Waterbird census of coastal Cameroon and Sanaga River Oiseaux des zones humides côtières du Cameroun et du fleuve Sanaga January -Marc h 2007, WIWO report 83 by Gordon Ajonina, Chi Napoleon, Roger Skeen and Jaap van der Waarde Edited by Jaap J. van der Waarde Front cover Top: Royal Tern ( Sterna maxima) and Lesser Black-backed Gull ( Larus fuscus) , Ndian Basin (JvdW) En haute: Sterne royale (Sterna maxima) et Goéland brun (Larus fuscus), Ndian Basin (JvdW) Bottom left: Grey Pratincole ( Glareola cinerea) , Sanaga River (JvdW) En bas à gauche: Glaréole grise (Glareola cinerea), la fleuve Sanaga (JvdW) Bottom middle: Great White Pelican ( Pelecanus onocrotalus) , Ndian Basin (JvdW) En bas, centre: Pélican blanc (Pelecanus onocrotalus), Ndian Basin (JvdW) Bottom right: African Skimmer ( Rynchops flavirostris) , Sanaga River (PH) En bas, à droite : Bec-en-ciseau d'Afrique (Rynchops flavirostris), la fleuve Sanaga (PH) This report can be ordered from WIWO: www.wiwo-international.org. Waterbird census of coastal Cameroon and Sanaga river January-March 2007 Oiseaux des zones humides côtières du Cameroun et du fleuve Sanaga Janvier-Mars 2007 by Gordon Ajonina, Chi Napoleon, Roger Skeen and Jaap van der Waarde Edited by Jaap J. van der Waarde WIWO report Nr. 83 2007 Foundation Working Group International Wader and Waterfowl Research (WIWO) Rijksstraatweg 178 6573 DG BEEK-UBBERGEN The Netherlands Published by: Foundation Working Group International Wader and Waterfowl Research (WIWO), The Netherlands. Partners: Watershed Task Group (WTG), Wildlife Fund for Nature Cameroon (WWF), Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS), Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Society (CBCS) and Jaap van der Waarde. Project participants: Gordon Ajonina, Taku Awa II, Innocent Ndong Bass, Chi Napoleon, Niba Develine, Paul Higson, Ngalim Julliet, Nasina Efanja Philip, Usongo Robert, Roger Skeen, Luther Tchakep and Jaap van der Waarde. Financial support: Koop Cameroun, Pecten Cameroun and Wetlands International. Transport and logistics: CWCS, Foyer du Marin, Jaap van der Waarde Lay-out: Jaap van der Waarde Photography: Jaap van der Waarde ( JvdW ), Paul Higson ( PH ) and WTG ( WTG ) Printing: Drukkerij Dione, Culemborg, The Netherlands Published by stichting WIWO, Beek-Ubbergen, 2007. © Stichting WIWO, Beek-Ubbergen. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any forms or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise used without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Citation For citation purposes refer to the whole report: Van der Waarde. J.J. (Ed). 2007. Waterbird census of coastal Cameroon and Sanaga river, January-March 2007. WIWO-report nr 83. Beek-Ubbergen. For citations to chapters of the report: Ajonina, G., I. Ayissi and R. Mbakwa. 2007. Sanaga river waterfowl monitoring 1999-2006. In: Van der Waarde. J.J. (Ed). 2007. Waterbird census of coastal Cameroon and Sanaga river, January-March 2007. WIWO-report nr 83. Beek-Ubbergen. CONTENTS 1. SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Summary ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Summaire ..................................................................................................... 6 2. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 12 2.1 Waterbird counts on the coast of Cameroon .......................................... 13 2.2 Background of the project ........................................................................ 13 2.3 Aims of the project .................................................................................... 15 2.4 International co-operation ........................................................................ 15 2.5 Lay-out of the report .................................................................................. 16 2.6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................... 16 3. COASTAL WETLANDS AND HABITATS OF CAMEROON ............................ 18 3.1 Cameroon, a country profile ..................................................................... 18 3.2 Description of the Cameroonian coastal wetlands................................. 21 3.2 Description of the Cameroonian coastal wetlands................................. 22 3.3 Human use of the wetlands ...................................................................... 25 4. METHODS ........................................................................................................ 26 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 26 4.2 Counting methods ..................................................................................... 28 4.3 Completeness of the counts and interpretation of data......................... 33 5. COASTAL WATERBIRDS IN CAMEROON ..................................................... 37 5.1 Description per species group ................................................................. 37 5.1.1 Cormorants to Ibises.............................................................................. 37 5.1.2 Ducks, rails and finfoots ........................................................................ 38 5.1.3 Waders .................................................................................................. 39 5.1.4 Gulls, Terns and African Skimmer ......................................................... 40 5.1.5 Total waterbirds ..................................................................................... 41 5.2 Species accounts ...................................................................................... 42 5.2 Species accounts ...................................................................................... 43 5.2.1 Cormorants to Ibises.............................................................................. 43 5.2.2 Ducks, rails and finfoots ........................................................................ 49 5.2.3 Waders .................................................................................................. 51 5.2.4 Gulls, Terns and African Skimmer ......................................................... 58 6. SANAGA RIVER WATERFOWL MONITORING 1999-2006 ........................... 64 6.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 64 6.2. Methods ..................................................................................................... 64 6.3. Results and Discussion ......................................................................... 666 6.3.1. Waterbirds on the Sanaga River .......................................................... 66 6.3.2. African Skimmer, African open-billed Stork and Grey Pratincole .......... 66 6.3.3. Breeding of African Skimmer and Grey Pratincole ............................... 69 6.4. Conclusion and recommendations ......................................................... 70 6.5. Acknowledgements .................................................................................. 70 7. FAUNISTICAL VARIA ...................................................................................... 71 7.1 Avifauna ...................................................................................................... 71 7.2 Mammals .................................................................................................... 76 7.3 Amphibians and reptiles ........................................................................... 76 8. OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIRDING TOURISM .................................................. 77 8.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 77 8.2 Sites for birding tourism ........................................................................... 78 8.3 Recommendations birding tourism ......................................................... 80 9. ORNITHOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE COASTAL WETLANDS IN CAMEROON ........................................................................................................ 81 9.1 Importance for waterbirds in general ...................................................... 81 9.2 Identification of wetlands of international importance .......................... 83 9.3 Future of Cameroonian coast wetlands .................................................. 86 10. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 90 10.1 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 90 10.2 Recommendations................................................................................... 90 11. REFERENCES ............................................................................................... 92 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... 96 Appendix 1. Number of observed birds per count in coastal Cameroon, 2007................................................................................................................... 96 Appendix 2. Waterbird species and numbers recorded in coastal Cameroon, 2007 ............................................................................................. 102 Appendix 3. Recording