Impacts of the southern bypass road construction through Ngong forest on the African crowned eagle, Nairobi County

Abstract

Forests have numerous economic, social and ecological values. In Kenya most of the forests form vital water catchments for rivers among other ecological services as well as providing a habitat for numerous species of animals. Ngong Forest is an urban forest in Nairobi County that has a wide variety of flora species and serves as a habitat to various animals including birds such as the African Crowned Eagle. This research project aimed at finding out the challenges facing the African Crowned Eagle in Ngong forest as a result of the clearance of sections of the forest to pave way for the construction of the Southern bypass road, which resulted in habitat fragmentation. The study focused on determining how the birds‟ population has been affected as well as the impacts on its breeding grounds and changes in its dietary characteristics. The findings of this study indicate that there are a number of negative impacts that have resulted from the construction of the road through the forest