Bird diversity of the Amrutganga Valley, Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, India with an emphasis on the elevational distribution of species

Abstract

A unique aspect of montane birds is the elevational stratification they show in their distribution, but in the Himalayas, a subset of the species show elevational migration, making bird communities on these mountains especially dynamic. Thus, understanding the elevational distribution and movement of species across seasons is important to fully understand broad-scale community patterns. In this study, we compile a comprehensive checklist of birds along a 2,300 m Hima­layan elevational gradient in the Amrutganga Valley, Kedarnath Wildlife Division, Uttarakhand, India. We recorded 244 species including 34 species new for the area and two new species for the state. Most importantly, we describe the elevational distribution of more than a 200 species and the dates of first sighting for several summer migrants in the season. We also studied changes in species richness and turnover at multiple elevations across seasons. We hope that this study provides a baseline for future research on elevational distribution of birds in the Western Himalayas.