DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7m0cfxq5n
title: Diversity, abundance and community composition of birds in Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, central Nepal

description: Understanding bird diversity and composition is important for assessing
 survival, adaptability and extinction risks. This study investigated bird
 species abundance, richness, seasonal diversity and composition across
 habitats, seasons and physiographic zones of Chitwan Annapurna Landscape
 (CHAL) from 2020 to 2021 using point count method. We recorded 458 bird
 species with higher richness and diversity in winter (n = 365) than summer
 (n= 299).  This study indicates high diversity of birds (Shannon=
 5.54, Simpson= 0.99) and even distribution of species Pielou's
 Evenness Index (0.90). Species richness and abundance showed seasonal and
 habitat-specific variations, with wetlands highest in winter (richness:
 6.94 ± 0.38, abundance: 23.10 ± 5.65) and croplands in summer (richness:
 7.00 ± 0.35, abundance: 13.61 ± 1.10), while forests exhibited stability.
 Evenness was high across all habitats (0.90 ± 0.01 to 0.95 ± 0.00), with
 minimal seasonal variation. Diversity indices were highest in cropland
 during summer (Margalef: 2.33 ± 0.10, Shannon: 1.77 ± 0.06, Simpson: 0.80
 ± 0.02) and wetlands during winter (Margalef: 2.19 ± 0.08, Shannon: 1.75 ±
 0.05, Simpson: 0.79 ± 0.01), forests had moderate and stable diversity,
 while grasslands showed low values. We observed 2 globally vulnerable, 5
 near-threatened, 2 endangered and 3 critically endangered species. ANOSIM
 revealed significant community differentiation (p &lt; 0.01) across
 parameters, with the strongest segregation in physiographic (R = 0.09),
 followed by seasons (R = 0.06) and habitat types (R = 0.01). CCA showed
 distinct habitat clusters and strong influence of physiographic zones,
 with winter and wetland habitats driving species variance. This study
 revealed substantial differences in bird species across seasons and each
 habitat offers a distinct ecological niche for bird species. This finding
 highlights CHAL as hotspots for bird community. This research contributes
 to the conservation and management of this landscape, aiding in the
 protection of bird species in Nepal.
description: Grids: The entire study area was divided into 9440 grids of size
 1×1 km<sup>2</sup>. Altogether, 514 grids were selected by
 using sample size determination at a 98% confidence level and 5% margin of
 error. Among 514 grids, 472 were selected for the study due to
 inaccessibility to visit the rest of the grids. In each grid, bird
 species, along with environmental variables, were recorded within 50 m
 radius. Point count near the centroid of each grid:
 During data collection, 1–5 minutes were allocated for adjustment to the
 location, followed by 20 minutes dedicated to counting birds, observing
 their habitats, and noting other environmental factors.
 Collected birds’ data along with the number of individuals
 reported, time, and weather conditions by developing a standard data
 sheet. The calls of the birds were recorded using a recording device for
 further analysis. The birds were identified by using a field guide book,
 "Birds of Nepal (Grimmett et al. 2016)." We also consulted with
 bird experts for the confirmation of birds by using photographs. We also
 used the Merlin Bird ID app to identify birds by comparing their
 photographs and sounds.
description: # Data From: Diversity, abundance and community composition of birds in
 Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, Central Nepal Manuscript status: Submitted
 and is Under Review now ## Description of the data and file structure This
 study investigated bird species abundance, richness, seasonal diversity,
 and composition across habitats, seasons, and physiographic zones of
 Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) from 2020 to 2021 using point count
 method. This study revealed substantial differences in bird species across
 seasons and each habitat offers a distinct ecological niche for bird
 species. This finding highlights CHAL as hotspots for bird community. This
 research contributes to the conservation and management of this landscape,
 aiding in the protection of bird species in Nepal. Files are stored in
 Excel (.csv)  and R software (.R) format #### File naming Data was derived
 from the following sources (Birds_data.csv): * Birds_data.csv: Field data-
 birds and other related data. Column B1 to Q1 bird species scientific
 names;  Column B2 to Q2 Codes used in the analysis of species; total-
 total number of individuals of species; Season- in which season reported;
 Habitat- habitat types where bird species were reported; physiographic
 zone- based on physiographic classification of study area-Nepal. ##
 Code/Software R_codes.R: r codes used during the analysis: This file
 contains R codes used to process the analysis of Bird data.csv R code and
 dataset used for Bastola et al (2025).Diversity, abundance, and community
 composition of birds in Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, Central Nepal.