LANIOTURDUS VOL. 44 (5) 2011 www.namibiabirdclub.org study (for a university project) of this species CONTENTS about which little is known. Julia received a small sponsorship from the Namibia Bird Club THOMSON N Editorial 1 while she was here. Her work, which was written in German, was shortened for Lanioturdus and translated by Holger Kolberg. SCHWEITZER J Studies on the Rockrunner Achoetops pycnopygius, Should any reader be interested in the complete work (in German) it can be obtained a little studied Namibian bird 2 from Holger ([email protected]). TREE AJ & BOORMAN M Wader data collected on the Namibian coast in late The second article by Tony Tree and Mark January/March 1998 and February/ Boorman deals with wader numbers on the March 1999 11 Namibian coast. The collection of the data for this article took place in 1998 and 1999. I believe that it is important to publish articles GÖTTERT T, MENSING N, PETERSEN H, such as this as the data therein could serve as ZELLER U Observations on bird species a base for comparison for any future similar occurrence in combination with rhino study that may be done. In the article it is monitoring on former livestock farmland : stated that numbers of Red Knots were in implications for developing a buffer zone at decline. I think that we will find that they have the south-western border of the Etosha declined even further in the last decade while National Park in Namibia 27 even in those days Common Redshank was regarded as a regular visitor to Mile 4 Saltworks where it is regularly seen today. Editorial The final article by Thomas Göttert and others deals with the bird species recorded on former This special edition of Lanioturdus contains rangeland on the south-western boundary of only three articles, all of a more scientific the Etosha National Park and the use of birds nature than most of the articles I have been as bio-indicators to assess the quality and publishing. I realize that these articles may structural complexity of the habitat. not be everyone’s cup of tea but I believe that it is important that they be published. This is the final edition of Lanioturdus for 2011. The committee wishes all members The first article on the Rockrunner, one of our happy birding over the festive season and near endemic birds, is by Julia Schweitzer prosperous birding for 2012. The editor of who was studying at the University of Lanioturdus, of course, wants to hear about Duisburg-Essen in Germany and who came to all those interesting goodies you see out there Namibia as a student specifically to make a over the holiday period. 1 Observations on bird species bird species (n = 148) indicates a remarkable occurrence in combination with rhino proportion (21.5 %) of all bird species monitoring on former livestock occurring within Namibia present in the study farmland: implications for developing a area. Although this area has been used for buffer zone at the south-western border intensive livestock farming over several decades in the past, we can assume its of the Etosha National Park in Namibia notable level of structural complexity and suitability to possibly become an effective Thomas Göttert1, Niels Mensing2, Henning buffer zone for the ENP in the future. Petersen3, Ulrich Zeller4 Introduction 1) Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at Measuring levels of biodiversity is widely used the Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstraße 43, D-10115 Berlin, email: as a tool for assessing the quality of areas, [email protected] selecting suitable areas and developing 2) In den Meerwellen 20, D-39128 Magdeburg, adequate conservation strategies (Witting & email: [email protected] Löschke 1995). The methodological 3) Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary approaches range from rapid appraisals to all- Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, email: taxa biodiversity inventories (Sueur et al. [email protected] 2008). Here, we observed bird species in an 4) Humboldt University Berlin, Chair of area that could potentially be developed Systematic Zoology, Invalidenstraße 43, D- towards an effective buffer zone for the Etosha 10115 Berlin, email: ulrich.zeller@mfn- National Park (ENP) in the future (Etosha berlin.de buffer zone project, Göttert & Zeller 2008). The concept of buffer zones originates from the Abstract 1968 UNESCO’s ‘Man and Biosphere Programme’ (MAB). It is based on the idea of Our study describes a 16 months (Nov 2005 – linking a strictly protected core area (in the Feb 2007) continuous bird species monitoring present case: ENP) with additional zones conducted in a 368 km2 area in direct (buffer- and transition zones), where a certain adjacency to the Etosha National Park (ENP). degree of direct human resources use is not In order to discuss the suitability of the only permitted - but even