Bird Ringing Data of the Taita Hills Forests, 1996 to 2016
Citation
Lens L, Matheve H, Ochieng J, Mwangi E, Njambi M, Njoroge P (2022). Bird Ringing Data of the Taita Hills Forests, 1996 to 2016. Version 1.1. National Museums of Kenya. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/96cup5 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-08-20.Description
The forests of the Taita Hills of south-east Kenya are of great importance to conservation, holding three endemic birds which are listed as critical by Collar et al. (1994) and many other endemic taxa. The forests, which presently cover less than 400 ha, are included in Endemic Bird Area with the Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania (Stattersfield et al. 1997), with which they have close biogeographical affinities (Lovett 1985). Despite this importance for conservation, few biological studies had been carried out in Taita Hills before 1996 hence the urge of this study. Birds were studied in the remaining forest patches of the Taita Hills from 1996 as part of a wider project to assess the times to extinction of bird species following deforestation. This dataset gives a baseline information on the ringing events of birds at the Taita Hills forests fragments between 1996 and 2016 with 26,360 individual records. Bird ringing was performed in 17 forest patches in Taita Hills including: Chawia, Fururu, Kichuchenyi, Macha, Maghimbinyi, Mbololo, Msidunyi, Mwachora, Ndiwenyi,Ngangao,Njovuni,Ronge,Sagala,Sussu,Vulia,Wundanyi and Yale.Purpose
Taita Hills Forests Fragments are listed as Endemic Bird Area with the Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania (Stattersfield et al. 1997) hence they are of conservation significance. They are also home to three endemic birds. This dataset is provided to act as a reference point against which to compare current bird's situation in these forests. It will also give a focus for contemporary survey work and management decisions. Raising the profile of data for the conservation of four forested African landscapes project has played a role in unlocking this dataset which has been locked in unpublished reports for many years. Later, this project will create relevant and applicable tools to interpret this dataset hence guiding the conservation work and policy decisions of these forests fragments.Sampling Description
Study Extent
The bird ringing was done in Taita Hills (Latitude 3°25´ and 38°20´ longitude) situated in the middle of the Tsavo plains of Taita-Taveta District (17 000 km2) in Coast Province of Kenya. Taita Hills cover an area of 1000 km2.Bird ringing was done in 17 forest fragments including: Chawia, Fururu, Kichuchenyi, Macha, Maghimbinyi, Mbololo, Msidunyi, Mwachora, Ndiwenyi,Ngangao,Njovuni,Ronge,Sagala,Sussu,Vulia,Wundanyi and Yale.Sampling
The understory birds were captured using mist nets set along paths in each site, ringed, biometrics taken then later released.Quality Control
Species identification and ringing was done on site by a team of bird experts from the Ornithology Section, National Museums of Kenya.Method steps
- At each study site, a narrow trail through the understory vegetation was cleared. Small mesh mist-nets were erected using bamboo poles and operated for two mornings at each site. Nets were opened for four hours each morning starting from between 06:30-07:30 h depending on the weather.
Taxonomic Coverages
Birds ringed within the Taita Hills Forest Patches.
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Avesrank: class
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Accipitriformesrank: order
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Caprimulgiformesrank: order
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Coliiformesrank: order
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Cuculiformesrank: order
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Falconiformesrank: order
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Gruiformesrank: order
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Musophagiformesrank: order
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Culumbiformesrank: order
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Trogoniformesrank: order
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Strigiformesrank: order
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Coraciiformesrank: order
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Piciformesrank: order
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Passeriformesrank: order
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Accipitridaerank: family
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Columbidaerank: family
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Strigidaerank: family
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Trogonidaerank: family
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Caprimulgidaerank: family
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Coliidaerank: family
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Estrildidaerank: family
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Falconidaerank: family
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Indicatoridaerank: family
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Locustellidaerank: family
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Lybiidaerank: family
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Megalaimidaerank: family
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Musophagidaerank: family
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Nicatoridaerank: family
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Phylloscopidaerank: family
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Sarothruridaerank: family
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Sturnidaerank: family
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Sylviidaerank: family
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Viduidaerank: family
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Zosteropidaerank: family
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Alcedinidaerank: family
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Pycnonotidaerank: family
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Turdidaerank: family
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Muscicapidaerank: family
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Monarchidaerank: family
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Cisticolidaerank: family
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Platysteiridaerank: family
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Malaconotidaerank: family
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Nectariniidaerank: family
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Ploceidaerank: family
Geographic Coverages
The bird ringing was done in 17 Taita Hills Forest patches. The Hills lie in south-eastern Kenya at 03°20'S, 38°i5'E, about 150 km inland from the coast and covering an area of about 250 km2. They are isolated from other mountainous areas to the south-east (Shimba Hills), south (Pare and Usambara Mountains), south-west (Mt Kilimanjaro), west (Ngulia and Chyulu Hills) and north-west (Kenyan highlands) by the vast plains of Tsavo (c. 700 m altitude).
