Skip to main content

Full text of "Bulletin of the African Bird Club"

See other formats 


PURCHASED 
TRING LIBRARY 


Bulletin of the African Bird Club Vol 17 No 1 March 2010 


Identification and 
geographical variation 
in African Goshawk 


Status of Short-clawed 
Lark in south-east 
Botswana 


The Lubango Bird Skin 
Collection, Angola 


Bird observations from 
Sao Tome: Monte 
Carmo as a priority site 
for conservation 


Identification of 
Friedmann’s Lark 


Madagascar 
Serpent Eagle 


Finding the special 
endemics of southern 
Ethiopia 






ISSN 1 352-481 XISSN 1352-481X 


African 

• • . 

The African Bird Club aims to: 

• provide a worldwide focus for African ornithology 

• encourage an interest in the conservation of the 
birds of the region 

• liaise with and promote the work of existing region- 
al societies 

• publish a twice-yearly colour bulletin 

• encourage observers to visit lesser known areas of 
the region 

• encourage observers to actively search for globally 
threatened and near-threatened species 

• run the ABC Conservation Programme 

Registered Charity No 1053920 

ABC Membership 

Membership is open to all. Annual subscription rates are: 

Individual Europe & Africa: UK£18 Rest of the World: UK£20 

Family Europe & Africa: UK£21 Rest of the World: UK£23 

Student Europe & Africa: UK£10 Rest of the World: UK£12 

Supporting UK£30 minimum 
Life UK£350 

To join or for further details please visit the ABC website (where 
there are secure online payment facilities) or write to the Membership 
Secretary — see contact information below. 

ABC Website 

http://www.africanbirdclub.org 

Photographers and artists 

ABC is always looking for drawings and photos to publish in the 
Bulletin. If you are interested in contributing, please contact the 
Graphics Editor, Pete Leonard, pleonard@care4free.net 


Bird Club 

ABC Council 

Phil Atkinson (Vice-Chairman, co-opted), Keith Betton (Chairman), 
John Caddick (Treasurer), Stephen Cameron (co-opted), Clive 
Dickson, Chris Magin, Geoff Randall (Secretary), Nigel Redman, 
Stephanie Tyler and Alan Williams 

President: Tasso Leventis 
Vice President: Martin Woodcock 

Bulletin Editorial Board 

Chairman of the Board: Keith Betton 
Managing Editor: Guy Kirwan 
Assistant Editor: Ron Demey 

David Allan, Chris Bowden, Callan Cohen, Lincoln Fishpool, Peter 
Lack, Pete Leonard (Graphics Editor), Jeremy Lindsell and Steph 
Tyler 

Contact ABC 

African Bird Club, c/o BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, 
Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ONA. E-mail: • info@africanbirdclub. 
org • website: http://www.africanbirdclub.org 
Further information can be obtained directly from individual 
Council members by writing to them at the Club’s postal address, 
or by e-mail as follows: 

Chairman Keith Betton • chairman@africanbirdclub.org 
Secretary Geoff Randall • secretary@africanbirdclub.org 
Treasurer John Caddick • treasurer@africanbirdclub.org 
Bulletin Editor Guy Kirwan • editor@africanbirddub.org 
Conservation Officer Steph Tyler 

• conservation@africanbirdclub.org 
Information Officer Keith Betton • info@africanbirdclub.org 
Membership Secretary Alan Williams 

• membership@africanbirdclub.org 
Sales Officer Bev Randall • sales@africanbirdclub.org 
Rutland Officer • rutland@africanbirdclub.org 
Representatives Coordinator Clive Dickson 

• reps@africanbirdclub.org 
Corporate Sponsors Officer Stephen Cameron 

• corporatesponsors@africanbirdclub.org 


ABC particularly wishes to thank its Corporate Sponsors for their invaluable financial support in 2010: Abacus African Safaris, Ashanti 
African Tours, Access Africa Safaris, Aim 4 Africa, Ben’s Ecological Safaris, Bird Feeding Station, Birdfinders, Birding Africa, Birding 
and beyond Safaris, Birding Ecotours, Birdquest, Birdwatching Breaks, Calluna Books, Crystal Safaris, Field Guides, Greentours, Hyde- 
Lascelles, Lake Kitandara Tours and Travel, Lawson’s Birdwatching Tours, Limosa Holidays, MKA Ecology, Naturetrek, Ornitholidays, 
Rockjumper, Sarus Bird Tours, Sunbird, Turaco Tours, Turtle Bay Beach Club, WildSounds, Wildwings, and Zeiss. 


The Bulletin of the African Bird Club 


The Bulletin of the ABC provides a forum for news, letters, 
notices, recent publications, expedition results, reviews and 
interim publication of studies on African birds by contribu- 
tors from throughout the world. Publication of results in the 
Bulletin of the ABC does not preclude publication of final 
results as journal papers either by the ABC or elsewhere. No 


material should, however, be submitted simultaneously to the 
Bulletin of the ABC and to any other publication. 

Brief notes for contributors appear elsewhere in this Bulletin 
and further details are available from the Editor (editor@ 
africanbirdclub.org). 


©2010 Copyright African Bird Club and contributors. Quotations should carry a full acknowledgement. No part etc may be 
reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written permission of the Club or authors. 


Contents 

Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 



— " V »4 € -f#W 

^tSTORTMUSEUM 

2 6 APR 2010 


tring library 


News & Comment 


2 

Club News 

Compiled by Alan Williams 

19 

5 

Conservation Fund News 


10 

Africa Round-up 

Compiled by Ron Demey, Guy 

32 


M. Kirwan and Peter Lack 

43 

18 

Advertising information 


65 

Corrigenda 


99 

Little-known African bird: 
Madagascar Serpent 

54 


Eagle Eutriorchis astur 

Jonathan C. Eames 

66 

72 

102 

Photospot: Friedmann’s 
Lark Mirafra pul pa 


Nik Borrow 

79 

114 

Recent Reports 



Compiled by Ron Demey 

82 

128 

Reviews 

132 

Letters to the Editor 

85 

136 

Notes for Contributors 



Photographs 

Jason Anderson, Ruben Barone, P. 

