Avian Diversity of Wadatar-Malai Mangrove Ecosystem of Devgad

Mangroves are the woody plants growing at the interface between land and sea.These plants and the associated microbes, fungi, plants and animals constitute the mangrove forest community. The mangal and its associated abiotic factors constitute mangrove ecosystem.Mangroves also act as a buffer zone between land and shallow sea. So,they serve as prime breeding and nursery grounds for many animal species especially for prawns, shrimps and fishes. Mangroves provide a very rich habitat for a wide variety of animal life. It is not merely on the surface but both above as well as below water surfaces. In the same sequence, it is a well-established fact that mangroves provide a very rich habitat for a very large number of species of land-birds, shorebirds and waterfowls. They are also a home to a number of threatened species including birds like Eurasian Spoonbills. The birds in the mangroves may be permanent residents of the place. They forage and also nest in the mangroves. Some speciesmay be just temporary visitors. Branches of the mangrove trees serve as roosts and rookeries for coastal and wading birds.They are particularly important as resting and feeding grounds for migratory birds.