Comparative studies on the diversity and relative abundance of waterbird species in three southwest Ethiopian wetlands

Abstract Wetlands are significant habitats for avian populations, and knowledge of the diversity and other ecological aspects of waterbirds contribute a lot to the management of the ecosystem. The present study was conducted based on comparative studies on the diversity and relative abundance of waterbird species in the three wetlands of southwest Ethiopia. The point count method was utilized in this study. For the data analysis, the Shannon-Weaver diversity index, independent sample t-test, and similarity index were employed. A total of 46 bird species under 11 orders and 30 families were identified. The species diversity and relative abundance were higher in all of the three wetlands during the wet season. The Loga wetland had the highest diversity (H’ = 3.089), whereas the lowest diversity (H’ = 2.643) was recorded in the wetland of Hurri. During the dry season, the highest and the lowest diversity were also recorded in the Loga wetland (H’ = 2.738) and the Hurri habitat (H’ = 2.283), respectively. There is no statistically significant difference between seasons in the species diversity of waterbirds (p > 0.05). Since the existence of waterbirds is based on a wetland ecosystem; human activities very near to the wetland should be controlled for their sustainable conservation.