Biodiversity Observations
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Secretary Bird
Secretary Birds are Raptors, or Birds of Prey, they are distantly related to vultures and hawks! They have all of the features of a bird of prey too, including forward facing eyes for hunting, strong talons to grab their prey, and a large hooked beak for eating! Secretary Birds do fly, but they spend of most of their day hunting by walking on the ground. Their long legs are perfect to help them see over the tall grass of their Savanna habitat. Deadly Stomp Secretary Birds have two hunting strategies. They either strike with their powerful beak or they stomp the prey with their feet! They hunt small birds, mammals, and reptiles like snakes and lizards. They are even known to hunt venomous snakes! The Little Rock Zoo works with the Secretary Bird Species Survival Plan, which helps to protect this amazing species in zoos and in the wild! Want to Learn more? Check out these links and activities! Nat Geo Wild: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQckuAwNbFs Nat Geo Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7itwHJiNRz4 Kruger National Park (South Africa): http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_secretary_bird.html Edge of Existence (ZSL): http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/secretarybird/ San Diego Zoo: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/index.php/animals/secretary-bird Secretary Birds are amazing Birds of Prey that spend most of their time on the ground rather than flying to find their food! Cut out the puzzle pieces to make your very own Secretary Bird Puzzle! Photo by Karen Caster . -
Pliocene Origin, Ice Ages and Postglacial Population Expansion Have Influenced a Panmictic Phylogeography of the European Bee-Eater Merops Apiaster
diversity Article Pliocene Origin, Ice Ages and Postglacial Population Expansion Have Influenced a Panmictic Phylogeography of the European Bee-Eater Merops apiaster Carina Carneiro de Melo Moura 1,*, Hans-Valentin Bastian 2 , Anita Bastian 2, Erjia Wang 1, Xiaojuan Wang 1 and Michael Wink 1,* 1 Department of Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; [email protected] (E.W.); [email protected] (X.W.) 2 Bee-Eater Study Group of the DO-G, Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 15, 67304 Kerzenheim, Germany; [email protected] (H.V.B.); [email protected] (A.B.) * Correspondence: [email protected] (C.C.d.M.M.); [email protected] (M.W.) Received: 20 August 2018; Accepted: 26 December 2018; Published: 15 January 2019 Abstract: Oscillations of periods with low and high temperatures during the Quaternary in the northern hemisphere have influenced the genetic composition of birds of the Palearctic. During the last glaciation, ending about 12,000 years ago, a wide area of the northern Palearctic was under lasting ice and, consequently, breeding sites for most bird species were not available. At the same time, a high diversity of habitats was accessible in the subtropical and tropical zones providing breeding grounds and refugia for birds. As a result of long-term climatic oscillations, the migration systems of birds developed. When populations of birds concentrated in refugia during ice ages, genetic differentiation and gene flow between populations from distinct areas was favored. In the present study, we explored the current genetic status of populations of the migratory European bee-eater. -
A Description of Copulation in the Kori Bustard J Ardeotis Kori
i David C. Lahti & Robert B. Payne 125 Bull. B.O.C. 2003 123(2) van Someren, V. G. L. 1918. A further contribution to the ornithology of Uganda (West Elgon and district). Novitates Zoologicae 25: 263-290. van Someren, V. G. L. 1922. Notes on the birds of East Africa. Novitates Zoologicae 29: 1-246. Sorenson, M. D. & Payne, R. B. 2001. A single ancient origin of brood parasitism in African finches: ,' implications for host-parasite coevolution. Evolution 55: 2550-2567. 1 Stevenson, T. & Fanshawe, J. 2002. Field guide to the birds of East Africa. T. & A. D. Poyser, London. Sushkin, P. P. 1927. On the anatomy and classification of the weaver-birds. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 57: 1-32. Vernon, C. J. 1964. The breeding of the Cuckoo-weaver (Anomalospiza imberbis (Cabanis)) in southern Rhodesia. Ostrich 35: 260-263. Williams, J. G. & Keith, G. S. 1962. A contribution to our knowledge of the Parasitic Weaver, Anomalospiza s imberbis. Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl. 82: 141-142. Address: Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of " > Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, U.S.A. email: [email protected]. 1 © British Ornithologists' Club 2003 I A description of copulation in the Kori Bustard j Ardeotis kori struthiunculus \ by Sara Hallager Received 30 May 2002 i Bustards are an Old World family with 25 species in 6 genera (Johnsgard 1991). ? Medium to large ground-dwelling birds, they inhabit the open plains and semi-desert \ regions of Africa, Australia and Eurasia. The International Union for Conservation | of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals lists four f species of bustard as Endangered, one as Vulnerable and an additional six as Near- l Threatened, although some species have scarcely been studied and so their true I conservation status is unknown. -
Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the Great Bustard (Otis Tarda) in Morocco 2016–2025
Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the Great Bustard (Otis tarda) in Morocco 2016–2025 IUCN Bustard Specialist Group About IUCN IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature- based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. www.iucn.org About the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation was opened in October 2001 with the core support of the Spanish Ministry of Environment, the regional Government of Junta de Andalucía and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID). The mission of IUCN-Med is to influence, encourage and assist Mediterranean societies to conserve and sustainably use natural resources in the region, working with IUCN members and cooperating with all those sharing the same objectives of IUCN. www.iucn.org/mediterranean About the IUCN Species Survival Commission The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of IUCN’s six volunteer commissions with a global membership of 9,000 experts. -
Bird Checklists of the World Country Or Region: Ghana
Avibase Page 1of 24 Col Location Date Start time Duration Distance Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World 1 Country or region: Ghana 2 Number of species: 773 3 Number of endemics: 0 4 Number of breeding endemics: 0 5 Number of globally threatened species: 26 6 Number of extinct species: 0 7 Number of introduced species: 1 8 Date last reviewed: 2019-11-10 9 10 Recommended citation: Lepage, D. 2021. Checklist of the birds of Ghana. Avibase, the world bird database. Retrieved from .https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?lang=EN®ion=gh [26/09/2021]. Make your observations count! Submit your data to ebird. -
Scf Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey
SCF PAN SAHARA WILDLIFE SURVEY PSWS Technical Report 12 SUMMARY OF RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PILOT PHASE OF THE PAN SAHARA WILDLIFE SURVEY 2009-2012 November 2012 Dr Tim Wacher & Mr John Newby REPORT TITLE Wacher, T. & Newby, J. 2012. Summary of results and achievements of the Pilot Phase of the Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey 2009-2012. SCF PSWS Technical Report 12. Sahara Conservation Fund. ii + 26 pp. + Annexes. AUTHORS Dr Tim Wacher (SCF/Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey & Zoological Society of London) Mr John Newby (Sahara Conservation Fund) COVER PICTURE New-born dorcas gazelle in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve, Chad. Photo credit: Tim Wacher/ZSL. SPONSORS AND PARTNERS Funding and support for the work described in this report was provided by: • His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi • Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) • International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) • Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) • Zoological Society of London (ZSL) • Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte Contre la Désertification (Niger) • Ministère de l’Environnement et des Ressources Halieutiques (Chad) • Direction de la Chasse, Faune et Aires Protégées (Niger) • Direction des Parcs Nationaux, Réserves de Faune et de la Chasse (Chad) • Direction Générale des Forêts (Tunis) • Projet Antilopes Sahélo-Sahariennes (Niger) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Sahara Conservation Fund sincerely thanks HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, for his interest and generosity in funding the Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey through the Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC). This project is carried out in association with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). -
Namibia & the Okavango
