Avian diversity in forest gaps of Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda

We studied gap avifaunal diversity in eight forest gaps within Kibale National Park using point counts. A total of 348 individuals comprising 55 species were recorded. A species-accumulation curve showed that, although not all possible species were recorded, this was a reliable representation of the entire gap avian diversity of Kibale forest. Next, we categorized the observed avifauna in terms of forest dependence and feeding guilds. Whereas the proportions based on forest-dependency were significantly different from the expected proportions when considering the avian community for the entire forest, those based on feeding guilds were not. Gap size and vegetation cover density both had positive correlations with species richness and abundance, though not always statistically significant. This study shows that gaps significantly contribute to the overall avian species richness of Kibale forest. This could be either through supporting entirely different species, or providing a burst of new resources that enables forest species to extend their home ranges or live at higher densities.