Abstract: The aquatic avifauna plays a crucial role in maintaining the intricate balance between biotic and abiotic components in various water habitats. Several bird species exclusively depend on seasonal or perennial water bodies for their normal survival and help keep the healthy status of water habitats in and around urban ecosystem. In this regard, present investigation was conducted systematically at five Lakes in and around Mysore during 2019-2020 by following standard methods. Total 33 aquatic bird species, which belong to 16 families of 10 orders in class Aves, were recorded. The distribution, population density and percent occurrence of aquatic avifauna indicated considerable variation. However, analysis of variance of aquatic avifauna found at different Lakes didn’t show significant variation (F=1.010; P<0.05) but, the diversity indices indicated considerable difference between the Lakes in and around Mysore. The dominance (‘D’) index of aquatic avifauna was ranged between 0.112 and 0.331, the Shannon diversity (‘H’) index ranged between 1.860 and 2.515 and the Fisher alpha value ranged between 3.247 and 4.424 at different Lakes. Moreover, Simpson ‘J’ (Equitability) index of aquatic avifauna was 0.669 to 0.887, suggesting unevenness between the Lakes. Further, the Sorenson’s (ß diversity) index value of aquatic avifauna was minimum 0.424 to maximum 0.800 and indicated considerable variation existed between the Lakes. The reason for this variation in species composition and variance needs to be attended critically to understand the prevailed conditions of these Lakes. However, Lakes are vital components of urban ecosystem; acts like lungs of local environment and their preservation help conserve aquatic avifaunal diversity amidst urban ecosystem. At this juncture, periodic assessment of local avifaunal diversity would help understand the existing constraints if any, faced by the avifauna and their water habitats. It requires in depth investigations and results of such observations are published elsewhere.

 
Keywords: Aquatic avifauna, Diversity, Lakes, Urban Environment, Mysore.

| DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2020.7628