Mitigating role of anthropogenic and habitat variables on distribution of black kite (Milvus Migrans Govinda) in an urban scenario.

ABSTRACT

The urban landscape asses a broad spectrum of variable environments ranging from remnant patches to highly modified streetscapes. Population growth and human intervention results in loss of biodiversity. Compare to other vertebrates, Raptors are easily monitored for changes at an ecosystem scale. Biodiversity is being lost at an increased rate as a result of human activities. One of the major threats to biodiversity is infrastructural development. Despite the expansion of urban environments, few studies have examined the influence of urbanization on faunal diversity. In this study we observed that distribution of black kite was fluctuating seasonally and less in disturbed area while high in undisturbed area. Number of Black kites was high in the monsoon while low in summer because of migration of birds from neighboring cities. Our findings show the importance of minimizing human intervention and disturbance for wildlife conservation in relatively undisturbed areas.