Avian Composition in Selected Wetlands Within the Hadejia-Jamaare River Basin, Nigeria

Wetlands are crucial ecosystems that provide habitats for a wide range of species, especially avian. This study investigates bird abundance, species richness and diversity in selected wetlands along the Hadejia-Jamaare River Basin in northern Nigeria. Five wetlands were surveyed covering both the dry and wet seasons from January–April and June–September 2023 respectively using point count method from 06:00h–12:00h and 14:00–18:00h weekly. Shannon-Wiener diversity index was used to calculate bird diversity. A total of 18,871 individuals of 97 bird species from 42 families were recorded, accounting for approximately 11% of all known bird species in Nigeria. During the dry and wet season, 16,115 individual from 74 different bird species and 2,755 individuals from 65 bird species were recorded respectively. 18 of the recorded bird species were partially migratory (e.g. Egretta ardesiaca), 16 were non-breeding visitors (e.g. Motacilla flava), and 4 were breeding visitors (e.g. Ciconia abdimii). Of the recorded bird species, 45 had a stable population, 22 decreasing, 17 increasing, and 13 with an unknown population trend. There were significant differences and effects of seasons and wetland sites on bird species richness and bird abundance. Tukey post hoc testing showed that the dry season had higher bird species richness (P < 0.001) and bird abundance (P < 0.001) compared to the wet season. Bird species richness and abundance were highest in the Kudubiya and Sansan wetlands, emphasizing the critical need for their conservation. Further research should investigate specific aspects such as breeding behavior, migration patterns, and habitat preferences.