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Redlist followed by three near threatened bird species and 55 least
concerned species (Figure 3). Alexandrine Parakeet, Great Hornbill and River Lapwing falls
under the near threatened status as per the IUCN Redlist.
Nineteen families were represented only by one species each. The number of bird species
recorded at a single point with uniform plot distance varied from 2 to the maximum of 9 species
of birds (Figure 4).The dominant family of birds were Muscicapidae contributing to 9 species
(15.25%), followed by Pycnonotidae, Sylviidae and Timalidae contributing 5 species each
(8.47%), Dicruridae and Nectariniidae contributing 3 species (5.08%). Sittidae, Picidae,
Megalaimidae, Campephagidae and Alcedinidae contributing 2 species each (3.39%). Apodidae,
Ardeidae, Bucerotidae, Charadriidae, Chloropseidae, Columbidae, Cuculidae, Hirundinidae,
Laniidae, Motacillidae, Paridae, Passeridae, Phalacrocoracidae, Phasianidae, Psittacidae,
Rhipiduridae, Stumidae, Trogonidae and Upupidae contributes 1 species each in the community
comprising of 1.69%.
Habitat types and bird species composition were positively correlated and it was
significant.The differences were statistically significant and higher bird species composition was
recorded in the settlement area. The higher bird species composition in settlement area may be
associated with varied habitats as Thakur (2013) reported higher bird species composition in
areas associated with varied types of habitat such as presence of marshes, ridges, forest glades,
human settlements, agricultural land and streams cutting through the valleys. Such features
mentioned by Thakur (2013) were observed in the area referred herein. Broadly, areas with
higher levels of energy-related variables such as primary productivity, potential
evapotranspiration, solar radiation, temperature, and rainfall tend to have higher species richness
(Brooks et al. 2001).
Bird species diversity
The overall birds observed along the Sunkosh river were 392. The bird species diversity (BSD)
in each of the three habitat types varied from 2.53 to 3.16 according to Shannon diversity index.
The highest bird species diversity was recorded in undisturbed forest with 3.16 followed by
settlement area with 3.05. River confluence was recorded as the lowest bird species diversity
according to Shannon’s diversity index with 2.53. Bird species diversity and habitat types were
positively correlated and it was significant.The differences were statistically significant and
higher bird species diversity was recorded in the undisturbed forest area. The study of bird
species diversity and its distribution become important not only for knowledge but also for
conservation purposes as birds have been used as ecological indicators.
Undisturbed forest site with bird population of 143 birds was considered as richest site as
compared to settlement which support 137 birds and river confluence with 113 birds. It is
because community dominated by one or two species is considered to be less diverse than one in
which several different species with a similar abundance. The highest diversity at the undisturbed
forest could be due to the fact that diversity of wetland component and the adaptation of different
aquatic avian to exploit the resources of wetland ecosystem could be reason behind for the
highest diversity. Vegetation types and abundant of food resources also play equal role in habitat
preference by bird species. Similar finding was reported.

Relationship between Bird Species Composition, Bird Species Diversity, Species Evenness
and the altitude
As indicated in Table 1, bird species diversity (H’) is negatively correlated to altitude (r =
-.826; p = .000) within the significant level of 0.01. This indicates that the bird species diversity
decreases as the altitude increases and vice versa. The similar negative correlation was also
determined between the altitude and bird species evenness (r = -.865; p = .000) and (r = -.617;
p = .000) for bird species composition.
Altitude affects bird species distribution and diversity in the mountainous region. Elevation
creates microclimate which in turn determines temperature, soil characteristics and vegetation
type of the given environment (Waterhouse et al.2002). This is affecting the distribution and
diversity of bird species directly or indirectly by limiting availability of the requirement and
energy into the ecosystem. Ecological studies show that lower altitude has more bird species
than higher altitude while some species are restricted to certain zones and others occurring
throughout the altitudes (Jankowski et al.2009).
The introduction of fertilizers and regular maintenance in settlement areas may also increase
primary productivity (Mooney and Gulmon 1983). In contrast, more intense development, such
as office parks or business construction, could decrease the amount of resources available to
birds, as construction removes substantial areas from primary production, and landscaping
becomes limited to the hardiest ornamental species, which are often exotic (Whitney and
Adams 1980). A similar pattern of addition and then deletion of a resource can be seen in the
amount of edge habitat available in the different sites.

