DOCSLIB.ORG

Crestedor Levaillant's Barbet

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Crested or levaillant's Barbet By Dale R. Thompson, Lemon Cove, CA he Crested Barbet, Trachyphonus vaillantii, origi­ T nates from a large part of Africa. It ranges from Angola, Zambia, SE Zaire (now the Republic of Congo), Tanzania south to Nambia, Botswana and the eastern part of South Africa. In modern references the Crested Barbet is being referred to as the Levaillant's Barbet. There is an excellent photo­ graph of this barbet depicted in Martin Vince's book Softbills-Care, Breeding Before entering and Conservation. andfeeding the The Levaillant's Barbet was quite youngster, the common in the zoological world in the adults would land on the entrance past decade, but since it has not been hole ofa large placed on a SSP or TAG program it is smooth-trunked not receiving the attention given to log that was origi­ birds who are listed on the programs. nally usedfor a Toco Toucan The International Species Identification System (lSIS), March 1997, records show 7.6.17 (7 male, 6 females and 17 unknowns) with no listed hatchings. It is very important that the private sector work with this species and work toward establishing it in captivity. Barbets originate from Africa, Asia and Indonesia, and Central and South America and belong to a wide range of genera. All are tunnel nesters and will most often utilize an abandoned (or even an active) woodpecker hole that has been tunneled into the trunk or branch of a tree. Barbets can be quite pugnacious and in the wild have been known to take over a nest of less dominant birds. The breeding mor­ phology of the barbet family is very similar to that of the toucan family. In 1995, I received a pair of Levaillant's Barbets from Jim Gunderson who has reared a consid­ erable number of softbills in his life­ time including the Levaillant's Barbet. The pair I received consisted of a wild­ caught male with a handfed female. The male was very nervous and skit­ tish while the female was not afraid of humans in any way. At approximately three weeks ofage the juvenile shows the awareness ofan adult. Tbe The Levaillant's Barbet has a won­ chick looks like its father-much more colorful than the mother. derful song consisting of a long run- 42 July/August 1998 ning trill. This handfed female would c o sit on a log close by and, stretching in c.CI) E o a high upright position, would run off .r:. ~ a musical trill right in front of you. Not a: only did it do it around people as she co(1) Q loved the attention, but one could hear .c>­ her song from several hundred feet oCI) (5 away in the very early mornings. Due .r:. a.. to this great attention-getting behavior, this female was named "Barbie Doll." She was so imprinted to human that I did not know if she would ever repro­ duce or would ever lay eggs. And if she did would they be fertile? I really enjoyed this bird and could easily under tand Jim Gunderson's great affection for her. He had hand reared the bird and wanted it to always have the freedom of a large flight. The pair was originally housed in a 10-foot flight until it could be housed The mother in a very large walk-through flight cage Levaillant's Barbet that was just being finished in my back was handfed and not afraid of yard. This flight cage measured 30 feet humans. She in width by 56 feet in length. It had a would trill a won­ domed roof that attained the height of derful song in 24 feet. The sides were make of pan­ front ofanyone. eled I" X 1/2" wire that went up for approximately 10 feet. Then an alu­ minum alloy tubular structure made for shade houses wa used to dome over the top. Nylon netting was stretched and secured at the top and this created an incredible environment for softbills. This flight cage had a shallow (14 foot diameter) pool placed in it with a man-made stream flowing into it. The flight was well planted using two fruit­ less Mulberry trees as the main shade in the non-winter month. The Mulberry trees were heavily pruned to shape them into an umbrella, as they would normally grow straight up in the air and punch holes through the roof. The flight was planted with a number of hardy plants as the winter­ time temperatures could drop below freezing at night. Cape Honeysuckle and several types ofJasmine vines cov­ ered everal of the sides. I personally am not afraid of placing labeled toxic plants within a softbill aviary as the inhabitants do not partake