Mgambo Forest Reserve: A biodiversity survey. - Eastern Arc ...

Mgambo Forest Reserve
Two bird species observed in Mgambo FR were of restricted range and are summarised in Table
27.
Table 27 Restricted ranges of near endemic birds
(1º source: Statterfield et al (1998), 2º Mlingwa et al. 2000), 3º: source: UDSM (1997).)
Species name Common name Range
Campethera mombassica Mombasa Woodpecker East Usambara Mountains and Coastal forests
north of Tanga from Shimba NP to Boni Forest.
Tauraco fischeri Fischer’s Tauraco Endemic to Tanzania, Kenya, Coastal forest
endemic.
Apart from those birds that are of obvious importance in terms of threat status and retricted range,
such as Tauraco fischeri (Fischer’s tauraco) which has been used to define one of the Birdlife
International Endemic Bird Areas, there were a number of birds that were interesting because they
are locally common and have a restricted and patchy distribution in East Africa. These include:
Lonchura fringilloides (Magpie mannikin), commonly known from Amani; Tauraco
porphyreolophus chlorochlamys (Purple-crested turaco), with no recent records in north Tanzania
(Zimmerman et al 1996); and Onychognathus morio (Red-winged starling), known to be rare in
the Usambara foothills.
Bycanistes brevis (Silvery cheeked hornbill), Bycanistes bucinator (Trumpeter hornbill) and
Stactolamema leucotis kilimensis (White-eared barbet) are common but fairly restricted to North
Eastern Tanzania and Southern Kenya.
Also of interest was Ispinina picta natalensis (African pygmy kingfisher), a non-breeding migrant
species from South Africa, present in Coastal forests from April to September, and Cossypha
natalensis (Red-capped Robin-chat), an Afrotropical migrant.
It is also important to consider the birds species that have not been found in Mgambo forest
reserve, such as the lowland species: Sokoke scops owl, Otus ireneae; the endemic Usambara
eagle owl, Bubo vosseleri; Swynnerton’s robin, Swynnertonia swynnertoni; East coast akalat,
Sheppardia gunningi; Amani sunbird, Anthreptes pallidigasterthe Banded green sunbird,
Anthreptes rubritorques and the near-threatened Southern banded snake eagle (Circaetus
fasciolatus). Forest dependent species, such as Burr-spotted fluff tail (Sarothrura elegans), Barred
long-tailed cuckoo (Cercococcyx montanus) and the Forest batis (Batis mixta), are known from
wetter and more intact lowland forest areas of the East Usambaras. Therefore, this preliminary
bird species list may suggest that Mgambo is too dry and fragmented for many typical lowland
coastal forest species.
5.4.3 Reptiles
A total of 45 reptile individuals representing 20 species and 9 families were captured in Mgambo
FR during 1320 pitfall trapping nights and opportunistic collection. These species are summarised
in Table 28. At least one individual representing each species were taken as specimens for
taxonomic purposes and await formal identification. Nomenclature follows Spawls et al (2002).
East Usambara Conservation Area Management Programme Technical Paper 59
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