Bird species richness and diversity are the key factors that determine the health and productivity of an ecosystem. They have occupied a marvelous place, i.e., they play a vital role in the contribution of public consideration towards natural habitats and considered as barometers of an ecosystem. This study was carried out to determine the bird species diversity of the Sheikh Badin National Park, located in District Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. For this purpose, bird watching surveys following line transect method were conducted from June 2018 to July 2019 in the study area. A total 3408 individuals (1260 migrants and 2148 residents) representing the 41 bird species were recorded during the surveys. Among the total, 18 species were migrants and 23 residents, belong to 11 Orders and 25 Families. Passeriformes was the dominant encompass of 19 species (9 native and 10 migrants) and 13 families. This national park harbored species richness was r = 41, Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H′ = 3.546), evenness (J′ 0.955) and Simpson’s Diversity (D = 0.966). The foraging guild results revealed that the granivore (2274) and insectivore (565) were the most abundant bird species. The major threats to the avifauna were illegal hunting, grazing and deforestation. Key words: National Park, Avifauna, Biodiversity, Habitat, Human Footprints, Hunting.

The foraging environment is a critical source of microbes for wild birds, yet its role in shaping the gut microbiota of sympatric crane species remains poorly understood. This study investigated this relationship in the Yellow River Delta wetland by analyzing the microbial communities of paired foraging environments and fecal samples from Common Cranes (Grus grus) and White Cranes (Grus leucogeranus) via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Significant inter-group differences in alpha diversity (ACE, Chao1, Shannon, Simpson) indicated strong environmental filtering effects. Beta diversity (PCoA) revealed pronounced segregation between foraging and fecal samples (PC1 = 25.0%), underscoring a significant microbial turnover between the environment and the gut. Dominant phyla included Proteobacteria (24.6–37.4%), Firmicutes (4.8–29.0%), and Actinobacteriota (12.4–23.3%). LEfSe identified genus-level biomarkers highly specific to sample type and host, including Ligilactobacillus (12.1% in Common Crane feces) and Cryobacterium (9.2% in White Crane feces). SourceTracker analysis indicated that >70% of gut microbial sources remained unknown, suggesting a vast uncharacterized environmental reservoir. Functional prediction highlighted group-specific adaptations, such as elevated amino acid transport metabolism in Common Cranes (9.8% vs. 7.1%; p < 0.05), potentially linked to local dietary resources. Our findings demonstrate that the gut microbiota of cranes is synergistically shaped by host-specific factors and the unique saline–alkaline foraging environment of the wetland.

Migratory birds globally face escalating anthropogenic threats, with crane species being particularly vulnerable. This study assessed human-perceived threats to cranes (Grus virgo & Grus grus) along Pakistan’s vital Indus Flyway using 400 stakeholder questionnaires across eight districts (2021–2024). We quantified perceived threat based on frequency (1 = Very Rare; 5 = Very Frequent) and severity (1 = Not Severe; 5 = Extremely Severe), revealing poaching (illegal killing) as the dominant threat (frequency = 4.9; severity = 4.8), followed by illegal wildlife trade (4.7; 4.5) and taming (4.6; 4.3). Spatial analysis showed strikingly higher perceived threats in southern Pakistan (Rajanpur: frequency = 4.88, severity = 4.82) versus central regions (Khushab: 3.76, 4.02; p < 0.001), with riverbanks identified as high-risk poaching zones (42 incidents). Cluster analysis also confirmed Rajanpur as a critical hotspot within three distinct threat tiers. Critically, analysis of socio-demographic drivers revealed threat type (frequency: F = 104.92, p < 0.001; severity: F = 153.64, p < 0.001) and poaching method (frequency: F = 10.14, p < 0.001; severity: F = 15.43, p < 0.001) as significant perception-shapers, while education, occupation, and crane species preference (frequency: F = 1.17, p = 0.310) exerted a non-significant influence. These results highlight that individual backgrounds minimally modulate threat perceptions. The study aligns with global evidence of uniform crane threats demanding the following urgent conservation action: region-specific enforcement (especially southern hotspots), community-led anti-poaching initiatives, and targeted awareness programs to shift high-threat communities toward crane-friendly coexistence practices.