SEASONAL DYNAMICS IN THE DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF AVIFAUNA IN AGROECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES IN NWIKPEBA, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Agricultural intensification as a result of population pressure in tropical ecosystems is a prevailing cause of deforestation and habitat loss for wildlife species. There is a dearth of information on birds of the agroecosystems in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. This study seeks to explore relevant data to close the gap required to design conservation programs for birds whose survival is based on the rapidly changing agroecosystems. This study therefore aims at assessing the seasonal dynamics in diversity, abundance and distribution of avifauna in agroecological landscapes in Nwikpeba, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. An ecological survey was carried out in the study location to determine the diversity, abundance and distribution of avifauna in selected farm sites. Twelve (12) farm sites consisting of four (4) monocrop cassava, four (4) monocrop yam and four (4) mixed farms (cassava, corn and vegetables; corn, vegetables and yam; cassava, corn and okro; and cassava, okro and vegetables). Point count method was used bi-weekly for a period of 12months to monitor bird populations. Microsoft Office Excel and PAST software were used for data analysis. A total of 61 species belonging to 28 families were recorded. At the monofarms, a total of 777 and 1089 individuals belonging to 18 families were recorded during the wet and dry seasons, respectively - 32species were recorded in the wet season while 38species were recorded in the dry season. At the mixed farms, 1108 and 1688 individuals belonging to 28 families were recorded during the wet and dry seasons, respectively- 49 species were recorded in the wet season and 61species recorded in the dry season. The family Accipitridae had the highest number of bird species, 10 in number, followed by the Nectariniidae family with 8 species. Two species of conservation importance; Necrosyrtes monachus and Psittacus erithacus which are critically endangered were also recorded during the survey. This study suggests that agroecological landscapes could be of high conservation value for bird species considering the diverse habitats; edges, shrubs, patches, trees which are good sites for roosting, nesting and foraging. Proper farmland management practices could be adopted to further protect and conserve the bird species. More studies on the avian interactions in agroecological landscapes need to be carried out frequently