A preliminary checklist of avian fauna of the Raha sub-district of Nagaon, Assam, India

The present study was conducted from February 2024 to May 2025 in the Raha sub-district of Nagaon, Assam, to provide the first avian checklist of the region. Surveys were conducted weekly, with observations carried out on four days each week across five villages using the point count method. One-hundred-and-one-bird species were documented, representing 17 orders and 41 families. Passeriformes was the most represented order, with 45 species, whereas Ardeidae contributed the highest number of species (seven) among the families. Residency patterns showed that 81 species were residents, 19 were winter migrants, and one summer migrant. Most species (96) were ‘Least Concern’, while three were ‘Near Threatened’, and two were ‘Vulnerable’ according to the IUCN Red List. Most of the resident species were observed in human-modified vegetation and forest edges. The occurrence of species such as the Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis (Near Threatened), River Tern Sterna aurantia (Vulnerable), Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus (Vulnerable), Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata (Near Threatened), and Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri (Near Threatened) underlines the conservation importance of the area. This study provides baseline data for future ecological assessments and emphasizes the need for long-term monitoring and conservation planning.