HOMING ABILITY AND TERRITORIAL REPLACEMENT IN SOME FOREST BIRDS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICA

Summary

Dowsett, R. J. & Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1986. Homing ability and territorial replacement in some forest birds in south-central Africa. Ostrich 57: 25–31.

Forty-three colour-ringed birds of 11 species were translocated from one area of forest patches to another, six km distant, on the Nyika Plateau, Malawi. Only the Starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata and some Cape Batis Batis capensis showed homing ability and returned. Six birds were relocated in the release area, two establishing new territories there (Mountain Yellow Warbler Chloropeta similis, Whitetailed Crested Flycatcher Elminia albonotata). In the vacated area, empty territories of the Barthroated Apalis Apalis thoracica were filled and missing mates replaced within a day, presumably by birds from a local non-breeding surplus. Otherwise territorial replacements in the vacated area took several weeks (Fülleborn's Black Boubou Laniarius fuelleborni) to several months (Oliveflanked Robin Cossypha anomala), and were not completed almost three years later in two species (Batis capensis and Elminia albonotata).