Author(s) :

Javed khan.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) is province of Pakistan has diverse geography and climate that support a wide range of habitats ranging from green lush forest to north and arid plains to south. The Himalayan, Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountains supporting alpine meadows, subtropical and temperate forests. Indus River and Kabul River flows through this region that create wetlands, fertile valleys and grassy lands. These diverse habitats are hot spots of biodiversity and iconic for wild life that support a rich verity of endangered and endemic flora and fauna. The present study was conducted from 2024 to 2025 in tehsil Razzar, district Swabi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to investigate the Kingfishers fauna and ecological threats that decline their population in this region. We visited agriculture areas, wetlands, marshy places, ponds and local drainage of Adina, Yar Hussain and Ismailia of tehsil Razzar district Swabi on daily bases. We reported five different species: Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), White throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Black-Capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata), Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle reduis) and crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris). We observed the drastic decline in the abundance of all the species of Kingfishers studied across the sites with a rapid decline in Pied Kingfisher and slower decline in White-Throated Kingfisher. Population of Kingfishers in this region were decline near in future. The major causes of the decline is habitat loss, pollution, predation, food scarcity, climatic changes and anthropogenic activities. This study suggests that Kingfisher assemblages are declining along with the health status of the habitat. Urgent action is needed to help in designing and implementing effective management strategies for the sustainability of wetlands in the region.

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