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Bala Qila Reserve Forest is situated at 5 Km. South West of Alwar city, Rajasthan. A fort, known as
Bala Qila, is situated at 27°34΄28˝ N latitude, 76°35΄16˝ E longitude and about 1867 feet above msl.
It is included in the Buffer Area of Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) of Sariska Tiger Reserve.
India is one of the 12 ‘mega diverse’ nations of the World. About 13% of the world’s birds were
found in India. The avifauna in the Bala Qila Reserve Forest is also very rich. Total 38 families, 78
genera and 99 species were recorded in this forest. The most represented families are Corvidae,
Passeridae, Muscicapidae, Sylviidae, Accipitridae, Sturnidae, Phasianidae, Ardeidae and
Columbidae with 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 5, 4, 4 and 4 species respectively. Among the commonly sighted birds
in the study area are Peafowl, Yellow footed green pigeon, Kingfishers, Golden Backed
Woodpeckers, Owls, Quails, Partridges, Tree Pies, Crested Serpent Eagles, Parakeets, Sunbirds and
Bulbul.
Major threats to birds are habitat loss and climate Change. So, proper conservation of habitat of
study area is essential.
Keywords: Bala Qila, Biodiversity, Avifauna, Critical Tiger Habitat, Reserve forest.