BIRDS OF THE UNDERSTORY OF LAKE‐SHORE FORESTS ON THE ENTEBBE PENINSULA, UGANDA

SummaryMonthly mist‐netting of low‐flying forest birds was conducted in three lake‐shore forests in southern Uganda from September 1970 to July 1972. It was found that the edge of the forest formed a distinct ecological barrier that was rarely crossed by species on either side of it. Catches were concentrated in the hours of daylight, in two peaks, a morning peak at 09.00 hrs and an afternoon peak at 16.00 hrs (sun‐time) for all birds combined, although there were slight species differences. Most bird species were found to be sedentary in a fixed home‐range, and covered lateral distances of up to c. 300 m. No movement between the different forests was recorded.The most common birds such as bulbuls were often caught at heights between 0·6 and 1·8 m above the ground, but the upper limit of their vertical range was not determined. It is suggested that the bi‐modality of flight activity may be intrinsic, even though it may be correlated with such extrinsic factors as light and radiation. On a month to month basis, the numbers of birds caught reflected breeding and moult activity. This was best shown by the Pygmy Kingfisher, taken in higher numbers towards the end of the first rainy season when a majority of the birds caught were young and many birds were moulting the remiges. On the other hand higher numbers of Olive Sunbird were found during the second rainy season, again at a time corresponding to a general moulting of remiges. The bulbuls showed fluctuations in numbers caught that were matched by an equally fluctuating pattern of moult. The role of food as a possible limiting factor in bird breeding is discussed.