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J. E. Afr. nat. Hist, Soc. Vol. XXVI No.2 (114) Page 47

BIRD RINGING FOR 1961-1966 By J. SMART

The East Mrica Natural History Society Ringing Organization started ringing at the Eastleigh Sewage Works, Nairobi, in 1960. Brief reports have been published on the birds ringed up to the middle of 1961(Blencowe,1960and 1962).This report covers all activitiesup to the middle of 1966. Table I which is divided into two lists, palaearctic migrants and Mrican birds, shows the total numbers of each recorded as ringed on all ringing returns received to date. In most cases the returns cover the period to 30th June, 1966, but, Prof. D. A. Zimmerman's return up to August, 1966,has been included for the sake of completeness and because of the interesting speciesrecorded. Several returns are stilI outstanding and those concerned who read this report are asked to send them in as soon as possible.

TABLE I BIRDS RINGED BY THE EAST AFRICA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY BIRD RINGING ORGANIZATION UP TO 30th JUNE, 1966 Palaearctic Migrants (List 1) 1. Ringed Plover. Charadrius hiaticu/a Linnaeus 1 2. Mongolian Sand-Plover. Charadrius mongolus Pallas 1 3. Great Sand-Plover. Charadrius /eschenaultii Lesson 1 4. Curlew Sandpiper. Calidris testacea (pallas) 1 5. Little Stint. Calidris minuta (Leisler) • 122 6. . Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus) .. 38 7. Common Sandpiper. Tringa hypo/eucos Linnaeus 4 8. Wood Sandpiper. Tringa glareola Linnaeus . 8 9. Marsh Sandpiper. Tringa stagnatilis (Bechstein) 9 10. Greenshank. Tringa nebu/aria (Gunnerus) 1 11. Grey Wagtail. Motacil/a cinerea Tunstall 1 12. Yellow Wagtails. Budytes species ...• 722 13. Spotted Flycatcher. Muscicapa striata (Pallas) . 1 14. Rock Thrush. Monticola saxatilis (Linnaeus) . 1 15. Wheatear. Oenanthe oenanthe (Linnaeus) ... 3 16. Isabelline Wheatear. Oenanthe isabe/lina (Temminck & Langier) 1 17. Sprosser. Luscinia luscinia (Linnaeus) • 3 18. Whitethroat. Sylvia communis Latham 2 19. Garden Warbler. Sylvia borin (Boddaert) 23 20. Blackcap. Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus) .... 7 21. Upcher's Warbler. Hippolais languida (Hemprich & Ehrenberg) 2 22. Olivaceous Warbler. Hippolais pal/ida (Hemprich & Ehrenberg) 4 23. . Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Linnaeus) 3 24. Reed Warbler. Acrocephalus scirpaceus (Hermann) . 14 25. . Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (Linnaeus) 13 26. Willow Warbler. Phyl/oscopus trochilus (Linnaeus) 6 27. Swallow.Hirundo rustica Linnaeus . 231 28. Sand Martin. Riparia riparia (Linnaeus) . 223 29. House Martin. urbica (Linnaeus) 1 30. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius col/urio Linnaeus 4 31. Red-tailed Shrike. Lanius cristatus Linnaeus 1

TOTAL 1,452

Mrican Birds (List 2) 1. Sacred Ibis. Threskiornis aethiopicus (Latham) 7 2. Mrican Spoonbill. Platalea alba Scopoli . 73 3. Lesser . Phoeniconaias minor (Geoffroy) 6 4. Hottentot Teal. Anas punctata Burchell 1 5. Quail. Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus) . 1 6. Chestnut-banded Sand-Plover. Charadrius Vjnustus Fischer & Reichenow 100 Page 48 Bird Ringing for 1961-1966

