Ornithology and conservation activities in Elizade University: promoting bird and habitat conservation in Nigeria

Ornithology has a strong impact on the effective conservation of biological diversity; and, the protection of birds and their habitats extend refuge to other species. Although birds have been an integral component of the environment, there is limited public understanding of this bird-environmental relationship and the need for its sustainability. An effective way to sustain this relationship can be through the engagement and integration of the general public including individual, groups, communities, academic institutions and government and nongovernment institutions, in ornithological activities. This enhances individual understanding of the ecological values of birds, help mitigate non-sustainable human threats to birds, and motivate environmental friendly consciousness. Field training, building capacity, conservation education and awareness creation in ornithology and related fields are usually fundamental steps in this approach; and scientists need to acknowledge the significance of this aspect of their research activities. At the Department of Biological Sciences Elizade University, part of our research activities focused on the conservation and ecology of birds. The objectives are to assess and monitor bird abundance and diversity within the forest and surrounding habitats; embark on conservation education to create awareness for birds and habitats protection and; train individuals and students in ornithology and conservation research skills

Incidence of heavy metals in feathers of birds in a human‐ impacted forest, south‐west Nigeria

Hazardous wastes and heavy metal are detrimental to all life forms (Dixit et al., 2015; Sharma, Katnoria, Kaur, & Nagpal, 2015). Organic forms of heavy metals such as mercury and lead can accumulate in living tissues; the health implication ranges from low immunocom‐ petence, failed reproduction to high mortality in a number of taxa (Falq et al., 2011; Fritsch et al., 2010; Hollamby et al., 2004; Kerby, Richards‐Hrdlicka, Storfer, & Skelly, 2010; Scheifler et al., 2006; Webb & Leake, 2006). Unprecedented levels of heavy metals and their neg‐ ative role in biodiversity loss and habitat degradation pose major eco‐ logical concerns (Ayangbenro & Babalola, 2017; Kibria, 2016; Sharma et al., 2015). Despite this fact, less attention is focused on monitoring the levels and impact of heavy metals in the western part of Nigeria. Birds are promising biomonitoring species for heavy metals and xenobiotic based on their use in nondestructive avian matrices, for ex‐ ample feather, blood and egg; and bioavailability, and biotransference in dose‐dependent responses (Becker, 2003; Furness & Greenwood, 1993; Roux & Marra, 2007; Swaileh & Sansur, 2006). Also, as feathers grow in birds, heavy metals are sequestered in the sulfhydryl group of the keratin; the metal residues remained resistant to change in older feather as blood supply stops (Burger, 1993). We investigated the inci‐ dence of heavy metals in passerine birds inhabiting a human‐impacted forest in Ilara‐Mokin, south‐west Nigeria.Rufford Foundatio

The Physicochemical Characteristics of Ibiekuma River Ekpoma, Nigeria

The Ibiekuma River is an important source of livelihood to its catchment. It contributes enormously to research success and living standard of students and staffs of the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Nigeria. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of anthropogenic activities on the physicochemical properties of Ibiekuma River. Twenty seven water samples were collected at four stations during the study period and analyzed accordingly. The results obtained shows that the physicochemical parameters of the river were in conformity with the World Health Organization (WHO), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) safe limits, except for pH values which ranged from 4.69 to 4.81. The heavy metal concentrations were found to be within the limit of the guidelines prescribed by WHO and NAFDAC. Also, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the concentrations of the physicochemical parameters across the four stations sampled along the Ibiekuma River. Water obtained from Ibiekuma River will be fit for domestic use, only if purified

Total Immunoglobulin Y Detection in Avian Malaria-infected Domestic Birds from Uganda

Background and Aim: The use of microscopy-based and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have offered considerable insights in detecting avian blood malaria infection in domestic and wild birds. The infection has a significant impact on the immunity of birds. However, some observations concerning the role of immune system in controlling the infection continue to question the extent of immune factors involved. To address this, the current study hypothesized that avian malaria infection may influence the humoral response of domestic birds. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of avian malaria parasites (both Plasmodium and Haemoproteus spp.) in free-ranging domestic birds from Uganda was evaluated using PCR and the level of Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibody in malaria-infected and uninfected birds was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Result: The results showed that 10 (15.15%) of 66 individually tested birds were infected with avian malaria parasites. Interestingly, an increase in the level of IgY associated with the infection was found. Of note, the uninfected birds exhibited a consistent level of IgY, however, less than in malaria-positive birds. It is likely that avian malaria-independent factors may have been involved in this induction in uninfected birds. Conclusion: The data obtained in this study suggest that avian malaria infections influence the production of IgY in domestic birds, therefore indicating the potential of IgY as an immune biomarker for screening avian malaria infection in domestic birds. However, these observations are subject to further investigation with larger sample size.Rufford Small Grants (RSG

