Paul Kariuki Ndang'ang'a

• PhD
• BirdLife International

The coastal forests of Kenya are conservation priorities hosting high levels of biodiversity. Monitoring of biodiversity in these forests is therefore necessary to understand and reverse negative trends in good time. Using the Important Bird Area (IBA) monitoring framework, a participatory approach, state (habitat condition), pressure (threats) and...

Bird exclusion experiments on kale (Brassica sp.) plants were undertaken to quantify the extent to which foraging birds contributed to reducing the densities and impact of invertebrate pests. During the dry season, significantly higher leaf-area loss, aphid and thrips abundance were recorded in bird-excluded compared with control plants, suggesting...

There has been limited studies in Africa on how the composition of agricultural landscapes affect the capacity of the land mosaic to support natural flora and fauna and maintain ecological processes. As a contribution to this knowledge in the highland agricultural landscape of Nyandarua in Kenya, five related objectives were addressed. Firstly, the...

We present an account of the 909 globally threatened taxa (793 species, 74 subspecies, 42 varieties) of animals and plants in the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania and the sites in which they occur based upon a review of the 2015 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Results for animals are summarised by Class (Amphibia...

Illegal killing/taking of birds is a growing concern across the Mediterranean. However, there are few quantitative data on the species and countries involved. We assessed numbers of individual birds of each species killed/taken illegally in each Mediterranean country per year, using a diverse range of data sources and incorporating expert knowledge...

Abandoned post‐quarry sites have potentiality to be remodeled into natural‐wilderness areas, a desire especially in rapidly urbanizing and transforming landscapes. However, paucity of ecological information on post‐quarry sites limits nature‐based restoration, especially in the sub‐Saharan tropical landscape. This study investigated avifauna compos...

Liben Lark Heteromirafra archeri is a ‘Critically Endangered’ species threatened by the loss and degradation of grassland at the Liben Plain, southern Ethiopia, one of only two known sites for the species. We use field data from nine visits between 2007 and 2019 and satellite imagery to quantify changes over time in the species’ abundance and in th...

Few studies have explored how human land uses influence and support persistence of forest biodiversity in central Kenya. In the case of the Mount Kenya ecosystem, farmlands and plantation forests are significant land-use types. Using point counts, we assessed bird communities in natural forests, plantation forests, and farmlands in the Nanyuki Fore...

Biodiversity indicators are essential for monitoring the impacts of pressures on the state of nature, determining the effectiveness of policy responses, and tracking progress towards biodiversity targets and sustainable development goals. Indicators based on trends in the abundance of birds are widely used for these purposes in Europe and have been...

The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used t...

Figure S1: Database schema. Diversity data in yellow, GIS data in green and Catalogue of Life data in blue. The diversity tables datasource, study, site, measuredtaxon and diversitymeasurement follow the structure described in ‘Methods’ in the main text and in Hudson et al. (2014): a datasource is associated with one or more study records, each of...

The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used t...

The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used t...

The global Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea was classified as Vulnerable in 2010 on account of its small and rapidly declining population estimated at less than 1 500 pairs. We undertook this study to gain a better understanding of the current status and threats facing this migratory species. Three previously unknown areas that might be part of th...

This action plan has been developed to guide conservation of the Taita Thrush Turdus helleri and the Taita Apalis Apalis fuscigularis, both of which are Critically Endangered bird species endemic to the Taita Hills mountain block in south eastern Kenya, East Africa. The Taita Thrush is confined to montane cloud-forest, not venturing into secondary...

This International Action Plan is designed for the conservation of the three Critically Endangered bird species, endemic to the island of São Tomé in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa: the Dwarf Olive Ibis Bostrychia bocagei, the São Tomé Fiscal Lanius newtoni and the São Tomé Grosbeak Neospiza concolor. Previou...

The Príncipe Thrush Turdus xanthorhynchus isa rare bird species endemic to the island of Príncipe, São Tomé e Principe in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa where it has been recorded in lowland primary forest. It is estimated that there are fewer than 250 mature individuals of the species, now categorised as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List...

The results of the first ornithological survey of Lake Kenyatta, a freshwater lake in Lamu County on the northern Kenyan coast, are presented. A total of 138 bird species belonging to 50 families were recorded. Of these, five species are of global conservation concern, four are regionally threatened, nine are restricted to the East Africa coastal b...

This report assesses the status and trends of biodiversity in the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania (EACF) up to the end of 2013 and into early 2014. It follows the 2008 and 2012 status and trends reports and therefore status is assessed against the 19 biodiversity monitoring indicators agreed upon by stakeholders. Thi...

An investigation was done to determine the occurrence and composition of avian fauna community in the urbanizing city of Nairobi, Kenya. We conducted bird counts in sample sites randomly distributed over the Nairobi landscape within a two-year period. The proportion of seven different land cover types derived from within a 500 m radius of classifie...

We examined the effects of vegetation composition and structure on bird species diversity and richness of foraging guilds in the highland agricultural landscape of Nyandarua, Kenya. Bird point counts and vegetation surveys were undertaken during four sampling periods. Linear mixed models were used to examine the effects of vegetation variables on b...

Sharpe’s Longclaw Macronyx sharpei is an Endangered Kenyan endemic, restricted to tussock grasslands above 1,900 m. The species has been studied at the lower end of its altitudinal range (1,900– 2,500 m), but records from higher elevations have not been confirmed for several decades. We report the results of a survey undertaken in August 2008 and M...

