Grassland Birds and Community Ecology

Grassland habitats are some of the most threatened habitats in the world, and yet their birds remain poorly studied. India is no exception, and several grassland birds were unstudied for many decades. Our research combines surveys, community ecology and acoustic monitoring to examine: 

a) how acoustic signals and signalling strategies of sympatric, closely related species diverge from each other.

b) the composition, structure and dynamics of bird acoustic communities across grassland and scrub habitats. 

c) The status, distribution and ecology of specific grassland birds, in context of their historical status.

Long-term, we seek to characterise long-term community change and inform conservation efforts. Using entirely non-invasive, non-intrusive methods, we hope to improve our understanding of these fragile habitats.