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Ducks and Geese of the Ethiopian Region

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Ducks and Geese of the Ethiopian Region DUCK AND GEESE OF ;i'HE ETHIOPIAN REGION. By HUGHWOODMAN,M.B.O.U. The Ethiopian Region is an arbitrary avifaunal area of Africa which reaches from the Cape in the south to the Tropic of Cancer, just south of Assuan in Egypt, in the north. These notes mainly concern the migratory and resident members of the family anatidae as they occur in I!;thiopia proper within that region, i.e., Abyssinia. Although it lies beyond the strictly geographical borders of Kenya and Uganda, the same species are being described as are familiar in the East African list (with three excep• tions),and the little that is added to our knowledge of their occurrence and movements there is closely inter-related with what has been written of East African birds (notably by Jackson; and van Someren in Nos. 38, 39, 47 and 48 of this Journal). As far as resident duck are concerned it broadens our records of distribution and where migrant duck are described it is a part of the mosaic which goes to make up the full story. Abyssinia marks the southernmost limit of the Common Pochard (Aythya ferina fernia L.) which was recorded for the first time in 1941 in lat. 12.40N.; and until recently was believed to be the southernmost goal of Gadwall (Anas str.epera L.) but there are now a number of records of this rare visitor in Kenya. It also marks the northernmost records of the African Pochard (Aythya erythrophthalma Wild.) found up to the same latitude. Jackson, quoting Lynes, states that it is known as far as Kordofan in the Sudan, but Lynes mentions no such record, and it is not known in the Sudan list from skins although it is believed to occur there. The Maccoa (Erismat'Ura maccoa Eyton.), White-backed Duck (T'halassornis leuconotus leuconotus Eyton.) and Cape Teal (Anas capensis Gme!.) are known up to lat. 8.50 N., and the Black River-Duck (Anas sparsa Eyton.) to lat. 10.0, but the latter probably occurs up to lat. 13.0. The only members of the family which occur in Abyssinia but do not also occur in East Africa are the Common Pochard, Bluewing Goose (Cyanochen cyanopterus Riipp.) and the Black Spurwing (Plectropterus gambensis niger P. Sc!.). The Yellowbill is not the same as the Kenya subspecies but Anas undulata rilppelli Blyth. This, however, intergrades with the East African form and is, therefore, not listed as a duck not occurring in East Africa. There is no authentic record of Mallard (Anas p. platyrhyncha L.) or South African Shoveller (Spatula capeusis Eyton.) in Abyssinia, although the former has been rumoured to occur more than once but never supported by a skin. For detailed description of individual drakes, ducks and immature and eclipse plumages I would refer the reader to van Someren's account in the back numbers of this Journal, referred to above (May, 1930, and October, 1932) and the detail, still the most classical existing of Reichenow's "Die Vogel Afrikas." PREVIOUSRECORDS. Bird observations have been made for over a century by travellers in various parts of Abyssinia, and a number of collections have been made since Riippell's in 1822. All, however, have been remarkably meagre and incomplete on the subject of the anatidae. With the exception of Marquis S: Patrizzi's collection made during the Italian occupation, which obtained 41 skins of 85% of the duck and geese that occur, hut which was incomplete as regards sexes and immature and eclipse plumages, there were no adequate notes on the family at all. Since the dislodgement of the Italians I have had occasion to add considerably to both notes and skins, though not unfortunately being able to include the Southern Lake region. We still know extremely little of the nidification habits of the moults and movements of resident species. The following have been some of the most important ornithological expeditions to Abyssinia:- James Bruce's notes ... 1775. Petrus ForskiH 1790. Ehrenberg and Hemprich 1820. Eritrea and Danakil regions. Ferret and Galinier 1840. Northern Ethiopia. von Heuglin 1869. Antinori .... .1876. von Erlanger Oscar Neumann von Zedlitz (Simien region). t 1905-15. Friedman on the Frick collection 1930. Arussi, Lake Abaye, Omo, etc. Cheesman 1935. Gojjam. Haig and Thesiger 1934. Aussa. Patrizzi 1936-40. General. Benson 1941-42. Negelli-Yavello. In Abyssinia, all the resident duck of the entire Ethiopian Region occur except- Hartlaub's (Pteronetta hartlaubi Cassin) of South-West Sudan and North Congo to West Africa. South African Shoveller (Spatula eapinsis) of South Africa. There is one record of Horsburgh's in East Africa, but no skin or locality record. South African Sheldrake (Casarea