Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c4f8m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T23:22:32.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Key bird species of Marojejy Strict Nature Reserve, Madagascar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

M. I. Evans ,
J. W. Duckworth ,
A. F. A. Hawkins ,
R. J. Safford ,
B. C. Sheldon  and
R. J. Wilkinson
M. I. Evans
Affiliation:
Montrose, Llanddeiniol, Llanrhystud, Dyfed SY23 5AN, U.K.
J. W. Duckworth
Affiliation:
Dept of Zoology, Douming Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, U.K.
A. F. A. Hawkins
Affiliation:
10 Lodway Gardens, Pill, Bristol BS20 oDL, U.K.
R. J. Safford
Affiliation:
16 Berwyn Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 5BS, U.K.
B. C. Sheldon
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K.
R. J. Wilkinson
Affiliation:
27 Blackbrook Park Avenue, Fareham, Hampshire PO15 5/N, U.K.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

From mid-August to late October 1988, Marojejy Strict Nature Reserve, in the northern part of Madagascar's rainforest, was surveyed for birds. The reserve extends from 75 to 2,133 m altitude and the 60,150 ha comprise an almost intact series of altitudinal forest zones. Observations were made in all forest zones and at all altitudes of the reserve and the total of 104 species found included almost all Madagascan rainforest birds, making Marojejy one of the most important sites for bird conservation in Madagascar. The status of the eight threatened, 10 near-threatened and two restricted-range species observed is detailed here, together with notes on their ecology and behaviour. Finds of major conservation interest included the first documented sighting of Madagascar Serpent-eagle Eutriorchis astur since 1930, a healthy population of Henst's Goshawk Accipiter henstü, all four rainforest ground-rollers Brachypteracüdae and a new population of Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity Neodrepanis hypoxantha. Furthermore, the patchy distribution of Helmetbird Euryceros prevostü urges reconsideration of its current assessment as not at risk. Four threatened species (Rufous-headed Ground-roller Atelornis crossleyi, Yellow-bellied Sun-bird-asity, Grey-crowned Greenbul Phyllastrephus cinereiceps and Madagascar Yellowbrow Crossleyia xanthophrys) were found only in the upper montane forests; this apparent altitudinal preference for three of these species had not been suggested before this survey. The major threat to the birds of Marojejy is the ceaseless piecemeal clearance of the reserve's forest, which is proceeding inwards from the boundary.

De la mi-aout a la fin octobre 1988, une etude sur les oiseaux a été menee dans la Reserve Naturelle Integrate de Marojejy, situee dans le nord de la foret equatoriale de Madagascar. La reserve s'etend sur une altitude allant de 75 a 2,133 metres et sa superficie de 60,150 ha abrite une serie de forets d'altitude restees pratiquement intactes. Des observations ont 6te faites dans toutes les zones foresrieres et a toutes les altitudes de cette reserve et les 104 especes d'oiseaux trouvees incluaient presque toutes les especes d'oiseaux de la foret tropicale de Madagascar, la reserve de Marojejy representant ainsi l'un des sites de conservation des oiseaux les plus importants de Madagascar. La situation des huit especes menacees, dix especes presque menacees et deux especes a distribution geographique limitee, observees au cours de l'etude, est decrite ici en detail, avec des notes sur leur ecologie et leur comportement.

Parmi les decouvertes particulierement interessantes pour la conservation, nous pouvons citer la premiere observation documented de l'aigle-autour Eutriorchis astur depuis 1930, une population bien developpee de Accipiter henstü, l'ensemble des quatre types forestieres de Brachypteracüdae et une nouvelle population de Neodrepanis hypoxan-tha. De plus, la repartition geographique inegale de YEuryceros prevostü exige une reconsideration urgente de son evaluation actuelle en tant qu'espece sans risque. Quatre especes menacees (Atelornis crossleyi, Neodrepanis hypoxantha, Phyllastrephus cinereiceps et Crossleyia xanthophrys) n'ont été trouvees que dans les forets de haute altitude: l'apparente preference de ces trois especes pour les hautes altitudes n'avait pas été suggeree avant cette etude. La principale menace pour les oiseaux de Marojejy est le defrichage incessant de la foret de la reserve, cette destruction s'etendant progressive-ment de l'exterieur vers l'interieur de la foret.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , September 1992 , pp. 201 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1992

