Studies on the residential status of Birds in and around Kotwal Reservoir, Morena District, India

Birds are the biological indicators in an environment since the birds belong to the top level of the food chain in an ecosystem. Ecological changes cause changes in a number of breeding and wintering of bird populations. Bird habitat and many bird species are inseparable and helpful to mankind in various ways and their presence is very essential to restore local biodiversity. The present study on avifauna was carried out around Kotwal reservoir, Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, India. A total of 104 species were found belonging to 17 Orders and 40 families. Out of these, 57 (55%) bird species were winter migrants (WM), 5 (5%) summer migrants, and 42 (40%) species were residents. This study will help to evaluate bird density and diversity, species composition, abundance and distribution of birds of Kotwal reservoir.