Bentley, Kris Blachowiak, Nik Borrow, 

R. S. Boyes, Artur Bujanowicz, John 90 

Caddick, Simon Colenutt, Toby Collett, 

John Cooper, Daniel Cornelis, Greg 
Davies, Paul Donald, Jonathan C. 

Eames, Augusto Faustino, S. Ferwerda, ** 
Daphne Gemmill, Bernard Hanus, Jens 
Hering, A. P. Leventis, Tess Macdonald, 97 
Ian Merrill, Johannes & Sharon Merz, 

Michael Mills, Phoebe Munyoro, Georges 
Olioso, Fdbio Olmos, Phil Palmer, 1 06 

Guillaume Passavy, Bruno Portier, Dave 
Richards, Adam Riley, Steve Rooke, Peter 
Ryan, Eugenie Skelton, Axel Smets, Claire 
Spottiswoode, GeojJJ & Hilary Welch, 

Manfred Wichmann, Alan Williams, 

Malcolm Wilson. 

Front cover plate 

Double-toothed Barbet / 

Barbican bidente Lybius bidentatus 
by Ian Fulton 


Features 

Plumage variation in African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro and 
its separation from congenerics in equatorial Africa Michel 
Louette; illustrated by Nik Borrow 

Status of Short-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana in south- 
eastern Botswana Chris A. Brewster, Keddy Mooketsa and Marc Herremans 

Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: towards 
an atlas of Angolan bird distributions Michaels. L. Mills, Ursula 
Franke, Grant Joseph, Francisco Miato, Suzanne Milton, Ara Monadjem, Dieter 
Oschadleus and W. Richard J. Dean 

Bird observations from Sao Tome: Monte Carmo as a priority 
Conservation site Fdbio Olmos and Longtong G. Turshak 

First records of eight bird species for Eritrea Jason Anderson 

Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands Ruben 
Barone and Jens Hering 

The separate African winter quarters of Pied Flycatcher 

Ficedula hypoleuca and Collared Flycatcher F. albicollis Robert J. 
Dowsett 

First breeding record and passage of Eurasian Sparrowhawk 

Accipitar nisus in Libya Jens Hering, Elmar Fuchs and Stefan Brehme 

Correction of three historical bird records from Libya Adriano 
De Faveri and Nicola Baccetti 

Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis and its 

brood parasite, Jos Plateau Indigobird Vidua maryae, 
in northern Cameroon Michaels. L. Mills 

Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri camera-trapped at 
midday near Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone April Conway, Sonia 
Hernandez and John P. Carroll 

Noteworthy bird records from Sao Tome and Principe Phillip 
Hall, A. P. Leventis, Fdbio Olmos, Stephen Rumsey and Longtong Turshak 

Display behaviour of Shelley’s Oliveback Nesocharis shelleyi 

Michael S. L. Mills 

Finding southern Ethiopia’s endemic birds Claire N. Spottiswoode 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) - 1 


Club News 



2009 British Birdwatching Fair 

The worldwide economic difficulties 
led to much concern about the 
impact this might have on the 
premier UK birdwatching event, 
the annual Birdwatching Fair held 
at Rutland in central England. 
Everyone was pleased to see a 
favourable weather forecast, and 
this brought record attendances 
over the three days of the fair in 
August 2009. Business seemed as 
brisk as usual. The Club had its 
usual presence, a stand in Marquee 
4, which was manned by Council 
members and other volunteers. Once 
again, thanks go to those who give 
freely of their time to ensure that 
members can meet those involved 
in running the Club. In particular, 
Geoff & Bev Randall designed and 
set up the stand, and ensured that 
the sales section was as successful 
as usual. It is also an opportunity 
to promote the pleasures of birding 
in Africa and to persuade interested 
non-members to join the Club. One 
member of Council, Nigel Redman, 
had a particularly busy time with 
his talk on ‘Birds of the Horn of 
Africa’, as our representative on the 



Figure 1. Nigel Redman signing a 
copy of Birds of the Horn of Africa at 
the Rutland Birdfair, August 2009 
(Alan Williams) 

Nigel Redman signant un exemplaire 
de Birds of the Horn of Africa au 
Birdfair de Rutland, aout 2009 
(Alan Williams) 


‘Bird Brain of Britain’ quiz team and 
helping out on the stand. The fair 
also permits the Club to meet some 
of our Corporate Sponsors, of which 
there are currently over 30. Their 
invaluable financial support helps 
maintain the standard of the Bulletin. 
The full list of Corporate Sponsors 
appears on the inside front cover. 

ABC AGM Minutes and Accounts 

In future, to save space it has been 
decided not to publish the summary 
accounts and AGM minutes in the 
Club News section of the Bulletin. 
Copies of these will be posted on the 
website and any member can obtain a 
copy from the Secretary by e-mailing 
secretary@africanbirdclub.org or by 
writing to the Club's postal address. 

Overseas payment schemes 

The Club has set up several 
local payment schemes whereby 
membership payments can be made 
in local currency via a partner 
organisation. The membership 
benefits are the same as for a member 
paying in sterling. The income 
received is, however, retained in the 
country where the scheme is run 



Figure 2. A visitor to the ABC stand 
being persuaded to ‘Find the Plover’ 
by Chris Bowden, Rutland Birdfair, 
August 2009 (Alan Williams) 

Un visiteur au stand du ABC en train 
de se laisser persuader de «Trouver le 
Pluvian d’Egypte» par Chris Bowden, 
Birdfair de Rutland, aout 2009 
(Alan Williams) 


and is used to fund agreed local 
conservation projects. Local payment 
schemes are currently active in 
Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, South 
Africa and Zimbabwe. If you are a 
resident of any of these countries and 
wish to pay your membership fees in 
your local currency (at a significant 
discount compared to the prevailing 
sterling fees) please contact Alan 
Williams, Membership Secretary via 
membership@africanbirddub.org. 

Martin Woodcock’s Safari 
Sketchbook 

The last few years have seen the 
publication of many fine new or 
revised field guides to various African 
countries, but a completely different 
look at African birds is now in the 
offing. Six years after the last volume 
of The Birds of Africa appeared, 
Martin Woodcock, the principal 
illustrator of those volumes, has gone 
back to the sketchbooks and journals 
made during his field trips for that 
work and selected the material for 
a new book, Safari Sketchbook — A 
Bird Painter’s African Odyssey, to be 
published in spring 2010. 

