Leparkiras 2014 HORNBILL PROJECT REPORT
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Nairobi “COMPARISON OF FEEDING ECOLOGY OF VON DER DECKEN (Tockus deckeni ) AND NORTHERN RED-BILLED ( Tockus erythrorynchus ) HORNBILLS DURING THE BREEDING SEASON” A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management and Conservation of the University of Nairobi. By Leparkiras Claris Reteti J42/3070/2010 May 2014. 1 DECLARATION This report is my original work and has not been presented for a degree at any other University Signature: ....…………………………………. Leparkiras Claris Reteti J42/3070/2010 Date: Month 2014 This work is submitted for examination with my approval as University supervisor. Sign…………………………………… Dr. Gerald Muchemi. Date………Month…………2014………… 2 DEDICATION I dedicate this project to my family and loved ones. Thanks for supporting me throughout the entire process. God bless you all. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I take this opportunity to express my gratitude first to Almighty God for the gift of life and to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of my project in Mpala Research Centre. I would like to show my greatest appreciation to my field supervisor, Dr. Margaret Kinnaird (Director, Mpala Research Centre). I can’t say thank you enough for her tremendous support and help. I felt motivated and encouraged every time she checks on my hornbill project progress. I would also like to express my most sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr.Gerald Muchemi. You were always very supportive and a great guide during this project period. Thank you for all the knowledge you imparted in class prior to this attachment, thank you for your wisdom as well. Special thanks to Meeker Family Fund for sponsoring my stay at Mpala Research Centre. 4 ABSTRACT The feeding ecology of two Red-billed hornbills and two Von der decken hornbills’ using camera images obtained during the breeding season were studied in Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki. Red-billed and Von der decken hornbills have different feeding patterns, Red-billed being more carnivorous at 43.94% as compared to Von der decken hornbill which was28.42% carnivorous and 10.03% frugivorous. Red-billed and Von der decken hornbill showed almost the same trend as the nesting days progressed on. There was a sharp increase in feeding rates during the egg laying period. This is because the female required a lot of nutrients for egg formation (Meijer & Drent, 1999).When the female is incubating the eggs, the male will be feeding the breeding female only therefore energy demand is low during that time. There is a steady increase when the eggs have hatched; the general trend is for rates to be considerably higher during the nesting period than during incubation, to rise at a peak when the chicks are growing at their highest rate. The male hornbill continues to ferry food and some lining material during this period (Kemp, 1995). The trend of rate of deliveries throughout the day was almost similar in the two species. Early mornings and late evenings had the lowest frequency of deliveries to the nest. This is because of low temperatures and sometimes it can be really dark in the evening obscuring vision. 5 Contents List of figures ...................................................................................................................................... 8 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................... 10 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Background to the study ................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Problem statement ............................................................................................................. 11 1.3 Objectives of the study ...................................................................................................... 12 1.4 Justification of the study ................................................................................................... 12 1.5 Hypothesis ......................................................................................................................... 12 1.6 Limitations of the study .................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................................. 13 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Studying hornbills ............................................................................................................. 13 2.2 Feeding ecology ................................................................................................................ 14 2.3 Hornbill’s feeding ecology during breeding season .......................................................... 15 2.4 Food delivery rate during breeding season ....................................................................... 15 CHAPTER THREE .............................................................................................................................. 17 3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Study Area ........................................................................................................................ 17 3.2 Data collection .................................................................................................................. 18 3.3 Data analysis ..................................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................................. 21 4 RESULTS AND FINDINGS .................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Hornbill feeding patterns .................................................................................................. 21 4.2 Rate of deliveries by male hornbill per hour ..................................................................... 22 4.3 Rate of male Red-billed hornbill delivering per day ......................................................... 23 4.4 Rate of male Von der decken hornbill delivering per day ...................................................... 24 CHAPTER FIVE .................................................................................................................................. 26 5 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER SIX ..................................................................................................................................... 29 6 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ........................................................................ 29 6.1 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 29 6.2 Recommendation .............................................................................................................. 30 6 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................... 33 7 List of figures Figure 3.1 : A map of Mpala and its neighbouring ranches ..............................…...20 Figure 4.1 : Combined Red-billed hornbill rate of feeding per hour..........................24 Figure 4.2: Combined Von der Decken hornbill rate of feeding per hour.................24 Figure 4.3 : Jessel rock nest..........................................................................................24 Figure 4.4: Batuk loop 6c2 nest...................................................................................25 Figure 4.5: Vanessa 4A1 nest.......................................................................................26 Figure 4.6: Water tower nest.........................................................................................27 8 List of Tables Table 4.1 : Combined Red-billed Hornbill feeding pattern........................................23 Table 4.2: Combined Von der Decken Hornbill feeding pattern...............................23 9 CHAPTER ONE 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of birds found in tropical and sub-tropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible (Kemp, 1991). The Red billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus ) in particular is widespread over the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa (Fry et al.1988) and ranges from S Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, S Mali ,Burkina Faso ,Niger, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Chad, N Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, E Uganda and Tanzania(Kemp,1995). On the other hand, the Von der Decken's Hornbill (Tockus deckeni ) is