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Foraging Strategy and Guild Structure of Avifauna in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India

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Abstract

Understanding resource preference and use pattern in avian community will add a significant value in conservation and management of birds as well as forest restoration and landscape management in the region. We studied the foraging behaviour of 26 bird species at three resource dimensions—foraging height, foraging substrate and foraging method—in a sub-tropical forest in East district of Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India during August 2018 to April 2019. Most bird species utilized 0–5 m height category, whereas on the basis of foraging substrate, twigs were used by majority of the species for foraging. Similarly, wood gleaning method was used by maximum species of birds for feeding. Niche width was highest in Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus and lowest in Spotted Dove Stigmatopella chinensis. On the other hand, niche overlap was found to be highest between pair of Green-crowned Warbler Seicerus burkii and Grey-hooded Warbler Phylloscopus xanthoschistos, whereas some of the pairs showed complete niche segregation. Bird species showing higher overlap in one dimension were found to be showing no or lesser overlap in another dimension. Specialization was found to be higher in foraging substrate followed by foraging method and foraging height. In all three dimensions, important specialist species were identified during the study that called for conservation efforts.

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Acknowledgements

We thank National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, Government of India for financial support through GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (Grant No: NMHS-2017/MG-01/477). The authors would like to thank the Vice Chancellor and Dean (School of Life Sciences), Sikkim University for facilities to undertake this research. We also thank Dr. Jins VJ, Dr. Basundhara Chettri and NMHS project team for various support during the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Conceptualization: BKA; Funding acquisition: BKA; Field work and data collection: AC; Data analysis: BT, AC and BKA; Writing—original draft: AC and BT; Writing—review and editing: BKA.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bhoj Kumar Acharya.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Bird species recorded with total number of observations in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya (species selected for studying foraging behaviour are given in bold font, “S” is used to denote specialist species in at least one of the resource dimensions

Sl. no

Name of species

Scientific name

Migratory status

Total no. of observations

1

Black-chinned Yuhina

Yuhina nigrimenta

R

6

2

Blue Whistling Thrush

Myophonus caeruleus

R

17

3

Blue-throated Barbet

Megalaima asiatica

R

2

4

Blue-winged Siva

Siva cyanouroptera

AIM

12

5

Blyth’s Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus reguloides

AIM

4

6

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

Clamator coromandus

SV

5

7

Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (S)

Sitta(castanea) cinnamoventris

R

10

8

Common Green Magpie

Cissa chinensis

R

10

9

Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

R

10

10

Great Barbet (S)

Megalaima virens

R

18

11

Green-backed Tit

Parus monticolus

AIM

97

12

Green-crowned Warbler (S)

Seicerus burkii

AIM

14

13

Grey- headed Canary Flycatcher

Culicicapa ceylonensis

AIM

10

14

Green-tailed Sunbird (S)

Aethopyga nipalensis

R

13

15

Grey-backed Shrike

Lanius tephronotus

SV

10

16

Grey Treepie

Dendrocitta formosae

R

21

17

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Picus canus

R

1

18

Grey-hooded Warbler

Phylloscopus xanthoschistos

AIM

11

19

Himalayan Bulbul

Pycnonotus leucogenys

AIM

7

20

Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush

Garrulax monileger

R

3

21

Lesser Yellownape (S)

Picus chlorolophus

R

11

22

Long-tailed Sibia

Heterophasia picaoides

R

1

23

IndianWhite-eye

Zosterops palpebrosus

R

2

24

Pygmy Blue Flycatcher

Muscicapella hodgsoni

R

1

25

Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

R

50

26

Red-billed Leothrix

Leiothrix lutea

AIM

15

27

Red-tailed Minla

Minla ignotincta

AIM

38

28

Rufous Sibia

Heterophasia capistrata

R

29

29

Rufous-vented Yuhina

Yuhina occipitalis

AIM

22

30

Rufous-breasted Accentor

Prunella strophiata

R

3

32

Spangled Drongo

Dicrurus hottentottus

R

11

33

Spotted Dove (S)