While many of the African trips 
involved fairly intensive birding, 
others allowed time for much 
drawing in the field. Sketches in 
pencil and watercolour, and some 
in oil, show a wide variety of birds. 
Some trips were focused on netting 
forest birds, whilst others were more 
general, so that the work ranges from 
impressions of birds as you see them 
in the field to more detailed portraits, 
studies of birds in the hand, and 
sketches of landscapes and habitats. 
Much of this work resulted from 
some lengthy visits to East Africa, 
especially Tanzania and Kenya, but 
studies from Ethiopia, Uganda and 
Cameroon are also included. 

Nearly 200 pages from the 
sketchbooks are complemented by 
a lively text, in which anecdotes, 


2-BullABCVol17No1 (2010) 


Club News 




Figure 3. Kenneth Gbenga, ABC’s 
representative in Sierra Leone and 
Rockjumper’s ground agent receiving a 
copy of Birds of Western Africa donated 
by ABC and presented by John 
Caddick (John Caddick) 

Kenneth Gbenga, representant du 
ABC en Sierra Leone et agent de 
Rockjumper, recevant un exemplaire 
de Birds of Western Africa offert par 
le ABC et remis par John Caddick 
(John Caddick) 

‘incidents of the route’, a little 
poetry and some history enhance 
the underlying ornithology. All this 
will bring back vivid memories for 
anyone who has birded in Africa. 

For further derails and an 
order form, see Martin’s website 
(martinwoodcock.co.uk) or write 
to The Esker Press, Furlongs, Long 
Lane, Wiveton, Norfolk NR25 
7DD, UK. Sales to ABC members, 
if they mention this when ordering, 
will benefit the Club’s Conservation 
Fund. 

Sales Officer vacancy 

Geoff & Bev Randall are standing 
down from their roles as Secretary 
and Sales Officer respectively. 
Although the post of Secretary is 
likely to be filled at the 2010 AGM, 
that of Sales Officer remains vacant 
at present. Anyone interested who 
can spare time for this important 
post should contact Chairman Keith 
Betton (chairman@africanbirdclub. 
org). Council would like to thank 
Geoff and Bev for all their work on 
behalf of the Club over many years. 

Back issues 

Newly joining members are offered 
a set of back bulletins at a discount. 
However, Vol. 2(1), Vol. 3(1-2), 

Vol. 5(1) and Vol. 6(1) are no longer 
available and the photocopies we 


provide are an inferior substitute. If 
you have copies of these issues you 
no longer wish to keep', we would be 
grateful if you could return them to 
the Club at the usual address: African 
Bird Club, c/o Birdlife International, 
Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, 
Cambridge CB3 ONA, UK. 

ABC Conservation Tour to Sierra 
Leone, 9-23 December 2009 

1 he ABC / Rockjumper conservation 
tour to Sierra Leone in December 
2009 was a great success. Five of the 
eight participants travelled direct 
from London Heathrow to Freetown, 
the country’s capital, on 9 December, 
where we were met by Kenneth 
Gbenga, our local ground agent and 
ABC’s representative in Sierra Leone. 
From there we transferred to our 
hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. 
David Hoddinott, the Rockjumper 
tour leader, had been travelling in 
Ghana and flight delays meant he 
was unable to arrive until the evening 
of 10th, whilst the other three 
participants, from South Africa, only 
joined the group in the afternoon of 
the 1 1th due to a flight cancellation. 

Birding in the heavily populated 
Freetown and Western Peninsula 
areas was remarkably productive. 
Kenneth took us east of the city for 
some roadside and coastal birding, 
whilst David took the same direction 
next day to the Guma Valley Forest 
Reserve, which is owned by the local 
water company, and on the 12th 
to Freetown’s golf course and the 
Regent Forest Reserve. Highlights of 
these days included a single White- 
backed Night Heron Gorsachius 
leuconotus, four Yellow-casqued 
Hornbills Ceratogymna elata, an 
obliging Little Green Woodpecker 
Campethera maculosa and a stunning 
male Crimson Seedcracker Pyrenestes 
sanguineus. In addition, we found 
time to visit the first of two White- 
necked Picathartes Picathartes 
gymnocephalus roosts only an hour’s 
drive from our hotel on poor roads. 
After a silent and uncomfortable wait 
of an hour on stony ground, we had 
good views of a Spotted Honeyguide 
Indicator maculatus before the main 
event of at least three picathartes 
showing well. 



Figure 4. Egyptian Plover / Pluvian 
fluviatile Pluvianus aegyptius, Moa 
River, Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone, 
December 2009 (John Caddick) 



Figure 5. Forbes’s Plover / Gravelot de 
Forbes Cbaradrius forbesi, Kenema rice 
fields, Sierra Leone, December 2009 
(John Caddick) 

The following two days we birded 
the pristine forest of Tiwai Island 
on the Moa River, situated at the 
western edge of Cola West Forest 
Reserve, and took an evening boat 
trip around the island. Here we 
enjoyed a very obliging Egyptian 
Plover Pluvianus aegyptius, a Brown 
Nightjar Caprimulgus binotatus flying 
over the river at dusk, two Hartlaub’s 
Ducks Pteronetta hartlaubii with 
ducklings, Fire-crested (White- 
tailed) Alethe Alethe diademata in the 
forest, a stunning male Buff-throated 
Sunbird Chalcomitra adelberti 
and several Red-vented Malimbes 
Malimbus scutatus at a nest. 

Having spent the night at 
Zimmi, we left early next day for 
Gola South, where we had good 
views of a juvenile Long-tailed 
Hawk Urotriorchis macrourus , Blue 
Cuckooshrike Coracina azurea , 
Sharpe's Apalis Apalis sharpii, Red- 
billed Helmetshrike Prionops caniceps 
and Ussher’s Flycatcher Muscicapa 
ussheri. Later, we drove to the large 
town of Kenema and spent a couple 


Club News 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -3 



of hours birding the rice fields, which 
held three species of snipe — Jack 
Lymnocryptes minimus , Common 
Gallinago gallinago and Great 
Snipes G. media — as well as Greater 
Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis. 
Other waders included Forbes’s 
Plover Charadrius forbesi as well as 
Palearctic migrants such as Yellow 
Wagtail Motacilla flava and Red- 
throated Pipit Anthus cervinus. 

