Ornithological Surveys in Kalakpa Resource Reserve, Ghana (2005, 2008-11), with Notes on Vegetation and Mammals
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Ornithological surveys in Kalakpa Resource Reserve, Ghana (2005, 2008-11), with notes on vegetation and mammals Françoise Dowsett-Lemaire & Robert J. Dowsett A report prepared for the Wildlife Division, Forestry Commission, Accra Dowsett-Lemaire Misc. Report 76 (2011) Dowsett-Lemaire F. & Dowsett R.J. 2011. Ornithological surveys in Kalakpa Re - source Reserve, Ghana (2005, 2008-11), with notes on vegetation and mammals. Dowsett-Lemaire Misc. Rep. 76: 33 pp. E-mail : [email protected] Birds and mammals of Kalakpa R.R., Ghana -1- Dowsett-Lemaire Misc. Rep. 76 (2011) Ornithological surveys in Kalakpa Resource Reserve, Ghana (2005, 2008-11), with notes on vegetation and mammals by Françoise Dowsett-Lemaire & Robert J. Dowsett Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................................2 SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................2 1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3 2. HABITAT CLASSIFICATION .....................................................................................................4 3. THE AVIFAUNA ............................................................................................................................5 3.1. Past references and reports .................................................................................................... 5 3.2. Totals recorded ....................................................................................................................... 5 3.3. Ecological considerations ................................................................................................... 6 3.4. Biome-restricted species ..................................................................................................... 6 3.5. The biogeographical importance of Kalakpa ..................................................................... 6 3.6. Mist-netting ......................................................................................................................... 8 3.7. Breeding records ................................................................................................................. 9 4. ANNOTATED SPECIES LIST ...................................................................................................10 5. MAMMALS ..................................................................................................................................22 6. CONSERVATION ASPECTS ......................................................................................................25 7. REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................25 APPENDIX 1. ITINERARY AND TIMETABLE ..............................................................................26 APPENDIX 2. GAZETTEER ..........................................................................................................27 MAP OF KALAKPA RESOURCE RESERVE ..................................................................................27 CHECKLIST OF THE BIRDS OF KALAKPA RESOURCE RESERVE .....................................28 Dowsett-Lemaire Misc. Rep. 76 (2011) -2- Birds and mammals of Kalakpa R.R., Ghana Acknowledgements For the 2005 visit we thank the Executive Director of the Wildlife Division, Forestry Commission (Y. Ofori-Frimpong) and the Regional Director of IUCN (I. Thiaw) for inviting us to undertake sur- veys. Wildlife Division in Accra (especially Mike Adu-Nsiah and Kodjo Menka) and IUCN/WDSP advisors Peter Howard and Phil Marshall provided logistical help and supervision. In 2005 we were accompanied by James Oppong (Biodiversity Monitoring Unit). In 2008-11the Executive Di rector Nana Kofi (Mike) Adu-Nsiah encouraged us to continue our work in Kalakpa: in 2008 William Apraku (from Shai Hills Resource Reserve) was a very competent assistant in the field and in 2009- 11 we were usually accompanied by Lawrence Titrim (wildlife guard based at Kpetsu), whom we have trained in bir d identification. In 2010 camp leader at Agodeke (Paul Dziwornu) and his staff were especially helpful. The reserve’s manager George Asamoah also provided valuable help. Summary Kalakpa Resource Reserve protects some 320 km 2 of savanna and gallery forest in eastern Ghana. It is situated in the forest/savanna transition zone, and the dominant vegetation is a rather uniform type of Borassus-Combretum woodland. There are half a dozen broad galleries of dry semi-evergreen for est crossing the reserve from north to south. A narrow range of hills in the west bears some dry decidu - ous forest or transition woodland. The broad galleries