A vifauna l S urveys of Hilltop forests in the semi - arid areas of Kitui and Mwingi Districts, Eastern Kenya

Abstract

We conducte d an extensive avifaunal survey in the poorly known dryland hilltop forests of Kitui and Mwingi Districts to provide an inventory of the birds species. The survey covered f ive dryland hilltop masses namely : Mutha, Endau, Nuu, Mutito and Mumoni between Octo ber 2004 and June 2005 covering wet and dry seasons. A combination of Timed Species Counts, Mist - netting and general observations were employed to sample birds at different micro - habitat types and altitude levels. A total of 149 species within 44 families were encountered during the entire study period. A total of 363 individuals of 35 bird species were ringed through the standard mist - netting procedures. Some four Afro - Tropical and 14 Palaearctic migrants were recorded. There w as a total of 14 new species records for this area which included five globally threatened species, namely: African Crowned Eagle (confirmed breeding), Martial Eagle, Ayers’s Hawk Eagle, Lesser Kestrel and Hinde’s Babbler. Other species of conservation concern include the White Stork ( Ciconia ciconia ). These Hills are clearly important sites for raptors both Afrotropical and palaearctic migrants. These sites have high po tential for bird - watching and Avi - tourism due to the high diversity and abundance of beautiful birds and sceneries . T he baseline data reported here suggest that these forests are of exceptional conservation important for birds and we recommend that these sites be considered for inclusion in the Kenya’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) network.