Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T14:11:07.088Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Conserving the endemic birds on the Comoro Islands, I: general considerations on survival prospects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Michel Louette  and
Jan Stevens
Michel Louette
Affiliation:
Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium
Jan Stevens
Affiliation:
Provinciaal Natuurcentrum, Zuivelmarkt 33, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The status of the Comoro endemic birds is briefly reviewed. Field data were gathered during expeditions in 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1989.

Some native birds (Cyanolanius madagascarinus, Dicrurus fuscipennis on Ngazidja, Treron australis on Mwali, Accipiter francesae, Otus rutilus, Leptosomus discolor on Ndzuani, Dicrurus waldenii on Maore) are so rare that they are certainly highly endangered. The altitudinal stenotopy of a few other species makes them also very vulnerable, e.g. Zosterops mouroniensis in the tree-heath zone on Mount Karthala above 1,750 m. A preliminary analysis of habitat preference on Ngazidja suggests a relatively large flexibility of most forest species between different types of forest, including those with altered vegetation structure, but demonstrated their absence in plantations without large trees and/or natural shrubs. Comparison of density of species in Ngazidja and Mwali and an overview of the avifaunal composition on all four islands are the basis for a discussion on colonization history (with possible extinctions), historical change in avifaunal composition, the suitability of each island for the different species and the completeness of their avifauna. The results are checked for possible threats and necessary actions for conservation. Competition by introduced species does not yet seem to be a problem. But importation of foreign animals must be banned and hunting must be regulated (especially for pigeons). Habitat loss (overexploitation of the forest) will soon become a serious problem for the stenotopie forest birds. A suggestion is made for delimiting a national park on Ngazidja and Mwali. Most controversial is the development of tourism. For long-lasting results, education of local people is necessary, together with full liaison with the authorities.

Il s'agit d'un rapide réexamen du statut des oiseaux endémiques des îles Comores. Des données ont été rassemblées sur le terrain au cours d'expéditions effectuées en 1981, 1983, 1985 et 1989. Certains oiseaux de la région (Cyanolanius madagascarinus, Dicrurus fuscipennis sur l'île Ngazidja, Treron australis sur l'île Mwali, Accipiter francesae, Otus rutilus, Leptosomus discolor sur l'île Ndzuani, Dicrurus waldenii sur l'île Maore) sont tellement rares qu'ils sont certainement hautement menacés. La sténotopie d'altitude de quelques autres espèces les rend également très vulnérables, par exemple Zosterops mouroniensis dans la zone couverte de bruyère sur la montagne Karthala, au-dessus de 1,750 mètres. Une étude préliminaire des préférences d'habitat sur l'île Ngazidja suggère, pour la plupart des espèces forestières, une flexibilité relativement grande quant à leur choix entre les différents types de forêt, y compris ayant une structure végétale modifiée. En revanche, cette étude montre l'absence de toute espèce dans les plantations ne comportant pas de grands arbres et/ou arbustes naturels. La comparaison des densités d'espèces sur les îles Ngazidja et Mwali, ainsi qu'un examen de la composition avifaunique des quatres îles, sont la base d'une discussion sur l'histoire de la colonisation (avec les extinctions possibles), les changements historiques dans la composition avifaunique, l'adéquation de chaque île pour les différentes espèces et le caractère complet de leur avifaune. Les résultats sont vérifiés pour identifier les menaces possibles et les actions de conservation nécessaires. La compétition venant d'espèces introduites ne semble pas encore poser de problème. Mais l'importation d'animaux étrangers doit être prohibée et la chasse contrôlée (surtout pour les pigeons). La perte de l'habitat (sur-exploitation de la forêt) deviendra bientôt un problème sérieux pour les oiseaux forestiers sténotopiques. Une suggestion a efé faite pour démarquer un pare national sur les îles Ngazidja et Mwali. Le développement le plus controversé est celui du tourisme. Pour parvenir à des résultats à long terme, il est nécessaire d'éduquer la population locale, et d'établir une véritable liaison avec les autorités.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , March 1992 , pp. 61 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1992

