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  • Do Large Birds Experience Previously Undetected Levels of Hunting Pressure in the Forests of Central and West Africa?
    Do large birds experience previously undetected levels of hunting pressure in the forests of Central and West Africa? R OBIN C. WHYTOCK,RALPH B UIJ,MUNIR Z. VIRANI and B ETHAN J. MORGAN Abstract The commercial bushmeat trade threatens Introduction numerous species in the forests of West and Central Africa. Hunters shoot and trap animals, which are trans- umans have hunted for subsistence in the forests ported to rural and urban markets for sale. Village-based Hof Central and West Africa for millennia (Milner- 2003 surveys of hunter offtake and surveys of bushmeat markets Gulland et al., ). However, for many people living in have shown that mammals and reptiles are affected most, rural areas hunting has become an important source of followed by birds. However, hunters also consume some revenue, driven by the high demand for bushmeat among 2003 2005 animals in forest camps and these may have been over- urban populations (Fa et al., ; East et al., ). The looked in surveys that have focused on bushmeat extracted commercial bushmeat trade has become central to many fi from the forest. A number of studies have used indirect rural economies and a signi cant proportion of households methods, such as hunter diaries, to quantify this additional rely on hunting as their primary source of income (Wilkie & 1999 offtake but results can be difficult to verify. We examined Carpenter, ). The problem has been further exacerbated discarded animal remains at 13 semi-permanent hunting by the construction of roads for commercial logging op- camps in the Ebo Forest, Cameroon, over 272 days. Twenty- erations, which have made it easier to access previously one species were identified from 49 carcasses, of which birds unexploited wildlife populations and to transport meat to 2003 constituted 55%, mammals 43% and other taxa 2%.
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  • A Multigene Phylogeny of Galliformes Supports a Single Origin of Erectile Ability in Non-Feathered Facial Traits
    J. Avian Biol. 39: 438Á445, 2008 doi: 10.1111/j.2008.0908-8857.04270.x # 2008 The Authors. J. Compilation # 2008 J. Avian Biol. Received 14 May 2007, accepted 5 November 2007 A multigene phylogeny of Galliformes supports a single origin of erectile ability in non-feathered facial traits Rebecca T. Kimball and Edward L. Braun R. T. Kimball (correspondence) and E. L. Braun, Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Florida, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA. E-mail: [email protected] Many species in the avian order Galliformes have bare (or ‘‘fleshy’’) regions on their head, ranging from simple featherless regions to specialized structures such as combs or wattles. Sexual selection for these traits has been demonstrated in several species within the largest galliform family, the Phasianidae, though it has also been suggested that such traits are important in heat loss. These fleshy traits exhibit substantial variation in shape, color, location and use in displays, raising the question of whether these traits are homologous. To examine the evolution of fleshy traits, we estimated the phylogeny of galliforms using sequences from four nuclear loci and two mitochondrial regions. The resulting phylogeny suggests multiple gains and/or losses of fleshy traits. However, it also indicated that the ability to erect rapidly the fleshy traits is restricted to a single, well-supported lineage that includes species such as the wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo and ring-necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus. The most parsimonious interpretation of this result is a single evolution of the physiological mechanisms that underlie trait erection despite the variation in color, location, and structure of fleshy traits that suggest other aspects of the traits may not be homologous.
