A study of composition and diversity variation of avifauna along with different types of agroforestry system in Kibet town, Southern Ethiopia

Background Agroforestry is an integrated land-use system that plays a great role in the conservation of landscape biodiversity. The study aimed to assess the composition and diversity of avian species along with different habitat types of agroforestry in Kibet Town, Southern Ethiopia. Methods Four habitat types of agroforestry system which are home gardens, live fences, parkland, and eucalyptus woodlot were identified. Line transects were used for bird surveys. The Shannon diversity index (H′) and species evenness index (E) were used to compare diversity among habitat types. A similarity percentages (SIMPER) test was carried out to identify the main species and feeding guild that typified each habitat type. The overall significance was assessed with the ANOSIM test using PAST (version 4.03). Results A total of 50 bird species belonging to 28 families and 10 orders were recorded. Order Passeriformes (67.3%) had the highest number of species. Bird community composition differed among habitat types. The dissimilarity was mainly due to White-browed robin-chat (Cossypha heuglini), Streaky seed-eater (Serinus striolatus), Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), African Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis), and Black-Headed Paradise Flycatcher (T. rufiventer). The finding also revealed that insectivore was the dominant feeding guild. Conclusions The present study shows evidence that more insectivore bird species use different types of agroforestry as habitat and foraging sites. So, any concerned bodies who have engaged in avian conservation should give special consideration to this modified landscape.

Survey of External Parasites of Wild Birds in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Aims: As wild birds interact with poultry the likelihood of exchange of external parasites between wild birds and poultry highlights the need to understand wild bird parasites so as to reduce cross infection at the wild bird-poultry interface. There is paucity of data on external parasites of wild birds in Kaduna State, Nigeria. This study investigated the prevalence and diversity of external parasites among wild birds in Kaduna State. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Kaduna State, Nigeria between March, and June 2012. Methodology: Wild birds were captured and examined for external parasites by visual and microscopic examination. The data were analyzed using Quantitative Parasitology software. Results: Of the 233 wild birds representing 56 species and 25 families examined, the ectoparasite prevalence was 10.7% (25/233). The ectoparasites identified were Menacanthus spp (0.9%), Amblyomma variegatum (0.9%), Argas persicus (3.4%), Gonides gigas (2.1%) and Rhipicephalus spp (2.6%). Streptopelia senegalensis and Chalcomitra senegalensis were infested with Amblyomma varigatum while Numida meleagris and Ploceus cucullatus had Rhipicephalus spp. Conclusion: This is the first report to the best of our knowledge of hard tick infestation of free flying birds in Kaduna State. This study establishes baseline data for future study of wild bird host-parasite interaction in Nigeria. There is need for more studies on external parasites of wild birds to understand their impact on the survival of wild bird species in Nigeria.

Variation within the Bird Community of a Rehabilitated Urban Environment, Case of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University Campus (Côte d'Ivoire)

In order to understand the ecological impact of the rehabilitation of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University Campus on the bird community, a study was carried out over two months (October-November 2016). The ornithological inventory carried out by the IPA method in five different habitats identified on the campus gave a total species richness of 51 bird species of 41 genera, 27 families and 13 orders for 1374 birds, with H' = 2.93 and J = 0.74. Five species dominate the population (819 individuals, Fr = 59, 61%). These are Bubulcus ibis (9.32 %), Apus affinis (8.95 %), Corvus albus (19.94 %), Ploceus cucullatus (10.48 %), Lonchura cucullata (10.92 %). The most diversified habitat is the Habitations (26 bird species), while the most abundant is the Brush (416 individuals). Only seven species are common to all sampled habitats. Thus, 12 species observed on campus formerly could not be observed during the present study. Similarly, 18 species observed in this study were not observed in the previous study. The profound transformation of the environment following the rehabilitation has led to a slight increase in diversity but a significant drop in numbers. It is therefore important to better understand the different interactions between the components of the habitat and the various species involved. Such data would be crucial in urban planning policies.

Myrsidea quadrifasciata (Phthiraptera: Amblycera) – a unique host generalist among highly host-specific chewing lice

Ten species of the louse genus Myrsidea belonging to the “serini-species-group” have been reviewed. A redescription of Myrsidea quadrifasciata (Piaget, 1880), the earliest described and valid species of this species complex, is given and a neotype for this species is designated. Nine new junior synonymies of M. quadrifasciata are proposed and discussed. The new synonyms and their respective type hosts are: Myrsidea anoxanthi Price and Dalgleish, 2007 from Loxipasser anoxanthus (Gosse, 1847), Myrsidea argentina (Kellogg, 1906) from Spinus magellanicus (Vieillot, 1805), Myrsidea balati Macháček, 1977 from Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758), Myrsidea darwini Palma and Price, 2010 from Geospiza fuliginosa Gould, 1837, Myrsidea major (Piaget, 1880) from Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Myrsidea serini (Séguy, 1944) from Serinus serinus (Linnaeus, 1766), Myrsidea queleae Tendeiro, 1964 from Quelea quelea lathami (Smith, A., 1836), Myrsidea textoris Klockenhoff, 1984 from Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus (Müller, 1776), and Myrsidea viduae Tendeiro, 1993 from Vidua macroura (Pallas, 1764). Intraspecific morphometric variability, relative genetic divergence (based on a 379 bp portion of the mitochondrial COI gene and a 347 bp portion of the nuclear EF-1α gene), geographical distribution, and host associations, including 8 new host records for these lice, are discussed. Taking into consideration these parameters we suggest that the only way to deal with these taxa is to follow concept of subspecies with the following taxa and their geographic distributon: Palearctic Region: M. q. quadrifasciata and M. q. serini, Neotropical Region: M. q. anoxanthi, M. q. argentina, M. q. darwini, Paleotropic Region: M. q. queleae, M. q. textoris and M. q. viduae.