ISSN 0250-4162

SCOPUS

A publication of the
Bird Committee of the
East Africa Natural History Society

Edited by
Darcy Ogada
David Pearson

Volume 35, July 2015

>4

Bird Life

INTERNATIONAL

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Natur eKenya

The East Africa Natural History Society

Scopus 35, July 2015

Contents

Jackson, C.H.W., Ng’weno, F., Mwambire, J., Mwachongo, A., Baya, A.

ET al. First recorded breeding of Clarke's Weaver Ploceus golandi 1

James E. Bradley, Titus Imboma and David W. Bradley. Birds of Mount
Kisingiri, Nyanza Province, including a preliminary survey of the
Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve and a species new to Kenya 11

Chacha Werema and Cuthbert L. Nahonyo. Preliminary observations
of birds of Songo Songo Island, Tanzania 38

Short communications

Darcy Ogada, Brian Finch, Shiv Kapila, Peter Wairasho, Benson
Mugambi and Simon Thomsett. Two recent records of Cassin's Hawk
Eagle Spizaetus africanus from Imenti Forest, Kenya 44

Andrew W. Jones. Range extension of the White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Dinemellia dinemelli in central Afar, Ethiopia 46

Peter Hayman and David Thorns. Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius

longicaudus : first record for Uganda 47

Roger Q. Skeen. A second Uganda record of Red-footed Falcon Falco

vespertinus 49

Peter Mikula and Martin PIromada. True bats (Microchiroptera) in

the diet of Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus 50

Peter Mikula and Martin Hromada. Observation of successful bat
predation by Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar at Ndoto Mountains,
Kenya 51

News

Darcy Ogada and David Pearson. A Kenya Bird Report 53

Scopus 35: 1-10, July 2015

First recorded breeding of Clarke's Weaver
Ploceus golandi

Colin H.W. Jackson, Fleur Ng'weno, Julius Mwambire, Jonathan
Mwachongo, Albert Bay a, Patrick Changawa, Japhet Garama,
Samuel Kenga, Samson Katisho, Samson Barisa, Kazungu Thuva,
Peter Wario, Brian Finch, Silas Ekesa and Gabriel Katana

Summary

The breeding site and nest of the Kenyan-endemic Clarke's Weaver had remained a
mystery for 100 years. The species was described in 1913 from the north Kenya Coast,
but the first breeding colony was found in March 2013 in the northern section of the
Dakatcha Woodlands, northwest of Malindi. An estimated 400-500 nests were con-
centrated in a small area of a tiny wetland. Adults were displaying and nest-building
on 23 March, and when next visited on 7 April, adults were feeding young in the nest.
Nests were coarsely woven with a low side entrance, placed in the tops of tall sedges,
standing in water. Both males and females contributed to nest building and to feeding
the young on insects, and breeding appeared to be closely synchronized, so that by 19
April the colony had been abandoned.

Introduction

Clarke's Weaver Ploceus golandi is a member of the weaver family Ploceidae, which
is represented in Africa by more than 90 species (Fry & Keith. 2004). It was first de-
scribed from a specimen of a single male taken "somewhere between Mombasa and
100 miles to the north" in 1912 by a field assistant of Col. Stephenson Clarke and his
brother Capt. Goland Clarke (after whom Stephenson Clarke named the bird) (Clarke
1913). There were no further records were made of the bird for over 40 years and
it was even thought to possibly be a "partially melanistic phase" of Lesser Masked
Weaver P. intermedius (Mackworth-Praed & Grant 1957).

Clarke's Weavers were rediscovered in the 1950s in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest
between Kilifi and Malindi on the coast of Kenya, and the species was included in
A Field Guide to the National Parks of East Africa (Williams 1967) as one of "the rarer
birds". From the early 1980s it was frequently seen in the Arabuko-Sokoke (Back-
hurst 1986, Turner & Pearson 1989, FN pers. obs.), especially in the Brachystegia wood-
land. In July 1994, Clarke's Weavers were observed by D. Ngala and D. Turner in the
Dakatcha Woodlands c. 25 km to the north of the Arabuko-Sokoke (Pearson & Turner
1998) where a significant area of Brachystegia forest exists, the most northerly in East
Africa. Still there was no real evidence of breeding except for four observations of
free-flying dependent young being fed by adults (Jackson 2011).

Recorded only from the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Dakatcha Woodland, and
with a population estimated at only 1000-2000 pairs in 1985, Clarke's Weaver has
been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (Collar & Stuart 1985, BirdLife
International 2015).

2

C.H.W. Jackson, F. Ng'weno, J. Mwambire, J. Mwachongo, A. Baya, et al.

Since many birders visit the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, yet no evidence of breeding
had ever been reported, it had been assumed for some years that the weaver must
breed elsewhere, the Dakatcha Woodlands being the other likely option (Fanshawe
1994, Jackson 2011). From August 2000, A Rocha Kenya carried out near annual sur-
veys for breeding birds in Brachystegia habitat in the Dakatcha Woodlands. In 2005,
Nature Kenya secured funds from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund to build
community capacity for the conservation of Dakatcha Woodland Important Bird
Area. FN and members of the Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group (DWCG)
then undertook regular bird monitoring in the IBA from 2007.

Clarke's Weaver has been placed in a superspecies with Weyns's Weaver P. weynsi
(Fry et al. 2004), a similar-looking, social forest weaver in Uganda. The breeding site of
Weyns's Weaver was unknown until 2007 when it was discovered in swamps adjacent
to the forest where it foraged (Mills 2007). This suggested that Clarke's Weaver might
also breed in wetlands and so more effort was put into surveying wetlands within the
Dakatcha Woodland.

First record of Clarke's Weaver roosting in seasonal wetlands

During the first week of January 2013, a monitoring team from Nature Kenya and
Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group (DWCG) surveyed various sites in the
Dakatcha Woodland IBA. It had rained heavily in December, and many of the small
wetlands had filled with water. On 5 January about midday, the team drove through
the Chamari-Chalalu Community Conserved Area to an area known as the Chalalu
seasonal wetland (2°51.08' S, 39°51.90' E; Fig 1.). This is a low area, the size of two or
three football fields, and it was lush with tall grasses. A small part of the grassy area
was deeper, with two kinds of Cyperus sedges growing in water.

On 6 January, whilst driving along the edge of Chalalu wetland in mid-morning,
a flock of about 120 Clarke's Weavers, mostly adult males, was seen in the meadow.
These were flying in and out, chattering, and perching on the sedges and on a Terminalia
tree and Thespesia bushes, then disappearing among the sedges. Small flocks flew out
and disappeared over the trees, while others arrived and landed in the wetland. In
the same wetland there were several Grosbeak Weavers Amblyospiza albifrons, mostly
males, with some old nests. They were displaying, singing, chasing each other, and
sometimes chasing the Clarke's Weavers. There was also a flock of about 40 Red-
headed Quelea Quelea erythrops, mostly males, flying and landing with the Clarke's
Weavers. The Grosbeak Weavers and at least some of the Clarke's Weavers remained
in the sedges at nightfall. This was the first observation of Clarke's Weavers both
roosting and using a wetland, but no nests or evidence of breeding activity was seen.

On 31 January the wetland was revisited by FN with members of the DWCG
and A Rocha Kenya staff. Clarke's Weavers were still present, but only 30-40 birds
remained, suggesting that the site was only being used for roosting. On 22 March,
FN and a DWCG team found that the Chalalu wetland had dried up and local
community members had cut the sedges for roofing material; no Clarke's Weavers
were seen. There were, however, a few coarsely woven nests among the cut sedges
on the ground, which were assumed to be those of Clarke's Weaver, and contained
pieces of broken light blue egg shell.

First recorded breeding of Clarke's Weaver

3

Figure 1 . Map showing the location of the Clarke's Weaver colony within the Dakatcha
Woodlands area. The distribution of Bmchystegia woodland is a rough depiction of key areas
of this habitat.

Breeding site found

The Nature Kenya/DWCG team surveyed several sites on 22-23 March. There had
been rain showers in March, and the flowering Bmchystegia spiciformis trees were
bright green with new leaves.

On 23 March, at a small seasonal wetland known as Arbamukenge (2°48.87' S,
39°52.80' E; Fig.l), a large flock of Clarke's Weavers was seen in the sedges. Several
hundred birds, males and females, were actively flying back and forth across the
wetland. They were making buzzing, sizzling calls, and some males seemed to be
displaying, while others just perched on the sedges. Several birds flew off to another
part of the wetland, but they soon returned, both males and females carrying strips of
sedge. Where they landed, the dark brown, rounded shapes of nests could be made
out in the tops of the sedges. Some females were perched on top of the nests and
a male was observed weaving more sedge strips into a nest. The breeding site had
finally been discovered.

The next day many weavers were seen in the wetland. An overall estimate of
c. 700 individuals was made for the colony, and the number of nests was estimated at
between 400 and 500.

4

C.H.W. Jackson, F. Ng'weno, J. Mwambire, J. Mwachongo, A. Baya, et al.

Figure 2. Clarke's
Weaver nesting colony,
the nests can be seen as
brown spots nestled in
the tops of the sedges
(Photo J. Mwachongo).

During visits on 7-8 April, both males and females were seen carrying food to the nests,
while by 15 April fledged young were being fed. On 19 April the colony appeared
to have been abandoned, and by 25-27 April no Clarke's Weavers were located in
the northern Dakatcha Woodlands. Four empty nests were collected, of which two
were left at the DWCG Resource Centre in Marafa, and two were deposited in the
ornithology collection of the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi.

Description of colony and nests

Arbamukenge wetland is 80 m long and 30 m wide and is set in a mosaic of relatively
low Brachystegia forest on white sandy soil and large patches of dense mixed forest
on red soil, which is characteristic of the northern Dakatcha Woodlands (Fig. 3). It is
located on the western edge of a 'corridor' of Brachystegia running more or less north-
south and is bordered by dense mixed forest habitat consisting of trees and thickets
to the west, and relatively low Brachystegia forest immediately to the east, southeast
and north.

Figure 3. Image courtesy of Google
Earth showing the location of
the Clarke's Weaver colony at
Arbamukenge. Dark solid green
represents dense mixed forest thicket
to the west, and the stippled green
shows Brachystegia forest with white
sand. The area cultivated to the north
is largely for pineapple plantations.
The brown line is the main track
through the area.

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At the time of the breeding event, Arbamukenge was a shallow, partially flooded
hollow filled with grasses and the sedge Cyperus denudatus. It also contained a large

First recorded breeding of Clarke's Weaver

5

area of a larger, stronger sedge, C. exaltatus, growing c. 1-1.5 m (identified by the
East African Herbarium, Nairobi). There was no open water except for 2-3 m 2 where
people collected water at the northern end. The nests were in a section of C. exaltatus ,
and were clustered in a densely packed colony, approximately 12-15 m in diameter,
and set nearer the western edge of the wetland. Sedges are normally found in deeper
water than grasses, and many weavers build nests over water as a form of protection
against predators (Craig. 2010).

Detailed nest description

The roughly-built nest was made of strips of sedge
attached at the top to a tall, live C. exaltatus (Fig. 4).

Its shape varied between rounded or oval, to more
pouch-shaped — probably dependent on the height and
density of the sedges available for attachment. Of two
nests collected, one measured 170 mm high x 100 mm
wide, the other 140 mm high x 80 mm wide.

Nest material consisted of broad blades of medium-
sized strips of sedge that were coarsely and loosely
woven. From observation, all the materials came from
the same wetland, mainly C. exaltatus and C. denudatus.

The entrance hole was 30-40 mm wide and located
on the side of the nest, near the bottom. It lacked an
entrance tube, but one nest seemed to have a slight
porch over the entrance. The nests appeared to have no
ceiling (see Collias & Collias 1984), but the bottom of the nests had a lining of slightly
finer, softer grass-like materials. No feathers were noted in the lining. In a number
of cases, the nest tapered towards the top, where it attached to the top of the sedge.

Behaviour of weavers at the colony

On 23-26 March, males were displaying and singing from the tops of nests, while
both males and females collected nesting material from elsewhere in the wetland and
took it back to the colony. At one point as many as 200 birds took off, flew 30 m, and
landed where the sedges were shorter and less dense. Three to four minutes later
they took off again and returned to the colony with a few males and females carrying
strips of sedge to add to the nest construction. By 26 March the number of displaying
males and birds carrying nesting material had noticeably reduced, suggesting that
incubation was under way.

There was generally a constant chatter from the weavers— the familiar "sizzling"
sound of the species— but from time to time all the birds would go quiet, as happened
around midday on the 26 March, following which a flock of c. 100 flew up out of the
colony and perched in a tree overhanging the edge of the wetland where they sat for a
few minutes chattering again before about half took off and flew east from the colony,
presumably to forage.

By 7-8 April, no males were displaying from the nests, and instead there was a
steady stream of both males and females leaving the colony and returning carrying
food to very vocal chicks in the nests. The majority (67%) left the colony in a northeast
or easterly direction, whilst 64% re-entered from the south-southeast (Fig. 5). This
implied that the birds were foraging mainly to the east of the colony.

Figure 4. Clarke's Weaver nest
(Photo A. Bay a).

6

C.H.W. Jackson, F. Ng'weno, J. Mwambire, J. Mwachongo, A. Baya, et al.

Figure 5. Direction of Clarke's Weavers leaving and entering the colony.

The general pattern was for the adults to arrive at the colony carrying food, mostly
alone or in pairs, or uncommonly in groups of three or four. They would arrive with
a food item and perch on top of a sedge, normally near the edge of the colony, where
they would sit looking around for up to about 30 seconds before moving mostly only
0.5-2 m, where they would immediately disappear into the sedges, presumably to
their nests— the nest hole entrance was not visible to an observer at the edge of the
wetland.

On emerging from the nest, adults would perch on top of the nest or on a nearby
sedge to preen or just to look around for a few minutes. Less commonly, an adult
would emerge and fly some metres to the edge of the colony where it would sit.
Then, without warning, a flock of usually between 20 and 50 birds would take off
from across the colony and fly low over the sedges, gaining height to skim over the
surrounding trees and leave for the foraging grounds.

Food for the young

All food items brought to the
nests were insects, and most
(c. 60% of items observed)
were larvae of varying sizes.
Other insects observed includ-
ed grasshoppers and crickets
(Figs. 6 & 7).

Figure 6. Male Clarke's Weaver
bringing larva to the nest (photo
C. Jackson).

First recorded breeding of Clarke's Weaver 7

Figure 7. Female Clarke's Weaver perched on top of nest carrying a
cricket to feed chicks (photo C. Jackson).

Discussion

The overall breeding behaviour of Clarke's Weaver was typical of a Ploceus weaver of
the "Type 2' pair-formation style, where the female is attracted to the male which dis-
plays and sings while centred on the nest (Crook 1964, Craig 2010). However, some
key differences stand out:

1. The nesting and foraging habitats are completely different from each
other, although closely interspersed within a mosaic of different habitat
types.

2. Both males and females take part in constructing the nest and feeding the
young, which is not usually the case in colonial weavers.

3. The timescale for nest-building, egg-laying, hatching and fledging is rela-
tively short, an estimated 24-30 days in total, which would be consistent
with a species exploiting a seasonal wetland.

4. The colony was very restricted within the overall available area of sedges
and had a high density of nests. The nests were all hidden within the
relatively low vegetation of the sedges.

