Annual and seasonal trends in avifaunal species richness in a coastal lowlands forest reserve in South Africa

Abstract

Annual and seasonal trends in species richness of the avifaunal community of a coastal forest at Umdoni Park, Pennington, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were assessed. Presence/absence data were collected between September 1996 and February 2003, using transect lines and mist-netting. A total of 188 avian species was found utilising the forest or forest edge, of which 33 species (17.6%) were forest-specific. More species were recorded in summer than in winter, because of the presence of summer migrants. The number of forest-specific species was, however, higher in winter than in summer, caused by several altitudinal migrants and one coastal migrant being present in winter only. Of the 188 species recorded, 105 were resident, 44 were recorded in summer only, 32 in winter only, and the remaining 44 recorded only occasionally. The study highlights the need for continuous and long-term studies to be conducted in southern African forests, in order to better understand the dynamics of their avifaunal communities.