References

Benson, C. W., Colebrook-Robjent, J. F. R. and Williams, A. (1976-1977) Contribution a l'ornithologie de Madagascar. Oiseau et R.F.O. 46:103-134, 209-242, 367-386; 47: 41–64, 167-191.Google Scholar
Brown, L. H., Urban, E. K. and Newman, K. (1982) The birds of Africa, 1. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Cade, T. (1982) The falcons of the world. London: Collins.Google Scholar
Colebrook-Robjent, J. F. R. (1973) The breeding of the Madagascar Banded Kestrel. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 93: 108–111.Google Scholar
Collar, N. J. and Stuart, S. N. (1985) Threatened birds of Africa and related islands: the IUCN red data book. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation.Google Scholar
Collar, N. J. and Stuart, S. N. (1988) Key forests for threatened birds in Africa. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Monograph 3).Google Scholar
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K. E. L., eds. (1980) Birds of the western Palearctic, 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Dee, T. J. (1986) The endemic birds of Madagascar. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation.Google Scholar
Duckworth, J. W. (in press) Feeding damage left in bamboo, probably by Aye-ayes Daubentonia madagascariensis. Internatn. J. Primatol.Google Scholar
Evans, M. I. (1991) The Red-tailed Newtonia Newtonia fanovanae in the Ambatovaky reserve, north-east Madagascar. Bird Conserv. Internatn. 1: 47–52.Google Scholar
Goodman, S. M. and Schulenberg, T. S. (1991) The rediscovery of the Red-tailed New-tonia Newtonia fanovanae in south-eastern Madagascar with notes on the natural history of the genus Newtonia. Bird Conserv. Internatn. 1: 33–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, G. M. and Sussman, R. W. (1990) Deforestation history of the eastern rain forests of Madagascar from satellite images. Science 248: 212–215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griveaud, P. (1960) Une mission entomologique au Marojejy. Naturaliste Malgache 12: 43–55.Google Scholar
Guillaumet, J.-L. (1984) The vegetation: an extraordinary diversity. Pp. 27–54 in Jolly, A., Oberlé, P. and Albignac, E. R., eds. Key environments: Madagascar. Oxford: Pergamon.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guillaumet, J.-L., Betsch, J.-M., Blanc, C., Morat, P., Peyrieras, A. and Paulian, R. (1975) Étude des ecosystèmes montagnards dans la région malgache. III Le Marojejy. IV L'ltremo et l'lbity. Géomorphologie, climatologie, faune et flore (Campagne RCP 225, 1972-73). Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. (Paris), sér. 3, 309 (Ecol. Générale) 25: 27–67.Google Scholar
Hawkins, A. F. A., Duckworth, J. W., Evans, M. I. and Safford, R. J. (in prep.) The status, identification and conservation of the Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity Neodrepanis hypoxantha.Google Scholar
Humbert, H. (1955) Une merveille de la nature à Madagascar. Première exploration botanique du massif de Marojejy, et de ses satellites. Mém. Inst. Sci. Madagascar, Série B, Tome VI.Google Scholar
Jenkins, M. D., ed. (1987) Madagascar, an environmental profile. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, U.K.: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.Google Scholar
King, W. B. (1978-1979) Red data book, 2: Aves. Second edition. Morges, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.Google Scholar
Langrand, O. (1990) Guide to the birds of Madagascar. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Langrand, O. and Meyburg, B.-U. (1984) Birds of prey and owls in Madagascar: their distribution, status and conservation. Pp. 3–13 in Mendelsohn, J. M. and Sapsford, C. W., eds. Proceedings of the Second Symposium on African predatory birds, 22-26 August 1983. Durban: Natal Bird Club.Google Scholar
Lavauden, L. (1937) Supplément. In: A. Milne-Edwards and A. Grandidier, Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar, 12. Oiseaux. Paris: Sociétés d'Editions Géographiques, Maritimes et Coloniales.Google Scholar
Ministère de l'Education Nationale à Madagascar (1964) Carte geologique et miniere [1:1,000,000 map, three sheets]. Antananarivo.Google Scholar
Nicoll, M. E. and Langrand, O. (1989) Madagascar: revue de la conservation et des aires protegees. Gland, Switzerland: World Wide Fund for Nature.Google Scholar
Quansah, N., ed. (1988) Manongarivo Special Reserve (Madagascar) 1987/88 Expedition Report. London: Madagascar Environmental Research Group.Google Scholar
Rand, A. L. (1932) Mission Franco-Anglo-Américaine à Madagascar. Notes de voyage. Oiseau et R.F.O. 2: 227–282.Google Scholar
Rand, A. L. (1936) The distribution and habits of Madagascar birds. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat.Hist. 72: 143–499.Google Scholar
Raxworthy, C. J. and Colston, P. R. (1992) Conclusive evidence for the continuing existence of the Madagascar Serpent-eagle. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 112: 108–111.Google Scholar
Safford, R. J. and Duckworth, J. W., eds. (1990) A wildlife survey of Marojejy nature reserve, Madagascar. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Study Report 40).Google Scholar
Safford, R. J., Duckworth, J. W., Evans, M. I., Hawkins, A. F. A., Sheldon, B. C. and Wilkinson, R. J. (in prep.) The bird communities of Marojejy Strict Nature Reserve.Google Scholar
Sheldon, B. C. and Duckworth, J. W. (1990) The rediscovery of the Madagascar Serpent-eagle Eutriorchis astur. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 110: 126–130.Google Scholar
Thiollay, J. M. (1989) Area requirements for the conservation of rain forest raptors and gamebirds in French Guiana. Consent. Biol. 3: 128–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, P. M. and Evans, M. I. (1992) The threatened birds of Ambatovaky Special Reserve, Madagascar. Bird Conserv. Internatn. 2 (this issue).Google Scholar
Turner, D. A. (1984) The ground-rollers of Madagascar. Proc. V Pan-Afr. Orn. Congr.: 553–557.Google Scholar
White, F. (1983) The vegetation of Africa. A descriptive memoir to accompany the Unescol AETFAT/UNSO vegetation map of Africa. Paris: Unesco.Google Scholar
Whitmore, T. C. (1984) Tropical rain forests of the Far East. Second edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar