Species Richness of Avifauna in Four Long Term Ecological Research Sites in Mindanao, Philippines

The Philippines has diverse avifauna especially on the island of Mindanao which has the highest percentage of forest cover. This study was conducted to assess the species richness and distribution of avian species in four Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites in Mindanao, namely: Mts. Apo, Kitanglad, Hamiguitan, and Malindang. Mist netting for a total of 857 net days and point surveys (62 hours)were carried out inside and along the 1-ha permanent plot to document bird species in the area. Sixty-five bird species belonging to 30 families and 49 genera were recorded. Of the four forest ecosystems, Mt. Apo showed the highest species richness (38 species), endemism (58.33%), and species diversity while Mt. Hamiguitan showed the least species richness (20 species). Pachycephala philippinensis was the only species recorded in all LTER sites. Percentage similarity of the species composition across LTER sites was below 55% indicating that each of the four LTER sites showcased a unique avian composition.