The avifauna and conservation status of the Namuli Massif, northern Mozambique

We report the current status of birds at the Namuli Massif, northern Mozamb ique. Despite being the only known locality for the Namuli Apalis Apalis ly nesi and the nominate race of the Dapplethroat Arcanator orostruthus, the m ountain is very little known ornithologically. Prior to our survey it had o nly been visited by an ornithologist in 1932, when Jack Vincent collected i n the area for three weeks. During our week-long survey in November-Decembe r 1998 we recorded 130 bird species from the Namuli area, including all thr ee globally threatened species reported by Vincent (Thyolo Alethe Alethe ch oloensis, Dapplethroat and Namuli Apalis). The higher-elevation (>1,500 m) forests are still largely intact, but most of those at lower elevations hav e been cleared for agriculture. The alethe and apalis are common, occurring in remnant forest patches and secondary scrub as well as pristine forest f rom 1,160 to 2,000 m. The Dapplethroat is restricted to large, intact fores ts above 1,500 m,but also is fairly common (up to 2-3 singing males per hec tare; greater densities than recorded elsewhere). Red-rumped Swallow Hirund o daurica was recorded for the first time in Mozambique, and was suspected of breeding at 1,400 m. We estimate that some 1,300 ha of pristine forest r emains on the main massif between Gurue and Mount Namuli, but this area is being reduced by burning and "subsistence" logging. Approximately 7,000 peo ple currently live in the area east of the main forest. Grazing by goats an d pigs on the montane grasslands surrounding the forests is another problem , but the gravest threat is posed by improved road access to the area, whic h could open the forests to commercial logging. In addition to being the so le locality known for the Namuli Apalis and the nominate race of Dapplethro at, the Namuli forests probably support the largest single populations of T hyolo Alethe and the well-marked belcheri race of Green Barbet. These popul ations make Namuli arguably the most critical Important Bird Area for Mozam bique, and the remaining forests have a high priority for conservation acti on.