Relationship between Species composition, species diversity and species evenness

The highest bird species composition was observed in settlement area (36 species) and lowest in
river confluence area (19 species). The correlation analysis between bird species composition
and species diversity (H’) revealed strong positive relationship (r = .924; p = .000). The same
test also revealed positive relationship between species composition and species evenness (r = .
415; p = .022) and (r = .731; p = .000) for the relationship between species diversity and species
evenness (Table 1).
When the Bird Species Diversity increases, Bird Species Composition also increases which
accounts to 92.4%. In the study, consistent significantly positive relationships were observed
between species composition, species diversity and species evenness along the Sunkosh River in
three different habitats. The results also support many investigations which argue that species
richness can be determined by species evenness in abundance (Bazzaz 1975, Armestro and
Pickett 1985, Crawley 1997, He and Lengendre 2002). Therefore, investigating the mechanisms
that influence species evenness can also help us understand maintenance of diversity (He and
Lengendre 2002).

DATA APPENDICES
Distribution
The species evenness (SE) in each of the three habitat types varied from 0.85 to 0.91. The most
evenly distributed in terms of bird was calculated as undisturbed forest with 0.91 followed by
river confluence with 0.86. Settlement was recorded as the lowest in species evenness with 0.85
(Figure 7). An ecosystem where some species are represented by many individuals, and other
species are represented by very few individuals has low species evenness (Harrison andLaverty
2004). Birds select habitats that fit their requirements for successful reproduction and survival
though some generalist species may utilize several habitats (Rodriguez-Estrella2007).
The study recorded 393 birds from 30 families and 59 species, distributed within settlement,
river confluence and forest. The total count made along the river confluence resulted 113
(28.75%; n =10) birds followed by the observation along the undisturbed forest resulting in 143
(36.39%; n = 10) birds. Under settlement area, total bird observation made were 137 (34.86%; n
=10). The study found that some species had occurred in all habitat types while others were
restricted in one, two, three or four in different habitat types. According to Buckley and
Freckleton (2010) the distribution patterns of bird species normally follow the spatial structure of
the environment and habitat requirement of the bird species. This corresponds with results of this
study whereby habitat specificity and generalization were observed.
For example Myophonus caeruleus (Scopoli, 1786), Phalacro coraxniger (Vieillot 1817),
Rhyacornis fuliginosus, Pycnonotuscafer, Enicurus schistaceus (Hodgson 1837), White-crested
Laughingthrush and Phoenicurus erythrogaster (Güldenstädt 1775) were recorded in all habitat
type. On the contrary, Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758), Aethopyga siparaja (Raffles 1822),
Acridothere stristis (Linnaeus 1766), Columba livia (Gmelin 1789), Dicrurus macrocercus
(Vieillot 1817), Pycnonotus melanicterus (Gmelin 1789) and Psittacula eupatriawere recorded
in settlement.
Although human settlement areas have mixtures of built habitats and green patches, bird
species have managed to exist and thrive in this complex habitat (Sandstorm et al.2005). This is
explained by the availability of ecological requirements for the species offered by a mixture of
an environment with settlement and garden patches (Sandstorm et al.2005). In general, smaller
population size is associated with greater risk of extinction locally, regionally, or globally
(Gibbons andGregory 2006). Other than White bellied Heron, bird species like River Lapwing,
Alexandrine Parakeet and Great hornbill were some of the species sighted in limited number.
Therefore more study is required to confirm the conservation status of these bird species whose
population seems to be minimal in comparing with other species in the study area.
 CONCLUSION
To grasp better knowledge on bird species composition and diversity, it is felt necessary to take
into account of other possible factors that might have greater influence on bird species
composition and diversity. It is also felt that such studies should encompass all the season of the
year. So, long term study should be considered to really understand birds and its relationship
with altitude, habitat variables and surrounding environment. The observations indicate that this
river support both terrestrial and aquatic birds like White-bellied Heron (Critically endangered),
Great Hornbill, Alexandrine Parakeet and River Lapwing (Near threatened)for feeding and
foraging in open water zone. Hence a habitat with open water having submerged vegetation and
reed bed is the most suitable habitats and makes them free from human interference. Therefore,
the need of proper studies on ecological behaviors of above mentioned birds for appropriate
conservation is suggested as highly crucial before the establishment of hydropower reserve in the
study area.
I suggest Sunkosh as one of the important birding areas in Bhutan and the planned
construction of reservoir in the vicinity will be a serious threat to ecosystem and birds as well.
The river area, undisturbed forest and the adjacent agricultural fields act as potential foraging
ground offering a wide variety of roosting and nesting places for several migratory and resident
bird species. Hence, Policy makers should keep all these things in view and develop the vicinity
as important bird habitat and environmentally conscious segment of ecotourism and to provide
economic benefit for local community