of them. While in the Los Angeles Zoo's enor­ mous flight cage that had a large num­ ber of oftbills (and even parrot-types), we counted over 27 toxic plants The parent bird drilled an additional small tunnel at the bottom ofthis large palm log. Here the female hasfood in her beak justprior to taking it into the nest to feed the chick. including the very toxic Elephant Ear the afa WATCHBIRD 43 plant. But each aviculturist mu t make tional hole only 2 inches in diameter his or her own decision when it through the bottom of the toucan nest. comes to planting an aviary. This tunneled in a slight curve and eatciuffl The inhabitants of thi flight cage with my thin hands could feel some­ consisted of the pair of Levaillant's thing at the bottom. My first reaction the /11.iSundef£stood Barbets, a pair Fischer's Turacos, a pair was to quickly remove my hand as the ofBlack-naped Orioles, a pair ofLilac­ tips of my fingers had felt a warm /11.inef£al breasted Rollers and several singles. body or bodies that felt like baby mice. By Thomas P. Ryan, D. V.M. These included a Blue-crowned The instant reaction of removing my Binghamton, NY Pigeon, a Tawny Frogmouth, a non­ hand was in hopes ofnot getting bit by (Oct/Nov 1985) flighted (rehab) Red-billed Toucan a mother mouse as I thought that this ;4nothe'l compound ~0W1d in OU'l (Kita) and an ordinary white dove. was a mouse nest. I crashed my elbow Within this flight I had placed a into a tree limb with the force of 6i'ld's diet, calcium is stilL to this large smooth-barked palm trunk that removing my hand in a jerky impulse. AAlf tl misW1de'lstood mlne'ltll to was 31 inches in diameter. It was a It was only seconds later that I H1tV1lf· 2ithe'l J1Je ~itJe too little o'l proven nest for Toco Toucans in past thought this might actually be a baby ~tJes years and I was hoping to soon bird as just the tips of my fingers had too much. \lhis etl'lllf tl'ltide acquire another pair of large toucans touched something fleshy and warm. tl ve'llf clea.'l concept ~ calcium. even if it couldn't be the Toco. The Why not a precocial bird that did not internal dimensions were 10 inches in have its feathers instead of pinky mice? alcium and phosphorus diameter and 17 inches deep. I had no With care I then took a flashlight to are two important miner­ thought that this log would be used by look into the nesting hole (within the als in the diet of birds. anything other than a toucan. larger nesting hole) but due to the Calcium-e and phosphorus-related I knew quickly that the barbets curve in the narrow nest I could not problems are not uncommon in pet enjoyed the large flight. When I observe anything. So down the hole birds. The deficiency most frequently released them into it the male instantly went my hand again and this time I seen in pet birds fed an all-seed diet is flew to the topmost secure corner removed an approximately 10-day-old of calcium. ,Calcium is reqUired in away from me while the female land­ baby Levaillant's Barbet. I carefully greater quantities than any other min­ ed on a log within feet of my face. photographed it and placed it back in eral and its metabolism is closely inter­ Their previous 10 foot flight was never the hole. There was only one chick twined with that of phosphorus and entered except to feed. Now their new and with careful observation I could vitamin D. home, a walk-through flight cage, was see that both parents were feeding the Calcium is important for the follow­ a different matter. Wherever anyone youngster. Another photograph was ing: went, Barbie was sure to follow. taken a week later and then the chick 1. The major component of bone and After several months in the flight fledged after approximately three to egg shell; cage the female barbet began a behav­ four weeks. 2. Necessary for nerve impulses. ior that was not too pleasant to The fledged juvenile looked like its 3. Heart rate and blood clotting. humans. She began to land on one's father. Both showed great amounts of 4. Muscle function. arm and pinch the skin very tightly yellow flecking and red edging. The 5. Metabolic processes. without letting go. This was not only tame female, however, is very pale in annoying but was quite painful, as one appearance and I do not know if this Phosphorus is found in bone, egg had to physically remove the bird's is and individualistic trait or a differ­ hell, muscles and is important in the beak from the arm.
Recommended publications
  • Species List

