Habitat Selection by Gray-Backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyuran) at the Amurum Forest Reserve, Nigeria

Camaroptera brachyura is common and widespread but not much has been done to understand its habitat requirements. This study was carried out at the Amurum Forest Reserve located on the Jos-Plateau, Plateau State (9°53´N, 8°59´E), Nigeria. Located in Laminga village, 15 km Northeast of Jos at an altitude of 1,280 m above sea level and covering an area of about 300 hectares of land. C. brachyura were counted using line transect of 200 m each laid on existing foot tracks and access road traversing the study area. Quadrats of 10 m x 10 m square were laid at the locations where C. brachyura were recorded to measure habitat variables. The same measurements were carried out 50m away from the locations as random point. A total of 54 individual C. brachyura were recorded in Amurum Forest Reserve. C. brachyura significantly selected number of shrubs, number of grasses in the actual point compared with the random point. This study demonstrated that the abundance of shrubs and grasses best predicted the abundance of C. brachyura in the actual point compared with the random point. There is a positive relationship between the vegetation and C. brachyura in the actual point compared with the random point.