Association between avian assemblages and mountain bushveld communities along a single mountain slope in the Usuthu Gorge, South Africa

The study investigated the bird species diversity associated with vegetation communities found on a single mountain slope in the Usuthu Gorge Community Conservation Area, northern KwaZulu-Natal. Thirteen sample sites were surveyed on a monthly basis for 12 months. Over this period, 279 birds and 55 species were recorded, of which the Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor was the most abundant. The Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana was the indicator species in the highest community, Open Bushveld, which is characterised by grassland and bush patches. The White-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris talatala was an indicator in the second-lowest community, Dense Bushveld–Woodland, which is characterised by steep slopes and thickets. In Wooded Grassland, located between the above two communities, the highest beta diversity (species turnover) was recorded and this outcome was probably caused by large areas covered by rocks that compelled woodland birds to move through this community. Contrary to expectation, the gamma diversity per vegetation community increased with elevation from 18 to 33 species in Dense Bushveld–Woodland, Wooded Grassland and Open Bushveld. A future study should measure bird species diversity on larger elevational gradients, i.e. slopes from 500 to 3 000 m above sea level, which also include more distinct vegetation communities.Keywords: birds, bushveld, communities, diversity, elevation, indicatorsOSTRICH 2013, 84(1): 63–6