Clarke's Weaver is restricted to the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the Dakatcha
Woodlands. Of these, only the former has any form of legal protection and even this is
under constant threat as proven by recent attempts to carry out oil exploration inside
the forest without any consultation with stakeholders and conservationists (Starkey
2014). Dakatcha Woodlands is an extensive patchwork of forest, woodland, numer-
ous small seasonal and permanent wetlands, scrub, thicket and in recent years, more
and more agricultural land. The species ranges widely across these two sites, spend-
ing most of its time in the Brachystegia habitat (Zimmerman et al. 1996), where it forag-
es. However, protection of its breeding sites is crucial if the species is to be conserved.

8

C.H.W. Jackson, F. Ng'weno, J. Mwambire, J. Mwachongo, A. Baya, et al.

Since the breeding event described here, no further colonies have been located
despite searching. In January 2014 Arbamukenge was completely dry (FN pers. obs.)
and there was no sign of Clarke's Weavers in the area. Clearly the mystery of the
Clarke's Weaver breeding is far from being fully solved.

The observation of fledged juveniles being fed by adults during January to
February had led several observers to believe the weavers would breed in November
and December during the short rains. Other previous observations of juveniles being
fed by adults were during April and as late as 18 July (Jackson 2011), which strongly
suggests that Clarke's Weavers may be somewhat opportunistic in the timing of their
breeding. They may breed either during the long rains (March-June) or the short
rains (November-December) — or possibly both.

One of the prerequisites for a breeding site may be standing water below the
sedges where the nests are built — a common feature of weaver colonies (Craig 2010).
Breeding also probably requires good rains to flood the wetlands and to allow the
sedges to grow sufficiently to support the nests. Heavy rain in December 2012 with
subsequent showers through early 2013 meant that the Arbamukenge wetland was
flooded, thus providing the required conditions for successful breeding.

At the time of this breeding event the Brachystegia trees were in full blossom and
with fresh leaf growth, providing excellent conditions for insects and thus an abundant
food source for the weavers, which also feed on the fresh leaves of Brachystegia (CJ
pers. obs., D. Ngala and T. Butynksi pers. comm.). During an expedition to Dakatcha
in November 1995, Clarke's Weavers were seen in juvenile plumage (though none
being fed by adults) and it was noted that the Brachystegia had fresh leaf growth and
blossoms (T. Butynski pers. comm.).

Male Clarke's Weavers appear to moult out of their black-headed plumage into
a female-type non-breeding plumage between July and October (CJ in press), as is
typical of many colonial weaver species (Fry & Keith 2004, Craig 2010). This would
limit the possibility for rapid opportunistic breeding.

The conservation of Clarke's Weavers

Nature Kenya and the Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group took a strong lead
in engaging with the local community around the Arbamukenge wetland. There
has been good willingness on the part of the community to help protect these small
wetlands, which gives hope for the future of Clarke's Weavers, but sustained effort is
needed to maintain the community's motivation. In a token of appreciation, the Bird
Committee of the East Africa Natural History Society donated a water harvesting
system to the nearby school.

The breeding event described here can only give indications of when and where
Clarke's Weavers breed, providing pointers for future searches. In 2014 a thorough
search was made during March and April, but no signs of breeding were found.
We need to know much more about the breeding of Clarke's Weavers and their
requirements for breeding, foraging and roosting if we are to succeed in protecting
them effectively.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the AG Leventis Foundation for funding the search for the Clarke's
Weaver nest by A Rocha Kenya and the fieldwork to follow up on the breeding event. Nature
Kenya's bird monitoring surveys in Dakatcha were supported by the Critical Ecosystem
Partnership Fund (CEPF), the European Union's Community Development Trust Fund (EU-
CDTF), the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Government of Finland and
Government of Spain— we thank you all.

First recorded breeding of Clarke's Weaver

9

Thanks to all those who assisted in surveys and observations including D. Ngala and
J. Baya from Arabuko-Sokoke; J. Kalama, M. Issa and A. Sifa from Dakatcha Woodland
Conservation Group; N. Gardner from A Rocha Kenya; and M. Davidson, G. Odera and F.
Mbago from NatureKenya. We are grateful to D. Oschadleus for his very useful comments on
the manuscript, to T. Butynski for sharing his notes, and to Prof A. Craig for his detailed and
helpful review.

Addendum

In 2015, a long dry season in January to March was followed by heavy rains in April. On 9
May 2015, JM and JG of Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group (DWCG) found about 80
Clarke's Weavers, males and females, constructing nests in a sedge-filled pool in the seasonal
Gandi River (2° 53.48'S, 39° 52.37'E). This second known breeding site was observed further
on 21 May when FN, JM and a DWCG-Nature Kenya team observed male and female Clarke's
Weavers bringing insect food to the young in the nests.

References

Backhurst, G.C. 1986. East African Bird Report 1984. Scopus 8: 101-140.

Clarke, S.R. 1913. [A short account of a shooting expedition ... to the Lorian, British East Africa.].
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 31: 31-33.

Collar, N.J. & Stuart, S.N. 1985. Threatened birds of Africa and related islands, International Council
for Bird Preservation; International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Download from http:/ /agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201300639942
on 12/1/2015.

Collias, N.E. & Collias, E.C. 1984. Nest building and bird behavior. Princeton: Princeton University
Press.

Craig, A.J.F.K. 2010. Family Ploceidae. In J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott & D.A. Christie (eds). Handbook
of the Birds of the World. Vol. 15. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Crook, J.H. 1964. The Evolution of Social Organisation and Visual Communication in the
Weaver Birds (Ploceinae). Behaviour, Supplement. Downloaded from http://www.jstor.org/
stable/ 30039146 on 12/12/2014.

Fanshawe, J.H. 1994. Birding Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Kenya's northern coast. Bulletin of the
African Bird Club 1: 79-89.

Fry, C.H. & Keith, S. (eds) 2004. The Birds of Africa. Vol. 7. London: Christopher Helm.

Jackson, C. 2011. In Search of Breeding Clarke's Weavers: An Analysis of the Chronology of Clarke's
Weaver Observations. A Rocha Kenya, Occasional Research Report #22, Watamu.

Mackworth-Praed, C.W. & Grant, C.H. 1957. Birds of eastern and north eastern Africa. London:
Longmans, Green & Co.

Mills, M. 2007. Where does Weyns's Weaver Ploceus weynsi breed? Scopus 26: 44-46.

Pearson, D.J. & Turner, D.A. 1998. Review of Kenya bird records 1992-1996. Scopus 20: 65-83.

Starkey, J. 2014. Oilmen threaten catastrophe in Kenya wildlife haven. The Times (London).
Downloaded from http:/ / www.thetimes.co.uk/ tto/ environment/ wildlife/ article4270571.
ece on 12/12/2014.

Turner, D.A. & Pearson, D.J. 1989. The 1987 East African Bird Report. Scopus 11: 101-119.
Williams, J.G. 1967. A Field Guide to the National Parks of East Africa. London: Collins.

Zimmerman, D.A., Turner, D.A., & Pearson, D.J. 1996. Birds of Kenya and northern Tanzania.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Colin H.W. Jackson

A Rocha Kenya, P.O. Box 383, Watamu, Kenya. Email: colin.jackson@arocha.org and Ornithology
Section, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

10

C.H.W. Jackson, F. Ng'weno, J. Mwambire, J. Mwachongo, A. Baya, et ah

Fleur Ng'weno

NatureKenya, P.O. Box 44486-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: fleur@africaonline.co.ke

Julius Mwambire, Patrick Changawa, Japhet Garama, Samuel Kenga, Samson Katisho,
Samson Barisa, Kazungu Thuva and Peter Wario

Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group, P.O. Box 1-80207, Madina via Malindi, Kenya

Brian Finch

NatureKenya, P.O. Box 44486-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Jonathan Mwachongo and Albert Baya

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Guides Association, P.O. Box 11-80208, Gede via Malindi, Kenya

Silas Ekesa and Gabriel Katana

A Rocha Kenya, P.O. Box 383, Watamu, Kenya

Scopus 35: 1-10, July 2015
Received 12 March 2015

Scopus 35: 11-38, July 2015

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province,
including a preliminary survey of the
Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve and a species
new to Kenya

James E. Bradley, Titus Imboma and David W. Bradley

Summary

Mount Kisingiri comprises a much overlooked highland massif in southern Nyanza
Province with a hitherto completely unknown avifauna. Here we detail our findings
from three brief exploratory visits undertaken between 2011 and 2014, with a focus
on forested habitats above 1800 m in the Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve (GHFR). We
confirm the presence of 34 forest-dependent species, including a globally near
threatened forest raptor, the Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus, as well as the
first known occurrence of the Western Citril Crithagra frontalis in Kenya. Including
noteworthy species recorded from other, non-forested areas at lower elevations on
the volcano, we provide 46 new or updated (post-1970) distributional records for
these two quarter degree atlas squares (60 A and 60C). Estimates of species detection
probability and abundance, a comparison of forest-dependent species between
logged and unlogged sites, and a coarse assessment of overall forest integrity, reveal
a highly threatened forest bird community with apparently dwindling numbers of
forest specialists. Lastly, we confirm continuing and rapid deforestation in the GHFR
and highlight the pressing need for improved forest management and more thorough
biodiversity surveys of extant forest.

General study area description

Mount Kisingiri (0°36'S, 34°8'E) is a 13-km wide dormant caldera, situated on the
shores of Lake Victoria immediately to the west of the Lambwe Valley in southern
Nyanza Province (Fig. 1). With Miocene origins (Allsop & Baldry 1972), it is also
one of the older highland massifs in Kenya and marks the westernmost extent of the
Kavirondo fault. Portions of the crater rim that remain today, and comprise two of the
three main highland areas, include the 2260-m Gwassi Hills in the south and east, and
the 1880-m Gembe Hills in the north. A third highland block rising to 1730 m from
the approximate centre of the crater floor and not surveyed as part of this study, is a
volcanic plug called Rangwe. Nowhere else in the Lake Victoria basin does shoreline-
adjacent terrain rise to such altitudes as at Mt Kisingiri, and highlands of a similar
altitude are no closer than the Kisii area, 80 km to the east.

The slopes of Mt Kisingiri are typically steep, particularly those inside of the crater,
and in places cliffs of up to 40 m in height add variety to the topography. Precipitation
in the towns of Magunga and Mbita at the eastern and northern base of the volcano
respectively peaks in March to May and September to December, and measures

12

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

approximately 1400 mm annually (World Weather Online 2014). Numerous streams
drain the volcano's flanks in a radial pattern and the hills comprise an important
water catchment for communities living on the densely farmed plains below.

As recently as the 1970s, the western third of the Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve
(GHFR) comprised an extensive and varied closed-canopy forest (e.g. >70% canopy
cover), covering approximately 2000 ha (the eastern two-thirds support drier, non-
forested habitats). Significant forest degradation was first noticeable by the early 1980s
and pre-empted the first of several evictions of squatters inside the forest (B. Oyungu
pers. comm.). Nonetheless, tree felling continued, further damaging the higher for-
ests, while land clearance for farming encroached on the lower forest margins. Fol-
lowing three decades of heavy human pressures, true forest habitats in the GHFR are
now both fragmented and much reduced in extent. However, patches of relatively
undisturbed forest that remain today, set amid variably logged terrain (canopy cover
20-70%) and second-growth at a range of successional stages, collectively form a di-
verse forest mosaic landscape. Depending on the altitude, aspect and slope gradi-
ent, vegetation characteristics vary considerably, from humid to semi-humid, short to
tall, and comparatively open to very dense. A floral inventory has been compiled (O.
Ong'ang'a pers. comm.), and forest vegetation is reported to show strong affinities
with the forests of Kakamega and the Nandi Hills (GHFCA 2009).

Methods

Study sites

During the course of our study in the GHFR, bird surveys were concentrated in four
general areas (see relative effort at each site below), all reached on foot from the road-
accessible town of Kisaku at 1800 m on the southern slopes. These sites (Fig. 1), which
we describe in more detail below, are named after drainages or locations described in
the Gwassi Hills Draft Forest Management Plan (GHFCA 2009) and cover a range of
altitudes and forest types. Dominant plant species were noted when recognized, and
species nomenclature follows Dharani (2011). Forest tree species reported to occur in
the GHFR (GHFCA 2009) but which we did not encounter and may be preferentially
logged include Antiaris toxicaria , Bridelia micrantha, Euclea divinorum, Harungana
madagascariensis and Milicia excelsa.

Mwing'ore (40% relative effort, 9 ha; Fig. 2): a humid and heavily disturbed head-
water site at the bottom of a steep south-facing valley at 1870-1950 m. The canopy
cover of 20-30% consists of remnant trees interspersed with reasonably well-devel-
oped secondary growth, a thick leafy understorey and abundant hanging creepers
and vines. Dominant forest trees, mostly less than 20 m in height, include Ficus sur,
Celtis africana and Polyscias fidva, with smaller numbers of Albizia gummifera, A. corar-
ia, Croton macrostachyus, Macamnga kilimandscharica and Trichilia emetica. Understo-
rey species include Acanthus eminens, Cyathea manniana, Dombeya burgessiae, Dracaena
steudneri and morning glory (Convolvulaceae sp.).

Kumuruga (35% relative effort, 6.5 ha; Fig. 3): a semi-humid and less disturbed
ridgetop site at 2060-2110 m. The canopy cover of 90-100% is approximately 15-20 m
high, with a dark and fairly open understorey containing small evergreen saplings,
woody vines and a heavy layer of leaf litter. Dominant forest trees include Catha
edidis , Celtis africana and Vepris nobilis, with smaller numbers of Polyscias fulva, Prunus
africana and Sapium ellipticum. Woody vegetation in the understorey included Carissa
edulis , Ficus exasperate, and Rhus natalensis. Where the terrain drops steeply to the east

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

13

(and elsewhere on the steepest slopes), Catha edulis forms uniform stands of 10-15 m
in height, and is probably the most abundant forest tree in the hills. Between 2011 and
2014 alone, 30% of this small forest fragment was removed for timber and/ or charcoal
production.

Figure 1 . Map of the Kisingiri crater and major ridgelines (top left), showing Lake Victoria,
Sindo Town, the northern crater rim (Gembe Hills), central plug (Rangwe), southern Crater
Rim (Gwassi Hills) and Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve (solid line). Inset maps (with legends)
show the Gembe Hills and main observation points (top right), and the Gwassi Hills Forest
Reserve, transect and timed species count locations, and study sites as follows: A-
M wing' ore, B-Kumuruga, C-Rianguge, D-Magama (bottom).

14

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Figure 2. Heavily disturbed and selectively
logged habitat at 1900 m on the valley side at
M wing' ore, February 2012.

Figure 3. Relatively undisturbed evergreen
and semi-evergreen forest habitat on steep
slopes at Kumuruga, February 2012. Gaps
visible between the trees on the ridgetop at
approximately 2100 m illustrate the damaged
character of forest on higher and flatter ground.

Rianguge (10% relative effort, 9.5 ha; Fig. 4): a cooler and very humid ridgetop site
on less steeply sloping terrain from 2070 to 2140 m, with vegetation characteristics
not dissimilar to M wing' ore. As is the case along most of the ridgeline, the forest has
been heavily logged and comprises a cover of 20% or less, with only a few scattered
and commercially unviable tree species remaining amid a dense layer of secondary
growth. These remnant forest trees include Albizia gummifera and Polyscias fulva,
with smaller numbers of Cussonia spicata, young Croton macrostachyus and Dombeya
goetzenii, as well as some magnificent remnant Ficus thonningii reaching 25-30 m in
height. Second growth species include abundant Neoboutonia macrocalyx and Dombeya
spp. as well as Dracena steudneri, Solanum sp., Ricinus communis and in places, invasive
Pteridium aquilinum. One or more Eucalyptus sp. are established throughout this and
other heavily disturbed areas, and on higher westward-facing slopes here (>2100 m),
abundant "old man's beard" hangs from the trees.

Magama (15% relative effort, 5 ha; Fig. 5): a humid, less disturbed and floristically
rich headwater site on slopes adj acent to recently abandoned farmland at approximately
2030-2080 m. The canopy cover of 70-80% includes abundant hardwood trees, some
reaching over 30 m in height. Dominant species include Prunus africana, Trichilia
emetica and Vepris nobilis , with smaller numbers of Albizia spp., Catha edulis, Celtis
africana, Diospyros abyssinica and Polyscias fulva. The understorey is variable, being
dark, and open in places, but mostly cluttered with Dombeya burgessiae, Neoboutonia
macrocalyx and morning glory (Convolvulaceae sp.) where light penetrates the highly
stratified canopy. This area of forest remained relatively unaffected by illegal tree
felling during the period of this study.

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

15

Figure 4. Heavily logged and disturbed
ridgetop forest and secondary growth at
2100 m at Rianguge, February 2012.

Figure 5. Tall and humid forest at approximately
2050 m at Magama is floristically rich with a
highly stratified canopy, November 2014.

Data collection

We collected information on the avifauna of Mt Kisingiri, and primarily the GHFR,
during three visits: 18-19 January 2011 (JB), 21-24 February 2012 (JB and DB) and 1-6
November 2014 (JB and TI). Surveys in the GHFR were conducted on nine separate
days, covering a total of 47.5 km on foot (Fig. 1). Due to challenging access conditions,
only a limited amount of time was spent at the highest areas above 2100 m. We also
made casual observations on birds in the non-forested Gembe Hills, as well as at
lower elevations outside of the forest reserve in the Gwassi Hills, during several short
visits on five separate days. Data were collected as follows:

1) We considered each day-visit to the GHFR as a discreet survey unit and
the routes walked on each of those visits as a transect. For each transect
(day-visit) we recorded the distance covered, the number of times a
species was encountered, the total number of individuals detected as
well as additional notes on breeding activity. Transects included both
return-routes and circuit routes.

2) In 2014, limited mist-netting was conducted to sample understorey
species in the GHFR. We conducted three morning and three afternoon
mist-netting sessions from 2 to 5 November using 2-5 nets (nets of
8-12 m used variably), with most effort at Mwing'ore (480 net-metre h)
and less effort at both Kumuruga (152 net-metre h) and Magama (108
net-metre h). Birds were fitted with Ringing scheme of eastern Africa
rings, and standard biometric measurements and details of breeding
condition were recorded.

3) In 2014, we conducted ten timed species counts (TSCs) at seven count
stations (see Fig. 1) in the GHFR, to provide an additional index of
species detection probability and relative abundance. Timed species
counts followed Pomeroy & Tengecho (1986), but were adapted
from four 15-min count periods to four 10-min periods, and all birds
detected were included instead of only those within 20 m.

4) On visits to all areas, but primarily in the GHFR in 2012 and 2014,
both targeted and automated audio recording was used to confirm the
presence of species, which may have been unidentified or overlooked
in the field.

16

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Data analysis

We derived estimates of detection probability as a proportion of either the total number
of transects (n = 9) or TSCs (n = 10) on which a species was recorded. Estimates of
relative abundance (commonness) from transect data were derived by multiplying
the mean number of individuals recorded per transect-day by the number of transect
days on which that species was actually recorded. Estimates of relative abundance
from TSCs (Pomeroy & Tengecho 1986) were made by ranking the species according
to the count period (1-4) in which the species was detected, before tallying the rank
numbers and averaging across the total number of TSCs. This method assumes that
more abundant species will be recorded earlier in the TSC. Species were also classified
according to ecological niche as Forest Specialists, Forest Generalists, Forest Visitors
(as per Bennun et al. 1996), or Non-forest Species. We compared the presence/ absence
of representatives from each of the two forest-dependent groups (specialists and
generalists) across both heavily disturbed and relatively undisturbed forest sites to
assess general forest health in the GHFR. Species density is also widely used as a proxy
for habitat quality (Fuller 2012), and we made further inferences about forest health
by comparing the relative abundance of forest generalists with forest specialists.

Results and discussion

Mist-netting

In total, 16 individuals representing ten species were captured and ringed during 740
net-metre h (Table 1). Including an additional three birds captured but not ringed,
this represents a capture rate of 1 bird per 38.9 net-metre h. All ringed buds were
captured at Mwing'ore.

Table 1 . Species trapped and ringed in the GHFR, 2-5 November 2014. ^Indicates an adult
with a vascularized or recently vascularized brood patch, indicative of active breeding.

Species

# Adults

# Juveniles /
Immatures

Not ringed

Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria

1

Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina
African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis

1

1

Grey-capped Warbler Eminia lepida

1

Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura

1

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris

2*

1

Cabanis’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi

3

2

1

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

1

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

1

Red-capped Robin Chat Cossypha natalensis

1

1

Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticals

1*

Species richness and abundance in the GHFR

In total, we detected 92 bird species inside the GHFR: 89 during transect observations,
and an additional three detected only during TSCs (see Appendix 1 for a full species
list for Mt Kisingiri). Of the 92 species recorded, 34 were forest dependent, of which
13 were forest specialists and 21 were forest generalists. The remaining 58 species

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

15

comprised 32 forest visitors and 26 non-forest species (Bennun et al. 1996). This is
a little more than one-third of the number of forest-dependent species recorded
in the nearby Trans Mara Forest (Bennun 1991), and quite rich for an isolated and
comparatively small forest.

Coarse estimates of abundance for species recorded on three or more visits show
that Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura, Tropical Boubou Laniarius
aethiopicus and Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus, all birds that adapt well to
disturbed habitat, are the three commonest species (Table 2). While it seems likely
that our surveys overestimate the abundance of Tropical Boubou as a result of its
far-carrying song, these were noticeably abundant here relative to other western
Kenyan forests (pers. obs.). The abundance of these three species, and the presence
of many more forest generalists compared to forest specialists (21 vs. 13), is typical
of a forest ecosystem characterized by an abundance of secondary growth and edge
habitats. The higher abundance of forest generalists was also reflected in the detection
probabilities, with 50% of forest generalists and 38% of forest specialists detected on
three or more of the nine survey days.

Confirmed breeding records in the GHFR

We confirmed breeding for nine species inside the GHFR as follows:

Wahlberg's Eagle Aquila wahlbergi — adult defending nest in February 2012 and
sitting on nest in November 2014

Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus — recently fledged juvenile in January 2011
Grey Apalis Apalis cinerea — recently fledged young in February 2012

Yellow- whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris — immatures seen and ringed in
November 2014

Cabanis's Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi — juvenile ringed in November 2014

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri — immature with buff-spots on the
wings in November 2014

Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris — recently fledged young in November 2014

Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis — female with brood patch in November
2014

Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis — nest building in November 2014

Additionally, the following two species were confirmed breeding immediately
adjacent to the forest reserve:

Common Fiscal Lanius collaris — recently fledged young in January 2011
Brimstone Canary Crithagra sulphurata — recently fledged young in November 2014.

18 J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Table 2. Indices of species detection probability and relative abundance for common species
in the GHFR; TSC = Timed species counts

Species

Transect

detection

probability

(%)

Transect

abundance

index

TSC

detection

probability

(%)

TSC

abundance

index

Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura

100

90.00

100

4.0

Tropical Boubou Laniarius aethiopicus

100

67.00

100

4.0

Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus

100

61.00

90

3.2

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

100

50.00

10

0.3

Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris
reichenowi

100

50.00

100

3.5

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris

100

39.00

100

3.7

Red-faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops

100

39.00

10

0.4

Cabanis’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi

100

33.00

50

1.5

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

89

47.11

20

0.6

Ross’s Turaco Musophaga rossae

89

30.22

20

0.5

Brown-throated Wattle-eye Platysteira cyanea

89

17.78

60

1.7

White-bellied Tit Parus albiventris

89

16.89

60

1.4

Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris

89

16.00

80

2.1

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus

89

15.11

60

2.0

Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis

89

9.78

20

0.5

Grey Apalis Apalis cinerea

78

35.00

90

2.9

African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis

78

31.11

50

1.7

Red-capped Robin Chat Cossypha natalensis

78

17.11

80

2.8

Black-backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla

78

15.56

60

1.9

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri

78

15.56

10

0.1

Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht reichenowi

78

12.44

30

0.8

Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens

78

7.00

20

0.5

Augur Buzzard Buteo augur

67

7.33

20

0.3

Wahlberg’s Eagle Aquila wahlbergi

67

6.00

10

0.4

Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas

67

5.33

20

0.5

Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula

67

5.33

Sharpe’s Starling Pholia sharp ii

56

12.22

10

0.1

Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria

56

10.00

40

1.2

White-headed Saw-wing Psadiloprocne albiceps

56

9.44

10

0.2

Grey-capped Warbler Eminia lepida

56

9.44

90

3.4

Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina

56

9.44

30

0.8

Western Citril Crithagra frontalis

56

7.78

Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina

56

5.33

30

0.8

Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata

56

3.33

Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis

44

5.78

10

0.1

African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis

44

3.11

60

2.1

Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava

44

1.78

Common Fiscal Lanius collaris

44

1.78

10

0.2

Slender-billed Greenbul Andropadus gracilirostris

44

1.78

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

44

1.78

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

19

Species

Transect

detection

probability

(%)

Transect

abundance

index

TSC

detection

probability

(%)

TSC

abundance

index

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

33

3.67

Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus

33

3.33

20

0.5

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus

33

3.33

Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster

33

2.67

10

0.1

Blue-spotted Wood Dove Turtur afer

33

1.67

White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus

33

1.33

40

0.7

White-browed Robin Chat Cossypha heuglini

33

1.33

10

0.4

Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis

33

1.00

Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis

33

1.00

Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis

33

1.00

30

1.2

Yellow-bellied Waxbill Coccopygia quartinia

33

1.00

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

33

1.00

Probable breeding in the GHFR

We considered species as probable breeders in the GHFR, based on three criteria:
(1) display behaviour of males or pairs during the breeding season (as per Brown &
Britton 1980); (2) the presence of multiple (>4) territorial counter-singing males; and
(3), a sedentary life history, and/or geographic isolation and habitat specialization
(i.e. forest dependence). Those species which meet the last criterion, but were
found in low abundance and therefore may not be breeding successfully were not
included. The following species were probable breeders: Tambourine Dove Turtur
tympanistria, Ross's Turaco Musophaga rossae, White-browed Coucal Centropus
super ciliosus, Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus, Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina ,
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus , Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos
fuscescens, Brown-throated Wattle-eye Platysteira cyanea, Black-backed Puffback
Djyoscopus cubla , Tropical Boubou, White-bellied Tit Parus alhiventris , Rock Martin
Ptyonoprogne fuligula, Red-faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops, Chubb's Cisticola C.
chubbi, Grey-capped Warbler Eminia lepida, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Common
Bulbul, African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis, Red-capped Robin Chat
Cossypha natalensis, Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina, Northern Double-
collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi, Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht reichenowi,
Black-billed Weaver P. melanogaster.

Palaearctic migrants

The highland topography of Mt Kisingiri appears to provide benefits to a number
of Palaearctic migrants. Birds of prey, in particular Common Buzzard Buteo buteo,
clearly make use of the slopes and ridges on migration, as well as possibly the
wooded and forested areas for roosting. Similar concentrations of this species have
been observed previously in the eastern Lake Victoria Basin, and this observation
fits well with a known autumn migration flyway around the eastern edge of Lake
Victoria from Mt Elgon south to northern Tanzania for this species (Britton 1980).
Passerine migrants are generally not well represented on Mt Kisingiri but the GHFR
may contain important winter habitat for Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and possibly an
important refuge for Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus during very dry periods.

20

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

This species was especially abundant in January 2011 when surrounding lower
altitudes were very dry, but it was largely absent on other visits when the region was
wetter.

Comparison with other forest and highland bird faunas

Although our surveys were of limited extent and our species list is undoubtedly
incomplete, the following points can be made about Mt Kisingiri' s avifaunal affinities:

(1) All of the forest dependent species we recorded in the GHFR are
also known to occur in the Kakamega-Nandi Forest block, 115 km
to the northeast. However, some species more characteristic of
montane habitats are absent (Black-fronted Bushshrike Chlorophoneus
nigrifrons) or scarce (Sharpe's Starling Pholia sharpii and White-browed
Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys) below 1700 m in Kakamega Forest, being
commoner or more characteristic above 1800 m in the Nandi forests
(Britton 1980, Lewis & Pomeroy 1989, eBird 1991, Zimmerman et al.

1996, Shanni & Bruijn 2006).

(2) Most of the forest-dependent species in the GHFR have also been
recorded from the Nyakweri Forest and other forest patches in the
Lolgorien area 110 km to the southeast (eBird 1991, Zimmerman et
al. 1996). Species not yet recorded from there, but which we found to
occur in the GHFR include Chubb's Cistocola, White-browed Crombec,
Sharpe's Starling and Black-billed Weaver.

(3) With the exception of Least Honeyguide Indicator exilis, all of the forest
dependent species we recorded in the GHFR can also be found in the
forests of Mt Elgon (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989, Zimmerman et al. 1996),
another, though less isolated volcano on the periphery of the West
Kenyan highlands. Given that the honeyguide has been recorded only
35 km away at Kapenguria, and may well occur undetected at Mt
Elgon, this mountain appears to support a bird fauna most similar to
that of Mt Kisingiri.

(4) An assemblage of non-forest species at Mt Kisingiri, occurring in
grass and bush habitats on steep and rocky slopes, also bears a close
similarity with that found in the Nandi and Lolgorien areas. Several
characteristic but local species of these habitats, including Rock-loving
Cisticola Cisticola emini, Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris, Little Rock
Thrush Monticola rufocinereus and Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis are
also known from steep slopes separating high plateaux from adjacent
lowlands at both the Kavirondo Escarpment, 100 km to the northeast
(Bradley & Bradley 2014), and the Oloololo Escarpment, 115 km to the
southeast (eBird 1991, Zimmerman et al. 1996).

Birds species in logged vs. unlogged forest

The canopy characteristics and tree species composition of our sites permits a coarse
comparison between the presence/ absence of forest dependent species in heavily
logged and disturbed forests (Mwing'ore and Rianguge) versus mostly unlogged
and relatively undisturbed forests (Kumuruga and Magama). While this comparison
showed a strong positive association between the presence of forest specialists versus
forest generalists at unlogged sites (Table 3), as might be expected, the difference was
not statistically significant (two-tailed Student t- test; t = 3.35, P = 0.07).

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

21

Table 3. Relative presence/ absence of forest specialists and forest generalists at disturbed and
undisturbed sites.