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  • Annotated Checklist of Birds
    ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF BIRDS KEY: H = Heard only BVD = Better view desired Ph = Photographed $ = Only recorded on the tour-extension NON-PASSERINES OSTRICH Struthionidae Ph Common Ostrich Struthio camelus massaicus Moderately common throughout the Serengeti, Ndutu area, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire NP. Many well grown young observed at the latter site. Ostrich © K. David Bishop Ostrich © K. David Bishop DUCKS, GEESE & WATERFOWL Anatidae Ph White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna guttata 1-2 on two days along the shores of Lake Victoria at Speke Bay Lodge; four on backwaters, Lake Manyara NP and a total of circa 15 at the Mombo wetland. White-faced Whisting-Duck © K. David Bishop $ Fulvous Whistling- Duck Dendrocygna bicolor One at the Mombo wetlands. Comb Duck Sarkidiornis m. melanotos 40+ at Lake Manyara NP; ten in wetlands between Lake Manyara and Tarangire NP and 1-2 daily along the river, Tarangire NP Ph Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Widespread and moderately common: Arsuha NP; Lake Victoria; Serengeti; Ngorongoro where as many as 100+ counted including a group of ten chicks at the margins of Lake Makta and Tarangire NP. Egyptian Goose © K. David Bishop Ph Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus g. gambensis A total of seven on a freshwater swamp within the Ngorongoro Crater. Ph African Black Duck Anas sparsa leucostigma Two pairs seen very nicely in the grounds of Negare Sero Lodge; two on a freshwater within the Ngorongoro Crater and one in the West Usambaras. African Black Duck © David Bishop Red-billed Duck (Teal) Anas erythrorhyncha Small numbers in the Serengeti, Lake Manyara and ten at the Mombo wetland.
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  • And a Host List of These Parasites
    Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 74:315–337 (2007) A check list of the helminths of guineafowls (Numididae) and a host list of these parasites K. JUNKER and J. BOOMKER* Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa ABSTRACT JUNKER, K. & BOOMKER, J. 2007. A check list of the helminths of guineafowls (Numididae) and a host list of these parasites. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 74:315–337 Published and personal records have been compiled into a reference list of the helminth parasites of guineafowls. Where data on other avian hosts was available these have been included for complete- ness’ sake and to give an indication of host range. The parasite list for the Helmeted guineafowls, Numida meleagris, includes five species of acanthocephalans, all belonging to a single genus, three trematodes belonging to three different genera, 34 cestodes representing 15 genera, and 35 nema- todes belonging to 17 genera. The list for the Crested guineafowls, Guttera edouardi, contains a sin- gle acanthocephalan together with 10 cestode species belonging to seven genera, and three nema- tode species belonging to three different genera. Records for two cestode species from genera and two nematode species belonging to a single genus have been found for the guineafowl genus Acryllium. Of the 70 helminths listed for N. meleagris, 29 have been recorded from domestic chick- ens. Keywords: Acanthocephalans, cestodes, check list, guineafowls, host list, nematodes, trematodes INTRODUCTION into the southern Mediterranean region several mil- lennia before turkeys and hundreds of years before Guineafowls (Numididae) originated on the African junglefowls from which today’s domestic chickens continent, and with the exception of an isolated pop- were derived.
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  • Vocal Behavior of Crested Guineafowl (Guttera Edouardi) Based on Visual
