DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF HORNBILLS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES IN SOUTHERN GHANA
SELASI DZITSE
Department of Entomology and Wildlife, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
KWEKU ANSAH MONNEY
Department of Entomology and Wildlife, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
KWAKU BRAKO DAKWA *
Department of Entomology and Wildlife, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
We investigated the distribution and abundance of hornbills in different forest landscapes in southern Ghana. 639 individuals of five species of hornbill were recorded. The highest abundance of hornbills were recorded in a mining concession and the least in a sacred grove. The African pied hornbills (Tockus fasciatus) were found in all forest landscapes irrespective of the type of anthropogenic matrices associated with them, indicating their resilience to anthropogenic habitat changes. The larger species, Black-casqued hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata), was found in a national park only. The results of this study call for a review in the protection protocols in the national parks of Ghana to save the Black-casqued hornbill, and a review of Ghana’s mining policies to secure habitats for the hornbills.
Keywords: Hornbills, habitat fragmentation, forests, landscapes, sacred grove, national park, mining concession, biodiversity plot, residential area