    Species List

    Mozambique: Species List Birds Specie Seen Location Common Quail Harlequin Quail Blue Quail Helmeted Guineafowl Crested Guineafowl Fulvous Whistling-Duck White-faced Whistling-Duck White-backed Duck Egyptian Goose Spur-winged Goose Comb Duck African Pygmy-Goose Cape Teal African Black Duck Yellow-billed Duck Cape Shoveler Red-billed Duck Northern Pintail Hottentot Teal Southern Pochard Small Buttonquail Black-rumped Buttonquail Scaly-throated Honeyguide Greater Honeyguide Lesser Honeyguide Pallid Honeyguide Green-backed Honeyguide Wahlberg's Honeyguide Rufous-necked Wryneck Bennett's Woodpecker Reichenow's Woodpecker Golden-tailed Woodpecker Green-backed Woodpecker Cardinal Woodpecker Stierling's Woodpecker Bearded Woodpecker Olive Woodpecker White-eared Barbet Whyte's Barbet Green Barbet Green Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Red-fronted Tinkerbird Pied Barbet Black-collared Barbet Brown-breasted Barbet Crested Barbet Red-billed Hornbill Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Crowned Hornbill African Grey Hornbill Pale-billed Hornbill Trumpeter Hornbill Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Southern Ground-Hornbill Eurasian Hoopoe African Hoopoe Green Woodhoopoe Violet Woodhoopoe Common Scimitar-bill Narina Trogon Bar-tailed Trogon European Roller Lilac-breasted Roller Racket-tailed Roller Rufous-crowned Roller Broad-billed Roller Half-collared Kingfisher Malachite Kingfisher African Pygmy-Kingfisher Grey-headed Kingfisher Woodland Kingfisher Mangrove Kingfisher Brown-hooded Kingfisher Striped Kingfisher Giant Kingfisher Pied
  • Freshwater Fishes

    Freshwater Fishes

    WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE state oF BIODIVERSITY 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 2 Methods 17 Chapter 3 Freshwater fishes 18 Chapter 4 Amphibians 36 Chapter 5 Reptiles 55 Chapter 6 Mammals 75 Chapter 7 Avifauna 89 Chapter 8 Flora & Vegetation 112 Chapter 9 Land and Protected Areas 139 Chapter 10 Status of River Health 159 Cover page photographs by Andrew Turner (CapeNature), Roger Bills (SAIAB) & Wicus Leeuwner. ISBN 978-0-620-39289-1 SCIENTIFIC SERVICES 2 Western Cape Province State of Biodiversity 2007 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Andrew Turner [email protected] 1 “We live at a historic moment, a time in which the world’s biological diversity is being rapidly destroyed. The present geological period has more species than any other, yet the current rate of extinction of species is greater now than at any time in the past. Ecosystems and communities are being degraded and destroyed, and species are being driven to extinction. The species that persist are losing genetic variation as the number of individuals in populations shrinks, unique populations and subspecies are destroyed, and remaining populations become increasingly isolated from one another. The cause of this loss of biological diversity at all levels is the range of human activity that alters and destroys natural habitats to suit human needs.” (Primack, 2002). CapeNature launched its State of Biodiversity Programme (SoBP) to assess and monitor the state of biodiversity in the Western Cape in 1999. This programme delivered its first report in 2002 and these reports are updated every five years. The current report (2007) reports on the changes to the state of vertebrate biodiversity and land under conservation usage.
  • South Africa Mega Birding Tour I 6Th to 30Th January 2018 (25 Days) Trip Report

    South Africa Mega Birding Tour I 6Th to 30Th January 2018 (25 Days) Trip Report

    South Africa Mega Birding Tour I 6th to 30th January 2018 (25 days) Trip Report Aardvark by Mike Bacon Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Wayne Jones Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to South Africa Trip Report – RBT South Africa - Mega I 2018 2 Tour Summary The beauty of South Africa lies in its richness of habitats, from the coastal forests in the east, through subalpine mountain ranges and the arid Karoo to fynbos in the south. We explored all of these and more during our 25-day adventure across the country. Highlights were many and included Orange River Francolin, thousands of Cape Gannets, multiple Secretarybirds, stunning Knysna Turaco, Ground Woodpecker, Botha’s Lark, Bush Blackcap, Cape Parrot, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Caracal, Oribi and Giant Bullfrog, along with spectacular scenery, great food and excellent accommodation throughout. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Despite havoc-wreaking weather that delayed flights on the other side of the world, everyone managed to arrive (just!) in South Africa for the start of our keenly-awaited tour. We began our 25-day cross-country exploration with a drive along Zaagkuildrift Road. This unassuming stretch of dirt road is well-known in local birding circles and can offer up a wide range of species thanks to its variety of habitats – which include open grassland, acacia woodland, wetlands and a seasonal floodplain. After locating a handsome male Northern Black Korhaan and African Wattled Lapwings, a Northern Black Korhaan by Glen Valentine
  • Breeding Red-And-Yellow Barbets Trachyphonus Erythrocephalus in Southeast Sudan

    Breeding Red-And-Yellow Barbets Trachyphonus Erythrocephalus in Southeast Sudan

    Scopus 29: 11–15, December 2009 Multiple broods from a hole in the wall: breeding Red-and-yellow Barbets Trachyphonus erythrocephalus in southeast Sudan Marc de Bont Summary Nesting and breeding behaviour of Red-and-yellow Barbets Trachyphonus erythrocephalus was recorded from a nest in the brick stone-wall of a house in Nanyangacor, south-eastern Sudan in 2005. There were at least five breeding attempts throughout the year, with at least four broods from this single nesting hole. The mean number of days in between broods was 27, and breeding did not appear to be directly related to rainfall. Introduction Barbets are known to breed throughout the year depending on their locality (Del Hoyo et al. 2002). In the temperate zone of southern Africa, breeding is seasonal and is limited to September–February, whereas in other areas, breeding can be opportunistic and year-round depending on rainfall. The Red-fronted Barbet Tricholaema diademata, for instance, is known to breed in virtually every month of the year (Del Hoyo et al. 2002). Similarly, the Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii from southern Africa can have up to four broods per year, whereas Yellow-breasted Barbet T. margaritatus of the Sahelian zone may have two broods. However, little is known of the multiple brooding behaviour of the Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus. From 19 January 2004 until 5 January 2006, I lived in Nanyangacor (05°30’N 34°46’E), Kauto Payam, south-east Sudan very near the Ethiopian border. I observed Red-and-yellow Barbets in the vicinity of our house (Fig.
  • Zambia and Zimbabwe 28 �Ovember – 6 December 2009

    Zambia and Zimbabwe 28 Ovember – 6 December 2009

    Zambia and Zimbabwe 28 ovember – 6 December 2009 Guide: Josh Engel A Tropical Birding Custom Tour All photos taken by the guide on this tour. The Smoke that Thunders: looking down one end of the mile-long Victoria Falls. ITRODUCTIO We began this tour by seeing one of Africa’s most beautiful and sought after birds: African Pitta . After that, the rest was just details. But not really, considering we tacked on 260 more birds and loads of great mammals. We saw Zambia’s only endemic bird, Chaplin’s Barbet , as well as a number of miombo and broad-leaf specialties, including Miombo Rock-Thrush, Racket-tailed Roller, Southern Hyliota, Miombo Pied Barbet, Miombo Glossy Starling, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Pennant-winged ightjar, and Three-banded Courser. With the onset of the rainy season just before the tour, the entire area was beautifully green and was inundated with migrants, so we were able to rack up a great list of cuckoos and other migrants, including incredible looks at a male Kurrichane Buttonquail . Yet the Zambezi had not begun to rise, so Rock Pratincole still populated the river’s rocks, African Skimmer its sandbars, and Lesser Jacana and Allen’s Gallinule its grassy margins. Mammals are always a highlight of any Africa tour: this trip’s undoubted star was a leopard , while a very cooperative serval was also superb. Victoria Falls was incredible, as usual. We had no problems in Zimbabwe whatsoever, and our lodge there on the shores of the Zambezi River was absolutely stunning. The weather was perfect throughout the tour, with clouds often keeping the temperature down and occasional rains keeping bird activity high.
  • Analysisandinterpreta Tion Of

