} MALIMBUS Journal of the West African Ornithological Society Societe d’Ornithologie de l’Ouest Africain THE BIRDS OF IVORY COAST J. M. THIOLLAY VOLUME 7 1985 Number 1 , May WEST AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY SOCIETE D’ORNITHOLOGIE DE L’OUEST AFRICAIN Conseil 1982-1985 President Professeur Brian J. Harris Vice-President Dr Gerard J . Morel Secretaire Professeur John H. Elgood Tresorier Mr Robert E . Sharland Editeur, Malimbus Dr C. Hilary Fry La correspondance doit etre adressee coniine suit . - les manuscrits et les demandes des numeros precedents a 1' editeur (Aberdeen University Department of Zoology, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland, U.K.) - les cotisations et toutes questions financieres au tresorier (Flat 7 Elsdown Court, Southampton Road, Rinfcwood, Hants, UK; - les questions d'interet general au President (Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria) ou au Vice-President (Station d ' Ornithologie , Richard-Toll , B.P. 20, Senegal) - les autres questions au Secretaire general (26 Walkford Way, Highcliffe, Dorset BH23 5LR, U.K.) La Societe tire son origine de la "Nigerian Ornithological Society" fondee en 1964. Son but est de promouvoir l'interet scientifique pour les oiseaux de 1 ' Ouest-africain et de faire avancer 1' ornitho- logie de ces regions principalement au moyen de son journal Malimbus (anciennement the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society). Les demandes d' adhesion seront les bienvenues. Les cotisations annuel les * sont de fi£ pour les membres ordinaires, et de 15£ Pour les Societes. Les membres regoivent gratuitement Malimbus . Anciens numeros : les volumes 11 (1975); 12 (1976); 13 et 14 (1978) du "Bulletin de la Nigerian Ornithological Society (meme ^ format que Malimbus ) sont disponibles a raison de 2 livres anglaises par volume. La plupart des numeros plus anciens sont encore dis ponibles . Prix a la demande. * les cotisations doivent etre payees en livres sterling ou en francs frangais pour leur encaissement au Royaume-Uni ou en livres nigerianes pour leur encaissement au Nigeria. AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY PRESS : La Societe est tres reconnaissante de la subvention d' Ahmadu Bello University Press, Nigeria a qui appartient le copyright de Malimbus. ISSN : 0331 - 3689 Emblem design by Philip Blasdale Received 8 October 1984 THING LIBRARY iRY Since the first check-list of the birds of Ivory Coast (Brunei & Thiollay 1969-70) , a considerable amount of new data have been obtained throuqh field work by the author in 1967-1984 and by numerous other ornithologists (see Acknowledgements) , many resident in the country for tvo or more years. A more accurate statement has become possible and is much needed by the increasing number of birdwatchers attracted to this country, which is now one of the easiest, safest and most rewarding for tourism in West Africa. The maintenance of the best preserved and the largest areas of natural guinea woodland, dense rain forest, and coastal laeroons west of Cameroon makes Ivory Coast unique for study of the primitive avifauna of humid western Africa. With its record of 683 species Ivory Coast is one of the richest countries of its size in Africa. If a few new species remain to be discovered (perhaps 20-30, mostly vagrants) , much more remains to be learnt about distribution, seasonal movements, ecological requirements, and breeding of the majority of species. The need is urgent, in view of the rapidly dwindling populations of many species. TOPOGRAPHY 2 Ivory Coast is 320,763 km in extent, with about 8 million inhabitants. Altitude increases gently from the coastal zone to the northern half of the country, where it does not exceed 300-400 m except for some granite inselbergs reaching 600-700 m. Rut the northwestern mountain range, from Mt Peko to the Mali-Guinea border, has a mean altitude around 500 m, with numerous summits between 800 and 1 ,300 m and with Mt Nimba on the Liberia- Guinea border culminating at 1,752 m. Only the peak of Nimba lies above the critical 1,500 m level, considered by Moreau (1966) to be the lower limit of montane habitat. The three large, north-south river systems are the Comoe, Rand air a and Sassandra. They do not offer any obstacle or guide line to birds distribu- tion. Climate The annual climatic fluctuations depend on the north-south movement of the Intertropical Front alternately giving cool moist winds from the southern equatorial maritime air mass (rainy season) and hot. dry harmattan from the northern tropical continental air mass. Fig. 1 shows that annual rainfall > 2,000 mm occurs only in the extreme southeast, southwest and west of the country. Rainfall decreases to a minimum of 900 mm near the Upper Volta border in the northeast. In the south, the usual pattern is a long rainy season (April -mid July) followed by a short drier season (July-September) , evergreen rain forest semideci duous forest SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA □ SUDAN ZONE B _J OUDOi.'! i- v ‘ Fia. 2. Main vegetation zones and localities cited. A - Azaony N.P., C = Cono§ N.P., M = Marou6 N.P., T - Tai N.P. 5 covered by an often nearly continuous, rather dense, savanna woodland (includinq many Daniella , Isoberlinia , Lophira , Diospyros and Uapaca) , interrupted by infrequent gallery forests bordering the few permanent watercourses. Other dense patches of forest remain on rocky slopes, protected from fires or spared by farmers near villages of the Korhogo area for religious reasons. Both these relict sacred woods and large gallery forests allow many forest species to enter far into the savanna zone. Bare granitic inselbergs and flat lateritic plateaux (concretionary ironstone deposits) , covered only by a thin grass layer of Sporobolus during the rains, are typical features of this large northern guinea zone. Contrary to what happens from Ghana to Nigeria, the human population here is sparse and confined to only a small part. The far northern border of the country is the dry Sudan (or better subsudan) zone. Butyrospermum , Parkia and Adansonia are numerous in cultivated areas, and the woodlands are composed of a Monotes-Burkea- Erythrophleum-Ber 1 inia-Par inar i association . Other habitats are: - Larae inland lakes, dams, and hydroelectric reservoirs in the southwest (Buyo), southeast (Ayam£) , centre (Taabo, Kossou) and north (Ferkessedougou) . Their fluctuating level does not allow the development of reed beds or other aquatic vegetation. - During the dry season, many rocky or sand banks appear on the rivers and are the typical habitat of several species ( Glareola , Oedicnemus, Vanellus) as well as good fishing sites for herons, egrets, storks and kingfishers. - True montane forest is restricted between 1 ,300 m and 1 ,600 m on Mt Nimba. It is dense and very humid, rich in tree-ferns and epiphytes. - Montane grassland, on the ridge of Mt Nimba, harbours a few endemics (Saxicola , Anthus , Cisticola ) . MIGRATIONS One of the main consequences of climatic fluctuations are savanna bush fires. Almost the entire guinea and sudan zones are burnt every dry season (mainly December to February) . The destruction of the grass cover and the defoliation of trees are followed immediately in the south, later in the north, by green regrowth. The habitat is then suitable for many migratory species, which disappear when the rains reduce food accessibility through the growth of high dense vegetation. Of the 683 species, 102 are Palearctic migrants, 38 are _ intra-African migrants breeding outside Ivory Coast and 25 are intra-African migrants breeding within the country, in the dry season. Many more species perform local seasonal movements or have fluctuating numbers, without ever leaving the country completely. Most, if not all, of the migratory movements are northward at the onset of the rainy season and southward in the early dry season. So general is the migratory tendency among the avifauna that I wonder if there is a single savanna or open wetland species which is fully sedentary over all its range. 6 By contrast, many forest species appear to be sedentary although several frugivores (Bycanistes, Psittacus, Treron, Lamprotornis) show locally important seasonal variations of abundance. POPULATION CHANGES AND CONSERVATION Outside some large agricultural schemes (Ferkessedougou area) , most of the northern savannas are yet undisturted, except for the destruction of their large mammal fauna. The central and southern savannas have been more affected by the growth of human population and living standards than southern ones, and plantations are rapidly destroying the last natural areas. The forest zone has changed dramatically during the last 30 years. The remain ing primary forest, estimated at 11.8 million hectares in 1956, was reduced to 4 M ha in 1976 and to 0.4 M ha in 1984. Intensive logging and road net- work construction have been followed by waves of immigrants in search of . agricultural lands and by huge conmercial plantations . Hunting pressure in the remaining patches of secondary forest quickly eliminates the large mammals and birds, which are already severely affected by habitat destruction. Fortunately sizeable representative areas of virgin habitat have been preserved in national parks or equivalent reserves within each main vegetation zone: Banco forest near Abidjan (2,900 ha), Azagny (marshes, and swamp forest, 30,000 ha) , Tai (dense rain forest, 330,000 ha) , Mt Nunba (montane forest, 5,000 ha) , Mt Peko and Mt Sangb§ (63,000 ha) as well as Lamto (2,700 ha) and Maraoud (100,000 ha) in the forest-savanna. mosaic zone, and Comod (1.1 M ha) in the northern guinea zone. Together their cover 5% of the country. Although intensive poaching . greatly reduces the mammal fauna, it does not seem directly to affect birds within the parks. Large areas of open farmlands and derived savanna created in the forest zone are colonized by numerous savanna species, which now have a continuous distribution from the guinea zone to the coast (where most of them had a . relict population) . Large new reservoirs have also favoured ranae extensions of many wetlands birds previously lacking inland suitable habitat. The development of r icefields (not all cultivated every year) also favours many marsh and granivorous birds. Many of the early data of Bouet & Millet Horsin (1916-17) give a different picture of the avifauna at that time. Although limited to only a few localities, they show two striking phenomena: 1 Many large birds (Darter, geese, storks, eagles, bustards, Great Turaco and Hornbills) were much more abundant and widespread than today. Hunting pressure and habitat destruction have eliminated many local populations and confined the healthy ones to national parks. 2 Although at that time, most of the forest zone was yet undisturbed . and probably unbroken over huge areas, a surprisingly high number of species, now restricted to the guinea or even sudan belts, was cited from the coastal area (Grand Bassam, Abidjan) . More generally, many species' distributions had much more southern limits than today (or at least than in the 1960-1 970s). The first 15 or so years of the century are well known to have been a dry period, similar to or even 7 worse than the present years, including not only spectacular droughts but also a general reduction of mean annual rainfall over most of West Africa. The intervening 40 or so years are considered a humid period which has probably shaped the distributional features of birds today. The present driness is undoubtedly responsible for the increasing number of species (see text) newly occurring in northern Ivory Coast, either as dry season vagrants or by increasing their ranges southward. For instance, in the well known Lamto reserve, after 15 years of intensive studies, 1 new species have been recorded since 1982. They are both sedentary and migratory, breeding and non-breeding species. Several other species, all of more northern origin, have increased in density or frequency. PRESENTATION OF DATA The sequence of families and species, as well as scientific and Encrlish names, follow Serle & Morel (1977) with a few modifications taken from Hall & Moreau (1970), Snow (1978) and White (1960-65) when it seemed more . appropriate. Alternative names of Bannerman (1953) , used in a preliminary check-list (Brunei & Thiollay 1969-70) are in parenthesis. Except in a few cases, names of subspecies are not given because most are insufficiently studied; determination can be made from the literature. All the data given without references are personal observations . (birds seen or collected) or from Brunei & Thiollay (loc. cit.) and associated bibliography. Additional information provided by other people is included, but names of observers or references to published data are given only when there are no other records for the area. Years are not cited since they depend mere on observers' than birds' presences. All are from 1967 to 1984. The country has been surveyed unevenly, the centre, southwest and northeast beina much better known than the northwest or southeast. So the localities cited reflect frequency of visits more than the real distribu- tion of the birds, and lack of records from an area does not mean that the species is absent unless that is explicitly stated. Only the principal extreme range localities are given; the numerous intervening places are ignored. As the distributional limits of most species are latitudinal, typical well-surveyed localities are cited along the central south-north axis (Abidjan to Lamto, Bouakb and Ferkessddougou) , to characterize the northern or southern limits of the species which run roughly at the same latitude, within the same vegetation zone, from east to west of the country. Any geographical name means a rather large area all around, to avoid an excessive multiplication of obscure place names which do not have special significance. Even the large National Parks (Tdi, Maraoub, Comob) have been taken as a whole, even when they cross different vegetation zones or habitats . Status is summarized by the followincr abbreviations: r = resident, i.e. at least a large part of the population remains within the country all year even if there is much seasonal fluctuations between areas; 8 M A P = migrant, i.e. most of the population leaves the country, usually during the rainy season. However, sore individuals (immature birds) may remair in small numbers all year (some intra-African migrants in northern vor} Coast and many Palearctic migrants throughout) ; = intra-African, mostly originating from Sudan or Sahel zones; = Palearctic, of Eurasian or North Africa origin; V = vagrant , i.e. irregular or rare; B = breeds in Ivory Coast. Nests have been found or breeding proofs _ obtained for most species. Some residents, for which data are lacking, are assumed to breed when their year-round presence has been actually established and no movements have been cited elsewhere in their range. Terms like ’widespread' or 'common' always mean in the remaining, suitable habitats" since many species' distributions are now increasingly patchy because of forest fragmentation and other habitat destruction or heavy hunting pressure. BMH = Bouet & Millet-Horsin (1916-1917) ; PW - Forbes-Watson (1971) . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work has greatly benefitted from the numerous data provided by resident and visiting ornithologists. The most important set of. country- wide observations were gathered by the late J. Brunei, C. Chappuis, j.P. champroux, J.P. Ledant and D. Parelius. I am also much indebted to F. Adam, J. Arbeille, L. Bellier, A. Cheke, A. Deguillaume, R. Demey, F. Lauginie, P. Maliverney, A. Ouattara, H. Prendergast, G. Ullmann, J. Untermaier, P. Vogel, R. Vuattoux and W. Weitkowitz. Finally, F. Roux, Director of the C.R.B.P.O. (National Museum, Paris) , kindly gave me access to his files of ringed birds recovered in West Africa. To all of them, I am very grateful for their contribution including often an invaluable help in the field. SYSTEMATIC LIST PODICIPEDIDAE Pociceps ( Pol iocephalus ) zuf icollis Dabchick R B . ponds of the interior from Taabo to Korhogo and Corned, together (Ramoussoukro) . At least local movements. PROCELLARI I DAE Calonectris ( Procellar ia ) dimedea Cory's Shearwater specimens collected at sea near Abidjan (INTES) . Pterodroma (Bulweria) mollis Soft-plumaged Petrel V ? One sight record offshore near Jacqueville (Feb, Ledant) . Oceanites oceanicus Wilson's Petrel M (from Antarctic) . Seen several times at sea near Abidjan (Nov— Mar) . Regular on lakes a sometimes up to 25 PM? Several 9 PHALACROCORACI DAE Anhinga rufa African Darter R B ? waters in every month. Local movements. Small numbers on inland and coastal Formerly much more abundant (BMH) . Phalacrocorax car bo White-breasted Cormorant V . One specimen , well seen and described on a lake near Ferkessedougou (Apr, Malivemey) . Phalacrocorax africanus Reed Cormorant R B ? Quite common on most inland lakes and coastal lagoons all year. Some movements. ARDEIDAE Ixobrychus minutus Little Bittern R B (+ P M ?) . Isolated birds recorded in most swamps and reed beds from Azagny to Korhogo and Comoe. Only the African race payesii has been so far identified, but Palearc ic migrants may occur . Ixobrychus sturmii African Dwarf Bittern A M ? B ? 16 isolated records from Abidjan, San Pedro and Grabo to Lamto, Toumodi, Rouakb and Comoe, mostly in the dry season, on dense or wooded marshes or ponds. Tigriornis leucolopha African Tiger Heron R B . Widespread throughout the forest zone, alona forest streams (even small watercourses in dense undergrowth) from coastal mangroves to Comob. Nycticorax leuconotus White-backed Night Heron P B . Much less abun dant and widespread and even more secretive and nocturnal than Tigriornis, but known from several localities, along forested rivers from Tai to Lamto and Rouakb. Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night Heron R B + P M ? Very loca on some lagoons (Grand Rassan to Azagny) and inland lakes (from Ayamb to Korhogo and Comob) mainly Oct to Apr (Palearctic migrants ?) . _ resident population is breeding in mangroves (young brought to Abidjan zoo, Laucrinie) . Bubulcus (Ardeola ) ibis Cattle Foret A M . Abundant dry season visitor throughout open habitats from Oct to May. Some birds are occasionally seen from mid- June to early Sep. Ardeola ralloides Squacco Heron Status unclear. Rather common and widespread (but solitary) , mainly from Oct to June, on lagoons (Abidjan, Azagny, San Pedro) and inland lakes and r icefields (Lamto, Rouakb, Korhogo, Comob) . May (no proof) include a resident breeding population, African birds breeding in Mali and European migrants (indistinguishable). Butorides striatus Little Green Heron R B . Common along wooded bank: of lagoons, rivers and lakes throughout the forest zone, up to Korhogo and Comob. Egretta ardesiaca Black Egret R B ? Locally abundant on some coastal marshes (Grand Rassam, Azagny, San Pedro) . Also occurs on inland lakes (Buyo to Bouakb) . Recorded every month. Egretta garzetta Little Egret waters. Decreases in July-Aug. migrants may be involved. Status ? Common on all coastal or inland. Both residents and African or even Palearctic 10 Egretta gu laris Reef Heron R B ? Widespread on coastal lagoons (at least Oct- July) but rarer on inland lakes (Taabo, Kossou, Bouakd) . Egretta intermedia Yellow— billed Egret R B ? Not uncommon (mostly solitary birds) from the coast (Abidjan to San Pedro) to Kossou and Comod. Often unnoticed among the numerous other egrets. So far only recorded from Nov to June. Egretta alba Great White Egret R B A M ? Common in all wetlands (a little less numerous than E. garzetta) . More abundant during the dry season . Ardea cinerea Grey Heron R B A (?) and P M . Widespread throughout in moderate numbers with a peak from Oct to Mar. A small breeding colony near Korhogo. One recovery (Soubre) of a bird r inched in Poland. Ardea melanocephala Black— headed Heron PR. Less numerous than A . cinerea. Isolated individuals on many types of wetlands and sometimes drier grasslands, from the coast (Abidjan, Azagny, San Pedro) to Lamto, Bouakd , Kossou, Comod, etc. Breeds with A. cinerea near Korhogo. Ardea purpurea Purple Heron P M R B ? Seems too common throughout Ivory Coast in every swamp, reed bed and abandoned r icefield, even from May to Sep, to include only Palearctic migrants. 4 recoveries from France. Either a resident breeding population or migrants from a breeding popula- tion in Mali are suspected. Ardea goliath Goliath Heron R B . Rare. Solitary individuals regularly seen only on some coastal swamps (Azagny) or along northern rivers (Comod) . Few vagrants elsewhere (Fresco, Kossou) . SCOPIDAE Scopus umbretta Hammerkop R B . The small coastal race (minor) is rare and very local (Azagny) . The northern race (umbretta) is only found in a few scattered localities along rivers north of the forest (breeding in Comod) . CICGNIIDAE Ciconia ciconia White Stork PM. Uncommon. Small groups, mainly nea2 bush fires, from Dec to Apr, throughout the savannas, down to Lamto (every year) and exceptionally to the coast (one killed at Grand Bereby) . 6 recoveries from Germany, Holland, France, Spain and Morocco. Ciconia ( Sphenorhynchus ) abdimii Abdim's Stork A M B . Occasional records, mainly during the prebreeding migration (Mar-June) north of Bouakd, Formerly breeding (Bouna and Ferkessddougou up to 1968) south even to Bouakd (BMH) but no nest has been found during the last 15 years. Ciconia ( Dissoura ) episcopus Woolly-necked Stork A M B . By far the most widespread stork throughout the savanna zone, large forest clearings, coastal swarmps and grasslands. Commoner from Dec to Mar, but also seen during the wet season on southern (Azagny, San Pedro) as well as northern (Comod) wetlands. Usually in pairs. Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis Saddlebill Stork R B ? Isolated pairs ii Comod only. 11 Anastomus lamelligerus Openbill Stork A M . Vagrants, Nov to May, along the coast and in the north (Comod, Ouangolodougou and Odiennd) . Also Lamto (Aug, Prenderqast) . Leptoptilos crumeniferus Marabou Stork A M . Uncommon. Mainly Comod (max. 3 together) Dec to Apr. 2 old coastal records (BMH) and a recent one in Lamto (Jan, Vuattoux) . Ibis ( Mycteria ) ibis Yellow-billed Stork A M . Some vagrants (3 to 12) to Comod (Mar-Apr, Maliverney, Ullmann) . THRESKIOPNITHIDAE Threskiornis aethiopica Sacred Ibis V . One sight record (Comod, Feb). Bostrychia (Hagedashia) hagedash Hadada Ibis P B . Common throughout undisturbed guinean savanna (gallery forest, wooded river banks) . Locally in the forest zone (lakes, swamps, inundated forest) and along the coast (mangrove) . Bostrychia (Lampribis) rara Spotted-breasted Ibis R B . Only known from primary humid rain forest (Tai) . Cited from Nimba (FW) . Bostrychia (Lampribis ) olivacea Olive Ibis P B . More widespread than B. rara. Restricted to primary (Tai, Nimba), swamp (Azagny) and even large gallery forest (Lamto) . Pairs fly over the forest at dusk with loud calls. Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis V . 16 near Dabou (Feb, Ledant) . Platalea alba African Spoonbill V . One sighted (Mar , Taabo) . ANATIDAE Dendrocygna bicolor Fulvous Whistling Duck V . 2 birds seen (Korhogo, Feb) . Dendrocygna viduata White- faced Whistling Duck P B . Throughout the year but marked movements. Small numbers scattered in the south (Grand Bassam, Azagny, Buyo) where it is more numerous during the dry season. More abundant (Apr-Dee) in the northern marshes (especially around Korhogo) where it breeds (June-Aug) . Alopochen aegyptiacus Egyptian Goose V . 2 sight records (Comod, Feb Mar) . Plectropterus gambensis Spur-winged Goose A M . Regular dry season visitor in small numbers on northern swamps, lakes and sand banks of large rivers , south to Bouakd. Pecently some more southern records (Lamto, Buyo) . Pteronetta hartlaubi Hartlaub's Duck R B . Uncommon, but formerly widespread along watercourses throughout the forest zone from coastal lagoons (Abidjan, Azacmy, San Pedro) to Maraoud and Comod, including man made lakes (Ayamd) . Range and numbers now much reduced by huntincr and forest destruction. Sarkidiornis melanotos Comb Duck V . 3 recent dry season records north of 9°30. A pair cited near Odiennd (BMH) . 12 Nettapus auritus African Pygmy Goose R B . Small and varying numbers in nearly every month on several swamps with floating vegetation from the coast ( Dabou , Azagny, San Pedro) to the north (Korhogo, Ferkessedougou , Comoe) . Breeding pairs in June-Aug . Anas querquedula Garganey P M . Increasing occurrence in recent years on northern (Ferkessddougou, Korhogo) and central (Bouakd) wetlands in Jan-Mar. Said to be killed by hunters near Abidjan (not confirmed) . Usually 3 to 20 birds at a time. Anas clypeata Shoveler P V . One sight record (Ferkessedougou, Feb) . ACCIPITRIDAE Aegypius (Torgos) tracheliotus Lappet-faced Vulture recent records (solitary birds) from Comod (Jan to Apr, Also Boundiali (Nov, Ledant) . Trigonoceps occipitalis White-headed Vulture R B . natural savannas north of 8°N . Isolated pairs only . Gyps rueppellii Ruppell's Griffon Vulture V . Increasing number of records (up to 3 individuals on a dead antelope) during the dry season, north of 9°N, of this mainly sahelian vulture. Gyps africanus White— backed Vulture P B . The commonest vulture of the northern savannas (nearly all north of 8^, and mostly concentrated in Comae ) . Occasional sightings south to Lamto. Frequently more than 100 around a carcass . Marked decrease in the wet season . Necrosyrtes monachus Hooded Vulture R B . Formerly common in all the towns of the guinean zone, from Toumodi northwards. Has now been much reduced, mainly in the Baould country, more because it is hunted for food than because of an improved sanitation. Gypohierax angolensis Palm— nut Vulture R B . Common throughout the forest zone. Reaches 10°N along gallery forests in savanna woodland. Not favoured by extensive industrial oil-palm plantations where it rarely feeds . Circus macrourus Pallid Harrier P M . By far the rarest harrier (no more than 20 records, all north of 8°N, Dec to Mar) . Prefers the driest and most open savannas. Circus pygargus Montagu's Harrier P M . Quite common (daily sightings) dry season visitor all over the guinean savannas , south to Lamto (Nov to Apr) . Circus aeruginosus Marsh Harrier P M . Common and widespread during the dry season over marshes, ricefields and humid grasslands throughout the country (even on montane grassland of Mt Nimba, Brosset) . Many immature birds remain during the wet season. Polyboroides typus Harrier Hawk R B . One of the commonest raptor throughout the forest zone (up to Odiennh and Ferkessedougou along gallery forest) . Reaches its highest density in the Borassus Palm, southern guinean savanna . V . Several north of 9°N) . Uncommon in the 13 Terathopius ecaudatus Bateleur R B . Now uncommon over most of the northern savannas, except the hills near Boundiali and mainly the Comod where it is rather abundant. Reaches its southern limit in the Maraoud. A marked decrease (30% ?) in July-Sep) may indicate a northward movement. Circaetus (gallicus) beaudouini Beaudouin's Snake Eagle P M B . A dry season visitor, uncommon but widespread over all the savannas (from Lamto northwards) but apparently breeding only north of 8°N and absent from June to Sep. May also breed in montane grassland of Mt Nimba (guinean side, Brosset) . An unusual observation near Sassandra (Feb, Maliverney) . The European Short-toed Eagle, Circaetus g. gallicus , has never been definitely identified in Ivory Coast. Circaetus cinereus Brown Snake Eagle R and A M B . Widespread over the northern savannas, down to Maraoud and Lamto. Much rarer from June to Oct and only found north of 9°N. Circaetus cinerascens Smaller Banded Snake Eagle R B . Uncommon in well wooded, mainly northern guinean savanna and gallery forests along water courses between 8 and 10°N (breeding zone, dry season). Expanding range during the rainy season where it is more frequent from Bouakd to Lamto (June-Sep) than at the other months. Dryotriorchis spectabilis Congo Serpent Eagle R B . A primary forest raptor, rarely entering secondary growth and not so far recorded outside the most humid southwestern part of the forest zone (Abidjan, Sassandra, Ta'i and Nimba to Man, Gagnoa and Daloa) . One of the most threatened species by the intense forest exploitation. Accipiter melanoleucus Black Sparrowhawk R B . The rarest forest Accipiter , known from Grand Lahou and San Pedro to Nimba, Lamto and Maraoud. Recently discovered (nest with young, Dec, Ledant) in the Comod. Prefers high dense forest, but also seen in large trees dominating secondary growth or plantations. Accipiter tachiro macro seel ides African Goshawk R B . Common through- out the forest zone including submontane forest (Nimba) , high mangrove (Azagny) and gallery forest (Comod) . Readily encountered in both primary and secondary forests and even in adjoining plantations or well wooded savannas . Its heavy rufous pigmentation of underparts , typical of a zone of allopatry with the Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, may lead to confusion with Accipiter castanilius which has never been definitely identified in Ivory Coast. Its characteristic call, when flying over the forest in early morning, differentiates it (may be up to the species level) from A. toussenelii of Gabon and Southern Cameroun where this call has never been heard, (Brosset, Chappuis and pers. obs.). Accipiter erythropus ( minullus ) West African Little Sparrowhawk R B . Nearly as widespread as the above species (Coast to Comod) and hardly less abundant in primary as well as secondary forests and galleries. Accipiter badius Shikra A M B . Common dry season breeder all over I the well wooded guinea savanna south to Lamto. Very few individuals I remain between mid- June and early Sep, most of them in the north. Accipiter ovampensis Ovampo Sparrowhawk A M . Uncommon wet season visitor, breeding south of the equator. Ten records in savanna, from 13 June to 5 Oct, from Lamto to Comod and Boundiali. 14 Melierax metabates Chanting Goshawk R B . Widespread and sedentary in northern guinea and subsudan savanna. Reaches its southern limit m the Maraoud . Also collected near Abidjan 70 years ago (BMH) . Melierax (Micronisus) gabar Gabar Goshawk A M (R B ?) . Uncommon Nov May north of 8°30 (25 records) , rarely south to Bouake (2) and even Lamto (1 , Feb). Many fewer in June-Sep (5, Comod, Ferkessddougou) . 9% are blacl phase . Urotriorchis macrourus Long-tailed Hawk R B . Widespread all over the forest zone from Ayame, Abidjan, Ta'i and Nimba to Lamto and Maraoud. Mostly restricted to primary or high secondary forest. Kaupifalco monogrammicus Lizard Buzzard R B . The commonest resident raptor over all the savannas, decreasing north of 8°N, and now entering large forest clearings down to Tai and Abidjan. Buteo buteo Coirmon or Steppe Buzzard PM. A local wintering migrant in small numbers from Nov to Apr in natural guinea savanna (Lamto, Maraoud and Comod) . Buteo auguralis Red-tailed Buzzard A M B . A common dry season breed® in the large clearings of all the forest zone, and to a lesser extent m the well wooded northern guinea savanna, but surprisingly scarce m the intervening southern guinea savanna (such as from Lamto to Bouake) . Disappears from May (in the south) or mid-June (in the north) to Sep (excep 1 July record in Comod) . Butastur rufipennis Grasshopper Buzzard A M . Common non breeding, visitor from Nov to Apr (max. in Jan, departures from mid Mar onwards) in a savannas north of the forest. Very partial to recently burnt areas. Formerly reached the coastal savannas . Lophaetus occipitalis Long-crested Eagle R B . Widespread, but not numerous over all the savanna zone. Has extended its range in the large clearings of the forest zone where it formerly occurred mainly m the coastal savannas. stephanoetus coronatus Crowned Eagle R B . Up to the 1960s occurred throughout the forest zone, even in logged forests, from the coast to Comod. Now much rarer after its main food has almost disappeared through a dramatic hunting pressure. Polemaetus bellicosus Martial Eaale R B . Scattered pairs in undis- turbed savannas north of 8°N (mainly Comod, also Boundiali and one pair m Maraoud) . Rare immature vagrants south to Toumodi and Lamto during the dry season. Spizaetus ( Cassinaetus ) africanus Cassin's Hawk Eagle R R . Mich more frequent than usually supposed in the literature. Probably throughout the forest zone. Known from San Pedro to Grand Lahou and Aboisso to Nimba, Divo, Lamto, Maraoud and Agnibilekrou) . Readily survives in secondary forest and even plantations where a fair number of large trees have been left. 1 15 Hieraaetus dubius (ayresi) Ayres' Hawk Eagle R B . Very local in the northern semideciduous part of the forest (Man, Daloa, Abengourou, N'Douci) . More partial to large gallery forest in well wooded savanna (Lamto, Maraoub , Comod). Extreme localities: Boundiali and Dabou. Hieraaetus ( fasciatus ) spilogaster African Hawk Eagle RB . A very small population in and around Comod and from Katiola to Ferkessddougou and Boundiali. Hieraaetus pennatus Booted Eagle P M . Much commoner in West Africa than was formerly thought, but its main distribution lies in the Sudan zone (Thiollay 1977). Isolated birds identified in most savanna areas (Lamto, Sipilou and Bouakd to Comod, Korhogo and Odiennd) from Dec to Apr and July record. Aguila rapax Tawny Eagle A M and R B ? Small numbers throughout the savanna zone (from Lamto and Maroue northward) during the dry season. A few individuals remain between June and Oct in the north (Comoe to Boundiali) . Seems to have much decreased since the late 1960s. Aguila wahlbergi Wahlberg's Eagle A M . Conrnoner and more widely distributed than A. rapax , from Lamto to Comod and Odiennd. Usually daily sightings in any natural savanna during the dry season. No records from July to Sep. Haliaetus vocifer African Fish Eagle R B . More than 12 breeding pairs in Comoe. Now rare or absent elsewhere even along the large rivers and lakes with forested banks . Known to be abundant on the coastal lagoons at the beginning of the century, it is now almost extinct (solitary birds recently recorded from Ayamd, Azagny, Fresco and San Pedro) . Hunting and overfishing may be involved in this decline. Milvus migrans Black Kite A M B and P M . The cormonest raptor during the dry season in every open habitat throughout the country. Everywhere nore than 90% of Kites belong to the African race parasiticus which breeds from Jan to May, but European birds ( Milvus m. migrans) have been identified in more than 20 localities, including 4 recoveries from Switzerland, France and Spain. They leave from Apr to June and re-invade Ivory Coast from Sep to Nov. Exceptional sightings in July- Aug. Pernis apivorus Honey Buzzard P M . Common throughout the forest zone from the coast to Comod (Sep to May) . Often seen in June-Aug. 3 recoveries (from Germany and Sweden) . Aviceda cuculoides African Cuckoo Falcon R B . Rather common all over the forest zone, even in secondary forest. Rapidly decreases north of 8°N, but follows the main gallery forest up to 10°N, readily foraging in savanna woodland. Elanus caeruleus Black-shouldered Kite R B . Common everywhere on cultivated lands, large clearings and similar degraded habitats, but rare in natural savanna. Chelictinia (Elanus) riocourii Swallow- tailed Kite V . Seen only once: Comod, Feb (Fgu Kronberg) . One doubtful mention near Abidjan in Snow's atlas. The normal southern limit of its dry season range is Banfora, just north of the Upper Volta border. 16 Macheirhamphus alcinus Bat Hawk R B . Secretive but widely distributed from the south (Abidjan, Tai, Niirfoa) to the north (Korhogo, Comob) . Forest clearings, savanna woodlands and towns or villages with big trees. Pandion haliaetus Osprey P M . Cornnon all over the coastal waters and inland lakes or large rivers. Many birds remain from June to Aug. 2 recoveries from Finland. Falco biarmicus banner Falcon R B . A breeding pair in nearly every town or large village with big trees throughout the northern savanna (from Bouakb and Beoumi northwards) . Has recently increased southward and is now breeding in Toumodi , Lamto, N'Douci and maybe near Abidjan. Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon R B and PM. A dozen pairs of the African F. p. minor are known (probably breeding) from the few cliffs available in northern (Niangbo, Korhogo, Boundiali) and western (Man, Nimba) Ivory Coast. The Palearctic F. p. calidus has been seen 11 times around coastal lagoons (Abidjan, Azagny, San Pedro) and inland lakes (Taabo, Kossou) from Nov to Apr. Falco cuvieri African Hobby R B . Fairly comman in the Boras sus Palm savanna of Lamto (and formerly Dabou) . Decreases north of 7 30 as palms disappear and savanna becomes dxier to concentrate only around gallery foresl (Comob) and sacred woods (Korhogo) . Falco subbuteo European Hobby P M . The scanty records (22 from Sep to May) suggest a very small wintering population in the forest clearings and gallery forest-savanna mosaic (Abidjan to Lamto and Beoumi) with more northern records (Comob, Korhogo) attributable to spring passage migrants. Falco chicquera Red-necked Falcon R B ? Known only from 3 localities between Korhogo and Tingrela. Falco ardosiaceus Grey Kestrel Isolated pairs found everywhere in open savannas, large clearings and farmlands. Falco vespertinus Red-footed Falcon P M . Rare. Only on spring passage. 6 records of 2 to 10 birds from Lamto to Korhogo (Feb- Apr) . Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel P M . Scattered dry season records of 1 to 9 birds from Abidjan (BMH and recently Demey) to Lamto-Toumodi (6 times) and Korhogo, except on the bare later itic plains of Comob where 20 to 60 birds often concentrate in Jan-Apr. Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel P M A M R B ? Quite common Palearctic migrants (F. t. tinnunculus) found throughout the country, greatly outnumber the African race (F. t. rufescens) only seen from Comob to the Korhogo - Boundiali area where it might breed. Only 2 dates between June and Seo. Falco alopex Fox Kestrel A M . A mere 21 dry season sightings north of 8°N (plus one at Lamto) and none from June to Oct. Some were seen around inselbergs (Korhogo, Niangbo) where they could breed. . 17 SAGITTARI IDAE Sagittarius serpentarius Secretary Bird A M . Only a dry season visitor to the open plains of Comob (none from June to Oct) . Probably no more than 10 individuals. No indication of breeding. PHASIANIDAE Francolinus ahantensis Ahanta Francolin R B . Mainly secondary growth of clearings throughout the forest zone, and forest edges on its northern border (Sipilou, Lamto, Bouakb, Comoe) . Francolinus bicalcaratus Double-spurred Francolin R B . Abundant throughout the savannas, even coastal farmlands. Francolinus albogularis White-throated Francolin R B . Very local in dense savanna. 7 known localities from Lamto to Ferkessbdougou . Francolinus lathami Latham's Francolin R B . The only forest francolin, common throughout the forest zone and northern galleries (to Sipilou and Comob) . Coturnix coturnix Common Quail P M . Formerly rather common from Dabou to Korhogo (BMH) . Now rare in Dec-Mar, from Lamto to Comod. Coturnix delegorguei Harlequin Quail A M . Rare dry season visitor, in more wooded savannas than other quails. 