Effect of disturbance on bird feeding guilds in a West African dry forest

• Published in: African Journal of Ecology
• Main Authors: Yilangai, R. M., Abalaka, J., Nsor, C. A., Babale, A., Karau, S. D., Ivande, S.
• Other Authors: Rufford Foundation
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2023
• Subjects: Tula; Tula Mountains
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aje.13136; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/aje.13136; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/aje.13136

Abstract West African birds have been declining due to intensive deforestation, yet how bird communities respond to such habitat modification remains understudied in this region. We used point transects to survey bird species in the undisturbed and disturbed edges of Tula Mountains Woodland (TMW), in order to examine responses of bird feeding guilds to disturbance. We found significantly more species in the disturbed than in the undisturbed sites. Number of insectivores was significantly higher than other feeding guilds, followed by the granivores, while nectarivores were the fewest. The lack of variation in mean species richness of bird feeding guilds per timed count between habitats indicates that members of all feeding guilds were widespread across the two habitats. However, the higher species numbers of the carnivores and granivores in the disturbed habitat, and the insectivores in the undisturbed habitat suggest their potential affinities for these habitat scenarios. On the other hand, one‐third of the frugivores and nectarivores utilised the two habitat types, indicating generalist behaviour. Our results suggest that disturbance was not as intensive as to cause significant changes in composition of bird feeding guilds at TMW, but increase in disturbance can potentially have adverse effects on the insectivores, as evidenced in their decreased number of species in the disturbed edges.