Abstract :
The mountains of south-eastern Nigeria are a western extension of the Cameroon mountain
range, which is classified as an endemic bird area (EBA). Unlike its eastern extension in
Cameroon, most of the ornithological surveys in the western extension of the Cameroon
highlands in Nigeria have produced only limited checklists and inventories. There is a clear need
for quantitative baseline data so that conservation problems can be identified. Twenty line
transects covering a total transect length of 28.8 km were used to survey five sites (Afi Mountain
Wildlife Sanctuary, Oban Division and Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park,
Sankwala Mountains and Mbe Mountains) in the westernmost extension of the Cameroon
Mountains EBA in south-eastern Nigeria. Vegetation measurements were taken to control for
the potential confounding effect of variation in vegetation density and structure on detectability
of birds between sites. The 193 bird species recorded in Afi, 158 in Sankwala, 124 in Oban, 100 in
Mbe and 73 in Okwangwo Division included most of the Cameroon highlands restricted range
species. The results show that the mountains of south-eastern Nigeria are important parts of
the Cameroon EBA, particularly Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. However these sites are
threatened by fire and livestock grazing on the hilltops, shifting agriculture on the hillsides and
lowlands, and logging for timber in some parts, as well as wildlife hunting for bushmeat.