5 records from Lamto to Ferkessddoucrou . Coturnix chinensis ( Excalf actor ia adansoni ) Blue Quail R (?) B . The only common quail in every savanna, from Dabou to 10°N, mostly Nov to May. Few records during the rainy season. Favours humid grasslands in the north. Ptilopachus petrosus Stone Partridge R B . Common in northern savannas, south to Dabakala, not only near rocks (granite or ironstones) but also in flat densely wooded savanna. Much more often heard than seen. Agelastes meleagrides White-breasted Guineafowl R B . One of the most endangered birds in West Africa. Never seen outside high dense primary forest. Only known from the southwestern part of the forest zone, north to Dudkud, Daloa, Oumd and east to Guitri-Grand Lahou. May be restricted now to Tai (hunting pressure and habitat destruction) . A typical endemic of the so-called Sassandra refuge. Guttera edouartdi Crested Guineafowl R B . Formerly common throughout the forest zone (mainly edges, secondary and gallery forest) . Remains abundant (flocks of 6 yo 30 birds) in all the national parks, including on islands within the palm-swamp of Azagny. Numida meleagris Helmeted Guineafowl R B . Much more sensitive to hunting pressure than the Francolins. Formerly common in all the savannas, including coastal. Now restricted to the northern ones and becoming rare outside protected areas (flocks of up to 100 birds in Comod) . 18 RALLIDAE Himantornis haematopus Nkulengu Rail R B . Its characteristic pre awn call is frequently heard throughout the dense primary or old secondary fores from Abidjan and Tai to Niiriba and Como£. Canirallus oculeus Grey-throated Rail R B . Rare (or overlooked ?) . Azagny and Tai to Maraoud. More swampy forest than Himantornis. Crex crex Com Crake PM. One definite record (Lamto, Sep). Crex (Crecopsis) egregia African Crake A M - B . Common from Oct to May in central and southern guinea zones, entering second growth of fores clearings and coastal grasslands. North of 9°N, it is rare during the dry season but increases and remains throuah the wet months. Porzana porzana Spotted Crake P M Abidjan (Apr, Champroux) . One good sighting in a swamp near Porzana parva P M . One identified in humid secondary orassland near Abidjan (june, Vogel) . Limnocorax (Amaurornis) flavirostris Plack Crake R B abundant in all swamps from the coast to the north. Usually Sarothrura pulchra White-spotted Flufftail P B . By far the most widely distributed small forest crake (or song best known .) Often _hear (and tape recorded by Chappuis) from Abidjan to Tai, Nimba and Comoe. Sarothrura elegans Buff-spotted Flufftail K B ? Only identified in second arowth near Tai. sarothrura rufa Ped-chested Flufftail P B ? Probably marshes near Dabou, but awaits confirmation. Gallinula angulata Lesser Moorhen RE? Widespread m swamps from Abidjan and Azagny to Ferkessddougou . Apparent seasonal movements bu does not seem to disappear at anytime. Gallinula chloropus Moorhen R B . As widespread as G. angulata but less abundant, more local and more sedentary. GRUIDAE Porzana marginal is Striped Crake A M ? B ? One certain and 2 possible records in swamps around Korhogo (Mar to Jul) . Balearica pavonina Crowned Crane V ? B ? Only seen (Feb-Mar) in Comoe. Also cited from OdiennS (Bouet) . A captive bird at Korhogo said to have been taken unfledged in the area. Rare. Porphgrio porphgrio Purple Gallinule R B . Abundant in the few reedbeds remaining along the coast (Grand Bassam to Azagny and San Pedro) and inland (Bouakd to Korhogo) . Porphgrio alleni Allen's Gallinule R B . Common in the northern swamps with floating vegetation (Bouakd to Korhogo) where it breeds during the we season. Increases in the dry season on coastal marshes. 19 HELIORNITHIDAE Podica senegalensis African Finfoot R B . Widespread along wooded banks of all rivers and lagoons (from the coast to Comod) . OTIDIDAE Eupodotis senegalensis White-bellied Bustard R B . Seems to be much rarer today in guinea savannas (from Toumodi to Comod and Tingrela) than supposed from earlier accounts (Bouet, Bannerman) . May be absent from large areas. Eupodotis melanogaster Black-bellied Bustard R B . The only common bustard in Ivory Coast throughout the savanna zone north of the forest (from Lamto and Sipilou) . Decreases north of 9°30. Neotis denhami Denham's Bustard AMB . Dry season migrant, today well represented only in Comod, but formerly mere widespread and entering southern guinea savanna (BMH) . Spectacular nuptial display in Feb-Mar. Otis arabs Sudan Bustard V . Identified a single time (Mar, Comod) . One old record from Beoumi (Lowe) of this sahelian bird, which has much decreased during the last 20 years in West Africa. JACANIDAE Actophilornis africana African Jacana R B . Abundant on all suitable swamps throughout the country. Huge concentrations of maybe more than 1 ,000 near Ferkessddougou in the dry season. Microparra capensis Lesser Jacana R B ? Recognized several times (Mar to July) near Abidjan (Champroux) and Bouakd (Ledant) . BURHINIDAE Burhinus ( Oedicnemus ) senegalensis Senegal Thick-Knee AMB. Abundant from Nov to May throughout the savannas (including along the coast) . Very local at night. Few birds remain during the rainy season and only north of 8°N. Burhinus (Oedinecmus) vermiculatu-s Water Thick-Knee R B . Restricted to rocky and sandbanks of all the large rivers from estuaries to about 9°30 N. North of the forest zone, it is increasingly replaced on rivers by senegalensis (as far as field distinction is reliable!). Local movements according to water level. Burhinus (Oedicnemus ) capensis Spotted Thick-Knee R B ? So far recorded from Nov to Mar north of 9°N (Comod, Korhogo, Boundiali, Tingrela) . HAEMATOPODIDAE Haematopus ostralegus Oystercatcher PM. 4 dry season records near Abid j an . 20 charadriidae I Vanellus ( Xiphidiopterus ) albiceps Black-shouldered Wattled Plover R or A M B ? Common all along the major rivers on rocks and sand banks. Usually disappear with rising water levels between June and Oct. Vanellus ( Hoplopterus ) spinosus Spur-winged Plover R B ? Not rare, but local on some coastal marshes (Azagny) , lakes (Kossou) , rivers (Comod) and ricefields (Ferkessddougou) . Vanellus ( Sarciophorus ) tectus Black-headed Plover V . Rare dry season vagrant in the extreme north (Comod, Ouangolodougou) . Vanellus ( Afribyx ) senegalus Senegal Wattled Plover A M B . Widely distributed on recently burnt guinea savannas from Dec to Apr (breeds) . Present all the year on some permanent marshes (Korhogo) and lakes (Kossou) . Vanellus ( Stephanibyx ) lugubris Senegal Plover R B . Very local in the forest zone (mainly south of 7°N) in secondary grasslands. local movements. Nests found near Abidjan (Apr) . Seen in most months (only durinq the early rains in Lamto) . Pluvialis squatarola Grey Plover P M . Regular along the coast (small croups , Nov to June). Rare inland (Kossou, Ledant) . Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover P M . Common alone the coast (Sep to May) . Occasionally inland (Taabo to Korhogo) . Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover P M . Less numerous than hiaticula, but more often on inland waters (Abidjan to Comod) . Charadrius alexandrinus Kentish Plover P M . 5 records around Abidjan (Dec to Mar) . Charadrius marginatus White-fronted Sandp lover R B ? 6 records on lakes (Bouakd , Kossou) and rivers (Lamto, Comod) in the dry season, except one near Grand Lahou (June) . Charadrius pecuarius Kittlitz's Sandplover V . Dry season vagrant alone northern rivers (Comod) and drying ricefields (Korhogo) . Charadrius forbesi Forbes' Banded Plover R B . Breeds during the rains north of 8°N on lateritic plateaus and large inselbergs. Widely distributed in the dry season on shortgrass, open habitats from the coast (Abidjan) to Korhogo . SCOLOPACIDAE Numenius phaeopus Whirribrel P M . Common along the coast from Aug to June. Numenius arquata Curlew PM. 3 records (Abidjan, San Pedro) Jan-Feb. Limosa limosa Black- tailed Godwit P M . Vagrant: Kossou and Korhogo (Feb-Mar) . Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit PM. 4 records (Abidjan, Azagny) in Dec-Feb. 21 Tringa nebularia Greenshank P M . Common from the coast to northern marshes, lakes and rivers, Sep to June. Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper P M . Frequent on coastal (Abidjan to San Pedro) and inland (Lamto to Korhogo) marshes, Nov to May. Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper P M . Common along every still or running waters. Some remain in July-Aug as do other Tringa. Tringa ochroppus Green Sandpiper P M . Like T. glareola , tut more often on forested river banks and very small pools. Tringa hgpoleucos Common Sandpiper P M . All along every river, in all months, often in pairs. Tringa totanus Redshank PM. On coastal laqoons, inland lakes and northern ponds, Aug to Mar. Uncommon. Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank P M . 7 dry season records from Abidjan to Taabo, Korhogo and Comod. Tringa terek ( Xenus cinereus) Terek Sandpiper P V . 1 sighting (Abidjan, Dec, Champroux) . Arenaria interpres Turnstone P M . More than 20 records along the coast, from Abidjan to San Pedro (Sept to Feb) . Gallinago (Capella) media Great Snipe P M . Cortmon around Korhoqo, rarer on coastal marshes. Gallinago (Capella) gallinago Common Snipe P M . Commoner in coastal swamps than inland (Toumodi, Bouakd, Korhogo) . Gallinago ( Lymnocryptes ) minima Jack Snipe PM. 2 (Grand Bassam Feb, and Bouake Mar) . Calidris canutus Knot PM. 5 records on the coast (Abidjan to San Pedro. Nov to Mar) . Calidris alpina Dunlin PM. 3 sightings (Abidjan, Dec-Feb) . Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper P M . Rather common along the coast (Abidjan to San Pedro, Sep to Mar) . Calidris minuta Little Stint P M . The commonest Calidris , both on coastal and inland waters (north to Korhogo) ; Sep to Apr. Calidris temminckii Temminck's Stint PM. 5 records near Abidjan and inland (Kossou, Bouakd) , Nov-Feb. Calidris (Crocethia) alba Sanderling P M . Abundant on sandy beaches (Grand Bassam to San Pedro, Nov- Apr) . Philomachus pugnax Ruff PM. 2 records from Abidjan (Dec-Jan) , 1 from Kossou (Mar) and one Swedish recovery from Tingrela (May) . Phalaropus fulicarius Grey Phalarope P M . Several at sea near Abidjan, following Killer Whales (Feb) . 3 times on inland lake (Bouakd) and river (Comod, up to 3 together) . Jan to Mar. 22 RECURVI ROSTRI DAE Himantopus himantopus Black^inged Stilt P M (or A M ?) Often seen on both coastal laqoons (Grand Bassam to San Pedro) and inland lakes (Taabo Ferkessddougou and Comod) . Flocks of 2 to 18 birds. Nov to May. TOSTRATULIDAE Rostratula benghalensis Painted Snipe P B ? Common and breeding m Korhoqo marshes Mar-Aug. Decreases there in other months to appear on southern swamps (Conod, Bouakd, Touirodi) . One siqhtino near Abidjan (June, Champroux) . GLAREOLIDAE Pluvianus aegyptius Egyptian Plover R B ? Upper course of the river Corned, formerly down to the coast (EMH) . Not seen June-Oct. Cursorius temminckii Temminck's Courser A M . Dry season visitor north of 8°N , rarely south to Lamto. Partial to recently burnt savannas. Cursorius ( Rhinoptilus ) chalcopterus Pronze-winqed Courser A MB ? Mud mare frequent than c. temminckii, south to Bouake and rarely Toumodi. Nov to May only, often at night on the roads. Glareola pratincole Conran Pratincole A (or P ?) M . ReCT?1^’. ^round Bouake (Jan-Apr) but surprisingly not yet seen elsewhere except Abidjan (Jan, Vogel) . Glareola nuchalis Rock Pratincole P (?) B . Control on the larqe rivers of all the forest tone. Breeds on bare rocks (dry season) and almost disappears along with their specialized habitat submerged by rising waters from June to Oct. LARI DAE Stercorarius pomarinus Pomarine Skua rare. p v . At sea, Nov to Mar. Not Stercorarius parasiticus Arctic Skua Stercorarius skua Great Skua P V . bird ringed in Scotland. P V . Commoner than S. pomarinus. One recovery (Ass ini, June) of a P V . 3 records near Abidjan Larus ridibundus Black-headed Gull - - - - - . ,, (Dec-Feb) . Several others, unconfirmed because of possible confusion with the next species. larus cirrocephalus Grey-headed Gull A V . 2 records near Abidjan (Not Feb) . Larus fxemaj sabini Sabine's Gull P M . Abundant offshore, at least ii Feb-Mar. Also seen near the coast (Ledant) . Larus fuscus Lesser Black-backed Gull P M (and 1. do minlcanus ?) Seen 4 times on the coast (sea and lagoon, Abidjan to Azaqny, Nov-far, ail immatures) and once inland (Kossou) . 23 Sterna ( Gelochelidon ) nilotica Gull- billed Tern P V . Grand Bassam, Nov; Kossou , Feb. Rare. Sterna ( Hydroprogne ) caspia Caspian Tern P M . Common all alona the coast. Some remain in summer. One recovery from Finland. Sterna maxima Royal Tern A M . Very common alona the coast, many remaining in June-Aug. Sterna sandvicensis Sandwich Tern PM. Abundant on all coastal lagoons and beaches. Hundreds remain in summer months. Large numbers are killed for food or fun (with other terns) aiving numerous recoveries from Great Britain (51), Ireland (9), Germany (10), France (6), Holland (3), Sweden (2) , Denmark (2) , Belgium (2) , USSR (1) . Sterna hirundo Common Tern P M . Less abundant than the previous 2 species but equally widespread. 29 recoveries from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Spain and Italy. Sterna dougalii Roseate Tern P M . Several identifications confirmed by 3 recoveries from Great Britain and Ireland. Sterna paradisea Arctic Tern P M . Few definite visual records, but 6 recoveries from Great Britain. Sterna fuscata Sooty Tern A V . At least 3 observations offshore. One specimen collected near Abidjan (Intes) . Sterna albifrons Little Tern P (and A ?) M . Uncommon. More often seen on coastal waters (Assini to Grand Lahou) than inland lakes (Taabo, Kossou) . African race guineae possible, but European migrants confirmed by 2 recoveries (France, Italy) . Sterna (Chlidonias) hybrida Whiskered Tern P M . The least common of the 3 Chlidonias. Only seen 6 times on coastal lagoons. Sterna (Chlidonias ) leucoptera White- winged Tern P M . Not uncommon in small numbers from coastal lagoons to Kossou (Nov to Mar) . Sterna (Chlidonias) nigra Black Tern P M . The mast abundant tern along the entire coastline and lagoons . Sometimes several hundreds can be seen together. Many remain in June-Aug. Rare on inland lakes (Taabo, Kossou) . Rynchops flavirostris African Skimmer A V . Occasional (4 records, up to 7 birds together) on coastal waters (Ayamd to Azagny, July to Dec) . PTEROCLIDIDAE Pterocles quadr icinctus Four- banded Sandgrouse A M B . Widespread in savannas north of 8°N from Nov to May. TURNICIDAE Turnix sylvatica Button Quail R B Common in coastal and derived savannas. Local north of the forest zone (reaches Comod) . 24 Turnix hottentotta (nana) Black-ruirped Button Quail R B . Parer and mare local than sylvatica. Shorter grass and more humid grasslands. Reported only from Grand Bassam to Grand Lahou. Ortyxelos meiffrenii Lark Quail V . Snow mentions an old record from Grand Bassam. The species has not been identified in recent times. COLUMBIDAE Columba guinea Speckled Pigeon R B . local only north of 9 30 (south to Kong, Bouet) . Columba unicincta African Wood Pigeon R B . High rain forest from Abidjan to Ta'i, Nimba, Sipilou and Lamto. Columba malherhii (Turturoena iriditorques ) Bronze-naped Pigeon R B . Also typical of the canopy of high dense forest, but extends north o Bouakb and Comob. Streptopelia semitorquata Red-eyed Dove R B . Abundant in all humid savannas and farmlands. Decreases north of 8°N and becomes more and more local north of 9°N (around forests) . Streptopelia vinacea Vinaceous Dove R B . An abundant savanna species of northern guinea and Sudan zones. South to Bouakb. Streptopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove R B . Common in every town and surrounding farmlands. Oena capensis Masked Itove A M ? Uncommon. Today more frequent in northern savannas, than in the 19G0s and early 1970s, south to Bouakb. So far recorded only in the dry season but may happen to breed. Turtur ( Tympanistria ) tympanistria Tambourine Dove R B . Common throughout the forest zone. Enters the aallery forests north to T'orhogo and Comob. Turtur afer Blue-spotted Wood Dove P B . Common. Secondary forest humid savanna woodlands, farmlands and gallery forests. Progressive y replaced by T. abyssinicus north of 8°N, but reaches the northern border small woods. in Turtur abyssinicus Black-billed Wood Dove R B . Increasingly common from 8°30 northwards in wooded savanna. Turtur brehmeri (Calophelia puella) Blue-headed Wood Dove R B . Wide- spread in forest undergrowth from Abidjan to Nimba and Comob. Aplopelia larvata Lemon Dove Known from the Guinean (Brosset and Liberian (FW) sides of Mt Nimba. May occur on the eastern slopes. Treron calva African Green Pigeon R B . Abundant all over the forest zone up to extreme northern galleries. Treron waalia Yellow-bellied Green Pigeon R B . Subsudanian savanna woodlands and small forests, south to 9°N. Moderately common. 25 PSITTACIDAE Poicephalus robustus Brown-necked Parrot R B . Mainly restricted to Borassus Palm southern Guinea savanna, from Sipilou to Lamto and Bougouanou (formerly Dabou) . Scarce in northern savannas (Comod) . Poicephalus gulielmi Red-crowned Parrot R B . Rare and local in primary forest (Tai, Tiassale, Oumd) . Poicephalus senegalus Senegal Parrot R B . Common in all types of savannas (South to Abidjan) . Psittacus erithacus Grey Parrot R B . Common throughout the forest zone, but only south of 8^. There is no gap between the 2 subspecies erithacus arid timneh supposed to come in contact alone the Bandama river. Psittacula krameri Rose-winged Parakeet R B . Increasingly common north of 9°N. Rarely reaches Bouake and even Toumodi. A well known population in Abidjan-Grand Bassam may be introduced or relict. Agapomis pullaria Red-headed Lovebird R B ? Only known from the Boundiali-Tingrela area (Pedant) . Agapomis swinderniana Black— collared Lovebird R B ? Seen twice in Tai. May also be on Nimba. MUSOPHAGIDAE Corythaeola cristata Great Blue Turaco P. B . Formerly common all over the forest zone, north to Odiennd, Korhogo and Comod. Now much reduced by intensive huntina pressure. Crinifer piscator Grey Turaco R B . Common savanna species throughout, including dry secondary growth on sandy coastal dunes. Tauracc (Turacus) persa Guinea Turaco Pv B . Common in every dense forests and galleries north to 10°N. Respective ranees of races persa and buffoni (Bannerman) not defined. Tauraco ( Turacus ) macrorhynchus Verreaux's Turaco R B . Widespread (Tai and Abidjan to Nimba, Sipilou, Lamto and Comoe) , but more local than T. persa. Musophaga violacea Violet Turaco R R . Northern edue of the forest zone (Lamto, Sipilou, Agnibilekrou) through the gallery forests of all northern Ivory Coast. Collected in the coastal belt (BMH) . CUCULIDAE Clamator glandar ius Great Spotted Cuckoo A (or P ?) MB . Restricted to the northern savannas in the 1960-70s. Now frequent south to Lamto. So far not recorded in the rainy season. Clamator jacobinus Pied Crested Cuckoo A V ? 3 records Feb-Apr, M'Bingue and Comod. 26 Clamator levaillantii Striped Cuckoo A M (or R ?) B . _ Commonly occurs throughout the country in all months. The savanna population seems to fluctuate more (peak in dry season) than the less abundant but widespread forest population (secondary growth, edges, galleries). Cuculus solitarius Red-chested Cuckoo R B . A common song in most forest from the coast to Korhogo and Comob. Cuculus alamo sus Black Cuckoo R or A M ? B ? As widespread as solitarius . The forest population (C. c. gabonensis ?) appears more sedentary than the smaller population ( clamosus ?) of Guinea galleries (north of 8°N) only seen between June and Oct. Cuculus (canorus) gularis Grey Cuckoo A M B ? Coninon throughout the savannas (from Lamto northwards) in the dry season (Oct June) . Rarely sings and may not breed there. Cuculus (canorus) canorus Common Cuckoo P M . Presence of the European miarant documented by a specimen (Lamto, Feb) . Pachycoccyx audeberti (validis) Thick-billed Cuckoo P B • Not imcommon in southern Guinea savanna (several pairs on the 2,700 ha reserve of Lamto) . Also occurs south to Ta'i and north to Comob, mainly on forest edges. Cercococcyx mechowi Dusky Iona-tailed Cuckoo R B . Scarce. Slightly more widespread than olivinus (Ta'i, Nimba to Azagny and Lamto) . Cercococcyx olivinius Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo R B . Rare. Primary forest of Ta'i and Nimba. Chrysococcyx flavigularis Yellow- throated Cuckoo^ R B . ^Identified only in the southern primary forest (Ayamb to Abidjan and Ta'i) . Chrysococcyx cupreus Emerald Cuckoo R B . Widely distributed in every month through all the forest zone north to Korhogo. A young fed by Muscicapa ussheri (July, Mt Tonkui) . Chrysococcyx klaas Klaas' Cuckoo A M ? B . Everywhere (coast to Odienne and Comoe) in large clearings, forest edges, open woodlands and gallery forests, mainly in the dry season (very few observations m June Sep, except north of 9°N) when it could breed (songs) earlier than t e often sympatric caprius. Chrysococcyx caprius Didric Cuckoo A M ? B . In less wooded habitats than any other Chrysococcyx . Also more definitely migratory, leaving the forest zone from June to Sep (only 2 records) , becoming at that time more abundant north of 8°N and probably breedina (singing) . Centropus leucogaster Black-throated Coucal R B . Rather common throughout the forest, north to Odiennb, Korhogo and Comob. Centropus monachus Blue-headed Coucal R B . Favours high grass of humid or swampy areas. Status and distribution imperfectly known, due to confusion with C. senegalensis . Both north and south of the country. 27 Centropus senegalensis Senegal Coucal R B . Common in all open grassy habitats. Melanie form " epomidis " seen in both north and south. Centropus grillii Black Coucal R B . Locally in coastal as well as northern high rank errass areas. Some seasonal movements (not clear). Ceuthmochares aereus Yellowbill R B . Throughout the forest zone, including northern galleries. Common. STRIGIDAE Tyto alba Barn Owl P B . Scattered pairs in many open habitats. Often in towns (including Abidjan) but also natural savannas (I.amto, Comoe, etc . ) . Otus scops scops European Scops Owl P M . Specimens from Bouakd and Lamto (Jan-Mar) . Otus (scops) senegalensis African Scops Owl R B . Common throughout wooded errassy habitats, including some farmlands of the semi -deciduous forest zone. Rare in coastal areas. Otus icterorhynchus Cinnamon Scops Owl P B . Tape recorded in Tai and Nimba (Chappuis) . Otus leucotis White-faced Owl R b . Widely distributed through all Guinea and Sudan savannas from Toumodi northwards. Often occurs in town parks and Hardens . An unexpected sinhtinn in a coastal inundated savanna (Azagny, June) . Juhula ( Lophostrix ) lettii Maned Owl R B . So far only known from Tai. Suspected at Lamto (Chappuis) . Bubo africanus Spotted Facie Owl R B . The common eagle owl over all the savannas north of the forest (includincr Lamto) . Seen only one time near the coast (Dabou) . Bubo poensis Fraser's Eagle Owl R B . Widespread primary and even secondary forest owl (Abidjan to Tai, Nimba, Lamto and Maraoud ) . Bubo shelley i Shelley's Eagle Owl P B . Collected and tape recorded (Chappuis) in Tai and Nimba. High primary forest only. Probably rare. Bubo lacteus Verreaux's Eagle Owl R B . Widespread in savanna wood- lands and even in large trees of villages north of 8°30. Bubo leucostictus Akun Eagle Owl R B . The most common forest eagle owl from Abidjan to Tai, Nimba and Maraoud. Scotopelia peli Pel's Fishing Owl R B . Known from no less than 19 localities from, coastal lagoons (Dabou, Azaony) to medium size (Tai) and larqe (Bandama, Comod) forested rivers, north to at least 9°30. Scotopelia ussheri Ussher's Fishing Owl R B . So far identified from Tai, Azacrny, Lamto and Nimba. The suspected existence of s. bouvieri , mainly from calls similar to records from Gabon (I_,amto, Comod) needs to be substantiated by a specimen. 28 strix woodfordi African Wood Owl RB. The commonest forest owl every- where. Glaucidium perlatum Pearl-spotted Owlet R B . Increasingly frequent in northern savannas and suburban gardens , from Bouakd northwards . Glaucidium capense etchecopari Barred Owlet RB. Discovered in Lamto, this new subspecies (first thought to be a distinct species closer o castaneum than capense) has teen found in 17 dense primary or mainly secondarv forests south to Banco, Azagny and Tai, west to Nimba and north to Maraoud and Comod. Sometimes common (up to 3 different singers within a 5-600 m radius) . Glaucidium tephronotum Yellow-legged Owlet R B . Recorded from Tai. Cited from the Liberian side of Mt Nimba (FW) . CAPRIMULGIDAE Caprimulgus binotatus or C. pectoralis Brown or Dusky Nightjar . Dark nightjars have teen seen several times on tracks within dense rain ores , but none has ever teen collected. They may eventually prove to be one o the above species. Caprimulgus ruf icollis Red-necked Nightjar (Jan, Parelius) and Boundiali (Nov, Ledant) . European Nightjar P P M M Collected near Ratio Is Collected near Korhogo Caprimulgus europaeus (Feb) . Caprimulgus natalensis Natal Nightjar RB? 4 records (2 roadkills) in central (Toumodi, N'Douci) and southern (Dabou, Grand Lahou) humid grasslands . Caprimulgus inornatus Plain Nightjar A M . Widespread dry season (Nov- Mav) visitor in all savannas (from Korhoao to the coast) . Mostly c. i. inornatus f but C. i. vinaceabrunneus has also teen found (Lamto, M Bmgue) . Caprimulgus tristigma Freckled Nightjar R ? B ? Common in northern rocky areas (Niangbo, Comod, Korhogo, Boundiali) . Caprimulgus fossii Gaboon Niahtjar AM? Found dead m Comod and Korhogo (Feb-Apr: the only West African records) . Caprimulgus ( Scotornis ) climacurus long-tailed Nightjar A M B . Very abundant throughout the savannas. South of 7°N they axe found from Nov May and do not seem to breed, but north of 8°N very small numbers remain between June and Oct and may breed (enlarged, ovaries in Mar May) . Macrodipteryx long ipennis Standard— winged Nightjar A M • ^jv^s abundant than c. climacurus but similarly widespread from the coast to 10°N outside the forest and disappears between June and Oct. Bree s everywhere Jan— Mar (several nests found) . APODIDAE Apus apus European Swift P M . Abundant everywhere (including top of Mt Nimba) from Sep to May. 12 records in June to Aua. 29 Apus melba Alpine Swift P M . Several records (flocks of 5 to 40) in Oct, Dec, Mar and Apr (Nimba to Lamto and Canoe) . Apus aeguatorialis Mottled Swift A V ? Most certainly identified at Nimba (Apr) and Comoe (July). Other possible siehtings. Apus caffer African White-rumped Swift R B ? Few scattered records (Bouake, Korhoeo, Feb-June) . May be overlooked amone other swifts. Apus af finis Little Swift R B . Large breeding colonies in every town and under larcre bridges. Apus batesi Black Swift R B ? Identified several times above the primary forest of Tai and Nimba, but a specimen would bring more certainty about its actual identity. Cypsiurus parvus African Palm Swift R B . Common wherever there are Borassus or Coconut palms. Chaetura sabini Sabine's Spinetail R B . The most frequent forest Chaetura: Ayamd to San Pedro, Man, Sipilou and Daloa. Chaetura ussheri Mottled Spinetail R B . Common in Borassus Palm savanna (including along the coast) . Only scattered pairs in palmless northern Guinea zone (north to Ferkessedougou) . Chaetura melanopygia Black Spinetail Identified at least from Fresco, Tai, Nimba, Tiassale, Oumd. Uncommon. Mainly, if not only, above primary forest. Chaetura cassini Cassin's Spinetail R B . 31 records from Ayame to Tai north to Damane, Duekue, Oume, Dimbokro. TROGGNIDAE Apaloderma narina Narina Trogon R B . Well distributed over all the forest zone, north to Korhogo and Comod. ALCFDINIDAE Ceryle maxima Giant Kingfisher R B . Isolated pairs all alone the large rivers , lagoons and even lakes . Ceryle rudis Pied Kingfisher R B . locally common on some coastal marshes and lagoons (Azagny, Assinie) and parts of northern rivers and lakes (Korhogo, Comod) , but lacking in many apparently suitable areas. Alcedo guadribrachys Shining Blue Kincrfisher P B . Uncommon but widespread alone the forested banks of all running or still waters. Alcedo ( Corythornis ) cristata Malachite Kingfisher R B . Small water- courses and ponds of coastal and northern areas but very local in all the central part of Ivory Coast (lack of suitable habitat ?) . Alcedo (Corythornis ) leucogaster White— bellied Kingfisher R B . Secretive. Taken in mist-nests from 11 primary or high secondary forests (Lamto to Tai, Danane, Nimba and Daloa) . 30 Ispidina (Ceyx) picta Pyamy Kinafisher R B The commonest forest Kingfisher (from net-captures) throughout the forest zone, north to . 30 . Ispidina (Ceyx) lecontei Bed-headed Dward Kingfisher R B . Quite rare in mostly primary forest (Lamto, Gagnoa, Ta'i, Nimba) . Halcyon senegalensis Woodland (Senegal) Kinafisher . p B • Common every- where and all the year despite some seasonal fluctuations . From coastal swamps and plantations to northern rivers and dry savannas. Darker population in the south (H. s. fuscop ileus) and paler north of 8 (H . s. senegalensis) but with a wide zone of hybridization. Halcyon malimbica Blue-breasted Kingfisher R B . Abundant in all the forest zone, includina the most northern galleries. Halcyon badia Chocolate-backed Kingfisher P B . Only found m heavy forest from Ayame to Bondoukou, Lamto, Tai and Nimba. Halcyon leucocephala Grey-headed. Kingfisher A M . Widespread in Guinea savanna during the dry season (south to Lamto) , but only north o 9°N from June to Oct. Halcyon cbelicutl Striped Kingfisher R B . Coimcn and sedentary in every kind of savanna, south to the coast. MFROPIDAE Merops apiaster European Bee-eater P M . Numerous flocks (4 to 35 birds) widely ranging all over the country (mainly savanna) from Sep to May . Merops superciliosus (pensions) Blue-cheeked Bee-eater A (?) V . Par- dry season vagrant north of 90N (Korhoao, Comob) , except once at Toumodi. Merops orientalis Little Green Bee-eater P B ? Small numbers in Sudan belt only. Very few durina the rains. Merops malimbicus Rosy Bee-eater A V . Scarce. Small flocks (Abengourou, Nov; Ayamb, Jan) . Merops nubicus Carmine Bee-eater A M . Coirmon dry season visitor (Nov- Apr) north of 8°N, rarely south to Toumodi. Merops albicollis White-throated Bee-eater A M . Abundant from Sep to May all over the forest zone, but local in northern Guinea savanna (aroun forest edges) . Flocks of migrants even fly over the top of Mt Nimba m Apr. Merops pusillus Little Bee-eater R B . Widely distributed, sedentary pairs in natural or secondary open grasslands, throughout. Merops bulocki Fed-throated Bee-eater R B . Sparsely distributed, dry season, breeding colonies in northern Guinea belt. More numerous in the Comob than outside. Seems to strongly decrease from June to Oct (or flocks more widely dispersed) . 31 Merops gularis Black Bee-eater R B . Secondary forest, plantations and primary forest qaps, throughout the humid forest zone, north to Nimba, Sipilou, Daloa, Bongouanou. Usually in pairs. Merops muelleri Blue-headed Bee-eater R B . Pare primary forest bird (Ta'i, Nimba, N'Douci) . Merops hirundineus Swallow-tailed Bee-eater R (A M) B . Widespread, usually in pairs, throuqh the Guinea savanna north of the forest^ South to Lamto in the dry season. Reduced numbers and only north of 9 N in the rainy season. COPACIIDAE Coracias abyssinica Abyssinian Poller A M B Common north of 8°N in the dry season (small numbers south to Lamto) . Very rare, north of 9°N from mid June to early Sep. Coracias garrulus Fhropean Roller P M . Regular dry season visitor. 36 records between 8° and 10°N (mainly Comod) . Once in south, at Toumodi. Coracias cyanogaster Blue-bellied Roller R B . The typical roller of southern guinea savanna (including Dabou) . Much, rarer in the northern guinea belt, up to Ferkessedougou and Odienne (very local) . Sedentary. Invading some of the larae cultivated clearings of the forest zone. Coracias naevia Rufous -crowned Roller A M B . Dry season breeding pairs throughout the savannas north of the forest (including Lamto) . More numerous than abyssinica south of 8°N where, like abyssinicus , it has markedly increased during recent (dry) years. Absent from June to Sep south of 9°N and rare north of this limit. Eurystomus glaucurus ( afer ) Broad-billed Roller A M B . Abundant throughout the humid savannas (including coastal area and larae forest clearings) from Oct to May. Quickly decreases northwards, reaching 10°N. Disappears from its southern range during the rains (mid-June to early Sep) , when only small numbers remain north of 8°N. Eurystomus gularis Blue— throated Roller R B . The forest counterpart of E. glaucurus from coast to Touba and Como£. Restricted to forest edges, gaps , riverbanks and emergent trees above the canopy . Does not increase very much in large clearings which are more often colonized by glaucurus . UPUPIDAE Upupa epops Hoopoe A and PM (R ?) B . Widespread in Nov-May north of Bouak£. Only 4 sightings in June-Sep. Most of identified birds clearly belong to African u. e. senegalensis , but some other well fit the descrip- tion of the Palearctic u. e. epops. PHOENICtJLIDAE Phoeniculus purpureus Seneaal Wood— Hoopoe R B . Especially common in Borassus palm savanna (including Dabou in the 1960s) . More and more local from 8° to 10°N. 32 Phoenicul us bollei Buff-headed Wood-Hoopoe R B . All over the forest zone, but more often seen along its northern limit and larue gallery forests (Sipilou to Maraou4 , Eouakd and Comod) . Phoeniculus castaneiceps Forest Wood-Hoopoe R B . More restricted to high dense rain forest than Ph. bollei, in pairs instead of social croups, but also reaches the northern aalleries (Sipilou to Comod) . Phoeniculus aterrimus Lesser Wood-Hoopoe R B . Northern dry savanna; increasincrly frequent from Bouak6 to ICMM. BUCEROTIDAE Bycanistes cylindricus Brown-cheeked Hornbill P B . The commonest large forest hornbill in primary or high secondary forest from the coast to Sipilou and Comod. Sometimes concentrations in fruiting trees of up to 90 birds. Bycanistes subcylindricus Black-and-white— casqued Hornbill P B . Mien rarer in the humid forest zone (Ayame to Tai, Nimba and Tiassale) than cylindricus , but ranges further north in the savanna-aallery mosaic up to Odienne and Ferkessddouaou . Bycanistes f istulator Piping Hornbill P B . Abundant throughout the forest zone. Increases in the northern galleries (Comod) during the wet season . Ceratogymna elata Yellow-casqued Hornbill R B . Widespread throughout the forest belt, but mainly along edges, clearings in secondary or gallery forest. North to 9°10 N. Ceratogymna atrata Black-casqued Hornbill R B . Restricted to humid, dense, undisturbed forest, not extending as far north as c. elata. Former! common from Abidjan and Tal to Sipilou and Marou4. Now much reduced by hunting and primary forest destruction. Tropicranus albocristatus White-crested Hornbill R B . Common through out the forest underarowth north to 9°30. Tockus nasutus Grey Hornbill A M B . Abundant all over the zone from Sep to June. Rare in July-Aug (when found in only the northern half of the country) . Tockus fasciatus Pied Hornbill R B . The most abundant hornbill throughout the forest zone, including northern galleries. Reaches 10°N (north of Odienne) . Tockus erythrorhynchus Red- beaked Hornbill A V . Only 2 records (Feb- Mar) in extreme north (M'Bingue, Ouangolodoucou) . Tockus camurus Red— billed Dwarf Hornbill P B . Widespread in every hiah humid forest from the coast to Sipilou, Korhogo and Como4. Tockus hartlaubi Black Dwarf Hornbill R B . As widespread as T. camurus, but less common, more local and secretive. 33 Bucorvus abyssinicus Ground Hombill P. B . Now scarce in northern savannas outside reserves (formerly south to Beoumi) . May be more than 50-100 pairs in Comod. CAPITQNIDAE Lybius dubius Bearded Parbet R B . Northern Guinea savanna woodland south to Bouakd and even Toumodi. Lybius bidentatus Tooth-billed Barbet P B . More southern distribu- tion than L. dubius (but overlaps north to Korhogo) : denser woodlands, galleries and forest edges south to Lamto) . Lybius vieillotti Vieillot's Barbet R B . Abundant throughout the savannas (local along the coast) . Lybius ( Tricholaima ) hirsutus Hairy-breasted Barbet R B . Common in every secondary or gallery forest and plantations, north to Touba and Comod. Gymnobucco calvus Naked-faced Barbet R B . Freely overlaps with G. peli over most of its range, but more abundant in the southern half of the forest zone and never identified north of 8°N. Gymnobucco peli Bristle-nosed Barbet R B . Ranges from the coast (local) to Odiennd and Comod. Pogoniulus (Buccanodon) duchaillui Yellow-spotted Barbet R B „ Primary and high secondary forest from Azagny and Tai at least to Gagnoa-Oume. Pogoniulus scolopaceus Speckled Tinker-bird R B . Abundant all over the forest zone (mainly secondary, edge or gallery forest and plantations) to Comod. Pogoniulus chrysoconus Yellow-fronted Tinker-bird P B . A sudanian savanna species ranging south to Bouakd and even Toumodi. Pogoniulus leucolaima Yellow-rumped Tinker-bird R B . Common throughout the forest zone, more often in secondary habitats, wherever high trees remain, including northern Guinea galleries. Pogoniulus subsulphur eus Yellow-throated Tinker-bird R B . Distribution, habitat, morphology and sonc surprisingly similar to those of P . leucolaima , with which it overlaps over most of its range. Pogoniulus atroflavus Red-rumped Tinker-bird R B . Primary and secondary forest from Abidjan to Sipilou, Ta'i and Maraoud. Trachyphonus ( Trachylaemus ) purpuratus Yellow-billed Barbet R B . Restricted to more primary than secondary forest; Abidjan to San Pedro, Nimba, Bouafld, Lamto. INDICATORIDAE Indicator indicator Greater Honeyguide R B . Sparsely distributed throughout the savanna zone north of the forest, including Lamto. 34 Indicator minor lesser Honeyguide R B . Inconspicuous and nowhere abundant as other Honeyguides. Gallery and secondary forests, savanna woodlands . Lamto and Reoumi to Niinba and Comod. Indicator maculatus 4 Spotted Honeyquide P R Lamto to Poron and Comod. Indicator exilis Least Honeyquide F B Forest edges and gallery . Indicator willcocksi Willcocks's Honeyguide P B Lamto . Fare . Forest from Ta'i and Lamto, Soubrb, Niinba. Tai to Sipilou and Melichneutes robustus Lyre-tailed Honeyguide P B . In spite of its loud display, known only from Tai and Nimba (Chappuis) . Primary forest. Melignomon eisentrauti Eisentraut's Honeyouide. P B ? Collected on Liberian side of Mt Nimba (Hi) . Suspected in Tai from unconfirmed siohtmg, Prodotiscus insignis Cassin's Honeyouide R B . Tai to Gaonoa, Lamto, Reoumi, Poron and Comod. Fdges et qallery forests. Prodotiscus regulus Brown-backed Honeyouide P B (Liberia, FW) . Collected on Nimba PICIDAE Junx torquilla European Wryneck Also Korhogo and Comod. P Pi Reaular at Lamto (Nov-Mar) . t • Tp -? y-. ^ „ 0 tva +- +■ pH WnoHoPPkei p B . All the S9.V321T13-S Campethera punctuligera Fine-spotted, tooapec^ex north of the forest. Rare south of Rouakd (to Lamto) . Campethera maculosa - Colden backed Woodpecker P B Abidjan and Tai to Lamto, Reoumi, Nimba and Sipilou. The forest zone from campethera nivosa Buff-spotted woodpecker PR. JVame to A^uand Tai, north to Sipilou, Korhogo and Comod. Dense underorowth of primary and secondary forests. Campethera caroli Rrown-eared. Woodpecker p R ; mre a forest snecies than most other woodpeckers. Ayame to Tai, Lamto and Sipi on. Dendropicos fuscescens Cardinal Woodpecker F R . Irrenularly distributed through Guinea woodlands (Lamto to Comoe) . Also forest edaes Dendropicos gabonensis ( lugubris ) Gabon Woodpecker p R scattered through the forest zone, north to Comod. 