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Fisheries in the Southern Border Zone of Takamanda - Impact ...

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Assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bird Fauna<br />

Table 4. Restricted range (total world range less than 50.000<br />

km²) bird species <strong>of</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve, Cameroon.<br />

GCL: species conf<strong>in</strong>ed to <strong>the</strong> Gabon-Cameroon Lowland<br />

Forest Endemic Bird Area; CNM: species conf<strong>in</strong>ed to <strong>the</strong><br />

Cameroon-Nigeria Mounta<strong>in</strong>.<br />

EBA English name Scientific name<br />

GCL Forest Swallow Hirundo fulig<strong>in</strong>osa<br />

GCL Grey-necked<br />

Picathartes<br />

GCL Rachel©s Malimbe<br />

CNM<br />

Cameroon Montane<br />

Greenbul<br />

CNM Grey-throated<br />

Greenbul<br />

CNM<br />

Cameroon Olive<br />

Greenbul<br />

CNM<br />

Mounta<strong>in</strong> Rob<strong>in</strong>-<br />

Chat<br />

CNM<br />

Bangwa Forest<br />

Warbler<br />

CNM Brown-backed<br />

Cisticola<br />

Picathartes oreas<br />

Malimbus<br />

racheliae<br />

Andropadus<br />

montanus<br />

Andropadus<br />

tephrolaemus<br />

Phyllastrephus<br />

poensis<br />

Cossypha isabellae<br />

Bradypterus<br />

bangwaensis<br />

Cisticola discolor<br />

CNM Green Longtail Urolais epichlora<br />

CNM White-tailed Warbler Poliolais lopezi<br />

CNM Black-capped<br />

Woodland Warbler<br />

Phylloscopus<br />

herberti<br />

CNM White-throated<br />

Mounta<strong>in</strong> Babbler<br />

Kupeornis gilberti<br />

CNM<br />

Cameroon Blueheaded<br />

Sunbird<br />

Cyanomitra oritis<br />

CNM Yellow-breasted<br />

Boubou<br />

Laniarius<br />

atr<strong>of</strong>lavus<br />

CNM Bannerman©s Weaver Ploceus<br />

bannermani<br />

recorded toge<strong>the</strong>r at <strong>the</strong> same spot (<strong>the</strong>y were about 3 km<br />

apart), but <strong>the</strong>ir ranges obviously meet <strong>in</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong>,<br />

with possibly an overlap and an ecological separation as<br />

shown by Eisentraut (1973) to occur around Mt.<br />

Cameroon and Kumba.<br />

The current surveys also extended to <strong>the</strong> north <strong>the</strong><br />

range <strong>in</strong> Cameroon <strong>of</strong> more than 20 lowland forest<br />

species.<br />

F<strong>in</strong>ally, we recorded two adult males <strong>of</strong> an<br />

unidentified Malimbe Malimbus species at Obonyi I for<br />

more than 15 m<strong>in</strong>utes on a dead tree <strong>in</strong> farm bush. The<br />

description <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> birds fits <strong>the</strong> highly threatened and<br />

local Ibadan Malimbe Malimbus ibadanensis, which is<br />

so far known only from western Nigeria. The birds were<br />

vocal, and <strong>the</strong> song and calls did not fit any o<strong>the</strong>r species<br />

<strong>of</strong> Malimbe. Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong>re are no record<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> M.<br />

ibadanensis for comparison. Because Ibadan Malimbe is<br />

very rare and local, we need confirmation <strong>of</strong> our<br />

observation. We also note several unconfirmed records <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> closely related Cass<strong>in</strong>’s Malimbe Malimbus cass<strong>in</strong>i<br />

west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sanaga, where this species is not found<br />

(Louette 1981, Keen 1993, Williams 1993). We do not<br />

rule out <strong>the</strong> possibility that <strong>the</strong>se records may refer to <strong>the</strong><br />

unknown species <strong>of</strong> Malimbe that we recorded or to<br />

Ibadan Malimbe.<br />

4 Conclusions<br />

4.1 <strong>Takamanda</strong> is an Important Bird Area<br />

<strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve clearly qualifies as an<br />

Important Bird Area, based on <strong>the</strong> three follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />

criteria: presence <strong>of</strong> endangered species, presence <strong>of</strong><br />

restricted-range species, and occurrence <strong>of</strong> a vast array <strong>of</strong><br />

biome-restricted species.<br />

4.2 Regional significance <strong>of</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong><br />

Forest Reserve<br />

The montane and sub-montane avifauna <strong>of</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> is<br />

more important than previously thought. The highest<br />

sector <strong>of</strong> <strong>Takamanda</strong> Forest Reserve must be considered,<br />

from a biological po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> view, as an extension <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Obudu plateau. The occurrence <strong>of</strong> a large montane<br />

avifauna, with several endangered and endemic species,<br />

def<strong>in</strong>itely deserves special attention from a conservation<br />

perspective. As noted, <strong>of</strong> special significance is <strong>the</strong> midaltitude<br />

transition forest, which suffers from<br />

SI/MAB Series #8, 2003<br />

99

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