FINAL REPORT

Conservation Threskiornis bernieri in CMK Mahavavy kinkony December 2019 By M. Renel BEMARO President and Founder NGO AIDEM AND CLUB CPN Adress: Lot 0206N0070 Ambondrona 401 Mahajanga MADAGASCAR Tel: +261 32 44 559 60 ou 261347554894 E-mail: [email protected]

SUPPORTED BY:

AFRICAN BIRD CLUB FUND

I) Summary The Madagascar sacred ibis species has a limited distribution, occurring in in the saline coastal zone and inland fresh water zone of western of Madagascar and Seychelles (R. Rabarisoa in litt. 2007, Andrianarimisa and Razafimanjato 2011) .Due to its restricted range, little conservation activity about this wetland Madagascar sacred ibis species has been undertaken. Previous studies on this species focused only on specimen collection and identification of habitat distribution. It has been reported that the current population of the Madagascar sacred ibis is about 2000 adult individuals. Thus, the Madagascar sacred ibis species has been upgraded to Endangered according to the IUCN category since 2004 until now. The New Protected Area of the Mahavavy-Kinkony Complex (CMK), in western Madagascar, is home to a large number of threatened bird species including the Critically Endangered Madagascar Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vociferoides, the Endangered Sakalava Rail Amaurornis olivieri, Madagascar Heron Ardea humbloti, Madagascar Pond Heron Ardeola idea, and Madagascar Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis bernieri as well as the Vulnerable Madagascar Plover Charadrius thoracicus; Critically Endangered endemic fish are also present.

II) Introduction

The goal of this project is to prevent the extinction and conservation the endangered Madagascar sacred ibis, for training and educate local community, civil society, local government and stakeholders at New Protected Area Complex Mahavavy Kinkony situate in western part of Madagascar The gaols of the project: 1. Document, share and disseminate knowledge of Madagascar sacred ibis throughout the local community. 2. Strengthen collaborative relationships between key relevant stakeholder organizations linked to management, awareness of local community to the Madagascar sacred ibis. 3. Collect, monitoring and publish baseline data on population status, density, distribution and habitat requirements of Madagascar sacred ibis in the costal western part of Madagascar. 4. Scientifically sound information including population status, density, and distribution and habitat requirements on the Madagascar sacred ibis in the four site costal western part of Madagascar is made available to stakeholders inclusive of decision makers.

III) Methodology

Before we started the activity of the project, we organized meeting with local authorities living around the NPA Complex Mahavavy Kinkony. Several local authorities and other professors from University of Mahajanga were there, such as: The mayor’s assistant, the chief of district, School Headmaster, Fishers association, Respectful local old men and Professor from Mahajanga University.

The first activity had to be carried out was collecte information for Madagascar Sacred Ibis and to disseminate the information to the all local people around the NPA CMK. We met the first responsible of ASITY Madagascar as management of NPA CMK is knew firstly the existence of this project. They gave more information and list of sities which may be find the Madagascar Ibis sacred and some of fisherman who can be get the information where we survey the Birds. Village near of Mahavavy River which may be found the Madagascar Ibis sacred or some lake in the NAP CMK have been given the flaps sheet which talk about a lot of activities would be achieved and advantages of local population from this project such as conservation of Madagascar Ibis sacred.

a) Study area

The field study was carried The New Protected Area of the Mahavavy-Kinkony Complex (CMK), in western Madagascar, is home to a large number of threatened bird species. This park also contains differents kind of Bay such as Bombetoka Bay, Mahavavy Bay. In the study area, the following habitat types were observed: Bombetoka Bay (15°55'S, 46°17’E), Marambitsy Bay (15°53'S, 45°37'E) and Ampitsopitsoka at Mahavavy delta (15°46'S,

45°51’E)

b) Public awareness campaigns

We met with local people and NGO ASITY authorities representative of the sites NPA CMK for several times, and explained the project to them and describe its conservation importance of Threskiornis bernieri at CMK. We designed and printed leaflets and brochures, which included text in malagasy language and photos of birds species; its distribution and others local threatened water bird. All texts are made in local dialect of Malagasy language. We distributed any leaflets in the villages around the sites New Protected Area Complex mahavavy Kinkony.

c) Population study

The field study was conducted on boat along Bombetoka, Marambitsy bay and Ampitsopitsoka at Mahavavy delta, in dry season, between the middle of June 2019 and November 2019. Overall, the survey lasted one weeks every month (for 06 months). The survey was done every day from 6:30 am -12:00 pm, and again from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm at randomly selected sampling stations for birds that were situated along different habitat types of NPA CMK. I work slowly the predefined on boat along the Mahavavy Bay River with very limited speed to 2 km per hour. Observer should be very quiet for listening or observing every individual species found. I noted down the site, the date, the number of birds counted, the starting time. During each monitoring; I took the number of individuals found with its placement and GPS locations for each group of target species encountered. We used the Binoculars are essential, 10x40 and 10x50 are the most widely used by birdwatchers and telescope with 20x or 30x zoom to identified the birds species in long distance. I worked with local people and student and trained them on species identifying morphology and surveying method during the fieldwork of this project.

