AVIAN FAUNA OF KSCSTE-MALABAR BOTANICAL GARDEN AND INSTITUTE FOR PLANT SCIENCES, KOZHIKODE DISTRICT, KERALA, INDIA

A detailed analysis of the avifauna of KSCSTE- Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences (KSCSTE-MBGIPS), Kozhikode, Kerala is presented in this paper. This institute is in the urban area of Kozhikode city with a span of 44 acres of protected area for biological diversity. This avifaunal study was conducted from January 2019 to December 2022. The current work documented 111 bird species belonging to 44 families and 18 orders. The avifauna includes three Western Ghat endemic species the Grey-fronted green pigeon, Malabar Barbet, White-cheeked Barbet, and four Globally threatened species, the Asian Woolly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, and Painted Stork. In the survey, 15 species were in Schedule I, 94 species in Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 2022, one species in Appendix I, five species in Appendix II, and one species that are listed in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trading Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). These data are satisfied under the updated status of Birdlife International Data Zone. Passeriformes is the predominant order among the avian group, and the family Ardeidae is the most relatively abundant.