    van Niekerk Avian Research (2015) 6:13 DOI 10.1186/s40657-015-0022-1 RESEARCH Open Access Vocal behavior of Crested Guineafowl (Guttera edouardi) based on visual and sound playback surveys in the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa Johann H. van Niekerk Abstract Background: Generally speaking, playbacks were often ineffective to determine the group sizes of birds since mainly males from leks responded. This limitation has not been tested properly for flocking birdssuchasCrestedGuineafowl (Guttera edouardi) with the view to use it as a counting method. The aims of the study reported in this paper were (1) to describe the calls of Crested Guineafowl in a social context; (2) to interpret calls in an evolutionary context; and (3) to demonstrate that playbacks can be used to locate and count Crested Guineafowl in small isolated forests. Methods: The vocal behavior of Crested Guineafowl was observed during a survey conducted in the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) from November 2010 to June 2012. Transect line observations and sound playback methods were used. Results: The behavioral context and structure of calls were described. The eight calls described for Crested Guineafowl were produced mainly to unite flock members in the dense understory, where visibility was poor, and to repel intruders. When not disturbed, Crested Guineafowl were quiet and only made soft contact calls. Conclusions: Thehighrateofcallbackandthefactthatflocksinvariablyapproachthesourceofthecallen masse, shows
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  • Kenya: Birds and Other Wildlife, Custom Trip Report
    Kenya: Birds and Other Wildlife, custom trip report August 2014 Silvery-cheeked Hornbill www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | T R I P R E P O R T Custom Tour Kenya August 2014 Kenya lies across the equator, ranging in altitude from 5199 m to sea level. The country’s topography and climate are highly varied, hence it exhibits many different habitats and vegetation types. Huge populations of wildlife are concentrated in protected areas, mainly national parks, national reserves, and conservancies. However, there are also opportunities to find a wealth of biodiversity in non-protected areas, as for example in Important Bird Areas (IBAs), some of which are found in non-protected areas, while others are located in protected areas. The IBAs provide a good chance to see some of the national or regional endemic species of both flora and fauna. They also provide opportunities for visitors to interact with local populations, which might be sharing their knowledge of indigenous life and traditional lifestyles. Our 15-day safari took us through unique and pristine habitats, ranging from the coastal strip of the Indian Ocean and its dry forest to the expansive savanna bushland of Tsavo East National Park, the semiarid steppes of Samburu National Park in northern Kenya, the mountain range of the Taita Hills, tropical rainforests, and Rift Valley lakes, before ending in the Masai Mara in southwestern Kenya. The variance of these habitats provided unique and rich wildlife diversity. Nairobi The city of Nairobi has much to offer its visitors. The Nairobi National Park is just seven kilometers away from the city and offers lots of wildlife.
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  • Front Cover.Jpg
    Cape Spurfowl (Cape Francolin) Crested Guineafowl | | Pternistis capensis Guttera edouardi (Francolinus capensis) (Guttera pucherani) © Alick Rennie © Wessel Swanepoel © Wessel This gamebird occurs patchily from West Africa through This is the largest spurfowl in southern Africa. It is near- the moister forests, especially forest edges, to a few areas endemic to South Africa’s Western Cape Province; small in north-eastern South Africa, north-west Zimbabwe; in numbers occur in the Eastern- and Northern Cape provinces Namibia it is known from a few records in the eastern and a small linear population along Namibia’s southern Zambezi region (Little 1997d), most recently (2014) caught on border is conined almost exclusively to the banks of the a camera trap in the State Forestry on the Zambian border (L Orange River, where it is locally common among the alien Hanssen pers. com.). It occupies a tiny area of 1,600 km2 in et al. trees (Little 2000). Its area of occupancy in Namibia Namibia, of which 31% occurs in protected areas of Mudumu 2 et al. is 6,100 km (Jarvis 2001). This population is no longer National Park (Jarvis et al. 2001). Its secretive behaviour may et al. connected to that in the Western Cape (Little 2000). mean that more birds occur in Namibia than the number Elsewhere it occurs in scrubby heath areas, especially of records suggest. Population size cannot be calculated strandveld and along streams and rivers (Little 1997a). There because there are no density estimates. Its conservation is no indication of a population decline and birds were needs are unknown, but are thought to be minimal (Little et obs.).
