Avifauna Checklist Dataset in the Western and Brong Ahafo Regions of Ghana

Study Extent

The study was carried out in thirteen forest reserves and their corridors in the Western and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. The sampled area falls within the high forest zone of Ghana and is characterized by high diversity and richness of species. All data were collected once on July 02, 2013. The data points were taken at some selected forest reserves that were found between latitudes 7.906669 North and 5.317087 South and longitudes-3.006151 West and -1.854438 East. The Bounding Coordinates were South West [5.31, -3.021], North East [7.994, -1.187]

Sampling

Line transects were selected based on existing paths and trails in the study sites. Transect counts begun from 5:30am till mid-day, and from 15:00 hrs till sunset. The team comprised an Expert in bird identification, a recorder and a field assistant (a community member). Team members walked about 500 m into the study sites before laying transect and began counting in order to capture the true species associated with the study sites. In some cases counting begun from the boundary line of the study sites (especially where there was a contrast in vegetation), to give an ideal representation of the level of bird species associated with the degraded areas as well as the areas of limited impact. Counts were done at random intervals but not less than 100 m apart to minimize the possibility of double counting. All members used binoculars to observe the birds and the Experts in the team identified them by sight and calls. Information on the species identified was recorded on the data sheet. Surveys were also carried out at night to gather data on owls and other species which are active in the night. Tape recordings of unknown calls and those of rare species were later analysed.

Quality Control

Only bird species were sampled and recorded. All recordings were made in uniform units. The sampling procedures and protocols were duly followed. Appropriate measuring and recording instruments were used (e.g.binoculars, tapes etc).

Method steps

1. All data points were entered in excel worksheet using the Darwin Core standard template for Core Taxon (Checklist) data and cleaned from errors using the filter on the excel worksheet. All names were resolved and verified or validated using the Global Name Resolver. The taxonID for instance RMSC:FIP:AVES:0001 was created using the institution code (e.g. RMSC), the name of the project (FIP), the type of fauna recorded (AVES) and the sequence of the records (e.g 0001 for the first bird species recorded).
   The cleaned checklist datasets were then uploaded into the OpenRefine software for further cleaning and the cleaned dataset was then downloaded as text file and uploaded into the IPT for publishing by filling and completing all required metadata associated with the dataset Data for the purpose of the publication was darwin core formatted. Scientific names were crossed using the Global name resolver tool and verified using the GBIF backbone Taxonomy and Catalogue of Life. Further cleanings were also done using the OpenRefine.

The avifauna were identified to the species level.