    Analysisandinterpreta Tion Of

    A N A L Y S I S A N D I N T E R P R E T A T I O N OF B O T A N I C A L R E M A I N S F R O M S I B U D U C A V E , K W A Z U L U – N A T A L Christine Scott A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Archaeology School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, 2005 D E C L A R A T I O N I declare that this thesis is my own, unaided work. It is being submitted for the Degree of Master of Science in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in any other University. ……………………… Signature of candidate …….. day of …..…………… 2005 ii A B S T R A C T The identification and analysis of seeds (including fruits and nuts) from second millennium AD deposits at Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, constitute the first in-depth archaeobotanical study of seeds in South Africa. The study highlights problems in the reconstruction of past vegetation and climatic variables from seed data. The Sibudu seed assemblage produced no evidence to suggest vegetation change in the Sibudu area during the last 1000 years. Either it is not possible to identify short-term fluctuations in indigenous vegetation from seed data, or the evidence of vegetation change has been masked by the influence of the perennial Tongati River, depositional history, differential preservation and recovery, and identification difficulties.
  • Namibia & the Okavango

    Namibia & the Okavango

    Southern White-faced Owl gave wonderful views. What a special owl! (JM) NAMIBIA & THE OKAVANGO 23 SEPTEMBER – 8 OCTOBER 2019 LEADERS: STEVE BRAINE and JULIEN MAZENAUER The 2019 Birdquest tour to Namibia & The Okavango continued on a long run of successful trips, despite the extreme drought Southern Africa is experiencing at the moment, resulting in the lack of many usually common migrants like Cuckoos and Warblers. Anyway, we managed to get good views at all the endemics and possible near-endemics of the area. We manage to record 379 species, a good tally given the severe drought. The first day at Windhoek produced many of our first near-endemics like Bradfield’s Swift, Short- toed Rock Thrushes, Violet-eared Waxbills, Rosy-faced Lovebirds, South African Shelducks and many more. Moving on the Spreetshoogte, we gained great views of the sought-after Herero Chat, followed by Layard’s Warbler and Verreaux’s Eagle. The Namib specials were on the show, with repeated sightings of Rüppell’s Korhaans, Gray’s and Stark’s Larks, Red-headed Finches. Dune Lark showed exceptionally well near Rostock Ritz, and our stay at Walvis Bay was highlighted by thousands of waders including 1500 Chestnut- banded Plovers, hundreds of White-fronted Plovers, 15 Damara Terns, a surprising African Penguin and a 1 BirdQuest Tour Report : Namibia & The Okavango 2019 www.birdquest-tours.com Northern Giant Petrel as write-in. Huab Lodge delighted us with its Rockrunners, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, White- tailed Shrike, and amazing sighting of Southern White-faced Owl, African Scops Owl, Freckled Nightjar few feet away and our first White-tailed Shrikes and Violet Wood Hoopoes.
  • The Karoo Birds Research and Conservation Project

    The Karoo Birds Research and Conservation Project

    The Karoo Birds Research and Conservation Project Final Project Report based on fieldwork conducted through the Karoo south of the Orange River during 2017 and 2018 A BirdLife South Africa conservation project by Alan Lee and Dale Wright. Report by: Alan Lee January 2019 1 Summary The Karoo biome is a vast arid zone environment covering 26% of South Africa, as well as Namibia, and is home to 11 endemic bird species. The Karoo Birds Project was a BirdLife South Africa initiative run from 2017-2018, which aimed to provide a conservation assessment by obtaining data on population size, range and population trends primarily of the Karoo endemic bird species. This report was obtained through a point count and atlasing project across the Karoo region south of the Orange River, South Africa. This was partly run in conjunction with the Karoo BioGaps project. The South African National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) Karoo BioGaps project aimed to gather foundational biodiversity data to support the impact assessments for Shale Gas and other infrastructure development projects in the Karoo basin. During 2017 and 2018 we conducted 2854 point counts across 150 pentads, mostly from end of July to October, largely corresponding to the late winter to early spring period. We found that avian species richness and bird abundance increased eastwards, mostly explained by increasing overall vegetation height, but accompanied by increasing grass cover and decreasing sand cover. In contrast, Karoo endemic bird species richness decreased eastwards, negatively correlated with increasing grass and acacia tree cover. Density and species richness were especially high around water locations and farmhouses, and we found that the presence of many species to be influenced by water, a surprising result for an arid environment.
  • South Africa Mega Birding III 5Th to 27Th October 2019 (23 Days) Trip Report

