Diversity of Waterbirds Along Bindu River of Tashi Chhoeling (Samtse), Bhutan

Abstract

This study was conducted along the Bindu River under Tashi Chhoeling (Samtse) District in southwestern Bhutan from 1 January 2016 to 29 February 2016, with an objective to find document species composition, diversity, richness, evenness and relative abundance of waterbirds inhabiting along the Bindu River. Point count method was used to observe, identify, and record the birds. A total of 296 individual waterbirds belonging to 6 families and 12 species were recorded along the Bindu River during the study period. Bird species within the Muscicapidae family were the highest number of species sighted and also the highest number of individual waterbirds sighted. Plumbeous water redstart was the most abundant waterbird found along the Bindu River with a relative abundance of 34.80% and Gray wagtail is the least abundant with a relative abundance of 1.01%. Shannon’s diversity index, Margalef’s richness index, and Pielou’s evenness index of waterbirds for the Bindu River was 1.94, 1.93, and 0.78 respectively.