Pel’s Fishing Owl - a pair was found on a wooded island south of Shakawe (Jan-Ake Alvarsson) NAMIBIA & THE OKAVANGO 21 SEPTEMBER – 8 OCTOBER 2017 LEADER: STEVE BRAINE For most of the country the previous three years drought had been broken and although too early for the mi- grants we did however do very well with birding generally. We searched and found all the near endemics as well as the endemic Dune Lark. Besides these we also had a new write-in for the trip! In the floodplains after observing a wonderful Pel’s Fishing Owl we travelled down a side channel of the Okavango River to look for Pygmy Geese, we were lucky and came across several pairs before reaching a dried-out floodplain. Four birds flew out of the reedbeds and looked rather different to the normal weavers of which there were many, a closer look at the two remaining birds revealed a beautiful pair of Cuckoo Finches. These we all enjoyed for a brief period before they followed the other birds which had now disappeared into the reedbeds. Very strong winds on three of the birding days made birding a huge challenge to say the least after not finding the rare and difficult Herero Chat we had to make alternate arrangements at another locality later in the trip. The entire tour from the Hosea Kutako International Airport outside the capital Windhoek and returning there nineteen days later delivered 375 species. Out of these, four birds were seen only by the leader, a further three species were heard but not seen. -
Effect of European Bee-Eater (Merops Apiaster) on Honeybee Colonies in Toshka Region, Egypt
International Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry Volume 5, Issue 1, 2018, PP 23-26 ISSN 2394-5907 (Print) & ISSN 2394-5915 (Online) Effect of European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) on honeybee colonies in Toshka region, Egypt Nageh Sayed Omran1, Abdel rahman Gamaleldin Abdel rahman2, Abd El-Aleem1, S.S. Desoky1, Mahmoud Mohamed Kelany2 1Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt. 2Plant Protection Department, Desert Research Centre, Al Matrya, Cario, Egypt. *Corresponding Author: Abd El-Aleem, S.S. Desoky, Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt. ABSTRACT The experiment was carried out in the apiary at Toshka region (Southwest of Egypt) during the period from the end of March to the first of October, 2015. To study the effect of European bee-eater on the areas of brood and stored pollen (inch2/colony) for two-hybrid of Carniolan honeybee and a hybrid of Italian honeybee races in Toshka region. Bee-eater was appeared in two periods the first time at the first of April to June and the second at the first of September to Mid-September. Positive correlations were found between the increase of bee-eaters number and the decrease of brood area and pollen stored in the two honeybee races. The highest average numbers of bee-eater was recorded in May (37.2) bird that caused less brood area for both worker brood in Italian honeybee race was (146.2 sq. inch,/colony), and Carniolan honeybee race was (147.2 (sq. inch,/colony), and the lowest average area of stored pollen was recorded in the period of bee-eater increasing that was (22.0 sq. -
525 First Records of the Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera) Associ- Ated with European Bee Eater (Merops Apiaster) in Saudi Arabia Azza
Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology, Vol.42, No.3, December 2012 J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol., 42(3), 2012: 525 – 533 FIRST RECORDS OF THE CHEWING LICE (PHTHIRAPTERA) ASSOCI- ATED WITH EUROPEAN BEE EATER (MEROPS APIASTER) IN SAUDI ARABIA By AZZAM EL-AHMED1, MOHAMED GAMAL EL-DEN NASSER1,4, MOHAMMED SHOBRAK2 AND BILAL DIK3 Department of Plant Protection1, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Department of Biology2, Science College, Ta'if University, Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, and Department of Parasitology3, Col- lege of Veterinary Medicine, University of Selçuk, Alaaddin Keykubat Kampüsü, TR-42075 Konya, Turkey. 4Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) migrates through Saudi Arabia annu- ally. A total of 25 individuals of this species were captured from three localities in Riyadh and Ta'if. Three species of chewing lice were identified from these birds and newly added to list of Saudi Arabia parasitic lice fauna from 160 lice individu- als, Meromenopon meropis of suborder Amblycera, Brueelia apiastri and Mero- poecus meropis of suborder Ischnocera. The characteristic feature, identification keys, data on the material examined, synonyms, photo, type and type locality are provide to each species. Key words: Chewing lice, Amblycera, Ischnocera, European bee-eater, Merops apiaster, Saudi Arabia. Introduction As the chewing lice species diversity is Few studies are available on the bird correlated with the bird diversity, the lice of migratory and resident birds of Phthiraptera fauna of Saudi Arabia ex- the Middle East. Hafez and Madbouly pected to be high as at least 444 wild (1965, 1968 a, b) listed some of the species of birds both resident and mi- chewing lice of wild and domestic gratory have been recorded from Saudi birds of Egypt. -
Identifying a Bird Species from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari
The secretarybird dilemma: identifying a bird species from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari Abstract: Known from a few representations in Predynastic Egyp- tian art, the secretarybird has otherwise been elusive, in the art of Pharaonic Egypt as well as the scientific discourse on icono- graphic imagery of birds in ancient Egypt. The author’s studies of the animal decoration at the Temple for her doctoral dissertation identified three images of birds belonging most likely to the same species, depicted in the context of the expedition of Hatshepsut shown in the Portico of Punt. The zoological identification of the species as the secretarybird (another possibility is the African harrier-hawk) derives from an in-depth analysis of the bird’s sys- tematics, appearance, distribution and habitat, as well as behavior, which are essential for proper species recognition and instrumen- tal for understanding the rationale behind bringing this particular bird from the “God’s Land”. Iconographic features contesting this identification and suggesting a different species, that is, the African harrier-hawk, are discussed based on a combination of theoretical background, material analysis, on-site interviews with experts and the author’s personal experience with the species. Keywords: African animals, birds in Ancient Egypt, secretarybird, African harrier-hawk, temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahari, Hat- shepsut Punt expedition, temple decoration A bird depicted in possibly three separate scenes from the Southern Middle Portico of the Temple of Hat- shepsut in Deir el-Bahari, documented in 2012 by the author as part of her extended study of animals in the decoration of this Eighteenth Dynasty sanctuary [Fig. -
Secretarybird, Sagittarius Serpentarius
Secretarybird, Sagittarius serpentarius Compiler: Bernard Amakobe Contributors: Dr Kariuki Ndang’ang’a, Dr Mwangi Githiru, Dr Claudia Gray, Dr Nisha Owen, Ms. Olivia Couchman Suggested citation: Amakobe, B et al (2019). A survival blueprint for the Secretarybird, Sagittarius serpentarius, an output from Wildlife Works, Kenya and an EDGE of Existence fellowship, Zoological Society of London, London, UK. 1. STATUS REVIEW 1.1 Taxonomy: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Order: Accipitriformes Family: Sagittariidae R. Grandori and L. Grandori, 1935 Genus: Sagittarius Hermann, 1783 Species: Sagittarius serpentarius 1.2 Distribution and population status: 1.2.1 Global distribution: Whilst the Secretarybird occurs throughout Sub- Saharan Africa, the survival blueprint on the species focuses on Kenya and not the whole range of the species. Country Population estimate Distribution Population trend Notes (plus, references) (plus, references) Sub-Saharan 6700 – 67000, Africa Decreasing, Africa (Kenya; http://www.birdlife.org http://www.birdlife.org Senegal; The Gambia; Guinea Bissau; Mali; Burkina Faso; Ghana; Togo; Benin; Niger; Chad; Sudan; South Sudan; Nigeria; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Ethiopia; Somalia; D R Congo; Uganda; Mauritania; Tanzania; Angola; Zambia; Malawi; Mozambique; South Africa) 1.2.2 Local distribution: Country Region / Site Level of Population Reference(s) Notes province Protection size Kenya South Kenya NA protected Unknown (Kenya by the Wildlife Bills, Kenya 2015; Wildlife Act McClure et 2015 al., 2018) West Kenya NA protected Unknown by the Kenya Wildlife Act 2015 North & East NA Protected Unknown Kenya by the Kenya Wildlife Act 2015 1.3 Protection status: Protected by the Kenya Wildlife Act 2015, which protects it from any form of trade or consumption. -
Leptosomiformes ~ Trogoniformes ~ Bucerotiformes ~ Piciformes
Birds of the World part 6 Afroaves The core landbirds originating in Africa TELLURAVES: AFROAVES – core landbirds originating in Africa (8 orders) • ORDER ACCIPITRIFORMES – hawks and allies (4 families, 265 species) – Family Cathartidae – New World vultures (7 species) – Family Sagittariidae – secretarybird (1 species) – Family Pandionidae – ospreys (2 species) – Family Accipitridae – kites, hawks, and eagles (255 species) • ORDER STRIGIFORMES – owls (2 families, 241 species) – Family Tytonidae – barn owls (19 species) – Family Strigidae – owls (222 species) • ORDER COLIIFORMES (1 family, 6 species) – Family Coliidae – mousebirds (6 species) • ORDER LEPTOSOMIFORMES (1 family, 1 species) – Family Leptosomidae – cuckoo-roller (1 species) • ORDER TROGONIFORMES (1 family, 43 species) – Family Trogonidae – trogons (43 species) • ORDER BUCEROTIFORMES – hornbills and hoopoes (4 families, 74 species) – Family Upupidae – hoopoes (4 species) – Family Phoeniculidae – wood hoopoes (9 species) – Family Bucorvidae – ground hornbills (2 species) – Family Bucerotidae – hornbills (59 species) • ORDER PICIFORMES – woodpeckers and allies (9 families, 443 species) – Family Galbulidae – jacamars (18 species) – Family Bucconidae – puffbirds (37 species) – Family Capitonidae – New World barbets (15 species) – Family Semnornithidae – toucan barbets (2 species) – Family Ramphastidae – toucans (46 species) – Family Megalaimidae – Asian barbets (32 species) – Family Lybiidae – African barbets (42 species) – Family Indicatoridae – honeyguides (17 species) – Family