    South Africa Mega Birding III 5Th to 27Th October 2019 (23 Days) Trip Report

    South Africa Mega Birding III 5th to 27th October 2019 (23 days) Trip Report The near-endemic Gorgeous Bushshrike by Daniel Keith Danckwerts Tour leader: Daniel Keith Danckwerts Trip Report – RBT South Africa – Mega Birding III 2019 2 Tour Summary South Africa supports the highest number of endemic species of any African country and is therefore of obvious appeal to birders. This South Africa mega tour covered virtually the entire country in little over a month – amounting to an estimated 10 000km – and targeted every single endemic and near-endemic species! We were successful in finding virtually all of the targets and some of our highlights included a pair of mythical Hottentot Buttonquails, the critically endangered Rudd’s Lark, both Cape, and Drakensburg Rockjumpers, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Pink-throated Twinspot, Southern Tchagra, the scarce Knysna Woodpecker, both Northern and Southern Black Korhaans, and Bush Blackcap. We additionally enjoyed better-than-ever sightings of the tricky Barratt’s Warbler, aptly named Gorgeous Bushshrike, Crested Guineafowl, and Eastern Nicator to just name a few. Any trip to South Africa would be incomplete without mammals and our tally of 60 species included such difficult animals as the Aardvark, Aardwolf, Southern African Hedgehog, Bat-eared Fox, Smith’s Red Rock Hare and both Sable and Roan Antelopes. This really was a trip like no other! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tour in Detail Our first full day of the tour began with a short walk through the gardens of our quaint guesthouse in Johannesburg. Here we enjoyed sightings of the delightful Red-headed Finch, small numbers of Southern Red Bishops including several males that were busy moulting into their summer breeding plumage, the near-endemic Karoo Thrush, Cape White-eye, Grey-headed Gull, Hadada Ibis, Southern Masked Weaver, Speckled Mousebird, African Palm Swift and the Laughing, Ring-necked and Red-eyed Doves.
  • Uganda Highlights

    Uganda Highlights

    UGANDA HIGHLIGHTS JANUARY 11–30, 2020 “Mukiza” the Silverback, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, January 2020 ( Kevin J. Zimmer) LEADERS: KEVIN ZIMMER & HERBERT BYARUHANGA LIST COMPILED BY: KEVIN ZIMMER VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM UGANDA HIGHLIGHTS January 11–30, 2020 By Kevin Zimmer Shoebill, Mabamba wetlands, January 2020 ( Kevin J. Zimmer) This was the second January departure of our increasingly popular Uganda Highlights Tour, and it proved an unqualified success in delivering up-close-and-personal observations of wild Mountain Gorillas, wild Chimpanzees, and the bizarre Shoebill. Beyond these iconic creatures, we racked up over 430 species of birds and had fabulous encounters with Lion, Hippopotamus, African Elephant, Rothschild’s Giraffe, and an amazing total of 10 species of primates. The “Pearl of Africa” lived up to its advance billing as a premier destination for birding and primate viewing in every way, and although the bird-species composition and levels of song/breeding activity in this (normally) dry season are somewhat different from those encountered during our June visits, the overall species diversity of both birds and mammals encountered has proven remarkably similar. After a day at the Boma Hotel in Entebbe to recover from the international flights, we hit the ground running, with a next-morning excursion to the fabulous Mabamba wetlands. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Uganda Highlights, January 2020 Opportunistic roadside stops en route yielded such prizes as Great Blue Turaco, Lizard Buzzard, and Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, but as we were approaching the wetlands, the dark cloud mass that had been threatening rain for the past hour finally delivered.
  • Zimbabwe & Botswana TRIP REPORT Nov 2017 Summary