Heavily disturbed forest Relatively undisturbed forest

Mwing’ore

Rianguge

combined

Kumuruga

Magama

combined

Relative effort (% time)

40

10

50

35

15

50

Approximate canopy
cover (%)

30

20

—

90

70

—

# Forest dependent
species (total)

19

12

22

20

18

26

Generalists

13

9

14

11

10

14

Specialists

6

3

8

9

8

12

Ratio (Generalist : Specialist)

2.2: 1.0

3.0: 1.0

1.8:10

1.2:10

13: 10

12: 10

Ranking and comparing the relative abundance of species within the two forest
dependent niches (generalists and specialists) also permits a coarse appraisal of forest
ecosystem integrity. We found that across the GHFR, the relative abundance of forest
generalists appeared normal, as might be expected in an environment characterized
by an abundance of secondary growth and forest edge habitat (Fig. 6). Approximately
a quarter of the species recorded were considered very abundant, a quarter of
moderate abundance, and the remaining half were rare. However, among forest
specialists, relative abundance was distorted, with only a quarter of species being
quite common or moderately so, with the remaining three quarters being very rare.
This imbalance in relative species abundance within a defined ecological niche could
be interpreted as an early warning sign that disturbance to forest interior ecosystems
in the GHFR is compromising the viability of forest specialist bird populations.

o

Figure 6. Ranked relative abundance of (a) forest generalists and (b) forest specialists in the
Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve.

22

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Forest health , threats and management

Our assumptions of deteriorating forest integrity based on bird species occurrence
and abundance, are also supported by field observations and satellite imagery. We
found that most of the well differentiated and floristically rich forest above 1800 m
has been heavily logged, with intact and less disturbed fragments largely restricted
to steeper slopes and the most remote headwaters. Removal of trees has been highly
selective, targeting the tallest and most commercially desirable hardwood species
on the flatter ridgetops and summit. Much of these areas are now characterized by
widely spaced and commercially unviable tree species interspersed with thick and
creeper-laden secondary growth.

Using satellite imagery and simple, polygon-based arial measurements in GIS
(Quantum GIS 2.6.1; http:/ /www.qgis.org/en/site/#), we calculated that intact, or
near-intact closed canopy forest (i.e. >70% canopy cover) now covers less than 250 ha
of the GHFR. This cumulative measurement of forest area can be divided between
roughly nine main fragments ranging in size from 5 to 110 ha, with the two largest
fragments, also the least diverse floristically, covering approximately 170 ha of the
near-inaccessibly steep crater walls. Our estimate is comparable with that reported in
the Gwassi Hills Draft Forest Management Plan equating to 93-95% forest loss since
1980 (GHFCA 2009).

Land-use activities currently contributing to forest loss and degradation inside the
GHFR are numerous and pervasive. We observed the continued felling of trees, many
over 25 m tall, for their value as both timber and fuel, and much of which is organized
to supply markets in the densely populated surroundings as far as Kisumu (B.
Oyungu pers. comm.). Large trees are also felled only to harvest honey from natural
bee hives, with the destroyed tree unused. Natural forest regeneration is hindered
through periodic burning of damaged forest, repeated clearance of small patches for
illicit distilleries or crop cultivation, and grazing of cattle along the few watercourses.
The typically thick and creeper-laden layer of secondary growth resulting from this
high level of disturbance is also thought to present a physical impediment to the
recruitment of forest trees (GHFCA 2009). On a wider scale, forest loss is thought to
be responsible for increasingly intermittent and unreliable discharge from streams
draining the GHFR (B. Oyungu pers. comm., GHFC 2009).

Administration of the GHFR is undertaken by the Kenya Forest Service, with
support from local and regional-based community conservation groups. A well-
conceived management plan has been written, but implementation appears to be slow
and intermittent due to equipment and funding shortages. From our observations,
three principal limitations are evident, all of which point to an enforcement presence
in and immediately surrounding the forest reserve that is insufficient to deter
continuing illegal forest exploitation:

(1) Resources are not being allocated such that forest patrols can be
conducted on anything more than a sporadic basis;

(2) A patrol of only four forest officers is too few to effectively counter the
numerous illegal activities across the entire forest reserve;

(3) An operations base in the town of Magunga, in the eastern foothills and
over 5 km from the nearest parts of the forest reserve, is too distant to
be a visible and effective enforcement presence.

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

23

Conversations with people in communities surrounding the forest suggest that a
permanent presence of forest officers based at the forest edge, in combination with
regular patrols throughout the forested areas of the reserve, would constitute a
significant and immediate deterrent to further deforestation.

Species conservation

The most endangered species occurring in the GHFR is possibly Crowned Eagle,
listed by Birdlife International (2014) as globally threatened. Breeding was apparently
successful in 2010-2011, suggesting that the extent of forest and prey base may still
be suitable for this species. However, based on a failure to record this species during
six days in November 2014, it may have been extirpated during the course of this
study. Two species are also listed as regionally vulnerable, Least Honeyguide and
Grey-winged Robin Sheppardia polioptera (Bennun & Njoroge 1999) and they may also
be highly threatened here based on only single records of each. A further four forest
specialists. Black-fronted Bushshrike, Plain Greenbul Andropadus curvirostris , White-
browed Crombec and Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea were found at only one or
both of the sites supporting undisturbed forest habitat, and must also be considered
highly threatened. By contrast, the remaining six forest specialists (Lemon Dove
Aplopelia larvata, Grey Apalis, Cabanis's Greenbul, Sharpe's Starling, Black-billed
Weaver and Slender-billed Greenbul Andropadus gracilirostris) were comparatively
more abundant or were observed using disturbed habitats. These species could be
more adaptable to selectively logged and/or second-growth habitats and corridors,
and three species in particular. Lemon Dove, Cabanis's Greenbul and Black-billed
Weaver should be somewhat more resilient in the face of forest degradation. They are
primarily birds of understorey habitats and are more tolerant of secondary growth.

Species accounts

The accounts below provide additional details of select species recorded in the GHFR
as well as elsewhere on Mt Kisingiri as noted. Where relevant, catalogue numbers (or
webpage url) are given in brackets after individual species accounts for presentable
audio recordings archived at Xeno-canto.org. For a list of all species recorded see
Appendix 1. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the Checklist of the Birds of Kenya
(EANHS 2009).

Scaly Francolin Francolinus squarnatus

Two or more birds were heard and recorded calling from the forest edge at Magama
in November 2014. It is probably an uncommon and shy resident, which has also been
reported from the nearby Lambwe Valley (eBird 1991). [XC205782]

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

A single bird seen flying alongside and perching on a high cliff in November 2014
may have been resident in the area.

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

A single adult was observed perched in a dead tree on a ridge at 2100 m in November
2014. On migration, this is a fairly common bird in the adjacent Lambwe Valley (JB
pers. obs.), perhaps only occasionally wandering to nearby higher altitudes.

Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus

Two or more pairs are probably resident across the volcano, and were seen around

24

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

cliffs and steep terrain above 1800 m in both the Gwassi and Gembe Hills. Breeding in
the latter area was suggested by aggressive mobbing by a pair near a cliff in February
2012. Of note, two distinct colour morphs were observed: two pairs with entirely
white underparts, speckled with black, and a pair with entirely cinnamon-rufous
underparts marked similarly. [XC101188]

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

An adult soaring southwards over a ridge at 1800 m in January 2011 was large, very
white below, and probably of the migrant race F. p. calidus. There are comparatively
few Peregrine records from the southwest corner of Kenya (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989),
which may reflect genuine scarcity or merely low observer coverage.

European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

Singles were seen soaring over the Gembe Hills in February 2012 and over M wing' ore
in the Gwassi Hills in November 2014. It is probably an uncommon winter resident in
more wooded areas of the volcano.

Ovambo Sparrowhawk Accipiter ovampensis

An adult was photographed perched in the sub-canopy forest at Kumuruga
in November 2014. This is a rare accipiter in Kenya with an incompletely known
distribution (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989, Zimmerman et ah 1996). While it is resident and
regularly reported from the western Masai Mara, 120 km to the east, its status on Mt
Kisingiri is unclear.

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

Singles were present most days in February and November, and a loose flock of
42 individuals was seen moving south over a high ridge in the Gwassi Hills on 4
November 2014 over a 20-min period. A smaller southward movement of 10 or more
birds was observed over a lower ridge in the Gwassi Hills at 1500 m on 6 November
2014.

Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus

Considered globally vulnerable (Birdlife International 2014), adults were observed
soaring over high terrain in both Gwassi and Gembe Hills on all visits, associating
with single immatures in January 2011 and February 2012. The habitat in the Gwassi
Hills is unsuitable for foraging or breeding but there is extensive savanna grassland
and suitable prey in the Gembe Hills and adjacent Lamb we Valley and more than one
pair is likely resident in the area.

Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus

Considered globally near-threatened (Birdlife International 2014), a single juvenile
was seen soaring low over Rianguge in January 2011, and a pair of adults was observed
flying in close formation at Kumuruga in February 2012. Additionally, an adult was
observed high over the Gembe Hills in February 2012 flying towards the GHFR. Blue
Monkeys Cercopithecus mitis are fairly abundant in the higher, forested areas of the
GHFR, and probably comprise an important food source for this resident pair.

Lemon Dove Aplopelia larvata

In November 2014, a single bird was seen at Magama and a bird heard and recorded
at Mwing'ore was thought to be this species. The presence of unseen birds singing an
identical song in dense thicket-forest in the Lamb we Valley (also during November

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

25

2014) and its apparent absence in the area in January and February, suggests this
species may only be a wet season visitor to the GHFR. [XC205756]

Ross's Turaco Musophaga rossae

Pairs and small groups were commonly encountered in clusters of remnant trees and
forest edge from 1800 to 2200 m.

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

A single hatching-year bird was seen and photographed in broken forest and
secondary growth at Mwing'ore in November 2014. It is presumably an uncommon
winter visitor or passage migrant.

Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus

A single bird called intermittently after dark from remnant trees in agricultural land
on two nights in November 2014. The bird was not seen but is presumed to be of the
nominate subspecies B. a. africanus. [XC205763]

Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus

Two individuals, possibly a male and female pair, were seen closely foraging alongside
a partially forested ridge at approximately 2100 m near Magama in February 2012.
An additional single bird was seen nearby the same day. Breeding of this species
in Kenya is not known with certainty (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989) and its status in the
GHFR is unclear.

Horns Swift Apus horns

Two birds were seen foraging with Red-rumped Swallows Cecropis daurica and Rock
Martins Ptyonoprogne fuligula above the crater walls in the Gembe Hills in February
2012. It is probably only an irregular visitor to the area from elsewhere.

Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina

Reported to be rare in Nyanza Province (Britton 1980), we found it to be fairly common
in the remaining canopy forest in the GHFR, where it is probably resident year-round.
Birds were much more vocal in January and February than in November.

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates

A single, vocal bird, was seen foraging from the tops of a tall dead forest tree near
Magama in November 2014. It is possibly resident in very small numbers.

Least Honeyguide Indicator exilis

A single bird was seen well in remnant forest at Mwing'ore, with the small and squat
shape (as in Pallid Honeyguide I. meliphilus), as well as dark malar and very dark grey
underparts, clearly noted. This species is considered regionally vulnerable by Bennun
& Njoroge (1999) and is probably a rare resident here.

Black-fronted Bushshrike Chlorophoneus nigrifrons

A single yellow-breasted morph was heard and seen briefly in the sub-canopy forest
at Kumuruga in February 2012, foraging with a mixed flock including Sharpe's
Starling, Grey Apalis and White-bellied Tit. It is probably rare in the hills and almost
certainly threatened by deforestation.

Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera

A single bird was seen closely over farmland at 1900 m in January 2011. It is probably
only a wanderer to the Gwassi Hills, with no further observations.

26

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula

Singles, pairs and small groups were seen in the Gwassi and Gembe Hills near
suitable cliff habitat on all visits, with a pair perched together on a rock face at 1950 m
in November 2014. Its occurrence within the Lake Victoria Basin is otherwise known
from a single record only (Britton 1980), though it is likely to be resident across Mt
Kisingiri in small numbers.

Trilling Cisticola Cisticola woosnami

Fairly common and readily detected by its call from 1300 to 1700 m in both the Gwassi
and Gembe Hills, where it was closely tied to bushed grassland on steep slopes.

Chubb's Cisticola Cisticola chubbi

Two unseen pairs were heard counter-duetting in overgrown cultivation adjacent to
forest edge at 1950 m in January 2011, and a single was seen well and the alarm call
recorded in the same area in November 2014. It is presumably an uncommon resident
and greatly outnumbered by Red-faced Cisticola C. erythrops. [XC205752]

Rock-loving Cisticola Cisticola emini

Although not seen in the field, we found the vocalizations of this species in our
automated recordings from the Gembe Hills. The calls were recorded at approximately
1500 m in fairly steep and rocky terrain with a vegetation cover of light grass, some
shrubs and trees. Our recordings are identical to calls of this species from the nearby
Masai Mara (B. Finch pers. comm.), and we suggest that birds here are also referable
to C. e. emini. [XC162229]

Wailing Cisticola Cisticola lais

A presumed pair was seen in degraded scrub on a steep and dry, rocky slope at
1250 m in the Gembe Hills in January 2011. From a distance, the close similarity to
Rattling Cisticola C. chiniana was noted, but the voice, consisting of a piercing series of
high pitched and descending "tweeeee" notes, was highly distinctive and permitted
confident identification as this species. Rattling Cisticolas were common in flatter and
more densely bushed acacia terrain at the base of the hills but none was detected on
the slopes themselves. West of the Kenyan Rift Valley, this species is known only
from the Loita Hills (Britton 1980) and the Karapokot area (Malcolm-Coe 1992), both
locations more than 200 km from Mt Kisingiri.

White-chinned Prinia Schistolais leucopogon

A group of three or more individuals was heard on two days in November 2014,
calling from dense herbage and secondary growth along a stream at Mwing'ore. It is
presumably a local and uncommon resident.

Grey Apalis Apalis cinerea

A common resident, often with mixed-species flocks and readily detected in all areas
from 1850 to 2225 m where forest or clusters of remnant forest trees remain. Birds were
observed using all forest strata, to as low as 1 m from ground level, and appeared to
tolerate quite a high degree of forest disturbance. [XC107408]

Plain Greenbul Andropadus curvirostris

A single bird was seen well and perched in hanging, woody vines in the lower-
midstorey forest at Kumuruga in January 2011, with the contrasting grey throat and
white eye-lids seen clearly. Its purring call was also heard and recorded in February

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

27

2012 at the same location. It was undetected in November 2014 and is undoubtedly
seriously threatened by forest loss.

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris

An abundant resident throughout forest, forest remnants and well established
secondary growth from 1850 to 2225 m. [XC163720, XC205780]

Slender-billed Greenbul Andropadus gracilirostris

None was seen but the bulbul-like song of this canopy specialist was heard widely
but sparingly on all three visits to the GHFR. The soft and slightly squeaky "ook-ee-
woo" call was also heard at Magama in November 2014. It is presumably resident at
low densities.

Cabanis's Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi

A common resident in the understorey forest and well established secondary growth
from 1850 to 2150 m. Birds were considerably more vocal in January and February
than in November. [XC101158, XC156989]

White-browed Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys

None was seen but the distinct high-pitched rolling trill of this species was heard at
Magama in November 2014. It is probably rare in the hills and possibly restricted to
the most intact and locally humid areas of forest.

Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii

Fairly common in thicker bush and thicket from 1250 to 1500 m on the slopes of both
the Gwassi and Gembe Hills. They appear to separate ecologically from the sympatric
Black-lored Babbler T. sharped by habitat, with the latter found in flat acacia grasslands
at the base of the hills and in the Lambwe Valley.

