The Effect of Fragmentation and Land Use Types on Bannerman’s Weaver Ploceus bannermani (A Globally-Threatened Bird Species) on the Obudu Plateau, Southeast Nigeria

The Obudu Plateau is one of the most important single sites in Nigeria for globally-threatened bird species e.g., Bannerman’s Weaver Ploceus bannermani. The Obudu Plateau forms part of the Cameroon Mountain Endemic Bird Area which has continued to be degraded causing declines in the populations of these threatened bird species. This study examined how land use and fragmentation affect Bannerman’s Weaver on the Obudu Plateau. Birds heard or seen, and their distances were recorded from points laid 100 meters apart in forest patches that varied in their categories (less disturbed, completely protected, and partially protected, houses inside, farming inside and degraded by nomadic activity). No significant differences in the densities of Bannerman’s Weaver in the different forest patch categories: weavers were more common in protected patches and less common in unprotected patches. Patch size had a significant positive effect on the density of Bannerman’s Weaver while isolation distance had no significant difference. Patch size reduction as a consequence of fragmentation therefore negatively affected Bannerman’s Weaver. Those forest patches with partial protection should be fully protected and there should be environmental education on the need to adequately protect those forest patches that are already designated as reserves. Keywords: Fragmentation, Threatened bird species, Bannerman’s Weaver, Obudu Plateau, Forest land use types

Large Mammals and Wetland utilization: a case study in Yankari Game Reserve Nigeria

The African plain harbours high abundance and diversity of mammals, most of which are confined to protected areas (PAs) due to anthro‐ pogenic threats (Craigie et al., 2010; Dirzo et al., 2014; Estes, 1999; Kingdon, 1997). Also, PAs face problems of hunting, logging and live‐ stock grazing, conflict of interest and poor management (Caro, 2001; Dharmaratne, Sang, &Walling, 2000; Gardner et al., 2009; Geldmann et al., 2015; Geldmann et al., 2015; Hall, Harris, Medjibe, & Ashton, 2003; Pressey, 1994; Salum, Eustace, Malata, & Mbangwa, 2017; Thuiller, 2007), consequently disrupting conservation goals, effective monitor‐ ing and understanding of habitat utilisation dynamics of mammals. Although wetlands are important habitats for sustaining animal populations, there is a widespread trend of increasing degradation of these habitats (Fynn, Chase, & Rӧder, 2014) and dearth of infor‐ mation pertaining to wetland utilisation in most PAs. While this is integral for effective conservation practice, few studies focus on this area in Africa (Arzamendia, Cassini, & Vila, 2006; Kumar, Mudappa, & Raman, 2010; Rahman et al., 2017). Here, we investigated the wet‐ land utilisation dynamics of large mammals in Yankari Game Reserve (YGR). The objective was to determine abundance, density and di‐ versity of large mammals and whether these variables were associ‐ ated with wetland size and time of da

Avian haemosporidians in the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) from central-western and southern Africa: high diversity and prevalence

We described the geographic distribution of 82 haemosporidian lineages (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) in the cattle egret sampled in five countries in central-western and southern Africa. Seventy-three lineages have not previously been reported. We determined the prevalence of three haemosporidians in the samples. We investigated the influence of the internal environment of the host and environmental variables on the Plasmodium diversity and whether environmental variables may explain spatial variations in the prevalence of Plasmodium. We screened DNA from 509 blood samples from nestlings in 15 African colonies for infection by sequencing the cytochrome b gene of parasites. The molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian methods and including sequences from the MalAvi and GeneBank databases. We found 62 new Plasmodium lineages in a clade with MYCAME02, which is a lineage described in waterbirds and recently identified in birds of prey as Plasmodium paranucleophilum. Two Haemoproteus lineages identified in cattle egret formed a distinct group with Haemoproteus catharti and MYCAMH1 (Haemoproteus spp.). Seven Leucocytozoon lineages found in the cattle egret clustered with Leucocytozoon californicus. We found different Plasmodium diversities among the colonies sampled, demonstrating that the internal environment of the host is not the primary determinant of diversity. A linear mixed-effects multivariate model showed that precipitation was positively associated with Plasmodium diversity when controlling for the effects of temperature, colony composition (mixed and non-mixed species) and country. Moreover, a generalized mixed model showed that temperature was positively associated with the prevalence of Plasmodium when controlling for precipitation, elevation and country. We conclude that the cattle egret is a good model for future haemosporidian studies, as we found a significant number of new lineages in this host, which occupies regions with different climate characteristics where environmental variables exert an influence on the diversity and prevalence of Plasmodium

