Avian species diversity in the southern Gulf of Lake Tana and head of the Blue Nile River, Ethiopia

Avian study in the southern Gulf of Lake Tana and head of the Blue Nile River, Ethiopia was conducted from June 2016 to April 2017 during the wet and dry seasons to examine species composition, relative abundance, and habitat association of birds. The study area was classified based on its vegetation cover and composition and the point count method was used to gather information about the occurrence of avian species and their relative abundances. A total of 131 avian species belonging to 15 orders and 53 families were identified. The wet and dry seasons data indicated that 122 and 108 avian species, respectively, were recorded. Agapornis tranta and Oriolus monachal are endemic birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea that are occurring in the study area. Moreover, two Intra-African migrant, Threskiornis aethiopicus and Milves migrans, and two Palearctic migrant, Delichon urbicum and Motacilla flava were identified in the area. The highest avian diversity was recorded in the Debremariam wetland (H’=3.96), while the lowest was at the adjacent areas of Lake Tana (H’=3.22). The relative abundance score showed that 54.8% of the avian species were uncommon and there was a significant difference in the relative abundance of birds between the wet and dry seasons (p<0.05). Different anthropogenic activities and urbanization are the main threats to the conservation of birds in the southern Gulf of Lake Tana. Therefore, appropriate management actions should be designed and implemented to ensure the conservation of birds in the Lake and its adjacent habitats. Keywords: Blue Nile, endemic, Lake Tana, species diversity, point count