Stigmatopella chinensis

M

11

34

Short-billed Minivet

Pericrocotus brevirostris

AIM

11

34

Tickell’s Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus affinis

SV

4

35

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (S)

Sitta frontalis

R

24

36

Verditer Flycatcher

Eumyias thalassinus

AIM

2

37

Whiskered Yuhina

Yuhina flavicollis

AIM

17

38

White-crested Laughingthrush

Garrulax leucolophus

R

36

39

White-browed Shrike-babbler

Pteruthius flaviscapis

R

2

40

White-rumped Munia

Lonchura striata

R

3

41

White-tailed Robin

Myiomela leucura

R

7

42

Yellow-bellied Warbler

Abroscopus superciliaris

AIM

37

  1. Migratory status—R Resident, AIM Altitudinal migrant, SV Summer visitor

Appendix 2

Niche overlap in foraging height for bird species pair in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya

Name

BWT

BWS

CBN

CGM

CT

GB

GBT

GCW

GTS

GHCF

GBS

GT

GHW

LY

SBM

RVB

RTM

RBL

RS

RVY

SD

SD2

VFN

WY

WCLT

YBW

BWT

1

0.58

0.48

0.47

0.88

0.46

0.75

0.72

0.70

0.56

0.72

0.71

0.71

0.55

0.33

0.67

0.74

0.74

0.64

0.86

0.55

0.65

0.69

0.69

0.89

0.73

BWS

0.58

1

0.86

0.98

0.67

0.53

0.71

0.68

0.60

0.91

0.87

0.88

0.63

0.93

0.35

0.56

0.90

0.07

0.99

0.19

0.93

0.00

0.96

0.56

0.87

0.79

CBN

0.48

0.86

1

0.89

0.40

0.85

0.65

0.38

0.30

0.67

0.61

0.96

0.34

0.97

0.76

0.71

0.79

0.02

0.81

0.06

0.97

0.00

0.78

0.26

0.68

0.52

CGM

0.47

0.98

0.89

1

0.51

0.53

0.57

0.50

0.41

0.80

0.74

0.86

0.45

0.94

0.38

0.47

0.80

0.04

0.93

0.10

0.94

0.00

0.88

0.37

0.79

0.64

CT

0.88

0.67

0.40

0.51

1

0.31

0.86

0.95

0.94

0.89

0.92

0.62

0.95

0.54

0.12

0.63

0.85

0.44

0.77

0.66

0.54

0.30

0.83

0.94

0.89

0.95

GB

0.46

0.53

0.85

0.53

0.31

1

0.87

0.30

0.26

0.45

0.42

0.84

0.28

0.76

0.98

0.90

0.66

0.03

0.51

0.07

0.76

0.66

0.54

0.23

0.44

0.37

GBT

0.75

0.71

0.65

0.57

0.86

0.69

1

0.90

0.88

0.88

0.90

0.79

0.89

0.72

0.54

0.92

0.95

0.12

0.79

0.35

0.72

0.00

0.86

0.87

0.76

0.91

GCW

0.72

0.68

0.38

0.50

0.95

0.30

0.90

1

0.90

0.92

0.95

0.56

1.00

0.53

0.11

0.65

0.87

0.15

0.78

0.41

0.53

0.00

0.85

0.99

0.77

0.77

GTS

0.70

0.60

0.30

0.41

0.94

0.26

0.88

0.99

1

0.88

0.92

0.49

1.00

0.45

0.07

0.63

0.83

0.15

0.71

0.42

0.45

0.00

0.80

0.99

0.72

0.96

GHCF

0.71

0.91

0.67

0.80

0.89

0.45

0.88

0.92

0.88

1

0.99

0.78

0.90

0.79

0.25

0.66

0.97

0.12

0.96

0.33

0.79

0.00

0.99

0.86

0.89

0.97

GBS

0.72

0.87

0.61

0.74

0.92

0.42

0.90

0.95

0.92

0.99

1

0.74

0.93

0.74

0.22

0.67

0.96

0.13

0.93

0.35

0.74

0.00

0.97

0.90

0.88

0.99

GT

0.71

0.88

0.96

0.86

0.62

0.84

0.79

0.56

0.49

0.78

0.74

1

0.52

0.96

0.73

0.81

0.89

0.23

0.86

0.31

0.96

0.18

0.86

0.46

0.83

0.67

GHW

0.71

0.63

0.34

0.45

0.95

0.28

0.89

1.00

1.00

0.90

0.93

0.52

1

0.49

0.09

0.63

0.85

0.15

