Population status and distribution of Hinde’s Babbler (Turdoides hindei) in Meru National Park and Ngaya Forest Reserve areas of Meru County, Kenya
About this article
Abstract
Hinde’s Babbler is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with isolated populations confined to parts of central and eastern Kenya. A survey was conducted between June and December 2015 to assess and compare the population status of Hinde’s Babbler across a gradient of protection levels. Data were collected at intervals of 100 m along predetermined transects with a cumulative length of 19 km, where playback of Hinde’s Babbler was used to elicit responses from individual groups. At each point of detection, the total number of adults and offspring and the vegetation phenology were recorded. The entire habitat population was 540 individuals in the dry season (Ngaya FR, 255; Meru NP, 137; agricultural landscape, 148) and 411 individuals in the wet season (Ngaya FR, 168; Meru NP, 185; agricultural landscape, 58), although there was no statistically significant difference between the seasonal datasets. There was a significant difference between adults and juveniles in both seasons (Mann–Whitney: dry season, P = 0.0001; wet season, P = 0.0002). These results imply that the three sites are vital for the survival, conservation and management of this threatened species. Continuous monitoring of protected and unprotected sites is therefore necessary for the conservation of threatened avian species such as Hinde’s Babbler.
Keywords
- Hinde’s Babbler
- Ngaya
- Protection Gradient
- Population Status
- Threatened Species.
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