103
Squacco Heron, Green-backed Heron and Sacred Ibis mainly concentrate in the
Ndian Basin and Wouri estuary, the two main mangrove areas of the country;
– Ducks, Rails and Fin foots: in this group the Hartlaub’s Ducks were found mainly
around Sanaga river;
– Waders, the well represented group on the Cameroon coast which included
Palearctic species such as Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Curlew
sandpiper and Common Ringed Plover. This group also counted the Grey
Pratincole.
– Gulls, Terns and African Skimmer which are the most dominant group of water
birds on Cameroon coast represented by Royal Tern and African Skimmer.
Mangrove fauna often show vertical and horizontal zonation. Some of them
dominate in mud, some on the shrubs and leaves and the others around roots (Mauris
2005) and can be divided into three inhabitants such as (i) aquatic animals, (ii) semiaquatic animals and (iii) terrestrial animals based on their living behaviour. These
animal communities utilize mangrove areas for their daily activities such as foraging, breeding, and loafing. These animals play a significant role in the management
of mangrove forests and in balancing nature in and around the mangrove areas
(Spalding et al. 2010; Nyanti et al. 2012).
Table 3.3 (continued)
Family
Scientific name
Common name
Rallidae
Amaurornis flavirostris
Black Crake
Recurvirostridae
Himantopus himantopus
Black-winged Stilt
Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostra avosetta
Pied Avocet
Scolopacidae
Calidris alba
Sanderling
Scolopacidae
Calidris minuta
Little Stint
Scolopacidae
Calidris ferruginea
Curlew Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Philomachus pugnax
Ruff
Scolopacidae
Gallinago gallinago
Common Snipe
Scolopacidae
Limosa limosa
Black-tailed Godwit
Scolopacidae
Limosa lapponica
Bar-tailed Godwit
Scolopacidae
Numenius phaeopus
Whimbrel
Scolopacidae
Numenius arquata
Eurasian Curlew
Scolopacidae
Tringa tetanus
Common Redshank
Scolopacidae
Tringa stagnatilis
Marsh Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Tringa nebularia
Common Greenshank
Scolopacidae
Tringa ochropus
Green Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Tringa glareola
Wood Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Tringa hypoleucos
Common Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Arenaria interpres
Ruddy Turnstone
Scopidae
Scopus umbretta
Hamerkop
Threskiornithidae
Bostrychia hagedash
Hadada Ibis
Threskiornithidae
Threskiornis aethiopicus
Sacred Ibis
Modified after Van der Waarde (2007)
3 Impact of Urbanization on the Evolution of Mangrove Ecosystems…
Squacco Heron, Green-backed Heron and Sacred Ibis mainly concentrate in the
Ndian Basin and Wouri estuary, the two main mangrove areas of the country;
– Ducks, Rails and Fin foots: in this group the Hartlaub’s Ducks were found mainly
around Sanaga river;
– Waders, the well represented group on the Cameroon coast which included
Palearctic species such as Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Curlew
sandpiper and Common Ringed Plover. This group also counted the Grey
Pratincole.
– Gulls, Terns and African Skimmer which are the most dominant group of water
birds on Cameroon coast represented by Royal Tern and African Skimmer.
Mangrove fauna often show vertical and horizontal zonation. Some of them
dominate in mud, some on the shrubs and leaves and the others around roots (Mauris
2005) and can be divided into three inhabitants such as (i) aquatic animals, (ii) semiaquatic animals and (iii) terrestrial animals based on their living behaviour. These
animal communities utilize mangrove areas for their daily activities such as foraging, breeding, and loafing. These animals play a significant role in the management
of mangrove forests and in balancing nature in and around the mangrove areas
(Spalding et al. 2010; Nyanti et al. 2012).
Table 3.3 (continued)
Family
Scientific name
Common name
Rallidae
Amaurornis flavirostris
Black Crake
Recurvirostridae
Himantopus himantopus
Black-winged Stilt
Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostra avosetta
Pied Avocet
Scolopacidae
Calidris alba
Sanderling
Scolopacidae
Calidris minuta
Little Stint
Scolopacidae
Calidris ferruginea
Curlew Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Philomachus pugnax
Ruff
Scolopacidae
Gallinago gallinago
Common Snipe
Scolopacidae
Limosa limosa
Black-tailed Godwit
Scolopacidae
Limosa lapponica
Bar-tailed Godwit
Scolopacidae
Numenius phaeopus
Whimbrel
Scolopacidae
Numenius arquata
Eurasian Curlew
Scolopacidae
Tringa tetanus
Common Redshank
Scolopacidae
Tringa stagnatilis
Marsh Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Tringa nebularia
Common Greenshank
Scolopacidae
Tringa ochropus
Green Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Tringa glareola
Wood Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Tringa hypoleucos
Common Sandpiper
Scolopacidae
Arenaria interpres
Ruddy Turnstone
Scopidae
Scopus umbretta
Hamerkop
Threskiornithidae
Bostrychia hagedash
Hadada Ibis
Threskiornithidae
Threskiornis aethiopicus
Sacred Ibis
Modified after Van der Waarde (2007)
3 Impact of Urbanization on the Evolution of Mangrove Ecosystems…