From 16 to 19 December we 
visited Gola North. Having started 
from Kenema at 04.30 hrs, we 
arrived at the local village just after 
dawn and spent the rest of the 
day birding around the village and 
along the 9-km trail to our camp. 

We then enjoyed two full days of 
birding in the forest, followed by 
a final day along the trails back to 
the village, before returning to the 
hotel at Kenema. The local villagers 
participated in the logistical exercise 
of getting all the camping gear, food 
and cooking equipment to our forest 
campsite. Gola North provided views 
of several species that may be hard 
to observe elsewhere, including Afep 
Pigeon Columba unicincta, Blue- 
headed Bee-eater Merops muelleri, 
Narina’s Trogon Apaloderma narina, 
Black Dwarf Tockus hartlaubi, 
Red-billed Dwarf T. camurus and 
Brown-cheeked Hornbills Bycanistes 
cylindricus, Rufous-sided Broadbill 
Smithornis rufo lateralis, Green- 
tailed Bristlebill Bleda eximius, 
Yellow-bearded Greenbul Criniger 
olivaceus, Finsch’s Flycatcher Thrush 
Stizorhina fins chi, Forest Scrub 
Robin Cercotrichas leucosticta, Red- 
cheeked Dyaphorophyia blissetti 
and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyes D. 
concreta, Fraser’s Sunbird Deleornis 
fraseri, Lagden’s Malaconotus lagdeni 
and Many-coloured Bushshrikes 
Telophorus multicolor and everyone’s 
favourite, a single stunning male 
Gola Malimbe Malimbus balmanni, 
seen after two days searching the 
forest. In the evenings back at 
camp we enjoyed the delicious tood 
prepared by our cook, Edna, sampled 
the local ale and listened to the Gola 
North choir. 

We remained in the Kenema area 
on 20 December. After another early 
start, we arrived at Kambui North 


in time for a pre-dawn breakfast 
before setting out on a long climb 
to the hill forest. Highlights of the 
morning included a single Red- 
chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii, 
a flock of c. 30 Mottled Swifts 
Tachymarptis aequatorialis, Red- 
headed Malimbe Malimbus rubricollis 
and five species of hornbills: African 
Pied Tockus fasciatus , a single Black 
Dwarf, Piping Bycanistes fistulator, 
Brown-cheeked and Yellow-casqued 
Hornbills. Following lunch, we set 
off for Kambui South and our second 
picathartes site. Our local guide 
introduced us to the village elders 
before we climbed through the forest 
to the roost site. This site was more 
open and situated alongside a stream 
with a small sandy beach, which 
afforded us outstanding views of four 
White-necked Picathartes coming to 
roost. For an hour, we watched these 
magical birds just c. 10 m away before 
returning to Kenema. 

The final three days were 
spent birding in savanna between 
Kenema and Makeni and in the 
Bumbuna area. In this more open 
habitat birding and photography 
were easier. My personal highlights 
were Brown Circaetus cinereus, 
Western Banded C. cinerascens 
and Beaudouin’s Snake Eagles C. 
beaudouini, male and female Red- 
chested Flufftails Sarothrura rufa, 
a male Yellow-throated Cuckoo 
Chrysococcyx flavigularis, Pearl- 
spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum, 
Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus, 
Cassin’s Honeybird Prodotiscus 
insignis, Eurasian Wryneck Jynx 
torquilla, Fine-spotted Woodpecker 
Campethera punctuligera, a 
party of White Helmetshrikes 
Prionops plumatus. White-breasted 
Cuckooshrike Coracina pectoralis, 
several Turati’s Boubou Laniarius 
turatii. Blackcap Babbler Turdoides 
reinwardtii , Emerald Starlings 
Lamprotornis iris, Red-winged 
Pytilia Pytilia phoenicoptera, 
Dybowski’s Twinspot Euschistospiza 
dybowskii, Jambandu Vidua raricola 
and Cameroon Indigobirds V. 
camerunensis , and a male Togo 
Paradise Whydah V togoensis in 
breeding plumage. 


We all enjoyed our time in Sierra 
Leone immensely. The people are 
very friendly and birds are plentiful 
with some 340 species observed 
during the tour. The forests also 
produced eight species of primate. 
Thanks are due to Rockjumper for 
organising the tour so successfully 
and to David for his ability both to 
find new birds and ensure that all 
members of the party saw them well. 
Kenneth and the local team provided 
good logistical support throughout 
the tour. The tour continued the 
theme of ABC conservation tours of 
visiting poorer known countries with 
a view to finding little-known species 
and, in so doing, generating funds 
for ABC’s conservation work. You 
can read more about Sierra Leone 
and its birds on the Club’s website at 
www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/ 
SierraLeone/introduction.html and 
regular visits to the home page will 
keep you informed about future tour 
plans. 

Contributed by John Caddick 


A request from the 
Slender-billed Curlew 
Working Group (SBCWG) 

As part of the SBCWG’s work, 
the identification of several forms 
of Numenius in the Palearctic 
and adjacent areas is being 
investigated. The group is seeking 
photos of Slender-billed Curlew 
N. tenuirostris, Eurasian Curlew 
N. a. arquata, and the races N. a. 
orientalis and N. a. suschkini, as 
well as the following subspecies 
ofWhimbrel N. phaeopus, the 
nominate, N. p. alboaxillaris, N. 
p. variegatus, N. p. hudsonicus and 
N. p. phaeopus. Photographs taken 
in Eastern Europe / Western Asia 
are particularly sought. All photos 
should be sent to rossahmed@ 
gmail.com; please include relevant 
details such as photographer, date 
taken and location. Photos should 
preferably not be ‘manipulated’ 
before sending, although edited 
photos are welcome. 


4 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Club News 


V African Bird Club Conservation Fund 


Despite the difficult financial times, ABC has, 
with the much-appreciated help of sponsors, 
made eight new awards since my last report. 

