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Preliminary survey of the avifauna of Mt Tchabal Mbabo, west-central Cameroon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Thomas Bates Smith  and
Duncan Mcniven
Thomas Bates Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94321, U.S.A.
Duncan Mcniven
Affiliation:
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K.
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Summary

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The montane forests of western Cameroon are well known for their endemic birds. The most northerly such forests probably occur on Mt Tchabal Mbabo, where a preliminary survey of the avifauna in 1990 found 12 montane species, of which six represented significant range extensions, among them the threatened Ploceus bannermani. Given the increasing human pressures on other montane forests in Cameroon, Mt Tchabal Mbabo may be attractive for future conservation because of its comparative lack of human disturbance. Densities of indigenous people are low and there is a lack of significant hunting and firewood-gathering, the precipitous nature of the northern slope makes human intrusions difficult, and the lack of human disturbance may mean that local animal populations are stable.

Les forêts d'altitude de l'ouest du Cameroun sont bien connues pour leurs populations endémiques d'oiseaux. Les forêts les plus au nord sont celles du Mont Tchabal Mbabo, où un recensement préliminaire de la faune aviaire en 1990 a révélé 12 espèces, dont six avaient une aire de répartition relativement grande, y compris l'espèce menacée Ploceus bannermani. Etant donné l'accroissement des pressions humaines sur les autres forêts d'altitude au Cameroun, le Mont Tchabal Mbabo pourrait se réveler intéressant pour des programmes de conservation futurs, compte tenu d'une perturbation humaine relativement inexistante. Les densités de population indigène y sont faibles, et la chasse ainsi que le ramassage du bois pour les besoins domestiques ne sont pas significatifs. Les pentes abruptes du nord rendent difficile toute intrusion humaine, et l'absence de perturbations dues à l'homme pourrait signifier la stabilité des populations animales locales.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 1993 , pp. 13 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1993

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