Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology 38(5): 1-12, 2019; Article no.CJAST.51516 ISSN: 2457-1024 (Past name: British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, Past ISSN: 2231-0843, NLM ID: 101664541) Diversity and Abundance of Wet Land Bird Species in Lake Hora-Arsedi, Bishoftu, Ethiopia Askale Girma1 and Mesele Admassu2* 1Department of Biology, Adulala Preparatory School, Ethiopia. 2Department of Biology, Adama Science and Technology University, Ethiopia. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Author AG collected the data and makes the analysis. Author MA prepared the manuscript for publication. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/CJAST/2019/v38i530381 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Maduike Chiehiura Onwubiko Ezeibe, Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. Reviewers: (1) Dishi Khobe, Adamawa State University, Nigeria. (2) Sitaram Taigor, Jiwaji University, India. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/51516 Received 08 August 2019 Accepted 11 October 2019 Original Research Article Published 14 November 2019 ABSTRACT The investigation of species diversity and abundance of birds in Lake Hora Arsedi Bishoftu town was conducted from September 2018 to July 2019. The aim of the study was to assess the diversity and abundance of bird species in Lake Hora Arsedi at Bishoftu town. Point count method was used to investigate the abundance of birds. Observation was conducted periodically walking along the study area early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Different diversity indices and statistical methods (Chi-square test and correlation) were used to analyze data collected during the field survey. Abundance of birds, their richness and evenness as well as birds` diversity recording were made. A total of 14 bird species grouped under 7 orders and 11 families were recorded. The month February had the lowest species diversity (H’= 0.33), species evenness (E = 0.13) and species richness (12). The highest species diversity, evenness and richness were recorded in March and April (H’=0.35), (E = 0.35) and (S = 14), respectively. Variation in abundance of birds was statistically significant between months. Abundance score of frequency of bird species was high during rainy season and uncommon are high during small rainy seasons using encounter rate. Lake Hora Arsedi has a number of natural and human induced bird attractant features. The area possesses favorable places for birds to nest, rest, roost and a good access to food as well as water _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Girma and Admassu; CJAST, 38(5): 1-12, 2019; Article no.CJAST.51516 resources. The study recommends the maintenance of bird watching records to monitor the effectiveness of management and to ensure early detection of any impact on bird numbers or behavior; conservation of Lake Hora Arsedi, its surroundings and making it free from human interference will enable us to conserve these valuable bird species. Hence, conservation measures by wildlife conservation authority and other concerned agencies are important to safeguard these species in the area. Keywords: Abundance; birds; bishoftu; species diversity; species evenness; species richness. 1. INTRODUCTION provide birds with considerable quantities of food and roosting sites especially in gardens and Birds are built for” flight, a structural ability which parks [6]. Ethiopian Central Rift Valley area is allows them to move easily of flight that allows known to have a number of lakes and them to move easily through the air and yet hydrological features, watershed areas, the lakes perfectly adapt to every environment that fits are known to harbor millions of resident and their requirements for successful reproduction migratory water-birds. However, these natural and survival [1]. The flight enables them to resources have been under threat by access to new habitats with plenty of resources. unregulated land-use changes taking place in the Human interference in natural habitats greatly area [7,8]. decreases the area of naturally functioning ecosystems worldwide [2]. Diversity and extent of Lake Hora Arsedi, is one of such lakes that are natural habitats will continue to decline as human under great threat of land-use changes mainly populations increase and alter lands for use [3]. due to extensive building of houses surrounding Human beings change natural areas by the lake. Many bird species descend on wetlands establishing towns, buildings, gardens, which to feast on the amphibians, shellfish and insect- create entirely artificial environments. Factors buffets that hover in and around wetland waters. determining which species can coexist with human settlement include the presence and Birds have adapted to life in wetland areas and patch size of native vegetation as well as look for food in grasses, fishes and waste dumps competition with exotic species and non-native [9]. A diversity of wetland birds are attracted to a predators. The structure and