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

Bridging the gap in African biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics:Open Institute of the African BioGenome Project:

The Open Institute of the African BioGenome Project empowers African scientists and institutions with the skill sets, capacity and infrastructure to advance scientific knowledge and innovation and drive economic growth

Supplementing a grain diet with insects instead of fruits sustains the body condition of an omnivorous bird

Abstract Omnivores utilize dietary sources which differ in nutrients, hence dietary limitations due to environmental change or habitat alteration could cause nutrient limitations, and thus deterioration of body condition if omnivory is obligate. We investigated how the body condition of the omnivorous Village weaver Ploceus cucullatus (weavers), which forages predominantly on grains, responds to the supplementation of its grain diet with insects instead of fruits. Forty wild‐caught weavers held in aviaries were fed a combination of grains and fruits, or grains and insects ad libitum for 8 weeks. We determined diet preference by recording the number of birds on each diet option per minute for 1 h and the amount of food left‐over after 3 h of foraging. Fortnightly, we assessed indices of body condition including body mass, pectoral muscle, and fat scores, packed cell volume (PCV), and hemoglobin concentration (HBC). We modeled the number of foragers, food left‐over, and body condition indices as functions of diet, while accounting for time (weeks) and sex effects. Grains were the preferred diet, but males ate more fruits and insects than females. Weavers fed on grains and fruits lost body and pectoral muscle mass and accumulated less fat than those fed on grains and insects. This effect was sex‐dependent: females supplemented with fruits lost more pectoral muscle mass than males of the same group and males but not females, supplemented with insects accumulated more fat reserve than those supplemented with fruits. PCV and HBC did not differ between diets but increased over the 8 weeks. Weavers are likely obligate rather than facultative omnivores, with insects as being a more nutritive supplement than fruits. Nutrient limitation arising from environmental change or habitat alteration could impair body condition and affect physiological function to environmental seasonality in obligate omnivores like the weavers

Evolution of female promiscuity in Passerides songbirds

Background Female promiscuity is highly variable among birds, and particularly among songbirds. Comparative work has identified several patterns of covariation with social, sexual, ecological and life history traits. However, it is unclear whether these patterns reflect causes or consequences of female promiscuity, or if they are byproducts of some unknown evolutionary drivers. Moreover, factors that explain promiscuity at the deep nodes in the phylogenetic tree may be different from those important at the tips, i.e. among closely related species. Here we examine the relationships between female promiscuity and a broad set of predictor variables in a comprehensive data set (N = 202 species) of Passerides songbirds, which is a highly diversified infraorder of the Passeriformes exhibiting significant variation in female promiscuity. Results Female promiscuity was highly variable in all major clades of the Passerides phylogeny and also among closely related species. We found several significant associations with female promiscuity, albeit with fairly small effect sizes (all R2 ≤ 0.08). More promiscuous species had: 1) less male parental care, particularly during the early stages of the nesting cycle (nest building and incubation), 2) more short-term pair bonds, 3) greater degree of sexual dichromatism, primarily because females were drabber, 4) more migratory behaviour, and 5) stronger pre-mating sexual selection. In a multivariate model, however, the effect of sexual selection disappeared, while the other four variables showed additive effects and together explained about 16% of the total variance in female promiscuity. Female promiscuity showed no relationship with body size, life history variation, latitude or cooperative breeding. Conclusions We found that multiple traits were associated with female promiscuity, but these associations were generally weak. Some traits, such as reduced parental care in males and more cryptic plumage in females, might even be responses to, rather than causes of, variation in female promiscuity. Hence, the high variation in female promiscuity among Passerides species remains enigmatic. Female promiscuity seems to be a rapidly evolving trait that often diverges between species with similar ecologies and breeding systems. A future challenge is therefore to understand what drives within-lineage variation in female promiscuity over microevolutionary time scales