Sharpe's Starling Pholia shapu

Encountered in widespread forest fragments from 1900 to 2200 m on most visits, where
it was easily detected by both its calls and song. Birds were also observed foraging
in large remnant trees isolated within areas of secondary growth. This species may
wander seasonally in response to the wet seasons or the availability of fruiting trees
(Lewis & Pomeroy 1989), but it could also be resident here. In either case, it appears
to be present in fairly low numbers, with a maximum of six seen together in February
2012. [XC101202, XC131908]

Grey-winged Robin Sheppardia polioptera

This regionally vulnerable species (Bennun & Njoroge 1999) is included on the basis
of a brief song heard and recorded at Magama in November 2014, and considered
diagnostic for this species (JB pers. obs., B. Finch pers. comm.). Given the suitability of
the streamside rainforest habitat, and this species' abundance along forested streams
40 km to the southeast at Rapogi (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989), its presence in the GHFR
can be expected.

Red-capped Robin Chat Cossypha natalensis

Regularly heard and seen on all visits throughout areas of forest and secondary growth
from 1800 to 2200 m, with birds probably resident and referable to C. n. hylophona.

Brown-backed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas hartlaubi

Only a single bird, which was confirmed by call, in secondary growth and forest edge
habitat at 2000 m in November 2014. [XC205935]

28

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris

A single bird was seen well, perched on a small boulder amongst short-grassed
woodland at 1275 m at the foot of the Gwassi Hills in November 2014. It is probably
resident in small numbers and overlooked in suitable habitat.

Little Rock Thrush Monticola rufocinereus

An adult was photographed atop a dilapidated building near the summit of the Gembe
Hills in February 2012. It may have been a wandering individual but it seems equally
possible that the species may be a resident here, breeding sparingly on buildings and
cliffs.

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher Melaeornis fischeri

Small numbers appear to be resident, being regularly encountered in wooded
agriculture and forest edge above 1800 m.

Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis

A pair was seen several times at Mwing'ore in November 2014, with the male singing
aggressively. It is presumably uncommon and possibly local to certain areas within
the GHFR.

Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea

A single bird was heard singing briefly at Kumuruga in February 2012 and another
can be heard in a recording made at Magama in November 2014. For a highly vocal
species, readily found in many western Kenyan forests, our low number of detections
suggests it is rare in the GHFR.

Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi

Common and probably resident throughout the GHFR in secondary growth and forest
edge habitats above 1800 m. Vigorous territorial behaviour and counter-singing was
evident in January 2011, with birds less obtrusive at other times. [XC73426, XC205788]

Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster

Singles and pairs were observed sparingly but widely from 1850 to 2050 m, mostly
low down in dense secondary growth, but also in the sub-canopy of tall trees at the
forest edge. It would appear to be uncommon here, but is probably resident.

Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis

Single males were seen several times in both the Gwassi and Gembe Hills, in
cultivation, moist bush and secondary growth from 1400 to 1950 m. Birds were in
bright alternate plumage in January and February, but in drab basic plumage in
November. It is probably a resident breeder in small numbers across the volcano.

Yellow-bellied Waxbill Coccopygia quartinia

Singles were seen on three occasions in shrubby secondary growth at 1850 to 1950 m,
twice near a stream. Birds reported from the nearby Lambwe Valley (R. Bishop pers.
comm.) may well have been wanderers from the GHFR, where it is probably resident
in small numbers.

Black-crowned Waxbill Estrilda nonnula

A pair flushed from rank cultivation at 1900 nr in November 2014. It is probably
resident in small numbers and may occur within the forest reserve.

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

29

Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis

Several birds were seen at 1500 m on rocky slopes in the Gembe Hills in February 2012,
and an audio-recording was made. They were noteworthy in having a dark coloration
overall, were very boldly marked on the back and breast, and had an atypically slow
and disjointed song. It is presumably an overlooked resident in suitable habitat, which
should be studied further and sought in the Gwassi foothills as well. [XC209314]

Western Citril Crithagra frontalis

While the taxonomy of the citrils has been a contentious issue, we follow Turner &
Pearson (2015) and others here, who tentatively support recognition of central Kenyan
C. citrinelloides kikuyuensis as specifically distinct from this form. "Black-faced" citrils
observed in forest edge and cultivated land above 1600 m on all three visits, were
photographed in November 2014 (Fig. 7) and identified as this species. In all respects
the males appear the same as African Citril C. citrinelloides kikuyuensis apart from a
contrasting brighter yellow supercilium, which wraps around the forehead separating
the bill from the darker streaked crown on male birds. The population here appears
to be resident, and this record has been confirmed as a first documented occurrence
of this species in Kenya (D. Turner pers. comm.). The nearest reports to the Gwassi
Hills are from the Kampala area in Uganda (eBird 1991), approximately 180 km to
the northwest. However, we suggest that citrils along the Uganda border from the
Winam Gulf north to Mt Elgon be closely scrutinized, as this species may also occur
locally in that area. [XC246641]

[Some very recent photographs appear to show male citrils with the head plumage
pattern of frontalis among typical kikuyuensis in Nairobi. The former may well have
been widely overlooked in central as well as western Kenya, and if the two do indeed
co-exist this will have implications for the African citril taxonomic debate. Ed.]

Figure 7. Male Western Citrils Crithagra frontalis photographed in the Gwassi
Hills in November 2014, showing the distinctive and contrasting yellow
supercilium and forehead.

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi

Three or more males were observed in the Gembe Hills in February 2012, counter-
singing from scrubby and rocky slopes at 1400 to 1500 m. It is probably an overlooked
resident here in suitable habitat.

30

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Provisional and unconfirmed species

During the course of our surveys, the presence of several additional species was
suggested by insufficiently conclusive field observations, or vocalizations recorded
by automated units. In the interests of completeness, and to suggest that future
observers be alert for the possible presence of these species, we provide details of
four such cases below:

Evergreen Forest Warbler Bradypterus lopezi

A song heard at Mwing'ore in February 2012, was thought to be of this species, but
the bird was not seen and only a poor recording was obtained. The mimicking of this
species by Red-capped Robin Chat [XC205760] in the GHFR is also suggestive of its
presence.

Yellow Longbill Macrosphenus flavicans

A bird heard at Magama and also recorded by an automated unit at Mwing'ore in
November 2014, was initially thought to be Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera
chloronota. However, a subsequent reappraisal of the recording suggests the song
may be that of Yellow Longbill, being similar to birds in Minziro Forest in northwest
Tanzania (D. Moyer pers. comm.). Supporting this identification is a brief observation
of a bird fitting the description of this species at Kumuruga in February 2012. With no
known records from Kenya, confirming its possible occurrence in the GHFR should
be a priority for future observers, [www.xeno-canto.org/205781]

Jameson's Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia jamesoni

A song consisting of about ten identical piped notes, heard twice in November 2014, in
the forest interior at Magama, was immediately thought to be of this species. A partial
recording revealed a note frequency centred at 3.48 kHz, with a duration of 0.21 s,
and a delivery rate of 0.78 notes/ s; all are appropriate for this wattle-eye. However,
wing-clapping was not heard between notes, as is typical for this species, and the brief
views revealed only a silhouette of a small stub-tailed bird flitting through the lower
midstorey. Given our limited observation, and the possibility that a Batis species may
be involved (though we encountered none in forest habitat in the GHFR), we leave
this record as unconfirmed.

Streaky Seedeater Crithagra striolata

None were seen, but calls heard in secondary growth and agriculture from 1850 to
2000 m were thought to be of this species. Although there are reports from the nearby
Lambwe Valley (eBird 1991), we treat its occurrence here as unconfirmed pending
further observations.

Conclusions

Our surveys confirm the presence of an overlooked highland bird community
adjacent to the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria. In total, we document 46 new or new
post-1970 Quarter Square Degree records (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989) from the slopes of
Mt Kisingiri; the most notable amongst these is the Western Citril, a new species to
Kenya. In addition, we document a distinct and highly threatened assemblage of 34
forest dependent species.

However, our visits were brief, and we were able to spend only a limited time at

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

31

either the highest altitudes of the GHFR or in the larger forest fragments. It therefore
seems likely that we did not detect all species present and we are confident that
further work will reveal numerous additional records. Of particular note was our
failure to detect any western forest hornbills, barbets or woodpeckers; the apparent
absence of an oriole may simply reflect our limited survey effort.

It is also clear that many of the extant forest specialists in the GHFR are greatly
imperilled by deforestation. Present in very low numbers, and possibly forced to
utilize suboptimal habitats, extinction of these genetically isolated forms in the near
future is a very real possibility. Without an immediate cessation of the rampant tree
felling in the GHFR, and a boost to both habitat restoration and management efforts,
it seems quite possible that no forest will remain here in as little as 20 years.

Acknowledgements

We thank the Government of Kenya for issuing us a permit to conduct ringing and surveys
in the GHFR, and we are grateful for the support of the directors of both the Kenya Forest
Service (KFS) and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), as well as of head of ornithology
Dr P. Njoroge. We would like to thank KFS officers B. Oyungu, F. Eluto and P. Wamjala for
accompanying us in the Gwassi Hills, as well as Dr O. Ong'ang'a of Friends of Lake Victoria
(FOLV), for providing us with a copy of the Gwassi Hills draft forest management plan. We
greatly appreciate the loan of field vehicles and / or camping equipment from J. Kimani, L.
Avery, R. Khaddu, S. Jones and L. Gelmon, as well as additional support from J. Bradley, P.
Bradley and S. Moses. F. Dowsett-Lemaire, R. Dowsett, B. Finch, D. Moyer and D. Turner
kindly provided comments on our audio recordings, and comments from L. Borghesio greatly
improved the manuscript.

References

Allsop, R. & Baldry, D.A.T. 1972. A general description of the Lambwe Valley area of South
Nyanza District, Kenya. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 47: 691-697.

Bennun L.A. 1991. An avifaunal survey of the Trans-Mara Forest, Kenya. Scopus 14: 61-72.

Bennun, L.A., Dranzoa, C. & Pomeroy, D. 1996. The forest birds of Kenya and Uganda. Journal
of East African Natural History 85: 23-48.

Bennun, L.A. & Njoroge, P. 1999. Important Bird Areas in Kenya. East Africa Natural History
Society, Nairobi.

BirdLife International. 2014. Downloaded from http:/ /www.birdlife.org on 10/12/2014.

Bradley, J. & Bradley, D. 2014. The Kavirondo Escarpment: a previously unrecognized site of
high conservation value in Western Kenya. Scopus 33: 64-69.

Britton, P.L. 1980. (ed) Birds of East Africa. Nairobi: East Africa Natural History Society.

Brown, L.H. & Britton, P.L. 1980. The Breeding Seasons of East African Birds. Nairobi: East Africa
Natural History Society.

Dharani, N. 2011. Field grade to common trees and shrubs of East Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature.

EANHS. 2009. Checklist of the Birds of Kenya. Nairobi: Bird Committee, East Africa Natural
History Society.

eBird. 1991. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. eBird, Ithaca, New
York. Downloaded from http:/ /www.ebird.org. on 9/12/2014.

Fuller, R.J. 2012. Habitat quality and habitat occupancy by birds in variable environments. In
Birds and Habitat, ed. R. J. Fuller, pp. 37-62. New York: Cambridge University Press.

GHFCA. 2009. Gwassi Hills draft forest management plan 2010-2030. Gwassi Hills Forest
Conservation Association.

Lewis, A. & Pomeroy, D. 1989. Bird Atlas of Kenya. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema.

32

J. E. Bradley, T. Imboma and D.W. Bradley

Malcolm-Coe, Y. 1992. Birds of Karapokot. Kenya Birds 1: 13.

Pomeroy D. & Tengecho B. 1986. Studies of birds in a semi-arid area of Kenya. Ill The use of
Timed Species-Counts for studying regional avifaunas. Journal of Tropical Ecology 2: 231-247.

Shanni, I. & de Bruijn, B. 2006. Checklist of the Birds ofKakamega Forest. Nairobi: Nature Kenya.

Turner, D.A. & Pearson, D.J. 2015. Systematic and taxonomic issues concerning some East
African bird species, notably those where treatment varies between authors. Scopus 34: 1-23.

World Weather Online. 2014. Magunga and Mbita Monthly Climate Averages, Kenya.
Downloaded from http:/ / www.worldweatheronline.com on 20/10/2014.

Zimmerman, D.A., Turner, D.A. & Pearson, D.J. 1996. Birds of Kenya and northern Tanzania.
Halfway House: Russel Friedman Books CC.

James E. Bradley

BC Nature, 10296 Sparling PL, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, V8L 3K3. Email: James _bradley@
ymail.com

Titus Imboma

Ornithology Section, National Museums of Kenya, PO Box 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Email:
titoimboma@gmail.com

David W. Bradley

Bird Studies Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, British Columbia, Canada, V4K 3N2. Email:
dbradley@birdscanada.org

Scopus 35: 11-38, July 2015
Received 13 April 2015

Appendix 1. Species recorded on the Gwassi and Gembe Hills of Mount Kisingiri in January 2011, February 2012 and November 2014, including
altitude, habitat use and Quarter Square Degree atlas squares for new or updated (post-1970) distributions (Lewis & Pomeroy 1986). FF-forest
specialist, F-forest generalist, f-forest visitor, nf-non-forest species, GT-Globally Threatened (Birdlife International 2014), VU-Regionally Vulnerable
(Bennun & Njoroge 1999), t Afrotropical Highlands Biome (Bennun & Njoroge 1999), * Recorded in the Gwassi Hills Forest Reserve.

Birds of Mount Kisingiri, Nyanza Province

33

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Scopus 35: 39-43, July 2015

Preliminary observations of birds of Songo
Songo Island, Tanzania

Chacha Werema and Cuthbert L. Nahonyo

Introduction

While the bird fauna of many East African islands is relatively well known (e.g.,
Wasini: Ryall 1994; Zanzibar: Moreau & Pakenham 1941, Pakenham 1979; Pemba:
Moreau & Pakenham 1941, Pakenham 1979, Archer & Turner 1993, Catry et al. 2000;
Latham: Gwynne et al. 1970, Gerhart & Turner 1978; Mafia: Moreau & Pakenham 1941,
Moreau 1944, Mlingwa & Msuya 1992, 1994), ornithologists have paid little attention
to Songo Songo Island, Tanzania. Herein, we provide a preliminary checklist of its
avifauna, aspects of relative abundance of each species, and information on some
breeding species. This paper provides baseline data for the conservation of birds
on the island and we invite comparisons by other ornithologists now and in the
future. This is particularly important because the island is small and already heavily
populated (Darwall et al. 1997, URT 2013). It is possible that in the future, habitats
such as coral rag thickets may be cleared for human habitation and cultivation as has
happened on Mafia Island (Greenway et al. 1988).

Materials and methods

Study area

Songo Songo Island is the largest island of the Songo Songo Archipelago (Darwall
1996, Darwall et al. 1997), and lies approximately 20 km off the east coast of Tanzania
(8°31.5'S, 39°30.5'E; Fig. 1), separated from the mainland by water not more than 30 m
deep (Moreau & Pakenham 1941). The island rises some 10 m above sea level and is
c. 1.8 km across at its widest point and 4.5 km long (Darwall et al. 1997). It is formed
from coral limestone bed-rock that is overlaid with a sandy substratum in some parts
(Darwall et al. 1997).