18 localities Dendropicos ( Dendrocopos ) obsoletus Brown-backed Woodpecker F B . Moderately common over the entire savanna zone, from Lamto northwards Mesopicos goertae Grey Woodpecker R B . All over the savannas, Increasina frequency as one moves northwards, from Lamto. Mesopicos pyrrhogaster Fire-bellied Woodpecker R B The commonest and most uniformly distributed woodpecker m all types of forests, from coast to Korhogo and Comod . 35 EURYLAEMIDAE mithomis capensis Delacour's Broadbill R B . Undergrowth of primary nd secondary forests of Ta’i, Nimba to Lamto and Beoumi. ■mithomis rufolateralis Rufous-sided Broadbill R B . Somewhat more ocal and more restricted to hiqh primary forest than capensis. Ta'i, imba, Oumd. PITTIDAE itta angolensis Blue-wincred Pitta (Anaola Pitta) R B . Forest floor f Lamto, Danane, Maraoue and Ta’i. Uncommon. ALAUDIDAE irafra rufocinnamomea (huckleyi) Flappet Lark (Buckley's Bush Lark) B . Regular in dry, open savanna, both southern and northern caiinea and ven coastal sandy areas (Dabou, Grand Bassam) . irafra africana Rufous-naped Bush Lark R B . Montane grassland on op of Mt Nimba. irafra nigricans Dusky Lark P B . From Bouake— Beoumi (only in the ry season) at least to Ferkessddougou and Corrod. Local. 'remopterix leucotis Chestnut-backed Finch-Lark A V ? Recently ecorded near Korhogo (Nov, Ledant) . One more example of southward xtending rancre of sudanian species with increasing dryness. 'alerida (Heliocorgs) modesta Sun Lark R B . Dry, often rocky savanna rom Comod to Boundiali. HIPITNDINIDAE iparia cincta Banded Sand-martin A V . 3 records (Comod, Mar to July). iparia r iparia European Sand-martin P M . Only 8 records on lavoons Abidjan) , lake (Kossou) and river (Comod) . Nov-Apr. irundo nigrita White- throated Blue Swallow R B . Common all along he major rivers with forested banks. Also lagoons. 'irundo smithii Wire— tailed Swallow P B ? On rivers in the northern tinea belt. Local (Beoumi to Odiennd and Comod) . Also southern lakes Yamoussoukro, Ayamd) . 'irundo aethiopica Ethiopian Swallow R B . Very local (Katiola , 'erkessddougou) . May have been overlooked. 'irundo lucida Red— chested Swallow R B . Often breeding in villages, rom Lamto to 1 0°N . irundo rustica European Swallow P M . Very abundant mostly in central nd southern Ivory Coast (even in towns) where it largely outnumbers local wallows. Sep to Apr, but some remain through the wet season. 13 ecoveries of birds rinaed in France, Belgium and Germany. 36 Hirundo leucosoma Pied-winged Swallow RB. Seen in small numbers from Beoumi to Odienne and Comae. Breeds m Bouake and near Korhouo. Hirundo daurica (rufula) Red-rumped Swallow R B Often in associatior with other species. More than 30 localities from 7 30 to 1 Hirundo senegalensis Masque Swallow P B . Identified only in some villages north of 9°N, but cited from coast (BMH, confused with the following ?) . Hirundo semirufa Rufous -chested Swallow R B . _ The commonest breeding swallow throuahout the forest zone, but seen occasionally north to 10°N. Hirundo abyssinica Lesser Striped Swallow R B . Knom all over Ivory Coast, but abundant only in the north (often breeds under road bridges) . Hirundo fuligula ( Ptyonoprogne rufigula) African Rock Martin R B Regular around cliffs in humid areas (Nimba, Man, Odiennd) . Hirundo spilodera ( Lecythoplastes preussi) Preuss' Cliff Swallow PB Locally common (near Korhogo, south of linarela) . Hirundo griseopyga Grey-rumped Swallow A V ? A single individual recocmized (Como£, Mar) . Deli chon urbica European House Martin P M . Seen a dozen tunes in Oct-Nov and Mar-Apr, always high over the northern savannas (including Lamto) . May be only a passage miarant. Psalidoprocne nitens Square-tailed Roughwing Swallow ^ * ^ess numerous , more local and restricted to the forest tone than Pobscura Nests found in July near Abidjan (sea level) and Man (It Toukmi, , - Recorded north to Comoe in July. Psalidoprocne obscura Fanti Rough-winged Swallow RB . Conrnon from Oct to May south of 7°30. Becomes rarer in the south during the ram invade all the Guinea zone. MOTACILLI DAE Anthus campestris Tawny Pipit north of Ferkessddougou. P M Recognized at least once (Feb) , Anthus cervinus Red-throated Pipit P M . Rather frequent in Guinea savanna from Lamto to Ferkessddougou (Nov-Mar) . Anthus leucophrys Plain-backed Pipit P B . widespread throughout the country in shortgrass, treeless areas (often man made) . Anthus novaeseelandiae (richardi) Richard's Pipit P V ? S^eral KJ pipits well fitting this species' description (including call) (Comoe) . Would be better confirmed by a capture. Anthus similis (bannermani) long-billed Pipit P B ? Not rare on montane grassland of top of Mt Nimba. Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit PM. Very abundant in a11 savannas north of the forest (Oct-Apr) , sometimes south to Abidgan. Usually sma groups of 3 to 10. One recovery from Belgium. 37 Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail P M . Very common in humid grasslands, wetlands, around cattle, etc., throughout the country (slightly less in the north), from Sep to May. The races flava, flavissima, iberiae , cinereocapilla and thunbergi have been tentatively identified. One recovery from France. Motacilla clara Mountain Wagtail R B ? 3 definite dry season records (Comoe, Randama and Cavally rivers). Other unconfirmed reports. Motacilla aguimp African Pied Wagtail R B . Common all along the rivers in the forest zone, decreasing north of 8°N but reaching 9°30 N. Macronyx croceus Yellow- throated Longclaw R B . All open savannas south of 8°N. Becomes more restricted to humid and even swampy grasslands, hence more local, in northern Guinea zone. LANIIDAE Prionops plumata Helmet Shrike RE. A widespread northern guinea savanna species, now regularly found south to Lamto where it was unknown up to the 1970s. Prionops ( Sigmodus ) caniceps Chestnut-bellied Helmet— shrike R B . Common all over the forest belt (Azagny and Tai to Sipilou and Comob) . Nilaus afer Brubru Shrike R R . Local in northern guinea savanna zone, south to Beoumi. Dryoscopus gambensis Gambian Puffback Shrike R B . Common over all the savanna woodlands and northern galleries, now colonizinc? forest edcres and plantations south to Nimba, Ta’i and Abidjan. Drgoscopus ( Chaunonotus ) sabini Sabine's Puffback Shrike R B . Known from 8 high, almost primary, forest localities (Tal and Ayamb to Lamto and Daloa) . Tchagra australis Brown-headed Tchagra R B . All over the country in secondary bush and forest edges. Commoner than senegala in the forest zone, becomes local and increasingly rare in northern guinea zone (hardly reaches 10°N) where it avoids pure savanna. Tchagra senegala Black-headed Tchagra R B . Much commoner than australis in all savanna woodlands and much scarcer than it in the forest and coastal zones (except savanna-like grasslands which it favours) . Tchagra ( Antichromus ) minuta Blackcap Tchagra R B . Only known from tall grass along forest edges in Lamto, Sipilou and Maraoue. Laniarius barbarus Barbary Shrike R B . Common in dense woodlands north of Bouake, much rarer in the southern guinea belt but again common in the dry bushy areas along the coast (Azagny to Assini) . Laniarius ferrugineus Bell Shrike R B . Common in gallery— savanna mosaic and woodlands of all the cruinea zone north of 7°N (rare south to Lamto and even Abidjan) . Laniarius leucorhynchus Black Boubou Shrike R B . Not uncommon in dense low secondary growth from the coastal zone, north to Lamto and Beoumi. 38 Malaconotus ( Chlorophoneus ) sulfureopectus Orange-breasted Rush Shrike p b . Often heard in Guinea woodlands from Toumodi to lOuNf. Malaconotus (chlorophoneus) multicolor Many-coloured Bush Shrike R B . Primary forest canopy of Lamto to Ninba, Tai, Maraoub and Como.. Malaconotus cruentus Fiery-breasted Rush Shrike p R ; Widespread (Abidjan to Bouake and Maraoue) and even common (Danane Nimba Tai area) canopy of primary or high secondary forests. Malaconotus lagdeni Lagden’s Bush Shrike RB . Very rare. Only identified with certainty in Tai. Also cited from Nimba (EW) . Malaconotus blanchoti Grey-headed Bush Shrike RB . _Kn°Yn ^°m 9 localities in northern savanna woodlands (from Bouakd to Comob and Odiennb) . Lanius collaris Fiscal Shrike R B . Common in some urban gardens and suburban areas (e.g. Abidjan), but usually very local m farmlands, recently burnt or overcrrazed savannas, north to 9 3U N. Lanius senator Woodchat shrike P M . Well distributed from Nov to Apr in all the guinea zone. Rarely enters the forest belt (secondary grasslands) . corvinella corvina Long-tailed (Yellow-billed) Shrike R B . Widespread resident in savanna woodlands north of Bouakd. Several dry season records south to Toumodi. ORIOLIDAE Oriolus oriolus European Golden Oriole P V . gallery forest (Lamto, Oct) . A male collected in a Oriolus auratus African Golden Oriole RB. A common savanna species north of 8°N. Seen south to Toumodi at least from Jan to May. Oriolus brachyrhynchus Black-headed Oriole R B . Common throughout the forest zone, including the upper slopes of Mt Nimba and gallery forest, north to 9°30. Oriolus nigripennis Black-winaed Oriole R B Gurprisingly synpatric with the similar 0. brachyrhynchus. As a whole, it is more abun the latter in high canopy, primary forest and southern humid forest zone. DICRURIDAE Dicrurus adsimilis Glossy-backed Drongo RB. or derived savannas and many secondary open habitats down l.o the coas . Dicrurus atripennis Shining Drongo R B . Of regular occurrence in high forest, locally north to 9°30 N. Dicrurus ludwigii (sharper) Square-tailed Dronao R B Commoner than atripennis in most forests, especially secondary and nailery forests, also edges and small woods. From the coast to Korhogo. 39 STUM I DAE Poeoptera lugubris Narrow-tailed Starlinq R R . Ayame to San Pedro, Abengourou , Lamto and Man. Often associated with breedinq colonies of Gymnobucco . Onychognathus morio Craq Chestnut-winaed Starlinq R R . Found breedinq (Parelius) in some rocky outcrops of the Korhoqo-Roundiali area. Onychognathus fulgidus Forest Chestnut-winqed Starlinq P (?) R . Inhabits mainly natural humid savannas (preferably with Borassus palms) both north (Lamto to Sipilou, Maraoud and Comod) and south (Dabou to Sassandra) of the forest zone. Seasonal movements (nearly disappears from Lamto in July-Sep) . Lamprotornis ( Lamprocolius ) purpureiceps Velvet— headed Glossy Starlinq R P ? One collected (Sipilou, Apr) . A crroup siqhted in Ta'i. Lamprotornis (Lamprocolius ) cupreocauda Copper- tailed Glossy Starlina R B . Groups of up to 50 birds in the forest canopy from Abidjan and San Pedro to Maraoud. Ill defined local movements. Lamprotornis (Lamprocolius ) purpureus Purple Glossy Starlinq R B . Reqular across the northern quinea belt, rarely south to Toumodi in the dry season (seasonal movements) . Lamprotornis (Lamprocolius ) chloropterus Lesser Blue— eared Glossy Starlinq R R . The commonest Glossy Starlinq from 7 to 9°N (Toumodi to Odiennd) . More often in pairs than in flocks. A northward shift durinq the rains. Lamprotornis (Lamprocolius ) chalcurus Short— tailed Glossy Starlinq R B . Sympatric with L. purpureus (i.e. slightly more northern distribution than L. chlopterus) , at least in the dry season (seems to be much rarer in June- Sep) . Lamprotornis (Lamprocolius ) chalybeus Blue— eared Glossy Starlinq A M ? Rare, north of 9°N durinq the dry season (only ?) . Status unclear. Lamprotornis caudatus Lonq-tailed Glossy Starlinq A V ? The rarest and most northern Glossy Starlina (4 dry season records north of 9°30) . Lamprotornis ( Coccycolius ) iris Emerald Starlinq p R ? Known only from a narrow belt in the central quinea zone (Dabakala, Rouakd , Beoumi, Touba) . Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Amethyst Starlina AMR. Abundant every- where in most months but with marked miaratory movements (invo Ivina thousands birds) . Numbers peak in the coastal zone from Nov to Mar with lowest levels in May- June. In southern guinea savanna, they are always less numerous than in the south and nearly disappear from May to Sep. Small oroups or isolated pairs may be found in all seasons between 8° and 10°N but they stronqly increase in June-Auq, which confirms the northward movement durinq the rains. Spreo pulcher Chestnut-bellied Starlinq A V ? 2 extreme northern dry season records ( Quango lodouqou, M'Ringud) . 40 Buphagus africanus Yellow-billed Oxpecker R B . Small numbers on Buffaloes and Foan Antelopes in Comod and Maraoud , and sometimes on domes cattle in the northern savannas, but never more than 3 5 birds at a . It is absent from the most southern savanna, at least now, especially r m Lamto where a small herd of Buffaloes still exists. An apparently undescribed small oxpecker has been seen on buffaloes m _ the undergrowth of Tai forest. It may well disappear with its host species before bemq known. CORVIDAE Ptilostomus afer Black Magpie to Bouake, BMH) . Corvus albus Pied Crow F B . r b . Uncommon. North of 8° 30 (south Abundant in all open habitats. PICATHARTIDAE Picathartes gymnocephalus Guinea Bare-headed Pockfowl F B . So far found breeding only on Mt Nimba (eggs, Apr) . Vagrants seen in gal ery forest of Lamto lacking suitable rocks (Aug-Sep, Prendergast) . CAMPEPHAGIDAE Coracina pectoralis White-breasted Cuckoo shrike, found north of 9°N, but Iowe collected it at Beoumi. wet season (northward movement ?) . P B ? Recently only Seems rarer in the Coracina azurea Blue Cuckoo-shrike P B . local in high dense forest (San Pedro to Nimba, Gagnoa and Lamto) . Campephaga quiscallna Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike BB. Uncommon in dense forest (Azagny, Tai, Nimba, Lamto, Maraoud, Bouake). Campephaga phoenicea Fed-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike R B . Frequent in gallery forests and small woods in all the guinea zone. Campephaga lobata Wattled Cuckoo-shrike R B ? Seen 2 times in Tai's primary forest. Cited from Nimba (FW) . PYCNONOTIDAE Pycnonotus barbatus Common Bulbul R B . Very abundant everywhere outside the forest. Andropadus curvirostris Sombre Bulbul R B . Seen, mistnetted or tape recorded from 24 localities through the forest zone (north to Sipilou and Maraoud) . Andropadus gracilis ( ansorgei ) Little Grey Bulbul * Occurs in secondary as well as primary forest, from the coast to Sipilou, Bouak<$ and nabakala! The available information and specimens do not yet support the existence of 2 distinct species ( gracilis and ansorgei ) . Andropadus gracilirostris Slender-billed Bulbul frequent as (and often sympatric with) gracilis, north to Man , Gagnoa and Lamto . p. R . Nearly as but so far only reported 41 Andropadus virens Little Greenbul R B . Very abundant in all types of secondary and gallery forests north to 10°N. Andropadus latirostris Yellow-whiskered Greenbul R B . Equally abundant and widespread but more in primary undergrowth where it is usually the dominant species. Calyptoc ichla serina Golden Bulbul R B . Local in the forest zone (Ta'i to Dan and, Man, Lamto and Abengourou) . Baepogon indicator White- tailed Greenbul R B . Chiefly in second growth, secondary forest and edges, from the coast to Sipilou, Korhogo and Comod. Moderately common. Ixonotus guttatus Spotted Greenbul R B . Quite few records across the forest belt. Enters secondary and gallery forests north to Man, Lamto and Agnibilekrou . Chlorocichla (Pyrrhurus ) flavicollis Yellow- throated Leaf -love R B . Gallery forest and small woods of the northern Guinea zone (south to Toumodi) . Chlorocichla (Pyrrhurus ) simplex Simple Leaf-love R B . Common in dry bushy areas alona the coast, then secondary growth and northern gallery forest to nearly 10°N. Thesceloci chi a leucopleura White-tailed Brownbul (Swamp Palm Bulbul) R B . Abundant in every forest with oil or Raphia palms, chiefly near water, up to 9°20 N. Phyllastrephus (Pyrrhurus ) scandens Leaf -love R B . Local throughout the forest zone. Becomes commoner in nailery forest of the guinea zone, north to Korhouo. Phyllastrephus baumanni Baumann's Greenbul R B . Collected, in Tai (Chappuis) and Beoumi (Lowe) . Also observed from San Pedro (Veitkowitz ) to Nimba and Lamto. Pare, primary forest. Phyllastrephus icterinus Icterine Greenbul P B . The commonest Phyllastrephus all over the forest zone, north to Sipilou and Comod. Phyllastrephus albigularis T7hite- throated Greenbul R B . Mainly primary forest undergrowth from Abidjan and San Pedro to Mt Nimba and Maraoud. Bleda syndactyla Bristle-bill P B . Frequent in the forest zone south of 7°N. Bleda eximia Green-tailed Bristle-bill R B . Mainly the southern, humid evergreen part of the forest (north to Nimba) . Bleda canipilla Grey-headed Bristle-bill R B . By far the commonest Bleda all over the forest zone, north to 9°30. Criniger ( Trichophorus ) barbatus Bearded Greenbul P B . Common in all the not too dense forest understory from the coast to 9°30. Criniger (Trichophorus) calurus White— bearded Bulbul R B . Much more local than T . barbatus. Does not extend (?) beyond Nimba, Maraoud and Abengourou . 42 Criniger (Trichophorus ) olivaceus Yellow- throated Olive Greenbul P B ? Mistnetted in Tai primary forest. Nicator chloris West African Nicator P B . All the forest and southern guinea zone, north to gallery forest of Comod (9^) . tupdidae Saxicola torquata Stonechat R B . Atundant on the summit ridge of Mt Nimba. No other similar habitat in Ivory Coast. Saxicola rubetra Whinchat P M . Abundant in every savanna, from Sep to Apr mainly after the fires. Oenanthe oenanthe Wheatear PM. 3 records (Ferkessddougou and Comod, Jan-Mar) . Oenanthe bottae Fed-breasted Chat AM? At least one good sighting on a recently burnt savanna (Ouangolodougou, Feb) . cercomela familiaris Fed-tailed Chat R B ? Occurs on several northern inselbergs (Nianabo, Korhogo, Boundiali, south of Odienne) . Myrmecoci chla cinnamomeiventris White-crowned Cliff Chat P B . On rocky hills and small cliffs near Touba and Boundiali. Myrmecocichla (Pentholaea) albifrons White-fronted Black Chat Usually sparse in guinea vroodlands (rarely south to Toumodi) bu commoner (Sipilou, Odiennd) . R B . locally M onticola saxatilis Fock-Thrush PM. One record east of Ferkessedougot (Mar) . Seen on Mt Nimba (Brosset) . Monticola solitaria Blue Rock-Thrush P V ? Cited from Mt Nimba (BW> • Phoenicurus phoenicurus Pedstart P M . Small numkers throughout the guinea zone (Oct-Mar) . Once near Abidjan. Cercotrichas ( Erytrhopygia ) leucosticta Not rare in primary forest undergrowth and Maraoue. Gold Coast Scrub Pobin from Abidjan to Tai, Nimba, P P . Lamto Alethe diademata (castanea) Fire-crest Alethe P B . Common. All the forest zone, north to Korhogo. Alethe poliocephala Brown-chested Alethe E B . Less common than A. diademata. North to Comod and Sipilou. Up to 1,600 m in montane forest on Nimba. Sheppardia cgornithopsis Whiskered Redbreast Akalat R B (Tai, Danand, Nimba). 15 records stiphrornis erythrothorax Forest-robin R B . Unconspicuous but wide' spread in primary forest undergrowth north to Sipilou and Maraoue. Cossgpha polioptera Nimba and Tonkui from White -browed Robin-chat P B . Abundant on Mt 1 ,000 m to the upper limit of the montane forest. 43 Cossypha cyanocampter Blue-shouldered Pobin-chat R B . The only true lowland forest Cossypha. Uncommon from Tai to Sipilou, Lamto and Bouakd . Cossypha albicapilla White-crowned Robin-chat R B . Chiefly northern cruinea and sub-sudan zone in dense woodland. Rare south of 8°N (reaches Toumodi) . Cossypha niveicapilla Snowy-headed Robin-chat R B . Second crrowth, edces and aallery forest, locally alone the coast, commonly throucrh southern guinea zone, and increasingly local north of 8°N. Neocossyphus poensis White-tailed Ant-thrush R B . Rather common throughout the forest zone, north to Comod and Sipilou. Neocossyphus ( Stizorhina) finschi Finsch's Rusty Flycatcher R B . More restricted distribution and lower abundance than N. poensis . Abidjan to Tai, Sipilou, Gagnoa, Abengourou. Luscinia megarhynchos Nightingale P M . Common Oct-Apr in wardens and secondary vecretation from Abidjan to Korhooo and Nimba. Begins to sine in Mar. Turdus pelios ( libonyanus ) Kurrichane Thrush R B . Widespread through- out the country outside the rainforest, but commoner in guinea zone than elsewhere . Turdus (Geokichla) princei Grey Ground-thrush R B . Primary forest under story, from Abidjan and Ta'i to Nimba, Lamto and Como£. TIMALIIDAE Trichastoma ( Malacocincla ) fulvescens Brown Illadopsis (Akalat) R B . Mistnetted in Ta'i, Bouak _2 t 1973. Doc. Scient. Cent hivernages. Anndes 1969, 19/u, iy/i, iy/z Rech. Oceanogr. Abidjan V: 77-85 57 INTES, a. & STRETTA, J.M. (1979) Stemes reprises en COte d'Ivoire au cours des hivemages 1973-74 et 1974-75. Doc. Scient. Centre Rech. Oc^anogr. Abidjan X: 177-182 MOREAU, R.E. (1966) The bird faunas of Africa and its islands. Academic Press , London ORSTOM (1971) Le Milieu naturel de la Cote d'Ivoire. Memoire n° 50, ORSTOM Paris OUSTALET, M.E. (1897) Liste des oiseaux rapportes du Baoule par M. Delafosse. Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. Paris 3: 198-199 PARELIUS, D.A. (1967) A nest of Ongchognathus morio neumanni in the Ivory Coast. Bull. Niger. Orn. Soc. 4: 40 PAYNE, R.B. (1968) Mimicry and relationships in the Indigo birds or Combassous of Nigeria. Bull. Niger. Orn. Soc. 5: 57-60 PFEFFER, P. (1961) Etude d'une collection d' oiseaux de C£>te d'Ivoire. Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. Paris 33: 357-368 PFEFFER, P. (1963) Presence du Grand Moqueur h tete blanche ( Phoeniculus bollei bollei) en Cote d'Ivoire. Oiseau R.F.O. 33: 69 RAYNOR, G.S. (1970) An African recovery of a North American Common Tern. Bird Banding 41: 310-311 SCHOUTEDEN, H. & DF POO, A. (1967) Contribution h l'dtude de la faune ornitholoaique de la Cote d'Ivoire. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 76: 9R_10C>, 200 SEPLE, W. , MOREL , G.J. & HARTWIG, w. (1977) A field guide to the birds of ^est Africa. Collins, London SNOW, D.W. (1978) An atlas of speciation in African non passerine birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.) , Xondon THIOLLAY, J.M. (1971) Les Guepiers et Polliers d'une zone de contact savane-foret en Cote d'Ivoire. Oiseau R.F.O. 41: 148-162 THIOLLAY, J.M. (1972) L'avifaune de la rdgion de Lamto (moyenne Cote d'Ivoire). Annales University d'Abidjan F(IV, 1): 5-132 THIOLLAY, J.M. (1975) Les rapaces d'une zone de contact savane-for^t en Cote d'Ivoire: presentation du peuplement. Alauda 43: 75-102 THIOLLAY, J.M. (1975) Les rapaces des Parcs Nationaux de Cote d'Ivoire. Analyse du peuplement. Oiseau R.F.O. 45: 241-257 THIOLLAY, J.M. (1977) Distribution saisonni^re des rapaces diurnes en Afrique occidentale. Oiseau R.F.O. 46: 253-294 TRAYLOR, M. A. (1970) Two new birds from the Ivory Coast. Bull. B.O.C. 90: 78-80 TRAYLOR, M.A. & PARELIUS, D. (1967) A collection of birds from Ivory Coast. Fieldiana Zool. 51: 91-117 VOISIN , J.C. (1953) Note sur la nidification en Cote d'Ivoire du Petit Calao It bee jaune ( Lophoceros semifasciatus ) . Oiseau R.F.O. 23: 148 VOISIN, J.C. (1953) Sur la presence de Cinngris mihullus en Cdte d'Ivoire. Oiseau R.F.O. 23: 243 VOISIN, J.C. (1954) Sur un tr£s curieux cas de nidification de Hirundo leucosoma en Moyenne c6te d'Ivoire. Oiseau R.F.O. 24: 282-283 58 WHITE, C.M. (1960-1965) Revised checklists of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae, African Rroadbills, ... Shrikes ..., Flycatchers ... and non passerine birds. Govemt. Printer. Lusaka WOLTERS, H.E. (1974) Aus der Vogel sammlung des Museums Koenig. Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 25: 283-291 Dr J.M. Thiollay, Laboratoire de Zoologie, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230 Paris, Ecole Normale Sup£rieure, F ranee mw-. Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus, Nigeria. Photo: Philip Blasdale 59 GAZETTEER ABENGOUROU 6°42N-3°27W ABIDJAN 5°19N-4°01W ABOISSO 5°26N-3°1 3W ADIOPODOUME 5°I9 N-4°OV’7 AGNIBILEKROU 7°10N-3°11W ANYAMA 5°19N-4°01W ASSINIE 5°08N-3°1 5 W AYAME (Lake) 5°33N-3°1 3W AZAGNY (Nat. Park) 5°10N-4°50W BANCO (Nat. Park) 5°19N-4°01W BEOUMI 7°44N-5°23W BIANKOUMA 7°52N-7°40T‘7 BINGERVIILE 5°19N-4°01W BONGOUANOU 6°44N-4°1 OW BORON 8°41N-5°47T'-7 BOUAKE 7°42N-5°00W BOUNA 9°19N-2°53W BOUNDIALI 9°30N-6°31W BUYO (Lake) 6°21N-7°05W COMOE (Nat. Park, bordered by KAKPIN, BOUNA, TEH INI and KQNC DABAKALA 8°1 9N-4°24W DABOU 5°20N-4°23t7 DALOA 6°56N-6°28t7 DANANE 7°21N-8°1 OW DIMBOKRO 6°43N-4°46W DUEKUE 6° 5 ON- 7° 2 277 FERKESSEDOUGOU 9°30N-5°10W FRESCO 5°03N-5°31W GAGNOA 6°04N-5°55T\7 GRABO 4O57N-7°307-7 GRAND BASSAM 5°14N-3°45W GRAND BEREBY 4°38N-6°56T'7 GRAND LAHOU JACQUEVILLE KAKPIN KATIOIA 5°09N-5°01T 5°12N-4°25W 8°40N-3°41W 8°31N-5°04W KONG KORHOGO KOSSOU (Lake) LAMTO MAN 9°10N-4°33W 9°22N-5°3lw 6°59N-5°32W 6°13N-5°02W 7°31N-7°37T«7 MARAOUE (Nat. Park) 6°55-7°1 3N-5°55-6°1 4W M ' BINGUE 1 0°00N-5°54W N'DOUCI (near TIASSALE) NIANGBO (Mount) 9°00N-5°20T NIMBA (Mount, including DANIPLEU , YFALE) ODIENNE OUANGOLODOUGOU OUME POPT-BOUET SANPEDRO SASSANDRA 7°35N-8°25T 9°36N-7°32W 9°56N-5°1 1W 6°22N-5°26W 5°19N-4°01W 4°45N-6°37W 4°58N-6°08W SEGUELA SIPILOU SOUBRE TAABO (Lake, near TAI (Nat. Park) incr E and SE 7°58N-6°44W 7°52N-8°06W 5°50N-6°35KT LAMTO) 5°52N-7°28W, extend- TEHINI TIASSALE TINGRELA TCNKUI (Mount, TOUBA TOUMODI YAMOUSSOUKRO 9°39N-3°32W 5°53N-4°57W 1 0°26N-6°20W near MAN) 8°22N-7°42W 6°34N-5°01W 6°49N-5°17W RE COMM ANIMATIONS AUX AUTEURS Malimbus publie des articles, de courtes notes, des analyses et des lettres avec illustrations. Les manuscrits doivent etre dactylographies a double interligne avec une large marge sur un seul cote de chaque page. Autant que possible, les manuscrits auront ete auparavant soumis a un ornithologue ou un biologiste. Le texte sera de nouveau dactylographie pour sa reproduction en offset, mais les figures doivent etre preparees pour une reproduction directe avec possibility a' une reduction de 20%. On se servira d'encre de Chine et d'un papier blanc de bonne qualite; on dessinera lettres et grises avec des "Letraset" ou "Letratone" (ou equivalent) . LES CONVENTIONS pour les tableaux, les dates, les nombres, les valeurs en systeme metrique, les references devront etre soigneusement suivies et pourront etre recherchees dans ce numero et dans les precedents. Les articles contenant de longues listes d'especes devront etre du format d'un tableau (e.g. Malimbus 1: 22 ou 1: 49) ou du format d'une page de textes du 1: 36 et 56 pour les textes avec de courtes observations par especes ou du 1: 90 pour les textes plus longs. REFERENCES A OMETTKE DANS LA BIBLIOGRAPHIE BANNERMAN 1930-51 or 1953 : Bannerman, D . A . (1930-51) The Birds of West Tropical Africa. 8 vols. Crown Agents, London; (1953) The Birds of West and Equatorial Africa. 2 vols. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London ELGOOD 1982 : Elgood, J.H. (1982) The Birds of Nigeria. B.O.U., London ELGOOD, SHARLAND & WARD 1966 : Elgood, J.H., Sharland, R.E . & Ward, P. (1966) Palaearctic migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 108 : 84-116 ELGOOD, FRY 8, DOWSETT 1973 : Elgood, J.H., Fry, C.H. & Dowsett, R.J. African migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 115 : 1-45 and 375-411 HALL & MOREAU 1970 : Hall, B.P. & Moreau, R.E. (1970) An Atlas of Speciation in African Passerine Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London MACKWORTH-PRAED & GRANT 1957-73 or 1970-73 : Mackworth-Praed, C.W. & Grant, C.H.B. (1957-73) African Handbook of Birds. Series I, Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa (2nd ed.) . 2 vols. Series II, Birds of the Southern Third Africa. 2 vols. Series III, Birds of West Central and Western Africa. 2 vols. Longmans Green & Co., London; (1970-73) African Handbook of Birds. Series III, Birds of West Central and Western Africa. Vol. I, 1970, Non -passerines , Vol. 2, 1973, Passerines. Longmans, London SERLE & MOREL 1977 : Serle, W. & Morel, G.J. (1977) A Field Guide to the Birds of West Africa. Collins, London SNOW, D.W. (Ed.) 1978 : An Atlas of Speciation in African Non-Passerine Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London WHITE 1960-65 : White, C.M.N. (1960) A check list of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Part I Occasional papers of the National Museums of Southern Rhodesia 3 (24B) : 399-430; (1961) A revised check list of African broadbills ... etc. Lusaka : Government Printer; (1962a) A check list of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Parts II and III. Occ. Pap. Nat. Mus . S. Rhod. 3 (26B) : 653-738; (1962b) A revised check list of African shrikes ... etc. Lusaka : Gov. Printer; (1963) A revised check list of African flycatchers ... etc. Lusaka : Gov. Printer; and (1965) A revised check list of African Non-Passerine birds. Lusaka : Gov. Printer. f (3>S> if l o / MALIMBUS the West African Ornithological Society d’Ornithologie de FOuest Africain VOLUME y 1985 Number 2 Octob WEST SOCILTE AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY IT ORNITHOLOGIE DE LOUEST AFRTGAIN Council 1982-1985 President Professor Brian J. Harris Vice-President Dr Gerard J . Morel Hon. Secretary Professor John H. Elgood Hon. Treasurer & Membership Secretary Mr Robert E. Sharland Managing Editor, Malimbus Dr C. Hilary Fry Correspondence should be addressed as follows: - to the Managing Editor (Aberdeen University Department of Zoology, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland, U.K.) regarding contribu tions to Malimbus and purchase of back numbers (i.e. the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society) to the Hon. Treasurer (Flat 7, Elmsdown Court, Southampton Road, Ringwood Hants, U.K.) regarding subscriptions and financial matters - to the President (Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria) or Vice-President (Station d ' Ornithologxe , Richard-Toll, B.P. 20, Senegal) regarding policy matters - to the Hon. Secretary (26 Walkford Way, Highcliffe, Dorset BH23 5LR, U.K.) regarding all other matters The Society grew out of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society, which was founded in 1964. Its object is to promote scientific interest m tne bir s of West Africa and to further the region's ornithology mainly by means o, th publication of its journal Malimbus (formerly the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society). Applications for membership are welcomed. Annual rates are £6.00* for Ordinary Members and £15.00* Members receive Malimbus free of charge . membership subscription for Corporate Members. BACK NUMBERS : Vols. 11 (1975) , 12 (1976) Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' and of Malimbus Vol. 1 (1979) onward are Most earlier volumes of the Bulletin are , 13 (1977) and 14 (1978) of the Society (the same format as Malimbus ) available at £6.00* per volume, still available, at prices on request . * Payments may be made in £ sterling or FFr for encashment in U.K. or in Nigerian N for encashment in Nigeria. AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY PRESS : The Soc subsidy by the Ahmadu Bello University Malimbus belongs. iety acknowledges with gratitude Press, Nigeria, to whom copyright o f ISSN : 0331 - 3689 Emblem design by Philip Blasdale 1985 61 A NEW SUBSPECIES OF THE RUFOUS SWAMP WARBLER ACROCEPHALUS RUFESCENS FROM SENEGAL by P. R. Colston and G. J. Morel Received 21 January 1985 At Lake Guiers near Pichard-Toll , Seneqal, Acrocephalus rufescens occurs in the sane kind of Typha beds as the African Reed Warbler A . baeticatus , which has recently been found to be racially distinct (Colston & Morel 1984) . In the past, efforts to describe this most northwestern population of rufescens have suffered from a lack of comparative material (Morel & Roux 1962) . In order to establish the identity of these birds GJM was able to collect sinqle adult females in April and December 1983 and five adult males in April 1984. The specimens were subsequently forwarded to the British Museum (Natural History) (RMNH) for appraisal. PRC, who examined the series, confirmed that the birds were greyer -brown , less rufous above than nominate rufescens and whiter below than any of the foreaoing races in Africa, rufescens , chadensis , niloticus , foxi or ansorgei and represent a distinct form, for which we provide the name Acrocephalus rufescens senegalensis subsp. nov. Holotype Adult female (in fresh plumage); Lake Guiers, near Richard-Toll , Senegal, 16°25'N, 15°42'W, 10 December 1983. Collected by Dr G.J. Morel, collectors number 10-2758. Lodged in the British Museum (Natural History) , Tring, BM. No. 1984-6-1. Description When compared with nominate rufescens (southern Nigeria to northern Angola) the upperparts are greyer -brown , less rufous in appearance and there is a distinct greyish cast to the head and nape. The ear-coverts, sides of the head and neck are paler ash-brown and the lores are whiter. The underparts are also very pallid looking by comparison, even whiter than the palest race chadensis . The chin and throat are pure white, while the breast, belly and undertail coverts are off-white, or very faintly frinaed pale buff on the flanks. Wines and tail are slightly darker brown than rufescens . Colours of soft parts at time of collecting Iris chestnut, legs and feet grey-brown, bill light brown with a paler lower mandible. Measurements of type Wing (flattened) 74 mm, tail 66 mm, culmen from base of skull 23 mm, tarsus 29 mm, weight 19.5 gms at time of collecting. Breeding and distribution As this reed warbler appeared almost impossible to secure with mist-nets GJM decided to lure them out of their recess by using a tape recording made of the nominate form in Nigeria. The reaction to the tape was remarkably swift, although GJM soon discovered that the size of the population was rather small in comparison with A. baeticatus (which is evidently numerous at Lake Guiers) . Judginq from the response, one pair was found in about every 0.5-1 ha of Typha beds. The female col lected on 26 April was in breeding condition with an enlarged ovary 62 P.R. Colston and G.J. Morel MALIMBUS 7 Table 1 Measurements of Acrocephalus rufescens senegalensis and A. r rufescens A. r. senegalensis A. r. . rufescens 5 males 2 females 10 males 10 females Wing 74-75 (74.6) 73, 74 (73.5) 69-76 (73.4) 66-73 (70.1) Tail 68-72 (70.2) 65, 66 (65.5) 64-72 (67.7) 61-69 (65.4) Bill 21.5-23 (22.1) 21, 23 (22) 20-23 (22.4) 21-22 (21 .5) Tarsus 28-29 (28.4) 27, 29 (28) 28-30 (29.3) 27-39 (28.2) Weight 20-21 (20.4)' 19.5, 23 (21.25) - — Means in parenthesis. (ovules to 3 m) and the five males taken ^t»^n 24 26 )^1 had enlarged aonads (4-5 imi) , so that the species would appear to have a breeding regime similar to that of A . baeticatus , which also breeds tnere S^y-June and like that species, April adults show some degree of war to their plumaqe. In West Africa only two localities for A. rufescens ar shown in Hall and Moreau's Atlas (1970): Lake Guiers, and near Dak (R. de Naurois, pers. conn.) . The Atlas does not show any other records west of 0° alonq the coast or between Chad and Senegal, and to the be ^ knowledge there is only one other record, of a bird caught along the Niger in Mimosa pigra at Bamako in November (Lamarche 1981) . REFERENCES COLSTON , P.R. & MOREL , G.J. (1984) Warbler Acrccephalus baeticatus A new subspecies of the African Reed from Senegal. Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl. 104: 3-5 LAMARCHE, B. (1981) Liste commentee des oiseaux du Mali, deuxieme partie. Passereaux. Malimbus 3: 73-102 MOREL, G. & ROUX, F. (1962) Donnees nouvelles sur l’avifaune du Senegal. L'Oiseau et RFO 32: 28-56 P. R. Colston , British Museum (Natural History ), Tring , Herts , HP23 6AP , UK Dr G. J. Morel, ORSTOM , BP 20, Richard Toll, Senegal 1985 63 BIRDS IN FALGORE GAME RESERVE, NIGERIA by R. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft Received 14 February 1985 Falaore Game Reserve, formerly Koain Kano Forest Reserve, lies in the southernmost tonque of Kano State, Nigeria. This tongue extends south from a narrow zone of Sudan Savanna bordering Tiaa Lake beside the course of the Kano River into the Northern Guinea Savanna that covers most of this reserve (Fig. 1). The Kano River flows throughout the year but its flow is considerably increased in the rains which fall between April and October. Previously estimated at 640 km2, a recent revision now indicates the name reserve covers an area of some 920 km (Yahiya Suleiman, pers. comn.) . Between 1978 and 1983 a total of 66 visits (most for a whole day, some for a few hours and some includina overnight stays) was made to the reserve. The majority of trips included walks alona the river and its tributaries and to inselberas . Because of difficulty of access very few visits were made to the most northerly area of the reserve borderina Tiaa lake. Thus with few exceptions (notably the Black -headed Plover Vanellus tectus and the Cut-throat Weaver Amadina fasciata , recorded only in the drier northern areas of the reserve) our observations relate to that major area of the reserve dominated by Guinea Savanna. SPECIES REPRESENTATION The total of 261 species recorded in the reserve is listed in Appendix I. This is rather less than the 337 species recorded at Yankari Game Reserve (Crick & Marshall 1981). However, Falgore covers less than half the area of Yankari, which has been worked over a longer period by a greater number of ornithologists. If Tiga Lake is considered as part of the Falgore habitat complex, then the total number of species rises to 286 (see Appendix II) , which doubtless under-represents the avian diversity of this area. Three species observed at the southern edge of the reserve ( Circus macrourus , Macronyx croceus , Lagonosticta rubr icata) may well be expected within its boundaries, and more mist-netting would certainly pick up additional species. 23 of the species recorded in Appendix 1 are as yet unrecorded in Yankari and the importance of Falaore as a bird habitat should not be underestimated. Previous lists of Kano State birds (Sharland & TTilkinson 1981 , Wilkinson & Aidley 1982, Beecroft & Wilkinson 1983) are up-dated by records of cuckoos Cuculus canorus cancrus and C. canoras gularis, Red— pate Cisticola Cisticcla ruf iceps , Moustached Scrub Warbler Sphenoeacus mentalis , and Wilson's Indigob.ird Vidua wilsoni. SEASONAL OCCURRENCE The monthly occurrences of most species recorded at Falgore follow those expected according to the miaratory patterns outlined in Elgood, Sharland & Ward (1966) and Elgood, Fry & Dowsett (1973). The migratory patterns of 64 r. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft MALIMBUS 7 Figure 1 Falgore Game Reserve (stippled) and Tiga I^ake (hatched) Kano State, Niaeria Pygmy Kingfishers Ceyx picta have already been noted ^ (Wilkinson 1982) . topendix I suqgests that several other species, previously considered sedentary, are highly seasonal at Faloore. Whether the changes m abundance at Falgore reflect the merely local movements g ^mge mioration remains for most species uncertain. However the consider a 1 reduction in numbers of Lesser Flue-eared Starlings Lamprotornxs cMoropterus at Falgore in the mid-rains is well correlated with their seasonal influx at Kano. The few records of the uncormon Spotted Creeper ° at Falgore were in June and July. Fry ( 965 notes that P • Ward s tvo records of the Spotted Creeper at a similar latitude at z aria were aUo June and July; with so few records, that may be coincidental , bat the possibility of it being migratory deserves further investigate . 