The avifauna of coastal forests in southern Kenya: status and conservation

The biological importance and uniqueness of East African coastal forests is widely recognised; they form an Endemic Bird Area. Important remnants of t his fragmented habitat occur on the southern Kenyan coast, but their avifau na has been little studied. In October 1992, September 1993 and May-August 1994, we systematically assessed the avifauna of fifteen South Coast forest fragments land the threats facing them) using mist-netting, timed species counts and direct observations. Sixty forest-dependent bird species were re corded, amongst them three that are globally threatened (Sokoke Pipit Anthu s sokokensis, Spotted Ground Thrush Turdus fischeri, East Coast Akalat Shep pardia gunningi) three that are near-threatened (Southern Banded Snake Eagl e Circaetus fasciolatus, Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri, Plain-backed Su nbird Anthreptes reichenowi) and four that are 'restricted-range' (Fischer' s Turaco, Sokoke Pipit, Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica, Uluguru V iolet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes neglectus). Globally or regionally threaten ed and near-threatened species were relatively rare and were patchily distr ibuted across forests. In contrast, most other forest species were widely d istributed being present in most or all fragments. The breakdown of traditi onal conservation systems, selective logging, encroachment by cultivation a nd fire-maintained grassland, fragmentation, allocation of land for urban d evelopment, pole cutting, charcoal burning, hunting and trapping, prospecti ve mining, bark stripping and elephant damage are the major threats to the continued survival of these forests. Shimba Hills (Mkongani & Longomagandi) , Gandini, Mrima, Marenji, Dzombo, Waa, Buda and Gongoni forests met the cr iteria for Globally Important Bird Areas set by Birdlife International. A n umber of urgent steps are needed for improved forest management if these im portant sites are to survive and retain their biological diversity.