Dosunbirdsforageoptimallyonleonotisnepitofolia? a Case Study from Segera Ranch, Laikipia
BIRDS
ThedifferenceinavifaunabetweengrazinglawnsandtallgrasslandinLaikipiaCounty
Abstract
Thisstudycomparedavifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and tall grasslands in private ranches and communalland to assess how bird species might change withshifts inthe grassland mosaic and between protected areasand heavily cultivated/grazed land. Distinct bird communitieswere associated with each grassland type, including several specialists that depend exclusively on grassland for food and breeding. Outside ranches, domestic livestock produced structurally-similar grasslands to grazing lawns and tallgrasslands but reduced bird densities and species diversity. Ranches are surrounded bysuchcommunal grazing lands, playing an important role inconserving grassland birds on a regional scale, a factor that needs to be considered in managing the ranches’ grassland mosaic. Specifically, this studyfound grazing lawns had higher bird abundance thantall grassland, communallands had higher bird abundance than ranches and there was greater bird diversity in ranches whencompared to communallands.
MariaAlho,UniversityofLisbon,Portugal DominicKimani, NationalMuseumsofKenya, Kenya DanielLees, Deakin University,Australia
2013
DosunbirdsforageoptimallyonLeonotisnepitofolia? A case study from Segera Ranch, Laikipia, Kenya
Abstract
Birdpollinationisawidespreadphenomenon.Weinvestigatedwhether sunbirds(Nectariniinae)in Laikipia,Kenya,adoptoptimal foragingbehaviour onLeonotisnepitofolia.Naturalobservationsof sunbirdbehaviour and collectionofnectar measurementswereperformedinanopenvegetation patchdominatedbyLeonotis. Thesewerefollowedbyexperimental manipulationsinvolving additionofnectarto flowers.Sunbirdsvisitedflowersconstantlyduring theobservationperiod and learnttodiscriminatebetweenhighlyrewardingand poorerfood sources.Theseresults,in combinationwithobservedpatternsinnectar availability,suggestthatsunbirdsvisitflowers optimallyin aworld withcompetition.
AmandaOudenes,LeidenUniversity, Netherlands
JamieDonaldson,UniversityofEdinburgh,Scotland,UK SaraRajPant, UniversityCollegeLondon,UK
2013
HabitatselectionandforagingstrategiesoftheCommonFiscal,theSchalow’sWheatearandtheNorthernAnteaterChatinHell’sGateNationalPark
Abstract
The Common Fiscal, the Schalow’s Wheatear and the Northern Anteater Chat are found in Hell’s GateNationalPark and they share both savannahabitats and mainpreys, mostly insects. The foraging behaviour and habitats selection of these three specieswere studied overa six-dayperiod in orderto inferif they adoptdifferent strategies and habitats in orderto avoid competition. The Wheatear and theNorthernAnteater Chatdisplayed and active foraging strategies andapreference for more open habitats,whereas the Common Fiscal revealeda morepassive sit-and-wait behaviour andpreference for morewoody habitats. The similarity in habitatutilization and foraging behaviour between the Schalow’s Wheatear and the Northern Anteater Chat leads us to suppose that these two species may overlap each other’sniche.
MichelaMaura, RomaTreUniversity, Italy RicardoRocha,Lisbon University, Portugal
2007
Perch types and heights used by the Grey-backed Fiscal and their influence on its feeding success
Abstract
TheperchtypesandheightsusedbytheGrey-backedFiscal(Laniusexcubitoroides excubitproides) andtheireffectsonitsfeedingsuccesswereassessedinfivedifferentsitesaroundLakeNaivasha. Birdswerefoundtouseavarietyofperchtypesbutoveralltheyperchedmorefrequentlyon branches.Lowerpercheswereusedmorefrequentlythanhigheronesbutnosignificantdifferencewasobservedintheamountoftimespentatdifferentheights.Neithertheperchtypenortheperch heightsignificantlyinfluencedfeedingsuccess.However,thelongerabirdspentonaperch,themoresuccessfulitwas initsfeedingattemptsAlso,themeandistancefromaperchtotheground (wherethebirdsgenerally fed)wasfound tosignificantly influencefeeding success.Theshorterthedistance,themoresuccessfulthebirdswere.
FredBarasaMunyekenye, NairobiUniversity, Kenya AsangaPatriciaBi, UniversityofEastAngliaUKand Cameroon
2001
A study into the daily pattern in feeding behaviour of sunbirds (Nectariniidae) on Cotyledon barbeyi
Abstract
InthepresentstudythefeedingbehaviourofsunbirdsonCotyledonbarbeyiwasinvestigatedtodetermineifadaily pattern waspresent.Datawascollectedoversixdaysandincludedquantitativeobservationsof species,sex,feedingtime,probingandfeedingrate.Ageneralpatterninbirdvisits to theplantwasrecordedwith apeakintheearly morningandintheearly afternoon.Therewasno statisticallysignificantcorrelationbetweenthispatternandtemperature,nectarvolumeand concentration.Itissuggestedthatsome otherfactorwasinvolvedthatwasbeyondtherecording of thisproject.