1985 Falgore, Nigeria 65 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to D. J. Aidley, D. O'Connor, and especially to P. E, Sharland for their unpublished records. Special thanks are due to Alhaji Hadi Mustafa and the staff at Falaore for their support and co-operation. R. Wilkinson is grateful to the Department of Biological Sciences, Bayero University, Kano for the opportunity to conduct this field study and their provision of transport. REFERENCES BEECROFT, R. & WILKINSON , R. (1983) Additions to local avifaunas: Kano State. Malimbus 5: 93 CRICK, H. Q. P. & MARSHALL, P. J. (1981) The Birds of Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria: their abundance and seasonal occurrence. Malimbus 3: 103-114 FRY, C. H. (1965) The birds of Zaria. IV - Residents, vagrants, and checklist (Passerines). Bull. Niger . Orn. Soc. 2: 91-102 SHARLAND, R. E. & WILKINSON, R. (1981) The birds of Kano State, Nigeria. Malimbus 3: 7-30 WILKINSCN, R. (1982) Seasonal movements of the Pygmy Kingfisher Ce yx picta in West Africa. Malimbus 4: 53-54, 108 VTILKINSON, R. & AIDLEY, D. J. (1982) Additions to local avifaunas: Kano State. Malimbus 4: 107 Roger Wilkinson , North of England Zoological Society, Upton-by-Chester , Chester, CH2 1LH , UK Roger Beecroft , Alcedo , Hail Lane, Witnesham , Suffolk, UK White-fronted Finch-Lark Eremopter yx nigriceps Hilary J. Welch 66 R. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft MALIMBUS 7 APPENDIX I: MONTHLY RECORDS OF BIRDS AT FALCORE GAME RESERVE Note - Abundance ratings although subjective attempt to follow those in rhe Birds of Africa; that is abundant = 10-100 daily; common 1 10 da y, frequent = quite often seen or heard; uncommon = 10 or fewer in a year. follow Serle & Morel (1977). Remarks Nomenclature and sequence Podiceps ruficollis Phalocroccrax africanus Nycticorax nycticorax Ardeola ralloides A. ibis Butorides striatus Egretta alba E. garzetta Ardea cinerea A. melanocephala A. purpurea Scopus umbretta Ciconia abdimii C. nigra Anastomus lamelligerus Bostrychia hagedash Plegadis falcinellus Dendrocygna viduata Sarkidiornis melanota Trigonoceps occipitalis Gyps bengalensis Neophron monachus Gypohierax angolensis Circus pygargus C. aeruginosus Polyboroides radiatus Terathopius ecaudatus Circaetus gallicus C. beaudouini C. cinereus Accipiter badius A. ovampensis Melierax metabates M. gabar Kaupifalco monogrammicus Months JFMAMJ JASOND X X X X X X X X X XX xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx X X X X X X X X X X X XXX XXX XX xxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxx X X X XX X X X X XXX X X X X X X X XXX xxxxxxxxxx X XX XX XX XXX X X X X XXXXXXXX XXX XXXXXX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X x X X XX XX XX XXX XXX X X XXX X X X A single record Uncommon Uncommon Frequent Common Frequent/Corrmon. Nest build- ing 8 June 1983 A single record Frequent/Common in late dry season Frequent/Cammon in dry season Frequent in late dry/early rains Frequent except late rains Common. One entered nest 8 June 1983 Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon A single record Uncommon Frequent in rains Frequent , absent late dry season. Adult with ten gos- lings 20 October 1982 Uncommon Frequent/Corrmon . Adults at nest site in March and Apr] 1982 Frequent/Corrmon A sinqle record A single record Uncommon in dry season Frequent/Corrmon Frequent/Cormon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Frequent Uncommon Frequent Frequent Frequent 1985 67 Falgore, Nigeria Butastur rufipennis Butec auguralis Lophaetus occipitalis Hieraaetus spilogaster Polemaetus bellicosus Aquila rapax A. wahlbergi Haliaetus vocifer Milvus mi grans Aviceda cuculoides Elanus caeruleus Falco biarmicus F. subbuteo F. chiquera F. ardosiaceus F. vespertinus F. tinnunculus Sagittarius serpentarius Francolinus albogularis F. bicalcuratus Ptilopachus petrosus Numida meleagris Crex egregia Limnocorax flavirostra Gallinula chloropus G. angulata Podica senegalensis Eupodotis melanogaster Actophilornis africana Vanellus spinosus V. tectus Limosa limosa Tringa nebular ia T. glareola T. ochropus T. hypoleucos Gallinagc gallinago Himantopus himantopus Postratula benghalensis Sterna nilotica Pterocles quadricinctus Columba guinea JFMAMJ JASOND X X X X X XX X X XXXXX X XX X XX X XXX X XXX XXX X xxxxxxx xxxx X X XXXX X X XXX X XXXX X XXXXXX X X X XXX X X XX XX XX xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx X XXX X xxxxxxxxx XXX X XXXXXX XXX X X X X X X XXX XXX XXXXX XXX X X X X X X XXXX X X X XXXXX XXX Frequent/Conmon except mid rains. One by nest 30 March 1982 Uncommon Frequent Uncommon Uncommon Uncorrrnon Uncommon A single record of an immature Common except mid rains Uncomnon Uncommon Uncommon A single record Uncommon/Frequent Frequent Passage only Frequent in late dry season Only two records Frequent/Un cannon Common Cormon. Adults with 3 young on 30 March 1982, and with a sinqle youngster on 4 April 1982 Frequent/ Canton A single record Uncommon Single records A single record Frequent Unconuon Common except mid rains. Scrape with 2 recently hatched chicks and 2 pipping eggs 19 March 1983 A single record Uncomnon A single record Frequent on spring passage Frequent/COmron in dry season Frequent/Common in dry season A single record Uncommon Uncommon A single record Frequent. Two parties with half-grown young on 21 December 1982. Adults with well-grown young on 2 February 1983 Frequent except mid-rains. Wing-clapping display flight on 20 October 1982 68 R. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft MALIMBUS 7 Streptopelia semitorquata S. lugens S. decipiens S. vinacea S. senegalensis Oena capensis Turtur abyssinica Treron waalia Poicephalus senegalus Psittacula krameri Musophaga violacea Crinifer piscator Clamator jacobinus C. levaillantii Cuculus solitarius C. canorus canorus C. canorus gularis Chrysococcyx klaas C. caprius C. cupreus Centropus senegalensis Otus leucotis Bubo africanus Glaucidium perlatum Caprimulgus rufigena C. climacurus Macrodipteryx longipennis Apus apus A. caffer A. af finis Cypsiurus parvus Ceryle maxima C. rudis Alcedo cristata Ceyx picta Halcyon senegalensis H. malimbica H. chelicuti H. leucocephala Merops nubicus M. pusillus M. bullocki M. hirundineus Coracias abyssinica C. naevia C. cyanogaster Eurystomus glaucurus JFMAMJJASOND XXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX X X X X XXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XX X XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXX X XX XXXXXXXXXXXX X X X X X X X X X X X X X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XXX Ccurmon/Frequent Frequent Frequent Oonmon/ Abundant Corrmon Frequent/Common in dry season Common /Abundant Frequent/Cormon Common Frequent Frequent Oommon A single record One record Frequent in wet season Frequent in wet season Frequent in wet season Frequent/Comron A single record Uncommon Frequent A single record Uncommon Uncommon A single record Frequent/Coirmon in wet season Frequent Common. Nest with 2 nest- lings, 10 January 1982 Uncommon Frequent Uncommon Uncommon/Frequent in wet season Uncommon. Courtship dispL 1 July 1982 Uncommon Frequent Frequent except mid -rains Frequent Frequent Abundant. Feeding young i nest, 16 April 1983 Uncommon Common/ Frequent. Immature bird, 21 June 1980 Frequent Uncommon Frequent/Cormon in wet season Frequent/Common in dry season Upupa epops X X X X X 1985 69 Falgore, Nigeria Phoeniculus purpureus P. aterrimus Tockus nasutus T. erythrorhynchus Bucorvus abyssinicus Lybius dubius L. leucocephalus L. vieilloti Pogoniulus chrysoconus Indicator indicator I. minor Campethera punctuligera Dendropicos fuscescens Dendrocopus obsoletus Mesopicos goertae Mirafra javanica M. rufocinnamomea M. nigricans Eremopterix leucotis Galerida cristata G. modesta Hirundo rustics H. smithii H. aethiopica H. leucosoma H. senegalensis H. daurica H. abyssinica H. griseopyga H. fuligula Deli chon urbica Psalidoprocne obscura Motacilla flava Anthus cervinus Prionops plumata Nilaus afer Dryoscopus gambensis Tchagra minuta T. senegala Laniarius barbarus Malaconotus sulfureopectus M. blanchoti Corvinella corvina Oriolus auratus Dicrurus adsimilis Lamprotornis purpureus L. chloropterus JFMAMJJASOND XXXXXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX X xxxx X X XXXXXXXXXXXX X XX XXXXXXXX XX xxxxxxxx X XXX X X X XXXXXXX X XX X X xxxx X XXXXXXX X X xxxx X XXX XXX X X X X XXX X xxxxxx XXXXX X XXXX X XXX XXX X X XX XXXXX XXXX XXXXX X xxxxxxxx X XXXXX X XXXX XX X XXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXX XX X XX XXX XX X XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX X XXX X XX X XXXXXXXXX XX XXXXX X XX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXX Common. One carrying food on 14 March 1982 Frequent Common Frequent Uncommon Frequent/Common Unconmon Frequent Frequent except early dry season Frequen t/Uncommcn Uncommon Frequent A single record Uncommon Frequent A single record Uncommon A single record Corrmon/Frequent in dry season A single record A single record Uncomron. On passage Frequent. Nest building 15 February 1981 and 21 March 1981 Frequent in late dry season. Nest with 3 eggs, 16 May 1982 Frequent Frequent in wet season Unconmon Frequent but seasonal Frequent/Common hut seasonal. Carrying grass into holes in ground on 29 November and 6 December 1981 Frequent Single record Frequent in wet season Frequent in dry season A single record Frequent /Common . Nest with 2 nestlings, 21 March 1981 Frequent Frequent/Un common Uncommon Common/Frequent Frequen t/Common Uncommon Uncommon Common/ Frequen t Frequent Fr equ en t /Common Common Abundant except mid rains. Nestlings 29 April 1982. Recent fleda lings 20 May 1982. 70 P. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft MALIMBUS 7 L. chalcurus L. caudatus Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Buphagus africanus Ptilostomus afer Corvus albus Coracina pectoral is Campephaga phoenicea Pycnonotus barbatus Chlorocichla flavicollis Saxicola rubetra Oenanthe oenanthe Oenanthe bottae JFMAMJJASOND X X XX XX XXX X X XXXXXXXX XXX X X X X X xx x X X X X X X X X xxxxxxxxxxxx X X x XXX X X X X X X X X X X Cercomela familiar is Mgrmecocichla cinnamomei ventris M. albifrons Morticola saxatilis Phcenicurus phoenicurus Cossgpha niveicapilla Lusciria megarhynchos Turdus pelios Turdoides plebejus T. reinwardii Acrocephalus schoenobaenus A. scirpaceus Sphenoeacus mentalis Hippolais polyglotta H. pallida Sylvia communis Phylloscopus trochilus Cisticola cant an s C. erythrops C. natalensis C. ruficeps XXXXX X X X X X X X X XXXXXXX X X x X X X X X XXXXXXXX XXX XXXXX XX XXXXX x XXX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XX XXX X X X Single record Frequent Uncommon, highly seasonal Uncommon, associated with Fulani cattle Common. Fed-billed immatmi January , March , May , June 1 and October Frequent Uncommon Frequent in wet season Common/Abundant Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Frequent/Common in dry season. Nest building 15 ( February 1981. Song dispL flight 2 February 1983, iirmatures 14 May 1983 Uncorrmon/Frequent . Nestll 20 May 1982. Adults carry food 3 January and 19 Mar 1983. Frequent except dry seaso when absent or overlooked Frequent. Song and wing- flicking display 21 March 1981. Immature 10 June 19 Uncommon Single record Uncommon Uncommon Frequent Frequent/Common Uncommon/Frequent Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Frequent by song in rains Sicrht records require confirmation C. juncidis Prinia subflava Camaroptera brachyura Eremomela pusilla Sylvietta brachyura Muscicapa striata M . aquatica Ficedula hypoleuca Melaenornis edolioides Bradornis pallidus X X xxxxxxxxx X x xxxxxxxxx X X X X X X X X X XXXXX X X XXX Uncommon X Frequent X Uncommon X X Frequent X FrequentA]ncommon A single record A single record A single record Frequent X X Frequent /Uncommon 1985 Falgore, Nigeria 71 Hyliota flavigaster Batis senegalensis Terpsiphone viridis Parus leucomelas Remiz parvulus Salpornis spilonota Anthreptes longuemarei A. platura Nectarinia senegalensis N. venusta N. cuprea N. pulchella Zosterops senegalensis Emberiza cabanisi E. forbesi E. tahapisi Serinus mozambicus S. leucopygius Ploceus luteolus P. heuglini P. cucullatus Malimbus rubriceps Euplectes macrourus E. hordeaceus E. orix Plocepasser superci liosus Passer griseus Petronia dentata Sporopipes frontalis Vidua macroura V. chalybeata V. wilsoni JFMAMJJASOND XXX X X XXXXXXX X X X X X X X X XXXXXXX XX X X X XX x X X X X X XX XXXXXXXXX XX XXX XX X X X X X X X X X X X XXXXXXX X X X X X X X XX xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx X XX xxxxxx . XX X X X X X X X X XXX XXX X xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx XXX xxxxxxxx X XXX X X xxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx X X XX X X XXX X xxxxxx X xxxxx Uncommon Frequent/Uncorrmon Frequent in wet season Frequent. Nestlings 12 April 1979. Adult carrying food 21 March 1981 . Uncommon Uncommon Uncommon Frequent in dry season Frequent/Common Uncommon Frequent in wet season Frequent in late dry season Frequent Uncommon. Song 16 January 1983. Uncommon Frequent/Common except wettest months Frequent Uncommon Frequent. Nest building I July 1 982 . Uncommon in Reserve. Large colony at Pest House. Nest building II May 1983. Frequent/Common when nesting. Nest building 14 May 1983 . Frequent. Nestlinqs 12 April 1979. Nest building 27 May 1978, 25 March 1982, 29 April 1982. Frequent/Common Frequent/Common Common /Abundant Uncommon Frequent Common /Abundant except mid rains. Adult carrying food 20 April 1983. Uncommon Uncommon Frequent One white-billed, pale- legged, purple glossed male in song. Other pale- winged indigo birds were seen but not identified to species Frequently seen when in breeding dress V. orientalis X 72 r. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft MALIMBUS 7 Nesocharis capistrata Amadina f asciata Pytilia phoenicoptera Estrilda melpoda E. troglodytes E. caerulescens E. bengala E. larvata Lagonosticta senegala L. rufopicta L. rara Lonchura malabarica L. cucullata JFMAMJJASOND X X X XXX XX XXXXXX XX X X X XXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXX X XXXXXXXXX XX XX XX X XXX XXX XXXX X X XXXXXXXX X Uncommon A single record Frequent in dry season Frequent Uncommon A sinnle record Fr equen t/Common Frequent Common Frequent Frequent Uncommon Frequent/Ccrrmon APPENDIX II : SPECIES RECORDED AT TIGA LAKE RUT NOT IN FALGOPE GAME RESERVE Egretta intermedia , Threskiornis aethiopica , Plectropterus gambensis , Anas acuta, A. clypeata , A . querquedula , Pandion haliaetus , Circaetus cmerascens, Falco alopex , Charadrius alexandrinus , C. dubius , C. pecuarius, C. hiaticu a, Pluvialis squatarola , Tringa stagnatalis , T. totanus , Calidris alpina, C. ferruginea, C. minuta , Philomachus pugnax , Larus ridibundus, L. cirrocephal Riparia riparia, Lanius collurio isabellinus , L. senator, Spreo pulcher , Acrocephalus arundinaceus . Crowned Cranes Balearica pavonina near Firqoun, Niger (see p. 79) . (Photo: R.A. Cheke) . 1985 73 BIRD RECORDS FROM THE- REPUBLIC OF NIGER by Robert A. Cheke, J. Frank Walsh and Lincoln D.C. Fishpool Received 22 August 1985 2 The Republic of Niger is a huge country, encompassing 1,187,000 km of West Africa. Most is desert, the remainder sahel apart from some sudan savanna vegetation in the south-west. Sites of especial ornithological importance include the Air massif (the birds of which have been described by Villiers, 1950, and Bruneau de Mire, 1957) the W National Park, and a comer of Lake Chad. The W National Park is shared by three countries; it includes parts of eastern Burkina Faso and northern Benin. Grettenberger (1984) recently described the Niger part of the park, with a plea for urgent assistance to maintain conservation work there. The birds of the Niger section of the park have been documented by Roster & Grettenberger (1983). Niger is also known as the winter quarters of many species of Palaearctic migrants and part of the routes of many more. Migrant birds in the Sahara desert have been discussed by Pettet (1984) in a volume which also includes an article by Casselton (1984) on birds breeding in the Sahara. Bannerman (1931) listed the birds collected in Niger by Bates, who later described his pioneering voyages and the birds he encountered (Bates 1933, 1934a, b, c, d) . Other contributions are by Hartert (1921, 1924), Paludan (1936), Rousselot (1947), Douaud (1955), Koenig (1956), Heu (1961), Fairon (1971, 1975), Haas (1974), and Pfriehm (1981). Prompted by the request of Giraudoux (1984) , we present here a compilation of the birds we have seen in Niger during a series of visits and residences between 1967 and 1984. Most of the records are from the south-western comer of the country, since the work which took us to Niger required travel between the Mali border close to the Niger River and along its course to the frontier with Benin. However, some birds were seen during field work elsewhere, including brief journeys to Agadez and the Tahoua and Mar ad i regions described by Cheke et al . (1980) , a paper in which a few bird records were mentioned. In the list which follows the nomenclature and sequence are those of Hall & Moreau (1970) and Snow (1978). Co-ordinates of localities mentioned are listed and some sites are depicted on the map (Fig. 1) . STRUTH ION I DAE Struthio camelus Ostrich Not seen by us. Ostriches were common in northern Niger until the mid 1960's when parties of 30 or 40 birds were to be seen in the area of the Falaise de Tiguigit, south of Agadez (G.B. Popov, pers. comm.). Current status unknown: rumoured to be present still, but rare. ANHINCIDAE Anhinga rufa African Darter One at Niamey in Aug 1967. R.A. Cheke, J.F . Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 ABALAK 15° 27 'N,06° 17 'E AGADEZ 16° 58 N , 07° 59 E ALFASSI 13° 19 "N , 01 02 E AYOROU 14° 44 'N,00° 55 E BAKIN BIRJI 14° 16 'N,08° 48 E bani bangou 15° 03 'N, 02° 42 E BEYLANDE 12° 45'N,02" 52 E BIKINI 12° 25'N,02° 47 E BIRNI N'KONNI 13° 48 'N,05° lb E BOSSE BANGOU 13° 21 'N,01 18 E dogondoutchi 13* 38 N, 04° 02 E DOSSO 13° 03 'N,03° 12 E FAMALE 14° 33 'N,01° 04 E FIRGOUN 14° 48 'N,00° 53 E garbey-kourou 13° 44 'N,01 36 E GAYA 11° 53'N,03a 27 E GOTHEYE 13° 52'N,01° 34 E ILLELA 14° 28 'N,05° 15 E IN GALL 16° 47 'N,06° 56 'E ISSAWAN 14° 00 'N,07° 55 E KAKOU 13° 11 'N,01° 07 'E KANDI (BENIN) 11° 08'N,02° 56 "E KCMPARTI 12° 00 'N,03° 12 'E LABEZANGA (MALI) 14° 57 'N,00° 43 'E MARADI 13° 58 "N , 07° 06 'E MAY AH I 13° 58'N,07° 40 'E MEANA 14° 24 'N, 01° 08 'E NIAMEY 13° 32 'N, 02° 08 'E SAGAFONDO 13° 35'N,01° 57 'E SAY 13° 07 'N,02° 21 'E TAGALAL 14° 46 'N/06a 18 'E TAHOUA 14° 54 'N,05° 16 'E TANOUT 14° 58'N,08° 53 'E TAPOA 12° 29 "N,02° 25 'E TILLABERY 14° 13 'N,01° 27 'E TORODI 13° 18 'N,01° 40 'E TOUNGA 12° 42'N,02° 28 "E YERI 12° 14 'N,02° 24 'E ZINDER 13° 48 "N,08° 59 'E Figure 1 Map and gazetteer of Niger 1985 Republic of Niger 75 PHALACROCORACIDAE Phal acrocorax africanus Reed Cormorant A few near Niamey in Aug 1967, June and July 1977. Also noted near Tapoa in Apr 1977 and at Gaya in June 1977. A juvenile at Firgoun in Sept 1984. PELECANIDAE Pelecanus rufescens Pink-backed Pelican Three on the Niger at 12°20'N on 5 Apr 1977. ARDEIDAE Nycticorax nycticorax Black— crowned Night Heron Near Tapoa on 4 Apr 1977 and 40 near Tillabery on 21 Sept 1984. Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret Abundant along the Niger between Gaya and Gotheye from June until Oct. In Aug 1967 a large breeding colony was seen near Niamey, amongst which Abdim's Storks Ciconia abdimii and Village Weavers Ploceus cucullatus were also breeding. On 3 Oct 1977 about 50 were seen feeding on the grasshopper Oedaleus senegalensis at Maradi (Cheke et al. 1980) ; next day four were seen flying, at midday with their bills open, near Issawan. Many more probable migrants were seen on the next day; 250 at a water-hole 40 km north of Zinder, 20 near Tanout and 10 at an oasis 130 km south of Agadez. On 23 Sept 1984 one at Ayorou was seen eating a toad. Ardeola ralloides Squacco Heron Three near Niamey on 18 June 1977, a few in the Tapoa area in Apr 1977 and June 1984 and many in the Say region in Sept 1984. Butorides striatus Little Green Heron One near Niamey in Aug 1967 and June 1977. Seen in the Tapoa area in Apr 1977, June and July 1984. Egretta garzetta Little Egret Twenty six at Bose Bangou on 11 July 1984. Single birds beside the Niger during 1984 at Gotheye (11 Aug), near Sagafondo (19 Sept) and near Ayorou (23 Sept) . E . intermedia Yellow-billed Egret One near Niamey on 12 Aug 1984. E. alba Great White Eoret Abundant along the Niger and other rivers as far north as Tillabery. More than 2,000 including flocks of 300 and 500 between Tapoa and the Nigerian border in Apr 1977. One near Zinder on 4 Oct 1977 and another at Ayorou on 23 Sept 1984. Ardea cinerea Grey Heron Abundant along the Niger and other rivers. More than 1,000 including flocks of 200 between Tapoa and the Nigerian frontier on 5 Apr 1977. A . purpurea Purple Heron In 1984 near Yeri on 6 June (one bird) , pairs at Say on 19 Sept, near Ayorou on 23 Sept and a singleton near Tillabery on 2 1 Sept . A . goliath Goliath Heron One near Bikini in Sept 1984. A. melanocephala Black-headed Heron A few aloncr the Nicer from Gaya to Ayorou during wet seasons. A small breeding colony at Gaya in June 1977. 76 R.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 SCOPIDAE Scopus umbretta Hammerkop Near Tapaa In Apr 1977 and Sept 1984 and near Yeri in June 1984. CICONIIDAE Cironia ciconia White Stork One 40 km north of Abalak on 7 Oct 1977 and iwo 10 km north-west of Niamey on 20 Sept 1984 Giraudoux (1978) ^crited a site 18 km east of Zinder where 500-600 used to over-winter and vThere they fell prey to trappers. One of two ringed birds he found had been marked as a nestling in Morocco. C. abdimii Abdim's Stork In Aug 1967 the species was conxion in Niamey and nested in dead trees in the city, where a pair was also seen building on 11 July 1984. On 12 June 1977 one was carrying food near Niamey and at least three pairs were nesting in a large tree beside the Niger at Say. On 21 June 1977 a pair was nesting 10 m up in a Baobab tree there, bu n remained by 29 Oct. Earlier, probable migrants had been seen as follows: many flocks of 50 to 100 birds at water-holes near Zinder on 4 Oct, mor than fifty 40 km north of Zinder the next day and a flock of 250 flying eas 8 km west of Bimi N'konni on 9 Oct and 60 soaring in a thermal 2 bm away. In July 1978 several active nests were seen between Tillabery and Ayorou. Earliest record at Niamey was two on 29 Apr 1978 and the latest was four the airport on 2 Oct 1977. Other possible migrants include 15 near konparti on 19 Sept 1984, 3 at Garbey-Kourou on 21 Sept 1984, a single bird at Ayorou Sn 22 Sept 1984 and a flock of 100 at 13°40'N, 1°35’E in the Sirba valley on 2 Oct 1976. c. episcopus Woolly-necked Stork A few pairs in the Sirba valley at 13°15'N in Oct 1976. Coimon along the Niger between Tapoa and the Niger frontier in Apr 1977. Ephippiorhgnchus senegalensis Saddlebill Stork A pair in the Sirba valley at 1 3° 1 0 ' N , 01°10'E on 2 Oct 1976. An adult and an limoture near Yen on 5 Apr 1977 and one there on 6 June 1984. Leptoptilos crumeniferus Marabou Stork More than 20 near Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. Mycteria ibis Yellow-billed Stork Five beside the Niger between Tapoa and the Nigerian frontier on 5 Apr 1977. THRESKIORNITHIDAE Threskiomis aethiopica Sacred Ibis On 19 Dec 1976 between 50 and 100 birds roosted on an island in the Niger a few km south of Niamey, south of Tanout on 5 Oct 1977. TVro near Tillabery and 3 near Ayoroy on 21 Sept 1984. Ten near Ayorou on 23 Sept 1984. Bostrgchia hagedash Hadada One near Yeri on 5 Apr 1977 and 6 June 1984 . One at Tapoa on 4 Apr 1977 and another near Ayorou on 23 Sept 1984. Plegadis falcipellus Glossy Ibis One south of Ayorou on 2 Aug 1978 and 7 flying south at Tounga on 19 Sept 1984. 1985 Republic of Niger 77 MATT DAE Dendrocygna bicolor Fulvous Whistling Duck Ten near Niamey on 31 July 1977. D. viduata White-faced Whistling Duck Common along the Niger from the Nigerian border to Ayorou. Anas acuta Pintail Four south of Say on 19 Sept 1984 and two near Tillabery on 21 Sept 1984. Plectropterus gambensis Spur— winged Goose Common along the Niger from Gaya to Ayorou. One at Dogondoutchi in Aug 1977. Sarkidiornis melanotos Knob-billed Goose Singles near Gaya in Apr and June 1977 and 25 near Niamey in July 1977. ACCIPITRIDAE Gypohierax angolensis Palm-nut Vulture One east of Tapoa at 11 48 'N, in Apr 1977 and in Sept 1984. Gyps rueppellii Ruppell's Griffon Vulture One at Niamey in Aug 1967. One in the Sirba valley at 13°10'N, 01°30'E in Oct 1976. Ten feeding on a freshly-dead donkey 30 km north of Bakin Birji on 5 Oct 1977 and ten 40 km north of Abalak on 7 Oct 1977. Two in the’ Yeri region in June 1984. One north of Tounga and another near Meana in Sept 1984. G. africanus White-backed Vulture One near Tapoa in Apr 1977 and two near Yeri in June 1984. Necrosyrtes monachus Hooded Vulture Corrmon in small numbers at Niamey in Aug 1967. In 1977 recorded from Bimi N'konni, Tapoa, Torodi and Zinder. Seen near Tounga and at Torodi in 1984. Terathopius ecaudatus Bateleur One at Tapoa in Apr 1977. One 120 km south-west of Niamey in Aug 1977. Three near Yeri in June 1984 and one at Tapoa in July 1984. Circus sp. Harrier A ringtail near Ayorou on 23 Sept 1984. Circaetus cinereus Brown Snake Eagle One south of Yeri on 6 June 1984. Accipiter badius Shikra Common at Niamey in Aug 1967 and one near there in July 1977 and in Aug 1984. One near Dogondoutchi in Aug 1977 and another 40 km north of Gaya in Aug 1984. Melierax met abates Dark Chantincr Goshawk One 32 km south of Niamey in Aug 1967. Singles at Dogondoutchi in Aug 1977 and Tagalal in Oct 1977. One near Garbey-Kourou in Aug and Sept 1984. Micronisus gabar Gabar Goshavk. One near Tillabery in July 1978. Kaupif alco monogrammicus Lizard Buzzard Often seen between Gaya and Dosso. 78 r.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 Buteo auguralis near Dos so on an Sept 1984. Red-tailed Buzzard One near Tagalal on 8 Oct 1977, twa unrecorded date and one 40 kin west of Garbey-Kourou on 19 Butastur rufipennis Grasshopper Buzzard One at Tapoa on 4 Apr 1977. One near Illela on 14 Auq 1977. Two near Bakin Birji on 5 Oct 1977. Two 20 Inn south of Tahoua on 9 Oct 1977. Cannon in Niger between Gaya and Dosso on 10 Aug 1984, a date when none had been seen in Benin on the way north, one at Garbey-Kourou on 19 Sept 1984. Polemaetus bellicosus Martial Eagle One at Tapoa in Apr 1977 and another 50 km south of Bani-Bangou in Sept 1977. Aguila rapax Tawny Eagle One near Yeri in June 1984. Haliaetus vocifer African Fish Eagle Twd beside the Niger (one near Tapoa and the other south of Say) and two beside the Sirba river (one at Kakou and another 45 km west of Garbey-Kourou) on 19 Sept 1984. One beside the Faga river near Alfassi the next day. Milvus migrans Black Kite The earliest record at Niamey was 18 June 1977 and the latest a group of 50 at the airport on 2 Oct 1976. However on 9 Oct 1977 six were seen 100 km south of Tahoua. The day before some were seen near Tagalal feeding on the grasshopper Oedaleus senegalensis and the species was also noted 50 km north of Tahoua. Other northern records include a dozen at Ayorou on 19 July 1978 and one there on 22 Sept 1984. Elanus caeruleus Black-shouldered Kite Uiree in the Niamey area in Aug 1967 and one on 12 June 1977. Recorded from Gaya on 21 June 1977 and 0 Aug 1984. One 30 km south of Tanout on 5 Oct 1977 and another near Tagalal on 8 Oct 1977. FALCON I DAF, Falco peregxinus Perecrrine F. biarmicus Lanner Falcon there in Sept 1984. F. ardosiaceus Grey Kestrel One near Garbey-Kourou on 11 Aug 1984. A pair at Ayorou in July 1978 and a male One at Tapoa in Apr 1977. SAGITTARI I DAE Sagittarius serpentarius Secretary Bird One 30 km south of Bani-Bangou in Sept 1977. PHASIANIDAE Francolinus bicalcaratus Double-spurred Firancolin Near Niamey in June and July and at Tapoa in Apr 1977. Ptilopachus petrosus Stone Partridge At Tapoa in Apr 1977. 1985 Republic of Niger 79 NUMIDIDAE Numida meleagris Helmeted Guineafowl Abundant between Dosso and Gaya in June 1977. Also recorded from Tapoa in Apr and Dogondoutchi in Aug 1977. HELIORNITHIDAE Podica senegalensis Finfoot One in the Sirba river close to the border with Burkina Faso, west of Kakou on 20 Sept 1984. GKUIDAE Balearica pavonina Crowned Crane The only record away from water was of two birds seen 40 km north of Abalak on 7 Oct 1977. In 1978 about 20 roosted .in trees at Famale, south of Ayorou, on 15 May and one was seen 14 km north of Ayorou on 17 July. The healthy state of the species' populations along the Niger was confirmed on 21 Sept 1984 when 86 were counted between Gotheye and Ayorou. A pair near Bose Bangou in July and Sept 1984 and up to 11 at Torodi, also in Sept 1984. One in the W National Park in June and Sept 1984. OTIDIDAE Eupodotis melanogaster Black -bellied Bustard Singles 80 km south-west of Niamey on 28 Aug 1977 and 15 km north of Gaya on 10 Aug 1984. Otis arabs Arabian Bustard A pair near Kakou on 19 Sept 1984. JACANIDAE Actophilornis africana Jacana Very corrmon beside the Niger in Aug 1967, when a flock of 200 were seen near Niamey. Scattered records from the Nigerian frontier to Ayorou in subsequent years. BURHINIDAF Burhinus senegalensis Seneaal Thick-knee One near Illela in Aug 1977 and ten on an island in the Niger in the Niamey area in Sept 1984. 2HARADRI I DAE Vanellus albiceps Black-shouldered Wattled Plover Thirty near Niamey in jAug 1967. Also near Tapoa in Apr 1977, south of Yeri at 12°12'N in June j 1 984 and near Gotheye in Aug 1984. t. senegallus Senegal Wattled Plover Seen near Tapoa in July 1984. v. spinosus Spur -winged Plover Corrmon beside the Niger from the Nigerian frontier to Ayorou. Probably bred near Niamey in June and July 1977 when a pair were seen bleating, defending territories and mobbing Black Kites ( Milvus migrans ) and Abdim's Storks ( Ciconia abdimii) . Also noted 10 km north of Tanout and 120 km south of Agadez on 5 Oct 1977 and one at Abalak two days later. 80 r.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 v tectus Black-headed Plover Several at Niamey airport on 2 Oct 1976 and one there on 11 July 1984. At least three pairs near Illela on 13 Auq 1977. charadrius marginatus White-fronted Sand Plover One near Niamey on 31 July 1977. SCOLOP AC I DAE Tringa erg throps Spotted Redshank Two near Firgoun on 23 Sept 1984. T. nebularia Greenshank One near Firgoun on 23 Sept 1984. T. hgpoleucos Cormton Sandpiper Beside the Niger River between the Niger lar frontier and Tapoa in Apr 1977. Singletons also at Tapoa and along the Niger as far north as Ayorou in Aug and Sept 1984. Philomachus pugnax Raff Thirty flying north along the Niger near Gotheye on 11 Aug 1984 and 43 seen in the Firgoun area on 23 Sept 1984. Lirnosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit About 50, beside the Niger, near Gaya on 5 Apr 1977. RECURIVORI STRIDAE dimantopus himantopus Black-Dinged Stilt One 10 km north of Tanout on 5 Oct 1977. FOSTRATULI DAE Rostratula benghalensis Painted Snipe A pair at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977 GLAREOLIDAE Pluvianus aeggptius Egyptian Plover Corrmn beside the Niger from the Nigerian frontier to Ayorou. Cursorius cursor Cream~co loured Courser One 50 km west of Agadez on 7 Oct 1977. Glareola pratincola Common Pratincole About 20 beside the Niger River between the Nigerian frontier and Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. Ten hawking at dusk at Ayorou on 21 Sept 1984 and 79 counted near Firgoun two days later. Sixty-nine of these were in a single group, settling to roost on an lslan. in the middle of the river. G. nuchalis Rock Pratincola Six on a rocky islet between Ayorou and Firgoun on 23 Sept 1984. G. cinerea Grey Pratincole Several beside the Niger between the Nigerian frontier and Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. 1985 Republic of Niger 81 LARI DAE Hydroprogne tschegrava Caspian Tern One near Gaya on 5 Apr 1977. Sterna albifrons Little Tern One at Gaya on 21 June 1977. S. leucoptera White-winged Black Tern Three flying north up the Niger at Niamey on 12 Aug 1967 and seven north of Ayorou on 23 Sept 1984. Rhynchops flavirostris African Skimmer Sixteen flying north up the Niger at Niamey on 11 Aug 1967 and two flocks seen along the same river between Tapoa and the Nigerian frontier on 5 Apr 1977. PTEROCLIDIDAE Pterocles exustus Chestnut- be Hied Sandgrouse Near Agadez on 7 Oct 1977. P. guadricinctus Four-banded Sandgrouse Pairs at Tapoa on 4 Apr 1977 and 19 Sept 1984. Also near Niamey in June and July 1977. COLUMBIDAE Columba guinea Speckled Pigeon Conuon at Niamey. Also noted at Bimi N'konni, Garbey-Kourou , Ayorou and Tapoa. Streptopelia vinacea Vinaceous Turtle Dove At Tapoa in Apr 1977, Gaya in June 1977 and Tounga in Sept 1984. S. roseogrisea Pink -headed Dove Garbey-Kourou and Ayorou in Sept 1984. Bates (1934b) recorded the species at Say. S. decipiens Mourning Collared Dave At Niamey in Aug 1967 and July 1977. S. semitorquata Red-eyed Turtle Dove At Niamey in Aug 1967 and at Tapoa in Apr 1977. 5. senegalensis Laughing Dove Recorded at Ayorou, Dogondoutchi , Gaya, Niamey and Tapoa. Turtur abyssinicus Black-billed Wood Dove At Niamey in Aug 1967 and June 1977. At Gaya in June 1977. Oena capensis Masked Dove Recorded from Tapoa (5 Apr 1977) , Niamey (18 June 1977) , Dogondoutchi (15 Aug 1977) , 45 km north of Bakin Birji (5 Oct 1977) , 150 km south of Agadez (5 Oct 1977) , Tillabery (15 July 1978) , Garbey-Kourou (19 Sept 1984) and Ayorou (21 Sept 1984). Treron waalia Yellow-bellied Fruit Pigeon At Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. PSITTACIDAE Poicephalus senegalus Senegal Parrot At Tapoa in Apr 1977 and at Gaya in Aug 1977. 82 R.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 Psittacula krameri Rose-ringed Parakeet At Gaya in June 1977 and Aug 1984 and at Yeri in June 1984. MUSOPHAGIDAE Crinifer piscator Grey Turaco One 40 km south-west of Niamey in Oct 1977 two at Gaya in Sept 1978 and at Yeri in June 1984. CUCULIDAE Clamator glandarius Great Spotted Cuckoo Sinqles at Niamey on 11 Aug 1967 and Garbey-Kourou on 19 Sept 1984. C. jacobinus Pied Crested Cuckoo One at Niamey on 12 Aug 1967 and two at Gaya on 21 June 1977. C. levaillantii Striped Cuckoo One at Niamey on 31 July 1977 Cuculus gularis Grey Cuckoo At Yeri on 6 June 1984. Centropus senegalensis Senegal Coucal At Niamey in June-Aug 1977, Gaya (June 1977) , Reylande (July 1977) and Tapoa (Apr 1977) . CAPRIMULGIDAE Caprimulgus climacurus Long-tailed Nightjar Niamey-Ouagadougou road, on both sides of the 1977. Many flushed from the main Burkina Faso border on 28 July Macrodipte ryx longipennis Standard -winged Nightjar About 40 at Niamey airport on 19 Dec 1969 (D.J. & Y.C. Cheke, pers. corrm. ) . . Three. of 20 night- jar corpses examined near Gaya on 10 Aug 1984 were of this species. APODIDAE Telacanthura ussheri Mottled Spinetail Seen at Yeri on 6 June 1984. cypsiurus parvus Palm Swift Recorded from Ayorou, Gaya, Niamey and Tapoa. Apus apus European Swift One at Illela on 13 Aug 1977, one at Gotheye on 11 Aug 1984, two at Garbey-Kourou on 21 Sept 1984 and six at Ayorou two days later. A. af finis Little Swift Corrmon at Niamey in Aug 1967. Also seen at Zmde (Oct 1977), Yeri (June 1984) and Ayorou (Sept 1984). COLIIDAE colius macrourus Blue-naped Mousebird One at Ayorou in July 1978 and five there in Sept 1984. i85 Republic of Niger 83 CEDINIDAE ?ry le maxima Giant Kingfisher One at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. rudis Pied Kingfisher Comron along the banks of the Niger from Gaya ) Ayorou. One at a lake 30 km south of Tahoua in Oct 1977. [cedo cristata Malachite Kingfisher Singles at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977 and lya on 21 June 1977. ilcyon leucocephala Grey-headed Kingfisher Singles at Niamey on 13 Aug )67 , 12 and 18 June 1977 and 11 July 1977. One near Bimi N'konni on 15 ig 1977. malimbica Blue-breasted Kingfisher One at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. :kopidae 'rops bulocki Red-throated Bee-eater Singles at Tapoa in Apr 1977, Gaya i June 1977 and at Ayorou in July 1978. pusillus Little Bee-eater Common near Niamey in Aug 1967. Six there i 12 June 1977 and present also on 18 June, 11 and 31 July and 12 Oct, when ie was netted. The bird's wing length was 73 rim, it was in wing moult, sighed 14.9 g and no parasites were found in a smear of its blood (Pierce >84) . On 23 Sept 1984 ten or more roosted in thick vegetation beside the .ger at Ayorou. orientalis Little Green Bee-eater Singles at Tapoa (Apr 1977) , Niamey ug 1977), Bimi N'konni (Aug 1977) and six at Ayorou (Sept 1984). albicollis White-throated Bee-eater Two at Niamey on 6 Aug 1977 and ree separate birds near In Gall on 7 Oct 1977. nubicus Carmine Bee-eater At Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. Hundreds going to ost in parties of 20 or 30 at Famale on 21 May 1977. Common at Gaya on 21 me 1977. In 1977 the population foraging from telephone wires beside the >ad between Dogondoutchi and Bimi N'konni was censused four times: 698 re counted on 12 Aug, 702 on 15 Aug but only 121 on 2 Oct and 139 on 9 Oct. e Oct birds were all in the section nearest Bimi N'konni. In July 1977 ie species was abundant between Tillabery and Ayorou, where a flock was ■en feeding on first and second instar nymphs of the grasshopper Oedaleus negalensis (Cheke et al . 1980). One near Torodi on 20 Sept 1984 and at ri on 6 June 1984. Beside the Mekrou river at 12°05'N a colony of more an 500 holes, the highest concentration of M. nubicus ever seen by the server (J.F.W.) , was found on 6 June 1984. Another big colony was seen on e same date beside the Mekrou at 11°59'N, which is probably the one listed appendix 4 of Fry (1984) . On the basis that observers travel by road d in the dry season, Fry surmised that his appendix probably listed only % of the true number of colonies and estimated that the total population in rica could be as much as 5 million. Both R.A.C. and J.F.W. have surveyed ny rivers in West Africa by air and from the ground in the wet season d have not found many unknown colonies, upon which basis we consider Fry's gure likely to be an over-estimate. 84 R.