    Zimbabwe & Botswana TRIP REPORT Nov 2017 Summary

    ZIMBABWE & BOTSWANA WILDLIFE SAFARI November 3-15, 2017 TRIP REPORT Summary by Adrian Binns Mana Pools, Zimbabwe Our 12-day African safari began on the eastern edge of Mana Pools National Park in northern Zimbabwe. From our bush camps at Ruckomechi and neighbouring Little Ruckomechi, we enjoyed exploring a range of habitats teeming with wonderful wildlife. Elephants were among the first to greet us, as they roamed freely near the tents, even venturing next to the swimming pool! We kept a watchful eye and careful distance, in awe of the giant pachyderms. What a welcome treat! Our camps overlooked the mighty Zambezi river towards Zambia’s Rift Valley escarpment, providing excellent opportunity for relaxing afternoon boat rides. We drifted slowly up to wallowing pods of hippos, basking crocodiles, and African Skimmers loafing on exposed narrow sand strips. In steeply-eroded river banks, White- fronted and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters excavated their tunnel nests. The location helps keep predators at bay, but not all of them! On two consecutive afternoons we watched a Nile Water Monitor dig into the tunnels with its long sharp claws, and come out with a youngster, much to the chagrin of the parents. We watched elephants trek through tall grasses of river islands, and cross channels to reach the opposite bank. We cheered when one struggling baby elephant finally made it across. One evening we were moored on a riverbank enjoying sundowners, when an inquisitive elephant approached to within feet of Jane who was seated at the front of the boat. It was a heart-stopping moment to be face-to-face with such a huge animal – so close we could count the eyelashes – but we had nowhere to go.
  • Notes and News

    Notes and News

    24 PAGEET AL. [Auk, Vol. 100 Bird Observatory. Ralph Widrig, Steven Cellman, tain Plover social systems.Living Bird 12: 69- Barbara Swarth, Susan Peaslee, Erica Buhrman, Don- 94. na Vaiano, Paul Neal, Sharon Goldwasser, Dennis HAYS, H., & M. LECI•o¾. 1971. Field criteria for Parker, John Harris, David Shuford, Stuart Johnson, determining incubation stage of the Common John and Ricky Warriner, Stephanie Zeiler, Elliot Tern. Wilson Bull. 83: 425-429. Burch, Brett Engstrom,Leslie Smith, BernadetteAl- HOLMES,R.T. 1966. Breeding ecologyand annual len, Greg Calllet, Tom Pogson,Tom Cassidy, Geoff cycle adaptationsof the Red-backedSandpiper Geupel, Doug Burgess,Judy Wagner, Kim Sullivan, (Calidrisalpina) in northern Alaska. Condor 68: JanetKjelmyr, and Tad Theimerhelped with the field 3-46. work and Philip Henderson, Carolyn Frederiksen, 1972. Ecologicalfactors influencing the and Frances Bidstrup provided valuable observa- breeding season schedule of Western Sandpi- tions. John and Ricky Warriner generouslyshared pers (Calidrisrnauri) in subarcticAlaska. Amer. with us their knowledge of Snowy Plovers at Mon- Midi. Natur. 87: 472-491. terey Bay, and CharlesSimis provided weather data. MAYFIELr•,H. F. 1961. Nesting successcalculated Jan Simis allowed us to camp on her land and ex- from exposure.Wilson Bull. 73: 255-261. tended to us very warm hospitality while we were --. 1975. Suggestionsfor calculatingnest suc- there. David Ainley, Peter Connors,David DeSante, cess. Wilson Bull. 87: 456-466. Marshall Howe, Harriet Huber, Frank Pitelka, and OI•INO, L. W., & M. L. KNOrrSON. 1972. Monogamy Chris Ribic provided helpful comments on the and polyandry in the SpottedSandpiper. Living manuscript.We thank theseorganizations and peo- Bird 11: 59-72.