Diversity and Abundance of Avifauna: Implications for Conservation and Ecotourism Development in Suba Forest, Central Ethiopia

Abstract Background: Birds are among essential taxa in various ecosystems where their presence/absence and status indicate conditions of the habitats. Bird watching can bring economic resources to communities diversifying their livelihoods and contributing to biodiversity conservation in areas of bird habitats. Hence, a detailed understanding of species biogeography, diversity, and abundance is critical ecological information to evaluate or develop conservation strategies. The present study was conducted to assess species diversity and abundance of avifauna during wet and dry seasons of 2021 implications for conservation and ecotourism development in the Suba forest, Central Ethiopia. Stratified random sampling technique was utilized to select sampling blocks from each habitat type. Data were collected using lines transect and points transect count methods. Diversity of the species was computed using the Simpson's and Shannon-Weiner diversity indices. A two-way ANOVA was applied to know the effect of habitat and seasonality on avian species richness and abundance. Results: A total of 132 birds belonging to 51 families were identified during the study period. Among the recorded bird species, 124 were found to be residents. Four were endemic to Ethiopia, six were endemic to Ethiopia and Eritrea, and seven were globally threatened. The highest, H' = 4.569, and the lowest, H' = 3.935, of bird species was observed in natural forest and farmland habitats during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Approximately half of the recorded species were found to be common. The difference in habitat type and variation in the season had substantial effects on the species abundance and richness. Plantation forest and farmland habitats had more worth mentioning community similarity. The forest has frequently been visited by domestic tourists than foreign non- resident and foreign resident tourists in the last 10 years. Conclusions: Suba forest is abundant in avifaunal resources with high ecotourism potential but lacks functioning conservation efforts and research. Thus, effective conservation measures and further research in other aspects of the forest are required.