Effects of habitat fragmentation on the distribution of forest birds in South Western Nigeria with particular reference to Ibadan Malimbe and other malimbes

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Diurnal patterns of mass gain in tropical granivores suggest avoidance of high midday temperatures during foraging, rather than the starvation-predation risk trade-off

Diurnal patterns of body mass gain in small temperate birds are of theoretical interest because they are largely a consequence of the starvation vs predation risk trade-off. In tropical birds, diurnal variation in body mass may also be influenced by other constraints such as water availability, digestive bottlenecks and the avoidance of periods of high temperature. We recorded body mass and amount of seed eaten with time of day and temperature in three small granivorous species, feeding on baited balances in a savanna habitat in tropical West Africa. Birds fed in the morning and afternoon but almost never visited balances to feed during the middle of the day. Body mass increased with time of day, but with a clear bimodal pattern so that mass was gained in the early morning and was then lost again by the time birds resumed feeding in the afternoon. Mass was then mostly regained at the end of the afternoon. There was a significant, but biologically small, increase in body mass with increasing temperature. When controlling for the effects of time of day, species, year and day, body mass on average increased to a peak at about 24 °C before declining slightly; daily temperature peaked at 27 °C during the midday period when the birds did not feed, and so mass was lost. Body mass gain between consecutive diurnal hours was greatest when the temperature was about 18 °C, during early morning feeding. Gain in body mass decreased as temperature increased by late morning, and stopped or even slightly decreased above 24 °C when birds stopped feeding. The amount of food eaten per visit to the balance was independent of time of day and temperature, confirming that the birds were regulating their mass adaptively, rather than simply reflecting availability of food. Body mass gain was not restricted to the early morning as expected with low predation risk and high starvation risk, nor was it restricted to just late in the day as expected with high predation risk and low starvation risk. Instead, high temperatures around midday may result in a period where foraging is avoided completely for energetic or water conservation reasons, driving the bimodal diurnal pattern of body mass gain

Factors affecting forest bird diversity and recent avifaunal changes in the degrading Kagoro-Nindam forest reserves, Kaduna, Nigeria

The Kagoro-Nindam forest reserves in Nigeria harbour several forest bird species, although the area is well away from the main forest zone of the country. A bird survey in the Chanji forest reserve in this area found more species than earlier surveys. This is largely due to an influx of non-forest species, probably the result of habitat destruction. Correlations between vegetation variables and species diversity showed that loss of canopy cover, due mainly to logging, appeared to be the major cause of the changes.Ostrich 2007, 78(2): 233–23

Territory size and habitat selection of Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting Emberiza tahapisi in Nigeria

Most of our understanding of territorial behaviour in birds comes from studies of temperate species. Territoriality and factors influencing territory size of tropical birds are still poorly studied. In this study, 11 territories of the Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting Emberiza tahapisi were measured in the Amurum Forest Reserve and adjoining farmlands. Factors influencing the habitat choice of this species were also studied. Territory sizes ranged from 0.1–0.3 ha with a mean territory size of 0.19 ± 0.1ha. Territory size decreased with increasing food abundance and increased with tree height and number of saplings. The birds did not show signs of territoriality in farmlands but flocked in small groups (mean group size 6.88 ± 0.89). Flock size also increased with increasing number of seeds. In the forested land, birds showed a preference for rocky outcrops, whereas in farmlands, they appeared to prefer open and newly cultivated farmlands with little or no ground cover. Understanding the influence of habitat variables on territory size and habitat selection in a locally abundant and widely distributed tropical species such as the Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting thus offers unique opportunities for understanding how changes in landscape caused by land-use regimes may affect populations.Keywords: Amurum Forest Reserve, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting, farmlands, habitat choice, territory sizeOSTRICH 2013, 84(1): 71–7

Short NoteBreeding phenology and moult of the endemic Bannerman’s Weaver Ploceus bannermani

The breeding phenology and moult cycle of the vulnerable and range-restricted Bannerman’s Weaver Ploceus bannermani was studied on the Obudu Plateau in the eastern region of Nigeria. The peak breeding season was between August and October; a major cause of breeding failure was egg predation by children. The estimated start date of moult for the average bird was 21 August (SD 39.2 d), with 95% of birds starting moult between 11 June and 30 October, estimated duration of moult was 159 d (SD 7.1 d), and the estimated end date of moult was 27 February. Our results indicate there is an overlap between breeding and moult.Keywords: breeding, moult, Obudu Plateau, Ploceus bannermani, Underhill–Zucchini modelsOSTRICH 2013, 84(3): 231–23