0.74

0.41

0.49

0.00

0.82

1.00

0.74

0.97

LY

0.55

0.93

0.97

0.94

0.54

0.76

0.72

0.53

0.45

0.79

0.74

0.96

0.49

1

0.63

0.70

0.86

0.05

0.90

0.13

0.99

0

0.88

0.41

0.78

0.66

SBM

0.33

0.35

0.76

0.38

0.12

0.98

0.54

0.11

0.07

0.25

0.22

0.73

0.09

0.63

1

0.82

0.49

0.00

0.32

0.00

0.63

0.00

0.35

0.05

0.26

0.17

RVB

0.67

0.56

0.71

0.47

0.63

0.90

0.92

0.65

0.63

0.66

0.67

0.81

0.63

0.70

0.82

1

0.82

0.12

0.61

0.27

0.70

0.03

0.68

0.61

0.59

0.66

RTM

0.74

0.90

0.79

0.80

0.85

0.66

0.95

0.87

0.83

0.97

0.96

0.89

0.85

0.86

0.49

0.82

1

0.11

0.94

0.31

0.86

0

0.98

0.80

0.87

0.93

RBL

0.74

0.07

0.02

0.04

0.44

0.03

0.12

0.15

0.15

0.12

0.13

0.23

0.15

0.05

0.00

0.12

0.11

1

0.09

0.96

0.05

0.99

0.10

0.15

0.51

0.14

RS

0.64

0.99

0.81

0.93

0.77

0.51

0.79

0.78

0.71

0.96

0.93

0.86

0.74

0.90

0.32

0.61

0.94

0.09

1

0.24

0.90

0

0.99

0.68

0.90

0.87

RVY

0.86

0.19

0.06

0.10

0.66

0.07

0.35

0.41

0.42

0.33

0.35

0.31

0.41

0.13

0.00

0.27

0.31

0.96

0.24

1

0.13

0.91

0.29

0.42

0.48

0.38

SD

0.55

0.93

0.97

0.94

0.54

0.76

0.72

0.53

0.45

0.79

0.74

0.96

0.49

0.99

0.63

0.70

0.86

0.05

0.90

0.13

1

0

0.88

0.41

0.78

0.66

SD2

0.65

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.30

0.66

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0.18

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.03

0.00

0.99

0.00

0.91

0

1

0

0

0.43

0

VFN

0.69

0.96

0.78

0.88

0.83

0.54

0.86

0.85

0.80

0.99

0.97

0.86

0.82

0.88

0.35

0.68

0.98

0.10

0.99

0.29

0.88

0

1

0.77

0.90

0.93

WY

0.69

0.56

0.26

0.37

0.94

0.23

0.87

0.99

1.00

0.86

0.90

0.46

1.00

0.41

0.05

0.61

0.80

0.15

0.68

0.42

0.41

0

0.77

1

0.70

0.95

WCLT

0.89

0.87

0.68

0.79

0.89

0.44

0.76

0.77

0.72

0.89

0.88

0.83

0.74

0.78

0.26

0.59

0.87

0.51

0.90

0.48

0.78

0.43

0.90

0.70

1

0.84

YBW

0.73

0.79

0.52

0.64

0.95

0.37

0.91

0.77

0.96

0.97

0.99

0.67

0.97

0.66

0.17

0.66

0.93

0.14

0.87

0.38

0.66

0

0.93

0.95

0.84

1

  1. BWT Blue Whistling Thrush, BWS Blue-winged Siva, CBN Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, CGM Common Green Magpie, CT Common Tailorbird, GB Great Barbet, GBT Green-backed Tit, GCW Green-crowned Warbler, GTS Green-tailed Sunbird, GHCF Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, GBS Grey-backed Shrike, GT Grey Treepie, GHW Grey-hooded Warbler, LY Lesser Yellownape, SBM Short-billed Minivet, RVB Red-vented Bulbul, RTM Red-tailed Minla, RBL Red-billed Leothrix, RS Rufous Sibia, RVY Rufous-vented Yuhina, SD Spangled Drongo, SD2 Spotted Dove, VFN Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, WY Whiskered Yuhina, WCLT White-crested Laughingthrush, YBW Yellow-bellied Warbler

Appendix 3

Niche overlap in foraging method for bird species pair in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya

Name

BWT

BWS

CBN

CGM

CT

GB

GBT

GCW

GTS

GHCF

GBS

GT

GHW

LY

SBM

RVB

RTM

RBL

RS

RVY

SD

SD2

VFN

WY

WCLT

YBW

BWT

1

0.81

0.57

0.57

0.87

0.27

0.72

0.39

0

0.79

0.77

0.89

0.35

0.81

0.81

0.82

0.76

0.12

0.13

0.84

0.00

0.20

0.81

0.81

0.96

0.37

BWS

0.81

1

0.45

0.95

0.95

0

0.81

0.96

0.75

0.43

0.67

0.47

0.96

0.45

0.44

0.71

0.74

0.95

0.07

0.22

0.00

0.00

0.45

0.50

0.36

0.99

CBN

0.57

0.45

1

0.71

0.86

0

0.89

0.48

0

0.97

0.95

0.90

0.43

0.99

0.99

0.94

0.93

0.15

0.16

0.50

0.00

0.00

0.99

1.00

0.81

0.46

CGM

0.57

0.95

0.71

1

0.85

0

0.95

0.93

0

0.69

0.87

0.69

0.91

0.71

0.70

0.89

0.91

0.81

0.11

0.35

0.00

0.00

0.71

0.75

0.58

0.95

CT

0.87

0.95

0.86

0.85

1

0

0.92

0.72

0.17

0.83

0.91

0.85

0.66

0.86

0.85

0.94

0.92

0.47

0.30

0.72

0.17

0.00

0.86

0.88

0.90

0.70

GB

0.27

0.00

0.00

0.00

0

1

0.00

0.02

0

0.02

0.01

0.19

0.02

0.00

0.01

0.11

0.01

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.48

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.01

GBT

0.72

0.81

0.89

0.95

0.92

0.00

1

0.82

0

0.87

0.98

0.83

0.79

0.89

0.89

0.98

0.99

0.59

0.14

0.44

0.00

0.00

0.89

0.91

0.72

0.82

GCW

0.39

0.96

0.48

0.93

0.72

0.02

0.82

1

0.12

0.52

0.72

0.50

0.99

0.48

0.50

0.72

0.76

0.90

0.19

0.24

0.12

0.00

0.48

0.53

0.39

0.98

GTS

0.00

0.75

0.00

0.00

0.17

0.00

0

0.12

1

0

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0

0

0

0.99

0.00

1.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

GHCF

0.79

0.43

0.97

0.69

0.83

0.02

0.87

0.52

0

1

0.96

0.87

0.49

0.97

0.99

0.91

0.92

0.15

0.15

0.48

0.00

0.00

0.97

0.97

0.79

0.47

GBS

0.77

0.67

0.95

0.87

0.91

0.01

0.98

0.72

0.87

0.96

1

0.87

0.68

0.95

0.96

0.98

0.99

0.41

0.15

0.47

0.00

0.00

0.95

0.97

0.78

0.69

GT

0.89

0.47

0.90

0.69

0.85

0.19

0.83

0.50

0.69

0.87

0.87

1

0.45

0.90

0.89

0.90

0.86

0.22

0.14

0.59

0.00

0.41

0.90

0.90

0.82

0.48

GHW

0.35

0.96

0.43

0.91

0.66

0.02

0.79

0.99

0.91

0.49

0.68

0.45

1

0.43

0.46

0.68

0.73

0.91

0.07

0.21

0.00

0.00

0.43

0.48

0.35

0.98

LY

0.81

0.45

1.00

0.71

0.86

0.00

0.89

0.48

0.71

0.97

0.95

0.90

0.43

1

0.99

0.94

0.93

0.15

0.16

0.50

0.00

0.00

0.99

1.00

0.81

0.46

SBM

0.81

0.44

0.99

0.70

0.85

0.01

0.89

0.50

0.70

0.99

0.96

0.89

0.46

0.99

1

0.93

0.93

0.15

0.16

0.49

0.00

0.00

0.99

0.99

0.81

0.47

RVB

0.82

0.71

0.94

0.89

0.94

0.11

0.98

0.72

0.89

0.91