1. Accipiter tatchiro (Daudin, 1800)
2. Urotriorchis macrourus(Hartlaub, 1855)
3. Buteo auguralis Salvadori, 1865
4. Spixaetus africanus (Cassin, 1865)
5. Accipiter erythropus (Hartlaub, 1855)
6. Milvus migrans subsp. parasitus (Daudin, 1800
7. Elanus caeruleus (Desfontaines, 1789)
8. Kaupifalco monogrammicus (Temminck, 1824)
9. Cypsiurus parvus (Lichtenstein, 1823)
10. Halcyon senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766)
11. Halcyon malimbica (Shaw, 1811)
12. Tropicranus albocristatus (Cassin, 1848)
13. Torkus fasciatus (Shaw, 1811)
14. Tockus nasutus (Linnaeus, 1766)
15. Tockus camurus Cassin, 1857
16. Pogoniulus subsulphureus (Fraser, 1843)
17. Gymnobucco calvus (Lafresnaye, 1841)
18. Buccanodon duchaillui (Cassin, 1855)
19. Pogoniulus scolopaceus (Bonaparte, 1850)
20. Pogoniulus subsulphureus(Fraser, 1843)
21. Trachilaemus purpuratus (Fraser, 1843)
22. Pogoniulus atroflavus (J. Verreaux & E. Verreaux, 1851)
23. Trachilaemus hirsuta (Sparrman, 1798)
24. Lybius dubius (Gmelin, 1788)
25. Gymnobucco peli Hartlaub, 1857
26. Lybius vieilloti (Leach, 1815)
27. Lybius bidentatus (Shaw, 1799)
28. Turtur tympanistria (Temminck, 1809)
29. Treron calvus (Temminck, 1808)
30. Turtur brehmeri (Hartlaub, 1865)
31. Streptopelia semitorquata (Ruppell, 1837)
32. Columba iriditorques Cassin, 1856
33. Turtur afer (Linnaeus, 1766)
34. Streptopelia senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766)
35. Streptopelia vinacea (Gmelin, 1789)
36. Columba guinea Linnaeus, 1758
37. Eurystomus gularis Vieillot, 1819
38. Coracias abyssinicus Hermann, 1783
39. Coracias naevius Daudin, 1800
40. Eurystomus gularis Vieillot, 1819
41. Eurystomus glaucurus (Statius Muller, 1776)
42. Corvus albus Muller, 1776
43. Camaroptera chloronota Reichenow, 1895
44. Camaroptera superciliaris (Fraser, 1843)
45. Apalis sharpie Shelley, 1884
46. Prinia subflava (Gmelin, 1789)
47. Camaroptera brachyuran (Vieillot, 1821)
48. Cisticola lateralis (Fraser, 1843)
49. Cisticola brachypterus (Sharpe, 1870)
50. Cisticola natalensis (A. Smith, 1843)
51. Ceuthmochares aereus (Vieillot, 1817)
52. Chrysococcyx cupreus (Shaw, 1792)
53. Chrysococcyx klaas (Stephens, 1815)
54. Cuculus solitarius Stephens, 1815
55. Centropus leucogaster (Leach, 1814)
56. Centropus senegalensis (Linnaeus, 1766)
57. Cuculus gularis Stephens, 1815
58. Chrysococcyx cupreus (Shaw, 1792)
59. Clamator glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758)
60. Chrysococcyx cuprius (Shaw, 1792)
61. Dicrurus atripennis Swainson, 1837
62. Dicrurus modestus Hartlaub, 1849
63. Dicrurus adsimilis (Bechstein, 1794)
64. Spermestes bicolor Fraser, 1843
65. Nigrita bicolor (Hartlaub, 1844)
66. Nigrita canicapillus (Strickland, 1841)
67. Spermophaga haematina (Vieillot, 1807)
68. Nigrita canicapillus (Strickland, 1841)
69. Spermestes cucullatus Swainson, 1837
70. Lagonosticta rufopicta (Fraser, 1843)
71. Lagonosticta rara (Antinori, 1864)
72. Estrilda melpoda (Vieillot, 1817)
73. Nigrita canicapillus (Strickland, 1841)
74. Lagonosticta senegala (Linnaeus, 1766)
75. Smithornis rufolatoralis G. R. Gray, 1864
76. Serinus mozambicus (P. L. Statius Muller, 1776)
77. Indicator indicator (Sparrman, 1777)
78. Indicator willcocksi Alexander, 1901
79. Corvinella corvina (Shaw, 1809)
80. Tchagra australis (A. Smith, 1836)
81. Tchagra senegalus (Linnaeus, 1766)
82. Dryoscopus gambensis (Lichtenstein, 1823)
83. Merops gularis Shaw, 1798
84. Terpsiphone rufiventer (Swainson, 1837)
85. Terpsiphone viridis (Statius Muller, 1776)
86. Trochocercus nitens Cassin, 1859
87. Fraseria ocreata (Strickland, 1844)
88. Muscicapa comitata (Cassin, 1857)
89. Muscicapa ussheri (Sharpe, 1871)
90. Melaenornis pallidus (von Muller, JW, 1851)
91. Muscicapa striata (Pallas, 1764)
92. Tauraco persa (Linnaeus, 1758)
93. Corythaeola cristata (Vieillot, 1816)
94. Musophaga violacea Isert, 1788
95. Crinifer piscator (Boddaert, 1783)
96. Tauraco macrorhynchus (Fraser, 1839)
97. Chalcomitra adelberti (Gervais, 1834)