References

Anonymous (1989) République Fédérate Islamique des Comores. Etude de la stratégie agricole. Rapport principal. Ed. BDPA-SCETAGRI.Google Scholar
Baker, N. E. (1990) Three deletions from the avifauna of Tanzania. Scopus 14: 34–35.Google Scholar
Benson, C. W. (1960) The birds of the Comoro Islands: results of the British Ornithologists' Union Centenary Expedition 1958. Ibis 103b: 5–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benson, C. W. and Penny, M. J. (1971) The land birds of Aldabra. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 260: 417–527.Google Scholar
Benson, C. W., Beamish, H. H., Jouanin, C, Salvan, J. and Watson, G. E. (1975) The birds of the lies Glorieuses. Atoll Res. Bull. 176:1–34.Google Scholar
Bijnens, L., Stevens, J., Janssens, L. and Louette, M. (1987) Community structure of Grand Comoro land birds with special reference to the ecology of congeneric species. Rev. Zool. Afr. 191: 221–232.Google Scholar
Blondel, J. (1985) Habitat selection in island versus mainland birds. Pp. 477–516 in Cody, M. L., ed. Habitat selection in birds. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Cheke, A. S. (1987) An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates. Pp. 5–89 in Diamond, A. W., ed. Studies in Mascarene Island birds. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cheke, A. S. and Diamond, A. W. (1986) Birds on Moheli and Grand Comoro (Comoro Islands) in February 1975. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 106:138–148.Google Scholar
Collar, N. J. and Stuart, S. N. (1985) Threatened birds of Africa and related islands: the ICBPI IUCN Red Data Book, part 1. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation.Google Scholar
Dee, T. J. (1986) The endemic birds of Madagascar. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation.Google Scholar
Diamond, A. W. (1985) The conservation of landbirds on islands in the Tropical Indian Ocean. Pp. 85–100 in Moors, P.J., ed. Conservation of island birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 3).Google Scholar
Fogden, M. P. L. (1972) The seasonality and population dynamics of equatorial forest birds in Sarawak. Ibis 114: 307–343.Google Scholar
Herremans, M. (1988) Inter-island variation in bird vocalizations on the Comoros. Proc. 6th Pan-Afr. Orn. Congr.: 281–295.Google Scholar
Herremans, M., Louette, M. and Stevens, J. (1991) Conservation status and vocal and morphological description of the Grand Comoro Scops Owls Otus pauliani Benson i960. Bird Conserv. Internatn. 1: 123–133.Google Scholar
Louette, M. (1984) Le nombre d'espèces par genre (genus) aux Comores et aux lies avoisinantes. Africa-Tervuren 30: 40–48.Google Scholar
Louette, M. (1988a) Les oiseaux des Comores. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr. (Zool.) 255:1–192.Google Scholar
Louette, M. (1988b) La conservation des oiseaux de Mayotte (Maore). Pp. 197–207 in Thibault, J.-C. and Guyot, I., eds. Livre rouge des oiseaux menaces des départements, territoires collectivites territoriales d'outre-mer. Paris: CIPO (Monogr. 5)Google Scholar
Louette, M. (in press) Origin and evolution of Comoro land birds. Proc. jth Pan-Afr. Orn. Congr.Google Scholar
Louette, M. and Herremans, M. (1982) The Blue Vanga Cyanolanius madagascarinus on Grand Comoro. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 102: 132–135.Google Scholar
Louette, M. and Herremans, M. (1985) Taxonomy and evolution in the bulbuls (Hyp-sipetes) on the Comoro Islands. Proc. Int. Symp. Afric. Vert. Bonn: 407–423.Google Scholar
Louette, M., Stevens, J., Bijnens, L. and Janssens, L. (1988) Survey of the endemic avifauna of the Comoro Islands. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Study Report 25).Google Scholar
Louette, M., Herremans, M., Stevens, J. and Janssens, L. (1989) Comparison of forest bird communities on Ngazidja and Mwali (Comoro Islands). Ostrich (suppl.) 14: 33–37.Google Scholar
Louette, M., Stevens, J., Herremans, M. and Vangeluwe, D. (1990a) Red data bird: Grand Comoro Scops Owl. World Birdwatch 12 (1-2): 13.Google Scholar
Louette, M., Stevens, J., Herremans, M. and Vangeluwe, D. (1990b) Conservation training and avifaunal inventories on the Comoro Islands. Final report to ICBP. Unpublished.Google Scholar
Olson, S. L. (1989) Extinction on islands: man as a catastrophe. Pp. 50–53 in Western, D. and Pearl, M., Conservation for the twenty-first century. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Pielou, E. C. (1983) Populations and community ecology: principles and methods. London: Gordon and Breach.Google Scholar
Ripley, S. D. and Beehler, B. M. (1989) Ornithogeographic affinities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. J. Biogeogr. 16: 323–332.Google Scholar
Stevens, J. and Louette, M. (1990) Fluctuation of native forest bird abundances on Grand Comoro and prospects for conservation. Abstract XX Congr. Int. Orn.Google Scholar
Ulfstrand, S. (1980) Avifaunistic enrichment and bird community saturation. Acta XVII Congr. Int. Orn.: 1078–1081.Google Scholar
Verner, J. (1986) Predicting effects on habitat patchiness and fragmentation - the researcher's viewpoint. In: Verner, J., Morrison, M. L. and Ralph, C. J., eds. Wildlife 2000: modeling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar