Diurnal time-activity budget and habitat use of Wattled Crane <i>Bugeranus carunculatus</i> in Boyo Wetland and Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Abstract

The diurnal time-activity budget and habitat use of the Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus were studied at Boyo Wetland and Bale Mountains National Park. The study was carried out in four habitats (agricultural land, grassy field, mudflat, and shallow wetland) at Boyo Wetland and two habitats (grassland and swampy habitat) in the Bale Mountains. Instantaneous scan sampling was used to collect the daily activity time budget, scanning each individual in turn and categorizing its behaviour in six behavioural states. We made observations from 06:00 to 18:00 from October through June 2014/2016 and 2016/2017. We performed ANOVA and T-test to look at how diurnal activity pattern differed among habitat types and time periods of the day. Foraging was most prevalent, accounting for 39 % of the time budget followed by locomotion (20 %) and vigilance (16 %) and social behaviour (2 %). The time spent on various activity patterns across habitats and between seasons were significantly different (p < 0.05). Across habitats, the daily pattern for foraging and locomotion showed two peaks, in the agricultural habitat and grassland habitats, whereas percent time devoted to vigilance, resting and comfort movement followed an inverse pattern, peaking at mudflats and shallow wetland. The Wattled Crane spends more time feeding on farmland than in the wetland. This could create conflict with farmers and threaten the Wattled Crane. Therefore, urgent actions are needed to restore the degraded wetlands.

Keywords: Bale Mountains, Boyo Wetland, time-activity budget, foraging, Wattled Crane