To our knowledge, a detailed description of the vegetation of Songo Songo has not
yet been published (but see Nahonyo et al. 2008). We made observations in several
distinct habitats: (1) coral rag thicket and bushland on the western, northern and
southwestern sides of the island; (2) coconut palm, composed mainly of coconut and
some scattered trees on the eastern side of the island; (3) a small grassland area at the
airstrip; (4) shrubland on the southern side of the island; and, (5) a littoral zone of
tidal flats that surrounds the entire island.

40

C. Werema and C.L. Nahonyo

Figure 1 . The location of Songo Songo Island along the coast of Tanzania.

Methods

Data were collected over 12 days during December 2007. We used mist nets (two
12-m and three 9-m, each 2.5 m high, mesh size 30 mm, four shelves) in thickets on
the coral rag plus audio-visual observations (AVOs) of birds over the entire island,
making sure that all the major habitat types present were covered. Because Pumbavu
and Songo Songo islands are connected by a sand-bar that is usually exposed at low
tides, birds were surveyed as far as Pumbavu, which is located c. 750 m northwest
of Songo Songo (see Fig. 1). Also, during low tide, we surveyed Kilwani Kikubwa
Island, c. 1.5 km south-southeast of Songo Songo Island (see Fig. 1). Notes of breeding
birds were based on the presence of active nests, birds seen in breeding plumage, or
parents attending young.

In order to assess the relative abundance of birds, we developed a simple index
based on our observations as follows: a = very common, observed daily and usually >50
individuals; b = less common, frequently observed, but not daily, 11-50 individuals;
c = scarce, occasional, 3-10 individuals; and d = rare, seen/heard only once, only 1-2
individuals. Common and scientific names follow Britton (1980). However, BurchelTs
Coucal Centropus burchelli was considered a full species rather than a distinctive race
of White-browed Coucal C. superciliosus.

Results

Thirty-five species in 19 families were recorded (Table 1). Approximately 42% of
these were Palaearctic migrants and three species — Madagascar Bee-eater Merops
superciliosus, Didrik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius and Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone
viridis — were intra- African migrants (Table 1).

Birds of Songo Songo Island, Tanzania 41

Of the species observed. Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
were found on active nests on a baobab tree Adansonia digitata. Black-headed Weavers
Ploceus cucullatus were nesting in coconut palms. Other breeding birds were Red-
eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata (one active nest was seen) and Amethyst Sunbird
Nectarinia amethystina, where a female was seen feeding chicks in a nest in the thicket
habitat.

Table 1. Bird species recorded on Songo Songo Island. Also included are methods of detection
and habitat type. Obs = species observed. MN = mist netting, number of individuals caught in
paretheses where applicable. Palms are coconut palms. PM = Palaearctic migrant, IM = intra-
African migrant, R = resident. The letters a-d indicate indices of relative abundance where
a = very common, daily observed, > 50 individuals; b = less common, frequently observed but
not daily, 11-50 individuals; c = scarce, occasional, 3-10 individuals; and d = rare, seen/ heard
only once, only 1-2 individuals.

Species

Detection

method

Habitat type

Migratory

status

Relative

abundance

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Obs

Littoral

R

b

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Obs

Littoral

R

b

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Obs

Thickets, palms

R

b

Little Egret Egretta garzetta*

Obs

Littoral, thickets

R

a

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Obs

Littoral

PM

c

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Mongolian Sandplover Charadrius mongolus

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Greenshank Tringa nebuiaria

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Little Stint Calidris minuta

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Obs

Littoral

PM

a

Water Thicknee Burhinus vermiculatus

Obs

Thickets

R

c

Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii

Obs

Littoral

PM

c

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Obs

Littoral

PM

b

Saunders’s Tern Sterna albifrons saundersi

Obs

Littoral

IM

c

Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata

Obs, MN(1)

Thickets, palms

R

a

Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

Obs

Thickets, palms

R

a

Didric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius

Obs, MN(6)

Thickets

IM

b

Burchell’s Coucal Centropus burchelli

Obs

Thickets

R

c

Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus

Obs

Thickets

R

a

Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus

Obs, MN(1)

Thickets

R

a

Madagascar Bee-eater Merops superciliosus

Obs

Thickets

IM

b

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus

Obs

Thickets

PM

d

Pied Crow Corvus albus

Obs

Coconut palms

R

a

African Reed \Narb\erAcrocephalusbaeticatus

Obs, MN(6)

Thickets

R

b

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

Obs

Thickets

PM

b

Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis

Obs, MN(13)

Thickets

IM

a

Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae

Obs

Grassland

R

c

Amethyst Sunbird Nectarinia amethystina

Obs, MN(1)

Thickets

R

b

Black-headed Weaver Ploceus cucullatus

Obs, MN(1)

Thickets, palms

R

a

Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild

Obs

Thickets, palms

R

d

*both white and dark morphs

42

C. Werema and C.L. Nahonyo

Discussion

With only 35 species, Songo Songo Island seems to have an impoverished avifauna
compared to Zanzibar (Moreau & Pakenham 1941, Pakenham 1979), Pemba (Moreau
& Pakenham 1941, Pakenham 1979, Archer & Turner 1993, Catry et al. 2000) and Mafia
(Moreau & Pakenham 1941, Moreau 1944, Mlingwa & Msuya 1992, 1994) islands. The
island lacks several families and species found on Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia islands
and along the coastal areas of mainland Tanzania. Because large islands tend to have
more bird species (Lack 1969), the low species richness found on the island is likely to
be due to its small area.

None of the species we detected on Songo Songo Island is endemic, and all are
a subset of those found on mainland Tanzania. Songo Songo is about 20 km from
the mainland, the presumed source habitat. The presence of continental species on
Songo Songo concurs with the findings of Adler (1994), who reported that proximity
of an island to the mainland promotes the diversity of continental species. Elsewhere
along the East African coast, similar observations have been made by Ryall (1994),
who detected 123 species of birds, all "continental species" on Wasini Island, Kenya,
located 1.5 km from the mainland and slightly smaller than Songo Songo Island.

Our study has provided a preliminary checklist of the terrestrial and aquatic
avifauna present on Songo Songo. Although the island does not contain any endemic
or globally threatened bird species, the presence of both migratory and breeding
species signifies its importance and suggests that there is a need for protecting its
habitats, particularly the coral rag thickets.

We recommend further ornithological surveys to help predict whether species
relaxation and extinction are occurring. An increase in the human population on the
island (URT 2013) is likely to have negative impacts on the avifauna and of particular
interest would be the effect of the ongoing natural gas exploration.

Acknowledgements

Our sincere gratitude goes to SONG AS Limited for logistical support. We also acknowledge
field assistance from the residents of Songo Songo Village. We thank Phoebe Barnard, Kim
Howell and an anonymous reviewer for comments on the manuscript.

References

Adler, G.H. 1994. Avifaunal diversity and endemism on tropical Indian Ocean Islands. Journal
of Biogeography 41: 85-95.

Archer, A.L. & Turner, D.A. 1993. Notes on endemic species and some additional new birds
occurring on Pemba Island, Tanzania. Scopus 16: 94-98.

Britton, P.L. (Ed.) 1980. Birds of East Africa. Nairobi: East African Natural History Society.

Catry, P., Mellanby, R., Suleiman, K.A., Salim, K.H., Hughes, M., Mckean, M., Anderson, N.,
Constant, G., Heany, V., Martin, G., Armitage, M. & Wilson, M. 2000. Habitat selection by
terrestrial birds on Pemba Island (Tanzania), with particular reference to six endemic taxa.
Biological Conservation 95: 259-267.

Darwall, W.R.T. 1996. Report 7: Marine resource use in the Songo Songo Archipelago. The current
status and management recommendations. Marine Biology and Resource Use Surveys in the
Songo Songo Archipelago. Frontier-Tanzania Marine Research Programme. The Society for
Environmental Exploration, London and the University of Dar es Salaam.

Darwall, W.R.T., Choiseul, V.M., Guard, M., Whittington, M. & Kamwela, H. 1997. Report 5:
Songo Songo Island. Marine Biology and Resource Use Surveys in the Songo Songo Archipelago.
Frontier-Tanzania Marine Research Programme. The Society for Environmental Exploration,
London and the University of Dar es Salaam.

Birds of Songo Songo Island, Tanzania

43

Gerhart, J.D. & Turner, D.A. 1978. Birds of Latham Island. Scopus 2: 1-7.

Greenway, P.J., Rodgers, W.A., Wingfield, R.J. & Mwasumbi, L.B. 1988. The vegetation of Mafia
Island, Tanzania. Kirkia 13: 197-238.

Gwynne, M.D., Parker, I.S.C. & Wood, D.G. 1970. Latham Island: an ecological note. The
Geographical journal 136: 247-251.

Lack, D. 1969. The numbers of bird species on islands. Bird study 16: 193-209.

Mlingwa, C.O.F. & Msuya, C.A. 1992. A bird study on Mafia Island. Part I. A report of the Frontier/
RSPB-sponsored expedition. May 1992. Department of Zoology and Marine Biology,
University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Mlingwa, C.O.F. & Msuya, C.A. 1994. A bird study on Mafia Island. Part II. A report of the
Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania/ Frontier-sponsored expedition, November
1992. Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania.

Moreau, R.E. 1944. Additions to the ornithology of the Mafia group of islands. Ibis 86: 33-37.

Moreau, R.E. & Pakenham, R.H.W. 1941. The land vertebrates of Pemba, Zanzibar and Mafia: A
zoogeographical study. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 110: 97-128.

Nahonyo, C.L, Kiwia, H.Y.D., Msuya, C.A., Mwasumbi, L.B., Werema, C., Suya, T. & Mshana, C.
2008. Report on follow up study of flora and fauna biodiversity on Songo Songo Island. JSB
Envidep. Ltd - Songas Ltd.

Pakenham, R.H.W. 1979. The birds of Zanzibar and Pemba. London: British Ornithologists' Union.

Ryall, C. 1994. Bird observations on Wasini Island, Kenya. Scopus 18: 34-39.

URT (The United Republic of Tanzania). 2013. 2012 population and housing census: population
distribution by administrative areas. National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry Of Finance, Dar Es
Salaam and Office of Chief Government Statistician, President's Office, Finance, Economy
and Development Planning, Zanzibar.

Chacha Werema and Cuthbert L. Nahonyo

Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35064, Dar

es Salaam, Tanzania. Corresponding author: cwerema@yahoo.co.uk

Scopus 35: 39-43, July 2015

Received 28 January 2015

44

Short Communications

Short Communications

Two recent records of Cassin's Hawk Eagle Spizaetus africanus
from Imenti Forest, Kenya

Cassin's Hawk Eagle Spizaetus africanus is a little-known forest-dependent species
that occurs mainly in West and Central Africa (Brown et al. 1982). The species was
considered a Guineo-Congolian near endemic whose eastern-most distribution was
the forests of western Uganda, but some recent reports suggest that it was once more
widespread in the highland forests of East Africa (Clark & Edelstam 2001, Jones 2007).
The discovery of an adult Cassin's Hawk Eagle in Ndundulu Forest of the Udzungwa
Mountains, southern Tanzania, represents the eastern-most confirmed record of this
species (Jones 2007). This, along with other observations in the Udzungwa Mountains
of species of flora and fauna with Guineo-Congolian affinities, indicates an historical
link between the Afromontane forests of southern Tanzania and the lowland Guineo-
Congolian forests (Jones 2007). The first record of Cassin's Hawk Eagle in Kenya, a
bird collected in the highland forests of Mt Elgon (Clark & Edelstam 2001), suggests
a wider link that includes the Afromontane forests of Kenya. Evidence of this his-
torical link was recently substantiated through two further confirmed records from
central Kenya. In May 2006 and February 2013, one adult and one juvenile Cassin's
Hawk Eagle respectively were photographed in Imenti Forest (0°05'N, 37°37'E; 1400-
2200 m) on the northern flank of Mt Kenya, approximately 3 km west of Meru Town.
ST, and later Bill Clark, positively identified both records from these photographs.
Rob Davies further confirmed the identity of the 2013 bird as a Cassin's Hawk Eagle.
Both records were subsequently accepted by the East African Rarities Committee (N.
Hunter, pers. comm.).

The first observation was on 16 May 2006 during a tour led by BF. A large black-
and-white raptor flew low across a clearing and disappeared into the forest. Some

minutes later it was relocated perched at the edge of
an area cleared by illegal charcoal producers. The bird
was initially distinguished by its size and shape,
which resembled that of an African Hawk Eagle Aq-
uila spilogaster (Fig. 1). But with the exception of
Ayres's Hawk Eagle A. ayresii, it differed markedly in
proportion from other black-and-white forest raptors.
It was bulky, with a medium length tail and thick
legged, which ruled out Great Sparrowhawk Accipiter
melanoleucus and Augur Buzzard Buteo augur. The un-
derparts from the throat to the legs were white, and
the leg feathers were covered with small black spots,
which helped to further eliminate the above two spe-
cies. The bird had black flanks, which is inconsistent
with most Ayres's Hawk Eagles, which show irregu-
lar black blotches. The tail was of medium length, but
was only seen from below. The terminal band was
broad, but the remaining few complete tail bands
were very narrow.

Figure 1 . Adult Cassin's Hawk
Eagle in forest clearing, Imenti
Forest, Kenya, 16 May 2006
(photo B. Finch).

Short Communications

45

On 28 February 2013, a raptor was spotted by PW perched at the top of a tall tree
adjacent to the Nanyuki-Meru Highway. The bird was large, with heavy vertical
streaking on its breast, enormous talons and feathered legs (Fig. 2). Its head was

brown with a large bill and
no obvious crest. It was
later identified from photo-
graphs as a juvenile
Cassin's Hawk Eagle,
based on the laterally
compressed bill, large feet
and eye, short and mass-
ively thick tarsus, and
wing to tail length ratio.

The only previous re-
cord of a Cassin's Hawk
Eagle in Kenya came from
a museum specimen col-
lected in 1926 by the Dr H.
Granvik Expedition (Clark
& Edelstam 2001). The
specimen was lying in the
Malmo Natur museum in
Sweden, and was original-
ly incorrectly identified as
a Booted Eagle Hieraaetus
pennata, but later identi-
fied as a juvenile Cassin's
Hawk Eagle that had origi-
nated from the forests of
Mt Elgon on the western
border of Kenya (Clark &
Edelstam 2001). The ex-
traordinary gap of 80 years
between this record and
the present sightings is
presumably indicative of
the difficulty in observing

this species in its dense forest habitat, and also of the limited ornithological surveys
that have been conducted in Kenyan forests.

Figure 2. Four photographs of the same individual juvenile
Cassin's Hawk Eagle in the tree canopy along a busy
roadside, Imenti Forest, Kenya, 28 February 2013 (photos
S. Kapila). 2a. Front view showing dark eye colour, dark
streaking on the throat and chest. 2b. Front view showing
very thick tarsus, spotting on legs, and size of talons. 2c.
Lateral view showing the buffy white-tipped upperwings and
secondaries, and the grey-brown tail tipped with white. 2d.
View of white undertail coverts with brown spotting, large
feet and talons, and medium length tail.

Acknowledgements

We thank Bill Clark and Rob Davies for confirming the identity of this species. The 2013
observation was made during annual raptor surveys supported by The Peregrine Fund.

References

Brown, L.H., Urban, E.K., & Newman, K. 1982. The Birds of Africa. Vol. 1. New York: Academic
Press.