Avifaunal and threat status survey at Yala 
Swamp, Kenya 

ABC awarded UK£850 to Martin Odino for 
an avifaunal and threat status survey in the 
north of Yala Swamp IBA in Kenya. This was 
made possible by generous sponsorship from 
Paul Lascelles (Hyde-Lascelles). The project’s 
aims were to: (a) assess threats impacting the 
IBA inclusive of those associated with Bunyala 
Rice Scheme and its surroundings; (b) compile 
a thorough updated checklist of birds and their 
relative abundance; and (c) provide a basis to 
establish a Site Support Group. Martin led a 
three-person team representing the National 
Museums of Kenya, Ornithology Section. 
Wildlife Direct, a Kenyan-based international 
wildlife charity organisation to which Martin 
is affiliated, provided publicity. An assistant 
was hired to help with identification and data 
collection, and a local trainee helped disseminate 
the idea of a Site Support Group. Martin has 
already submitted an interim report, which can 
be seen on the ABC website. He and his team 
found 172 species, with Black-headed Gonolek 
Laniarius erythrogaster the most frequent, but 
no papyrus endemics. Worryingly, the team 
found much evidence of habitat destruction and 
encroachment on the swamp, as well as deliberate 
poisoning on the rice scheme land. Some 55 bird 
species were affected by this poisoning. 

Support for Sam Osinubi 

ABC made an exception to its normal guidelines 
and, with support from our President, Tasso 
Leventis, helped fund Sam Osinubi to attend 
a Sound Analysis Workshop organised by the 
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in September 
2009, as well as have some additional training. 
ABC provided UK£900. Sam is a Nigerian 
doctoral student, who is studying the behaviour 
of Double-toothed Barbet Lybius bidentatus and 
Yellow-breasted Boubou Laniarius atroflavus in 
Ngel-Nyaki Forest Reserve, Nigeria, which is an 
Important Bird Area. The forest is threatened by 
grazing and burning that has reduced the Afro- 


montane forest habitat to 7.7 km 2 within the 
48 km 2 of the reserve. L. atroflavus is a poorly 
known endemic. Sam is conducting his research 
through the School of Biological Sciences of the 
University of Canterbury, New Zealand. His 
project investigates the influence that the forest 
habitat has on behavioural adaptation and how 
this affects the fitness of the species inhabiting 
this threatened habitat. The focus will be on 
determining how territoriality, vocalisations, 
foraging strategy and breeding strategy are 
influenced by habitat quality and how adaptation 
has resulted in different measures of fitness. The 
ultimate aim is to assess the efficacy of behaviour 
as a rapid and accurate index of species-specific 
habitat quality. Sam was able to stay on for an 
extra week after the workshop to permit effective 
and complete analysis of his sound data. Cornell 
University’s Laboratory of Ornithology is at 
the forefront of bio-acoustic research and is the 
developer of both the Raven and XBAT sound 
analysis computer programs. 

Vulture awareness day in Kenya 

Nature Kenya received an award to help promote 
a Vulture Awareness Day on 10-11 October 
2009 at NatureKenya’s Bird Fair in the National 
Museum’s grounds. The primary objective was 
to increase public understanding and compassion 
for vultures — one of the most threatened bird 
groups in the world. Vulture Awareness Day in 
Kenya was organised by the Raptor Working 
Group, a subcommittee of NatureKenya’s Bird 
Committee, and sought to increase awareness 
about the need to save Kenya’s vultures. 
NatureKenya planned to achieve this goal by 
operating (1) a nationwide art competition (‘the 
role of vultures in maintaining the cycle of 
life’) for schoolchildren, (2) a stand at the 
Bird Fair to educate visitors on the ecological 
importance of vultures and air a documentary 
on vulture poisoning, and (3) a play at the fair 
highlighting poisoning events that have decimated 
Kenya’s vulture populations. In addition, 
NatureKenya aimed to raise awareness through 
radio programmes and articles in newspapers and 
magazines. ABC provided UK£1,000 towards 
supporting materials, banners, leaflets, radio 
time, booth space, audio-visuals, prizes for the 


ABC Conservation Fund 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -5 



f African Bird Club Conservation Fund 



Double-toothed Barbet / Barbican bidente Lybius 
bidentatus (Dave Richards) 


art competition and other incidental costs. The 
ABC logo appeared on all of the publicity 
items. 

Dispersal of Southern Masked Weaver and 
other passerines on the Cape Peninsula, 
South Africa 

ABC contributed UK£500 towards this proposed 
study led by Dieter Oschadleus, the bird-ringing 
Coordinator of SAFRING, based at the Animal 
Demography Unit, University of Cape Town. 
There was to be a strong training element in 
bird ringing. Dieter wrote ‘Natal dispersal is 
poorly studied in African passerine birds due 
to the difficulty of covering a large enough area 
to recapture birds ringed previously as chicks. 
In this study a network of sites will be used on 
the Cape Peninsula, where the focus will be on 
Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus, which 



Southern Masked Weaver / Tisserin a tete rousse 
Ploceus velatus (Adam Riley) 


has expanded its range into the Western Cape 
over the last century. The aim of this study is 
to use ringing to determine natal dispersal and 
movements by adults at the edge of the species’ 
new range. At the same time it will be possible 
to study the movements of many other common 
passerines in the area. During Phase 1 (August- 
December 2009), chicks will be ringed; chicks 
of other species, particularly Cape Weavers P. 
capensis, will also be ringed for comparative 
purposes, although search effort for nests of 
other species will be limited to incidental finds. 
Phase 2 (January-December 2010) will consist 
of weekly mist-netting to attempt to recapture as 
many chicks as possible. In addition, all birds of 
other species caught will be ringed to study the 
movements of birds on the Cape Peninsula.’ 

Eritrean Sociable Lapwing surveys 

ABC, via sponsorship from Tasso Leventis, 
gave UK£500 to Russom Teklay and colleagues 
to undertake surveys in Eritrea for Sociable 
Lapwings Vanellus gregarius. The Royal Society 
for Protection of Birds (BirdLife UK) provided 
an additional UK£750 through ABC. The 
project commenced in December 2009. The 


6 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


ABC Conservation Fund 



Erratum (Conservation fund news on pages 6-7): Unfortunately it transpires that the plovers 
observed by the team in Eritrea were Black-winged Plovers (Lapwings) and not Sociable Plovers. 



