The relative influence of habitat modification on bird assemblage in the University of Notre Dame du Kasaï-Central site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the ‘’ relative influence of habitat modification on bird assemblage’’. To estimate the ecological interest of reforestation on the Campus of Notre Dame du Kasaï site, the birds were photographed, identified and then compared to all species listed in Avibase of the region. The site hosts about 12.4% of species identified throughout the region. The following birds would be new to the Kananga area compared to Kasaï-Central bird Checklist: Bubulcus ibis, Upupa africana, Lanius collaris, Terpsiphone rufocinerea and Camaroptera brevicaudata. This study consists in demonstrating the impact of reforestation on wildlife, particularly birds. This aspect of applied biology is therefore part of the context of conservation biology. The publication of the species is a strategy for their visibility to lovers of eco-tourism based on bird watching. This could attract them and thus contribute to the economy of the region. It is on the basis of all this information that on the one hand, eco-tourism based on bird observations could develop throughout the Kasaï-Central province and on the other hand, strategies for the protection of vulnerable species will be proposed.