Montane rain forest understory bird community in the forested corridor between Andringitra and Ranomafana National Parks (Madagascar)

Le couloir forestier entre les Parc Nationaux d'Andringitra et de Ranomafana est présumé être stratégiquement important pour la conservation de biota de cette zone. Cependant la région était scientifiquement mal connue et n'est dotée d'aucune mesure de protection. Un inventaire de l'avifaune de sous-bois dans un site du Parc National de Ranomafana et dans quatre sites du couloir forestier a été conduit en utilisant deux méthodes complémentaires : la capture aux filets et les observations visuelles. Les données du Parc National d'Andringitra provenaient d'inventaires récents employant les mêmes techniques. Trente deux espèces d'oiseaux de sous-bois et terrestres ont été trouvées au sein du complexe : 31 dans les deux parcs et 30 dans le couloir. Les densités relatives basées sur les captures ont été similaires dans toute la zone étudiée. Une continuité biogéographique apparente de l'avifaune forestière existe au sein du complexe Andringilra-Ranomafana, ce qui implique que ce bloc forestier jouerait un rôle dans les déplacements des' espèces d'oiseaux et dans les échanges génétiques au sein de ces espèces.The forested corridor between the national parks of Andringitra and Ranomafana is presumed to be strategically important for the conservation of the biota occurring across this zone. However, the region was ornithologically poorly known and has no current measure of protection. An avifaunal survey of the understorey bird species at one site in the National Park of Ranomafana and four sites in the corridor was carried out using two complementary methods: mist-netting and general observations. Data from the Andringitra National Park is based on recent surveys employing the same techniques. Thirty-two understory bird species were found: 31 within the two parks and 30 in the corridor. Relative densities of birds based on netting data were similar across the zone. An apparent biogeographic continuity exists in the forest-dwelling avifauna across the Andringitra-Ranomafana corridor, which implies that this forest block plays a role in the movements of bird species and genetic exchanges between them

Phylogeography of the Rufous vanga and the role of bioclimatic transition zones in promoting speciation within Madagascar

Madagascar is known as a biodiversity hotspot, providing an ideal natural laboratory for investigating the processes of avian diversification. Yet, the phylogeography of Madagascar’s avifauna is still largely unexamined. In this study, we evaluated phylogeographic patterns and species limits within the Rufous Vanga, Schetba rufa, a monotypic genus of forest-dwelling birds endemic to the island. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we synthesized data from over 4000 ultra-conserved element (UCE) loci, mitochondrial DNA, multivariate morphometrics, and ecological niche modeling to uncover two reciprocally monophyletic, geographically circumscribed, and morphologically distinct clades of Schetba. The two lineages are restricted to eastern and western Madagascar, respectively, with distributions broadly consistent with previously described subspecies. Based on their genetic and morphological distinctiveness, the two subspecies merit recognition as separate species. The bioclimatic transition between the humid east and dry west of Madagascar likely promoted population subdivision and drove speciation in Schetba during the Pleistocene. Our study is the first evidence that an East-West bioclimatic transition zone played a role in the speciation of birds within Madagascar

The diet of Malagasy dry forest understory birds based on faecal samples

This study provides data on the diet of understory birds living in the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar. Samples were collected at three lowland localities: Ankarafantsika National Park in the northwest, the Kirindy forest (Menabe Antimena Protected Harmonious Landscape) in the central west, and Tsimanampesotse National Park in the extreme southwest. Faecal samples from 160 individual birds were analysed and found to include arthropods, plant materials and sand. The most commonly consumed insect orders were Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Hemiptera, and the most common families were Formicidae (Hymenoptera), Scarabaeidae and Carabidae (Coleoptera). The various bird species showed statistical differences in the families of Insecta represented in their diet, some displaying the dietary regime of specialists and others are generalists. Keywords: deciduous forest, faeces, insects, spiny thickets, western Madagasca