The bird community of Shingba Rhododendron wildlife sanctuary, Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India

Here we describe the bird community of Shingba Rhododendron sanctuary, a high altitude protected area (> 3200 m) and an Important Bird Area (IBA) in Sikkim in the Eastern Himalaya, India. Altogether 332 points were sampled using a point count method. A total of 2545 birds belonging to 100 species and 22 families were recorded, including three new records for Sikkim. Non-parametric estimators Jackknife 1 and Jackknife 2 estimated 112 and 110 species, respectively. The observed species combined with previous records yielded 114 total species of birds in the sanctuary. Bird species richness in Shingba is higher compared to other parts of the Himalaya at similar elevations. Bird species richness and abundance showed significant variation among seasons with a peak during monsoon. Species abundance data followed a truncated log normal distribution, indicative of a diverse community. Due to heavy tourist influx, the sanctuary is subjected to various threats. Conservation issues and management measures of the sanctuary are discussed in brief with some recommendations.