7. Kittlitz's Sand-Plover. Charadrius pecuarius Temminck 3 8. Blacksmith Plover. Hoplopterus armatus (Burchell) . 6 9. Avocet. Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus .... 1 10. Tambourine Dove. Tympanistria tympanistria (Temminck & Knip) 5 11. Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove. Turtur chalcospilos (Wagler) 2 12. Pigmy Kingfisher. Ispidina picta (Boddaert) .. 4 13. Grey-throated Barbet. Gymnobucco bonapartei Hartlaub 1 14. Golden-romped Tinker-bird. Pogoniulus bilineatus (Sundevall) 4 15. Yellow-billed Barbet. Trachylaemus purpuratus (Verreaux) • 2 16. Buff-spotted Woodpecker. Campethera nivosa (Swainson) 1 17. African Pied Wagtail. Motacilla aguimp Dumont . 1 18. Brown Illadopsis. Malacocinclafulvescens (Cassin) . 7 19. Pale-breasted Illadopsis. Malacocincla rufipennis (Sharpe) 13 20. Scaly-breasted Illadopsis. Malacocincla albipectus (Reichenow) . 21 21. Mountain Illadopsis. Malacocincla pyrrhopterus (Reichenow & Neumann) 1 22. Abyssinia Hill-Babbler. Pseudoalcippe abyssinicus (Ruppell) 3 23. Dark-capped . tricolor (Hartlaub) . 1 24. White-vented Bulbul. Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines) 1 25. Bristle-Bill. Bieda syndactyla Swainson .. 7 26. Brownbul. terrestris Swainson .. 7 27. . Phyllastrephus strepitans (Reichenow) . 2 28. Smaller Yellow-streaked . Phyllastrephus debilis (Sc1ater) 3 29. Fischer's Greenbul. Phyllastrephusfischeri (Reichenow) 33 30. . Phyllastrephus hypochloris (Jackson) . 5 31. Olive-breasted Mountain-Greenbul. tephrolaema (Gray) 15 32. Shelley's Greenbul. Arizelocichla masukuensis (Shelley) . 4 33. Yellow-bellied Greenbul. flaviventris (Smith) . 4 34. Zanzibar . Andropadus importunus (Vieillot) 3 35. Sombre Greenbul. Andropadus curvirostris Cassin 14 36. . virens (Cassin) ..... 20 37. Yellow-whiskered Greenbul. Stelgidocichla latirostris (Strickland) 195 38. Ashy Flycatcher. Alseonax cinereus (Cassin) ... 2 39. White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher. Dioptrornis fischeri Reichenow 4 40. Puff-back Flycatcher. Batis capensis (Linnaeus) . 2 41. Black-throated Wattle-eye. Platysteira peltata Sundevall 8 42. Chestnut Wattle-eye. Dyaphorophyia castanea (Fraser) 10 43. Jameson's Wattle-eye. Dyaphorophyia jamesoni Sharpe . 20 44. White-tailed Crested Flycatcher. Trochocercus albonotatus Sharp 3 45. . Trochocercus nigromitratus (Reichenow) 13 46. . Tchitrea viridis (Muller) ... 1 47. Red-winged Paradise Flycatcher. Tchitrea suahelica (Reichenow) 3 48. Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher. Tchitrea nigriceps (Hartlaub) 1 49. Olive Thrush. Turdus olivaceus (Linnaeus) •.. 15 50. Abyssinian Ground-Thrush. Geokichla piaggiae (Bouvier) 1 51. White-tailed Ant-Thrush. Neocossyphus poensis (Strickland) 1 52. White-browed Robin-Chat. Cossypha heuglini Hartlaub .. 6 53. Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat. Cossypha cyanocampter (Bonaparte) 7 54. Red-capped Robin-Chat. Cossypha natalensis Smith . 37 55. Snowy-headed Robin-Chat. Cossypha niveicapilla (Lafresnaye) 2 56. Robin-Chat. Cossypha caffra (Linnaeus) ... 6 57. Equatorial Akalat. Sheppardia aequaton'alis (Jackson) 29 58. Brown-chested Alethe. Alethe poliocephala (Bonaparte) ... 27 59. Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin. Erythropygia quadrivirgata (Reichenow) 5 60. White-starred Bush-Robin. Pognocichla stellata (Vieillot) . 12 61. African Reed Warbler. Acrocephalus baeticatus (Vieillot) . 1 62. Brown Woodland Warbler. Seicercus umbrovirens (Ruppell) 4 63. Black-collared Apalls. Apalis pulchra Sharpe 2 64. Grey-capped Warbler. Eminia Jepida Hartlaub .. 1 65. Olive-green Camaroptera. Camaroptera chloronota Reichenow . 23 66. Grey-backed Camaroptera. Camaroptera brevicaudata (Cretzschmar) 2 67. Hunter's Cisticola. Cisticola hunteri Shelley 1 68. Banded . Prinia bairdii (Cassin) .... 7 69. Black-faced Rufous Warbler. Bathmocercus rufus (Reichenow) 22 70. Swallow. Hirundo angolensis Bocage . 4 71. African Sand Martin. Riparia paludicola (Vieillot) 2 J. E. Afr. oot. Hist. Soc. Vol. XXVI No.2 (114) Page 49

