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The urban landscape in Delhi consists of a broad spectrum of environments ranging from city forests and the Ridge area to highly modified artificial landscapes in certain parks. Green spaces, in the form of parks, forests and greenways are important components of complex urban ecosystems, having significant ecological, social and economic functions. The planning and management of these green spaces is of significance to urban sustainable development. Urban areas, contrary to popular belief, can maintain high levels of biodiversity, a value that needs to be understood and maximized amidst the rampant urbanization. In the present study, bird and habitat surveys were conducted in twenty greenspaces in Delhi. Birds and vegetation structure were used as indicators of the ecosystem health. It was found that bird species richness and diversity showed an increase with the vegetation diversity. The diversity in vegetation structure increases the foraging and shelter opportunities for birds, and thus account for a greater diversity in birds. However the presence of exotic vegetation in these greenspaces also lead to a decline in bird species richness. Medium sized trees were found to have the maximum potential to support bird population. The study also emphasizes on the need for connectivity between these greenspaces based on their similarity in vegetation structure and bird diversity. However utmost care should be given to the choice of species to be planted. Native vegetation should be given preference over the introduced species, and a proper planning and management strategy regarding the planting, monitoring and removal of over mature trees should be developed.