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  • Zambia – Pittas, Barbets, Bats, and Rare Antelope
    Zambia – pittas, barbets, bats, and rare antelope. November 18 – December 4, 2019. 373 bird species seen + 15-20 heard-only. 41 mammal species seen. Highest diversity days: 155 bird + 15 mammal species at Lochinvar + Nkanga on 11/ 21 and 131 bird + 12 mammal sp. Nkanga 11/22. Organizer: Nate Dias https://www.flickr.com/photos/offshorebirder2/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyYL-LT3VD8wBHAF6NHIibQ/videos?view_as=subscriber/ Agent: Roy Glasspool at Bedrock Africa http://bedrockafrica.com/ Guide: Kyle Branch https://tuskandmane.com/ Special thanks to Rory MacDougall for hosting and stellar guiding in the Choma area and Lochinvar NP. Bird highlights: African Pitta, Slaty Egret, Chaplin's Barbet, Bar-winged Weaver, Bocage's Akalat, Black-necked Eremomela, African Broadbill (displaying male), Woolly-necked Stork, Dwarf Bittern, Rufous-bellied Heron (2 fighting), Crowned Eagle, Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, Racket-tailed Roller, Half-collared Kingfisher, Böhm's Bee-eater, Rufous-bellied Tit, Eastern Nicator, Purple-throated Cuckoo shrike, Anchieta’s Sunbird, Locust Finch, Carmine Bee-eater colony, 5 Roller species: Purple, Racket-tailed, Lilac-breasted, European & Broad-billed. Mammal highlights: Lord Derby's Anomalure (two interacting and posing), Sitatunga, Serval cat, African Bush Elephant (multiple nursing calves), Kafue Lechwe, Black Lechwe, Sable Antelope, millions of Straw-coloured Fruit Bats, 3 baboon species, Rump-spotted Blue Monkey, Sharpe's Grysbok. Flap-necked Chameleon – Mutinondo Wilderness The origin for this Zambia birding and mammal safari was a discussion with my friend Rob Barnes from the U.K. about Barbets. Rob has seen a large percentage of the African barbets and we got to talking about rare ones and ones he had yet to see.
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  • Birds, Reptiles, Fish, Insects, Aquatic Invertebrates and Ecosystems
    AWF FOUR CORNERS TBNRM PROJECT : REVIEWS OF EXISTING BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION i Published for The African Wildlife Foundation's FOUR CORNERS TBNRM PROJECT by THE ZAMBEZI SOCIETY and THE BIODIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA 2004 PARTNERS IN BIODIVERSITY The Zambezi Society The Biodiversity Foundation for Africa P O Box HG774 P O Box FM730 Highlands Famona Harare Bulawayo Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Tel: +263 4 747002-5 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.biodiversityfoundation.org Website : www.zamsoc.org The Zambezi Society and The Biodiversity Foundation for Africa are working as partners within the African Wildlife Foundation's Four Corners TBNRM project. The Biodiversity Foundation for Africa is responsible for acquiring technical information on the biodiversity of the project area. The Zambezi Society will be interpreting this information into user-friendly formats for stakeholders in the Four Corners area, and then disseminating it to these stakeholders. THE BIODIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA (BFA is a non-profit making Trust, formed in Bulawayo in 1992 by a group of concerned scientists and environmentalists. Individual BFA members have expertise in biological groups including plants, vegetation, mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects, aquatic invertebrates and ecosystems. The major objective of the BFA is to undertake biological research into the biodiversity of sub-Saharan Africa, and to make the resulting information more accessible. Towards this end it provides technical, ecological and biosystematic expertise. THE ZAMBEZI SOCIETY was established in 1982. Its goals include the conservation of biological diversity and wilderness in the Zambezi Basin through the application of sustainable, scientifically sound natural resource management strategies.
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  • New Records of IBA Criteria and Other Bird Species from the Dryland Hilltops of Kitui and Mwingi Districts, Eastern Kenya
    Avifaunal Surveys of Hilltop forests in the semi-arid areas of Kitui and Mwingi Districts, Eastern Kenya. Ronald Kale Mulwa National Museums of Kenya, Ornithology Section, P.O. Box 40658 GPO Nairobi Contact email: [email protected] 1 KEY PROJECT OUTPUTS/MILE STONES 1. Involvement of local community members as field assistants enhanced capacity building, created awareness on the conservation of birds/biodiversity and generated some income through the wages they earned as field assistants. Exposure to use of binoculars and bird ringing. I assessed the existing local community groups as potential Site Support Groups (SSG) as they are termed in the Important Bird Areas framework. 2. The project offered a learning opportunity for two graduate interns in the Ornithology Department of National Museums of Kenya. They gained skills in bird survey methods and ringing and use of various equipments. 3. The project has led to immense filling up of knowledge gaps in this area, many birds were not known to occur in this area. Since survey has documented 5 Globally threatened bird species, discussions are under way to recognize as the area as an Important Bird Area (IBA). This is through BirdLife International and National Partner Nature Kenya. 4. For future monitoring a total of 363 individual birds in 35 species were ringed. These include resident, Afro-tropical and Palaearctic migratory species. 5. This project interaction with other projects in the area being executed by other institutional in collaboration with the local communities e.g. Bee keeping/Honey processing, Silk Worm rearing, Biodiversity monitoring, Horticulture & Woodlot nurseries, etc 6.
