Birding and Beyond in Coastal Kenya
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The Birds of the Dar Es Salaam Area, Tanzania
Le Gerfaut, 77 : 205–258 (1987) BIRDS OF THE DAR ES SALAAM AREA, TANZANIA W.G. Harvey and KM. Howell INTRODUCTION Although the birds of other areas in Tanzania have been studied in detail, those of the coast near Dar es Salaam have received relatively little recent attention. Ruggles-Brise (1927) published a popular account of some species from Dar es Salaam, and Fuggles-Couchman (1939,1951, 1953, 1954, 1962) included the area in a series of papers of a wider scope. More recently there have been a few other stu dies dealing with particular localities (Gardiner and Gardiner 1971), habitats (Stuart and van der Willigen 1979; Howell 1981), or with individual species or groups (Harvey 1971–1975; Howell 1973, 1977). Britton (1978, 1981) has docu mented specimens collected in the area previous to 1967 by Anderson and others. The purpose of this paper is to draw together data from published reports, unpu blished records, museum specimens and our own observations on the frequency, habitat, distribution and breeding of the birds of the Dar es Salaam area, here defi ned as the portion of the mainland within a 64-km radius of Dar es Salaam, inclu ding the small islands just offshore (Fig. 1). It includes Dar es Salaam District and portions of two others, Kisarawe and Bagamoyo. Zanzibar has been omitted because its unusual avifauna has been reviewed (Pakenham 1979). Most of the mainland areas are readily accessible from Dar es Salaam by road and the small islands may be reached by boat. The geography of the area is described in Sutton (1970). -
Coordinated Monitoring of the Endangered Spotted Ground Thrush in the East African Breeding and Non-Breeding Grounds
CEPF SMALL GRANT FINAL PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT I. BASIC DATA Organization Legal Name: BirdLife International Project Title (as stated in the grant agreement): Coordinated Monitoring of the Endangered Spotted Ground Thrush in the East African Breeding and Non-breeding Grounds Implementation Partners for This Project: Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, Nature Kenya, A Rocha Kenya, individual contributors of basic data Project Dates (as stated in the grant agreement): March 1, 2007 - December 31, 2008 Date of Report (month/year): February 2009 II. OPENING REMARKS Provide any opening remarks that may assist in the review of this report. Spotted Ground Thrush Zoothera guttata is an endemic resident and intra-African migrant bird species. The species is classified as Endangered. Although the species can be found in seven African countries (DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania), Z. g. fischeri, one of the five recognised races of the species, is confined to and migrates within the coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania. Recent records from Rondo Plateau in the coastal forests of Lindi District in Tanzania indicate that Z. g. fischeri breeds in southern Tanzania coastal forests. It is known as a non-breeding visitor to forests on the Kenya coast and north- eastern Tanzania from Lamu to Pugu Hills. Since the bird is a cross-border species it is particularly difficult to conserve and requires concerted action. In response to this challenge, BirdLife International developed an International Action Plan for the species and further translated it into the national contexts for Kenya and Tanzania using participative stakeholder workshops. In all the three action plans, it is recognised that limited knowledge about the species distribution, movement and population size is a critical problem hindering its conservation, especially in East Africa. -
Malawi: Miombo Magic September 1-18, 2020 ©2019
MALAWI: MIOMBO MAGIC SEPTEMBER 1-18, 2020 ©2019 Sable Antelope © Dion Hobcroft Malawi: Miombo Magic, Page 2 This little-known country is emerging as one of the birding and wildlife gems of the amazing African continent. Best known for the great lake that dominates the east of the country, Malawi, with its low population and relatively large areas of varied habitats, ensures a spectacular list of many African birds difficult to see in more familiar African tourist destinations like South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania. Combined with some amazing conservation efforts and the development of superb accommodations and national park infrastructure the tourists are starting to arrive in numbers. It is a good opportunity to visit before this well-kept secret becomes widely known. On this tour we will visit the montane Nyika National Park, Dzalanyama Forest, the lush lowlands of Liwonde National Park, Lake Malawi itself in the region of Chintheche and both the Viphya Plateau and Zomba Massif. All of these locations offer different habitats from the famously bird rich Miombo and Mopane woodlands, cloud forest, stunning wetlands, floodplains and excellent rolling montane grasslands. Birding is outstanding and we expect a list of between 300-350 species including several Southern Rift endemics. Some of the special birds we will be searching for include Denham’s Bustard, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Boehm’s Bee-eater, Schalow’s Turaco, Pel’s Fishing-owl, Rwenzori Nightjar, Montane Blue Swallow, Babbling Starling, Boulder Chat, Yellow-throated Apalis, Red-tufted Sunbird, Locust Finch and Peter’s Twinspot to mention a few. Beyond the birds we can expect to see a good cross-section of mammals: African Elephant, Crayshaw’s Zebra, Eland, Roan and Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Klipspringer Grey Duiker, Cape Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Yellow Baboon, Samango Monkey, Thick-tailed Galago, Spotted Hyaena, Lion, Serval and leopard are all possible. -