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 OORACIIDAE Coiacias abyssinica Abyssinian Roller Coimon near Niamey in Aug 1967. In 1977 they were also common there in June but had disappeared in mid-July. Other records from Gaya (21 June and 10 Aug 1984 — the latter being the first seen on a drive north from Kandi in Benin) , 40 km north of Zinder and 150 km south of Agadez on 5 Oct 1977, 60 km north-east of Abalak on 7 Oct 1977 and Ayorou (12 July 1978 and 24 Sept 1984). c. naevia Rufous -crowned Roller Seen at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977, 30 km south- west of Niamey on 28 Aug 1977 and at Yeri on 6 June 1984. Eury stomus glaucurus Broad— billed Roller Singles at Gaya (4 Sept 1978 and 10 Aug 1984) and at Kakou on 20 Sept 1984. PHOEN I CULI DAE Phoeniculus purpureus Green Wood-hoopoe Three 30 km north of Gaya on 10 Aug 1984. UPUPIDAE Upupa epops Hoopoe Singles seen at Eogondoutchi (15 Aug 1977) , Abalak (7 Oct 1977), Tillabery (15 July 1978) and Ayorou (24 Sept 1984). BUCEROTIDAE Tockus erythrorhynchus Red— billed Hornbill Recorded from Ayorou (Sept 1984), Gaya (June 1977), Niamey (Aug 1967) and Tapoa (Apr 1977). T. nasutus Grey Hornbill Recorded from Ayorou (18 July 1978), 150 km south of Agadez (5 Oct 1977) , Dogondoutchi (15 Aug 1977) , Niamey (13 Aug 1967), Tanout (5 Oct 1977) and Tapoa (5 Apr 1977 and 11 July 1984). CAPITGNIDAE Lybius dubius Bearded Barbet One 45 km north of Gaya in Aug 1984. L. vieilloti Vieillot's Barbet One at Gaya in Sept 1978. PICIDAE Dendropicos goertae Grey Woodpecker A pair near Niamey on 18 June 1977. ALAUDIDAE Alaemon alaudipes Hoopoe Lark One near Illela on 1 Aug 1977 and another at Agadez on 6 Oct 1977. Eremopterix nigriceps White— fronted Finch Lark Singles 80 km and 30 km north-east of Abalak in Oct 1977. 1985 Republic of Niger 85 E. leucotis Chestnut-backed Finch Lark. Six near Illela in Aug 1977. Abundant in the sahel north of Tanout in Oct 1977. A pair at Gotheye in Aug 1984 and four at Garbey-Kourou in Sept 1984. HI RUNDIN I DAE Hirundo smithii Wire-tailed Swallow At Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977 and Dogondoutchi on 15 Aug 1977. H. aethiopica A pair nested in a house at Ayorou in July 1978. Bates (1934d) secured a specimen at Gao in Mali, a record omitted by Hall and Ploreau, although Bannerman (1939) mentioned it together with Bates' observations of the species even further west. H. rustica European Swallow One at Firgoun on 23 Sept 1984. H. leucosoma Pied-winged Swallow Three at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. H. daurica Red-rumped Swallow Present at Yeri on 6 June 1984. H. senegalensis Mosque Swallow One at Ayorou on 22 Sept 1984. H. abyssinica Lesser Stripe! Swallow Recorded from Gaya (21 June 1977) and Yeri (6 June 1984). MOTACILLI DAE Motacilla aguimp African Pied Wagtail One at Sagafondo, between Niamey and Gotheye, on 19 Sept 1984. M. flava Yellow Wagtail Beside the Niger between the Nigerian border and Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. CAMPEPHAGIDAE Campephaga phoenicea Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike One at Gaya on 22 June 1977. PYCNONOTIDAE Pycnonotus barbatus Black-headed Bulbul Recorded from Niamey (July 1977) and Tapoa (Apr 1977) . LANIIDAE Prionops plumata Common Helmet-shrike Flocks seen at Tapoa (Apr 1977) and 60 km north of Gaya (Aug 1984) . Tchagra senegala Black-headed Tchagra At Tapoa (Apr 1977) and 75 km south- east of Dosso (Sept 1978) . 86 R.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 Laniarius barbarus Crimson Boubou More than one present at Yeri in June 1984. Lanius senator Woodchat Shrike One near Tagalal on 8 Oct 1977. L excubitor Great Grey Shrike Common in the Agadez area in Oct 1977, where one was seen chasing two desert locusts ( Schistocerca gregana ) . Southernmost record: 10 km north of Abalak on 7 Oct 1977. Corvinella corvina Long-tailed Shrike Recorded at Tapoa (Apr 1977), Torodi (July 1984) and 30 km north of Gaya (Aug 1984). 1URDIDAE Oenanthe leucopyga White-runped Wheatear One 60 km south of Agadez and another at Agadez on 6 Oct 1977. 0. oenanthe Wheatear One at Issawan on 4 Oct 1977, two 40 km north Zinder the next day and several 40 km north-east of In Gall on 7 Oct of 1977. Myrmecoci chi a aethiops Ant-eating Chat Near Illela in Aug 1977 and in the Issawan area in Oct 1977. TIMALIIDAE Turdoides plebejus Brown Babbler Flocks at Tapoa in Apr 1977 and 25 km north of Gaya in Aug 1984. SYLVIIDAE Sylvia communis Whitethroat thebaica) in Cenchrus biflorus One, singing, amongst Doum palms ( Hyphaene grassland 5 km south of Mayahi on 3 Oct 1977. Hippolais pallida Olivaceous Warbler Singles at Tapoa on 5 Apr 19/7 and Ayorou on 24 Sept 1984. Phylloscopus trochilus Willow Warbler Seen at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977 and at Tahoua on 8 Oct 1977. Cisticola brachyptera Siffling Cisticola At Tapoa in July 1984. Camaroptera brevicaudata Grey-backed Camaroptera At Tapoa in Apr 1977 Eremomela pusilla Green-backed Eremomela At Tapoa in Apr 197 7. Sylvietta brachyura Nuthatch Warbler One near Labezanga on the Niger side of the border on 16 Aug 1978. NECTARINIIDAE Anthreptes platurus Pigmy Long-tailed Sunbird Singies at Niamey on 19 Dec 1969 (D.J. Cheke pers. comm.), Tapoa (5 Apr 1977) and Torodi (11 Ju y 1984) . 1985 Republic of Niger 87 Nectarinia pulchella Beautiful Long-tailed Sunbird Single males seen at Niamey (11 Aug 1967, 14 July 1978), Tapoa (5 Apr 1977), Gaya (22 June 1977) , 40 km north of Tahoua (8 Oct 1977) and at Ayorou (17 and 19 July 1978, when seen feeding on flowers of Commiphora sp. , and 23 Sept 1984). N. senegalensis Scarlet-breasted Sunbird At Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977 and a pair 30 km north of Gaya on 10 Aug 1984. EMBERIZIDAE Emberiza tahapisi Cinnamon -breasted Rock-bunting Noted at Tapoa on 5 Apr 1977. A pair at Ayorou on 15 July 1978 and present at Gotheye on 11 Aug 1984. FRINGILLIDAE Serinus mozambicus Yellow-fronted Canary At Tapoa in Apr 1977 and at Gaya in June 1977. PLOCEIDAE Ploceus cucullatus Village Weaver Recorded from Gaya, Niamey and Ayorou, where an active colony was noted on 21 Sept 1984. P. melanocephalus Black -headed Weaver A colony was observed on the west bank of the Niger opposite Niamey from June to Oct 1977. On the evening of 12 Oct a small sample were mist-netted. Wing lengths of 11 females ranged from 65 to 72 nm (mean = 67.73; S.D. = 2.57) and of 17 males from 70 to 76 nm (mean = 72.65; S.D. = 1.58). Female weights ranged from 17.0 to 21.1 g (mean = 19.05; S.D. = 1.66) and male weights from 20.1 to 25.0 g (mean = 2.47; S.D. = 1.19). Three immature males had pale irises and one adult male was in full wing moult. Blood smears were taken from 28 of the birds but no parasites were found (Peirce 1984). The species was common elsewhere along the Niger, north of Niamey. P, heuglini Heuglin's Masked Weaver A male at Ayorou on 22 Sept 1984. P. luteolus Slender-billed Weaver A male at Niamey on 12 Aug 1967 and one near Gotheye on 11 Aug 1984. Euplectes franciscanus Red Bistop A male near Niamey on 12 Aug 1967. E. afer Yellow-crowned Bishop Common near Niamey, also noted at Gotheye (Aug 1984) and Ayorou (Sept 1984). Quelea quelea Red-billed Quelea Control measures were being taken aaainst this species at Bani-Rangou on 4 Sept 1977. On 25 Sept 1984 twa flocks of about 100 birds each were seen 60 km south of Ayorou. Passer griseus Grey-headed Sparrow Common at Ayorou, Gotheye, Niamey and Yeri. Petronia dentata Bush Sparrow At Tapoa in Apr 1977. 88 R.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 Bubalornis albirostris Buffalo Weaver Active breeding colonies in Aug and Sept at Niamey, Gotheye, Garbey-Kourou and 73 km north of Gaya. vidua orientalis Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah Males seen at Gaya on 21 June 1977 and near Dogondoutchi on 15 Aug 1977. Hypochera Ichalybeata Indigo Bird At Ayorou, Niamey and Tapoa. ESTRILDIDAE Lagonosticta senegala Senegal Firefinch Abundant. Noted at Agadez, Ayorou (feeding young in a nest, late Sept 1984) , Gaya, Gotheye, Niamey and Tapoa. Uraeginthus bengalus Red— cheeked Oordon-Rleu Near Niamey in Aug 1967 and at Gaya in June 1977. Estrilda troglodytes Black-rumped Waxbill Recorded from Gaya (June 1977) and Gotheye (Aug 1984) . E. melpoda Orange-cheeked Waxbill Four at Gaya on 4 Sept 1978. Lonchura malabrica Warbling Silverbill At Tapoa on 5 Api 1977. STURNIDAE Lamprotornis caudatus Long-tailed Glossy Starling Seen in small numbers along the Niger River: e.g. 30 km north of Gaya (Aug and Sept 1984) , Tapoa (Apr 1977) and 20 at Labezanga in Aug 1978. Also one east of Kakou in Sept 1984. L. purpureus Purple Glossy Starling Noted at Gaya (June 1977) and Tapoa (Apr 1977). A juvenile at Ayorou in Sept 1984. Spreo pulcher Chestnut-bellied Starling Common near Niamey in Aug 1967 and seen there and at Dogondoutchi in Aug 1977. On 30 May 1978 one was seen feedina on the grasshopper Oedaleus senegalensis 32 km north of Tillabery. DICRURIDAE Dicrurus adsimilis Glossy— backed Drongo Seen near Gaya. CORVIDAE Ptilostomus afer Black Magpie Cannon at Niamey in Aug 1967 and Dec 1969 (D.J. Cheke pers. comm.). Also seen between Gaya and Beylande (Apr-July 1977) . Corvus ruf icollis Brown— necked Raven Twd 120 km south of Agadez on 5 Oct 1977 and the species was present in Agadez itself, the next day. On 7 Oct another was seen 40 km west of the town. 1985 Republic of Niger 89 c. albus Pied Crow Cornron. Seen at Abalak, Agadez, Ayorou, Bimi N'konni, Garbey-Kourou , Gaya, Gotheye, In Gall, Niamey, Say and Tapoa. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Dr. J.A. Coles and S.A. Sowah for help with some of the field work. We are also grateful to D.J. and Y.C. Cheke and G.B. Popov for seme records. P. Giraudoux kindly provided some bibliographic information. SUMMARY Records of 188 species seen in Niger between 1967 and 1984 are given. r£sum£ Renseignements sur 188 esp^ces vus au Niger entre 1967 et 1984 sont donnds. REFERENCES BANNERMAN, D.A. (1931) Liste des oiseaux obtenus en 1928 par M.G.L. Bates pendant son voyage du nord de la Nigeria au Sdndgal, a travers le Soudan Frangais et les territories du Haut-Niger et de la Haute-Volta. L'Oiseau et R.F.O. no. 12: 594-617 BANNER1AN, D.A. (1939) The Birds of Tropical West Africa. Vol. 5. The Crown Agents, London BATES, G.L. (1933) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries in French West Africa. Part I. Ibis 13th. series 3: 752-780 BATES, G.L. (1934a) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries in FrerchWest Africa. Part II. Ibis 13th. series 4: 61-79 BATES, G.L. (1934b) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries in French West Africa. Part III. Ibis 13th. series 4: 213-239 BATES, G.L. (1934c) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries in French West Africa. Part IV. Ibis 13th. series 4: 439-466 BATES, G.L. (1934d) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries in French West Africa. Part V. Ibis 13th. series 4: 683-716 BRUNEAU DE MIRE, P. (1957) Observation sur la faune avienne du Massif de l'Air. Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris 29: 130-135 CASSELTON, P.J. (1984) Breeding birds, pp 229-240 in Clouds ley-Thompson , J.L. (ed.) "Sahara Desert". Pergamon Press, Oxford. CHEKE, R.A. , FISHPOOL, L.D.C. & FORREST, G.A. (1980) Oedaleus senegalensis (Krauss) (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Oedipodinae) : an account of the 1977 outbreak in West Africa and notes on eclosion under laboratory conditions. Acrida 9: 107-132 DOUAUD, J. (1955) Les oiseaux du Dahomey et du Niger notes de voyage. L'Oiseau et R.F.O. 25: 295-307 90 R.A. Cheke, J.F. Walsh & L.D.C. Fishpool MALIMBUS 7 FAIRON, J. (1971) Exploration omithologique au Kaouar (Hiver 1970) Le Gerfaut 61: 146-161 FAIRON, J. (1975) Contribution S l'omithologie de l'Air (Niger). Le Gerfaut 65: 107-134 FRY, C.H. (1984) The Bee-eaters. T. & A.D. Poyser, Cal ton. GIRAUDOUX, P. (1978) Fang von Weisstorchen auch in Niger. Die Vogelwarte 29: 276-277 GIRAUDOUX, P. (1984) Birds in the Niger Republic. Brit. Birds 77: 433 GRETTENBERGER, J. (1984) W National Park in Niger - a case for urgent assistance. Oryx 18: 230-236 HAAS, W. von (1974) Beobachtungen palaarktischer Zugvogel in Sahara und Sahel (Algerien, Mali, Niger). Die Vogelwarte 27: 194-202 HARTEFT, E. (1921) The birds collected by Capt. Angus Buchanan during his journey from Kano to Air or Asben. Novitates Zoologicae 1921: 78-141 HAFTERT, E. (1924) Ornithological results of Cap. Buchanan's second Sahara expedition. Novitates Zoologicae 1924: 1-48 HEU, R. (1961) Observations omithologiques au Tendrd. L'Oiseau et R.F.O. 31: 214-239 KOENIG, L. (1956) Zum Vorkamnen einiger Sprinte zwischen Tessalit und Niamey (Franzosich - Westafrika) . Journal fur Omithologie 1956: 384-402 FOSTER, S.H. & GRETTENBERGER , J.F. (1983) A preliminary survey of birds in W Park, Niger. Malimbus 5: 62-72 PALUDAN, K. (1936) Report on the birds collected during Professor O. Oluf sen's expedition to French Sudan and Nigeria in the year 1927; with field notes by the collector Mr. Harry Madsen. Vidensk. Medd. fra. Dansk. naturh. Foren. 100: 247-346 PEIRCE, M.A. (1984) Haematozoa of African birds: some miscellaneous findings. Afr. J. Ecol. 22: 149-152 PETTET, A. (1984) Migratory birds, pp. 241-250 in Clouds ley-Thompson , J.L. (ed.) "Sahara Desert". Pergamon Press, Oxford PFRIEHM, U. (1981) Beitrag zum Durchzug palaarktischer Vogel in Nord-und West Afrika. Om. Mitteilungen 33: 65-67 ROUSSELOT, R. (1947) Notes sur la faune omithologique des cercles de Maradi et de Tanout (Niger fran , • . k 1 ' \ - ' . -f Carte (A) Massif du Cap de Naze: A, Bloc maritime avec les falaises sur le versant Quest; B, Valine interm^diaire entre le bloc maritime et le plateau intdrieur. Les plages hachur^es ddfinissent les zones d ’ observation de Monticola solitar ia . 1985 Monticola solitarius 93 CHRONOLOGIE DES OBSERVATIONS Monticola solitarius a EtE observe la premiere fois au Cap de Naze, le 31/12/1978 (de Smet et Van Ganpel 1980). Nous avons trouvE quelques sujets dans ce secteur en fEvrier 1981, observations confirmees jusqu'au mois de ma.i (Morel, Monnet & Rouchouse 1983) . Observations en 1982 E quelques F avec chant Observations en 1983 janvier mars mai novembre dEcembre quelques sujets M et F non appariEs 1 1 observations M et F non appariEs aprEs le 20/3 l'effectif s'est rEduit 1 F isolEe 5 M et 5 F non appariEs; 1 F perchEe 4 observations M et F non appariEs - avril - mai - juin - juillet - aout - septembre - octobre - novembre - dEcembre 2 F isolEes; 1 couple, chant soutenu, attitude febrile (23/4) 2 sujets M ou F (?) 3 M 5 M dont 1 sujet juvenile; Evolutions mo ins aisEes sur les rochers que les adultes (31/7) 1 M juvEnile (12/8) 1 M 2 F 1 M sujet perchE, peu farouche, migrateur (1/10) 1 M juvEnile (15/10) 18 M et F non appariEs, chant soutenu, grande effervescence; arrivEe migrateurs (30/10) 12 M 3 F; 1 M juvEnile chant soutenu (28/11) 6 observations M et F non appariEs Observations en 1984 - janvier - fEvrier - mars - avril - mai 4 M 5 F 6 observations M et F non appariEs 1 couple; transport de dEbris vEgEtaux par sujet M (13/3) 1 couple dans une zone diffErente, chant (13/3) 8 observations M et F non appariEs 2 F; 1 sujet sexe non identifiE 1 F (3/5) Le graphique B exprime les observations mensuelles obtenues au cours des annEes 1981 a 1984 illustrant 1' importance de l'effectif a deux pEriodes caracteristiques de 1'annEe. COMMENT AIRE La rEgularitE du passage de Monticola solitarius au Cap de Naze apparait Evidente mais avec quelques fluctuations. Ce site trEs attractif est susceptible de favoriser 1 ' implantation de quelques couples. Les observations de 1983 attestent la prEsence permanente de quelques individus sur le site et probablement le dEbut d'un processus de sEdentarisation. C'est avec une grande difficultE que nous avons effectue les observations de mai a septembre 1983. Ces sujets trEs f arouches , Evoluaient avec une extreme discrEtion dans les ehoulis et le couvert des broussailles , mais 94 C. Rouchouse MALIMBUS 7 rarement a d£cx)uvert dans les falaises. Le 30/10/83 nous avons remarqud une grande animosity entre certains individus . Cette attitude pouvait correspondre dans la circonstan.ce, a une competition territoriale entre les quelques sujets residents et les migrateurs qui venaient d'arriver. Les observations du 23/4 et 31/7/1983 permettent de presumer la nidification. Les Evolutions d'un couple le 13/3/1984 etaient a cet dgard tres significatives. La presence de sujets juveniles hors des periodes de passage, renforce cette presomption : le 31/7/83 un jeune sujet revela parfaitement les taches blanchatres aux remiges secondaires et couvertures alaires, caracteristique lide aux jeunes d'aprEs Geroudet. RESUME Nous avons observe Monticcla solitarius au Cap de Naze en 1981. De nouvelles observations furent rdalisEes de 1982 a 1984. L'article presente les caracteri stiques du biotope et les rEsultats des principales observa- tions. C'est en 1983 que nous avons constate la presence permanente de cette espece sur ce site avec des indices qui permettent de presumer sa nidifica- tion . SUMMARY The Blue Rock Thrush M . solitarius was observed in 1981 at Cap de Naze in Senegal. Its permanent presence was established during 1983 and breeding is strongly suspected. REFERENCES DE SMET, K. & VAN COMPEL, J. (1980) Observations sur la c6te Sdndgalaise en decembre et janvier. Malimbus 2: 56-70 MOREL, G.J., MGNNET, C. & ROUCHOUSE, C. (1983) Donnees nouvelles sur Monticola solitaria et Monticola saxatilis en S^negambie. Malimbus 5: 1-4 GfiROlTDET, P. (1963) La Vie des Oiseaux. Les Passereaux. Des Mdsanaes aux Fauvettes. Delachaux et NiestlE. NeuchStel. C. Rouchouse, ORSTOM , BP 50 Mbcur , S£n£gal 1985 95 PREUSS'S CLIFF SWALLOW HIRUNDO PREUSSI BREEDING IN SIERRA LEONE by Alan Tve Received 17 July 1985 Preuss's Cliff Swallow Hirundo ( Petrochelidon ) preussi has a broad range, extending from Guinea-Bissau and Mali to western Cameroon, tut it is known to be of local occurrence within that area. Indeed, the record frcm Guinea- Bissau is separated from the next nearest by c. 500 km; there is another isolated record from north-east Zaire (Chapin 1953). The species breeds under a broad range of climatic conditions (Hall & Moreau 1970) , and appears to be partially migratory in Mali (Lamarche 1983) . Hence it may be expected to occur from time to time as a non-breeding visitor in localities outside its normal range, as is the case with other species of swallow. It has not been recorded hitherto from Sierra Leone, but I report here the discovery of several groups of Hirundo preussi , including two breeding colonies, in the Guinea savanna zone of north-east Sierra leone c. 400 km from Guinea-Bissau and 500 km from breeding areas in Mali. On 6 April 1984, two colonies of Preuss's Cliff Swallow were found less than 15 km apart on the road between Falaba and Gberia Timbako at aDproximately 09°48'N, 11°15'W (altitude c. 400 m) . The birds were buildinci nests in culverts under the road; one culvert was small and difficult of access but birds could be seen collecting mud frcm pools along a near -dry watercourse 20 m away. The other was accessible and contained the foun- dations of at least 50 nests, some nearly complete with downward-pointing funnels. About 50 pairs of Preuss's Swallow attended this site, along with two or three pairs of I South Africa. As foraging efficiency of juveniles increased, the frequency of feedina visits by adults decreased (Fig. 1) until the foraging efficiency of young birds had reached about 62% on 30 January. After that date juveniles were seldom left unattended but became an integral part of the entire foraaina system. Incidents of adults feedina juveniles became rare and were possibly more socially significant as the young birds' foraging ability approached that of the adults. DISCUSSION It is clear from Fig. 1 that foraging efficiency of juvenile European Pee eaters improves progressive lv, while that of adults remains constant. The improvement of juvenile foragina efficiency was most dramatic over the period 4-10 January, when it doubled from 23% to 46%. It suagests that the early period is critically important for young birds to attain a level of foraaina efficiency enablina them to achieve energy reserves for mi oration, and allowino adults enouoh time to pursue the same goal without having to spend too much time feeding the youna. However, since bee-eaters usually do not fatten themselves at all before migratina (Fry 1984) , it is important that a high level of foraging efficiency amono juveniles be attained to enable them to sustain themselves while on migration. FEEDING VISITS/HOUR 100 W.C. Marais and B. Every MALIMBUS 7 The period from 10 January to 27 February showed a more linear improve- ment in foraqinq efficiency. Extrapolation of adult and juvenile curves in Fig. 1 sugqests that they v.ou Id converqe on 5 March, which was the date of departure. Thus it seems that the birds emiqrate as soon as juveniles achieve the same foraging efficiency as adults. In the event of the younq birds overwintering in South Africa (and local observations suggest that some do so: Chandler & Every 1984) , it would be important that they achieve a level of foraging efficiency to cope with this independence before the adults migrate. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Dr G. J. B. Poss of the Port Elizabeth Museum for advice, discussion and assistance with this project and for reading the draft. We are also indebted to Dodi Marais for typing the manuscript and preparing the fiqure. REFERENCES CHANDLER, M. & EVERY, B. (1984) An overwintering European Bee-eater. Bee-eater 35: 19 FRY, C.H. (1984) The Bee-eaters. South Africa: Russel Friedman Book Enterprises (Pty.) Ltd. MARAIS, W.C. (1984) Pre-minrational roostina behaviour of the European Bee-eater 1983/4. Bee-eater 35: 34-36 MARAIS, W.C. & EVERY, B. (1982) Observations on the European Bee-eater, summer 1981/2. Bee-eater 35: 25-29 W. C. Marais , P.O. Box 104, Addo 6105, Cape Province, South Africa B. Every, Eastern Cape Wild Bird Society, P.O. Box 1305, Port Elizabeth 6000, Cape Province , South Africa 1985 NOTES 101 BIRDS OF OUTAMBA AREA , NORTHWEST SIERRA LEONE - Harding & Harding (1982, Malimbus 4: 64-68) listed the birds they observed during a survey in the Kilimi region of northwest Sierra Leone. As part of a wildlife survey in Sierra Leone I visited the headquarters of the proposed Outamba Kilimi National Park, located several km outside the boundary of the Outamba region. Outamba (Fig. 1, 1) is an area of 740 kmI 2 at 09°35'-55' N, 1 1°55'-12o30'W; Kilimi (2) covers an area of 240 km2 at 09°43'N, 12°32'W. I used the park headquarters as a base during my survey of areas surrounding the Outamba region during June and July 1983. Though political difficulties restricted access to the park itself, similar habitats outside the park, near the villages of Kotor and Fintonia (12°13'W, 09°37'N) , were surveyed. In addition, animals in the park itself were observed from a canoe. As with Kilimi, the Outamba region includes a variety of habitats, ranging from savanna to swamps and woodland. A number of birds appearing in Harding & Harding's list, compiled after dry-season observation, were not observed during my brief survey made in the rainy season. I identified 104 bird species, 60 of which were included in Harding & Harding's list; Table 1 gives the 44 additional ones. I wish to thank Dr Geza Teleki for allowing me to stay at the park headquarters he established, and Dr Man Tye for introducing me to the birds of Sierra Leone. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry kindly provided game guards. Financial support was provided by the Fulbright Foundation . Ruth E. Happel Dept of Anthropology , Peabody Museum, Harvard University , Cambridge , MA 02138, USA 102 NOTES MALIMBUS 7 x ^ XXX xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx X X X X X 0 rH •a E-< -P U) 0 u o uq >0 *H T3 II D to 0 1 — 1 q 0 0 0 •q 0 ra o 03 0 •q 0 q R o q •q 0 0 0 q q 0 *H •H 0 0 0 q q 0 0 -q 0 0 0 q 4J 0 q 3 0 3 3 3 q o q 3 4-3 0 0 0 'X q 33 0 03 0 •q 0 0 0 0 £; 03 r~H 3 0 0 q q -Q •q q cr> -q q q •q CD ra 4^ 0 q q q O o E q q q 0 0 0 O q fa 0 3 (0 0 q q 0 3 q O 0 q Eq 03 3 q 0 Clj -q rq 0 c r-H -q q q 0 0 t> 0 •H q 0 3 'M -u q Ct q cl, -is m c 0 c cl, o Ci 0 O t) C +J -q 0 4J O q Cn Cn C| q 0 a, to s m ^ 0 G, Cj O 0 C q 3 3 o q 0 q -H 0 C « O 0 S; n 0J 0 Cn q O q 0 0 0 <0, 0 3 0 tc a. q -q 0 0 0 Oj 03 q .q O q q O £ q P o q C Ch 0 0 q q 0 Cl, 0 3: S; 0! fci xxxxxxxx XXXX X X X X X X XX X X X X X X T3 rQ q 4-3 •q •q 0 0 0 -q 0 0 c rd q 0 q -u •q O q q E q r”v ffi 0 q 0 q •q •q ■q 0 X • •q 3i 0 > q q q O H H Eh q S q O O 0 3 •q C| 0 q •q q o 0 0 3 M 3 o 3 0 •q 0 q 0 0 q O 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 q O -ci •q 0 o 3 04 0 q o o Cl q Cl, 3 q, o •q O 03 q C| -q O 03 q Cm q 0 0 0 0 q c> q 0 3 0 0 q Cl, q 0 t3 0 0 O 3 O q 0 0 O q 0 0 q q 0 3 C 0 0 3 -P -q q O O q q cn o -q q q q 3i O -q O 0 0 q q q q q O q o q X 0 q q £ O o q q O E q 0 -q q O 1985 103 THE SPECIES OF PARASITIC FINCHES IN WEST AFRICA by R. B. Payne Received 19 August 1985 Field work in recent years has added to our understanding of the biology and species limits of parasitic finches in West Africa. Although much of that work has been published (Nicolai 1968, 1972, 1977; Payne 1968, 1973, 1976, 1982; Payne Croschupf 1984; Payne & Payne 1977), certain reports have continued to use the more readily available names from Bannerman (1953) and Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1973). Pecent avifaunal reports in Ma limbus have used the older terms with the result that even with extensive corres- pondence it is impossible to determine the species involved or the match between parasitic finch and their foster species. Most of the viduine species are known to be species-specific brood parasites. The present note may be useful as a surrmary of the current standing of these brood parasite species. Anomalospiza imberbis The Cuckoo Weaver or Cuckoo Finch parasitizes several warblers in the genera Cisticola and Prinia. All observations on breeding behaviour and parasitism come from East and Southern Africa (Friedmann 1960; Williams & Keith 1962; Benson & Pitman 1964). Unlike the viduine finches, the youna have an unmarked mouth lining (Benson & Pitman 1964). Pecent observations have somehwat extended and filled in the range outlined by Hall & Moreau (1970) . The species extends through wooded grassland areas from The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, and Cameroon (Gore 1981; Bannerman 1949; Thiollav 1985; Malzy 1962; Elgood 1982; Iouette 1981). The open grassy valleys used by the birds are seemingly much more widespread than are the birds. Vidua species The viduine finches are sometimes split into different aenera, Steganura for the paradise wiiydahs, Hypochera for the indiaobirds or ccmbassous, and vidua for the remaining forms. I use vidua for all, because they are apparently closely related and hybrids are known between most of the species groups (Friedmann 1950; Payne 1980) . Vidua paradisaea , V. inter jecta , V. togoensis The paradise whydahs of Africa include four soecies, three in West Africa. The details of differentiation between two of them (inter jecta and togoensis) have yet to be worked out. The widespread Paradise Whydah' v. paradisaea mimics the song and parasitizes the nests of the Melba Finch Pytilia melba (only one species of Melba Finch is recoonized; Wolters 1977). The male whydahs living in the sahel and neighbouring habitats from Senegal eastward to the Ethiopian plateau are shorter-tailed in breeiina plumage than the whydahs of east and southern 104 B.B. Payne MALIMBUS 7 Africa that parasitize the same species. The few specimens from areas where the two morns meet in eastern Sudan and northeastern Ethiopia appear intermediate in tail length and wing length, although comparison is prob— lematic because the specimens are worn and details of tail shape are unclear. Other authors (Traylor 1968; Hall & Moreau 1970) have considered some of these to be hybrids of other forms of whydahs. The boundary between the short-tailed and long-tailed forms of V. paradisaea does not seem to coincide with the boundary between red-lored and crrey-lored forms of p. melba (for subspecies descriptions see bolters 1963, 1977; van den Elzen & Koenig 1983) . Because those two forms of whydah appear to be con- specific, the western birds occurring from Senenal to Nigeria are a sub- species (V. p. aucupum) as is the form occurring from northern Cameroon to the Sudan (V. p. orientalis ) . Thus Vidua (or Steganura ) orientalis as used by Bannerman (1949) and Mackworth-Praed and Grant (1973) is thought to be conspecific with Vidua paradisaea , as in Payne (1971). Vidua obtusa, the Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah of Africa south of the Equator, is a brood-parasite of the Orange-winged Pytilia Pytilia afra (Nicolai 1964; Payne 1971). It is not conspecific with the West African V. paradisaea orientalis or V. p. aucupum, as suggested by the names in Bannerman (1948) and Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1973), tut is a distinct species. The other West African paradise whydahs are the Toco Paradish Whydah V. togoensis and the Uelle Paradise whydah V. inter jecta (common names from Bannerman 1949). Males in breeding plumage have very Iona tails, >270 mm in length) . Male togoensis have narrow tails (width of the long rectrices <30 mm), male interjects have tails with the long rectrices 30-40 nm wide. Male togoensis are often pale buff on the nape and are more uniformly amber below; male inter jecta are darker-naped and the maroon of the breast extends further posteriorly, giving a two-tone appearance to the underparts. No female specimens are known of either form. In their overall range occur two species of pytilia: the Ped-winoed Pytilia Pytilia phoenicoptera north in drier woodlands and the Yellow-winged Pytilia P. hypograrmica further south in more mesic woodlands (Hall & Moreau 1970; Louette 1981) . The two live together in the same reaion in some areas (louette 1981; Elgood 1982). The map in Hall & Moreau (1970) gives the impression that the whydahs split geographically west to east, rather than south to north. The rrore complete distribution now available suggests overlap between the two forms of whydahs, but few specimens or identified observations are known. The range of togoensis extends as far west as Kabala in Sierra Leone, at 9°35'N, 11°33'W. I observed a male in this plumage on 24 December 1973 along a road about 2 km south of the town, and noted the very long slender tail, the large straw-colored patch on the nape, and that "it looks quite golden below, not red." Togoensis is also known from the Karina district (RMNH; Bannerman 1949). Serle's (1949) observations of "aucupum" in Sierra Leone probably refer to togoensis . P. hypograrmica is known from Kabala (Bannerman 1949) and I saw it at Musaia (9°46'N, 11°34'W). P. phoenicoptera occurs further north in Guinea and The Gambia (Bannerman 1949) Louette (1981) found no specimen records of V. togoensis for Cameroon, and only one (Bates's specimen from Tibati, (now7 in BMNH) of inter jecta . I observed both in northern Cameroon. On 17 January 1979 I saw a male interjects in breeding plumage along the railway line 8 km N of Ngaoundal (6°31'N, 13°17'E) . On 8 November 1980 I saw an adult male interjects at Banvo (6°45\N, 11°49'E). On 1 November 1980 I saw both kinds of whydahs alona the road from Tibati (6°28'N, 12°38'E) to Mbakaou (6°18'N, 12°48'E). 1985 Parasitic finches 105 Figure 1. Uelle Paradise Whydah vidua inter jecta. (a) on song perch, (b) in flight display, (c) diving to song perch (Mole Nat. Park, Ghana) ; (d) males in Yankari Nat. Park, Nigeria, in (e) showing apparently short tails due to angle of view (left) and to loss of the second pair of rectrices and retention of short central pair (right) . 106 P.B. Payne MALIMBUS 7 Inter jecta were seen near each town; narrovr-tailed birds apparently toooensis were seen in the mere densely wooded country about halfway .between. This appears to be the first known site where interjects and togoensis live toqether , and suggests that two species are indeed involved. Both P. phoenicoptera and P. hypogrammica occur in northern Cameroon in the Adamawa region (Louette 1981). Nicolai (1977) studied Pytilia hypograrmica and found nests parasitized by V. togoensis near Enugu, southeastern Nigeria. Adult male whydahs mimicked' the songs of P. hypograrmica and the youno nestlings mimicked the beagina calls of this foster species. In an earlier note, Serle (1957) 1 a nest of P. hypograrmica near Enugu that was parasitized by the local whydah. Serle's specimens (AMNH 765522, RMNH 66.164231) appear to be dark-naped, dark- breasted/ and broad-tailed interjects not togoensis. More observations are needed, as are specimens of known song and parasitic behaviour. Specimens of togoensis are known from Sierra Leone (Karina) , Liberia (no locality, tail missing, see louette 1978), Ivory Coast (Bandama) , Ghana (Gambaga, Kete Kratschi the type locality, Kete) , Togo (Mangu, Paio , and Chad (Gore) ; the last is rather worn hut has a slender tail (23 mm) • Vidua interjects is widespread throughout the range of Pytilia phoenicoptera , its apparent foster species. I saw males with very long tails that appeared broader-vaned than the width of the head m Mole National Park, Ghana, in October 1985, near Zaria, Niaeria, from July to September 1968, and in Yankari National Park, Nigeria, m November 1980. In all of these localities the common pytilia is P. phoenicoptera (G reig Smith 1976, Fry 1975, Crick & Marshall 1981) . Specimens are known for Mole and Zaria and photographs for Yankari (Fig. 1) . A male photographed at the motel dam at Mole appears narrow-tailed quite yellow across most of the underparts without the deep russet breast of most specimens of interjects including the one skin specimen seen at the Mole National Park headquarters . P. hypograrmica has been observed at Mole (Greig-Smith 1976) . Specimens of male interjects in breeding plurage are known from Guinea (Cercle de Faranah) , Mali (Bamako, Kaulikoro ) , Ghana (Mole N.P.), Nigeria (Karu, Enugu - see above, Yola 157 km NW, Zaria 8 km NW) , Cameroon (Tibati 40 mi NF.) , Chad (Banda, Bahr Keela - this form?) , Central African Republic (Gaza, Nola-Mbaiki - type locality, Fort Situt ;Bozoum) , Zaire (Garai P.N., Gangala-na-Bodio , Faradje) , Sudan (Poma, Logoforok) , and Ethiopia (Bimb, Borraga Kokolate, Baro-Bonga Fork) . Field identification of male whydahs is tricky because the apparent width of the tail varies with the angle of view and with flattening by the wind. Field estimates of tail length (distinguishing orientalis a nc aucupum from interjects and togoensis ) are risky, as early m the breeding season many birds are in breeding plumage except for the long rectrices which are the last to complete growth: some apparently short tailed bird, may be growing longer tails. In addition, rales sometimes lose their long second rectrices while retaining the shorter, more pointed and broader first rectrices, making them appear shorter-tailed than when mconplete plumage . The same is true in museum specimens: Bates (1933) distinguished togoensis as having display rectrices no wider than 25 nm and inter jec a as wider than 25 mm; are based on the tail of its natural shape; my correspondincr measurement of 30 nm is based on a flattened tail. Questions remain about the whydah species, Are the females distinct 1985 Parasitic finches 107 in plumage? Is there geographic variation within a species? Does the type specimen of interjects in fact apply to a population that parasitizes Pytilia phoenicoptera ? The type locality of interjects is only vaguely known (between Nola and Mbaiki in the Central African Republic) , and in this general area the mare widespread pytilia is P. hypograimica , according to the few records available. Do the two whydahs have different songs and different host species in the areas where they live in sympatry? To add to our understanding of the whydahs it would be helpful to distincruish the long-tailed forms by noting the nape colour, breast colour, and the shape of the tail. Photographs, specimens (skin, or even a long tail feather) and tape recordings would be useful. Current information indicates that two species are involved and that there is considerable Geographic, overlap between them (especially in Guinea and Sierra Leone, in Ghana and in Cameroon) from east to west, though they may in larae part sort out north and south as do their foster species. Vidua chalybeata, V. wilsoni, V. raricola , V. larvata , V. funerea The indigobirds or combassous include several species. Most published field observations of indigobirds do not give sufficient detail to allow identification. The species indicated above differ from the species recognized in earlier standard warks; details are available in a review (Payne 1982) . vidua chalybeata, the Village Indigobird, extends cross the sahel and neighbouring vegetation zones from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan and Ethiopia and through east and southern Africa. In Test Africa it is distinguished by its black wings and tail and by orangish feet in the . breeding males. It parasitizes the widespread Senegal or Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala, and its range extends through most of that of the foster species. The young mimic the begging calls of their foster species and the adult males mimic the calls and songs of the young and . adults of the foster species, as well as other indigobirds of its species (Nicolai 1964, Payne 1973). Male V. chalybeata vary in breeding plumage from Greenish (Senegal and neighbouring areas) to bluish (Senegal to Sudan) , males in mast Ethiopian populations are purplish. The females can scarcely be distinguished from females of other indigobird species in West Africa. On average they may have brighter orange feet when alive, and they average smaller (wing length) than other forms except for V. wilsom (Payne 1982). V. wilsoni, Wilson's Indigobird, extends through most of the range of its foster species, the Bar-breasted Firefinch L. rufopicta. Males m breeding plumage are purplish-glossed and have light brownish edges "and darker brown vanes to the flight feathers. They are distinguished from other species known in West Africa by the purplish plumage, and from V. c. ultramarina in eastern Sudan and Ethiopia by the lack of a glossy sheen as well as by the brown not black wings. Females shot or captured from, males at their courting and singing sites, at present cannot be distinguished from other indigobirds. v. wilsoni is a species-specific brood parasite of L. rufopicta ; the adult males mimic their songs and calls. The soncs are characterized by a jingle of often several notes per second, each note differing in pitch from the one before. The alarm calls are distinctive as well. Audiospectroorams of foster species and indigo birds are in Payne (1982) . These indigobirds and the three remaining species are best identified by song, through knowing the songs and calls of the firefinch species. The ranae of V. wilsoni extends from Senegal and The Gambia through Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, northeastern Zaire, and Sudan (Payne 1982) ; one specimen is known from western Ethiopia (Gambela) as well (USNM 568295) . v. wilsoni includes as a synonym " Hypochera lorenzi (Nicolai 1972) . 