Capsule Most birds in a Kenyan highland agroecosystem foraged from the ground, potentially contributing to weed regulation, and invertebrate intake rates by aerial foraging insectivores were high, indicating that birds could contribute to pest regulation. Aims Bird foraging behaviour and its implications for provision of ecosystem services and crop...

We examined the effects of crop diversity on avian species richness and abundance in the highland farmlands of Nyandarua, Kenya. We surveyed birds using point counts and recorded habitat data at the same locations estimating cover and growth stage of all crop types, whether they were grown as intercrops or monocrops, and the dominant surrounding ve...

An investigation was done to determine the occurrence and composition of avian fauna community in the urbanizing city of Nairobi, Kenya. We conducted bird counts in sample sites randomly distributed over the Nairobi landscape within a two-year period. The proportion of seven different land cover types derived from within a 500 m radius of classifie...

To ecologically manage urban spaces, it is necessary to understand changes in spatial configuration of land uses within definitive ecosystem level processes. Change in landscape cover types and pattern within Nairobi city and its environs were investigated using landsat satellite data spanning three decades. Image data were georeferenced, classifie...

The Critically Endangered Liben Lark (formerly Sidamo Lark) is known only from the Liben Plain of southern Ethiopia, where rapid grassland deterioration is driving the species towards extinction. Fieldwork on the Liben Plain in May 2009 to assess changes in habitat and population since June 2007 recorded a significant deterioration in habitat and d...

The landscape structure of Nairobi city is experiencing rapid transformation as once wild and pristine spaces are converted to anthropocentric uses. In order to understand how the changing urban structure affects urban habitats, the seasonal variation in occurrence and composition of avifauna within the metropolitan landscape of Nairobi city was in...

After a survey of Ndere Island National Park between October and November 2004, we recorded 18 species of butterflies and 3 species of land snails. Eurema brigitta brigitta was the most abundant butterfly whereas Thapsia karamwegasensis was the most abundant land snail. Majority of the butterfly species are found in open formations and about 50 % o...

The White-winged Flufftail Sarothrura ayresi is a globally threatened species (IUCN Red List category: Endangered), with a declining population estimated at 700 individuals. It occurs in Ethiopia (at three sites, the only known breeding sites), Zimbabwe (three records) and South Africa (known from nine sites). The main threats to the White-wing...

Among the most threatened species of Kenya's remaining rainforest is Chapin's Flycatcher Muscicapa lendu, a species currently listed as Vulnerable by BirdLife International (2000, 2004). Between November 2002 and February 2003, we studied its distribution and population status in Kakamega Forest, Kenya. The species was searched for along 125 transe...

Bird conservation remains low on the agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa whereas, overall, things are getting worse. Why is this the case when interest, reflected for example in the number of young ornithologists, seems to be growing? For some sites and species, there is a genuine lack of data required to back calls for conservation action. BirdLife Inter...

BirdLife International is a global Partnership of people working for birds and the environment that is present in more than 100 countries. Over five million people support the BirdLife Partnership of national non-governmental conservation organisations (Partners) and local networks (Site Support Groups or IBA Caretakers). The BirdLife Partnership w...

Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco Tauraco ruspolii is endemic to southern Ethiopia, where its range may be smaller than 8,000 km2. Although the species was reported to be common in 1995, field work carried out in 2001 suggested that its conservation status might be worsening. In February 2003 we visited four localities (Negele, Genale, Kibre Mengist and Arer...

Field survey data and Landsat satellite imagery were used to evaluate the conservation status of two Juniperus forests (Mankubsa and Arero) in the south Ethiopian Endemic Bird Area. Forest cover and dense woodland decreased in both areas between 1986 and 2002, but rates of habitat change and human impact were greater at Mankubsa than at Arero. We s...

Le Touraco de Fischer Tauraco fischeri à Zanzibar: un inventaire évaluant son statut de conservation. Nous avons recensé les Touracos de Fischer (race endémique Tauraco fischeri zanzibaricus) à l'île de Zanzibar (Tanzanie) pendant un mois. Nous avons essayé de déterminer les préférences écologiques, la distribution et la taille de la population. Co...

We report the results of a survey of Fischer's Present levels of exploitation of natural habitats on Unguja appear to be unsustainable and it seems likely turaco Tauraco fischeri in Unguja (otherwise known as Zanzibar). We estimated the species' range, population that all unprotected forests on the island will be lost within a few years. The range...

Between 16 and 24 September 2001, we assessed the extent, distribution and condition of the remaining grassland habitat, and estimated the distribution and density of two globally threatened, restricted-range species at the Mau Narok/Molo Grasslands, Kenya. Cultivation covered the largest proportion (48%), whereas grasslands constituted only 33% of...

The Kinangop highland grasslands, the world stronghold of the endangered Sharpe's longclaw (Macronyx sharpei), consist almost entirely of privately owned land. As human population in the grasslands increases, the mean acreage of land holdings decreases and more grassland is being converted to other uses. Land subdivision information, existing human...

The Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) has a range of ten African countries including South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. The distribution of the Blue Swallow is fragmented over much of its range and the migratory or dispersal behaviour of this species is spars...

New records from northern Kenya forests are described