Seasonal Abundance of Waterfowls, Belongs to Various Ecological Groups in Muriyad Kole Wetland, Thrissur, Kerala

The study was focused on the waterfowl communities which belong to various ecological groups of the Muriyad kole wetland situated in the Thrissur District during the period 2010-2014. They are ecologically grouped into five categories, on the basis of their activities seen in the kole such as divers, swimmers, small waders, large waders and aerial foragers. The small waders were the most dominant group with 18 species and followed by large waders with 16 species. The group swimmers and divers consist of 11 and 5 species respectively. The least number of species were seen in aerial foragers with 2 species. The most abundant group belongs to the various eco. group as follows, Microcarbo niger among divers, Dendrocygna javanica among swimmers, Tringa glareola among small waders, Ardea intermedia among large waders and Chlidonias hybrid among aerial foragers. Diversity in the Kole habitat promotes high species diversity in the area. Moreover species richness is high in the pre summer season due to the dewatering stage, prior to the cultivation which promotes high prey availability from the open mudflats and these attracts a lot of migratory waterfowls.