Species diversity and abundance of avifauna in the university of agriculture, Benue state, north central Nigeria

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to determine the species composition relative abundance and species diversity of avifauna found in and around University of Agriculture Makurdi fish ponds Transect line approach and direct observation methods were deployed for bird rsquo s survey Transect line approach was established using the dykes on the edges of the fish ponds with an interval of m apart A pair of binoculars was used for direct observation of birds Data was collected by carefully walking through the dykes on the edges of the fish ponds counting the birds seen in and around the fish ponds A field guide ldquo birds of West Africa rdquo was used for identification of birds Data were analyzed using paired t ndash test non paired t ndash test and independent t ndash test to test for the diversity between terrestrial and aquatic birds Frequency and percentage were used to estimate the relative abundance of each species A total of species made up of terrestrial and aquatic birds belonging to families were identified A total of birds comprising of both terrestrial and aquatic birds were recorded in the morning hours While birds comprising of both terrestrial and aquatic birds were recorded in the morning Ardeola ibis was the most abundant species followed by Streptopelia decipiens It was concluded that the birds observed were mainly local species such as Actophilormis africana Clamator jacobinus Centropus senegalensis Ploceus nigerrimus and many other species There was no significant difference in the number of terrestrial and aquatic birds observed during the study Further studies should be conducted to cover wet season and nocturnal birds to generate a comprehensive list of bird species in and around the University fish farm