Seasonal diversity of urban birds: The case of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

Abstract

Although the most direct impact of cities on biodiversity is the change in land cover associated with urban growth, large number of species have been recorded to live, and even thrive, within urban centers. The present study was conducted from August 2018 to March 2019 and aimed to investigate the seasonal diversity and habitat association of birds in Bahir Dar city. Semi-forest, wetland, waste dumping site and residential area were habitats identified based on topographic map and ground truthing survey. A total of 100 point count stations within 10 plots of the semi-forest habitat and 550 line transects within 55 blocks of open habitats were used to collect data. Diversity indices, chi-square and ANOVA were employed for data analyses. A total of 186 bird species belonging to 21 orders and 59 families were recorded. The highest diversity of bird species was observed in the residential area during the wet season (H’ = 3.78) and the lowest was in waste dumping site during the dry season (H’ = 2.11). Test of association between season and habitat types as a function of birds’ abundance also confirmed the presence of strong association between season and birds abundance. Availability of food, water and nesting sites were the main players to determine the diversity and abundance of birds within Bahir Dar city. The study area supports large number of bird species that confirms the area’s potential for bird watching tourism. Therefore, there must be a collaborative work with the city administration for protecting the urban ecosystem to conserve the biodiversity therein.