UTILISATION OF TREE SPECIES BY WILD BIRDS IN ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA, ONDO STATE

This study examined the utilization of tree species by wild birds within Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study identified bird species associated with flowering and fruiting plants; determine the tree species most frequently used by birds, and assessed the relationship between tree metrics diameter at breast height (DBH), height, and crown diameter and bird utilization. Data were collected using line transects, binocular surveys, and point counts across four habitat types: farmland, degraded forest, forest patches, and residential areas. A total of 404 individuals representing 72 bird species from 25 families were recorded, with Pycnonotus barbatus (Common Bulbul), Tockus fasciatus (African Pied Hornbill), and Camaroptera brachyura ranking among the most abundant. Feeding guild analysis showed insectivores (30.6%), frugivores (29.4%), and nectarivores (15.3%) as dominant guilds, highlighting their ecological roles in insect regulation, seed dispersal, and pollination. Tree association results revealed that exotic tree species- Delonix regia (23.1%), Gmelina arborea (19.2%), and Eucalyptus camaldulensis (11.5%) were the most frequently utilized by bird species,. Bird abundance was higher in farmland (include the number) and degraded forest compared (diito) to intact forest patches (ditto), indicating that heterogeneous landscapes support greater avifaunal diversity. Residential areas had the highest mean tree density (include the figure) utilized by birds; degraded forests had the highest canopy cover and ground cover. It concludes that the university campus functions as an important habitat for avifauna, providing both ecological services and opportunities for biodiversity conservation.