Ecology of Terpsiphone Bedfordi, Ogilvie-Grant (Aves: Monarchidae)

The Bedford¿s Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone bedfordi is an endemic species to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, restricted to the lowland and transitional zones from 700-1500m. It is considered ¿Near Threatened¿ by Birdlife International primarily because of its local distribution. This is also a region in which habitat has experienced great human turmoil over the past 15 years. Because the ecology of this species is poorly known, surveys were undertaken in Mukowa primary forest (Irangi area) in December 2002, January 2003, March 2003 and September ¿ October 2003. Using mistnetting, point counts, opportunistic observations and biometric measurements, this work contributes to the knowledge of the ecology of T. bedfordi in different aspects including: the altitudinal distribution, abundance and densities at different sites within its range.