Abstract:
The rapidly expanding human population in Sri Lanka has ensued in the reduction of
natural habitats which have been converted to human settlements such as industrial sites,
agricultural lands, and other infrastructure development. In consequence of these events,
the avifauna is forced to ensure their survival by adapting themselves to human-altered
settlements like home gardens, plantations, and estates. Therefore, a study was designed
to ascertain the avifaunal diversity and abundance: Nadeniya Estate alias Yakange Watta
(3.237km2
) situated at Kiriwaula of Udunuwara in the Kandy district, Central Province (N
7°15'19" E 80°32'41"), to assess the contribution of suburban habitats for the conservation
of avifaunal species. Two different habitat types’ viz. Tea plantation habitat and home
garden habitat were studied using 600 m transects, and bird species within 50 m either
side were recorded two times per day, in the morning (6.00-09.00 h) and the evening
(16.00-18.00 h), within a period of 5 months from August to December 2019. A total of
480 birds belonging to 33 species, 25 families, and 9 orders were recorded within the
area. The Simpson’s index and Shannon diversity index were 0.97/2.61, and 0.99/2.78 in
the tea plantation habitat and home garden habitat respectively. The most dominant
species recorded were the House crow (Corvus splendens), Common Myna (Acridotheres
tristis), and Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer cafer), with a relative abundance of
10.81, 11.52, and 11.24% respectively. The least recorded species was the Velvet-fronted
Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis) with a relative abundance of 0.22%. According to the results, it
is evident that more anthropogenic activities have influenced the avifaunal diversity.
Alternatively, garden and forest birds were also recorded in the area. Therefore, proper
management of the land use is recommended for sustainable conservation of the suburban
ecosystems.
Keywords: Avifauna, Diversity, Ecosystem, Suburban, Nadeniya Estate