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  • Crested Guineafowl Places, E.G
    310 Numididae: guineafowl geographical scale, although they do occur together in Crested Guineafowl places, e.g. in the Zambezi Valley (A.J. Tree pers. comm.). Kuifkoptarentaal Historical distribution and conservation: There is no evidence of any extensive change in the distribution of Guttera pucherani this species although, because of its secretive behaviour, it was poorly recorded in the past, and might have been The Crested Guineafowl has a wide but fragmented range more widespread in the Transvaal. in the wetter parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In southern Although the Crested Guineafowl was previously con- Africa it is largely confined to the Zambezi Valley, central sidered for Red Data status, Brooke (1984b) excluded it as and southern Mozambique, southern Zimbabwe, far north- being neither ‘rare’ nor ‘vulnerable’ in South Africa. How- ern Transvaal, northern KwaZulu-Natal and northeastern ever, he retained it in the list of species that merit moni- Swaziland. In Namibia it is confined to the eastern Caprivi toring in case new or existing threats cause them to decline, in riparian vegetation along the Kwando and Zambezi particularly in the case of the endemic subspecies symonsi. rivers and floodplains (C.J. Brown pers. comm.). Urban et al. (1986) suggested that, although it is not se- The Crested Guineafowl is congeneric with the Plumed verely threatened, range decreases might be brought about Guineafowl G. plumifera of equatorial Africa. There is an by destruction of forest and thicket habitats. In Namibia it isolated population in Karkloof (2930AD) in the KwaZulu- is considered ‘rare’ and under threat from deforestation Natal midlands which is listed as an endemic subspecies (C.J.
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  • Checklist of the Birds of Boni-Dodori
    CHECKLIST OF THE BIRDS OF BONI - DODORI CHECKLIST OF THE BIRDS OF BONI - DODORI IBA Cover: Red-headed Weaver, Juba race Top right: Yellowbill, migrant from the south Top left: Common Cuckoo, migrant from the north Below: Senegal Plover ALL PHOTOS BY JOHN MUSINA CHECKLIST OF THE BIRDS OF BONI - DODORI IBA CHECKLIST OF THE BIRDS OF BONI - DODORI The Boni-Dodori Forest System The Boni-Dodori forest system is in the easternmost corner of Kenya, bordering Somalia and the Indian Ocean. It comprises Boni and Dodori National Reserves, Boni- Lungi and Boni-Ijara forests (which at the time of publication were understood to have recently been gazetted as Forest Reserves) and the Aweer Community Conservancy, proposed by the indigenous Aweer (Boni) people and the Northern Rangelands Trust. The Boni-Dodori area was designated Kenya’s 63rd Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by Nature Kenya and BirdLife International in 2014. It forms part of the East African coastal forests biodiversity hotspot, an area known for globally significant levels of species richness and one of Africa’s centers of endemism. At the time of going to press, the area was under the control of the Kenya Defence Forces with restricted movement of the public. It is hoped that security will soon be restored and this remarkable landscape will be open to visitors again. This Checklist will be the first guide for visitors. The Landscape The Boni-Dodori forest system is a vast mosaic of east African coastal forest and thicket, seasonally flooded grassland and palm savanna, scattered wetlands and a strip of Acacia woodland.
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