Sunbirds (<I>Nectariniidae</I>) diversity and relationship with weather characteristics within the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

Abstract

Unlike most common bird species there is paucity of information on diversity of Sunbirds Nectariniidae within the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between contemporary weather variables and Sunbirds in the University’s Campus. Bird survey was carried out using Line Transect method within the core activities area of the University. Transect lines were surveyed two times per point count station by skilled observers for fifteen weeks. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis. Step-wise regression was used to assess the relationship between the bird’s abundance and weather variables. Likewise, data were subjected to ecological indexes such as Evenness index, Shannon diversity index and species richness. Results revealed seven different Sunbird species in the University’s campus. Maximum diversity index (H) of the group was 1.89 and the species evenness was 0.97. Collared Sunbird accounted for 22% while Green Sunbird accounted for 5% of the bird’s abundance. There was association between the abundance of Sunbirds and the period of survey on the Campus X² (2, N = 44) = 7.780, P = 0.020. There was relationship between the abundance of Sunbirds and wind speed in the University’s Campus; F (1, 42) = 12.522, P = 0.001. This study concluded that there was relationship between wind speed, period of survey and Sunbirds.