Coexistence and Competition between Overwintering Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus and Local Warblers at Lake Naivasha, Kenya

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Abstract
Huge numbers of Willow Warblers winter in East Africa, and at Lake Naivasha the Willow Warbler becomes the most abundant species in its guild; in some habitats half the individuals in the guild are Willow Warblers, and most likely such numbers influence the ecology and behavior of the local species in the guild. In a four-month study restrictions/displacements in the presence, and releases in the absence, of Willow Warblers were observed in several of the local species. In the course of the autumn the Willow Warblers also changed their habitat distribution from groves to woodland, presumably because of interference from the numerous local birds in the grove-habitat. Shortly after arrival the habitat and microhabitat distributions (and foraging behavior) of the Willow Warblers were almost identical to those of local species such as the Black-bellied Apalis. However, in the course of the autumn and winter clear divergences occurred between the two groups in several ecological and behavioral parameters.

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