Author:

Keywords:

bird, ornithology, Afromontane, forest, woodland, Ethiopia

Abstract:

The landscape in Dogu’a Tembien, in the northern highlands of Ethiopia, is a mosaic of cropland, woodland and evergreen scrub with isolated patches of dry forest. Ethiopia is endowed with an exceptionally rich fauna and flora, and is a global hotspot of biodiversity and endemicity. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, 872 bird species occur, representing 39% of the bird species of Africa and including 32 endemic species. Likewise, the forest-woodland-grassland complex in Dogu’a Tembien is the habitat of a rich and interesting yet relatively underexplored bird fauna with several endemic and biome-restricted species. In this chapter, we will look at birds in forest fragments and open woodland of varying ecological quality, in particular church forests, grazing exclosures and grazed woodland. We demonstrate that birds contribute substantially to the cultural ecosystem services of the landscape by providing a high ecotourism potential.