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Birds species richness and abundance across three prominent wetlands of Dutse, Northwestern Nigeria


Ahmad Sa'adatu
Dogara Musa Mustapha
Muhammad Sulaiman Inuwa
Abdullahi Hafiz Adam
Adam Sa’adatu Muhammad
Danazumi Ibrahim Abdul
Idris Abubakar
Elijah Godwin

Abstract

Wetlands serve as crucial habitats for bird populations, playing a significant role in supporting diverse avian communities. Birds are bio indicators for assessing the quality and importance of wetlands. Understanding the breadth of species diversity and other ecological aspects of birds within these ecosystems is paramount for effective ecosystem management and conservation efforts. This study presents a comprehensive abundance and species richness of waterbirds species observed in three prominent wetlands situated in Dutse, a city located in Northwestern Nigeria. The point count method was implemented and refined over a period of six months during the study. Shannon-wiener diversity index was used to calculate bird diversity. A total of 13,862 individual of 84 species from 41 families of birds species were recorded. The White-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) and Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) emerged as the most abundant species, with 5,690 and 600 individuals recorded, respectively. In contrast, the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and Black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala) were the least abundant, with only one individual recorded throughout the duration of the study. 7,316 individuals of 42 bird species were recorded at Golf course wetland, 3,286 individuals of 70 species were recorded at Baranda wetland and 3260 individuals of 56 species were observed at Warwade wetland. These wetlands occupied abundance of both resident birds e.g. African jacana (Actophilornis africana), partially migratory species e.g. Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava), intra-frican migrant e.g. Abdim’s stork (Ciconia abdimii) and resident Pied Kingfisher (Corvus albus). The species diversity was higher in Baranda wetland (H’ = 3.479) followed by Warwade wetland (H’ = 3.241) and least was Golf Course (H’ = 1.195). Long time monitoring of these water-related and water birds is recommended in these wetlands for effective management and conservation strategies.


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eISSN: 2635-3490
print ISSN: 2476-8316