72. Square-tailed Drongo. Dicrurus ludwigii (Smith) 1 73. Tropical Boubou. Laniarius aethiopicus (Gmelin) .. 7 74. Violet-backed Starling. Cinnyricinclus leucogaster (Boddaert) 3 75. Green White-eye. Zosterops virens Sundevall 2 76. Kikuyu White-eye. Zosterops kikuyuensis Sharpe 2 77. Bronze Sunbird. Nectarinia kilimensis Shelley .. 1 78. Eastern Double-collared Sunbird. Cinnyris mediocris Shelley 2 79. Olive Sunbird. Cyanomitra olivacea (Smith) . 26 80. Collared Sunbird. Anthreptes co/laris (Vieillot) . 3 81. Green Hylia. Hylia prasioo (Cassin) .. 4 82. Dark-backed Weaver. Symplectes bicolor (Vieillot) .. 1 83. Black-billed Weaver. Heterhyphantes melanogaster (Shelley) 4 84. Reichenow's Weaver. Othyphantes reichenowi (Fischer) 8 85. Grey-headed Negro-Finch. Nigrita canicapilla (Strickland) 2 86. Red-headed Blue-Bill. Spermophaga ruficapilla (Shelley) . 14 87. Abyssinian Crimson-Wing. Cryptospiza salvadorii Reichenow 2 88. Peter's Twin-Spot. Hypargos niveoguttatus (Peters) . 1 89. Purple Grenadier. Granatina ianthinogaster (Reichenow) 1 90. Streaky Seed-Eater. Serinus striolatus (Ruppell) 1 91. Thick-billed Seed-Eater. Serinus burtoni (Gray). 1 TOTAL 947

GRAND TOTAL, LISTS 1 AND 2 2~

NOTE: The English and binomial names used in Table 1 are as used by Praed and Grant in their "Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa", 1952. In List 1 it should be noted that no attempt has been made to separate the population of Yellow Wagtails into the various forms which occur in . In List 2: African Birds, number 5, Quail is in fact C. c. africana Temminck & Schlegel the Cape Quail; and number 70, Angola Swallow is H. a. arcticinta Sharpe the Swallow. Binomials have been used in the Table for the sake of uniformity. As far as is known all birds were caught in mist nets apart from the African Spoonbill pulli. The bulk of the palaearctic migrants ringed belong to four species: Yellow Wagtails, Swallow, Sand Martin and Little Stint. Most of the Yellow Wagtails were ringed by E. J. Blencowe and A. Carter in 1960 and 1961 at the Eastleigh Sewage Works, Nairobi. Although several birds were retrapped during the same winter, netting was not carried out for long enough over the second winter or in ensuing years to retrap birds after their long trip to their breeding grounds and back. In the 1960 to 1961 season ringing started on 19th November, 1960 and continued until 3rd April, 1961. Table II shows the number of Yellow Wagtails ringed each month and retrapping details. TABLE II NUMBER OF YELLOW WAGTAILS RINGED AND RETRAPPED AT EASTLEIGH SEWAGE WORKS, NAIROBI 1960/61 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Month Number Months in which Number retrapped Number retrapped ringed birds ringed in and expressed as each month and each Column (2) were a percentage of expressed as a month retrapped Column (2) percentage of Column (2) November, 1960 24 None retrapped December,1960 148 January to April, 1961 5 3t% January, 1961 .. 195 January to March,1961 4 2% 2 1 % February, 1961 ..•• 67 None retrapped - - 2 3% March, 1961 .... 104 None retrapped - - 3 3 % April,1961 ..•. 48 None retrapped - - 2 4% The retraps are too small in number to be evaluated reliably but it is noticeable that none of the birds ringed in November, February, March and April were retrapped, whereas the percentage of birds caught from January onwards which had been ringed in December and January rose steadily from a figure of 1% in January to 4 % in April. The figures suggest a population change among the birds using the Eastleigh Sewage Works throughout the winter. Page 50 Bird Ringing for 1961-1966