Clark, W.S. & Edelstam, C. 2001. First record of Cassin's Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus africanus for
Kenya. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 8: 138-139.

Jones, T. 2007. Cassin's Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus africanus in Ndundulu Forest: a first record for
Tanzania, with biogeographical implications. Journal of East African Natural History 96: 187-
192.

46

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Darcy Ogada

The Peregrine Fund, 5668 W. Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID, 83709 USA and National Museums of
Kenya, Ornithology Section, P.O. 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: darcyogada@yahoo.com

Brian Finch

Nature Kenya, P.O, Box 44486-00100 Nairobi, Kenya

Shiv Kapila

Kenya Bird of Prey Trust, P.O. Box 358, 20117, Naivasha, Kenya

Peter Wairasho

P.O. Box 2286-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Benson Mugambi

Ben's Ecological Safaris, P.O. Box 5898-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Simon Thomsett

National Museums of Kenya, Ornithology Section, P.O. 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Scopus 35: 44-46, July 2015
Received 26 January 2015

Range extension of the White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Dinemellia dinemelli in central Afar, Ethiopia

The White-headed Buffalo Weaver is known from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia,
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Dickinson &
Christidis 2014), but there are few published accounts of its natural history. It is a
common bird of dry bush and savanna in the Horn of Africa, found in the Rift Valley
and east to the Arabian Sea (Ash & Atkins 2009, Redman et al. 2009). I encountered
the species at a field camp along the Mille River in the central Afar, Ethiopia (11°50'N,
40°49'E; elevation 625 m) at a site dominated by dry bush habitats, and fairly heav-
ily grazed by livestock. Five birds, all in adult plumage, were seen well and photo-
graphed at 16:00 on 20 January 2015. They were feeding on the ground and perching
briefly; no breeding-related behaviours were noted, and the birds were silent.

The species is divided into two subspecies, boehmi in Tanzania and southern Kenya
and the nominate form further north. The nominate subspecies is characterized by
browner (rather than deep black) tones in the mantle feathers and more substantial
white margins to the scapulars, tertials and greater coverts (del Hoyo et al. 2010).
Based on the back colour and white edging (Fig. 1), the Afar individuals are assigned
to the nominate subspecies, as would be expected geographically.

White-headed Buffalo Weaver is
thought to be a resident species, but it
may move seasonally on a local scale
(del Hoyo et al. 2010). It is known from
southern Ethiopia, and is routinely
recorded from sites in the Rift Valley
north through Awash National Park
and Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve (eBird
2015). The present record lies well
north of the mapped range in other
published works (Fry & Keith 2004,
Ash & Atkins 2009, Redmond et al.
2009, del Hoyo et al. 2010), and is over
Figure 1. One of five White-headed Buffalo 200 km north of all correctly placed

Weavers observed in the central Afar, Ethiopia eBird reports . i t may represent local

on 20 January 2015 (photo A. W. Jones). movement outside of the breeding

Short Communications

47

season, but considering the dearth of observers in this region it probably represents a
new northernmost population of White-headed Buffalo Weaver.

Acknowledgments

I thank the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and its trustees and supporters for making
this trip possible. Logistical support was from Karen Carr and Tony Hickey, and especially
Yohannes Haile-Selassie. I also thank the Afar people from the Woranso-Mille area for access
to this field site.

References

Ash, J. & Atkins, J. 2009. Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: an atlas of distribution . London: Christopher
Helm.

del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. (eds) 2010. Handbook of the birds of the World. Vol. 15.
Weavers to New World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Dickinson, E.C. & Christidis, L. (eds) 2014. The Howard & Moore complete checklist of the birds of the
World. 4th Edition, Vol. 2. Eastbourne: Aves Press.

eBird. 2015. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application].
eBird, Ithaca, New York. Available: http:/ / www.ebird.org. (Accessed: 11 March 2015).

Fry, C. H. & Keith, S. (eds) 2004. The birds of Africa. Vol. VII. Princeton: Princeton University
Press.

Redman, N., Stevenson, T. & Fanshawe J. 2009. Birds of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti,
Somalia, and Socotra. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Andrew W. Jones

Department of Ornithology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Drive - University
Circle, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. Email: ajones@cmnh.org

Scopus 35: 46-47, July 2015
Received 11 March 2015

Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus: first record for
Uganda

The Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus, like its congeners, is a highly pelagic
species, breeding on tundra around the Arctic Circle and wintering mainly in the
subantarctic waters of the Southern Hemisphere (Furness 1996). It is an extremely
rare vagrant to the coasts and inland lakes of eastern Africa with only four confirmed
reports (from Kenya and Tanzania) since 1961 (D. Turner, pers. comm.).

During the afternoon of 5 December 2014 we were bird watching at Lake
Munyanyange, a large low-lying lake in open countryside near the village of Katwe,
bordering the Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda (0°08'S, 29°53'E).
We were accompanied by Kasasa Hannington and a local guide and ornithologist,
Ouma Richardson. At one point PH noticed a bird flying close to the lakeshore which
he thought was a skua, although nothing more came of it since the bird quickly
disappeared from view.

Fortunately, several minutes later, he noticed the bird again as it flew in isolation,
high and distantly over the lake, moving apparently in the wake of a large group of
departing Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus. He shouted to DT who managed to
locate the bird in his camera and take several photographs. Although rather far away
the bird could be clearly picked out as it moved slowly southwards, making large
sweeping circular glides in the manner of a migrating raptor. It appeared to be the
same size or smaller than the departing gulls and the overall impression was that it

48

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was (for a skua) rather light and slender, lacking any notable heaviness or bulk. The
head in particular seemed rather small. The bird was in view for some 90 s before
it was lost in the distance. After it had disappeared the feeling was that it had been
'either an Arctic [S. parasiticus] or a Long- tailed'. However, neither of us was very
experienced in seabird watching, so no firm conclusions on the bird's identity could
be drawn.

About a week later we returned to our respective countries and sought the opin-
ions of friends who had more experience of seabirds and a better knowledge of skua
identification. Because of the bird's overall size and jizz, in particular its wing shape
(with narrow arms similar in depth to the hand), identification was concentrated on
Arctic vs Long- tailed Skua (Pomarine S. pomarinus was eliminated). Based on the
photographic evidence our 'third parties' concluded (independently) that the bird
was a Long- tailed Skua (Fig. 1). The barred axillaries and short blunt (juvenile) projec-
tions to the central tail feathers indicated that it was a bird in its first winter.

Figure 1. Photographs of Long-tailed Skua in Uganda showing the light build, narrow wings
and slim bill. (L-R) Upperwing, short rounded tail projections, jizz, and underwing barring
(photos D. Thoms).

Arctic Skua was eliminated by the following suite of charcters:

• the narrow 'arms', similar in 'depth' to the 'hand' (the arm appears
broader in Arctic)

• the white primary shafts, present only on P10 and P9

• the broad blunt projections to the central tail feathers

• the overall small appearance with a small head

• the suggestion of heavily barred undertail coverts

• the white belly — typical for juvenile Long-tailed, but extremely
unusual for juvenile Arctic.

The observation was submitted to the East African Rarities Committee who have
accepted it as the first documented record for Uganda.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Chris Batty and Laurent Spanneut for having responded to our
identification questions about this bird. Don Turner is to be thanked for clarifying the status
of Long-tailed Skua in East Africa, and Ouma Richardson's local knowledge on the day was
appreciated.

References

Blomdahl, A., Breife, B. & Holmstrom, N. 2003. Flight identification of European seabirds. London:
Helm.

Furness, R.W. 1996, in del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. eds. Handbook of the Birds of the
World. Vol. 3. Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Snow, D. & Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic: Concise Edition, Vol 1. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.

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49

Stevenson, T. & Fanshawe J. 2004. Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda,
Burundi. London: Poyser.

Peter Hayman

24 Smithfield Road, Norwich, Norfolk, England

David Thoms

53 rue Victor Hugo, Hall C, 93100, Montreuil, France. Email: davidthornslOO@gmail.com

Scopus 35: 47-49, July 2015
Received 3 June 2015

A second Uganda record of Red-footed Falcon Falco
vespertinus

On Sunday 5 October 2014, a crystal clear morning with the Rwenzori chain clear of
cloud cover, I drove north from Fort Portal with my wife Jean to Lake Saka and we
walked on from there to the grassy escarpment overlooking the Lake Albert rift val-
ley. From here we witnessed a memorable passage of raptors. First to appear were
three Steppe Buzzards Buteo buteo vulpinus travelling south overhead. Then, as the
morning progressed, more birds began to arrive, with "kettles" of Steppe Buzzards
and Lesser Spotted Eagles Aquila pomerina appearing overhead as they climbed up
the rift. At about 10:00 we were watching a circling European Honey Buzzard Pernis
apivorus when a small falcon appeared with it, initially no more than about 25 m above
us. It was pale grey above, slightly darker on the head, tail and wing coverts, and
pale grey below with an obvious orange/ red vent area, the under- wing coverts and
tail being slightly darker. We watched it through binoculars for a couple of minutes,
soaring with the Honey Buzzard, before both birds gained height and drifted south.
Although its soft part colours could not be seen, the falcon could only have been a
male Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, a bird I am familiar with from Europe and
from spring passage in Cameroon. That morning, in addition to the falcon, we finally
counted the following migrant raptors: 45 Steppe Buzzards, 9 Lesser Spotted Eagles,
4 European Honey Buzzards, 5 Black Kites Milvus migrans and a Booted Eagle Aquila
pennata.

The Red-footed Falcon has been accepted by the EARC as the second confirmed
record for Uganda, the first being a bird at Murchison Falls National Park on 4 October
2000 (Skeen 2014). The only two documented autumn records from Kenya were also
from mid October (Lewis & Pomeroy 1989). Red-footed Falcons from eastern Europe
and Asia cross the eastern Mediterranean but most would appear to pass west of our
region en route to wintering grounds in southwest Africa (Ferguson-Lees & Christie
2001).

References

Feruson-Lees, J. & Christie, D.A. 2001. Raptors of the world. London: Christopher Helm.

Lewis, A.D. & Pomeroy, D.E. 1989. A bird atlas of Kenya. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema.

Skeen, R.Q. 2014. A review of birds in Uganda: records updating the Uganda Atlas and notes
on species unrecorded since 1980. Scopus 33: 53-63.

Roger Q. Skeen

NatureUganda, Plot 1, Katalina Crescent, Naguru, P.O. Box 27034, Kampala, Uganda

Scopus 35: 49, July 2015
Received 6 May 2015

50

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True bats (Microchiroptera) in the diet of Verreaux's Eagle
Owl Bubo lacteus

Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus is a large owl widespread in eastern and southern
Africa and southern Central Africa, with a discontinuous distribution in West Africa
(Marks et al. 1999, Konig & Weick 2008). It inhabits a wide variety of habitats such
as woodlands, riparian forests, savannas, semi-deserts, deserts and even tropical
rainforests in West and Central Africa (Konig & Weick 2008). It is an opportunistic
predator; its diet has been recorded as comprising mainly mammals, such as rodents,
insectivores, primates and fruit bats, plus small to large birds including passerines,
ducks, herons, raptors and even smaller owls, such as Barn Owl Tyto alba and Spotted
Eagle Owl B. africanus (Brown 1965, Avery et al. 1985, Marks et al. 1999, Konig &
Weick 2008). In addition, it also takes reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders and
scorpions and it has also been recorded feeding on carrion (Brown 1965, Marks et al.
1999, Konig & Weick 2008, Chittenden 2014). It is a crepuscular and nocturnal hunter
and hunting near artificial lights has also been recorded (Brown 1965, Chittenden
2014).

On 3 February 2015 we observed a Verreaux's Eagle Owl perched on a tree branch
in a streamside forest (1°43'26"N, 37°16'49"E) about 2 km from the Salato campsite
near Ngurunit Village in foothills of the Ndoto Mountains, northern Kenya. Under
its perch we found two pellets that contained three lower jaws and one upper jaw
bone of bats, Chiroptera. These skeletal remains belonged to three individuals from
two different species from the family Molossidae, and one individual of Lander's
Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus landeri (Rhinolophidae).

Bats are common prey items of owls, not surprising considering that both
these animal groups are nocturnal (Marks et al. 1999). However, the proportion
of bats in owls' diets varies between species and populations, and is linked to the
ability of individual owl species to catch bats, and to the locational characteristics
and availability of bats (Marks et al. 1999, Roulin & Christe 2013). In the diet of
Verreaux's Eagle Owl, remains of fruit bats of the genus Rousettus were known from
one Kenyan study (Brown 1965). But neither Marks et al. (1999) nor Konig & Weick
(2008) mentioned bats from any other families. The bats described in our study are
much smaller than the species of Rousettus which inhabit Kenya (according to our
information only two Rousettus species are extant in Kenya — Egyptian Fruit Bat R.
aegyptiacus and Long-haired Rousette R. lanosus, both weighing over 100 g). While
Lander's Horseshoe Bat weighs only 5-11 g (Brown & Dunlop 1997), the jaw bones of
the molossid bats that we recovered were even smaller. These findings thus extend
our knowledge of the diet spectrum of Verreaux's Eagle Owl and support the notion
of its dietary opportunism.

Acknowledgements

We are very thankful to Petr Benda for help with identification of the bat remains.

References

Brown, L.H. 1965. Observations on Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus (Temminck) in Kenya.
Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society 25: 101-107.

Brown, K.M. & Dunlop, J. 1997. Rhinolophus landeri. Mammalian Species 1-4.

Chittenden H. 2014. Prey items of Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Bubo lacteus breeding in suburbia.
Gabar 25: 15-16.

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51

Konig, C. & Weick, F. 2008. Owls of the world. London: Christopher Helm.

Marks, J.S., Cannings, R.J., Mikkola, H., Holt, D.H., Berkley, R., Deppe, C., et al. 1999: Family
Strigidae (typical owls). Pp. 34-243 in del Hoyo, ]., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds) Handbook of
the birds of the world , Vol. 5 Barn-owls to hummingbirds. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Roulin, A. & Christe, P. 2013. Geographic and temporal variation in the consumption of bats by
European Barn Owls. Bird Study 60: 561-569.

Peter Mikula

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicnd 7, 128 43 Praha 2,
Czech Republic. Email: petomihdal58@gmail.com

Martin Hromada

Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities
and Natural Sciences, University ofPresov, 17. novembra 1, 081 16 Presov, Slovakia and Faculty of
Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Gora, Szafrana 1, 65-516 Zielona Gora, Poland

Scopus 35: 50-51, July 2015
Received 12 March 2015

An observation of successful bat predation by Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar at Ndoto Mountains, Kenya

Bat predation by diurnal raptors is a widespread phenomenon, but only occasionally
observed or studied in detail. Observations of such behaviour have been published
from the African continent, including Kenya, for the following species: Lanner Fal-
con Falco biarmicus, Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (Thomsett 1987), Taita Falcon
Falco fas ciinucha (Thomsett 2006), African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro (Mumford 1980),
Black Kite Milvus migrans (McWilliam 1989), Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus (Jack-
son 2000) and Ayres's Hawk-Eagle Hieraaetus dubius (Wolf 1984).