0.98

0.90

0.68

0.94

0.93

1

0.99

0.46

0.15

0.52

0.00

0.06

0.94

0.96

0.80

0.72

RTM

0.76

0.74

0.93

0.91

0.92

0.01

0.99

0.76

0.91

0.92

0.99

0.86

0.73

0.93

0.93

0.99

1

0.50

0.15

0.46

0.00

0.00

0.93

0.95

0.76

0.75

RBL

0.12

0.95

0.15

0.81

0.47

0.00

0.59

0.90

0.81

0.15

0.41

0.22

0.91

0.15

0.15

0.46

0.50

1

0.02

0.08

0.00

0.00

0.15

0.21

0.12

0.94

RS

0.13

0.07

0.16

0.11

0.30

0.00

0.14

0.19

0.11

0.15

0.15

0.14

0.07

0.16

0.16

0.15

0.15

0.02

1

0.08

0.98

0.00

0.16

0.16

0.13

0.07

RVY

0.84

0.22

0.50

0.35

0.72

0.00

0.44

0.24

0.35

0.48

0.47

0.59

0.21

0.50

0.49

0.52

0.46

0.08

0.08

1

0.00

0.00

0.50

0.50

0.91

0.23

SD

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.17

0.00

0.00

0.12

0

0

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.98

0.00

1

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

SD2

0.20

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.48

0.00

0.00

0

0

0.00

0.41

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.06

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

VFN

0.81

0.45

0.99

0.71

0.86

0.00

0.89

0.48

0.71

0.97

0.95

0.90

0.43

0.99

0.99

0.94

0.93

0.15

0.16

0.50

0.00

0.00

1

1.00

0.81

0.46

WY

0.81

0.50

0.98

0.75

0.88

0.00

0.91

0.53

0.75

0.97

0.97

0.90

0.48

0.99

0.99

0.96

0.95

0.21

0.16

0.50

0.00

0.00

0.99

1

0.81

0.52

WCLT

0.96

0.36

0.81

0.58

0.90

0.00

0.72

0.39

0.58

0.79

0.78

0.82

0.35

0.81

0.81

0.80

0.76

0.12

0.13

0.91

0.00

0.00

0.81

0.81

1

0.38

YBW

0.37

0.99

0.46

0.95

0.70

0.01

0.82

0.98

0.95

0.47

0.69

0.48

0.98

0.46

0.47

0.72

0.75

0.94

0.07

0.23

0.00

0.00

0.46

0.52

0.38

1

  1. BWT Blue Whistling Thrush, BWS Blue-winged Siva, CBN Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, CGM Common Green Magpie, CT Common Tailorbird, GB Great Barbet, GBT Green-backed Tit, GCW Green-crowned Warbler, GTS Green-tailed Sunbird, GHCF Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, GBS Grey-backed Shrike, GT Grey Treepie, GHW Grey-hooded Warbler, LY Lesser Yellownape, SBM Short-billed Minivet, RVB Red-vented Bulbul, RTM Red-tailed Minla, RBL Red-billed Leothrix, RS Rufous Sibia, RVY Rufous-vented Yuhina, SD Spangled Drongo, SD2 Spotted Dove, VFN Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, WY Whiskered Yuhina, WCLT White-crested Laughingthrush, YBW Yellow-bellied Warbler

Appendix 4

Niche overlap in foraging substrate for each species pair in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya

Name

BWT

BWS

CBN

CT

GB

GBT

GCW

GTS

GHCF

GBS

GT

GHW

LY

SBM

RVB

RTM

RBL

RS

RVY

SD

SD2

VFN

WY

WCLT

YBW

BWT

1

0.05

0

0.46

0.42

0.29

0.10

0.42

0.72

0.71

0.90

0.05

0

0.74

0.58

0.69

0.53

0.65

0.39

0.52

0.56

0.19

0.20

0.53

0.05

BWS

0.05

1

0

0.36

0.00

0.76

0.90

0.00

0.18

0.22

0.20

1.00

0

0.11

0.58

0.35

0.07

0.05

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.44

0.39

1.00

CBN

0.00

0

1

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.97

0.00

0.64

0.00

CGM

0.61

0.50

0

0.00

0.00

0.46

0.54

0.00

0.94

0.94

0.64

0.48

0

0.81

0.66

0.81

0.00

0.14

0.00

0.00

0.17

0.21

0.11

0.29

0.50

CT

0.46

0.36

0

1

0.49

0.17

0.17

0.49

0.32

0.00

0.58

0.40

0

0.20

0.66

0.38

0.44

0.41

0.46

0.32

0.48

0.00

0.80

0.82

0.35

GB

0.42

0.00

0

0.49

1

0.00

0.22

0.99

0.00

0.00

0.62

0.00

0

0.00

0.07

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.94

0.00

0.98

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

GBT

0.29

0.76

0

0.17

0.00

1

0.47

0.00

0.59

0.37

0.46

0.79

0

0.47

0.92

0.71

0.13

0.15

0.00

0.00

0.06

0.07

0.90

0.85

0.75

GCW

0.10

0.90

0

0.17

0.22

0.47

1

0.22

0.02

0.24

0.25

0.88

0

0.02

0.35

0.19

0.01

0.01

0.21

0.00

0.22

0.00

0.07

0.07

0.91

GTS

0.42

0.00

0

0.49

0.99

0.00

0.22

1

0.03

0.00

0.62

0.00

0

0.00

0.07

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.94

0.00

0.98

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

GHCF

0.72

0.18

0

0.32

0.00

0.59

0.02

0.03

1

0.94

0.76

0.20

0

0.99

0.84

0.98

0.06

0.20

0.00

0.00

0.19

0.23

0.51

0.66

0.10

GBS

0.71

0.22

0

0.00

0.00

0.37

0.24

0.00

0.94

1

0.71

0.21

0

0.94

0.65

0.88

0.00

0.17

0.00

0.00

0.20

0.25

0.13

0.34

0.22

GT

0.90

0.20

0

0.58

0.62

0.46

0.25

0.62

0.76

0.71

1

0.21

0

0.75

0.71

0.76

0.22

0.33

0.58

0.18

0.75

0.18

0.36

0.54

0.20

GHW

0.05

1.00

0

0.40

0.00

0.79

0.88

0.00

0.20

0.21

0.21

1

0

0.12

0.61

0.37

0.08

0.06

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.49

0.43

1.00

LY

0.00

0.00

1

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.97

0.00

0.00

0.00

SBM

0.74

0.11

0

0.20

0.00

0.47

0.02

0.00

0.99

0.94

0.75

0.12

0

1

0.76

0.96

0.04

0.20

0.00

0.00

0.20

0.25

0.37

0.55

0.10

RVB

0.58

0.58

0

0.66

0.07

0.92

0.35

0.07

0.84

0.65

0.71

0.61

0

0.76

1

0.92

0.18

0.26

0.07

0.07

0.19

0.15

0.81

0.88

0.58

RTM

0.69

0.35

0

0.38

