Ecology of swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio (Gruiformes: rallidae) population in Kukkarhalli lake, Manasagangothri campus, Mysore, India

Systematic field investigations were made on weekly basis by following an all out search method and variable width line transect method to record the habitat conditions and normal activities of swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio (Gruiformes: Rallidae) in Kukkarhalli Lake, Mysore, Karnataka during 2019-2020. P. porphyrio is living safely with the prevailed habitat conditions and has shown normal activities such as preening, resting, roosting, foraging, chasing, running, flying, fighting, swimming, voice making amidst urban Lake of Mysore. Presence of birds in urban Lake indicates the prevalence of suitable conditions in water and aquatic birds normal activities indicating the healthy status of water. Simple field observations on water birds housed with the Lake water system would help indicate the normal ecological conditions suitable to host diversified avifauna and necessitated the preservation of such Lake ecosystems in urban area.