V African Bird Club Conservation Fund 


team aimed to explore the numbers, distribution 
and population trend of Sociable Lapwings 
in the central highlands of Eritrea, to identify 
special threats to the wintering site, and to 
increase local awareness of the birds. On the 
first day, the survey team reported 17 Sociable 
Lapwings 28 km south-west of Asmara, but 
next day the team counted only eight birds. On 
25 December the survey team counted over 69 
in the southern plains, near the small town of 
Dibariwa, over 12-15 km, and next day the 
team observed 54 around Mendefera. Russom 
wrote ‘It is an incredible discovery, which gives 
real encouragement to global conservation efforts 
to save this Critically Endangered species’. In the 
last three weeks of December, the team counted 
a total of 208 birds. These findings offer a 
significant boost to conservationists working to 
save this rare bird from extinction in Kazakhstan, 
Russia and the Middle East, and the team 
is very optimistic that suitable conservation 
action can be taken at this wintering ground. 
Some major threats have been identified already: 
habitat degradation due to overgrazing, mostly 
near human settlements; highly reduced animal 
grazing, especially in remote and less populated 
areas, due to continuous drought, because animal 
manure supports increased insect abundance; and 
human disturbance. During the 
evenings, lapwings were observed 
being chased by domestic dogs 
and cats, because some birds 
come close to villages at this time. 

The team is expecting that other 
threats will also be identified in 
the future, such as food scarcity 
and chemical pollution. 

Cape Parrots in South Africa 

Dr Steve Boyes from the Percy 
Fitzpatrick Institute in South 
Africa was awarded UK£820 for a 
study of the incidence of psittacine 
beak and feather disease (PBFD) 
virus in the largest remaining 
wild population of the globally 
threatened Cape Parrot Poicephalus 
robustus. Generous sponsorship 
by Julian Francis enabled this 


award. This parrot’s population is estimated as 
1,000-15,000 birds and is threatened by habitat 
loss, illegal capture for the pet trade and avian 
diseases. The study’s primary objective is to 
capture as many parrots as possible to discover 
the incidence of PBFD and other diseases, to 
estimate body condition, to profile the population 
structure and to take blood for DNA-archiving 
(to be used in the forensic investigation into 
illegal trade). Steve will also undertake feeding 
trials with wild Cape Parrots in field aviaries 
to better understand their feeding ecology and 
preference lor pecan nuts over indigenous food 
resources in Afro-montane forest patches. Dr 
Boyes has studied Meyer’s Parrot P. meyeri in 
the Okavango Delta and has been experimenting 
with using nest boxes there, to determine if 
they can be an effective conservation tool for 
cavity-nesting bird communities in subtropical 
Africa. Fie aims to use data from this study 
to derive nest box prescriptions for use by 
Cape Parrots. This was the subject of a second 
application, but unfortunately ABC was unable 
to fund this. However, ABC Council member 
Stephen Cameron very kindly helped sponsor 
this project. Steve recently wrote ‘We had 
Green Wood-hoopoes Phoeniculus purpureus, 
Woodland Kingfishers Halcyon senegalensis and 



Cape Parrot / Perroquet du Cap Poicephalus robustus (R. S. Boyes) 


ABC Conservation Fund 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -7 



African Bird Club Conservation Fund 


African Grey Hornbills Tockus nasutus nesting 
with signs of several successful attempts (i.e. 
good layer of excrement) in c.30% of the nest 
boxes, as well as several mammal species. We also 
mapped all the habitat types, located over 500 
excavated nest cavities and did five cavity-nesting 
bird abundance transects in each habitat type.’ 

Study of birds at Lake Nasser in winter 
2009/2010 

In Bull. ABC 16: 137, I reported on an award 
towards a raptor training workshop organised 
by Haitham Ibrahim et al. in Egypt. Due to 
communication problems, the UK£850 awarded 
by ABC was not taken up, but the workshop 
went ahead successfully. Haitham submitted 
a new application, which has been approved 
by Council and he has now received the same 
amount from ABC for a survey, very kindly 
sponsored by Tasso Leventis. The project aims 
to survey birds at Lake Nasser, comparing 
sites on the eastern and western shores of the 
lake and in Wadi Allaqi Biosphere Reserve, 
and also to build the capacity of young people 
working for the Nature Conservation Sector 
of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency 
(NCS/EEAA) and students at the University 
of South Valley. It also aims to raise awareness 
among local communities (fishermen, farmers 
and Bedouins) in the area. The Nile Valley and 
the Red Sea coast are important bird migration 
routes through Africa. Lake Nasser, which was 
created in 1964, is 496 km long with a mean 
width of 15 km. Water levels fluctuate greatly, 
between seasons and years, depending on the net 
annual volume of water it receives. Lake Nasser 
is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes with 
a very complex nature shoreline composed of 
numerous khors (inundated desert wadis). The 
shallow waters of these khors support aquatic 
flora and provide good breeding grounds for 
fish, whilst their often gently sloping shores 
permit vegetation to grow. In contrast, much of 
the rest of the lake’s shores are steep and rocky 
with little vegetation. Many islands (the tops 
of inundated hills) are widespread in the lake. 
Fishing and related activities are considered 
one of the main threats to birds at Lake Nasser, 
whilst farmers use pesticides on their crops, 


which kill birds and other wildlife. The Egyptian 
government is planning to resettle more of the 
surrounding land by the year 2017. Haitham 
considers that swift action is needed to collect 
data and raise the awareness of decision-makers 
and stakeholders about the area’s birds. 

A database to monitor common birds and 
record rare sightings and range extensions 
in Kenya 

After discussions with Ian Fisher who is 
overseeing Kenya Birdfinder-Worldbirds, 
the Conservation Committee approved this 
application, subject to suggestions made by Ian 
being taken up. An award of UK£1,000 will be 
made, kindly sponsored by Tasso Leventis. The 
Bird Committee of NatureKenya is very keen to 
pursue this work. Oliver Nasirwa wrote that ‘we 
are hopeful that with the renewed interest and 
support from the National Museums of Kenya, 
the work of collating and managing bird records 
will get back on track. With this work running 
we hope that we shall find ways of addressing 
capacity issues that have led to the record 
keeping falling behind.’ 

