Realm: Terrestrial
Climate: Temperate
Biome: Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands
Central latitude: -17.858334
Central longitude: 30.666667
Duration: 20 years, from 1987 to 2013

4245 records

106 distinct species

Across the time series Actophilornis africanus is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

The first counts for Lake Chivero (then called Hunyani Poort Dam and, later, Lake McIlwaine) were done from January 1953 to March 1954 (Campbell and Miles 1956). Due to the high numbers of waterbirds at the two lakes, they were selected for counting as a part of the African Waterfowl Census coordinated by Wetlands International. There was particular emphasis on undertaking counts in January and July (to a lesser extent April and October) and the collected data were used to determine if the sites were of national and international importance (Dodman and Diagana 2003). Total counts were made for the two lakes during the period 1993–2003, in order to obtain an unbiased estimate of abundance. All waterbirds (including Ciconiiformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Anseriformes and Coraciiformes) as well as Osprey Pandion haliaetus and African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer (both of the order Falconiformes – a non-waterbird order) were counted from a canoe by two people. All birds in the water or on the shoreline and its vicinity were counted and recorded. The count periods covered all the seasons occurring in Zimbabwe: hot/wet (January), warm/moderately wet (April), cold/dry (July) and hot/dry (October). For Lake Chivero, all counts had 100% coverage, whereas coverage for Lake Manyame varied between 25% and 100%. Consequently, in the analysis, all Lake Manyame data were scaled down to represent 25% coverage, and all results are presented as such. The disparity in the counting intensity between the two lakes made comparisons of abundance between the two lakes difficult. The most extensive data were collected in the period 1993–1994 (inclusive) for both lakes, and less frequent counts occurred mostly from 1997–2003, when counts were mainly limited to January and July. Counts were mostly done for birds on the lakeshore and its vicinity, "and birds further into the water bodies were likely missed. Such birds include flightless moulting ducks that tend to congregate in the middle of large water bodies during the day and go offshore to feed at night (Swanepoel et al. 2006). Counting during the day also misses species such as Spur-winged Goose, Egyptian Goose and Comb Duck, which utilise agricultural fields during the day and roost at the lakes at night (Gordon 1987, Hockey et al. 2005). Observed counts of birds taken at 2 lakes in Zimbabwe.

Citation(s)

@Article{BioTIME_cit327, Study_id = {522}, Citation_id = {327}, Author = {Josphine Mundava and Alexandre Caron and Nicolas Gaidet and Fernando M Couto and Jennifer T Couto and Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky and Peter J Mundy}, Journal = {Ostrich - Journal of African Ornithology}, Number = {2}, Pages = {69-77}, Title = {Factors influencing long-term and seasonal waterbird abundance and composition at two adjacent lakes in Zimbabwe}, Volume = {83}, Year = {2012}, Doi = {10.2989/00306525.2012.692726}, Issn = {0030-6525}, Url = {https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2012.692726}, Urldate = {2020-01-01} }