Status of the avifauna in the construction zone of the Singrobo - Ahouaty hydroelectric dam (Tiassale - Cote D'ivoire

An ornithological study was carried out in the construction zone of the Singrobo-Ahouaty (Tiassale) hydroelectric dam in central Côte d'Ivoire, with a view to assessing the avifaunal population prior to the implementation of the dam construction project. The surveys were carried out in the dry and rainy seasons. In the terrestrial environment, the method of listening points coupled with point indices of abundance was used to inventory birds. However, in the vicinity of watercourses, the main method used was a slow itinerant walk with stops to observe and count the birds. A total of 243 bird species belonging to 54 families from 20 orders were inventoried. Of these species, seven (07) are recognised as bird species of global conservation interest, twelve species are endemic to West Africa and six (06) others are species of restricted distribution. In addition, 90 of the 185 species of the guinean-congolese forest biome and 36 migratory species have been inventoried in the area. The species richness in the dry season is higher than in the rainy season. From the perspective of protecting and sustainably managing biodiversity, this study is of vital interest. It enabled an inventory to be made of the birds in the area, which will make it possible to plan appropriate conservation measures for bird species with special status in the biodiversity management plan proposed at the end of the environmental and social impact study for the project.