108 P.B. Payne MALIMBUS 7 The description of v. wilsoni applies to both, in plumage and in behaviour (Payne 1982) . V. funerea, the Variable Indigobird, extends through the range of its foster species, the African Firefinch L. rubricata. (Neither it nor any other form of indigobird is known to be associated with the firefinch L. virata, which may be a distinct species or a race of L. rhodopareia or L. rubricata, see Nicolai 1982, Payne 1982, Payne & Louette 1983). Males have light brownish edges and darker brown vanes of the flight feathers. Males in breeding plumage in Sierra Leone and in Cameroon are glossy blue; males in northern Nigeria are green. Further east and south the populations of this species vary from green to blue to purplish in a complex pattern (Payne 1973, 1982). Males mimic the songs and calls of their foster species, L. rubricata . Females are indistinguishable in size and plumage from other species in West Africa although they are distinguishable in southern Africa. V. raricola, the Jambandu Indigobird, lives within the range of its foster species, the Black-bellied Firefinch L. rara. Males have light brownish edges of the brown flight feathers. The glossy plumages varies from greenish in northern Cameroon (Banyo) and in Sierra Leone (Kabala) to bluish-green in Ghana (Mole National Park) , the only localities where individual birds have been saved as specimens after their songs were tape recorded. Females are indistinguishable in size and plumage from other indigobirds in West Africa. Males mimic the songs and calls of L. rara. V. larvaticola , the Bako Indigobird, lives within the range of its foster species, the Black-faced Firefinch L. larvata (including L. 1. vinacea) . Males tape-recorded as they mimicked the songs of this firefinch and then collected at Zaria and Panshanu, northern Niaeria, rancred from bluish-green to blue in the gloss of the breeding plumage. The range as pieced together from museum specimens extends from The Gambia and Guinea to Ethiopia. Because the last three species of indigobirds all have variable plumage colour (blue to green) it is not known whether the bluish-glossed birds of the Ivory Coast and Ghana are this species; I have tentatively regarded them so (Payne 1982) . Females are not morphologically distinguish- able in any obvious way from the other indigobirds. "Bako" in Hausa refers to guest or visitor, an appropriate name for a brood parasite. The name is phonetically similar to "baki" (f . "baka") , indicating "black, very dark blue, or very dark green" - also appropriate for the male breeding plumage. Because the indigobird song is learned from the bird's social experiences with its foster parents, and the adults cannot consistently be distinguished in all sexes and localities from other species, it was not possible to test the idea that the indigobird formed a set of distinct species until after some genetically-determined traits were known. With recent field work it has been determined that the nestlings mimic the colours and patterns of the mouths of their foster species (Table 1 ) . In two species in southern Africa the young birds have been raised from nest- lings to adult male breeding plumage to verify that the young with different mouth colours grow up to be different adults (Payne 1977, 1982) . Because the eggs and young found in most nests are taken by predators, nestlings of the other indigobirds found in the field could be raised in captivity, to determine whether they develop into the kinds of adults that mimic the songs of the same foster species. 1985 Parasitic finches 109 0 O •H 5-1 a +j 0 $ 0 0) X o c ■H X cu 5-t ■H 4-1 03 CO 03 5-1 •H X & •H Cn c •H v I X CO 0) c 4-1 o CO e 0 4J x ra CL 5 0 3 o X >i -p 0 - •H 0 X 0 0 > 0 •P 0 X 0 rH X x Q a •H q -h ap i — 1 rH 0 0 rH X p 0 x 0 X X a 0 0 ■H 0 0 X Si u Cn •H i — 1 -H p 0 Cn B 03 V 3 CL 03 0 X P 03 x o § p 0 •H P 0 0 X p O p CL &4 P X > o 0 0 -P 0 , — 1 o 3 0 X >1 Co O 0 •H 0 fO a i — ! rH X P 0? c i — I 0 *H rH f — 1 f & O X 0 5P I — J X X i — i /“ • X 0 0 0 0 Co H i — i 0 kH •H *H £q c M £ 0 •H i — 1 i — 1 C -P 0 03 % p 0 1 1 && 0 X *H l — 1 r-* 0 CL rd a aa 0 CL 5 p a a g 4-1 O (1) 0 x 0 V 0 0 P P Cn CU « — 1 CL O P 0 P r~\ 0 *x 0 -P r-H rH rH Q) P X! X X X X P vj 1 0 i 0 0 X 0 o 0 x x 0 i — 1 *H 1 — 1 p •P p P O P P i — 1 o H X 0 rH •rl ( — 1 0 0 a x ^ 03 X > X 03 CL 0 0 0 0 p P 1 — 1 rH i3 \ CL t no X X X X -H X 0 ' CP X 8 03 0 05 0 0 0 X p r-H 0 0 i — 1 0 0 P 0 P r-n o y_i x 4-1 i — 1 i — 1 rH \ 0 X X C\ ) 0 0 P 0 « -p X 0 0 0 r*-« f— < •H •H X p i — 1 rH -3 1 ■SB rH X 0 CL fd a 0 0 •g r-1 0 X p 0 p 0 0 0 ■H 0 4J H _ j Cn O, •0 0 •rl 4-1 0 0 0 P 0 i> q 0 Pi 0 P 0 P 0 P 0 H *H 0 P P P X IX # , # , PI PI PI PI PI 0 0 X 05 -U O P 0 0 0 •H 0 ■0 0 X X X •Cl q 0 0 -u & Cn x 0 CO P 0 0 •P 0 L- •rH 0 X q P P 03 -q •0 3 0 0 c 0 3: cq P X H • X X X 0 £ X 0 X £ X P 0 5 4-1 o 4-1 8 0 5 •H rd 8 2 0 0 0 0 C ■8 -p 0 p -p 0 •rl 5-t O Cu c o . 0 CO +J X o Q •p CL C4 in O X X 3 0 P 0 1 — 1 4 X PI 0 > X 0 X 0 X X o 0 Cn Cn 0 C q ■H 0 P CO 0 o PI 0 • > .5 . — . 0 Csl X CO cn 0 i — 1 T — 0 i — i •H 0 4, u •H CO 0 0 X a 0 cn m CL T — in * i — 1 0 a a 0 a c 0 « •H X CN 0 CO in — ■ cn •H t — E CO X 0 0 cn a & 0 X 0 r — 1 X 0 E a P P 0 X p V O . — . 0 •H CN N P X •H 0 cn Jx X T m 0 | a T 3 CO in cn 0 110 R.B. Payne MALIMBUS 7 All five species are known to live in immediate synpatry with distinctive behaviour and morphology with at least one other species, and to main m their local identity. For example at Banyo, Cameroon, all blue males ^k^Se songs of L. rubricata, all green males numucked the songs of L. rara, and all purplish males mimicked L. rufopicta (Payne 1982, Payne & Groschupf 1984) . At Panshanu, Nigeria, all blue males mimcked L larva and all* green males mimicked L. rubricata. The combination of different male plumages in coexisting regulations of indigobirds with different foster species song mimicry, and of the mouth colour differences in the young _ indigobirds, together were necessary to show that they were distinct species. The earlier names "camerunensis" and " nigeiiae " were dropped because of doubt to which kinds of indigobirds the type specimens applied. The type of ^earner uueasis " was collected betv^en Nola and Mbaiki in the southern Central African Republic. The firefinches L. rubricata , L. rara, and L. larvata all live in this general area, and any might have been the foster species of the type specimen. Because West African populations _ indigobirds with blue pitmageUike "camerunensis") are known that mimic each of these firefinch species , it is doubtful that "camerunensis" can be applied critically to any oS of then. The name camerunensis is a nomen dubium and it was considered desirable to drop its use and necessary to describe two new species {V raricola , V. larvaticola ) (Payne 1982). A similar aroument appliesto the use of the name "nigeriae" , because some green indicobirds in Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon mimic L. rubricata , others mimic L. rara, an s l others L. larvata. The type specimen is intermediate in size between the larger L. rubricata mimics and the smaller mimics of L. rara and L. larvata, so it is impossible to determine that it goes with one or another kind of indigobird . Vidua macroura Pin-tailed Whydahs Vidua macroura are widespread in West Africa from Senegal eastwards to Sudan and also are common in eastern and southern Africa m errassy habitats. The males differ from the other West African viduines song, which appears not to mimic the foster species (Nicolai 1964). They are not restricted to a single species of fosterer in their parasitism. On distributional grounds it is likely they parasitize sf/eral wax) bills of the genus Estrilda in West Africa, including the Common Wa^-ll E- ast rl1 ' Black-rumped Waxbill E . troglodytes and Orange-cheeked Waxbill E. me po a. All these waxbills have young with nearly identical mouth patterns an. colours, and the juvenile V. macroura that I have seen all have the same appearance. V. macroura may also parasitize other species, tut the evidence is not definite. They feed with Orange-breasted Waxbill E tat the young of this waxbill have a cream-coloured mouth and lack the colours of the other known way-bills. Young have also been seen feeding with family groups of Bronze Mannikins Lonchura cucullata but young mannikins have a horseshoe-pattern in the mouth and not the spots characteristic o e waxbills. I know of no nestling whydahs in the nest of a mannikin. The association of young viduines with family croups of finches is no definitive evidence' of parasitism as the young viduines may join any snail group of finches. These records (e.g. Macdonald 1980) are quest lona e, as are records based on unidentified viduine eggs or other white eggs in the nests of other estrildids and even other kinds of birds (Friedmann 1950, critique in Nicolai 1964) . The occurrence of a single Estrilda species in an area where V. macroura 1985 Parasitic finches 111 occurs would be reasonable indirect evidence of the local parasitism of the Estrilda species. In most areas more than one kind of Estrilda is known, however. E. astiild is parasitized as the only foster species in parts of southern and eastern Africa, and the occurrence of this species with v. macroura on Bioko (Fernando Po) suggests local parasitism, though E . nonnula occurs there as well. E. melpoda is the common waxbill at Mole National Park and its habitat matches that of the local v. macroura (Greig- Smith 1976) , and it is probably the local foster species. In the other West African localities where I found V. macroura I saw both the Orange- cheeked Waxbill E. melpoda and either E. troglodytes or E. astrild, so cannot say for certain whether one or all are used as foster species. The Anambra Waxbill E. poliopareia is another probable foster species; it is closely related to the Fawn-breasted Waxbill E. paludicola which is the only local foster species in parts of northwsstem Zambia. Local studies are needed to determine the brood parasitism of the whydahs in West Africa. rpp0 breeding displays of V. macroura have been described in northern Ghana (Shaw 1984) . ACKNa^LEDGEMENTS I am grateful to Mary Gartshore Dyer for making available her photographs of the young of Lagonosticta rara, L. larvata , and V. larvaticola . In my field work I was assisted by Christopher Risley, Randy Breitwisch, and . Kathy Groschupf. The curators of several museums, especially the American Museum of Natural History, U.S. National Museum, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris) , and British Museum (Natural History) , allowed me repeatedly to examine specimens in their care. Field work was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. REFERENCES BATES, G.L. (1933) Northern races of Steganura paradisaea. Bull . Br. Orn. Cl. 53: 179-181 BENSON, c.w. & PITMAN, C.R.S. (1964) Further breeding records from Northern Rhodesia (no. 4). Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl. 84: 54-60 CRICK, H.Q.P. & MARSHALL, P.J. (1981) The birds of Yankari Game Reserve, Niaeria: their abundance and seasonal occurrence. Malimbus 3: 103-114 FRIEDMANN, H. (1960) The parasitic weaverbirds. U.S. Nat. Museum Bull. 223 FRY, C.H. (1975) The birds of Zaria, IV - residents, vagrants, and check- list (passerines). Nigerian Orn. Soc. Bull . 4: 91-101 GORE, M.E.J. (1981) Birds of The Gambia. B.O.U. Check-list No. 3. GREIG-SMITH, P.W. (1976) The composition and habitat preferences of the avifauna of Mole National Park, Ghana. Nigerian Orn. Soc. Bull. 12. 49-66 LOUETTE, M. (1978) Contribution to the omitholocry of Liberia (part 4) . Rev. Zool. Afr. 92: 639-643 LOUETTE, M. (1981) The birds of Cameroon, an annotated check-list. verb. Konink. Acad. Witensch. Lett, schone Kunst . Belgie 43, no. 163 112 R.B. Payne MALIMBUS 7 MACDONALD , M.A. (1980) Observations on Wilson's Widowfinch and the Pintailed Whydah in southern Ghana, with notes on their hosts. Ostrich 51: 21-24 MALZY, P. (1962) La faune avienne du Mali (Bassin du Niger). L'Oiseau et Rev Fr. Orn. 32: no. special MOREL, M.-Y. (1973) Contribution h l'dtude dynamique de la population de Lagonosticta senegala L. (estrildides) h Richard— Toll (S^ndgal) . Interrelations avec le parasite Hypochera chalgbeata (Muller) (viduinds) . Mem. Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, SSr. A. Zool. 78: 1-156 NICOLAI, J. (1964) Der Brutparasitismus der Viduinae als ethologisches Problem. Z. Tierpsychol. 21: 129-204 NICOLAI, J. (1968) Wirts vogelbez iehungen der Hypochera- Pormen camerunensis und nigeriae . Naturwiss 55: 654 NICOIAI, J. (1972) Zwei neue Hypocher a -Arten aus West Afrika (Ploceidae, Viduinae). J. Om. 113: 229-240 NICOLAI, J. (1977) Der Rotmaskenastrild ( Pytilia hypogrammica) als Wirt der Togo-Paradieswitwe ( Steganura cogoensis) . J. Orn. 118: 175-188 NICOLAI, J. (1982) Comportement , voix et relations de parents de 1 1 Amaranths du Mali ( Lagonosticta virata). Malimbus 4: 9-14 PAYNE, R.B. (1968) Mimicry and relationships in the indigobirds or combassous of Nigeria. Nigerian Orn. Soc. Bull. 5: 57-60 PAYNE, R.B. (1971) Paradise whydas Vidua paradisaea and V. obtusa of southern and eastern Africa, with notes on differentiation of the fonales . Bull. Br.,Orn. Cl. 91: 66-76 PAYNE, R.B. (1973) Behavior, mimetic songs and sona dialects, and relationships of the parasitic indigobirds (Vidua) of Africa. Orn. Monogr . 1 1 . PAYNE, R.B. (1976) Song mimicry and species relationships among the West African pale-winged indigobirds. Auk 93: 25-38 PAYNE, R.B. (1977) Clutch size, egg size, and the consequences of single vs. multiple parasitism in parasitic finches. Ecology 58: 500-513 PAYNE, R.B. (1980) Behavior and songs in hybrid parasitic finches. Auk 97: 118-134 PAYNE, R.B. (1982) Species limits in the indigobirds (Ploceidae, vidua) of West Africa: mouth mimicry, song mimicry, and description of new species. Misc. Publ. Univ. Mich. Museum of Zoology 162. PAYNE,, R.B. & GROSCHUPF, K.D. (1984) Sexual selection and interspecific competition : a field experiment on territorial behavior of nonparental finches ( Vidua spp.). Auk 101: 140-145 PAYNE, R.B. & LOUETTE, M. (1983) What is Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis Reichenow 1910? Mitt. Zool. Museum Berlin 59, Ann. Orn. 7: 157-161 1985 Parasitic finches 113 PAYNE, R.B. & PAYNE, K. (1977) Social organization and mating success in local song population of Village Indigobirds, Vidua chalybeata. Z. Tierpsychol. 45: 113-173 SEKLE, W. (1949) Birds of Sierra Leone (part IV). Ostrich 20: 114-126 SHAW, P. (1984) The social behaviour of the Pin-tailed Whydah vidua macroura in northern Ghana. Ibis 126: 463-473 THIOLLAY, J.-M. (1985) The birds of Ivory Coast: status and distribution. Malimbus 7: 1-59 TRAYLOR, M. A. (1968) Family ploceidae, subfamily viduinae. In: Checklist of Birds of the World, vol. 14, ed. R.A. Paynter, Jr. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. VAN DEN ELZEN, R. & KCNIG, C. (1983) V5gel des (Sud-) Sudan: taxonomische und tiergeographische Bemerkungen. Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 34: 149-196 WILLIAMS, J.G. & KEITH, G.S. (1962) A contribution to our knowledge of the Parasitic Weaver, Anomalospiza imberbis . Bull. Br. Orn. Cl. 82: 141-142 WOLTERS, H (1963) Zur Rassengliederung von Pytilia melba (L.). J. Orn. 104: 185-190 WOLTERS, H.E. (1977) Uber die westafrikanischen Rassen des Buntastrilds , Pytilia melba (L.) (Aves , Estrildidae) . Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 28: 324- 330 Dr. P.B. Payne, Museum of Zoology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA 114 NOTES MALIMBUS 7 DECOUVEPTE D'UN NQUVEL AICLE FORESTIER AU SENEGAL L'AIGLE D' AYRES Hieraaetus duhius - J'avais dtd intrigud £ diverses reprises depuis plusieurs anndes par 1 ' observation d' aisles tr£s foncds au Parc national de Basse Casamance. II pouvait s'aair d ' immatures de Petits Serpentaires Polyboroides radiatus et d'Aiqles fascies Hieraaetus spilogaster . Mais ces oiseaux dtant observes dans de mauvaises conditions dans un milieu forestier dense et surtout trop rapidement, il n'dtait pas possible de determiner surement l'espdce h laquelle ils appartenaient . Or la chance a voulu que dans la joumde du 28.03.85 lors d'une tournee de prospection en compagnie du conservateur du pare, 1'Ingdnieur des Travaux Bertin Coly, nous puissions observer l'un de ces aigles foneds, dans de bonnes conditions, la premiere fois posd, en lisidre, la deuxidme fois a vol. Ia taille, les barres de la queue, la oouleur qdndrale chocolat foned tant au- dessus qu'audessous et sans dessins ni contrastes ainsi que 1' habitat nous incitdrent d identifier cet oiseau comrne un Aiqle d! Ayres, de la phase sombre. Le rapprochement avec. les aiales avec lesquels il pouvait etre confondu tels: l'Aigle bottd, plus petit, l'Aigle ravisseur, plus grand, mais vivant en milieu savanicole et bien connu in nature notarmnent au Niokolo les dlimindrent de la competition. Restaient les sub-adultes de H. spilogaster semblablement de la mdme taille que notre oiseau mais prdsentant un plumage contrastd, rnerne dans la phase sombre, et des dessins sous les ailes. Pour conclure, cette ultime foret primaire qu’est le Parc national de Basse Casamance au Senegal recdle encore des espdees animales tres infeoddes au milieu forestier dense que ce soit pour les primates avec la Mone de Campbell ne vivant que Id au Sdndgal, certains insectes relietuels notamment pour les papillons, et plusieurs oiseaux strietement forestiers comme le Calao e casque ^aune, l'Aigle couronnd et maintenant l'Aigle d' Ayres. Direction des Parcs Nationaux, B.P. 5135, Dakar, Senegal A.R. EXrpuy T,7ESTERN REEF HERON Egretta gularis INLAND IN IVORY COAST AND NIGERIA — In February 1985 I saw a dark -phase Western reef heron Egretta gularis on a qolf course pond at Yamoussoukro, 06°49'N 05°17'W, Ivory Coast. The location is some 200 km inland. In June 1985 I encountered another at a lake in Ibadan University Campus, Nigeria. Serle & Morel (1977) state that it "occasionally occurs on inland waters". Brown, Urban & Newman (1982, The Birds of Africa I) state that it is rare inland and make no reference to inland sightings of the West African race gularis (their inland records refer only to the Nile and Rift Valley lakes) . 8904 Harem Place, Annandale , Va. 22003, USA Stephen D. Eccles 1985 115 LES OISEAUX DES MILIEUX ROCHIUX AU S£n£GAL par Gbrard J. Morel Peceived 23 February 1985 Le Sbnbgal a la reputation incontestbe d'etre un pays plat. Les points culminants des contreforts du Fouta-Djalon au Senegal oriental dbpassent h peine 400 metres. Ces hauteurs sont concentrbes le lone de la frontibre, aux confins guineo-maliens . Actuellement, seule la barribre rocheuse au sud-ouest de Kbdougou (secteur Sbgou-Dinndbfblou) , zone structurale de transition entre le Sbnbqal et la Guinbe et les massifs situbs & 1'ouest de Kbdougou (secteur Bandafassi, Ibel, Ndbbou) ont fait 1'objet de recherches systbmatiques . Cette zone rbgionale est comprise entre 12°20' et 12°35' de latitude nord, par 12°29' et 12°15' de longitude ouest. . Sur le plan structural, ces secteurs gbographiques sont inclus dans une vaste region naturelle caractbrisbe au sud de Kbdougou , par la partie nord du massif de Mali, partie intbgrante du massif montagneux du Fouta-Djalon, et un peu a 1' ouest de Kbdougou , par une zone de relief tabulaire apparaissant en quelque sorte comme une sbrie de buttes -tbmoins du massif de Mali. La limite septentrionale du massif de Mali est marquee par une premiere ligne de falaises grbseuses orientbes sensiblement est-ouest, au pied desquelles sont situbes les localitbs de Pblel Kindessa, Dinndbfblou, Sbgou. Ces falaises sont constitutes par des arts du prbeambrien (formation dite de Sbgou -Madinakouta) qui dominent le socle birrimien. En abordant cette formation A Sbcrou, A la cote 200, (piste Kbdougou-Mali) et aprbs avoir franchi une zone d'bboulis, sur une hauteur de 70 A 100 m environ, nous observons jusqu'en haut de la falaise des grbs durs roses ou blancs ; quelques petites passbes de grbs tendres et grbs fins sont inters tratif ides dans cet ensemble. Certains marigots franchissent les falaises par une succession de cascades dont certaines sont spectaculaires , leur bcoulement s'effectue parfois dans des zones d'brosion ou de dbmantblement dont les excavations prennent souvent des allures de gorges trbs pittoresques . Le franchis semen t de ce premier ressaut, souvent difficile, en progressant vers le sud, permet d'atteindre une c6 te d* altitude moyenne de 400 m. Ensuite on s'blbve par une sbrie de gradins et de plans faiblement inclines recouverts de latbrite, pour atteindre finalement un plateau terminal culminant A 1538 m un peu au nord-est de Mali en Guinbe. Au nord de la falaise de Pblel Kindessa, Dinndbfblou et Sbaou s'btend. une vaste plaine plus ou moins latbritisbe sur un substratum de mranites et micaschistes d'Sge birrimien, une sbrie de collines vient rompre la monotonie de cette plaine. A 15 km a 1' ouest de Kbdouaou , b peu pres sur le mbme parallble, la piste Kbdougou-Salbmata horde un relief composb de petits massifs tabulaires constitubs par des formations primaires que protege de l'brosion un "toit" de dolbrite. Au pied de cette falaise, des bancs de cipolins foment de petits reliefs b facibs ruiniformes. Le point culminant de ces massifs atteint la cote de 375 mbtres sur le plateau d ' Etibs . 116 G.J. Morel MALIMBUS 7 Le Sbnbgal oriental et ses confins imnbdiats possedent un climat sahblo- soudanien qui n'est pas uniforme, les regions en altitude ont un climat special. D'une fagon gbnbrale, on peut distinguer trois saisons, saison sbche et chaude de mars b juin, saison des pluies de juin b octobre. Dans ce secteur de rbgion, en s'acheminant vers le sud, aprbs la steppe arbustive, on parvient progress ivement b la savane boisbe. Les bpineux sont subordonnbs aux figuiers ( Ficvs glumosa, Ficus lecardii) aux faux Kapokier ( Bombax costatum ) , au Fromager ( Ceiba pentandra ) , au Karitb ( Butyrospermum parkii) , au Tamar inier ( Tamarindus indica ) ainsi qu'aux bambousaies ( Bawbusa sp) . Le lecteur trouvera dans Adam (1965) une description sorrmaire mais suggestive de la vbgbtation de Dinndbfblou. Le tapis herbacb est formb par des graminees, des cypbracees et des papilionacbes . Sur les cretes orbseuses on observe des euphorbiacbes . Les "bowes", plateaux couverts d'une cuirasse latbritique, sont dbpourvus de couverture vbgbtale pendant la saison seche; b la suite des premieres pluies, ces surfaces se recouvrent d'un fin gazon vert. Autour des rivibres et des marigots poussent de minces galeries forestibres, sur les marigots on observe gbnbralement des peuplements de Palmiers raphias (Raphia sp) et de Roniers ( Borassus flabellifer) . Du point de vue de 1 'omithologie, cette rbgion est rebutante car les voies d'accbs y sont rudimentaires (la route bitumee s'arrbte au Parc du Niokolo-Koba) . Au-delb de Kbdougou, le vbhicule tous terrains est indispensable sur la plupart des chemins. Espbces observbes Neophron percnopterus Percnoptbre d'Egypte Le 19 mars 1972, une femelle avait btb capturbe prbs du poste-frontibre de Sbgou; avec des ovules de 8 mm, elle btait incontestablement sur le point de pondre. Plusieurs autres Percnoptbres avaient btb vus dans les environs. En mars 1984, un sen] sujet fut apergu dans toute la rbgion. Les sites favorab1.es d la nidification ne sont pas rares dans les massifs mais aucun emplacement de nid ne fut repbrb. II est done impossible de prbeiser si la reproduction b lieu en degS ou au-delb de la frontibre. La femelle collectbe constitue le seul indice de nidification probable au Sbnbgal. On ne dispose d'aucune donnbe sur la Guinbe ou les sites rocheux ne manquent pas. Par ailleurs, on sait que les Percnoptbres palbarctiques traversent le Sahara et hivement au Sahel (Viorel et Roux 1966) . Falco alopex Faucon-renard Ce faucon avait dbjb btb observb par Thiollay, J-M. (sans date) puis par Gbroudet, P. (com pers) en janvier 1981 au Parc de Niokolo-Koba. En Gambie, on disposait aussi d'une observations de mai 1957, Moyenne Vallbe, de Cawkell (1965). En mars-avril 1984, 2 ou 3 sujets bvoluaient prbs des massifs rocheux au sud de Kbdouaou. Ce sont les seuls signalements dont on dispose pour l'espece qui ne parait gubre s'bloigner des rbgions accidentbes. Columba livia Pigeon biset Sous sa race gymnocyclus , trbs sombre, presque noire (sauf le croup ion blanc) ce biset semble tres rare au Senegal. Lowe, W.P. , au dbbut du sibcle, le trouva sur les lies de la Madeleine au large de la presqu'lle du Cap-Vert ou il semble s'btre maintenu depuis, ou du mo ins aux environs, car Ndao, B. (com pers) en observa quelques-uns dans les rochers de la c6te b Fann (Dakar) . Sur les lies (Madeleine, Goree) il ne semble pas y avoir d ' observation rbcente irrbcusable. 1985 Mileux rocheurs au Senecial 117 D' autre part, une petite colonie existait en 1973 au villaae de NdandA, au sud de KAbAmer, sur la route Dakar-Saint-Louis ; elle occupait. deux vastes puits dAsaffectAs. Trois specimens furent collects et, malgrA les risques de croisement avec les pigeons du village, leur phenotype Atait pur. La colonie n'a pas AtA revisitee. D'autres puits du meme genre existent peut-etre ailleurs. Le choix des puits par le Biset est courant en Afrique du Nord (Heim de Balsac et Mayaud 1962) . Enfin, une dizaine de Bisets paturaient, mAlAs A une cinquantaine de Columba guinea , pres du village de DandA, 30 km au SO de KAdougou , fin mars 1984. Nous ne revlmes pas ces Bisets au cours de notre sAjour dans la region. Mais Dupuy, A.R. (com pers) , peu aprAs notre visite les trouva en nombre considerable dans la gorge de DinndAfAlou. Rappelons que le Biset est commun dans les milieux rocheux qui sont bien represented en Mauritanie (Dekeyser et Villiers 1950; Y. Prevost, com pers) et au Mali (Lamarche 1980-1981). Hirundo rupestris Hirondelle de Rochers Une isolAe fut collectAe a mi-chemin entre Richard-Toll et Saint-Louis sur une villa, le 15 novembre 1967. Du 13 decembre 1972 au 8 fAvrier 1973, deux hirondelles sA- joumerent £ Saint-Louis sur le n£me bAtiment (Ndao in Marel et Roux 1973) . Et du 16 au 18 dAcembre 1973 F. Roux, (com pers) en observa deux pres des batiments de l'aeroport de Dakar-Yoff. Nous ecrivions en 1973 que les Hirondelles de Rochers observAes au Senegal devaient etre des AgarAes, puisque l'aire normale d'hivemage est situAe dans le nord-ouest maghrAbin. Or, les observations de Rouchouse, C. et Monnet, C. dans les falaises de Popenguine au sud de Dakar, nous amenent a penser qu'une partie de la population hiveme sans doute en zone cruinAenne et laisse au passage des sujets isolAs au SAnAgal (Rouchouse, C. en preparation) . Aucune Hirondelle de Rochers ne fut apergue en mars 1984 mais A cette date le depart de printemps devait avoir eu lieu. Hirundo fuligula ( Ptgonoprogne rufigula) Hirondelle isabellme Nous avions tentA en vain de collecter des hirondelles inidentifiAes le 20 mars 1972 dans la gorge de DinndAfAlou, mais ce pouvait Atre des H. rupestris , car nous Ations peu familier avec ce groupe. En juillet 1982, notre collogue Rouchouse, C. retrouva ces hirondelles mais perdit 1 "exemplaire abattu. Enfin, fin mars 1984, 3 specimens furent collectAs dans cette mAme gorge. II s'agit bien de 1'espAce fuligula , au dessus trAs sombre et 6 la gorge roussatre, bien distincte de H. rupestris et aussi de H. fuligula obsoleta, race saharienne, col lectAe dans l'Adrar par Dekeyser et Villiers (1950). Ces 3 specimens, examines au British Museum (Tring) sont comparables a ceux de la race bansoensis . Souvent apergue du pied d'une falaise, cette espAce qui chasse haut peut Atre difficile A identifier avec certitude. II y avait plusieurs dizaines de ces hirondelles. Aucun nid ne fut dAcouvert et il ne semblait pas y avoir d' activity de reproduction. Cette colonie est la premiere dAcouverte au SAnAgal et la plus occidentale A cette latitude. Ongchognathus morio Etoumeau roupenne d' Alexander Assez curieusement , quelques individus avaient dAjA AtA signalAs loin de tout milieu adAquat: 1 sujet entre Matam et Bakel sur un Ficus en avril 1964 (GJM et F. Roux) ; 2 sujets A 50 km A l'est de Dakar, observes par R. I,achner, (com pers) familier avec 1' espAce le 5 fAvrier 1983, et une petite bande en foret de Basse-Casamance le 19 aout 1982 (A. Sala, com pers). On doit admettre que cet Etoumeau nomadise largement. Le site de DinndAfAlou, au contraire par ses parois verticales, son humidity qui entretient une foret dense avec Ficus parait convenir A 1' espAce et nous l'y avons observee par dizaines: sujets se nourrissant de figues dans la for At couvrant le fond de la crorae, 118 G.J. Morel MALIMBUS 7 accrochds aux parois ou se baignant dans la chute d ' eau , sur le plateau boisd qui domine la faille profonde. Cette espdce existe dans le sud-est mauritanien, l'Assaba (Browne 1981) et au Mali (Lamarche 1981). Cercomela familiar is Traquet de roche d queue rousse. Ce n'est pas une espdce strictement saxicole et nous l'avons aussi trouvde dans les fordts sdches de boisement clair, y compris les bambousaies, au sol plus ou mo ins encombrd de pierres. En rdcrion accidentde, elle occupe les pentes avec ldger couvert arbustif ainsi que les fordts sdches des plaines voisines. Ce traquet n'a pour le moment dtd observd que dans la reaion de Saraya, une soixantaine de kilometres au nord-est de Kddougou (une seule fois) et commundment dans la rdgion de Kddougou en mars-avril 1934. II reste d prdciser sa repartition qui doit ddpasser les limites reconnues actuellement. C'est une espdce discrete qui dchappe facilement & 1 ' observation . Monticcla saxatilis Merle de roche Un mdle avait dtd observe le 14 mars 1972 dans une for St sdche au sol brGld prds de Kddougou. Cette espdce ne fut pas revue en 1984. Elle est observde sur les falaises de Popenguine (sud-est de Dakar) au passaae de printemps en petit nombre; l'hivemage ou une tentative d'hivemage sur ce site semblent indiquds par le presence de 3 merles le 4 ddcembre 1982 (Morel et al. 1983) . II reste done d rechercher si des Merles de roche hivement sur le versant sdndgalais de la frontidre sdndgalo-guindenne. Rdcemment, Brosset (1984) en rencontra 4 en ddcembre sur des prairies d' altitude, entre 1250 et 1400 m dans la partie guindenne du Mont Nimba. On sait que l'espdce hiveme aussi sur la partie libdrienne du merne massif (Curry -Lindahl 1979) , de mdme qu. 'en Sierra Leone (Field 1973) . Monticcla solitaria Merle bleu On sait depuis peu (Morel et al . 1983) qu'une petite population hiveme en diffdrents points du pays, non seulement en des sites rocailleux: essentiellement la falaise de Popenguine avec une vingtaine de sujets ainsi que les pentes des vclcans dteints des Manmelles, les lies et ilots rocheux du Cap-Vert, mais aussi et 1^ sur des b&timents corrme h Pichard-Toll ou a Nouakchott, Mauritanie, ou des sujets isolds ou des couples se can torment pour l'"hiver" (Browne, PI7? com pers) . Nous n'avons rencontrd qu'un sujet F de cette espdee sur le rebord broussailleux de la gorge de Dinndefelou. C'etait le 31 mars et, h cette date, le courant miaratoire devait avoir ramend vers le nord la plupart des merles. Moreau (1972) rapnorte que des Merles bleus hivement sur la partie libdrienne du Mont Nimba et Field (1973) observa quelques sujets sur les Monts Lomas de Sierra Leone. Ainsi, cette espdee manifeste un dclectisme remarquable puisqu'elle hiveme sur un gradient longitudinal quasi continu, quoique de fagon trds dispersde , depuis la Mdditerrande jusqu'd la rdgion guindenne, depuis le niveau de la mer jusqu'd une altitude de 1700 mdtres , sans dddaigner ici ou Id une simple faqade d'usine. Myrmecocichla (Thamnolea) cinnamomeiventris Traquet de roche d ventre roux Les premiers sujets avaient dtd observds, fin mars 1972, dans des collines rocheuses une vingtaine de kilomdtres d l'ouest de Kddougou. Nous avons recherchd l'espdce en 1984 et l'avons trouvde connrune, au mo ins localement prds d'lbel, d proximitd des carridres de mrbre, d l'ouest de Kddougou. Ces traquets avaient 1' habitude de venir boire le soir dans le chantier. On les trouvait aussi sur les paiois escarpdes de la aorcre de Dinnddf dlou . 1985 Mileux rocheurs au Senegal 119 De son cotd, A.R. Dupuy (com pers) a observe ce traquet dans la reaion du Mont 7\ssirik , Parc National du Niokolo-Koba. Dans le sud mauritanien, le Traguet de roche a aussi <§t£ observd dans le massif de l'Assaba (Browne 1981) . " Nous sommes redevable k Charles Rouchouse, Gdo-physicien de l'ORSTQM, de la description du milieu dont il a bien voulu se charger. BIBLIOGRAPHIE ADAM, J.G. (1965 Tburisme et flore du Fouta-Djalon au Senegal. Notes afr. 105: 12-15 BROSSET, A. (1984) Oiseaux miorateurs europeens hivemant dans la partie guindenne du Mont Nimba. Alauda 52: 81-101 BROWNE, P.W.P. (1981) New bird species in Mauritania. Malimbus 3: 63-72 CAWKELL, E.M. (1965) Notes on Gambian Birds. Ibis 107: 535-540 CURRY-LINDAHL , K. (1981) Bird Migration in Africa. 2 vol. Academic Press. DEKEYSER, P.L. & VILLIERS, A. (1950) Contribution a 1' etude du peuplement de la Mauritanie. Bull. ifan. XII: 660-699 FIELD, G.D. (1973) Ortolan, and Blue Rock Thrush in Sierra I^one. Bull. BOC. 93: 81-82 HEIM de BALSAC, H. & MAYAUD, N. (1962) Les oiseaux du Nord-Ouest de 1 ' Af rique . Lechevalier . Paris . LAMARCHE , B. (1980-1981) Liste cormentde des oiseaux du Mali. Malimbus 2: 121-158; 3: 73-102 MOREAU, R.E. (1972) The Palearctic-African Bird Migration Systems. Academic Press. MOREL, G.J., MONNET, C. & ROUCHOUSE, C. (1983) Donnees nouvelles ^ur Monticola solitaria et Monticcla saxatilis en Sdn(?garnbie . Malimbus 5: 1-4 MOREL, G. & ROUX, F. (1966) Les migrateurs paldarctiques au Sdndgal. Terre ' i Vaorant: one, Ojo 1/11/81 (PDA- M, MJA) (Bannerman mentioned record from Warri) . 2, Tarkwa 28/10/80 (PE). One, Ikoyi sandfill 11/6/80 (PDA-M) . 4 records Ikoyi sandfill Dec 1978-Jan 1979, with maximum 3 birds on 1/12/78 (PDA-M, UHH) . d Up to 8 (12/6/81), Ikoyi Park and other parts of Ikoyi; also Tarkwa from 1980; feral? 6, Ologe Creek (16/8/80) (PDA-M) . I One near Ibereko, (26/3/78) (PDA-M, WHH) . I -fj 5 at Tarkwa (24/1/84), probably feral (RF) . 5 records of single birds at Isheri ( 1 979-8 1 ) (PDA-M , TRM) 'V Not seen in Lagos area but call taped at Isheri (24/5/81) identified from Chappuis (1974) (Call accelerates continuously to end, unlike that of T. tgmpanistria , which accelerates to a maximum speed) (PDA-M) . Photographed at Tarkwa 7/4/81 and 25/10/82; call heard Aug- Feb, mainly November, sometimes 3 at a time (RF) . One netted, Isheri 25/4/81 (PDA1 M, MJA, RES, EP) ; first record since 1944. One in flock of Motacilla flava Ikoyi sandfill 19/3/80 (PDA-M) ; first record since 1920. *■'.! 1 6 (including imm?) 17/9/78; 8 24/11/79; Agbara (PDA-M, TRM, RES) . m 124 P.D. Alexander-Marrack et al. MALIMBUS 7 Acrocephalus arundinaceus Macrosphenus concolor Myioparus plumbeus (c) Increased in abundance Ardeola ibis Psittacula krameri Phoeniculus purpureus Onychognathus fulgidus Criniger barbatus Apalis flavida Muscicapa striata Nectarinia cyanolaema MONTHS RECOPDED FMAMJJASOND + + + c c c + 4— H 1 »— | 1 1 1 I 1 <4 4~H-~4=-4- + H ) I I I ! 4 + -+- + + + + 4-H- + + -4 4" 4 4-i--‘3aTi i "i f H— ! \ 1 1 h ■M— f- + I t -4- 4—4- + 4-4- + + -4~+ + + + 4— H + + REMARKS 6 records (1979); sonq heai at Unilag (20/1/79) (TRM,WF PDA-M) ; subsong at Ikoyi Sci fill (PDA-M) . Not seen in Iagos area, bul calls heard (taped twice) at Ipaja and I sheri, and si sequently identified from Chapouis (1979) (PDA-M). One at Agbara, 4/9/78 (PDA- WHH ) . Continuing to increase; cor especially near National Theatre, Igararru; flocks up 80 birds; now present throi out the year, although few? July. Common at Ikoyi Park (max with roosting movements to Ikoyi; also recorded at Un: (13/1/79), Tarkwa (6 record and Victoria Island (30/9/' Seen regularly in Ikoyi. Pa: and gardens; one entering ' hole (5/1/83, MJA) ; partie: incl 3 irrm (23/9/78) and 4 2 imm (28/2/81); 2 records forest edge/clearing Isher: 1981 (PDA-M) and one from r (3/3/80) (RF) . Widespread and fairly comm Ikoyi, Victoria, Tarkwa, A< Isheri, max flock 7 (4/9/7! one pair with nest material (7/1/79) Ikoyi Park. Fairly common at Isheri ant Aobara in mixed feedina fit voice differs from Chappui: (1975) recording. Locally common in Ikoyi maj oroves , also at Unilag; im 8/10/78. Fairly coirmon on passage. Fairly common Act bar a and I: forests; female at nest (1! (PDA-M) . 1985 Lagos birds 125 MONTHS RECORDED JFMAMJJ ASOND (d) Decreased in abundance Phalacrocorax africanus Ixobrychus minutus Nycticorax nycticorax Ardeola ralloides Egretta alba Egretta intermedia Anastomns lamelligerus Dendrocygna viduata + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + REMARKS Uncommon; several sightings Sept 1978 Of irm over Ikoyi; 4 over Unilag (13/1/79) and one near Lighthouse Beach (21/1/80). Only recent records July-Sept, flying over grass swamp (Ikoyi and Tarkwa) . Continuing to decline; few records Ikoyi (max 9 (21/1/83) (MJA) ; mainly immatures; one behind Lighthouse Beach. Mainly dry season, mostly single birds (Ikoyi sandfill) ; max 6 behind Licrhthouse Beach (12/1/81) . Few records of 1-2 birds, mainly June-Sept. Only 4 records : 1 , Unilag (16/6/79); 2, Ikoyi sandfill (18/4/80); 1, Tarkwa (23/1/80, 13/1/81) . 5 records, mainly single birds flying over Ikorodu road and Badagri road. 2 records from Ogun River Delta (Ikorodu road) and one from Ikoyi sandfill. Aviceda cuculoides + Sr ex egregia + + Burhinus senegalensis + + + + One, Tarkwa (15/12/80, 10/1/83) (PF) . + 3 records from Ikoyi sandfill and Unilag. 4 records, Tarkwa and Ikoyi sandfill (1979) . Sharadrius dubius S. pecuarius S. forbesi lumen ius arquata Pringa stagnatilis P. ochropus + + + + + + Records only from Ikoyi sand- fill, winter 1979/80, max 4 (28/11/79) . NO RECENT RECORDS. NO RECENT RECORDS. + + 4 records of sinnle birds Ikoyi sandfill and Tarkwa (1979) . + + + + 1-2 birds only, Ikoyi sandfill 1973/9. + + + Few records mainly from Ikoyi sandfill; max 4 (1/12/79). 126 P.D. Alexander-Marrack et al. MALIMBUS 7 T . totanus Himantopus himantopus Rostratula benghalensis Cursorius temminckii G1 areola cinerea Sterna dougalii S. hirundo S. paradisea S . albif rons Tumix sylvatica Tauraco persa Clamator levaillantii Cuculus solitarius Caprimulgus climacurus Halcyon leucocephala Eurystomus glaucurus Gymnobucco peli Mirafra rufocinnaironea Hirundo semirufa Psalidoprocne obscura MONTHS RECORDED JFMAMJ JASOND + + + 4 > ■ + + + I I I " + + + + + 4 I I 4- + + + + + ■+— 4- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4 I I t + + + + 4— t 1 h + + + + + + + + + + + + REMARKS Mainly Aug-Sept , Ikoyi sand- fill, max 18 (5/9/79, 7/10/79); 3 Tarkwa records. Records mainly Ikoyi sandfk 1978/9, max 20 (17/1/79) ; . also Iju Waterworks Road and Ojo. NO RECENT RECORDS. NO RECENT RECORDS. Regular at Ikoyi sandfill b numbers reduced; max 30 (27/8/80) . NO RECENT RECORDS. Regular in small numbers Lighthouse Beach; max 10 (7/9/80) . Recent records only autumn passage; max 2. Uncommon Lighthouse Beach; max 2 in breeding plumage (3/6, 24/6/79). One, Ikoyi sandfill (1979). Heard more often than seen but uncommon, Agbara and Isheri , Ikoyi Park. Four records from Unilag, Isheri forest only. 4 records 1981 only (Isheri Ipaja) . 3 records of sinale birds, Ikoyi sandfill and Unilag. Uncommon . Common but in reduced numbe: max 10 (5/1/83) (MJA) ; also present throughout rainy season 1981. No recent records from Lago: area. 6 records Ikoyi sandfill 19' 80 only. Tarkwa only (RF) . 7 records from Unilag and Tarkwa; max 7 (20/1/79) . 1985 Lagos birds 127 ) Lanius collaris 1ENTHS RECORDED JFMAMJJASOND + + Lairprotornis purpureiceps + + + + Cinnyricinclus leucogaster + + + + Ixonotus guttatus + + + + + + + + Phyllastrephus albigularis + REMARKS Only 2 records (1981): one, Victoria Island near remain- ing open grassland) ; 2 on wires near Ojo. Only 4 records of s inale birds , Agbara and Ijede forests, and .$ Tarkwa . p i 7 records from Tarkwa (max 20, 9/1/83 (RF) ) and Agbara. Uncommon in forest areas, max 9 (15/10/78). One pair netted (16/3/80) Agbara (WHH , PDA-M) . | Luscinia megarhynchos + Sona heard on 2 days Dec 1981 in cleared area, Isheri. Macrosphenus flavicans NO RECENT RECORDS: checked recordings of Chappuis (1979) and of J.H. Elgood (Lagos 1960's) but nothing similar heard 1977-81. Platysteira castanea + + + + + Uncommon, Agbara and Isheri. P. blissetti Trochocercus longicauda Terps iphone rufiventer Nectarinia reichenbachii N . cuprea Euplectes afer Nigrita luteifrons Ortygospiza atricollis NO RECENT RECORDS. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Local in mangroves; pair present Ikoyi mangroves 1978 to April 1979, thereafter only recorded from Tarkwa and Unilag. ft All recent records only from Unilag; max 4 (25/12/79). «? Local in freshwater swamp, Kande; rare at Tarkwa. + One near Ojo (1/11/81). + 1 i t ■ 4- + + -f -h -f 4- -f At least 6 males in grass swamp, Tarkwa; also Yewa Lagoon (JHB) . Uncommon; 5 records from Isheri (1981) . 5 records 1980 from Ikoyi sand- fill, max 4 (23/8/80); 4 at Tarkwa (1/9/81). 128 NOTES MALIMBUS 7 SOME EGYPTIAN PLOVER NESTS IN SENEGAL - Apart from Howell's masterly paper (1979) , there are comparatively few published data on the nesting of the Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius. It is therefore worth recording some details of nests found in 1985 in Senecral in the Niokola-Koba National Park. At WOurang , 16 km west of Dar Salam, a nest found on 20 March contained c/2; it still had c/2 on the last day it was checked, 25 March. At Boufoulabe, 5 km west of Siminti, four nests were found. The first had c/2 on 20 March, c/3 by 1000 h on 21 and still 3 eggs on 28 March. The second had 3 eggs on 20 March; one egg had hatched by about 1530 h on 21 March, when a parent removed half an eggshell, ran with it for some 10 m and then ate it; a second egg hatched about 1230 h on 22 March and the third on the afternoon of 23 March. Three young were still present on 28 March. The third nest contained c/1 on 20 March and at 1000 h on 21; but c/2 by 1600 h on 21 March; it still contained 2 eggs on 28 March. The fourth contained c/1 on 20 March, c/2 on 21 March at 1000 h and still c/2 on 28 March. If we take 'breeding season' to mean the time of egg-laying, and if we take 30 days as the species' incubation period (Howell 1979) , then we have one pair that conpleted its clutch on 20 March, two pairs that completed their clutches on 21 March, one that conpleted its clutch about 18 February, and one that conpleted its clutch between 18 and 24 February. There were three clutches of 2 and two clutches of 3 eggs. We thank Andr£-Roger Dupuy, Gerard Morel and A.T. Souleymane Massaly for friendly co-operation. Reference Howell, Thomas P. 1979. Breeding Biology of the Foyptian Plover. Calif. Pubs. Zool . 113. Michael W. Richards Jeffery Boswall c/o Natural History Unit, BBC, Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR, UK PLAIN NIGHTJAR AT SEA OFF IVORY COAST - D. Levell showed me a colour trans- parency of a nightjar, one of twa which appeared on SS 'Romandor Surveyor stationed 5-8 km off Jacqueville, 05°12'N 04°25'W, Ivory Coast, on a day in the period 15-20 December 1980, when the weather was calm tut hazy. The^ bird photographed is clearly a Plain Nightjar Caprimulgus inornatus, and it remained on board for the best part of the day. It appears to be the first coastal record for Ivory Coast; Thiollay ( Malimbus 7, 1985: 1-59) states that the species is a widespread dry season visitor in all savannas there, and has occurred south at least to Lamto (06 13'N) . C.H. Fry Aberdeen University Zoology Department , Til lydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN , UK 1985 129 SONG AND COURTSHIP OF THE WATTLED STAPLING CREATOPHORA CINEREA by Walter A. Sontag Jr. Peceived 20 May 1985 INTRODUCTION Among the African sturnids the Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea is con- sidered to be the nearest relative of the genus Sturnus (Amadon 1943; see also Durrer & Villiger 1970, Harrison 1963). It inhabits dry areas and is districted from southwestern Africa, through South Africa, East Africa and Ethiopia, occasionally to the Arabian peninsula (Hall & Moreau 1970). Wattled Starlings are extremely sociable (Liversidge 1961) , and outside the breeding season flocks wander distantly. When breeding, they usually live in colonies comprising up to 400 nests. However, rarely, in close relation with mass reproduction of locusts, they suddenly form enormous colonies composing thousands of nests in a small area. A breeding colony consists, to a large extent, of nesting communities (Liversidcre 1961), within which pairs breed and rear their own young only. Because of its extra- ordinary sociology and ecology, the Wattled Starling might be expected to possess particular behavioural adaptations. The remarkable song, its function, and the visual expressive behaviour during singing were studied in captive birds. Furthermore, I paid attention to the great variation in the appearance of individuals which becomes evident when they display. METHODS The investigation was started 12 years ago at Frankfurt Zoo, West Germany, where Wattled Starlings were bred and reared in large numbers. From 1974 to 1976, in Nieder-Olm near Mainz, starlings were kept in an aviary that comprised a covered enclosure (1.8 x 2 x 2.2 m) connected to an outside cage (6 x 3 x 2.9 m) . From 1979 to 1981, groups of birds were housed for study in equally sized aviaries ofc. 5x3x2mon Mainz University campus. A control group was (and is still being) kept in a large aviary in Mainz Municipal Park. 'UNDIRECTED' SONG Song is uttered during courtship but does not serve territorial functions, consistent with the fact that Wattled Starlings do not defend real terri- tories beyond their own nests. Males often sing without directing the song to a female; when uttering this 'undirected' song they wave their wings . Songs (Fig. 1) very often have a three-partite pattern with (1) a faint, often hardly audible introductory part, (2) a louder middle section, and 130 W.A. Sontag jr. MALIMBUS 7 (3) a 'pealing' end (which can be succeeded by further parts) . Sonqs typically exceed 15 s in duration, and stepwise differences in volume between the different sections are characteristic. 'Undirected' song does not elicit aggression in conspecifics. In the moulting period, at times a male approaches a singing male and ruffles its head plumage, but I have not yet found an explanation of this behaviour. I noted one instance of apparent selective attraction to an individual's sonqs. 'Undirected' song of Male P attracted Male P, housed in an adjacent aviary. Whenever P sang R tried to approach it, although it did not respond similarly to other singing males. P was wild-caught and P zoo born, and they had never lived together in one group; no sexual or agonistic motivation was evident in either bird. kHz 8i 6- 4- 2- * w % l *; ■ i kHz 8 6 4 2\ r hi * 0: %' \ .V ~ in iiiMTiiMiffinrnTiiiimir ** ■ III kHz 8; 6- 4 2- Figure 1 Sonagram of initial 18 sec of a male's single sona lasting for 31 sec. Arrow's mark faint elements. In the upper line there is the 'gentle' introductory part. The very loud structures in the first half of the last line were repeated twice in this song. 1 s = 1 second. Sonagraph used: Kay 6061 - P. 1985 Wattled Starling courtship 131 In the moulting period song alters and it sounds not fully developed (in one bird as if the voice was ' breaking ' ) . At that time some components differ from those sung at other times, and there is also a dramatic change in the contact call (Male P) . Normal voices are resumed after moulting. Females over one year old utter ’undirected' song outside the breeding period, but their song is not as perfect as male song. In Wattled Starlings 'undirected' song suggests a low level of sexual notivation, as assumed for Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata by Morris (1954) and substantiated for it by castration experiments by Prove (1974). Both inhabit dry areas (cf. Liversidge 1961 and Immelmann 1969) and are opportunistic breeders (Wattled Starlings only partially so: Dean 1978) , in which reproductive behaviour can probably always be induced very rapidly. The gonads of C. cinerea may be kept in an 'activated' condition by means of song. The influence of vocalizations on gonadal condition has been demonstrated in female Budgerigars Melopsit.tacus undulatus (Brockway 1965), Ring Doves Streptopelia risoria (Lott et al. 1967), and Canaries Serinus canarius (Kroodsma 1976) . Because of their strikingly similar qualities it is warth comparing the 'undirected' song of Wattled Starlings with the 'solitary' song of estrildids (Harrison 1962, Immelmann 1962, 1968, Morris 1958). In both cases song lacks any epigamic function (although Wattled Starlings and estrildids do have advertisement songs). Harrison (1962) described the song of estrildids as "complex utterances, frequently elaborate and prolonged", which is 'like' Wattled Starling song. In African estrildids, a male that is unpaired or separated from his mate utters 'solitary' song, which is inhibited by the presence of a conspecific (Harrison 1962). However, in Australian estrildids 'solitary' song is uttered within groups and in Lonchura by different males together (Immelmann 1962). Similarly, Wattled Starlings often sing together, and an attraction effect was mentioned above. Some estrildids sing with an audience (Morris 1958) . The lack of territorial function in Wattled Starling song is due to colonial breeding (Hoesch 1936, Liversidge 1961) and absence of territorial defence. However, in two breeding pairs I noticed singing during nest-reliefs. Among estrildids, too, song does not provoke aggression (cf. Immelmann 1968). CCXTRTSHIP Morphologically significant characters The individual appearance of Wattled Star linns differs extraordinarily. The head can be fully feathered (except for the naked black skin stripes on the chin and the naked yellow skin stripe on the temples) , or it can be variably bald, when patches of yellow and black skin become obvious. The upper greater wing coverts show great variation in colour, beinq brown, grey or white. Heads and winas vary individually and with sex and age, and the head varies seasonally. Heads and wings are both displayed during courtship . 132 W.A. Sontag jr. MALIMBUS 7 Figure 2 'Vulture posture' of sexually motivated female. Courtship behaviour Sexual activity can be initiated by either sex. Females do not have courtship songs but use 'vulture postures' (Fig. 2), when the naked temple stripes are conspicuously displayed. Male courtship utilizes acoustic and optical sicmals. It commences with the male lowering and slightly spreading the wine next to the female. With the wing hanging close to the body, the upper primary coverts become partly visible. As the male approaches the female its lateral display is succeeded by a more frontal one, with the plumage puffed out. From in front, the underparts appear enlarged and smooth; from behind they look ruffled and unkempt. The white rump is extremely ruffled, contrasting markedly with the spread dark rectrices (Fig. 3) . Both wings are then lifted, held in a roughly horizontal position, and quivered. The differences in colouring between the dark remiges, highly variable coverts, and grey scapulars and back become conspicuous. Individual differences in the coverts are more evident in frontal than in lateral display. During the frontal display the male's legs are bent and head lowered, and the front part of his body performs thrusting movements, accentuating the head marks. During lateral and frontal display the male sinas, the song being identical with the 'undirected' song. Absent behaviours It should be stressed that Wattled Starling courtship does not incorporate several behaviour patterns that occur in other starlings, namely courtship feeding, billing, allopreening, 'nodding', and duettinc (cf . Powan 1955, Harrison 1963, Sontag 1983). 1985 Wattled Starlinq courtship 133 Figure 3 Male (on right) courting a sexually non-motivated female. OTHER POSSIBLE FUNCTIONS OF SONG A spontaneous reaction to a distant singing bird, or probable aural recognition of sonq of a hidden social partner, was observed in at least three dyads (two being male-male and one female-male) . Individual song recogni- tion is most likely to occur. Another function of song may be sex recog- nition. In a long-term study of three males and five females in Nieder-Olm, only the males sang, but both sexes ’twittered' producing a 'degenerate' song. Singing during nest-relief might serve to strengthen the pair-bond or as a greeting or merely for mate recognition; or it might result from motivational conflict. COMPARISON WITH EUROPEAN STARLING Because of the close relationship between the European Starling Sturnus vulgaris and the Wattled Starling the following behavioural differences should be pointed out. Liversidqe (1961) mentioned acoustic mimicry in Wattled Starlings. Althouqh I studied a qreat number I did not find evidence for interspecific sound imitation, with perhaps one exception: one female frequently uttered a clicking sound that I have never heard uttered by any other individual. In European Starlings acoustic mimicry is ccmmon (Feare 1984) . Feare (1984) noted that in European Starlinqs sinqinq is accompanied by winq-f licking and wing-flailinq; although he sugqested that Wattled. Starlinqs wing-flail it seems to differ from the wing-waving described above. 134 W.A. Sontag jr. MALIMBUS 7 SUMMARY Wattled Starlings Creatophora cinerea were studied in captivity in Germany. Both sexes sing (slightly dissimilarly) , songs often lastinc for over 15 sec. Individual song recognition is very likely. Male song may be uttered 'undirected' (not addressed to a female). In two pairs sinning occurred during nest relief. 'Undirected' song is accompanied by wing waving. A male sings while performina lateral and frontal display. . Head pattern and individual differences in wincj colouring are conspicuous durina display. Female song plays no role in sexual behaviour; females indicate sexual motivation with a 'vulture posture' . This paper is in honour of the sixtieth anniversary of Prof Dr Jirrcren Nicolai. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Prof Dr. J. Nicolai (Wilhelmshaven) for allowing me to use the sona- graph in the Institut fur Voce 1 for schung in Wilhelmshaven; I ami grateful to Mrs K. Dietrich for help in making sonagrams. Mrs D. Mantell and Mrs J. Wiesel helped with translation. REFERFNCES AMADON, D. (1943) The genera of starlings and their relationships. Am. Mus. Novitates , no. 1247, 16 pp BROCKWAY, B.F. (1965) Stimulation of ovarian development and egg laying by male courtship vocalizations in Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) . Anim. Behav. 13: 575-578. DEAN, w.p.j. (1978) Plumage, reproductive condition and moult in non- breeding Wattled Starlings. Ostrich 49: 97-101 DUPREP, H. & VILLIGEP , W. (1970) Schiller far ben der Stare (Stumidae) . J. Orn. Ill: 133-153 FEARF, C. (1984) The Starling. Oxford, Oxford University Press HARRISON, C.J.O. (1962) Solitary song and its Inhibition in some Estrildidae. J. Orn. 103: 369-373 HARRISON, C.J.O. (1963) The displays of seme starlings (Sturnidae) , and their taxonomic value. Ardea 51: 44-52 HOF.SCH , W. (1936) Nester und Oelege aus dem Damaraland. II. J. Orn. 84: 3-20 IMMELMANN, K. (1962) Anmerkunq 2 zu C.J.O. Harrison: Solitary song and its inhibition in some Estrildidae. J. Orn. 103: 375-377 BMEIMANN, K. (1968) Zur biolocrischen Redeutung des Estrildidengesancres . J. Orn. 109: 284-299 IMMEIMANN, K. (1969) Der Zebrafink ( Taeniopygia guttata ). 2nd ed. Wittenberg, A. Ziemsen KROODSMA, D.E. (1976) Reproductive development in a female songbird: differential stimulation by quality of male song. Science 192: 574-575 1985 Wattled Starling courtship 135 LIVERSIDGE, R. (1961) The Wattled Starling ( Creatophora cinerea ) (Meuschen) . Ann. Cape Prov. Mus. 1: 71-80 LOTT, D. , SCHOLZ, S.D. & LEHRMAN, D.S. (1967) Exteroceptive stimulation of the reproductive system of the female Ring Dove ( Streptopelia risoria) by the mate and the colony milieu. Anim. Behav. 15: 433-437 MORRIS, D. (1954) The reproductive behaviour of the Zebra Finch ( Poephila guttata ) , with special reference to pseudofemale behaviour and displacement activities. Behaviour 6: 271-322 MORRIS, D. (1958) The comparative ethology of grassf inches (Erythrurae) and mannikins (Amadinae) . P-roc . Zool. Soc . Bond. 131 : 389-439 PROVE, E. (1974) Der Finfluf von Kastration und Testosteronsubstitution auf das Sexualverhalten mannlicher Zebrafinken. J. Orn. 115: 338-347 ROWAN, M.K . (1955) The breedincr biology of the Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio -. Ibis 97: 663-705 SONTAG, JR., W.A. (1983) Untersuchungen zur Soziologie des Lappen- stars Creatophora cinerea ( Meuschen , 1787) und ein Vergleich wit. anderen Starenarten ( Sturnidae ) . Ph.D. thesis, UniversitSt Mainz. Walter A. Sontag jr . , Institut fur Zoologie, Universitat, Saarstr. 21, D-6500 Mainz, West Germany 136 NOTES MALIMBUS 7 LARGE-SCALE MOVEMENTS OF COMMON PRATINCOLE Glareola pratincola AT JUBA; SUDAN - On the evening of 3 April 1983 I observed a large flock of about 20,000 pratincoles at Juba, southern Sudan. The flock passed overhead at an altitude of 200-300 metres, following the Nile northwards, taking about 30 minutes to do so. This was just before dusk; after dark further flocks of unknown size were heard passing northwards. On 4 and 5 April sightings continued with over 20 more flocks, each of 100-1000 birds all passing northwards. Feeding flocks of several hundreds were seen twice away from the Nile, hawking insects over rough wasteland. All birds seen sufficiently well to be identified were Glareola pratincola , not G. nordmanni , although which of the three races recognized by Brosset (1986, in E.K . Urban, C.H. Fry and S. Keith, eds, The Birds cf Africa , 2) (pratincola , erlangeri , fulleborni ) is involved it is not possible to determine. The fact that all the sightings, except those of feeding birds, were of flocks moving in one direction, and that such flocks were seen or heard rroving during both day and night suggests that the birds were migrating; it seems mcst unlikely that they were merely feeding or roosting movements, since similar sized flocks were not seen on subsequent days, nor were any sizeable flocks seen on the three days prior to 3 April. The dates of these sightings coincide with those for migrating G. p. pratincola (Cramp & Simmons, 1983, The Birds of the Western Palearctic , 3) . The wintering ranae of this race is the southern edge of the Sahara from Senegal to Ethiopia. The southern limit appears to be unknown, though it may be around 5°N in southern Ethiopia (Cramp & Simons, 1983) . Juba also lies at that latitude (4°52’N) , so that G. p. pratincola may winter further south than previously recognized. Department of Zoology , Universiti Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia F.R. Lambert A NEW NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER COLONY - On 19 March 1985 we saw an assembly of Carmine Bee-eaters Merops nubicus nubicus in trees on a high bank of the Gambia river at Wourang (13°08'N, 13°18'W) , 16 km west of Dar Salam in the Niokola-Koba National Park, Senegal, and on 23 March M.T\T.R . found a two-part colony at the bottom of the cliff. About 400 birds had assembled at one point and about 800 at another about 500 m away; most were actively burrowing and many appeared paired. The site is additional to those listed by Fry (The Bee-eaters , 1984, Poyser) . J.G. Morel tells us that on 1 June 1961 he saw Carmine bee-eaters digqing into a bank of the Senegal River 1 km above Bakel (14°56'N 12°20'U). 200 m further west J.B. observed a colony of c. 80 Red-throated Bee- eaters M. bullocki on 29 March, when they appeared to be feeding young. M.W.R. filmed larcre young at several holes on 25 March 1985. Jeffery Boswall Michael W. Richards c/o Natural History Unit, BBC, Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR, UK 1985 137 NOTES COMPIiEMENTAI PES SUE L'AVIFAUNE DES PARCS NATICNAUX DE L'ARLI (BURKINA) ET DE LA PENDJARI (BENIN) par Yves Thonnerieux Received. 9 October 1984 Depuis la publication de 1' article de Green & Sayer (1979) , deux courtes visites ef fectudes dans la zone des pares de l'Arli et de la Pendjari ont pernis ddbut mars 1982 et 1984 d'apporter quelques compldments d l'dtude de nos prdddeesseurs . Modifications du statut de certaines esp&ces figurant dans la liste de Green & Sayer (G & S par la suite) Ardeola ralloides Hdron crabier Donnd frdquent de ddeembre d mars par G & S; observd aux mares Diwouni et Tiabiga le 07/04/82. Anastoirus lamelligerus Bec-ouvert Deux observations de G & S en novembre et ddeembre ; probablement rare mais rdgulier en mars puisque contactd a nos deux passages les 04/04/82 (mare Yangouali) et 07/04/84 (rividre Arli) . Circus pygargus Busard cendrd Frdquent selon G & S de ddeembre d mars; encore prdsent d la mare Bali le 05/04/82. Polemaetus bellicosus Aiqle martial Une unique observation de G & S en ddeembre, statut plutot surprenant de la part de ce grand prddateur qui peut trouver des proies d volontd dans les deux pares; un adulte tente de surprendre un groupe de Pintades communes Numida meleagris le 05/04/84 au bord du Doubodo par la piste de Wamou. Elanus riocourii Naucler d'Afrique Frdquenment notd par G & S de ddeembre d mars; encore comrnun ddbut avril: cinq ensemble le 04/04/82 dans le pare de la Pendjari, deux d la mare Divxauni le 06/04/82, deux dans le pare de l'Arli le 05/04/84. Vanellus tectus Vanneau d tete noire Donne coirrne frdquent de ddeembre d mars par G & S; un couple encore prdsent dans la savane prds de la riviere Pendjari le 06/04/84. Tringa ochropus Chevalier culblanc Rarement observd en janvier-fdvrier par G & S; 3 contacts en mars: un sujet le 07/04/82 d la mare Tiabiga, un le 05/04/84 au bord du Doubodo, quelques le 06/04/84 le long de la Pendjari. T. erythropus Chevalier arlequin Rare d'aprds G & S de janvier d mars; un individu le 07/04/82 d la mare Tiabiga, deux le 04/04/84 avant la mare Pemba to. Calidris minuta Bdcasseau minute Citd une fois en janvier par G & S; 10 sujets observds d la mare Pemba to le 04/04/84. 138 Y. Thonnerieux MALIMBUS 7 Capr imulgus climacurus Engoulevant h longue queue Quelques cas cit£s par G & S en janvier-fdvrier ; semble-t-il rdoulier en avril: deux le 04/04/82 dans le pare de la Pendjari, un le 06/04/84 au village d'Arli, Merops pusillus Guepier nain Rarement notd en d£cembre, janvier et septembre par G & S; une observation h la mare Yangouali le 04/04/82. Mot ac ilia flava Rergeronnette printani£re Notde "rare" en mars-avril par G & S; nous l'avons pour notre part rdguli&rement observde , il est vrai en petit nombre, en bordure de la plupart des mares et cours d'eau ddbut avril 1982 et 1984. Corvus albus Corbeau pie Statut de resident frdquent de janvier A ddeembre dans le travail, de G & S; pourtant, en dix ^ours d ' observations soutenues ddbut avril des deux anndes, nous n'avons contacte l'espece qu'une fois, d'ailleurs en limite des pares, pr£s du massif de l'Atakora. P. phoenicurus Rouge-queue a front blanc Not.£ frdquent par G & S de d£cembre & f^vrier; un le 06/04/82 h la mare Diwouni. Hippolais pallida Hypolals pale Une citation de G & S en janvier; apparemment r^gulier en avril: un le 04/04/82 et un autre le 06/04/84 dans les galeries foresti^res ou il se montre tr£s discret. Camarcptera brachgura Camaropt&re h dos gris Rarement observd par G & S en janvier et juillet; deux contacts le long de l'Arli pr£s du village les 04 et 07/04/84. Eremomel a pus ilia Erdmom^le A dos vert Esp£ce frdquente pour G & S en juillet et novembre; une le 05/04/82 h la mare Yangouali, une le 07/04/82 k la mare Divomi. Muscicapa aquatica Gobemouche des marais Bizarrement notd en juillet seulement par G & S; abondant pourtant en avril dans tous les milieux boisds pr£s de l'eau. Ember iz a tahapisi Bruant cannelle Frdquent selon G & S en juillet et novembre; tr£s commun en avril au bord des divers points d'eau en association avec d'autres esp£ces de Ploceidds. Passer griseus Moineau gris G & S le donnent frequent en janvier-fdbrier ; deux observations autour d'Arly pr£s de l'eau les 04 et 07/04/84. Petronia dentata Petit Moineau soulcie Frdquent en janvier (G & S) ; par groupes aux points d'eau les 05/04/82 (mare Bali) et le 07/04/84 (riviere Arly) . Pgtilia phoenicoptera Diamant aurore Frdquent en fdvrier, octobre et novembre (G & S) ; observd et capturd les 06 et 07/04/84 le long de l'Arli prfes du village. Estrilda troglodytes Bee de corail cendr£ Rare en fdvrier d'apr^s G & S; une centaine ensemble le long de la Pendjari le 06/04/84, une dizaine le 07 prfes d'Arli. Lonchura malabarica Bee d'argent Rare en d£cembre et en mars (G & S) ; quelques individus h Arli le 07/04/84. 1985 Arli (Burkina) et Pendjari (Benin) 139 Liste des esp^ces nouvelles pour les deux pares Threskiornis aethiopica Ibis saerd Un sujet le 07/04/82 A la mare Tiabiga. Anas guerguedula Sarcelle d'§td Un male le 07/04/82 entre les mares Diwouni et Tiabiga. II est plutot surprenant que cet Anatidd qui hiveme en effectifs considerables en Afrique occidentale n'ait pas dtd notd auparavant dans les deux pares, alors que la Sarcelle d'hiver A. crecca, rare dans la merrte zone gdocrraphique , bdndficie d'une mention de G & S. Falco alopex Faucon renard Probablement assez rdgulier en avril puisque notd une fois chaque arrnde: un le 05/04/82 A la mare Bali, un autre le 07/04/84 prds d'Arli. G. gallinago Becassine des marais Une A la mare Diwouni le 06/04/82. Hirundo leucosoma Hirondelle A ailes tachetdes Une survolant la galerie forestidre de la Pendjari le 06/04/82. Lamprotornis chloropterus Merle metallique de Swainson Observations et capture les 06 et 07/04/82 prds du village d'Arli, Chlorocichla flavicollis Grand Bulbul a gorge jaune Une observation le 08/04/82 un peu au Sud de la limite du pare de la Pendjari, dans la foret galerie de la cascade de Tanougou. Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Phragmite des joncs Un chanteur attribud A cette espdee le 04/04/82. Phylloscopus bonelli Pouillot de Bonelli Quelques sujets le 04/04/84 dans la galerie fores tidre de l'Arli, prds du village. Nectar inia verticalis Soui-mancra olive A tete bleue Un individu le 08/04/82 A la cascade de Tanouaou. Amadina fasciata Cou-coupe Quelques sujets au bord de la Pendjari le 06/04/84 . FEMERCIEMENTS II nous est agrdable de remercier ici I'Institut de Recherche en Biologie et Ecologie Tropicale de Ouagadougou avec le soutien duquel nous effectuames la mission d' avril 1984. Notre gratitude s'adresse aussi aux colldgues du voyage d'dtude d' avril 82: Josv Defour, Serge Honore et Marie-France Le Pennec, tous notbres du Centre Omithologique Rhone-Alpes. REFERENCE GREEN , A. A. & SAYEP, J.A. (1979) Parks (Benin and Upper-Volta) . The birds of Pendjari and Arli National Malimbus 1: 14-28 Yves Thonnerieux , Centre Ornithologigue RhSne-Alpes , Labo de Z oologie , University Lyon I, 43 Bd . du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex , France 140 NOTES MALIMBUS 7 REICHENBACH ' S SUNBIRD Nectarinia reichenbachii NEW TO IVORY COAST - During a brief visit to Ivory Coast in September -October 1983 I saw single examples of what could only have been male Reichenbach ' s Sunbirds Nectarinia reichen- bachii, at two localities 10 km apart. The first was a fleeting and unsat- isfactory view in the newly-established Parc National d'Azagny, at the western end of Ebrid lagoon which extends for some 90 km west of Abidjan; the second, a week later, was at Grand-Lahou, 05°09'N, 05°01 'W on Bandama River. The first bird was with Collared Sunbirds A nthreptes collar is , Olive Sunbirds N. olivacea and Olive-bellied Sunbirds N . chloropygia in scattered trees and shrubs in a grassy area near thick forest; the second one, which gave much better views, was in flowering trees in a hotel garden. It had metallic blue head and throat, olive crreen upperparts, grey breast, and yellow on the belly and undertail coverts. This combination of features rules out A. collar is, the Blue-throated Brown Sunbird N. cyanolaema and the Yellow-bellied Sunbird N. venusta, the most similar species which occur in Ivory Coast. Reichenbach ' s Sunbird occurs sparsely throughout the Congo basin, is locally common in Gabon and Cameroon (Serle & Morel 1977) , a "very local not uncommon resident" near rivers, lagoons and gardens in south Nigeria (Elgood , The Birds of Nigeria , 1982), and occurs sparingly in Ghana (Serle & Morel 1977) , but has not been reported hitherto in Ivory Coast (Thiollay, 1985 Malimbus 7) . 8904 Narem Place, Annandale , Va. 22003, USA Stephen D. Eccles ORIOLE BABBLER Hypergerus atriceps NEAR COAST OF IVORY COAST - During a visit to Parc National d'Azagny in October 1983 I came across several Oriole babblers Hypergerus atriceps in heavy forest with clearings. The Parc is on the coast of Ivory Coast, in the forest zone 90 km west of Abidjan. Thiollay (1985, Malimbus 7: 45) states that the species is widespread in Ivory Coast north of 07°30'N and rarer south to Lamto, 06°13'N. 8904 Narem Place, Annandale , Va. 22003, USA Stephen D. Eccles RINGING IN NIGERIA 1984 - No ringing was carried out in 1984 but three recoveries were reported: Garganey Anas querquedula Ringed 5 February 1978, Kazaure (Nigeria) 12°40'N, 08°25'E Shot 14 August 1978, Dunai River, Odessa (USSR) 45°20'N, 29°40'E House Martin Del ichor urbica Ringed 10 September 1983, Rye Meads (UK) 51°47'N, 0°0'E Caught by child 26 February 1984, Ikwo (Nigeria 06°05'N 08°06'E Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Pinged 6 February 1973, Vom (Nigeria) 09°50'N, 08°50'E Caught by cat 22 July 1980, Malaska, Oulu (Finland) 64°24'N 26°20'E Pinged 8 March 1977, Kano (Nigeria) 12°00'N, 08°32'E Found dead 16 July 1981, Kozelets, Chemiqov (USSR) 50°55'N, 31°00'E (4787 km, 1591 days) . R.E. Sharland Flat 7, Elmsdown Court, Southampton Road, Ringwood , Hants BH24 1JE , UK 1985 141 OBSERVATIONS OF ALLEN'S GALLINULE PORPHYRIO ALLEN I AT MOMBASA, KENYA by P.B. Taylor Received 17 July 1985 Revised 6 September 1985 INTRODUCTION Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni is widespread over much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Somalia and South Africa. It is mainly migratory, north and south of the Equator, breeding during the wet season and then migrating to lower latitudes, but the extent of migration is not known and in areas where habitat remains suitable throughout the year it may be sedentary (Keith, in press) . In East Africa it is a local and generally uncommon resident in permanent swamps, but in some areas it may wander or occur seasonally (Britton 1980). It is reasonably carman on Zanzibar and Pemba islands (Pakenham 1979) . Like other gallinules it is an inveterate wanderer, and is the only Afrotropical bird which regularly occurs as a vagrant to Europe (Cramp & Simmons 1980) . Although cannon in some parts of Africa, Allen's Gallinule has been little studied, and little is known of its habitat and habits (Keith in press) . I became familiar with it in Zambia from 1974 to 1980 and on moving to Mombasa (Kenya) in Dec 1980 I found a small, easily observable nonbreeding population at a dam near Bamburi. Allen's Gallinule had been recorded there in previous years (EANHS 1978, 1980) but its status on the Kenya coast was unclear (Britton 1980) . I visited the dam frequently throughout 1981 and occasionally in 1982 and 1983. Few Allen's Gallinules were present after early 1982, owing to a drastic fall in water level. Data on its habitat, seasonality, habits, moult and breeding, from Bamburi, Zambia and elsewhere in Kenya, are given below, together with a carparison with fair other water birds sharing its habitat at Bamburi. THE STUDY AREA Most observations were made at a permanent dam near Bamburi (03 59 'S 39 42 'E) . In 1980-81 the dam and its reedbeds covered 1.96 ha of a shallow valley in overgrazed and eroded grassland. Regular observations of rails were also made at nearby Nguuni (Taylor 1985) , in little-eroded grassland with several small dams of areas from 0.1 to 0.8 ha. The area is 30-60 m a.s.l. and is 4 km inland. The margins of the dam were frequently visited by people and stock, but the reedbeds and open water were undisturbed (except at periods of very low water) . Dense beds of Typha (total area 0.55 ha) and Cyperus (0.1 ha) extended along 690 m of the 750 m of shoreline and up to 25 m into the water. Water-lilies Nymphaea and patches of Nile Cabbage Pistia stratiotes covered about 0.74 ha of the shallow water by the reedbeds; the remaining 0.57 ha was open water. These values are for the dam at its greatest area. In Aug-Sept 1981 about 0.26 ha of the reedbeds dried out and wsre trampled 142 P.B. Taylor MALIMBUS 7 by cattle, floating vegetation decreased by c. 0.25 ha, and the shallows became mud banks. Recovery of the vegetation was rapid as the dam filled up in Sept. The small dams on the Nguuni property had little or no floating vegetation and were partially fringed with Typha (on the larger dams only) and Cyperus. Rainfall in 1981 was normal (R. Haller, pers. comm.) (Table 1). During the 'long rains' (Mar- June) and the 'short rains' (Oct-Dec) the dam was fed by streams. Conditions in Feb and Sept were greatly improved by the dam being filled by inflow from a nearby leaking water pipeline at a time when the water level was falling rapidly (Table 1 ) . Table 1 Allen's Gallinules, rainfall, water levels and habitat extent at Bamburi , Dec 1980 to Dec 1981. Parenthetic figures are estimates. Month and year Total no. P. alleni Max. no. juveniles Monthly rainfall (mm) Water level P. alleni habitat extent* 1980 Dec (21) 1 14 high 90% 1981 Jan (21) 1 23 falling 100% Feb (20) 0 0 low to full (inflow) 90% Mar (20) 0 220 low to full (rain) 85% Apr 3 0 99 full 90% May 3 0 184 full 100% June 10 4 85 full 100% July 8 4 45 falling slightly 85% Aug 8 4 61 falling 65% Sept 35 24 46 low to full (inflow) 65% Oct 35 23 157 full 100% Nov 30 15 105 full 100% Dec 30 5 80 full 95% * Given as a percentage of the maximum during the study period and includes feeding and roosing areas. 1985 Allen's Gallinule 143 METHODS 101 visits to the dam were made from 20 Dec 1980 to 28 Dec 1981 , at intervals of 1-10 days, mainly at 0615-0815 h and 1700-1845 h. Observations were made from the open shore; most visits included a walk around half of the shoreline with my dog. Accurate counts were made from Apr to Dec 1981 of Allen's Gallinules, Purple Gallinules P. porphyrio and Moorhens Gallinula chloropus . Numbers of Black Crakes Amaurornis flavirostris and African Jacanas Actophilornis africana were estimated (Table 2) . The Nguuni dams were also visited frequently, 379 visits being made to the whole area. Allen's Gallinules were seen on all visits to the study dam and were not difficult to observe. It was not necessary to flush them from cover with the dog as they readily fed in the open during the day. At the Nguuni dams, however, there were few open areas, and the few records there were of birds flushed from cover by the dog. HABITAT PREFERENCES Allen's Gallinules used the reedbeds for cover, roosting and feeding. The 2.5 m high stands of Typha were used much more than the dense, 1.5 m high beds of Cyperus (about 15% of the reedbeds). The preference for Typha may have been in part due to its location, as most Cyperus was either on the shoreward side of the Typha or in shallow inlets some distance from open feeding areas. Areas of floating Nymphaea leaves and of Pistia were used for feeding. At the small Nguuni dams 11 sightings of Allen's Gallinules were made, seven in Typha and four in Cyperus, all at times of high population at the study dam; none of these birds remained for more than 15 days. Elsewhere at Bamburi, Allen's Gallinules were absent from a large seasonal pool with emergent grass, much Nymphaea but no permanent reedbeds. In central and western Kenya I have observed them at small dams (a) with Cyperus and Nymphaea, and (b) with Typha and Papyrus C. papyrus beds and Nymphaea, but not at dams in the same areas (a) with extensive Typha beds and floating vegetation of matted grass and Pistia, and (b) with Typha and Cyperus cover and only Polygonum senegalense as surface vegetation. At Itawa swamps, Ndola (Zambia: 12°57'S 28°47'E) , 1600 visits in six years produced only one sighting of a bird on Nymphaea at the edge of extensive Typha and reed Phragmites beds in permanent swamp. Large areas of floating vegetation were scarce at the swamp edge, and open areas within the swamps, where birds may have occurred, were inaccessible. Allen's Gallinules occur seasonally elsewhere in Copperbelt Province, in habitat like that at Bamburi but without Pistia and sometimes with Polygonum. At Lochinvar (Kafue Flats 15°47'S 27°14'E) they are seasonally quite numerous (Taylor 1979) where there are Papyrus beds and floating vegetation, including Nymphaea. Purple Gallinules at Bamburi occupied Typha beds but fed little on floating vegetation,* Black Crakes frequented Typha and Cyperus, adjoining floating vegetation and shoreline in grass and tangled vegetation. Moorhens used Typha for cover and fed in open water and among floating plants, African Jacanas used all of the reedbeds for cover and fed on floating vegetation and on short grass among Acacia saplings on the shore. 144 P.B. Taylor MALIMBUS 7 MIGRATIONS AND PATTERN OF OCCURRENCE Numbers of Allen's Gallinules varied considerably during the study period (Table 1). Of c. 20 birds in Dec 1980, most departed in late Mar 1981 leaving three adults in Apr-May. In mid- June four juveniles and three adults arrived, and in Sept there was a further influx of 20 juveniles and seven adults. 30 birds remained until the end of the year, the juveniles apparently moulting into adult plumage (Table 1 ) . At Nguuni dams birds were irregularly present in Sept-Dec, suggesting local movements then. The late March exodus coincided with the start of the long rains, when habitat became extensive (Table 1 ) . Habitat was at its maximum extent in April-May when bird numbers were lowest, and remained so until well after the June influx. The new arrivals remained, despite habitat decrease in July-Aug, and when the Sept influx occurred the habitat was at its least extensive. Moorhens increased markedly in Feb-Mar, decreased in Apr, and increased from mid-Sept until Dec (Table 2) . One pair bred at the end of the long rains. African Jacana numbers fell in late Mar-Apr and rose in Oct-Nov; some birds remaining in the long rains nested. Black Crakes bred after the long rains and numbers showed no major fluctuations. Of these Purple Gallinules in Mar, only one remained until 8 Nov; these are the first coastal Kenya records of this species (Britton 1980) . POPULATION Birds utilised all of the available habitat only from Sept to Dec 1981 (the time of maximum population) , when observations here and at Nguuni suggested that these 30-35 resident birds fed entirely at the study dam. Floating vegetation, increasing to 0.74 ha in Oct-Nov, provided the main feeding area. Open water was little utilised; some feeding occurred in up to 0.65 ha of reedbeds, mainly at the edge of Typha beds in about 0.13 ha of habitat. Thus a total feeding area of 0.87-1.39 ha supported a maximum of 35 birds (density of 25-40 birds/ha) . They roosted and sheltered in 0.55 ha of Typha beds (maximum density of 64/ha) . BREEDING, BREEDING SEASON AND MOULT Breeding did not occur either at Bamburi or Nguuni in 1981. Arrivals at Bamburi in June and Sept had probably recently bred elsewhere. The three juveniles first seen on 10 June were only 90% grown but they fed independently and associated with a pair of adults for only three weeks. One juvenile first seen on 14 June, and most of the juveniles which appeared in Sept, were fully grown and scarcely associated with adults. The June juveniles had not moulted to adult plumage by the end of Aug; proportions of birds in juvenile plumage from Sept indicate that most juveniles moulted in Oct-Dec (Table 1)* The periods of incubation, fledging and post-fledging dependence, and the timing and duration of post- juvenile moult in Mien's Gallinule are not known. Information about other similar-sized rails is very limited, but estimates can be made from figures in Cramp & Simmons (1980) . 