98. Cyanomitra olivacea (A. Smith, 1840)
99. Cinnyris venustus (Shaw, 1799)
100. Cinnyris superbus (Shaw, 1812)
101. Cinnyris pulchellus (Linnaeus, 1766)
102. Cinnyris minullus Reichenow, 1899
103. Hedydipna collaris (Vieillot, 1819)
104. Cinnyris coccinigastrus (Latham, 1802)
105. Oriolus brachyrhynchus Swainson, 1837
106. Oriolus nigripennis J. Verreaux & E. Verreaux, 1855
107. Oriolus brachyrhynchus Swainson, 1837
108. Pholichornis rushiae (Cassin, 1855)
109. Passer griseus (Vieillot, 1817)
110. Francolinus ahantensis Temminck, 1854
111. Francolinus lathami Hartlaub, 1854
112. Ptilopachus petrosus (Gmelin, 1789)
113. Francolinus bicalcaratus (Linnaeus, 1766)
114. Phoeniculus bollei (Hartlaub, 1858)
115. Phoeniculus castaneiceps (Sharpe, 1871)
116. Dendropicus gabonensis Malherbe, 1849
117. Bias musicus (Vieillot, 1818)
118. Megabya flammulatus J. Verreaux & E. Verreaux, 1855
119. Dyaphorophyia castanea Fraser, 1843
120. Platysteira cyanea (Statius Muller, 1776)
121. Ploceus albinucha (Bocage, 1876)
122. Malimbus rubricollis (Swainson, 1838)
123. Malimbus scutatus (Cassin, 1849)
124. Ploceus tricolor (Hartlaub, 1854)
125. Ploceus melanocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)
126. Ploceus cucullatus (Statius Muller, 1776)
127. Euplettes macroura (Gmelin, 1789)
128. Euplectes hordeaceus (Linnaeus, 1758)
129. Ploceus nigricollis (Vieillot, 1805)
130. Euplectes ardens (Boddaert, 1783)
131. Ploceus nigerrimus Vieillot, 1819
132. Euplectes franciscanus (Isert, 1789)
133. Euplectes macroura (Gmelin, 1789)
134. Quelea erythrops (Hartlaub, 1848)
135. Malimbus nitens (J. E. Gray, 1831)
136. Prionops caniceps (Bonaparte, 1850)
137. Prionops plumatus (Shaw, 1809)
138. Poicephalus gulielmi (Jardine, 1849)
139. Poicephalus senegalus (Linnaeus, 1766)
140. Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769)
141. Psittacus erithacus Linnaeus, 1758
142. Baeopogon indicator (J. Verreaux & E. Verreaux, 1855)
143. Phyllostrephus albigularis (Sharpe, 1882)
144. Bleda syndactylus (Swainson, 1837) [
145. Andropadus virens Cassin, 1857
146. Chlorocichla simplex (Hartlaub, 1855)
147. Andropadus gracilirostris Strickland, 1844 [
148. Nicator chloris (Valenciennes, 1826)
149. Andropadus latirostris Strickland, 1844
150. Calyptocichla serina (Verreaux & Verreaux, 1855)
151. Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines, 1789)
152. Andropadus ansorgei Hartert, 1907
153. Crineger calurus (Cassin, 1856)
154. Phyllastrephus albigularis (Sharpe, 1882)
155. Bleda canicapillus (Hartlaub, 1854)
156. Thescelocichla leucopleura (Cassin, 1855)
157. Crineger barbatus (Temminck, 1821)
158. Bleda eximius (Hartlaub, 1855)
159. Andropadus curvirostris Cassin, 1859
160. Pyrrhurus scandens (Swainson, 1837)
161. Bleda syndactylus (Swainson, 1837)
162. Ixonotus guttatus J. Verreaux & E. Verreaux, 1851
163. Scrothrura pulchra (J. E. Gray, 1829
164. Strix woodfordii (A. Smith, 1834)
165. Bubo sinerascens Guerin-Meneville, 1843
166. Lamprotormis cupreocauda (Hartlaub, 1857)
167. Lamprotormis splendidus (Vieillot, 1822)
168. Onychognathus fulgidus Hartlaub, 1849
169. Lamprotormis purpureus (Statius Muller, 1776)
170. Sylvietta virens Cassin, 1859
171. Hylia prasina (Cassin, 1855)
172. Macrosphermus concolor (Hartlaub, 1857)
173. Eremomela bradiceps (Fraser, 1843)
174. Sylvietta brachyura Lafresnaye, 1839
175. Eremomela pusilla Hartlaub, 1857
176. Macrosphermus kempi (Sharpe, 1905)
177. Illadopsis fulvescens (Cassin, 1859)
178. Illadopsis cleaveri (Shelley, 1874)
179. Stiphrornis erythrothorax Hartlaub, 1855
180. Alethe diademata (Bonaparte, 1850)
181. Cossypha niveicapilla (Lafresnaye, 1838)
182. Turdus pelios Bonaparte, 1850
183. Stizorhina finschi (Sharpe, 1870)
184. Vidua macroura (Pallas, 1764)
185. Zosterops senegalensis Bonaparte, 1850
186. Coracina azurea (Cassin, 1852)
187. Campephaga quiscalina Finsch, 1869

The study area lies within latitudes-7.906669 North and 5.317087 South; longitudes-3.006151 West and -1.854438 East