Response of the waterbird community to floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) cover at Ngamo dam, Antelope Park, Zimbabwe.

Abstract

AbstractLittle is known on the influence of invasive aquatic weeds on afro‐tropical waterbird communities. We used bird counts in sites of varying floating pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides cover to explore the relationship between the weed and the waterbird community dynamics at Ngamo dam, Antelope Park, Zimbabwe. Waterbird communities in low‐to‐medium weed cover sites were more diverse and abundant compared to sites of high weed cover. In addition to supporting birds such as African Jacana which are able to forage within dense aquatic plants, high weed cover sites were associated with birds whose diets include invertebrates and fish which are likely more abundant and diverse in these sites. In contrast, low‐to‐medium weed cover sites were associated with bird species such as Common Moorhen, Great Egret, Pied Kingfisher and African Fish Eagle which require accessible open water and forage for diving, swimming or wading. The increased bird abundance in low‐to‐medium weed cover sites also likely increases prey for predatory birds. Thus, the negative changes in the waterbird community composition, abundance and diversity in response to increasing floating pennywort cover reflects species‐specific tolerances to floating pennywort and its influence on accessible open water, foraging sites and prey availability.