On 3 February 2015 at 17:30 we observed such hunting behaviour in Gabar
Goshawk Micronisus gabar. We were exploring a streamside forest at the foot of the
Ndoto Mountains about 3 km from the Salato campsite (1°43'25"N, 37°16'49"E) near
Ngurunit Village, northern Kenya. We saw a small unidentified bat hanging on a tree
branch. A Gabar Goshawk flew towards it and tried unsuccessfully to catch it. After
the initial attack the bat tried to escape, but the goshawk turned back and during
a second attempt successfully caught it in mid-air. The bat was crying loudly and
trying to escape by wing flapping, but the goshawk flew with it for several tens of
metres, landed on a wide tree branch and began to consume it. We attempted to get
closer to the feeding goshawk, but it flew away with its prey, thus making a precise
determination of the bat species impossible.

The Gabar Goshawk's diet consists mainly of small to middle-sized birds and
lizards, and mammalian prey is also taken to a lesser extent (Ferguson-Lees & Christie
2001). As far as we know, our observation is only the second published account of bat
predation by this species. The first was by McGrew (1980) in Niokolo-Koba National
Park in Senegal where a Gabar Goshawk successfully attacked an unidentified bat in
mid-air and then drowned it in a nearby stream.

Acknowledgements

We are very thankful to Wanyoike Wamiti for help with the determination of the goshawk
species.

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References

Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D.A. (eds) 2001. Raptors of the world. London: Helm Identification
Guides.

Jackson, C. 2000. Records: Afrotropical species. Kenya Birds 8: 47-57.

McGrew, W.C. 1980. Gabar Goshawk drowns its prey. Ostrich 51: 53.

McWilliam, A.N. 1989. Emergence behaviour of the bat Tadarida ( Chaerephon ) pumila (Chiroptera:
Molossidae) in Ghana, West Africa. Journal of Zoology 219: 698-701.

Mumford, R.E. 1980. Two cases of hawk predation on bats. Bat Research News 21: 11.

Thomsett, S. 1987. Bat hunting by Lanner Falcons in Kenya. Gabar 2: 7-8.

Thomsett, S. 2006. 'Breathtaking'. Swara 29: 12-13.

Wolf, D.E. 1984. Ayres' Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus dubius feeding on a fruit bat. Scopus 8: 44.

Peter Mikula

Department of Zoology, Facidty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 43 Praha 2,
Czech Republic. Email: petomikulal58@gmail.com.

Martin Hromada

Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities
and Natural Sciences, University of Presov, 17. novembra 1, 081 16 Presov, Slovakia and Faculty of
Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Gora, Szafrana 1, 65-516 Zielona Gora, Poland

Scopus 35: 51-52, July 2015
Received 12 March 2015

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53

News

A Kenya Bird Report

We are planning to reintroduce a Bird Report as a regular Scopus item along the lines
of those that appeared in the journal up to 1996. In the initial report, confined to
Kenya, we envisage covering the three-year period 2012-2014. We shall be looking to
capture interesting records in one or more of the following categories:

1) Species scarce, threatened or data-deficient in Kenya

2) Occurrences outside the species' usual Kenyan range

3) Records of unusual numbers

4) Unusual dates for migrants

5) Records of breeding interest — numbers, new sites, etc.

If you have any such records for Kenya, please send them to scopus@naturekenya.org

For scarce species and major range extensions, you may be asked to provide
supporting evidence in the form of a photo, drawing, or detailed written description
of the observation.

We list below all those species for which we would like to publish records in the
first category. Those with fewer than five Kenya records are indicated by an asterisk
(*). The list of residents that are threatened or seldom recorded is a long one. Many
have decreased drastically in recent years, particularly as a result of habitat loss.
Palaearctic migrants tend to be little recorded away from such sites as Ngulia, Nairobi
or the Rift Valley and some are regionally scarce within Kenya. Records of oceanic
species will always be of interest.

We hope to include this first report in Scopus 36 due to be published early in 2016.
Then, depending on the volume of records received, we aim to publish a report once
a year, and to extend this to Uganda and Tanzania.

Species for which records are requested

(*signifies fewer than five Kenya records; the order and names follow Checklist of the
birds of Kenya, 4th edition, 2009. Nairobi: Bird Committee, Nature Kenya, EANHS)

Afrotropical and oceanic species

Ring-necked Francolin Francolinus streptophorus
Chestnut-naped Francolin* Francolinus castaneicollis
Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa
Black-browed Albatross* Thalassarche melanophrys
Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta
Cape Petrel* Daption capense
Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata
Slender-billed Prion* Pachyptila belcheri
White-chinned Petrel* Procellaria aequinoctialis
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus
Tropical Shearwater Puffinus bailloni
Sooty Shearwater* Puffinus griseus
Jouanin's Petrel Bulzveria fallax
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Black-bellied Storm-petrel* Fregetta tropica
Leach's Storm-petrel* Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Matsudaira's Petrel* Oceanodroma matsudairae

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Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus

Rufous-bellied Heron [away from the Mara] Ardeola rufiventris

Western Reef Heron [south coast] Egretta gularis

White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus

Greater Frigatebird Fregata minor

Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel

Christmas Island Frigatebird* Fregata andrewsi

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Masked Booby Sula dactylatra

Red-footed Booby Sida sula

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

Dickinson's Kestrel Falco dickinsoni

Taita Falcon Falco fasciinucha

Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus

Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus

Riippell's Vulture [only breeding records required] Gyps rueppellii

White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis

Beaudouin's Snake Eagle Circaetus beaudouini

African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus

Ovambo Sparrowhawk Accipiter ovampensis

Cassin's Hawk Eagle* Spizaetus africanus

Arabian Bustard* Ardeotis arabs

Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami

Streaky-breasted Flufftail Sarothrura boehmi

Striped Flufftail* Sarothrura affinis

Black Crowned Crane Balearica pavonina

Black-rumped Buttonquail Turnix hottentottus

Egyptian Plover* Pluvianus aegyptius

Kelp Gull* Larus dominicanus

White-eyed Gull* Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus

Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris

Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus

Purple-crested Turaco Tauraco porphyreolophus

Abyssinian Owl* Asio abyssinicus

Racquet-tailed Roller* Coracias spatulatus

Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica

Semi-collared Kingfisher Alcedo semitorquata

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater* Merops hirundineus

Southern Carmine Bee-eater* Merops nubicoides

Southern Ground Hornbill [away from conservation areas] Bucorvus leadbeateri

Velvet-mantled Drongo Dicrurus modestus

Mascarene Martin* Phedina borbonica

South African Cliff Swallow* Petrochelidon spilodera

Friedmann's Lark Mirafra pulpa

Gillett's Lark* Mirafra gilletti

Foxy Cisticola Cisticola troglodytes

River Prinia* Prinia fluviatilis

White-winged Apalis* Apalis chariessa

Little Grey Greenbul Andropadus gracilis

Yellow-streaked Greenbul* Phyllastrephus flavostriatus

Yellow-bellied Hyliota Hyliota flavigaster

Green Hylia Hylia prasina

Grey-chested Illadopsis Kakamega poliothorax

Splendid Glossy Starling Lamprotornis splendidus

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Spotted Ground Thrush Zoothera guttata
Taita Thrush Turdus helleri
Gambaga Flycatcher Muscicapa gambagae
Pygmy Sunbird Hedydipna platyura
Orange Weaver Ploceus aurantius
Weyn's Weaver* Ploceus weynsi
Heuglin's Masked Weaver Plceus heuglini
Yellow-mantled Weaver* Ploceus tricolor
Red-headed Quelea Quelea erythrops
Black-bellied Seed-cracker Pyrenestes ostrinus
Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah Vidua obtusa
Dusky Indigobird* Vidua funerea
Striped Pipit Anthus lineiventris
Streaky-headed Seedeater* Crithagra gularis
Brown-rumped Bunting* Emberiza affinis

Palaearctic

Gadwall Anas strepera

Common Pochard* Ay thy a ferina

Ferruginous Duck Ay thy a nyroca

Tufted Duck Ay thy a fuligula

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

Eurasian Bittern* Botaurus stellaris

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus

Amur Falcon [in western Kenya] Falco amurensis

Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae

Saker Falcon Falco cherrug

Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides

Short-toed Snake Eagle* Circaetus gallicus

Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus

Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga

Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca

Corncrake Crex crex

Spotted Crake Porzana porzana

Demoiselle Crane* Anthropoides virgo

Common Crane* Grus grus

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Northern Lapwing* Vanellus vanellus

Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus

Pintail Snipe* Gallinago stenura

Great Snipe Gallinago media

Spotted Sandpiper* Actitis macularius

Red Knot* Calidris canutus

Red-necked Stint* Calidris ruficollis

Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

Broad-billed Sandpiper [away from Sabaki] Limicola falcinellus
Buff-breasted Sandpiper* Tryngites subruficollis
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Grey Phalarope* Phalaropus fulicarius
Cream-coloured Courser* Cursorius cursor

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Common Gull* Larus canus

Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus

Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis

Arctic Tern* Sterna paradisaea

Little Tern Sternula albifrons

Black Tern* Chlidonias niger

Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus

Arctic Skua* Stercorarius parasiticus

Long-tailed Skua* Stercorarius longicaudus

Eurasian Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur

Eurasian Wryneck jynx torquilla

Southern Grey Shrike* Lanius meridionalis

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus

Greater Short-toed Lark* Calandrella brachydactyla

Grasshopper Warbler* Locustella naevia

Savi's Warbler* Locustella luscinioides

Basra Reed Warbler [western and central Kenya] Acrocephalus griseldis

Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix

Rose-coloured Starling* Pastor roseus

Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Whinchat [in eastern Kenya] Saxicola rubetra

Black-eared Wheatear* Oenanthe hispanica

Desert Wheatear* Oenanthe deserti

Pied Flycatcher* Ficedula hypoleuca

Collared Flycatcher* Ficedula albicollis

Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris

Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana

Additionally, these species in Western Kenya:

Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia
Irania Irania gutturalis
Rufous Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palutris
Upcher's Warbler Hippolais languida
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum

And these coastal species inland:

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinerea
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Sanderling Calidris alba
Common Tern Sterna hirundo

The Editors of Scopus : Darcy Ogada and David Pearson

Scopus 35: 53-56, 9 July 2015

SCOPUS

Scopus is published Open Access twice a year by the Bird Committee of the East
Africa Natural History Society. Occasionally a Special Supplement is published
in hard copy, and for sale. For information on how to receive Scopus, contact Na-
ture Kenya P.O. Box 44486, G.P.O. 00100, Nairobi, Kenya, tel. +254 20 3749957,
email: scopus@naturekenya.org or visit the website: www.naturekenya.org

Cover illustration from a gouache painting by P.A. Clancey

Editors

Darcy Ogada, Kenya: darcyogada@yahoo.com
David Pearson, UK: dpearson251@gmail.com

Editorial board

Graeme Backhurst, UK; Leon Bennun, UK; Norbert Cordeiro, USA/ Tanzania;
Luc Lens, Belgium; Jeremy Lindsell, UK; Muchai Muchane, Kenya; Derek
Pomeroy, Uganda; Don Turner, Kenya

Notes for contributors

Scopus welcomes original contributions —
which have not been published else-
where— on all aspects of the ornithology
of eastern Africa, encompassing the area
from Sudan, Ethiopia and the Horn of Af-
rica countries south to Mozambique, and
including the Malagasy region.

Contributions include original (full)
papers, short communications (normally
under two pages in length, including short
notes and records) and letters. Original
articles and short communications should
present some new results that have not
been published or been submitted for
publication elsewhere. All submissions
are subject to peer review. They will be
assessed by at least one member of the
editorial board as well as by independent
referees.

The text must be written in (British)
English following the preferred spelling
of the Oxford dictionary of English, Third
edition, 2010, or later. Please type noth-
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preparing your manuscript, please follow
the conventions used in Scopus and refer
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guidance. Some examples of conventions

are:

Units: Metric units and their SI equiva-
lents and abbreviations should be used.

Dates: 21 February 2001 [note the order,
no comma, not 21 s *].

Time of day: 13:00 [note colon, no 'hours',
'hrs' or 'h'; 'h' is a unit of time, not of
time of day].

Names of birds: Cape Rook Corvus capen-
sis [no comma, no parentheses, no au-
thor's name (unless pertinent to a point
in the text)].

References cited in the text: Cite multi-
ple references in chronological order,
separated by commas, e.g. (Njoroge &
Launay 1998, Mlingwa et al. 2001) [note
ampersand, italicized ‘et al.', no comma
between authors' names and date] .

List references at the end of an article: See

the examples below for format.

Give names of journals in full. For books,
after author (s), year of publication and
title, give town followed by the publish-
er. For example:

Cordeiro, N.J. & Githiru, M. 2000. Conser-
vation evaluation for birds of Brachylaena

woodland and mixed dry forest in north-
east Tanzania. Bird Conservation Interna-
tional 10: 47-65.

Stuart, S.N., Jensen, F.P., Brogger-Jensen,
S. & Miller, R.1. 1993. The zoogeography
of the montane forest avifauna of eastern
Tanzania. Pp. 203-228 in Lovett, J.C. &
Wasser, S.K. (eds) Biogeography and ecolo-
gy of the rainforests of Eastern Africa. Cam-
bridge: Cambridge University Press.

Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. & Keith, S. (eds)
1986. The birds of Africa. Vol. 2. London:
Academic Press.

BirdLife International 2013. Species
factsheet: Balearica regulorum.

Downloaded from http:/ / www:birdlife.
org on 14/05/2013.

Both English and scientific names of
birds should be given when the species
is first mentioned — in the title and in the
text — thereafter, only one name should
be used.

Bird names should be those of a stated
work. Any deviations from this work
should be noted and the reasons given.
Black-and-white or colour photographs
and line illustrations should be provided
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format. All articles should be submitted
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Please send all contributions to

The Editors, Scopus , email:
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Rare birds in East Africa

Records of rare birds from Kenya, Tanza-
nia and Uganda are assessed by the East
Africa Rarities Committee. Records from
other countries in the region can also be
submitted for review and possible pub-
lication in Scopus. A full account of the
record should be sent to the committee
Chairman, Nigel Hunter (nigelhunter@
timbale.org) and the Scopus zeditors.

Ringing scheme of eastern Africa

This covers several countries in the area.
Qualified and aspiring ringers should
contact the ringing organizer, Bernard

Amakobe, Ornithology Section, Zoology
Department, National Museums of Ken-
ya, P.O. Box 40658, 00100, Nairobi, Ken-
ya; tel. +254 20 3742161 ext. 243; email:
scopumbre05@gmail.com

The BirdLife International Partnership
in eastern Africa

Through its national partners, the
BirdLife International Africa Partnership
Secretariat in Nairobi co-ordinates bird
conservation work in the region and pro-
duces several other publications of inter-
est to ornithologists.

Ethiopian Wildlife & Natural History
Society, P.O. Box 13303, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia; tel +251 (0) 2 183520;
email: ewnhs@telecom.net.et

The East Africa
Natural History Society

Nature Kenya, P.O. Box 44486,
00100, Nairobi, Kenya; tel. +254 (0)
2 3749957/3746090; email: office®

naturekenya. org

Nature Uganda, P.O. Box 27034,
Kampala, Uganda; tel. +256 (0) 41 540
719, fax 533528; email: eanhs@imul.com

Wildlife Conservation Society of
Tanzania, P.O. Box 70919, Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania; tel. +255 (0) 22
2112518/2112496, fax 2124572; email:
wcst@africaonline.co.tz

National Bird Mapping Projects

Kenya Bird Map

keny abirdmap . adu. or g. za

Tanzania Bird Atlas

tanzaniabir datlas .com