The diversity of resident birds in the campus of the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The Peradeniya University Campus (80 ° 36 ' E, 7 ° 15 ' N) represents one of the areas rich in bird life, both in number and species. Of the 233 species of resident birds known from Sri Lanka, 83 have been recorded from the University. In the present study conducted from April to October 1999, it was found that at least 67 species were present. Weekly roadside counts of birds along a fixed route transect passing through the main habitat types in the campus (e.g. woodland, grassland, home garden, and pine forest) indicate that the commonest birds in the campus were the Common Mynah (Acridotheres tristis), Black Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), Common Babbler (Turdoides affinis), White-rumped Swift (Apus affinis), and the Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis). The species richness and species evenness indices (Shannon Index and Shannon Evenness Index) indicate that the woodlands have the highest number of avian species (54 species, with a Shannon Index of 3.24), while grasslands though slightly low in avian species richness (52), were more diverse (with a Shannon Index of 3.26). The dominance indices (Berger-Parker Index and its reciprocal form) showed that grasslands have the lowest dominance (0.11) and hence the highest evenness (8.86) (and so more diverse). According to the similarity indices (Sorenson Quantitative), the woodland and grassland habitats were the most similar (0.99) in terms of avian species richness