eana Gmel.) of South Africa. All the European visiting migrants come as far as Abyssinia except• Ruddy Sheldrake (Casarea ferruginea Pall.) of Northern Sudan. Mallard of Northern Sudan. White Fronted Goose (Anser albifrons albifrons Scop.). I have skins of twenty different species of duck which are now known to occur in Abyssinia, nine of them palaearctic visitors and eleven residents. There are also four geese. GEOPHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND INCIDENCE OF DUCK. The best duck feeding-grounds of Abyssinia are~- (1) The high plateau which consists of vast rolling plains of short grass and undulating land bordered by ranges of high mountains or ravines and gorges 3,000 to 4,000 ft. deep. These plateaus are intersected by narrow winding streams only a few feet across but in which there are scattered pools. The altitude averages 8,000 to 9,000 ft. Permanent marshes are small and scarce at this altitude, 42 but during the rains the whole countryside is waterlogged. The landscape is almost treeless save for small. groups of eucalyptus on the tops of the low hills, often marking churches, and around the peas-ants' huts. There is no cover along the streams except in the natural drop of the ground or in cuttings made by the water. The country is full of stock, mainly horses, cattle and goats. A big plateau 100 miles across lies north-west of Addis Ababa reaching to the Blue Nile gorge, which is nearly 6,000 ft. deep. The whole Gojjam in the west is a plateau and mountain.country, some 150 miles across. Another more waterless plateau lies north• east of Addis. The pools on these streams are beloved by all the European visiting duck and a few of the residents, in the following order: Shoveller . Abundant. WigeonYellowbill .( Common. CommonGarganey Teal . } Tufted . Fairly common. PintailGadwall . ( Rare. AfricanPink-billedTealTeal . } Common Pochard ) White-eyed Pochard. I Very rare. (2) The marshes and shallow water pans of the Awash river basin, from 7,000 ft. south-west of Addis down to 4,000 ft. east of Addis. On these are found at 7,000 ft. Shoveller, Wigeon, Pintail, Teal, Garganey, Yellowbill, African Teal, Pinkbill (not common), African Pochard (during wettest months only) and Fulvous Tree Duck (occasional seasons). At 6,000 ft. and lower, Fulvous and White-faced Tree Duck become abundant, Teal, Wigeon and Pin• tail become rarer. The Knob-billed Comb Duck is fairly common. Yellowbill are seldom seen. (3) Lakes such as Akaki reservoir, 7,000 ft. near Addis; Haik and Ashangi, (8,000 ft.) to the north, Zwai, Abayata, etc., (6,000 ft.) . to the south; ~ana (southern end) in the Gojjam. On Lake Haik, .. I have seen,all the resident duck at the same time (except White• eyedPochard). These included Common Pochard but only one resident duck, the African P_Qchard. Although the lake's edge was black with duck there was no ot,\1erbird life on the water except Coot. The northern lakes are deep and free of reeds, except in small patches along the water's edge. From the southern RW lakes have been recorded, Dwarf Goose, Pintail, African Teal, Wigeon and White Eyed Pochard (Patritzi). (4) The deep crater lakes 30 miles south-east of Addis, at about 6,000ft. one of which is green, and is the haunt of several :Maccoa. Here also are found the Cape Teal and White-backed Duck. (5) The waters of the low country inland from Assab. Major Kenyon Slaney has reported these to carry a dense duck population. 43 RESIDENT AFRICAN DUCK. As mentioned above, th<=seare eleven in number and are all familiar in East Africa. Notes will be found in Jackson and van Someren. Ar~smatura maccoa Eyton. Maccoa Duck. So far only recorded from two localities in Abyssinia: the Green Lake at Bishoftu (Ada), thirty-five miles south-east of Addis Ababa, at about 6,500 ft.; and lake Aramaya, a shallow lake near Harar at 6,000 feet. On the former they are believed to be present all the year round, and do not flight across to other lakes only seven miles away. The sides of this crater are some 300 ft. deep descending precipitously to a narrow beach. The water is bright green and is full of algae and minute plant life unlike the other crater lakes which stand in a group seven miles distant. One side of the lake which is about one mile across; is thick with reeds and overhung with foliage. The surface is clear and there are no water lilies .. Maccoa are found scattered all over this and are pairing by June, and certainly breeding there, although they have not been vIsited at the actual time of nesting. There is no sign of moult from April to June, and I have not been able to get access to the lake in other months. In Abyssinia, they are an entirely lake-inhabiting, and very localized, duck.
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