Further work on Djibouti Francolin in the 
Mabla Mountains, Djibouti 

ABC has agreed to award UK£ 1,000 towards 
field work costs for a follow-up survey to the 
March 2009 work on the highly threatened 
Djibouti Francolin Francolinus ocbropectus in 
the eastern Mabla Mountains, an Important 
Bird Area in Djibouti, from which a provisional 
population estimate of 108 birds was derived (cf 
Bull. ABC 16: 138). This was the first systematic 
survey of the species at this site. Unfortunately, 
access to the western and northern sides of 
the mountains was impractical due to security 
concerns at the time. Analysis of Google Earth 
images and conversations with a local shepherd 
suggest that there is potential habitat elsewhere 
in the mountains and that francolins are present. 
The team for the March 2010 survey, Houssein 
Rayaleh and Aden Dini, will visit the west and 
north sides of the mountains to determine if 
francolins are present and perform transects to 
prepare a more accurate population estimate for 
this endangered endemic. As with the March 


8 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


ABC Conservation Fund 



^ African Bird Club 



Male Djibouti Francolin / Francolin somali Francolinus 
ochropectus (Geoff & Hilary Welch) 


2009 survey, the standard survey methodology 
developed by the World Pheasant Association 
in the species’ main stronghold of the Foret du 
Day will be used, and information on habitat 
structure and current or potential threats to the 
species will also be collected. Houssein Rayaleh 
is Executive Secretary of Djibouti Nature, the 
principal nature conservation NGO in Djibouti, 
and the country’s most experienced native 
ornithologist; he was a key member of the March 
2009 survey. 

Reports 

Plight of vultures in Somaliland 

Abdi Jama recently sent a report on the second 
part of his survey, east of 45°E to the environs 
of Erigavo, the capital of the massive Sanaag 
region. Abdi’s first stop was the old Burao city 
dump where, c. 18 months previously, Egyptian 
Neophron percnopterus, Lappet-faced Torgos 
tracheliotus , Ruppell’s Gyps rueppellii and White- 
backed Vultures G. africanus had been present. 
Fie reports; This time Egyptian and Lappet- 


Conservation Fund 


faced Vultures were present in good numbers, but 
Ruppell’s was absent and just one White-backed 
Vulture was seen. As we headed east, almost 
every hamlet we passed had its own contingent 
Egyptian Vultures, but visits to interior bush 
communities revealed that the semi-commensal 
existence of Egyptian Vultures petered out as 
we entered poorer areas with apparently little to 
scavenge on. Not a single Egyptian Vulture was 
seen away from established villages and towns. 
We did not see any other vultures (other than 
the ubiquitous Egyptian) between Burao and 
Yuffle, a distance of c.400 km, other than a 
single contingent of 12 Lappet-faced Vultures, 
attesting to the drastic decline of vultures. 
Furthermore, the large dump just outside 
Erigavo had been cleared for development since 
the team’s last visit and the vultures were gone 
completely. Possible causes for the absence of 
vultures could include the general environment 
being cleaner and, perhaps, the decline in the 
once-abundant livestock herds and antelope. 
The string of drought years since the 1990s has 
possibly also reduced the food source for vulture 
species.’ 

ABC is particularly grateful to the individual 
sponsors who have personally pledged support 
for particular projects. This is a really valuable 
way to help the Club to achieve one of its 
main aims — to assist individuals and small 
groups undertake research that advances our 
knowledge of African birds. Several members 
have indicated that they are interested in helping 
the Club in this work, and without any 
obligation they are sent details of projects that the 
Conservation Committee feel merit support. If 
you would be interested in finding out how you 
can support projects such as these, please contact 
ABC Chairman, Keith Betton (chairman@ 
africanbirdclub). 

Steph Tyler, on behalf of the 
Conservation Committee 


ABC Conservation Fund 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010)- 9 


Africa Round-up 




General 

Translating biodiversity 
monitoring into action 

In late 2009, BirdLife Partners 
from eight countries attended a 
workshop in Entebbe, Uganda, to 
discuss how to turn monitoring 
results from Africa’s Protected Area / 
Important Bird Area (IBA) network 
into policies and actions that ensure 
their sustainable use and improve 
the livelihoods of local communities. 
The workshop was organised to share 
ideas and learn lessons from across 
the BirdLife Africa Partnership. 

At present, 163 African I BAs are 
also Protected Areas. These sites 
are monitored to establish the state 
of their bird populations, identify 
the pressures that they face and to 
outline responses which counter these 
pressures. Humans are responsible 
for many threats to IBAs but climate 
change, with impacts already visible, 
may be the most serious threat of 
all. “African countries are most 
vulnerable to its [climate change] 
devastating impacts and least able to 
adapt”, said Jessica Eriyo (Minister 
of Environment ol the Republic of 
Uganda) who opened the workshop. 
“Climate change is affecting wildlife 
in the same manner it is affecting the 
people”, Ms Eriyo added. In keeping 
with the theme of the workshop, 
the Minister encouraged delegates to 
engage in advocacy with a meaning 
in order to address challenges 
facing both the people and the 
environment. Participants committed 
themselves to: influence governments 
to designate IBAs as legally Protected 
Areas and allocate adequate resources 
for enforcement of the conservation 
policies; influence landowners to 
adopt wise-use principles in water 
catchments and basins; lobby for 
inclusion of bird species as indicators 
for biodiversity within National 
Biodiversity Strategy Action Plans; 


and, ensure full enforcement of 
national Environmental Impact 
Assessment regulations, among other 
actions. The workshop was facilitated 
by a team of experts with regional 
and international experience, and 
included lectures, discussions, group 
exercises, case studies from Burkina 
Faso, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and 
Tunisia, and a field visit to the 
Lutembe Bay IBA. The workshop 
was organised and sponsored by the 
BirdLife Africa I BA/PA Monitoring 
Project funded by the European 
Commission through the Royal 
Society for the Protection of Birds 
(RSPB, BirdLife in the UK) and was 
hosted by Nature Uganda. 