AgnetaHeuman,UniversityofBasel,Switzerland EugenieRegan, NationalUniversityof Ireland, Galway, Ireland
2001
ComparativestudyofthehabitatuseandfeedingbehavioursofBlack-loredBabbler(Turdoidessharpie)andArrow-markedBabbler(Turtoidesjardeneii)aroundthevicinityofLakeNaivasha,Kenya
Abstract
AcomparativestudyofthehabitatuseandthefeedingbehavioursoftheBlack-loredBabbler TurdoidessharpeiandArrow-markedBabblerTudoidesjardeneiiwasconductedinthevicinityof LakeNaivashafortenconsecutivedays,from07/07/99to17/07/99.Sevengroupsofeachspecies wereidentifiedinsixdifferentsites.Significantdifferenceswererecordedinperchcharacteristics andthefeedingsitecharacteristics.Black-loredBabblersarefoundinawiderrangeofhabitats, fromopenAcaciawoodlandwithmoreopengroundtoshrubbywoodland,andtendtoperchon smalltreesandshrubs;whereasArrow-markedBabblersaremorerestrictedtoAcaciawoodland withthickherbaceouscovervegetation,andtendtoperchonlargertreeswithdensecanopy cover. Distinctnichedifferentiationwasthereforeinferredforbothspecies.Nosubstantialoverlapof territorywasrecordedonneighbouringgroupsofbothspecies.Thetwospeciestendtotolerateacertaindegreeofcoexistencewhereboundariesaredefinedbyhabitatcharacteristicsratherthan territorialbehavioursofbothspecies.
Jean EricRakotoarisoa,UniversityofAntananarivo,Madagascar TadesseWoldemariamGole, Ethiopian Wildlifeand NaturalHistorySociety, Ethiopia
1999
Influence ofcover onthevigilancebehaviouroftheSuperbStarling(Lamprotornissuperbus)
Abstract
Theneedtounderstandthebehaviourofbirdsfortheireffectiveconservationisappreciatedbyall. SuperbStarlings(Lamprotornissuperbus)areonebirdspeciesthatsurpassesmanyinbeautyand abundanceattheElsmereConservationandFieldStudyCentre.In order toprovideinformationfor theconservation andperpetuation ofthesebirdsattheCentre,astudywasconductedtoinvestigatetheinfluenceoftree coveron theforagingandvigilancebehaviourofthestarlings.Thefocalwatch methodwasusedtocollectdataonthebirdsintwoadjacenthabitatsofthecentre.Thestudy concludedthatcoverhasinfluenceonthesuperbstarlings’ choiceofforagingsitebutnotvigilance duringfeeding.Itisthereforerecommendedthatcovershouldbemaintainedtoperpetuatethestarlings’presenceattheCentre.
EmmanuelA. Frimpong,UniversityofScienceand Technology,Ghana Robinah K. Nanyunja,MakerereUniversity, Uganda
1999
NichepartitioningbetweenthreespeciesofwoodpeckersinacaciawoodlandsurroundingLakeNaivasha,Kenya
Abstract
Grey,BeardedandNubianWoodpeckersexisttogetherinacaciawoodlandsurroundingLakeNaivasha,Kenya.Thenichepartitioningofthethreespecieswasinvestigatedintermsof differentiationinspeciesuseofbranchsize,heightin tree,angleofbranch,deadorlivewoodand timeofdayforforaging.Themostimportantdimensionsfornichepartitioningwerefoundtobeheightintree,deadandlivewood,branchsizeandtimeofday.Angleofbranchwasnotan importantdimensioninthisstudy.Greywoodpeckershadawidenicheintermsofthedimensions measured.BeardedWoodpeckersforagedhigh,onlargedeadbranches,intheearlymorningand lateafternoon.NubianWoodpeckersforagedatlowlevelsandonthegroundandonsmalllivebranchesinthemiddle ofthe day.
WillFrost, InternationalInstituteforResearchinAgroforestry, UK AlfredOwino,NationalMuseumsofKenya, Kenya
1999
Temporalvariationinthenumberanddiversity ofbirdsvisitingawaterpointatHell’sGateNationalPark,Kenya
Abstract
Astudywas undertakenintothetemporalvariationinthebirdsvisitingawaterholeatHell’s GateNational Park(HGNP).“Adlibitum”watcheswereconductedthroughoutthedayforatotaloffourdays.Thiswas followedbyabirdcensusintheareabyusingatransectmethod.Birdswerecategorisedaccordingtofeeding guilds.Thenumberofbirdsrecordedwaspositivelycorrelatedwithbothtimeofdayandtemperature.Analysis ofthetemporalchangesinthenumberofbirdsperguildshowedthatthenumberofgranivoresandaerialinsectivoreswaspositivelycorrelatedwithtime,whilenon-aerialinsectivoresandomnivoresshowedno relationshipwithtime.Analysisofvariance(ANOVA)showedthatguild,timeofdayandtheinteraction betweenthetwoallhadsignificanteffectsonthenumberofbirdsvisitingthewaterpoint.Temperatureaccountedforsomeoftheremainingvariationnotexplainedbytime.Theproportionofgranivores wasshown tobehigherthanalltheotherguildscombined.
RichardOdhiamboKenyattaUniversity,Kenya LuisCayuelaDepartmentofEcology,UniversidadAutonomadeMadrid,Spain
1999
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