A Brief Description of Avian Communities in Sungai Tongod Forest Reserve, Tongod, Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

A rapid assessment of the avifauna of Sungai Tongod Forest Reserve (STFR), a logged-over forest, was conducted in Tongod district in central Sabah, Malaysia. A modified MacKinnon List method was used to assess species diversity. The four-day survey recorded a total of 15 MacKinnon lists, with 342 individuals detected. A total of 85 species from 38 families were recorded, with H=4.07 and E_H=0.70. True species richness was estimated (using SuperDuplicates® online calculator) to be approximately 114 species, with about 30 species not detected. There were 10 Bornean endemics, half of which were listed as Least Concerned, two as Near Threatened, and one as Vulnerable, in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Pellorneidae, Pycnonotidae and Nectariniidae were represented by eight, seven and six species respectively. The family Pycnonotidae had the highest number of individuals at 40 followed by Pellorneidae with 35. The five most detected species comprised 42.4 % of all individuals. The most detected species were the Bold-striped Tit-babbler (17 individuals), Green Iora (15), Pink-necked Green Pigeon (15), Black-and-yellow Broadbill (12), and Black-headed Bulbul (12). Most of the species detected (77) were forest-dependent, of which 62 were strictly forest birds. Insectivores comprised the most dominant dietary guild, i.e., 25 species (from 22 families). Frugivores ranked second with 25 species from 10 families.