1985 Allen's Gallinule 145 Table 2 Numbers and breeding records (B) of Black Crakes, Moorhens, Purple Gallinules and African Jacanas at Bamburi, Dec 1980 to Dec 1981. Parenthetic figures are estimates. Month and year Amaurornis flavirostra Gallinula chloropus Porphyrio porphyrio Actophilornis africana 1980 Dec (8) (10) 7 (40) 1981 Jan (8) (10) 2 (40) Feb (8) 18 2 (50) Mar (8) 32 3 (40) Apr (6) 20 2 (25) May (10) 4 1 (20) B , 1 June (8) 2 B , 1 1 (20) July (8) B , 1 4 1 (20) Aug (10) B , 1 4 1 (20) Sept (10) 7 1 (20) B , 1 Oct (10) 10 1 (30) Nov (10) 13 1 (40) Dec (12) 16 0 (35) Assuming an incubation period of 21 days (Purple Gallinule 23-25, Moorhen 21-22, Coot Fulica atra 21-24) and a fledging period of 55 days (Purple Gallinule over 60, Moorhen 40-50, Coot 55-60) , juveniles would be fully- fledged about 75 days after egg-laying. At that age they may not be independent or capable of sustained flight, and I assume that they become so when they are about 60 days old (Purple Gallinule up to 56, Moorhen average 72, Coot 55-60) i.e. about 80 days after egg-laying. On these assumptions , the June juveniles would have been hatched from eggs laid in late Mar-early Apr. Some of the Sept juveniles could have been of similar age and others were possibly from eggs laid as late as June- July. Thus the breeding season was probably Mar- July, during and just after the long rains in coastal Kenya (Brown & Britton 1980) . The June juveniles could not be identified with certainty after the Sept influx, and moulting birds in Oct -Dec could have been 3-5*5 months old at the start of moult and 5-5-8 months old at the end. Body moult in some was apparently completed in about 2 months. BARE PARTS A half-grown chick in Zambia had a grey bill and shield, pinkish legs and dark brown eyes. Fully-grown birds' bare parts colours agree with those given in Cramp & Simmons (1980) . At what age birds assume adult bare parts 146 P.B. Taylor MALIMBUS 7 colours is not known; one juvenile in late July , c. 100 days old, had dull adult bare part colours. One in May, 'adult' but with a rather dull bill and shield, could have been 5*5-12 months old. BEHAVIOUR The Allen's Gallinules appeared indifferent to people and were quite bold, at times venturing up to 35 m from cover on floating vegetation. They were much more confiding than Black Crakes and Purple Gallinules. A bird alarmed far from cover raised its tail to display the white undertail coverts and then either flew or ran rapidly into the reedbeds with long strides and lowered head. A bird disturbed close to cover flicked its tail repeatedly, adopted an upright pose and moved into cover quietly with short steps. They were most active from just after dawn (0630 h) to at least 0930 h and from 1745 h to dusk (about 1830 h) , when the entire population was in the open. There was little activity during the hottest part of the day (1200 h to 1600 h) and one visit on a moonlit night showed no activity. All five species roosted in the reedbeds, Allen's and Purple Gallinules probably in tall stands of Typha. At all times except Apr-May adults often fed in pairs. Adults actively defended their immediate feeding area, and that of any accompanying juveniles, chasing away other Allen's Gallinules which approached closer than 3 m. FOOD AND FEEDING Food included aquatic and terrestrial insects, vorms, and other small invertebrates. Birds often turned over Nymphaea leaves with the bill, sometimes lifting the entire leaf out of the water to do so, and then held the leaf down with the feet while inspecting the underside for animal food. Floating Pistia plants were shifted around with the bill and dead vegetation was moved or turned over in a search for invertebrates. Birds often made short rapid runs to pick up moving prey , and most food was taken while the birds walked over floating plants or in the reedbeds . An important food item at the dam was developing seedheads of Nymphaea, which were taken soon after the petals had fallen. The stem was broken off in the bill just below the seedhead, which was carried away to a quiet spot. The bird then held the seedhead down with one food and tore off pieces, apparently to reach the developina seeds. Birds climbed up to 2 m high in Typha beds, presumably to feed, and they also occasionally fed while swimming, taking invertebrate and plant material in a similar manner to Moorhens . When undisturbed , they occasionally walked in short grass on the shore searching for insects in the manner of African Jacanas. The gallinules fed alongside Moorhens, African Jacanas and Purple Gallinules, but seldom came into close contact with Black Crakes. They were aggressive towards Pygmy Geese Nettapus auritus (the only other sp>ecies feeding commonly on Nymphaea seedheads) ; once a Pygmy Goose was chased until it dropp^ed the seedhead which it was carrying; the gallinule then seized the seedhead and carried it off. 1985 Allen's Gallinule 147 VOICE I Three types of call were heard. (1) A subdued 'kup' , the commonest call of adults and juveniles, apparently a contact note. (2) A variety of sharp 'klip', 'kleep', 'kik* and 'kerr' notes, given by adults probably in an alarm or aggressive context; also sharp dry 'kep' and 'kup’ notes; all at 3-4 notes per sec. (3) A rapid high-pitched 'kli-kli-kli ' at 6-8 notes per sec, given in flight and apparently in alarm (probably the "short shrill flight call" of Cramp & Simons 1980) . In Zan±>ia a half-grown chick gave a fourth call when with an adult, a quiet 'tack' probibly a contact note. Calls (1) and (2) were heard infrequently throughout the year, but calling increased markedly in Nov and Dec. In December many calls (2) and some calls (3) were heard for much of the day. DISCUSSION These observations suggest that Allen's Gallinule prefers areas of permanent fresh water with much floating vegetation, especially Nymphaea which is an important source of plant and animal food. Pistia and floating matted crrasses do not attract the species unless Nymphaea is also present. Polygonum beds are not frequented. A good fringing cover of tall permanent reedbeds such as Typha and Cyperus is essential. Waters with good fringing cover but little or no suitable floating vegetation attract these birds only transiently. They also occur on rivers and rice fields (Keith in press) and on seasonal waters (Maclean 1984) . They are usually in extensive habitat but also occur (and in Zambia breed) on ponds as small as 0.5-2 ha. Movements of Allen's Gallinules to and away from the dam cannot be attributed directly to changing local conditions: habitat in Mar was extensive and increasing, while Sept birds arrived when habitat was most restric4 ed (Table 1 ) . Possibly they abandoned their breeding habitat because it became even less suitable than was Bamturi at that time. The Bamburi wintering habitat appeared similar to breeding habitat in Zambia, but the birds' departure suggests that it was not suitable for breeding - possibly it could not provide enough food for the young. Although the dam appeared to have much food in the breeding season, the fact that most of the Moorhens and African Jacanas (not strongly migratory species) also left at that time suggests that it could support only a very few breeding pairs of rails and jacanas. There was apparently no other suitable habitat near Mombasa”, and Bamburi, with habitat artificially maintained by pipeline water, is an isolated area such as these birds are prone to colonise opportunistically when dispersing from their breeding areas. The breeding grounds of this population of Allen's Gallinule are not known. Breeding occurs on Zanzibar and Pemba in May-Aug (Pakenham 1979) , but migration is not recorded in that area. The only breeding record from coastal Tanzania is of nest-building at Soqa (near Dar-es-Salaam) in November (EANHS Nest Fecord Scheme) . Of the comparison species, all except Purple Gallinule are resident on Zanzibar and/or Pemba. Moorhens breed in June-Dee, African Jacanas in May-Aug and Black Crake in Jan (Pakenham 1979) . Breeding of African Jacana 148 P.B. Taylor MALIMBUS 7 is recorded at Bamburi in Feb, May and July (EANHS Nest Record scheme) tut nowhere else on the Kenya coast. My observations are the first breeding records of Moorhen and Black Crake in coastal Kenya, but breeding at Bamburi has probably been overlooked previously. A Bamburi record of a "70-80% grown" juvenile Allen's Gallinule in Sept 1975 (EANHS Nest Record Scheme, Brown & Britton 1980) is of interest. The bird was unaccompanied , so had probably been reared elsewhere and not bred at Bamburi. Similarly a Sept immature near Lamu (north Kenya coast) , possibly "bred in the vicinity" (Jackson 1938) , cannot be taken as proof of breeding there. The estimated age of Bamburi juveniles at the start of moult is c, 5 months, similar to that for migratory populations of American Purple Gallinule P. martinica (Ripley 1977, Cramp & Simmons 1980). Adults apparently moult all remiges shortly after breeding (Cramp & Simmons 1980) ; as no flightless birds were seen at Bamburi, adults may have moulted before arrival. Turning over Nymphaea leaf edges when feeding was described by Fry (1966) , but feeding on Nymphaea seedheads has not previously been described. It was also frequently observed in Zambia. The lack of aggressive encounters with Moorhens, African Jacanas and Purple Gallinules suggests that Allen's Gallinule was not in competition with them for food at the dam. African Jacanas fed largely on insects, Moorhens chiefly on plant material while swimming, and Purple Gallinules mainly on roots, stems and leaves of the larger emergent plants, especially Typha. Allen's Gallinules appeared to be more catholic in their choice of food and in their feeding methods than were the other species. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to C.A. Taylor for much help with fieldwork, to R.A.M. McVicker for providing tape-recordings of the calls of Allen's Gallinule at Bamburi, to R. Haller for supplying rainfall figures and allowing unlimited access to the Nguuni Property, and to I.. A. Rennun and C.H. Fry for comments on a draft of this paper. SUMMARY Field observations wre made of a nonbreeding migratory population of Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni at Bamburi, Mombasa, Kenya, throughout 1981. Habitat requirements, migrations, behaviour, food, voice, moult and breeding are described, population density is given and some comparison made with four other water bird species sharincj the habitat. The migrations and breeding areas of rallids in coastal East Africa are discussed. REFERENCES BRITTON, P.L. (ed.) (1980) Birds of East Africa. Nairobi: E. Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. BROWN, L.H. & BRITTON, P.L. (1980) The Breeding Seasons of East African Birds. Nairobi: E. Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1985 Allen's Gallinule 149 CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K.E.L. (eds.) (1980) The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press EANHS (1978) East African bird report 1977. Scopus 1: 116-131 EANHS (1980) East African bird report 1979. Scopus 3: 107-120 FRY, C.H. (1966) On the feedinq of Allen's Gallinule. Bull. Niger. Orn. Soc. 3(12) : 97 JACKSON, F.J. (1938) The Birds of Kenya Colony and the Uganda Protectorate. Vol. 1. London: Gurney & Jackson KEITH, G.S. (in press) Porphyrio alleni Allen's Gallinule in The birds of Africa. Vol. 2. Eds. E.K. Urban, C.H. Fry & G.S. Keith. London: Academic Press. MACLEAN, G.L. (1984) Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. PAKENHAM, R.H.W. (1979) The Birds of Zanzibar and Pemba. B.O.U. Check- list No. 2. London: B.O.U. RIPLEY, S.D. (1977) Rails of the world. Boston: Godine TAYLOR, P.B. (1979) Palearctic and intra-African migrant birds in Zambia: a report for the period May 1971 to December 1976. Occ. Paper Zamb. Orn . Soc . 1 : 1-169 TAYLOR, P.B. (1985) Field studies of the African Crake Crex egregia in Zambia and Kenya. Ostrich 56: 170-185 P.B. Taylor, P.O. Box 25138, Nairobi, Kenya 150 REVIEWS MALIMBUS 7 PROCEEDINGS of the FIFTH PAN AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS (held at Lilongwe Malawi in 1980) edited by John Ledger, December 1984, Southern African Ornithological Society, Johannesburg. Pp. 885. £25.00. ISBN 0 620 05057 8. The proceedings of the 5th Congress appeared 4^ years later , just before the 6th Congress (Francistown, Botswana, March 1985). The Editor. is apologetic for the delay, proclaiming that when he undertook the task "without realising how much work would be involved" he had hoped for a much earlier result. But anyone with a similar task would sympathise, perhaps congratulate, on the comparatively speedy appearance of a finished volume, which is rather more th* just a collection of papers presented at Congress. Speakers are notorious foi promptly disappearing after a meeting into the most remote hash, to pursue their studies yet further I Appropriately the Proceedings starts with a trilute to the late Leslie Brown, whose sad death at his home in Nairobi on 6th August 1980 occurred. onb three weeks before the Congress. The Chairman, the late Con Benson, in his speech of thanks at the closing of Conoress, mentioned what a great organisa- tional debt was owed to Leslie Brown, who helped to finalize the scientific program. Leslie Brown's untimely death meant that his important paper "Systematic problems in African Falconiformes" was edited and presented by R.K . Brooke. In addition to the customary List of Delegates the preliminary sections contains a most interesting account of the history of the Congress since its inception in 1957, together with a general review of the meeting by Gerard Mbrel, the whole enlivened by informal photographs. Morel had had the privilege of attending all P.A.O. congresses, which rominds roe of that first Congress in Livingstone, where I met not only Morel tut many great earlier African ornithologists, including the late Reg Moreau and Con Benson. It is particularly gratifying to read that Mr and Mrs Mackie Niven were at Lilongwe, since it was so largely their initiative that had made the Livingstone conoress possible. It is interesting to read that Professor and Dr Collias, who presented a paper on breeding of "Black-backed Weavers" in 1957, are still studying weaver biology; tut they now use the West African name "Village Weaver" for this widespread species, a change which Malimbus readers will approve' It is impossible in a short space to review the 57 papers presented to Congress, and it would be invidious to select any for special mention. They are grouped into 7 sections, viz.: Systematics (4 papers); Population Studies (6); Ecology (18); Conservation (8); Behaviour (4); Breeding Biology (10) ; and Miscellaneous (7) . These numbers give some indication of the major fields of interest in Africa today. It is surprising how fashions change in ornithological research. At the 1957 Congress major topics were migration and vocal communication, perhap; not surprising with Reg Moreau and Miles North present. But at the Malawi Conoress there was only one paper on migration, dealing with timing of south ward irovement of Palaearctic migrants in Kenya, and only two on voice (both illustrated with sonograms) , on duetting in barbets and food begging calls of a weaver species. The published papers are of high standard and serious students of African Ornithology will find them essential reading and a welcome addition to their personal reference shelf. At £25 this must be regarded as good value for a no-nonsense but clearly presented volume in which almost all 1985 REVIEWS 151 papers carry clear diagrams or tables or appendices of basic data from which the conclusions have been drawn. The few photographic illustrations are of moderate quality. We are promised that the Proceedings of the 1985 Botswana PAOC will be published in 1986; let us hope that that deadline is kept. J. H. Elgood This volume can be obtained from: Mrs. J. Wolhuter , Southern African Ornithological Society, P.0 . Box 87234, Houghton, Johannesburg , South Africa 2041. ROBERTS' BIRDS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA by Gordon L. Maclean, 5th El it ion March 1985, John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, pp. li + 848 + 76 colour plates. No jacket price (about £25). ISBN 0 620 07681 X. It must be said at the outset that this is a really splendid book that all interested in African ornithology will want to possess. From the first appearance of "Roberts" in 1940 it has been the standard work for the area south of the Cunene, Okavango and Zambezi Rivers, a marvel of compression into a single volume, yet small enough to be used in the field (many contemporary works for other areas of Africa being multi-volume series of large-format books) . It is the second major metamorphosis that Roberts Birds of South Africa has undergone, each with new authorship, and this time the revisions have been major in almost every aspect (including the title change from South to Southern Africa) . The two most important changes are the text completely rewritten by Gordon Maclean, and the replacement of the 56 original plates of Norman Lighton by 76 modem style and much improved plates by Kenneth Newman and Geoff Lockwood (a replacement started in the 4th Edition) . All tut vagrant species have a coloured distribution map that shows sedentary or migratory status at a glance; but one could wish the maps indicated northward range extension towards or beyond the Equator (and surely the European Bee-eater map should distinguish Palaearctic migrants from South African breeding birds) . Almost all species accounts include a sonogram, with a welcome verbal interpretation such as 'wip. . .wip. . .weeu' for the Red-chested Cuckoo; some species have two or more sonograms hut it is a pity that, in the interest of spatial economy, many of the verbal interpretations can only be read with a lens. Several additional species of birds are included, which has made it timely to revise the Roberts numbers (a decision that was "not undertaken lightly") . A major improvement is the introduction of some dichotomous keys, with an occasional comparative table for such difficult groups as Cisticolas and small waders . It is not clear what criteria have been used to decide whether to use a dichotomous key; extreme examples being a 6-page key for raptors and another (though not called a key) to separate Malachite and Pygmy Kingfishers, there being no key for Alcedinidae. The introduction includes coloured vegetation and rainfall maps which are on a larger scale than the species distributional maps, making it difficult to relate species and environments. A welcome feature is that, in addition to the useful general reference list, there are literature references for most groups and even for some species. Vernacular names have been revised; and bird names in 1 2 languages are listed in indexes . A minor change is that weights and measures are now in metric units. 152 REVIEWS MALIMBUS 7 "Roberts" has always been an invaluable mine of information, but Maclean's Edition is undoubtedly greatly improved all round; it will not only be a must for all ornithologists in Southern Africa tut also has much to coimtend it to observers in West Africa. The illustrations alone make it very much worth while, since so many non-passerine species, and not a few passerines, occur in both areas; the coloured flight figures of predators and waders are especially useful, although the variable scale is confusing with, for example, Ringed Plover looking as large as Greenshank. Worth special mention are flight illustrations of Columbidae, most of which occur in West Africa, and a nightjar plate showing spread wings and tails of both sexes of the seven species (all of which also occur in West Africa) . A few of the plates are rather overcrowded, and users outside Southern Africa would have preferred plates labelled with scientific rather than Encrlish names, since so many of the latter differ regionally. Placing most of the 'additional' species in the last two plates has made them into very mixed grills, with petrels and passerines figured together. Incidentally, the most recent 'additions.' have a 'number' which is quite out of sequence with those of their near relatives; pipits run from 716 to 726 with two new- comers, Mountain and Red-throated Pipits numbered 901 and 903 respectively. It would be quite inappropriate in a brief review to attempt to trace the changes in such a successful standard of work over its history of 45 years with 5 major Editions, and many amendments at most reprintings, but the reviewer has before him an original Austin Roberts (5th impression 1946) with 463 pages; a McLachlan & Liversidge, 3rd Edition (1st inpression 1970) with 642 pages and the new Maclean 5th Edition of 1984 with 848 pages. They form a most interesting comparison, increasing size being but a measurable aspect of steady improvement in content and usefulness. The Maclean 'Roberts' is a veritable compendium of information, apparently free from those blemishes that seem to occur in most modem works. J. H. Elgood CONSERVATION OF TROPICAL FOREST BIRDS, edited by A.W. Diamond and T.E. Lovejoy 1985, Int. Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, UK. Pp xiv + 318. £18.5 incl . p. & p. ISBN 0 946888 05 1. Letterpress-printed, tut otherwise havina much the same format and feel as the laraer Proceedings of the Fifth PAOC (see above) being illustrated with maps, graphs and tables, this valuable volume is a collection of papers presented at a workshop and symposium held at the 18th World Conference of the ICBP at Cambridue in August 1982. Althouah the illustrations are not always of very high standard, nearly all of the papers most certainly are. The 21 contributions are arranged in four parts: Global Perspectives, the Neotropics, the Paleotropics , and Workshop Proceedings. All of the papers are by internationally well-known ornithologists and, more importantly, there are few if any obvious omissions among the experts who have contributed. The five papers on African birds are by J.M. Thiollay (on W7est Africa) , S.N. Stuart (East Africa) , R.J. Dowsett (Central and Southern Africa) A.W. Diamond (threats and sites) and A. Prigogine (Albertine Rift forests - why this paper is in the Workshop part and not the Paleotropics part is not apparent). In addition A. Keast's and A.W. Diamond's papers in the Global Perspectives part refer extensively to the African picture. Thiollay' s reference list contains not a single Malimbus citation, which does not reflect too creditably on this journal. I should have liked him to give an even more detailed discussion of Threats (habitat destruction, loaqinq 1985 REVIEWS 153 cultivation, plantation, roads, pesticides, shooting, trade) perhaps at the expense of a 5h page table which could have been conpressed. But his devas- tating conclusions may be allowed to speak for themselves: "less than 3% of the original forest area (remain as primary forest) ... 77 island or montane endemics are already vulnerable and will be endangered in the near future . . . 13 species of lowland rainforest birds have now very small populations within restricted ranges . . . the situation is very serious . . . hunting must be drastically control led . . . conservation strategy has to focus on the preservation of the few remaining virgin patches". C.H. Fry THREATENED BIRDS OF AFRICA AND RELATED ISLANDS, The ICBP/IUCN Fed Data Book, Part 1, 3rd ed. by N.J. Collar and S.N. Stuart with 12 colour plates by Norman Arlott, 1985, Int. Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, UK. Pp xxxiv + 761. £24.00. ISBN 2 88032 604 4 . A scholarly, up-to-the- minute, invaluable compilation of biological facts pertaining to nearly 200 species (many of them Madagascan or insular and not strictly African) . The text is terse and compressed, but easily readable and mercifully free of telegraphese, for each species with a brief summary followed by extended sections on Distribution, Population, Ecology, Threats, Conservation measures taken, Conservation measured proposed, Remarks, and References. A measure of the research which has gone into the preparation of this compendium is that many species each have in excess of 20 references, mainly to recent studies. If, in a hundred years' time, the handsome colour plates shall be the monument to what is, rather than to what was, this book shall have served its admirable purpose. C.H. Fry FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, by Ian Sinclair, 1984, Collins, London. Pp 361. £9.95. ISBN 0 00 219131 8. Photographs are a valuable aid to identification, although a field guide relying primarily of photos as this one does has distinct limitations. All illustrations are in colour, with one illustration per species; over 900 birds are shown, the large majority by good, clear photos well-printed with true colours. A few photos of scarce species are merely bad snaps , and some rare birds for which no photos are available are portrayed by paintings. Photos are arranged usually in sixes, on a plate opposite a page with thumb-nail southem-African distribution maps and a 5-10 line text for each species. The book composes a nice entree for newcomers to Southern African, if not subsaharan, birds, and is also warth possessing by more experienced ornithologists since so many of the species are so rarely portrayed photo- graphically. C.H. Fry SOUTH AFRICAN RED DATA BOOK - BIRDS, by R.K . Brooke, December 1984, South African National Scientific Programmes Report No. 97, csir, Pretoria. Pp vii +213. No proce given. ISBN 0 7988 3264 9. Paper, A4 format. Illustrated by point-plotted South African distribution maps only. About 1000 references. 154 NOTICES MALIMBUS 7 L'AIGLE DE BONELLI ET I,E VAUTOITB PERCNOPTERE L'Aigle de Bonelli, Hieraaetus fasciatus , et le Vautour Percnoptere, Neophron percnopzerus , sont en voie d0 disparition dans le Midi rodditerranden f i"ancais . Parrm les dangers qui les menacent, figurent les derangements par les noinbreux ornithologues et photographes qui approchent certaines aires. Nous demandons h. tous de s'abstenir de telles visites ou de prendre contact au prdalable avec les organismes ci-dessous, charges de la surveil- lance de ces aires. A tous, merci de nous aider h sauver ces oiseaux. BONELLI' S EAGLE AND EGYPTIAN VULTURE Bonelli's Eaale, -Hieraaetus fasciatus, and the Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus , are twc seriously threatened species in the French Mediterranean region. Amongst the dangers they have to face are distur- bances by bird watchers and photographers who get too close to certain nest sites. We are therefore asking everybody to refrain from such visits or to contact the oraanisations responsible for wardening the nest sites before- hand. Thank you for helping us save these birds. Fonds d ' Intervention pour les Papaces B.P. 27 92250 La Garenne-Colombes , France BITRKINA FASO (ex UPPER VOLTA) Yves Thonnerieux souhaite rassembler les observations d'oiseaux rdalisdes au Burkina Faso (ex Haute-Volta) afin de rddiger une synthdse omithologique pour ce pays d'Afrique occidentale. Les nans des correspondants seront clairement mentionnds dans le texte final publid. Yves Thonnerieux is collating information on the birds of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) and welcomes any ornithological observations from that country. Contributors will be acknowledged in any resulting publication . Write to / dcrire h : Yves Thonnerieux, Centre Omithologique Fhone-Alpes, Biologie Animale et Zoologie, University Lyon I, 43 bd. du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France. 1985 NOTICES 155 WATERFOWL CENSUS 1986 The Duck Research Group of the International Waterfowl Research Bureau (IWRB) has for many years organized midwinter censuses of ducks in January throuahout the western Palearctic. The counts are normally made on the middle Sunday in January, or a week on either side. For 1985 the dates were 5-20 January; for 1986, the dates will be 4-19 January. Aerial counts were made in January 1985 in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Upper Volta and Chad; any further counts (aerial or ground counts) which readers of Ma limbus can contribute for last January, particularly from northern Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroun would be very v^lcome. Any offers of help for January 1986 would be gratefully received by IWRR, Slimbridge, Glos GL2 7BX, UK. TWRB ' s Wader Research Group also oraanizes midwinter counts of waders (shorebirds) . The Banc d'Arcruin and the Bijagos Archipelago in Guinea- Bassau are now well known to be of international importance, not only for Afrotropical species , but also for hundreds of thousands of migrating and wintering Palearctic waders. Beyond the Bijagos Archipelago however, no major sites are known 'until Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour in Nimibia. It seems likely that major stopover and wintering sites must exist somewhere along the vast stretch of coast in between - in Sierra Leone, or the coastal lagoons of Ivory Coast, or in the deltas of the Niger or Congo, or in Angola? IWRB would welcome views and data on this problem. Le Groupe de recherches sur les canards du Bureau international de recherches sur les oiseaux d'eau (BIROE) organise en janvier depuis de nombreuses ann^es un recensement hivernal de canards dans toute la par tie occidentale de la region paldarctique . Le recensement a lieu normalement le dimanche central de janvier, ou pendant la semaine avant ou apr£s ce dimanche. C'est ainsi que les dates en 1985 furent du 5 au 20 janvier; en 1986 les dates retenues sont du 4 au 19 janvier. En janvier 1985^, des recensements adriens ont eu lieu au Sdndgal , en Mauritanie, au Maxi, en Haute Volta et au Chad. Le Biroe (Slimbridge, Glos GL2 7BX, Angleterre) trfes heureux de recevoir tout renseignement supplementuire (aerien ou terrestrel ) que les lecteurs de 'Malrmbis' on pu recolter, notamment des donnees sur le nord du Ghana, le Nigeria et le Cameroun. Le Groupe de recherches sur les limicoles du BIROE organise dgalement des recensements hivernaux de lrmicoles. On sait que le Banc d Arguin et 1 ' archipel des Bijagos en Guin^e— Bissau sont d ' importance internationale , non seulement pour les esp^ces af rotropicales , mais aussi pour des certaines de milliers de limicoles palearctiques pendant les pdriodes de migration et d'hivemage. Au-dela de 1* archipel des Bijagos cependant on ^ ne connait aucun point de concentration important pour ces limicoles jusqu a Walvis Bay et Sandwich Harbour en Namibie. II parait probable que d ' importants lieux de concentration pour des limicoles hivemants ou en micrration doivent exister quelque part sur la vaste dtendue de c6te entre ces deux endroits : au Sierra Leone, dans les lagunes cdtieres de la C&te d'Ivoire, dans les deltas du Niger et du Congo, ou en Angola? Encore une fois, le BIROE serait heureux de recevoir des informations et points de vue h ce sujet. 156 NOTICES MALIM3US 7 ICBP CONSERVATION EXPEDITION COMPETITION The International Council for Bird Preservation is an organisation con- cerned about the conservation, management and wise utilisation of wild birds and their habitats worldwide. In 1985/1986, ICBP will again be running a Conservation Expedition Competition to encourage more expeditions to carry out conservation based ornithological research abroad and to gain experience of international conservation issues and cooperation. The competition is open to university or other ornithological teams and ICBP will contribute up to $1000 to each of the best two proposals and may provide letters of endorsement and management support to the runners-up . Projects will be judged on their conservation content, feasibility and likely impact; they must involve a local counterpart and have clearance from the host government and/or a local institute. In 1985, awards went to Chris RaxwDrthy and a University of London team to carry out the first ornithological survey of Zahamena Forest in Madagascar, and to Duncan Reavev and an Oxford team to make a study of Mount Oku in Cameroon. An ICBP expedition to Mt Oku in 1984 identified it as one of the richest and most threatened centres of genetic diversity in Africa. ICBP hopes that the Oxford team will draw attention to the rapid clearance of Mt Oku by cultivation and over-grazing before it is too late for birds like Bannerman's Turaco Tauraco bannermani and the Banded Wattle- eye Platysteira laticincta. The endangered bird life of both areas has been highlighted by the recent publication of Threatened Birds of Africa and related Islands, the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book (1985). To enter the competition a project proposal must be submitted to the ICBP Secretariat not later than January 31 and prizes will be announced at the end of March. Full details and entry forms are provided in a guide to the competition which costs £3 and can be obtained from ICPP, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CR3 ODL, UK. CORRECTION THE BIRDS OF MAURITANIA, John P. Gee, Malimbus 6, 1984, p 49: For Black- headed Gull L . audouinii read L. ridibundus . Insert the following (for the omission of which the Editor apologizes) : JFMAMJ JASOND 1 ad. Cap Timiris 22/11/73. 1-3 imm . and sub-ads . at pond 1 5 km s of Nkt 6 June to early Aua 1974. Audouin's Gull L. audouinii M XXX X NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS Malimbus publishes papers, short notes, reviews, letters and illustrative material. Contributions should be typed on one side of the paper with double spacing and wide margins. Wherever possible papers first should have been submitted to at least one ornithologist or biologist for critical scrutiny. Textual matter will be retyped for offset printing, but FIGURES should be prepared as for final reproduction, allowing for 20 percent reduction, using Indian ink on good quality white paper, and Letraset and Letratone lettering and shading (or equivalent) as appropriate. CONVENTIONS regarding tabular material, dates, numbers, metric values, references etc. should be carefully adhered to and can be sought in this and recent issues. Articles containing lengthy SPECIES-LISTS should be of tabular format (eg Malimbus 1: 22-28 or 1: 49-54) or of the textual format of Malimbus 1: 36-42 for short texts per species or Malimbus 1: 90-109 for longer texts. OFFPRINTS 2o offprints of Papers (but not of Notes) will be sent to a single author, gratis , upon request. 10 additional offprints will be issued in respect of a second and of a third author of a paper, but they will be photocopies. Offprints will not be stapled, bound or covered; they are merely’cut from copies of the journal. B ANNE RM AN 1930-51 or 1953 : Bannerman, D.A. (1930-51) The Birds of West Tropical Africa. 8 vols. Crown Agents, London; (1953) The Birds of West and Equatorial Africa. 2 vols. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London ELGOOD 1982 : Elgood, J.H. (1982) The Birds of Nigeria. B.O.U., London ELGOOD, SHARLAND & WARD 1966 : Elgood, J.H., Sharland, R.E. & Ward, P. (1966) Palaearctic migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 108 : 84-116 ELGOOD, FRY & DOWSETT 1973 : Elgood, J.H., Fry, C.H. & Dowsett, R.J. African migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 115 : 1-45 and 375-411 HALL & MOREAU 1970 : Hall, B.P. & Moreau, R.E. (1970) An Atlas of Speciation in African Passerine Birds . British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London MACKWORTH-PRAED & GRANT 1957-73 or 1970-73 : Mackworth-Praed, C.W. & Grant, C.H.B. (1957-73) African Handbook of Birds. Series I, Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa (2nd ed.) . 2 vols. Series II, Birds of the Southern Third Africa. 2 vols. Series III, Birds of West Central and Western Africa. 2 vols. Longmans Green & Co., London; (1970-73) African Handbook of Birds. Series III, Birds of West Central and Western Africa. Vol. I, 1970, Non-passerines, Vol. 2, 1973, Passerines. Longmans , London SERLE & MOREL 1977 : Serle, W. & Morel, G.J. (1977) A Field Guide to the Birds of West Africa. Collins, London SNOW, D.W. (Ed.) 1978 : An Atlas of Speciation in African Non-Passerine Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London WHITE 1960-65 : White, C.M.N. (1960) A check list of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Part I Occasional papers of the National Museums of Southern Rhodesia 3 (24B) : 399-130; (1961) A revised check list of African broadbills ... etc. Lusaka : Government Printer; (1962a) A check list of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Parts II and III. Occ. Pap. Nat. Mus . S. Rhod. 3 (26B) : 653-738; (1962b) A revised check list of African shrikes ... etc. Lusaka : Gov. Printer; (1963) A revised check list of African flycatchers ... etc. Lusaka : Gov. Printer; and (1965) A revised check list of African Non-Passerine birds. Lusaka : Gov. Printer. MALIMBUS 7 (2) October 1985 CONTENTS A New Subspecies of the Rufous Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus rufescens from Senegal. P.R. Colston and G.J. Morel Birds in Falgore Game Reserve, Nigeria. R. Wilkinson and R. Beecroft Bird Records from the Republic of Niger. R.A. Cheke , J.F. Walsh and J.D.C. Fishpool Sddentarisation de Monticola solitarius au Cap de Naze, Sdndgal. C. Rouchouse Preuss's Cliff Swallow Hirundo preusii Breeding in Sierra Leone. Alan Tye Progressive Improvement in Foraging Efficiency of Juvenile European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. W.C. Marais and B. Every Birds of Outamba Area, Northwest Sierra Leone. Ruth E. Heppel The Species of Parasitic Finches in West Africa. R.B. Payne Ddcouver te d ' un Nouvel Aigle Forestier au Sdndgal l'Aigle d'Ayres Hieraaetus dubius . A.R. Dupuy Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis Inland in Ivory Coast and Nigeria. S.D. Eccles Les Oiseaux des Milieux Rocheux au Sdndgal. G.J. Morel Parasites and Diseases of Abdim's Stork Ciconia abaimli . A.U. Ezealor Some Changes in the Bird Fauna of Lagos, Nigeria. P.D. Alexander-Marrack , M.J. Aaronson, R. Farmer, W.H. Houston and T.R. Mills Some Egyptian Plover Nests in Senegal. M.W. Richards and J. Boswall Plain Nightjar at Sea off Ivory Coast. C.H. Fry Song and Courtship of the Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea. W.A. Sontag jr. Large-scale Movements of Common Pratincole Glareola pratincola at Juba. F.R. Lambert A New Northern Carmine Bee-eater Colony. J. Boswall and M.W. Richards Notes Cornp ldmentaires sur l'Avifaune des Parcs Nationaux de l'Arli (Burkina) et de la Pendjari (Benin). Yves Thonnerieux Reichenbach' s Sunbird Nectar inia reichenbachii New to. Ivory Coast. S.D. Eccles Oriole babbler Hgpergerus atriceps near Coast of Ivory Coast. S.D. Eccles Ringing in Nigeria 1984. R.E. Sharland Observations of Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni at Mombasa, Kenya. P.B. Taylor Reviews 6 l 1( 1(| 11 1] 1] i; i: i: d i: i: l: l. i< h l- L 1 Notices 1 ♦