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<p>The green spaces in many urban areas are under severe threats; the area under green cover is declining, habitat quality is deteriorating due to fast urbanisation and the booming real estate market. Therefore, we investigated the avian richness of a natural remnant area and compared it with species richness data previously published in the literature about gardens, urban parks, and academic campuses in Pune, India. In two years of our survey, we recorded 65 species at the natural remnant site, 15 of which are rare considered in urban areas. Among recorded species, 17 are habitat specialists and 14 have declining population. Natural remnant patches are generally inaccessible to the general public; they have undergrowth of vegetation and aerial leaf litter, which may be the reason for the higher species richness and the occurrence of rare species. Our findings indicate that the natural remnant site in Pune has a unique and relatively rich assemblage of bird species, thus provide further support for the notion that natural remnant sites are valuable for urban biodiversity conservation. Therefore, we suggest that small, isolated patches of natural vegetation should receive more attention in conservation planning.</p>
</abstract>

The green spaces in many urban areas are under severe threats; the area under green cover is declining, habitat quality is deteriorating due to fast urbanisation and the booming real estate market. Therefore, we investigated the avian richness of a natural remnant area and compared it with species richness data previously published in the literature about gardens, urban parks, and academic campuses in Pune, India. In two years of our survey, we recorded 65 species at the natural remnant site, 15 of which are rare considered in urban areas. Among recorded species, 17 are habitat specialists and 14 have declining population. Natural remnant patches are generally inaccessible to the general public; they have undergrowth of vegetation and aerial leaf litter, which may be the reason for the higher species richness and the occurrence of rare species. Our findings indicate that the natural remnant site in Pune has a unique and relatively rich assemblage of bird species, thus provide further support for the notion that natural remnant sites are valuable for urban biodiversity conservation. Therefore, we suggest that small, isolated patches of natural vegetation should receive more attention in conservation planning.

Natural remnants are refuges for rare birds in an urban area: a study from Pune city, India

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The green spaces in many urban areas are under severe threats; the area under green cover is declining, habitat quality is deteriorating due to fast...

Natural remnants are refuges for rare birds in an urban area: a study from Pune city, India

Published Online: Jun 09, 2023

Page range: 62 - 71

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0004

Keywords
avifauna, ecological value, native vegetation, unique biodiversity, urban ecology and sustainability

© 2023 Kiran Choudaj et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Natural remnants are refuges for rare birds in an urban area: a study from Pune city, India

Published Online: Jun 09, 2023

Page range: 62 - 71

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0004

Keywordsavifauna, ecological value, native vegetation, unique biodiversity, urban ecology and sustainability

© 2023 Kiran Choudaj et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
avifauna, ecological value, native vegetation, unique biodiversity, urban ecology and sustainability