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Occupancy of two forest specialist birds in the Southern Mistbelt Forests of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2020

S. THOBEKA GUMEDE Open the ORCID record for S. THOBEKA GUMEDE [Opens in a new window] ,
DAVID A. EHLERS SMITH ,
YVETTE C. EHLERS SMITH Open the ORCID record for YVETTE C. EHLERS SMITH [Opens in a new window] ,
SAMUKELISIWE P. NGCOBO ,
MBALENHLE T. SOSIBO ,
MFUNDO S. T. MASEKO  and
COLLEEN T. DOWNS Open the ORCID record for COLLEEN T. DOWNS [Opens in a new window]
S. THOBEKA GUMEDE
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
DAVID A. EHLERS SMITH
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
YVETTE C. EHLERS SMITH
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
SAMUKELISIWE P. NGCOBO
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
MBALENHLE T. SOSIBO
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
MFUNDO S. T. MASEKO
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
COLLEEN T. DOWNS*
Affiliation:
Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
*
*Author for correspondence; email: downs@ukzn.ac.za
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Summary

Establishing the specific habitat requirements of forest specialists in fragmented natural habitats is vital for their conservation. We used camera-trap surveys and microhabitat-scale covariates to assess the habitat requirements, probability of occupancy and detection of two terrestrial forest specialist species, the Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi and the Lemon Dove Aplopelia larvata during the breeding and non-breeding seasons of 2018–2019 in selected Southern Mistbelt Forests of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A series of camera-trap surveys over 21 days were conducted in conjunction with surveys of microhabitat structural covariates. During the wet season, percentage of leaf litter cover, short grass cover, short herb cover, tall herb cover and saplings 0–2 m, stem density of trees 6–10 m and trees 16–20 m were significant structural covariates for influencing Lemon Dove occupancy. In the dry season, stem density of 2–5 m and 10–15 m trees, percentage tall herb cover, short herb cover and 0–2 m saplings were significant covariates influencing Lemon Dove occupancy. Stem density of trees 2–5 m and 11–15 m, percentage of short grass cover and short herb cover were important site covariates influencing Orange Ground-thrush occupancy in the wet season. Our study highlighted the importance of a diverse habitat structure for both forest species. A high density of tall/mature trees was an essential microhabitat covariate, particularly for sufficient cover and food for these ground-dwelling birds. Avian forest specialists play a vital role in providing ecosystem services perpetuating forest habitat functioning. Conservation of the natural heterogeneity of their habitat is integral to management plans to prevent the decline of such species.

Keywords

Indigenous forestsOccupancySpecialist speciesLemon DoveSpotted Ground ThrushCamera trap
Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , March 2022 , pp. 27 - 42
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of BirdLife International

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