Avian Diversity in the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches and Monasteries in the Case of Jer Silase Monastery in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Orthodox churches and monasteries help as critical biodiversity sanctuaries, mainly for bird species. The study was carried out in and around Jer Silase Monastery between October and January of 2021 using a stratified sample design by dividing the study area into four habitat types: riverine, cliff, natural forest, and farmland. Both the transect and point count method techniques were employed. A total of nine transects and 96-point stations methodically created. Of the transects, five were applied in the cliff habitat and four were in the riverine. Of the point stations, 51 were applied in the natural forest and 45 were applied at the farmland. The data was analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests. A total of 116 species, belonging to 16 orders and 49 families, were recorded during the study period. Four species, namely, Abyssinian catbird, Abyssinian woodpecker, Harwood's francolin, and yellow-fronted parrot, are unique to Ethiopia, while the scavengers white-backed vultures and hooded vultures are critically endangered species. In all four habitat categories, there were significant differences in the mean abundance of bird species (p = 0.001). There was no visible variation in bird species abundance between the wet and dry seasons (p = 0.085). During the dry season, the cliff had the lowest diversity index (H' = 2.33), while the natural forest had the highest diversity (H' = 4.24). The natural forest had the maximum diversity (H' = 4.16) during the rainy season, whereas the cliff habitat had the lowest diversity (H' = 2.94). During the dry season, the highest evenness (J = 0.85) was recorded at the riverine, and the least evenness (J = 0.39) was recorded at the cliff. Also, during the wet season, the highest evenness (J = 0.72) was recorded in the natural forest, and the least (J = 0.57) was recorded at the cliff. Enhancing community-based protection and integration traditional spiritual values with contemporary conservation strategies is essential for safeguarding bird species and their habitats in the current study area as well as in other Ethiopian monasteries.