Effects of tsetse targets on mammals and birds in Kasungu National Park, Malawi

Possible effects on wildlife of targets baited with an attractive odour (ac etone), impregnated with deltamethrin and used to control tsetse flies (Glo ssina morsitans morsitans), were investigated in the Kasungu National Park, Malawi. Mammals and birds were censused simultaneously along transects in 'Miombo' woodland or 'Dambo' grassland/mixed woodland, with and without tar gets. Mammals were also monitored by surveys of their spoor on experimental ly cleared plots (5 m in diameter) and a target relocation experiment was c onducted when the targets were removed from the test transects and transfer red to the controls. Significantly fewer small antelopes (e.g. common Duike r Sylvicapra grimmia) were detected in plots along transects with targets ( tests) than along control transects. The presence of targets affected the f requency of occurrence of antelopes, suids and large herbivores in the expe rimental plots, but small carnivores, monkeys, rodents and hares were unaff ected. A conclusion of the relocation experiment was that the deltamethrin- impregnated cloth was responsible for the observed effects and not the acet one. A total number of 23 species of birds meeting a criterion for their ab undance in the areas surveyed were selected for detailed analyses. Lower in dices in the test areas than in the controls were recorded for 15 of these 23 species in the Dambos and for 10 of 21 species in the Miombo woodland. M atched paired comparisons revealed significantly lower numbers in the test areas than in the controls in both habitats only for black-headed Oriole Or iolus larvatus, but for Grey Lourie Corythaixoides concolor, little bee-eat er Merops pusillus, fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis and combined data on three species of sunbirds in the Dambos. The black-eyed bulbul Pycnonot us barbatus had significantly lower numbers in the tests than in the contro ls in Miombo woodland. The numbers of three species of dove were higher in the tests than in the controls in both habitats, significantly so for the C ape turtle dove Streptopelia capicola, and numbers of the Flappet Lark Mira fra rufocinnamomea were significantly higher in the tests than in the contr ols in Dambos. The results are discussed in the light of previous studies o n environmental effects of tsetse control, including effects of tsetse targ ets on pollinators especially non-target horseflies.