0.00

0.71

0.19

0.00

0.98

0.88

0.76

0.37

0

0.96

0.92

1

0.07

0.20

0.00

0.00

0.18

0.22

0.58

0.71

0.35

RBL

0.53

0.07

0

0.44

0.00

0.13

0.01

0.00

0.06

0.00

0.22

0.08

0

0.04

0.18

0.07

1

0.98

0.00

0.99

0.00

0.00

0.15

0.48

0.07

RS

0.65

0.05

0

0.41

0.00

0.15

0.01

0.00

0.20

0.17

0.33

0.06

0

0.20

0.26

0.20

0.98

1

0

0.98

0.04

0.04

0.14

0.50

0.05

RVY

0.39

0.00

0

0.46

0.94

0.00

0.21

0.94

0.00

0.00

0.58

0.00

0

0

0.07

0.00

0.00

0

1

0

0.92

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

SD

0.52

0.00

0

0.32

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.18

0.00

0

0

0.07

0.00

0.99

0.98

0

1

0

0

0

0.35

0

SD2

0.56

0.00

0

0.48

0.98

0.06

0.22

0.98

0.19

0.20

0.75

0.00

0

0.20

0.19

0.18

0.00

0.04

0.92

0

1

0.05

0.03

0.07

0.00

VFN

0.19

0.00

0.97

0.00

0.00

0.07

0.00

0.00

0.23

0.25

0.18

0.00

0.97

0.25

0.15

0.22

0.00

0.04

0

0

0.05

1

0.03

0.09

0.00

WY

0.20

0.44

0.00

0.80

0.00

0.90

0.07

0.00

0.51

0.13

0.36

0.49

0

0.37

0.81

0.58

0.15

0.14

0

0

0.03

0.03

1

0.91

0.43

WCLT

0.53

0.39

0.64

0.82

0.00

0.85

0.07

0.00

0.66

0.34

0.54

0.43

0

0.55

0.88

0.71

0.48

0.50

0

0.35

0.07

0.09

0.91

1

0.38

YBW

0.05

0.99

0

0.35

0.00

0.75

0.91

0.00

0.10

0.22

0.20

1.00

0

0.10

0.58

0.35

0.07

0.05

0

0

0.00

0.00

0.43

0.377

1

  1. BWT Blue Whistling Thrush, BWS Blue-winged Siva, CBN Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, CGM Common Green Magpie, CT Common Tailorbird, GB Great Barbet, GBT Green-backed Tit, GCW Green-crowned Warbler, GTS Green-tailed Sunbird, GHCF Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, GBS Grey-backed Shrike, GT Grey Treepie,GHW Grey-hooded Warbler, LY Lesser Yellownape, SBM Short-billed Minivet, RVB Red-vented Bulbul, RTM Red-tailed Minla, RBL Red-billed Leothrix, RS Rufous Sibia, RVY Rufous-vented Yuhina, SD Spangled Drongo, SD2 Spotted Dove, VFN Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, WY Whiskered Yuhina, WCLT White-crested Laughingthrush, YBW Yellow-bellied Warbler

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Chettri, A., Thakuri, B. & Acharya, B.K. Foraging Strategy and Guild Structure of Avifauna in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India. Proc Zool Soc 75, 65–82 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-021-00396-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-021-00396-0

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