A review of the conservation status of birds in the Guineo-Congolian forest of Africa

Abstract

The Guineo-Congolian “rain” forest (G-C forest) in West and Central Africa is threatened by deforestation. From 1975 to 2013, the extent of the G-C forest decreased by 37%, from about 131,000 to 83,000 km². Overall, 46% of bird species in the G-C forest (123 of 268) have declining populations, and about 31 species (12%) are categorized as endangered, near threatened, or vulnerable. Impacts of harvesting for “bushmeat” and the cage bird industry are largely unknown, but, of 60 species of birds in the G-C forest known to be hunted or trapped, six are categorized as vulnerable, one as near threatened, and one as endangered. In addition, 35 of the 60 species are estimated to have decreasing populations, 18 species have stable populations, and three are increasing in number. The impacts of clearing or disturbing G-C forest to cultivate cash crops are not fully known, except that avian diversity is markedly reduced in such areas. Traditional “sacred groves,” mostly small patches of forest, are not formally designated as conservation areas, but may serve as protected sites for some species of birds. Temperatures have increased and rainfall has decreased over the last five decades in West Africa. These changes will likely contribute to a further loss of suitable habitat for range-restricted species of birds. In addition, species currently found in lowland and montane habitats may be forced to move to higher elevations. Of 53 species of birds found in lowland habitat, five are endangered, seven are near threatened, 11 are vulnerable, and one is data deficient, suggesting that ~44% of lowland species may have an increased risk of extinction. Countries with G-C forest all have large human populations with high incidences of poverty, resources harvested at unsustainable rates, and increasing rates of deforestation. Networks of large protected areas in West and Central Africa, with much tighter controls over unsustainable harvesting, are urgently needed to ensure conservation of the birds and, more generally, the biodiversity of the G-C forest.