Food and Foraging Niches of Carnivorous Bird Species in Orchards:Implications for their Conservation

ABSTRACT

The present study was carried out to assess food and foraging niches of carnivorous bird species in mixed fruit orchard selecting two transects I and II at Punjab Agricultural University campus from March 2015 to February 2016. There were observed 12 and 11 carnivorous bird species out of total 52 and 38 bird species recorded in transect I and II respectively. Habitat features (hedgerows, un-cemented water channel), irrigation schedules and fruit developmental stages seemed to determine the bird composition, especially carnivorous bird species in mixed fruit orchard