Factors Influencing Bird Composition and Diversity in Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Southern Tanzania

Le résumé fourni par la source

We investigated patterns of bird species richness, abundance, and diversity across walking trails, habitat types, feeding guilds, and rainfall gradients in Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Sampling transects were selected and established following the trails created inside UMNP, and bird assessments were conducted by walking in a line transect across trails identified and habitats. Bird surveys were conducted between October and November 2020 and March 2021 using 20 walking transect segments (≈5 km each) and 60 fixed point-count stations. A total of 1,383 individuals representing 177 species from 57 families and 17 orders were recorded across five habitat types. Forest habitats supported the highest species richness and abundance, while the Mbatwa trail exhibited the greatest bird diversity. Insectivorous birds were most abundant, particularly in forest habitats on the windward side of the park. We recorded three individuals of the endemic Rufous-winged Sunbird (Cinnyris rufipennis) and four other IUCN-listed species. Negative binomial models revealed that habitat structural complexity and rainfall gradients significantly influenced bird abundance and species richness. These findings provide baseline data to inform conservation planning, ecological monitoring, and avitourism development within the park.

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