Bird Ringing Data of the Taita Hills Forests, 1996 to 2016

Luc Lens; Hans Matheve; Judith Ochieng; Esther Mwangi; Maryanne Njambi; Peter Njoroge

doi:10.15468/96cup5

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 2025-05-16.

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of four forested African landscapes project has played a role in unlocking this dataset which has been locked in unpublished reports for many years.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.

Aves
rank: class
Accipitriformes
rank: order
Caprimulgiformes
rank: order
Coliiformes
rank: order
Cuculiformes
rank: order
Falconiformes
rank: order
Gruiformes
rank: order
Musophagiformes
rank: order
Culumbiformes
rank: order
Trogoniformes
rank: order
Strigiformes
rank: order
Coraciiformes
rank: order
Piciformes
rank: order
Passeriformes
rank: order
Accipitridae
rank: family
Columbidae
rank: family
Strigidae
rank: family
Trogonidae
rank: family
Caprimulgidae
rank: family
Coliidae
rank: family
Estrildidae
rank: family
Falconidae
rank: family
Indicatoridae
rank: family
Locustellidae
rank: family
Lybiidae
rank: family
Megalaimidae
rank: family
Musophagidae
rank: family
Nicatoridae
rank: family
Phylloscopidae
rank: family
Sarothruridae
rank: family
Sturnidae
rank: family
Sylviidae
rank: family
Viduidae
rank: family
Zosteropidae
rank: family
Alcedinidae
rank: family
Pycnonotidae
rank: family
Turdidae
rank: family
Muscicapidae
rank: family
Monarchidae
rank: family
Cisticolidae
rank: family
Platysteiridae
rank: family
Malaconotidae
rank: family
Nectariniidae
rank: family
Ploceidae
rank: 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 Lens
originator
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