of Diospyros mespiliformis forest in the Kalakpa plain are lined with a belt of Chromolaena odorata or transition woodland; small pockets of woodland are locally turning into dry forest. The south-east (Atixoe) is drier, with thicket-clump savanna and short grassland. After seven visits by the authors (from 12-16 February 2005, 20 March-1 April 2008, 18-21 March and 1-3 May 2009, 12-14 January and 26-31 October 2010, 11-12 May 2011), and a few ad di - tional records by visitors or guards, the avifauna of Kalakpa now consists of 270 species. While that of savanna woodlands is rather poor, the forest avifauna is surprisingly rich, with at least 59 Guineo - Congolian endemics. Of these Spot-breasted Ibis Bostrychia rara is otherwise unknown east of the Volta. The densities of Nkulengu Rail Himantornis haematopus are surprisingly high, Yellow- throated Cuckoo Chrysococcyx flavigularis, Spotted Honeyguide Indicator maculatus and Capuchin Babbler Phyllanthus atripennis are also common. African Pitta Pitta angolensis has been recorded displaying in the rains. The avifauna of the south-east is very different, with Lesser Black-winged Lapwing Vanel lus lugubris and Swamp Nightjar Caprimulgus natalensis in short grassland, and Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida and Yellow-throated Leaflove Chlorocichla flavicollis in thick ets. A small amount of mist- netting in forest has confirmed the general impression that most forest birds are not breeding in the dry season (when some are in post-breeding moult), while some savanna species do breed in the late dry season. Of savanna species, Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni, Spotted Creeper Sal pornis spinolotus, Bush Petronia Petronia dentata and Little Weaver Ploceus luteolus all reach their southern limits of range here, and until recently were unknown from the south of the country. Red- billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus has been recorded in Acacia on the western boundary but does not appear to be resident. Of the mammals, perhaps the most exciting discovery is that of the coexistence of two hyrax species in the forest, the Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis and an unknown species Dendrohyrax sp. nov.?, with very different calls; the common forest galago is Thomas’s Galagoides thomasi . A wandering lion visited the reserve in February 2009. In general, the west and north of the reserve have much po tential for ecotourism: Kob, several species of duiker and monkey are common and quite visible, and the existing system of footpaths is also very good for bird-watching and enjoying the views. Birds and mammals of Kalakpa R.R., Ghana -3- Dowsett-Lemaire Misc. Rep. 76 (2011) 1. INTRODUCTION Kalakpa Resource Reserve protects some 320 km 2 of savanna and wide gallery forest in eastern Ghana. It is situated in the forest/savanna transition zone, and the dominant vegetation is a rather uniform type of dry Borassus-Combretum woodland. There are half a dozen broad galleries of semi - ever green forest crossing the reserve from north to south, the central one (Kalakpa) giving its name to the reserve. The plain lies at an altitude of around 80-100 m in the north, decreasing to 30 m in the south on the Kalakpa river. A narrow ran ge of hills in the west, 10 km long north-south, rises to 350 m, with the highest peak (Kadanga) at 422 m. While Kadanga is rocky, with some small verti cal cliffs, the rest of the range bears woodland or patches of dry forest on its slopes. Some smaller hills (like Zitoe, 200 m alt.) are covered in transition woodland. The Kalakpa river or stream flows year-round, some sections turning into pools at the end of the dry season. The other streams flow in the rains only, when much of the forest gets flooded. Unlike the Afram Plains (from south Digya to Kogyae and Bomfobiri) which have been suf - fering from a drying out of the climate leading to a reduction in forest cover in recent decades, the conditions at Kalakpa seem to be stable. There are even signs that pockets of woodland are turn ing into dry forest (as near Dzakpo, or north of Fosime). The broad galleries of Diospyros forest in the north and north-west of the Kalakpa plains do not show fire damage; they are protected by early burning prac - tices, and a belt of Chromolaena odorata bush and transition woodland has developed along the edges. The situation is rather different in the centre and south-east of the park, where sev eral villages are es tablished and are clearing land for cultivation and charcoal. We did not visit the centre-south of Kalakpa, except for the eastern foot of Kadanga Hill, which is indeed suffering from deforestation by the Fosime community. In the north and west of the park there