Bibliographic Citations
- Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J. and Wege, D. C. (1997) Endemic bird areas of the world: priorities for biodiversity conservation. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conserv. Ser. No. 7). -
- Lovett, J. (1985) Moist forests of Eastern Tanzania. Swam 8(5): 8-9. -
- Bytebier, B., 2001. Taita Hills Biodiversity Project Report. National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi. 47 p. -
- Beentje, H.J., 1988. An ecologic and floristic study of the forests of the Taita Hills, Kenya. Utafiti 1, pp. 23-66. -
- Brooks, T., Lens, L., Barnes, J. et al. 1998. The conservation status of the forest birds of the Taita Hills, Kenya. – Bird Conserv. Int. 8: 119 – 139. -
- Lens, L., van Dongen, S., Wilder, C. M. et al. 1999a. Fluctuating asymmetry increases with habitat disturbance in seven bird species of a fragmented afrotropical forest. – Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 266: 1 – 6 -
Contacts
Luc Lensoriginator
position: Professor
Ghent University
Ghent
P.O.Box K.L.Ledeganckstraat 35
BE
email: Luc.Lens@UGent.be
homepage: https://biblio.ugent.be/person/801001645320
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0241-2215
Hans Matheve
originator
position: Database Administrator
Ghent University
Ghent
P.O.Box K.L.Ledeganckstraat 35
BE
email: Hans.Matheve@ugent.be
Judith Ochieng
originator
position: Project Coordinator, Department of Science and Conservation
A Rocha Kenya
Watamu
P.O.Box 80202
Malindi
KE
Telephone: +254 704843754
email: judith.ochieng@arocha.org
Esther Mwangi
originator
position: Research Scientist
National Museums of Kenya
Museum Hill Road
Nairobi
P. O. Box 40658 - 00100
Nairobi
KE
Telephone: +254787596660
email: ewmwangi@museums.or.ke
Maryanne Njambi
originator
position: Data Clerk, Ornithology Section, Zoology Dept.,
National Museums of Kenya
Museum Hill Road
Nairobi
40658 - 00100
Nairobi
KE
Telephone: +254718374256
email: njambiwaceke@gmail.com
Peter Njoroge
originator
position: Head, Ornithology Section, Zoology Dept.,
National Museums of Kenya
Museum Hill Road
Nairobi
40658 - 00100
Nairobi
KE
email: pnjoroge@museums.or.ke
Judith Ochieng
metadata author
position: Project Coordinator, Department of Science and Conservation
A Rocha Kenya
Watamu
P.O.Box 80202
Malindi
KE
Telephone: +254704843754
email: judith.ochieng@arocha.org
Maryanne Njambi
metadata author
position: Data Clerk, Ornithology Section, Zoology Dept.,
National Museums of Kenya
Museum Hill Road
Nairobi
40658 - 00100
Nairobi
KE
Telephone: +254718374256
email: njambiwaceke@gmail.com
Peter Njoroge
metadata author
position: Head, Ornithology Section, Zoology Dept.,
National Museums of Kenya
Museum Hill Road
Nairobi
P. O. Box 40658 - 00100
Nairobi
KE
Telephone: +254724521770
email: pnjoroge@museums.or.ke
Esther Mwangi
user
email: ewmwangi@museums.or.ke
Luc Lens
administrative point of contact
position: Professor
Ghent University
Ghent
P.O.Box K.L.Ledeganckstraat 35
BE
email: Luc.Lens@UGent.be
homepage: https://biblio.ugent.be/person/801001645320
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0241-2215
Hans Matheve
administrative point of contact
position: Database Administrator
Ghent University
Ghent
P.O.Box K.L.Ledeganckstraat 35
BE
email: Hans.Matheve@ugent.be