IV) Results a) Population study I started the observation at Bombetoka bay on June 2019 and I think to continue the study to another site, which is protected as Ampitsopitsoka at Mahavavy delta and Marambitsy bay. I made also a few observation at Mahavavy delta. Between June and November, I found 46 Madagascar Sacred Ibis and many others waterbirds at the. They were found at Marambitsy bay, Bombetoka bay and Mahavavy delta: 16 at Marambitsy bay on June and August, 23 at Mahavavy delta at September 2019 and 7 at Bombetoka bay at November 2019.

b) Public awareness

I met local people with the head of quarter of each quarter around the study area. I explained them my project and showed them some brochures and any leaflets containing photo of Madagascar Sacred Ibis and other five local threatened water bird of study area. The text in these leaflets is made in local language Malagasy. The leaflet had mainly the six threatened species of water bird in the study area Ardeola Idea (malagasy lunguage Kilandy fotsy), Madagascar fish-eagle, Haliaeetus vociferoides (Ankoay), Madagascar Sacred Ibis Threskiornis bernieri (Voronosy), Sakalava Rail (Vorofaly), Anas bernieri (Mahefa) and Hum bolt’s Heron Ardea humbloti (Vangomainty). I explained there for each species some information about the local distribution of species. where did they find in the study area?, and potential threats to their breeding success. Another leaflet was printed containing each a data concerning Madagascar Sacred Ibis only. I explained the last data about the population size, the distribution, the threat and some nesting stages of Madagascar Sacred Ibis. The local people are now aware about the threatened species; they’ll now facilitate our future project for preservation of this species. They authorities have included a text in local language and photo of Madagascar Sacred Ibis in their journal, that they distributed to the local people and authorities and helped them to understand the species. I’ll continue to work with the local association to preserve the Madagascar Sacred Ibis area of threatened species in other project that we will think to request a funding.

V) Acknowledgements

I thank and acknowledge the African Bird Club conservation fund for their dedicated and support to the conservation Threskiornis bernieri at CMK Mahavavy kinkony for sponsoring this project. Without whose support I would have not been able to carry out my research

I also thank the first responsible of NGO ASITY Madagascar as management of New Protected Area of Complex Mahavavy kinkony for their support during project implementation. I look forward to the same support in other projects and trips and by other researchers and conservationists as well. I acknowledge and thanks all staff members from our NGO AIDEM and CPN Club for their technical inputs, guidance and mentoring supporting since project development and implementation. Last but not least, I would like to thank the following for their technical and logistical assistance and support which has led to successful implementation of this project.

VI) References

1) Andrianarimisa, A., Razafimanjato, G. & Kalavah, L. In prep. Current status and distribution of Madagascar Heron Ardea humbloti (Milne- Edwards and Grandidier 1885): implications for conservation. 2) BirdLife International. 2016. Threskiornis bernieri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22731855A95038024. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.20163.RLTS.T22731855A95038024.en 3) Madagascar sacred ibis threskiornis bernieri: current population status, distribution, and implications for conservation Aristide Andrianarimisa and Gilbert Razafimanjato. 4) Population status and distribution survey of the Madagascar Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis bernieri) in Sahamalaza-Iles Radama National Park: Implication for conservation 5) Razafimanjato, G., Sam, T.S. & Thorstrom, R. 1997. Waterbird monitoring in the Antsalova region, western Madagascar. Waterbirds 30: 441–447. 6) Steinbacher, J. 1979. Family Threskiornithidae. p. 253–268. In: E. Mayr & G.W. Cottrell (eds.) The Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1. Massachusetts Museum

of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 7) ZICOMA. 1998a. Rapport de mission: Visite ornithologique de l’estuaire et les zones humides aux environs du fleuve Tsiribihina du 03 au 19 mars 1998. Unpublished report to ZICOMA. 8) ZICOMA 1999. Les Zones d’Importance pour la Conservation des Oiseaux à Madagascar. Projet ZICOMA, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

VII) Budget report

Detailed expenditure Requested ABC (£) Malagasy (Ariary) 1- Project Preparation Communications 90 82938,2 2- Equipment Scientific/field equipment 800 3317528 Digital camera 400 1658764 Camping equipment 700 2902837 3 - Project Implementation Food and accommodation 130 207345,5 Travel and Transportation to fieldwork 60 248814,6 Workshops 100 414691 Outreach/education 120 497629,2

4 - Post-Fieldwork Expenses Report production and results dissemination 40 165876,4 Total £ 2500 10367275 Ariary

VIII) Annexes

Photos of meeting with local people and education

Photos of Threskiornis bernieri and others birds species observed at CMK

Threskiornis bernieri

Ardea humbloti Charadrius sp.

Anas erythrorhyncha Egretta alba

Egretta dimorpha Nycticorax nycticorax

Gallinula chloropus Phoenicopterus minor

Alcedo vintsioide Foudia madagascariensis

Monitoring on boat along the Camping in the local people Mahavavy River place