During my observations between December 1994 and April 1996 in the Sahyadri region, I covered various locations with average altitudes mentioned in brackets. I excluded the Konkan side, the western face overlooking the Arabian sea, and the region just north of Goa. The observed bird species belong to the southern western ghat.

I documented 205 bird species, fewer than the recorded 246. Other observers added 20 species, and three new sight records were established. Consequently, 18 bird species lack recent records and may have vanished from the Sahyadri. There are 48 bird families in this range.

Bird habitats encompass canopy evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, various types of deciduous forests, woodlands, bungalow compounds, secondary forests, scrub, thorn forest, grasslands, plateaus, and rocky slopes. Birds of prey, swallows, and martins were primarily observed in flight.

Moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests between 620m and 920m altitude host the greatest bird diversity. However, 25 forest bird species, many endemic to Western Ghats, rely on canopy forests. Unfortunately, canopy forests are declining, endangering these species. Shrinking endemic species' ranges pose a global threat, while other forest types pressure seven more species. Harishchandragad and Mahabaleshwar offer specialized environmental conditions, making replacement of lost birds improbable.

Habitat disturbance causes include tree cutting, agriculture, settlement, tourism, forest product collection, and shifting cultivation. Urgent corrective actions involve conserving and expanding forest patches, restricting commercial and tourism development, requiring developers to take restorative measures, involving local communities in forest management, and intensifying nature education and conservation awareness efforts across all sectors.