A further 131 Yellow Wagtails were netted and ringed at the Eastleigh Sewage Works in September and October, 1961 but this area has not been netted again between then and September, 1966. On 7th March, 1964, 36 Yellow Wagtails were netted and ringed as they came into roost in taIl elephant grass on the Ruiraka river near Nairobi. The birds dropped from a height into an area of low scrub before entering the elephant grass and it was here that the nets were set up. In late 1965 netting was attempted (unsuccessfully) adjacent to another roost in taIl elephant grass at Kabete,

hand-pickthe birds flyingsleepingdirectlybirds intooff thethegrass,elephantbut theygrass.wereLater,roostingthis roosttoo highwasandvisitedwereattoonighteasilyto attemptdisturbed.to On 6th November, 1965 one net was set up in a recently planted coffee plantation which was still largely open cultivated ground where YeIlow Wagtails were found to flock before proceeding to a nearby roost. Nine birds were caught by driving and it was thought that many would be caught by driving if many nets were set up; however, when this was attempted on a later evening the birds completely avoided this cultivated area. Experience has shown that Yellow Wagtails can most easily be netted at the Eastleigh Sewage Works during the daytime. J. M. Lock has had two successful seasons netting SwalIows and Sand Martins at Mweya in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. He uses a flick-netting technique which was developed elsewhere. In this method a 60 foot tethered net is set up and fixed at one end only. the other end attached to a pole being held in the hand. He writes as foIlows (Lock, 1966, personal communication): "One pole must be either fastened to a tree, or else weIl pushed into the ground and guyed. The other pole is held horizontally by the operator. As the bird flies past the net is quickly jerked up, and immediately lowered to retain the bird if one is caught. The pole is then laid on the ground and the bird removed. Some practice is needed as it is not easy to judge the speed of the bird, and Swallows are extremely agile on the wing. Alternatively the net can be held at both ends, but this requires more practice and a great deal of co-ordination between the two operators. It is very important to clear the ground below the net of all obstructions, pieces of grass, etc., which might catch in the net when it is laid down. The wind direction is important. SwaIlows using an area will feed slowly upwind. While doing this they are 'almost impossible to catch as they move too slowly and see the net. They are best caught as they sweep back downwind to the beginning of the feeding area. Flicking is best in a light wind." Between 4th October, 1964 and 21st January, 1966 he succeeded in catching 210 SwaIlows, 156 Sand Martins and 1 House Martin. More interesting, three Swallows ringed in December, 1964 were retrapped in the same place in October and November, 1965. As far as is known these are the first birds to the ringed in East Africa and to be retrapped a year later after visiting Europe. This record emphasises the value of continued ringing activities over successive seasons and is an example of the fidelity of individual birds to a particu1ar wintering area in Africa. Little Stints have been ringed largely at Magadi by E. J. Blencowe in 1961 and at Manyara by A. M. Morgan-Davies in 1962 and 1966. No retraps have been reported so far. Unfortunately the 3.0 mm. rings supplied are not monel and may not have a long life in the brackish water frequented by these birds. Although future ringing should probably best be concentrated on Swallows, Sand Martins and Yellow Wagtails which appear to be easiest to catch in large numbers and hence most likely to yield retraps, the ringing of single birds of a species is not necessarily unprofitable. The only Ringed Plover which was ringed (by S. M. Downhill at Mararani near the North Kenya coast on 29th August, 1962) was picked up in a sick condition and later died at Lindi on the South Tanzania coast four months later on 28th January, 1963, about 600 miles to the south. The indiscriminate netting of small by J. B. Smart around Nairobi in an attempt to catch migrants was not very successful and it is clear that the netting of migratory