Status and seasonal occurrence of birds in Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University campus, Bangladesh

Abstract

Urbanization is altering the natural habitats of many wild animal species. However, some species seem to be adapting and now have
flourishing populations within urban areas. To examine the capacity of these spaces to provide "habitat", bird surveys were conducted at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) main campus in Chattogram, Bangladesh, from October 2022 to June 2023. The study analyzed the status and seasonal patterns of wild birds on the CVASU campus. In total, 39 bird species were documented at CVASU during the winter season. Of the identified species, House Crow, House Sparrow, Common Myna, Indian Pied Myna and Rock Pigeon were very common. The birds belonged to 11 orders, with 19 species in the Passeriformes order and the other 20 in non-Passeriformes orders. The study found that in the total bird population during winter, very common, common, uncommon and rare species made up 12.80%, 20.50%, 15.40% and 51.3% respectively. In spring and summer, 33 bird species were observed at the CVASU campus. Of these, 15 were passerines and the other 18 were non-passerines. The most prevalent species were House crow, House sparrow, Common myna, Indian pied myna, Red-vented bulbul, Oriental Magpie robin and Rock pigeon. In spring and summer, the percentages for very common, common, uncommon and rare species were 24.20%, 15.20%, 18.20% and 42.40% respectively. This study identified the bird species and their seasonal status at the CVASU main campus. The findings will assist in benchmarking relative abundance and accordingly conservation plans for visibly abundant birds of CVASU main campus in Chattogram.