Data on bird communities on the study plots of the Kilimanjaro Research Unit including all bird individuals observed during point counts

We used audiovisual point counts on eight subplots per plot to record birds in the warm dry season (December to March) and in the cold dry season (July to October). We established circles with a 20-m radius in densely vegetated habitats (savanna and all forest habitats) and 35.5 m × 35.5 m squares at Helichrysum plots, covering the same sampling area in all habitat types. All birds heard or seen in one subplot were counted for 10 min and identified to species level. Point counts started 15 min before sunrise and were completed before 09:00. All 480 point counts (30 plots × 8 subplots × 2 seasons) were conducted by the same observer (Ferger S. W.) to reduce inter-observer variability. This dataset contains also bird individuals that were recorded higher than maximum canopy height at the respective subplots in the respective season (see publication for details).

本研究采用音视频样点计数法，于暖旱季（12月至次年3月）与冷旱季（7月至10月）对每个样地内的8个小样方开展鸟类记录。针对植被茂密的生境（稀树草原及各类森林生境），我们设置半径为20米的圆形样区；在蜡菊属（Helichrysum）样地中则设置35.5米×35.5米的方形样区，确保所有生境类型的采样面积保持一致。每个小样方内所有被听闻或目击的鸟类均会被记录10分钟，并鉴定至物种水平。样点计数于日出前15分钟启动，且需在当日9:00前完成。为降低观察者间的观测差异，全部480次样点计数（30个样地×8个小样方×2个季节）均由同一名观察者（Ferger S. W.）完成。本数据集还收录了在对应小样方及对应季节中，被记录到的高于该样地林冠最大高度的鸟类个体，详细信息可参阅相关发表文献。