warblers is best attempted only during a passage mi~tion, as was done successfulIy for a short time by D. J. Pearson from Kampala in April, 1966. An Interesting catch at Athi River was an immature White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis (Guerin) which was not ringed. Turning to the African birds, the bulk of these have been netted and ringed by Prof. D. A. Zim• merman during the course of his population studies in various forest areas, mainly at Kakamega, in 1965 and 1966. Mist nets were erected along narrow lines cut through the forest undergrowth with as little disturbance as possible, and were left up for several days before being moved, for as long as the catching rate stayed at a reasonable level. Nets placed paralIel to and about 30 to 40 feet away from an open footpath had a greater catching rate than those at right angles to a footpath. D. A. Zimmerman first visited Kakamega forest in 1963 when he used American rings. Ringing details are not known but a number of retraps were made in 1965 and 1966 and East African rings substituted. The 73 African Spoonbill were all ringed as pulli at a nesting colony on Lake Naivasha in June, 1962 by A. Smith. The Chestnut-banded Sand-Plover were ringed at Magadi in 1961 by E. J. Blencowe and in 1964 by A. Smith. The rings may not have a lon~ life as already explained. The only Hottentot Teal reported as bemg ringed (in the Ngorongoro crater on 3rd June, 1964) J. E. Afr. nat. Hist, Soc. Vol. XXVI No.2 (Il4) Pagt! 51 was shot at Lake Naivasha on 13th January, 1965, seven and a half months later and about 180 miles to the north. The only African Pied Wagtail ringed (at Muguga in September, 1961) was caught again at the same place three years later and released. This bird had recently attempted to breed when first caught and can be presumed to have been at least four years old in 1964. The Society has very little information on the recovery in East Africa of birds ringed abroad, and only two cases have come to the writer's attention although it is certain that more have occurred. If any additional cases are known to readers of this paper the Society would greatly appreciate the details which should be sent to the Director, National Museum, Nairobi. An African Pochard Aythya erythrophthalma (Wied) ringed at Benoni in South Africa on Decem• ber 6th, 1953 was shot in November, 1954 at Lake Naivasha about 1,800 miles to the north. (Ostrich, January 1956). A Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Linnaeus ringed at Pernaja Haveror in Finland on June 24th, 1961 was picked up at the Lake Rudolf Fishing Oasis on March 3rd, 1964 about 4,000 miles to the south. (Africana, June 1964.) Although not directly the concern of the Bird Ringing Organization and although it has been recorded elsewhere by L. H. Brown, it is of interest to include here the recoveries of Lesser ringed as juveniles at Magadi with B.T.O. rings in October/November 1962. Of the 8,000 birds ringed seven were found dead at Magadi in March, 1963 and two were found at Sodera on the river Awash in Ethiopia in July, 1964 about 800 miles to the north. (Brown, 1966, personal com• munication.) Very little is known about the movements of birds within East Africa and about the movements of migrants to and from their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia. * In time bird ringing will provide this information provided that recoveries are fully reported. Anyone finding a dead bird with a ring on it may send the ring to the address stamped on it, but should preferably send the ring with a description of the bird and place and date found to the Director, National Museum, Nairobi, who will then inform the Ringing Organization concerned. In this way all available information can be recorded at the National Museum where it can be built up and be available for all those interested.

(Revised 1st November 1966) *The author has overlooked the fact that recoveries of European-ringed birds have been published by Eggeling, W. J. The Uganda Journal 15: 17-25 up to 1950. Ed.

REFERENCES BLENcoWE,E. J., 1960. Report on Bird Ringing-196O. J.E. Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. xxm: 300-301. BLENCOWE,E. J., 1962. Bird Ringing for 1960/61. J.E. Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. XXIV: 74.