Seasonal Changes in an Afromontane Forest Bird Community in Tanzania
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Seasonal Changes in an Afromontane Forest Bird Community in Tanzania. / Dinesen, Lars; Lehmberg, Thomas; Romdal, Tom S.; Sonne, Jesper; Hansen, Louis A.
In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 10, 768020, 2022.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Seasonal Changes in an Afromontane Forest Bird Community in Tanzania
AU - Dinesen, Lars
AU - Lehmberg, Thomas
AU - Romdal, Tom S.
AU - Sonne, Jesper
AU - Hansen, Louis A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Dinesen, Lehmberg, Romdal, Sonne and Hansen.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Seasonal variation in the composition of avian communities is poorly documented in African montane forests. Using field observations, mist-netting data (63,424 NMH), recording of mixed-species flocks (160 flocks noted), and of the feeding ecology of greenbuls (757 observations), we document marked seasonal changes in a bird community in an East African montane forest (1,340–2,130 m) in the Udzungwa Mountains in south-central Tanzania. This mountain range contains the largest remaining forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania, part of a key global biodiversity hotspot. Our analysis is based on data in the dry and wet season from about 12 months of fieldwork. Field observation data combined with mist-net data demonstrate noticeable seasonal changes in certain species’ abundances, indicating (i) seasonal movements out of the montane forest during the dry season and (ii) movements of part of the populations for other species. Our mist-net results show a significant difference in species abundances between the two seasons driven by 16 species. We also document significant changes in diet for two species of greenbuls, which shift feeding behavior from arthropods in the wet season to include a larger proportion of fruit in their dry season diet. Our results further show that birds are more active in mixed-species flocks in the dry season, with a significantly higher average number of species and of individuals in the dry season, i.e., 11.3 (±0.52 SE) species, 32.3 (±1.76 SE) individuals] compared to the wet season 9.7 (±0.78 SE) species, 20.8 (±1.85 SE) individuals]. One of two very distinctive types of mixed-species flocks – confined to the understory – exists only in the dry season. We discuss these changes to seasonal variability in climate, i.e., temperature and precipitation.
AB - Seasonal variation in the composition of avian communities is poorly documented in African montane forests. Using field observations, mist-netting data (63,424 NMH), recording of mixed-species flocks (160 flocks noted), and of the feeding ecology of greenbuls (757 observations), we document marked seasonal changes in a bird community in an East African montane forest (1,340–2,130 m) in the Udzungwa Mountains in south-central Tanzania. This mountain range contains the largest remaining forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania, part of a key global biodiversity hotspot. Our analysis is based on data in the dry and wet season from about 12 months of fieldwork. Field observation data combined with mist-net data demonstrate noticeable seasonal changes in certain species’ abundances, indicating (i) seasonal movements out of the montane forest during the dry season and (ii) movements of part of the populations for other species. Our mist-net results show a significant difference in species abundances between the two seasons driven by 16 species. We also document significant changes in diet for two species of greenbuls, which shift feeding behavior from arthropods in the wet season to include a larger proportion of fruit in their dry season diet. Our results further show that birds are more active in mixed-species flocks in the dry season, with a significantly higher average number of species and of individuals in the dry season, i.e., 11.3 (±0.52 SE) species, 32.3 (±1.76 SE) individuals] compared to the wet season 9.7 (±0.78 SE) species, 20.8 (±1.85 SE) individuals]. One of two very distinctive types of mixed-species flocks – confined to the understory – exists only in the dry season. We discuss these changes to seasonal variability in climate, i.e., temperature and precipitation.
KW - altitudinal movement
KW - Eastern Arc
KW - mixed-species flocks
KW - seasonality
KW - Udzungwas
U2 - 10.3389/fevo.2022.768020
DO - 10.3389/fevo.2022.768020
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85128542389
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
SN - 2296-701X
M1 - 768020
ER -
ID: 307331946