Water depth selection, daily feeding routines and diets of waterbirds in coastal lagoons in Ghana (original) (raw)
Related papers
Areview of waterbirds was undertaken in two coastal Ramsar lagoons, namely the Keta and Muni Ramsar sites in Ghana, West Africa, from August 2010 to March 2012 to determine the status of diversity and abundance of key waterbired species that utilize the lagoons. A total of 20,217 of waterbirds belonging to 25 different species, 19 genera and 10 families were counted in the two lagoons. Maximum count of 19,757 contributing to 97.7% of the total counts was recorded in Keta Lagoon area while 460 contributing to 2.3% of the total count was recorded in the Muni Lagoon area. By comparison with the Save the Seashore Birds Project-Ghana (SSBP-G), which started in 1983 and ended in 1985, a total of 53,500 of waterbirds were counted in the Keta Lagoon, an indication of a 63.1% decline in waterbirds abundance. Atotal of 24 species was recorded in the Keta Lagoon and its surrounding floodplains (H"= 0.94, J"= 0.68 and d"= 2.32), whilst the Muni Lagoon recorded a lower number of species of 12 (H" = 0.82, J" = 0.76 and d" = 1.79). The Keta Lagoon recorded higher numbers of waterbirds because the Keta Lagoon is less turbid and shallow, and, therefore, waterbirds were able to stalk and easily locate their prey as compared to the Muni Lagoon, which recorded the lowest numbers possibly due to siltation and, hence, waterbirds could not locate fish fingerlings. Generally, the diversity of waterbirds utilizing both lagoons has declined over the past 27 years as compared to the results from the SSBP-G. Public awareness programmes to highlight the importance of lagoons and waterbirds as environmental indicators is recommended. This could be achieved through education and enforcement of existing wildlife laws and international conventions. In addition, conservation initiatives governing the conservation of waterbirds by the Ghana Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission is urgently recommended.
Trends in the use of a small coastal lagoon by waterbirds: Muni Lagoon (Ghana)
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2000
This paper presents data from a twelve-year (1986-98) monitoring of waterbird populations at Muni Lagoon, and discusses the ornithological importance of the lagoon and trends in the use of the site by waterbirds. The small brackish lagoon forms part of the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site situated on the Ghana coast. A total of 48 species of waterbirds were recorded at the site comprising of 29 species of waders, eight species of terns, two species of gulls, seven species of herons and egrets, one species each of duck and cormorant. The most abundant waterbirds species recorded on the site were the Curlew Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Black-winged Stilt, Common Tern, Black Tern, Royal Tern and the Sandwich Tern. Three species of waders, Black-winged Stilt, Pratincole and Little Tern were observed to breed at the site. The highest numbers of waterbirds occurred on the site in the period September to March. The site remains an internationally important wetland site by virtue of supporting internationally important numbers of four species of terns: Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern and Black Tern. The value of Muni lies more in its use as a feeding/staging site for migrating waders that spend the non-breeding season in Ghana or pass through to winter further south, and as a roosting site for terns which feed mainly at sea. The use of the site by waterbirds has increased by some 400% between 1986 and 1998. This is attributed to improved prey availability resulting from the opening of the lagoon into the sea during the 1994 floods, and reduced disturbance of feeding and roosting birds. This would imply that the value of the site as waterbird habitat could improve considerably with appropriate habitat management interventions and continued protection.