The Avifauna of Coastal Forests in Southeast Tanzania
Scopus 25: 122, December 2005 The avifauna of coastal forests in southeast Tanzania Flemming P. Jensen, Anders P. Tøttrup and Kim D. Christensen The avifauna of the coastal forest patches between the Rufiji and Ruvuma Rivers, southeast Tanzania, have so far received little ornithological attention compared to, for instance, the montane forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains. This is surprising given the large number of studies of other animals and plants that have documented high species richness and, especially for trees, very high numbers of species with restricted distri- butions (Clarke et al. 2000). This paper summarises information on the distribution of forest birds in the 11 coastal forests in Tanzania south of the Rufiji River for which we have been able to trace data and from our own fieldwork in six forests in 2001. We also include information on old records of forest birds collected near Mikindani although the exact location is unknown. We briefly discuss the species richness of the forests, make a comparison with some other Tanzanian lowland forests and provide new information on distribution and habitat selection of some of the forest birds encountered during our fieldwork. Finally, we explore the hypothesis that the Lindi Plateau forests in the southern part of the study area were a refugium for lowland forest birds during Pleistocene glaciations and that the isolation led to differentiation and the formation of a local centre of endemism. Study area A vegetation mosaic of lowland forest, Brachystegia forest (sensu Clarke 2000a), thicket and fire-climax miombo woodland, together with varying intensities of cultivation and farm-bush occurs along the coast of Tanzania between the Rufiji and Ruvuma Rivers (Clarke 2001). -
Dunes, Groundwater, Mangroves and Birdlife in Coastal Kenya
East coast Akalat: Habitat selection and distribution in Arabuko-Sokoke forest Item Type Book Section Authors Matiku, P.M.; Bennun, L.A.; Odanga, J.F.E. Publisher Acts Press Download date 02/10/2021 09:50:38 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/8866 9 EAST COAST AKAIAT: HABITAT SELECTION AND DISTRIBUTION IN ARAB UKO·SOKOKE FOREST P.M. MATIKU, 1. BEN~UN &J.F.E.ODANGA Introduction The East Coast Akalat (Sbeppardiagunningi sokokensis Van Someren 1921) is regarded as a globally threatened species (Collar et at., 1994). The occurrence of this member of the Turdidae is restricted to isolated for~st sites on the East African Coast. Three subspecies of the species are known: the nominate form in the south of Mozambique; bensoni from Malawi, and finally -the focus of this study -sokokensis from several forests in Tanzania and Kenya (Keith, 1992). This subspecieshas been found in Kenya in forests of the Tana River Delta, the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Shimba Hills, a small forest patch in Shimoni, in Tanza nia in lowland parts of the East Usambara Mountains, the Pugu Hills, the Litipo Forest Reserves, the Rondo plateau and even in theJozani Forest at Zanzibar. ·13) 136 Matiku et al. Figure 9.1 Arabuko-Sokoke Forest: Vegetation types, plot distribution and Akalat survey routes ,MF Mhced foresl . 8W Bmchvst~glo ~-nd IC' . 'h:tei~iOte cynolnet;o: CW cvnomelra YmOdklhd CT Cvnolnetr~ thicket a Akulot .ve plots l> Akolol -ve: plots ~ I\!i"a"" survey louie Figure 9.2 Distribution ofthe East Coast Akalat in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest 'Cynornctro woodland OW Brot.hYS1~Wu .Wt?D~1a~d .' c r CynomettQ thicket '. -
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. -
Mozambique African Pitta II 8Th to 14Th December 2016 (7 Days) Trip Report
Mozambique African Pitta II 8th to 14th December 2016 (7 days) Trip Report Narina Trogon by Tony Ridl Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Andre Bernon Trip Report – RBL Mozambique - African Pitta II 2016 2 Tour Summary Within the Zambezi River delta lays Coutada’s 11 & 12. This roughly 1,2 million hectare wilderness is so vast and under-birded that it certainly warrants some serious attention from the avian tourism front. Upon arrival, one can truly see and sense the excitement that this area holds. This dynamic landscape, with huge tracts of sand forest, lowland forest, vast floodplains with papyrus swamps and a mosaic of small seasonal pans, plays host to bird and mammal species that are simply mouth- watering. A total of 7 days were spent here with a total of 254 bird and 