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Checklist and Status of Herons in East Africa

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Checklist and Status of Herons in East Africa Copyright © 2011. Turner, D. 2011. Checklist and status of herons in East Africa. Journal of Heron Biology and Conservation 1:9 [online] www.HeronConservation.org/JHBC/vol01/ art09/ Checklist and status of herons in East Africa Don Turner Box 1651, Naivasha 20117, Kenya; [email protected] Abstract Nineteen species of herons occur in East Africa. Nine species are of conservation concern. The White- backed Night Heron (Gorsachus leuconotus), Striated Heron (Butorides striata), Rufous-bellied Heron (Ardeola rufiventris), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) are regionally near threatened. Great Egret (Ardea alba) is regionally vulnerable. The South African subspecies of the Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris capen- sis) is regionally critical. The Madagascar Heron (Ardea humbloti) is globally vulnerable and the Mada- gascar Pond Heron (Ardeola idae) is regionally endangered. Although the freshwater wetlands of the region are internationally recognized, they are increasingly threatened by uncontrolled drainage, land reclamation, pollution and over exploitation. Key words: Ardeidae; bitterns; conservation; distribution; egrets; Kenya; Tanzania; Uganda; wetlands. Introduction Kenya most notably Naivasha and Baringo, two RAMSAR lakes of International Importance, The freshwater resources of East Africa, especial- have been downgraded to the Montreux List of ly in Kenya, are increasingly among the most Endangered Wetlands due to continuing degrada- threatened in the world. As wetlands have de- tion, exploitation and pollution. The situation for graded over the past decades, waterbird popula- waterbirds in parts of East Africa, including tions have been increasingly affected. While herons, is becoming increasingly critical although freshwater wetlands are internationally recog- is other areas, where hydrological changes have nized as one of the world’s most productive not been so severe, heron populations continue to ecosystems, they are also among the most threat- do well. ened habitats in the world today due largely to uncontrolled drainage, land reclamation, pollu- The status of herons in the region has not been tion and over exploitation. While lakes Nakuru, summarized for a decade (Turner 2000). Species Bogoria and Elmentaita have recently become of herons endemic to the African region occur in World Heritage Sites, other Rift Valley lakes in East Africa, including the Madagascar Pond Journal of Heron Biology and Conservation 1:9, page !2 Heron and Black Heron, as well as the largest s principal freshwater lake, it is now so severely extant heron, the Goliath Heron (Kushlan and degraded and polluted that it now faces severe Hancock 2005). Information on heron popula- bio-diversity changes. Destruction of the all im- tions in Africa has been exceptionally sparse, as portant papyrus belt has had a devastating effect there are few historical or contemporary quantita- on the quality of the lake water. Large areas of tive data available nor have important sites been papyrus have been lost as a result of receding wa- consistently monitored (Kushlan and Hafner ter levels, fires, bovine and human encroachment 2000, Kushlan 2007). However, much useful in- and conversion to farmland and agriculture. As formation has been accumulated in atlas and fau- such, vast amounts of silt, sediments and nutri- nistic projects for the region over the past ents (from both the poorly managed upper decades (Lewis and Pomeroy 1989, Zimmerman catchment via the Malewa and Gilgil rivers, and et al. 1996, Ash and Miskell 1998, Nikolaus the unplanned and poorly sited townships) pour 1987, Carswell et al. 2005, Ash and Atkins 2009, into the lake following heavy rainfall, resulting in Baker and Baker in prep.). The present paper up- eutrophication, with an ever increasing number dates the current status of heron species occur- of algae blooms. Despite this and with the lake ring in East Africa. becoming nothing more than a giant sewage pond, a number of heron species did manage to breed successfully in 2010 on a small offshore Study Area island of new papyrus. This Checklist covers the East African nations of Also in Kenya, Lake Baringo a hundred miles Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. north of Naivasha and also formerly a RAMSAR site and a major breeding ground for Goliath There are few known breeding sites for herons Herons has suffered a similar fate. It too has been and egrets remaining in Kenya. The Garsen downgraded and placed on the Montreux List. Heronry is the sole major breeding ground for Goliath Herons have now stopped breeding at heron species in the lower Tana delta. It is cur- this site. Omo delta / Lake Turkana wetlands are rently facing a precarious future. A proposal to important wetlands on the Ethiopia/Kenya border turn much of the Lower Tana Delta over to agri- that are now seriously threatened with the build- culture including a vast biofuel plantation is cur- ing of a giant hydro dam on the Omo river in rently being challenged in court, though chances southern Ethiopia. The dam will be 151 km long of the proposals being over-ruled are slim. A and 5 km wide (second largest in Africa). It will smaller heronry previously on the outskirts of take several years to fill, meanwhile no water Kisumu, Lake Victoria, has now totally disap- will flow to the Omo wetlands or into lake peared as all trees in the area have been felled. Turkana, which is predicted to ultimately dry up Rice fields in the surrounding area where several within the next twenty five years. The dam is cur- heron species used to feed have been subjected to rently 30% complete. Sadly there was no Envi- extensive Carbofuran (Furadan) poisoning, re- ronmental Impact Assessment prior to its con- sulting in many heron (as well as other waterbird) struction. species being poisoned. Lake Naivasha, in the central Rift Valley, is currently listed as one of In Tanzania, indications are that all major wet- Kenya’s Important Bird Areas, but has been sub- lands, including the Wembere, the Moyowosi- jected to years of neglect, unplanned human ac- Malagarasi swamps and the Usangu wetlands of tivities and short-term exploitation. Once Kenya’ Ruaha National Park are in a much healthier state Journal of Heron Biology and Conservation 1:9, page !3 than those in Kenya, and all heron species are Migratory nominate birds frequently occur in understood to be present in good numbers. Annu- Africa in more open wetland habitats. One al waterbird counts in Tanzania are impressive Kibimba Rice Scheme near Jinja November and generally reflect a much better situation for 2002. all herons and egrets than in Kenya. K Reported from Lake Baringo December 1994. In Uganda, there is little detailed information Botaurus stellaris capensis (Schlegel 1863). Type available concerning heron species. But no major locality restricted to the northern Cape, RSA. concerns have been expressed relating to their Entire population in serious decline due to loss of status in recent years. habitat and intolerance of human activity. B. s. capensis requires permanent marshes with dense cover. R-CR. Results T ? Lake Rukwa. Status unclear. Booming re- ported pre-1960, but no subsequent records. The following is a list and comments on status of the heron species known to occur in East Africa. For brevity, the following codes are used: Coun- IXOBRYCHUS MINUTUS (Linnaeus) try codes - K = Kenya, T = Tanzania, U = Ugan- Little Bittern da; species status codes - RB = resident breeding species, AfrM = intra-African migrant, B = Permanent and seasonal swamps and marshes. breeding, NB = non-breeding, MM = migrant from Madagascar, MV = Madagascar vagrant, Ardea minuta Linnaeus 1766. Type locality AV = Afrotropical vagrant, WV = winter visitor, Switzerland. PV = Palaearctic vagrant, OW = occasional win- ter visitor, ? = status unclear; threat categories - Ixobrychus minutus minutus K T U OW Scarce G-EN = globally endangered, G-VU = globally Palaearctic migrant October-April. vulnerable, R-CR = regionally critical, R-EN = regionally endangered, R-NT = regionally near- Ixobrychus minutus payesi (Hartlaub 1858). threatened. Information summarized in this list Type locality Casamance River, Senegal. comes from the author’s knowledge and especial- K T U RB AfrM Widespread resident and wan- ly, Lewis and Pomeroy 1989, Zimmerman et al. derer augmented by intra-African migrants from 1996, Carswell et al. 2005, Baker and Baker in the Southern tropics May-September. prep. IXOBRYCHUS STURMII (Wagler) BOTAURUS STELLARIS (Linnaeus) Dwarf Bittern Eurasian Bittern Rains migrant to permanent and seasonal wet- Marshes with dense cover. lands. Ardea stellaris Linnaeus 1758. Type locality Ardea sturmii Wagler 1827. Type locality Sweden. Senegambia. Botaurus stellaris stellaris U PV K T U R? + AfrM/B. Widespread rains migrant. Journal of Heron Biology and Conservation 1:9, page !4 Influx of intra-African migrants to many areas Surinam. April-August and November-December. Few breeding records. Butorides striata atricapilla (Afzelius 1804). Type locality Sierra Leone. R-NT K T U RB Fairly common in coastal man- GORSACHIUS LEUCONOTUS (Wagler) groves and around thickly vegetated lake and riv- White-backed Night Heron er edges. Dense riverine vegetation and mangroves. Strict- Taxonomic comment: Also called Green-backed ly crepuscular and nocturnal. Heron. Ardea leuconotus Wagler 1827. Type locality Senegambia. ARDEOLA RALLOIDES (Scopoli) Squacco Heron K T U R-NT RB? Scarce and very locally
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