floristic attributes of variety of wetlands based on the type of food and planted vegetation as well as supplementary cover provided inside and near the vicinity of feeding by humans affect the level of such Lake Hora Arsedi [6]. Birds, all over time, are coexistence [4]. Expanding anthropogenic drawn to the water for drinking, eating, bathing, activity is widely perceived to have negative roosting and protection; especially during the consequences for wildlife beyond habitat loss. morning time. Wetlands have profound Distribution, abundance, reproductive success ecological and economic importance. The and behaviour of animals and bird species are wetlands of Hora Arsedi are facing tremendous often sensitive to habitat change caused by anthropogenic pressure, which can greatly human activities. influence the structure of the bird community. Lake Hora Arsedi harbors a variety of bird Birds have been used as bio-indicators in a species. It is surrounded by forests which consist number of studies and have more recently been of different trees or woodlands, grasses and used as national indicators for sustainable within the forests different houses cafeteria, development. They can indicate changes in hotels and other buildings. vegetation extent, pattern and structure, water extent, depth, duration and seasonal frequency, Wetlands shelter countless species of fauna and water quality and disturbance. They have been flora, of which the most widely appreciated are particularly useful as indicators to evaluate the birds. In Ethiopia, 204 (25%) of the bird effects of habitat change because they are easy species are wetland-dependent. Although, many to watch and the populations of many decrease of these birds are known, much about their or increase when the land is modified by different habitats remains unknown [10]. Human activities activities. They are well-known indicator taxa due threaten the existence of many birds by to their sensitivity to environmental perturbations, destroying their habitat or directly affecting their relevance to ecosystem functioning and relative survival and reproductive success. The current ease in sampling [5]. Wetland environments study aimed at gathering information on the 2 Girma and Admassu; CJAST, 38(5): 1-12, 2019; Article no.CJAST.51516 abundance, species richness, species evenness method was selected depending on the and composition in Lake Hora Aresdi. abundance and activities of birds. This method was used for species that are small flocking and 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS difficult to identify in most occasions. This count was carried out at different stations using boat on 2.1 Study Area open water bodies, and on foot for vegetation and surrounding areas of the lake. Lake Hora is a crater lake that is surrounded by 2.3 Data Collection very steep and rocky hills and cliffs. Mohr (11), estimated the age of Lake Hora along with other Data were collected from February to June in Bishoftu crater lakes as early Holocene (≈ 7000 2018. Observations were carried out for 136 hrs years). The catchment of the lake is formed from during the short and long rainy season. Before volcanic rocks of basalt, rhyolite and tuff. It is a the actual study, a pilot survey was conducted to crater lake formed by volcanic activity ~7000 gather information about the distribution, years ago. It is located in Bishoftu town and is abundances and richness as well as the only 2 km from the center of the town and about evenness of wetland bird species on selected 47 km southeast of Addis Ababa (Fig.1). Its sample areas. Information about the distribution altitude is 1850 m above sea level. It is located at of wetland birds in the study area was gathered 8º44’4’’N latitude and 38º59’9’’E longitude. The from fishermen and individuals who spent most 2 lake has a surface area of 1.03 km , maximum of their time around the study area. Sample depth 38 m and mean depth 17.5 m [11]. The areas were randomly selected. To collect data on average temperature of the surface water is their abundance, repeated observations were about 22ºC with a maximum of 24.5ºC and made. Data were collected in the morning from minimum of 19.2ºC, while the bottom 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and in the afternoon from temperature is almost constant (19.2ºC-19.4ºC) 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., when most of the avian [12]. species are active [16]. Activities were recorded using spotting scope sampling method The region around the lake is characterized by throughout the study period and the scan moderate rainfall, varying around 850 mm per method. During the observation period, a group annum, high incidence of solar radiation and low or an individual bird was followed at a distance of relative humidity [13]. The region has two rainy 5-10 m. In this study; observation was the most seasons, the short rainy season from February to important method to identify birds and it is used April and the long rainy season from June to to collect the required data [15].