29 mammalian species recorded. White-chested Alethe, Livingstone’s Flycatcher, East Coast Akalat, the second ever Grasshopper Buzzard for the subregion, Green Sandpiper, Pallid Honeyguide, Brown-necked Parrot, Rufous-bellied Heron, Black Coucal and Bohm’s Bee-eater are just a few of the mouth-watering specials that we managed to record. This great cast was accompanied with a massive amount of plains game too, such as Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Oribi, Sable Antelope and rare creatures such as Selous’ Mongoose and Gambian Rat. The Tour in Detail As we neared the wilderness that is the Coutadas on our small chartered flight from Beira, we could almost immediately see how vast this place is. We were greeted by the friendly smiles of the lodge staff on the runway, chanting to the beat of their traditional drum. -
Modeling the East Coast Akalat Population: Model Comparison and Parameter Estimation
Modeling the East Coast Akalat Population: Model Comparison and Parameter Estimation H.T. Banksy, John E. Banksz, Colin Jacksonx, Kristen Rinnovatorey yCenter for Research in Scientific Computation Department of Mathematics North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC zEnvironmental Science Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington, Tacoma Tacoma, WA xA Rocha Kenya Watamu, Kenya Abstract A discrete stage-structured matrix model and a continuous ordinary differential equation model, both governed by fecundity and survival of the species, are presented. Both are applied to data collected for the East Coast Akalat, a Kenyan bird whose population is in decline. The effects of observation error and sparsity of data on the resulting accuracy of parameter estimation in the models are presented and discussed, and bootstrapping methods are used to quantify parameter estimate confidence. The importance of a systematic bird observation schedule and improved bird age determination protocol are described, and suggestions for techniques to lessen observation error are presented. Key Words: East Coast Akalat, inverse problems, parameter estimation, Leslie models, continuous models, ordinary least squares, model simulations and comparison. 1 Introduction Kenya is home to some of the world's most rare and fascinating species, including the East Coast Akalat, a small robin whose population is considered Near Threatened by BirdLife International [1]. The estimated size of this African bird's current population varies between experts, with a range between 10,000 and 20,000 full adults [1], most of which are found in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF) in coastal Kenya. This forest provides a habitat to several species currently on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species [2]. -
Mozambique African Pitta III 11Th to 17Th December 2018 (7 Days) Trip Report
Mozambique African Pitta III 11th to 17th December 2018 (7 days) Trip Report Crested Guineafowl by Rich Lindie Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Greg de Klerk Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to Mozambique Trip Report – RBL Mozambique - African Pitta III 2017 2 Tour Summary Within the Zambezi River delta lie Coutadas 11 & 12. This roughly 1.2 million hectare wilderness is so vast and under-birded that it certainly warrants some serious attention on the avian tourism front. Upon arrival, one can truly see and sense the excitement that this area holds. This dynamic landscape, with huge tracts of sand forest, lowland forest, vast floodplains with papyrus swamps and a mosaic of small seasonal pans, plays host to bird and mammal species that are simply mouth- watering. A total of 7 days were spent here, with a total of 188 bird and 20 mammalian species recorded. Livingstone’s Flycatcher, East Coast Akalat, Pallid Honeyguide and Black- and-white Flycatcher were just a few of the mouth-watering specials that we managed to record. This great cast was accompanied by some good numbers of plains game too, such as the rare Lichtenstein’s subspecies of Hartebeest, Oribi and graceful Sable East Coast Akalat by Adam Riley Antelope. The Tour in Detail As we neared the wilderness on our small chartered flight from Beira, we could almost immediately see how vast this place is. We were greeted by the friendly smiles of the lodge staff on the runway, chanting to the beat of a traditional drum. After familiarising ourselves with the lodge and our accommodation, we decided to enjoy a drink at the fireplace before dinner. -
Notes on the Ecology and Conservation Status of Key Bird Species in Nilo and Nguu North Forest Reserves, Tanzania
Bird Conservation International (1999) 9:9-28. © BirdLife International 1999 Notes on the ecology and conservation status of key bird species in Nilo and Nguu North Forest Reserves, Tanzania NATHALIE SEDDON, JONATHAN M. M. EKSTROM, DAVID R. CAPPER, ISABEL S. ISHERWOOD, RAYMOND MUNA, ROBERT G. POPLE, ERNESTI TARIMO and JONAS TIMOTHY Summary Ornithological surveys were conducted in Tanzanian submontane forest at Nilo Forest Reserve in the East Usambaras and Nguu North Forest Reserve in the Nguu Mountains in July-September 1995. Information on the ecology of poorly known bird species of conservation interest was collected and combined with previously published information to assess their conservation status. Sixteen species of conservation interest were recorded during fieldwork, including five Vulnerable (Usambara Eagle Owl Bubo vosseleri, East Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi, Amani Sunbird Anthreptes pallidigaster, Banded Green Sunbird Anthreptes rubritorques and Usambara Weaver Ploceus nicolli); three Near-threatened (Southern Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus fasciolatus, Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri and Moreau's Sunbird Nectarinia moreaui); one regionally Endangered (Southern Hyliota Hyliota australis); one regionally Vulnerable (Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes neglectus), two regionally Near-threatened (Lemon Dove Aplopelia lavata and Evergreen Forest Warbler Bradypterus barratti); and 10 in total as restricted-range species (Fischer's Turaco, Usambara Eagle Owl, Sharpe's Akalat Sheppardia sharpei, Red-capped Forest Warbler Orthotomus metopias, Spot-throat Modulatrix stictigula, Amani Sunbird, Banded Green Sunbird, Moreau's Sunbird, Kenrick's Starling Poeoptera kenricki and Usambara Weaver). New information on the ecology of these species is presented in this paper. It is recommended that the conservation status of East Coast Akalat and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird be changed to globally Near-threatened and regionally Near-threatened, respectively. -
The Avifauna of Sokoke Forest, Kenya P.L
JOURNAL OF THE EAST AFRICA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY AND NATIONAL MUSEUM 10th AUGUST 1979 No. 169 THE AVIFAUNA OF SOKOKE FOREST, KENYA P.L. Britton P.O. Box 90163, Mombasa and D.A. Zimmerman Dept. of Biological Science, Western New Mexico University, Silver City, N.M. 88061, U.S.A. INTRODUCTION The Sokoke (or Arabuko-Sokoke) Forest, situated just inland from the Kenya coast, between Kilifi Creek and the Galana River, is one of East Africa's few surviving areas of lowland forest of any appreciable size. In Ripley & Bond (1971), A.D. Forbes-Watson stated that 'about half of the Sokoke Forest has been destroyed by man in the last ten years', and that all the areas in which he collected birds in 1964-66 'are now no longer forest, but desolate areas of sandy soil and straggly crops' Based on extensive ground coverage and a flight over the forest, Britton (1975) reported that most of the 400 km2 forest reserve was still intact. Areas referred to by Forbes-Watson are south and east of the gazetted forest reserve; similar areas to the west continue to be cut and settled, and must be dis• regarded in any long term evaluation of the status of forest birds. The interesting avifauna of Sokoke Forest has been documented by Ripley & Bond (1971), and there are notes on selected species by Williams (1957), Clancey & Williams (1959), Ripley(1966), Britton & Britton (1977, 1978) and Britton & Rathbun (1978). Including species flying over the forest or living along its borders, Ripley & Bond (1971) listed 173 species, apparently regarding the forest as a uniform biome despite the vegetative differences which they mention. -
HOST LIST of AVIAN BROOD PARASITES - 2 - CUCULIFORMES - Old World Cuckoos
Cuckoo hosts - page 1 HOST LIST OF AVIAN BROOD PARASITES - 2 - CUCULIFORMES - Old World cuckoos Peter E. Lowther, Field Museum version 28 Mar 2014 This list remains a working copy; colored text used often as editorial reminder; strike-out gives indication of alternate names. Names prefixed with “&” or “%” usually indicate the host species has successfully reared the brood parasite. Notes following names qualify host status or indicate source for inclusion in list. Important references on all Cuculiformes include Payne 2005 and Erritzøe et al. 2012 (the range maps from Erritzøe et al. 2012 can be accessed at http://www.fullerlab.org/cuckoos/.) Note on taxonomy. Cuckoo taxonomy here follows Payne 2005. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that brood parasitism has evolved in 3 clades within the Cuculiformes with monophyletic groups defined as Cuculinae (including genera Cuculus, Cerococcyx, Chrysococcyx, Cacomantis and Surniculus), Phaenicophaeinae (including nonparasitic genera Phaeniocphaeus and Piaya and the brood parasitic genus Clamator) and Neomorphinae (including parasitic genera Dromococcyx and Tapera and nonparasitic genera Geococcyx, Neomorphus, and Guira) (Aragón et al. 1999). For host species, most English and scientific names come from Sibley and Monroe (1990); taxonomy follows either Sibley and Monroe 1990 or Peterson 2014. Hosts listed at subspecific level indicate that that taxon sometimes considered specifically distinct (see notes in Sibley and Monroe 1990). Clamator Clamator Kaup 1829, Skizzirte Entwicklungs-Geschichte und natüriches System der Europäischen Thierwelt ... , p. 53. Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Clamator coromandus (Linnaeus 1766) Systema Naturae, ed. 12, p. 171. Distribution. – Southern Asia. Host list. – Based on Friedmann 1964; see also Baker 1942, Erritzøe et al.