Avifauna of national botanic garden in the UP [University of the Philippines] Quezon land grant, Luzon, Philippines and notes on frugivores at a fruiting fig (Ficus minahassae Teyson and De Vr.; miq.).
1987
Tabaranza, B.R. Jr.
The avifauna of the National Botanic Garden [Quezon, Philippines] was surveyed on several occasions in 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987. A total of 52 species belonging to 45 genera, 26 families and 12 orders was recorded. This is a poor record for a tropical rain forest. The species represent only 5.47%, genera 18.22 %, families 34.67% and orders 63.16 % of the entire avifauna of the Philippines. The apparent paucity of bird populations are due to habitat destruction and overharvesting as manifested by (a) clear-cut logging, (b) kaingin and coal-making and (c) unrestricted hunting. A large fruiting Ficus minahassae was monitored for a total of 220 censuses in 55 hr over a 5-day period. Seventeen species of birds and one species of mammal were observed to visit the fig but only 8 avian and 1 mammalian species were eating the syconia. The most significant frugivores were bicolored flowerpecker (Dicaeum bicolor) at 90.90% attendance, orange-breasted flowerpecker (D. trigonostigma) at 76.82% Philippine Bulbul (Hypsipetes philippinus) at 64.09% and olive-backed flowerpecker (Prionochilus olivaceus) at 45.00%. Mean foraging group sizes for Dicaum bicolor, D. trigonostigma, H. philippinus and P. olivaceus were 4.5, 3.4, 3.7 and 2.1, respectively. Proximate composition of Ficus minahassae pulp showed a relatively high protein content with low crude fiber which implies a positive correlate to digestibility. Activity in the fig lasted through the last day but a pronounced peak time was between 0830 hr to 1130 hr when the average number of individual visitors and species were observed to be highest. The tree composition of the area was found to be dominated by dipterocarp species of the Lauan Association of Sub-type. Several Ficus spp., however, were observed to be distributed in the area.
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