required for studied area to serve as an effective buffer successful management (e.g. local community zone for the ENP, we used birds as demands, tourism, non-invasive data bioindicators for an indirect assessment of the collection). habitat’s quality and structural complexity. We developed the method in combination with The aim of this paper was to use avian species a rhino tracking procedure (regularly driven richness in terms of a state-description of the tours between the camp site and rhino activity specific area studied. We selected birds as areas). We validated our findings using the they can easily be observed and have been cumulative species curve method, which also frequently used in biodiversity assessments highlights the importance of the time scale for (Tews et al. 2004a). Therefore, we developed a such a habitat assessment. We found a clear simple and applicable method for monitoring seasonal effect, not in terms of the relative bird species richness over time, ‘along the proportion of different ecological groups – but way’ with a rhino monitoring procedure that with regards to the beta diversity (Sørensen was conducted at the same time in this area. index: 0.6). We discuss the bird species range in view of seasonality (availability of water) Material and methods and additional habitat-related features. Based on the study area’s proximity to the ENP and Study area the occurrence of two geological formations The study was carried out in the semi-arid (with distinct vegetation types), the number of climate zone of north-central Namibia at the 27 Etosha Heights/Moesamoeroep farm complex, (Göttert et al. 2010). Thus, long distances a fenced area of 368 km2 (today 481.4 km2) in needed to be travelled regularly in order to adjacency to the south-western border of the locate and observe a relatively small group of ENP. The area comprises two broad geological rhinos (6 black rhinos, 1 white rhino) in this substrates: Otavi dolomite (dominated by rather large area. woodland) and Etosha calcrete (characterised by a habitat mosaic including Etosha mixed The bird monitoring presented in this paper low trees, mopane shrubs and Etosha plains was developed ‘along the way’ with rhino data [Mendelsohn et al. 2000]). Between 1907 and collection. Using a 4 x 4 vehicle (Nov 2005 – 1947, the studied area had been part of the Oct 2006) and a motorbike (Oct 2006 – Feb protected area that was later termed ENP. 2007), driven at a speed of 20 - 60 km * h-1, Between the 1960’s and the beginning of this we drove standardised tours on gravel and century, the area was used for commercial sandy roads to regularly move between the livestock farming before it was converted into camp site and rhino activity areas (Figure 1). a wildlife conservancy in the early 2000’s. During 261 observation days, we drove tours between approximately 50 and 150 km (depending on the number of rhinos monitored on that day). While moving within the area (driven tours or walking), we noted the occurrence of bird species throughout the study period whenever we observed a species for the first time. Intensive additional support was given during a data collection period in the wet season (N. Mensing; Jan 31 - Mar 21, 2006; 26 tours) and the dry season (H. Petersen; Jul 3 - Sep 3, 2006; 43 tours). For species identification we used literature by Sinclair & Ryan (2003). Whenever possible, a digital photograph of the respective animal was taken. Data analysis To assess the time frame necessary for sampling saturation of the species richness, we used the cumulative species curve method (Wethered & Lawes 2003). Since data collection forms part of a cumulative assessment over time, the sampling unit was Figure 1. Study area: size, geographic position and geological on site each consecutive day. formations. Additionally, the position of the camp site and each individual rhino’s core areas (50 % Kernel polygons) are given. Black rhinos: n = 6; period: Nov 2005 – Feb 2007; number of Bird species were pooled according to habitat preferences as obtained from Sinclair & Ryan fixes: 817; x individual fixes: 136.2; SD: 73.3. White rhino: n = 1; period: Jun 2006 – Feb 2007; number of fixes: 81. (2003). Based on this information, we defined the following ten broad habitat types: 1) Catholic, 2) Rocky areas, 3) Water, 4) Data collection Grassland and desert, 5) Grassland, 6) Our study is based on observations made Grassland and savannah, 7) Savannah and during a period of 16 months (between Nov desert, 8) Savannah, 9) Savannah and 2005 and Feb 2007), through a non-stop stay woodland, and 10) Woodland. The number of of T. Göttert in the area in line with an bird species per habitat type was examined investigation on re-introduced African rhinos’ and the proportion of species per habitat was spatial behaviour using VHF radio telemetry calculated.