Timed species count birds' data of the Kenyan Coastal Forests, 1992 - 1994

The biological importance and uniqueness of East African coastal forests is widely recognized; they form an Endemic Bird Area. Important remnants of this fragmented habitat occur on the southern Kenyan coast, but their avifauna has been little studied before 1992. In January 1992 to September 1994, the avifauna of 20 South Coast Forest fragments were systematically assessed using mist-netting, timed species counts and direct observations. Sixty forest-dependent bird species were recorded, amongst them three that are globally threatened (Sokoke Pipit Anthus sokokensis, Spotted Ground-thrush Geokichla guttata, East Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi) three that are near-threatened (Southern Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus fasciolatus, Fischer’s Turaco Tauraco fischeri, Plain-backed Sunbird Anthrepres reichenowi) and four that are ‘restricted-range’ (Fischer’s Turaco, Sokoke Pipit, Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica, Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes neglectus). This dataset gives a baseline information on the birds recorded using the timed species count method in 20 forests fragment including: Timbwa, Waa, Kinondo, Diani, Teleza, Mtswakara, Gandini, Muhaka, Mrima,Buda, Gongoni, Marenje, Maluganji ,Shimba Hills, Arabuko Sokoke, Lunguma, Phungi wetland,Ukunda, Chale and Gonja. The dataset contains 2055 entries. The data were formatted according to the Darwin Core Standards by A Rocha Kenya before publishing through the IPT at the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi.