Abstract
This study was carried out in Lake Hawassa, Tikur wuha riverine habitat and Cheleleka wetland from August 2017 to February 2018. The study aims to investigate species composition, seasonal abundance and distribution of birds. Systematic random sampling techniques at an interval of 3 km were used to select sampling blocks. T-test and one way ANOVA were applied for analysis of the effect of season on the composition and abundance of species. The result showed a total of 103 avian species record belonging to 47 families and 14 orders during the wet and dry seasons. Of the species recorded, (71) bird species (68.93%) were residents, 29 Palaearctic migrants (28.16%) and 3 Intra-African migrants (2.91 %). The overall species composition of birds during the wet and dry seasons was not significantly different, but there was a significant difference within the study sites. There was no significant seasonal difference in the abundance of birds in Lake Hawassa and the riverine habitat. However, dry season had an effect on the avian abundance in Cheleleka wetland. Distributions of bird species were variable in the study areas. The results imply the need to conserve the avifauna of the whole study sites through the conservation of their habitats. Key words: Wetland birds, abundance, endemic, migrant, resident.
Highlights
Birds, known as Aves, are the best-known class of vertebrate animals that occur worldwide in most habitats (Wenny et al, 2011; Sekercioglu, 2012)
Out of the species recorded in the study area, Wattled Ibis (Bostrychia carunculata), Banded Barbet (Lybius undatus) and Black-winged lovebird (Agapornis taranta), were endemic to both Ethiopia and Eritrea
The present study shows that the lake and the associated wetland habitats are likely to have enough trees and vegetation covers to serve as a foraging site for a substantial number of bird species
Summary
Known as Aves, are the best-known class of vertebrate animals that occur worldwide in most habitats (Wenny et al, 2011; Sekercioglu, 2012). Most of the birds are useful to mankind They play a useful role in the control of insect pests of agricultural crops, as predators of rodents, as scavengers, as seed dispersers, and as pollinating agents (Hadley et al, 2012; Ramchandra, 2013). The diversity of these organisms is one of the most important ecological indicators to evaluate the quality of habitats (Manjunath, 2012). 1,469 species are considered threatened with extinction, 1,017 species are near threatened, 62 species
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