Source: BirdLife International 
press release, October 2009 

Wildlife poisoning in Africa 

A widely available poison is being 
used to kill thousands of birds every 
month in an area of Kenya, and by 
game poachers in Botswana to kill 
vultures. The poisoning of wildlife 
seems to have increased across the 
continent recently, and BirdLife is 
calling for increased concerted efforts 
to address this threat. Situated in 
western Kenya near Lake Victoria 
and the Ugandan border, the 



White-backed Vultures / 
Vautours africains Gyps africanus 
(Daniel Cornelis) 


Bunyala Rice Scheme is a heavily 
irrigated area, and the water-logging 
also creates suitable feeding habitat 
for many birds, which are being 
targeted by local people who view the 
meat as a delicacy. The poison used 
is called Carbofuran (or Furadan) 
and is designed to control insects in a 
wide variety of field crops. However, 
it is also toxic to animals, and has 
one of the highest acute toxicities 
to humans of any insecticide widely 
used on field crops. In Bunyala the 
poison is placed inside snail shells. 
Decoy birds are also used, and 
poachers disturb the surroundings to 
encourage wild birds to settle into the 
baited areas. Once captured, target 
birds are killed and sold for human 
consumption. 

Throughout eastern and southern 
Africa there are increasing reports 
of the use of Carbofuran to illegally 
poison wildlife. In Botswana, 
poachers have recently been observed 
lacing giraffe carcasses with poison 
to attract vultures and kill them. 

In two recent incidents, over 80 
vultures including White-backed 
Gyps africanus and Hooded Vultures 
Necrosyrtes monacbus have been 
deliberately poisoned in the country. 

The BirdLife Africa Partnership 
and many other conservation 
organisations across Africa — -like 
Wildlife Direct— are already working 
to address this problem and are 
calling for increased efforts to deal 
with it. In Kenya, Martin Odino 
from the National Museums of 
Kenya — with funding from the 
African Bird Club and Rufford 
Small Grants — is working with 
NatureKenya (the BirdLife Partner) 
to quantify the threat, focusing 
specifically on the Bunyala Rice 
Scheme. BirdLife Botswana is also 
working to educate local people 
about the use of poisons. In response 
to problems caused by wildlife 
poisoning across the continent, 


10 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Africa Round-up 




the BirdL.ile Africa Secretariat has 
also been focusing on chemicals 
and drugs as one of the threats 
to birds and their habitats. Over 
2,000 posters are being distributed 
to raise awareness of the threat to 
vultures and coordinated counts 
will be undertaken in East Africa 
to verify the extent of the problem 
and make recommendations for 
mitigation. A high-resolution PDF 
of the poster is available at www. 
birdlife.org/regional/africa/pdfs/ 
vulture_poster_highres.pdf. It may be 
possible to send copies to institutions 
/ individuals who need several- 
high quality copies; e-mail: paul. 
ndanganga@birdlife.or.ke 

Source: BirdLife International 
press release, November 2009 

BirdLife Africa Wildlife Clubs 
Project 

The BirdLife Africa Wildlife Clubs 
Project has taken a step closer to 
its goal of connecting over 400,000 
children across the continent with 
conservationists around the world. 
The project combines biodiversity 
conservation with education and 
sustainable development initiatives, 
and uses bird conservation to help 
bridge the digital divide in Africa. 
Along with the people responsible for 
the project, representatives from 1 3 
other environmental organisations 
and educational institutions 
participated in a workshop in Accra, 
Ghana. 

The workshop’s host, the Ghana 
Wildlife Society (GWS; BirdLife in 
Ghana), has unrivalled experience in 
organising environmental education 
and conservation activity among 
young people. The junior wing 
of GWS, the Wildlife Clubs of 
Ghana, recently celebrated its 21st 
birthday. Starting with just two 
clubs in 1987, it now has over 1,000 
clubs throughout the country. The 
participants developed a wildlife 
club / environmental education 
coordinators’ network, reviewed 
the contents of a draft manual 
for wildlife clubs in Africa, and 
discussed ways of persuading national 
governments to incorporate the 
manual into their education systems. 


As part ol the project, BirdLife 
Zimbabwe recently organised a 
High Schools Public Speaking 
Competition in partnership with the 
Environmental Management Agency 
(EMA) and the Mukuvisi Woodlands 
Association. Schoolchildren from 
around Harare were given questions 
posed by BirdLife Zimbabwe and 
EMA. Mukuvisi Woodlands sourced 
varied prizes and BirdLife Zimbabwe 
donated Enjoy the Birds of Zimbabwe 
books to the children. Additional 
prizes were donated by the British 
Council, WWF, EMA and the 
IUCN. 

Source: BirdLife International 

press release, September 2009 



Cory’s Shearwater / Puffin cendre 
Calonectris diomedea (Augusto Faustino) 


Spatial segregation between 
two closely related shearwaters 
breeding in sympatry 

Joan Navarro and co-workers used 
satellite-tracking and stable isotope 
data to study spatial segregation 
of Cory’s Shearwaters Calonectris 
diomedea borealis and Scopoli’s 
Shearwaters C. d. diomedea breeding 
in sympatry at a Mediterranean 
colony. It was found that Cory’s 
foraged mainly in the Atlantic, 
whilst Scopoli’s fed exclusively in 
proximity to the breeding colony in 
the Mediterranean. This segregation 
could reflect the foraging behaviour 
of Cory’s Shearwaters before they 
arrived in the Mediterranean from 
the nearby Atlantic colonies: they 
probably have remained faithful 
to their previous foraging area in 
the Atlantic. Alternatively, Cory’s 
Shearwaters are larger and have 
a greater wing loading compared 
with Scopoli’s, and therefore are 
probably better prepared to fly across 
the strong winds in the Strait of 
Gibraltar. The wintering areas of 
both taxa were also different: Cory’s 


Shearwaters wintered along the coast 
of southern Africa, whereas Scopoli’s 
wintered mainly in the Canary 
Islands Current. 

Source: Biol. Lett. 5, pp. 545-548 

Understanding the Amur Falcon’s 
migrations 

Amur Falcon Falco amurensis 
conducts one of the most remarkable 
of avian migrations: the birds leave 
their Asian breeding range and travel 
to north-east India and Bangladesh, 
where they fatten up for the overland 
flight over peninsular India. It is 
believed to then undertake the 
longest regular over-water passage 
of any raptor, crossing the Indian 
Ocean between south-west India 
and tropical East Africa, a journey 
of >4,000 km, which also includes 
nocturnal flight. Birds arrive in their 
southern African winter range in 
November-December and depart 
by early May. In contrast, its return 
is probably largely overland, to the 
north and west of its southbound 
route. However, recent observations 
in late November— early December 
in Ethiopia suggest that there may 
be a regular overland passage at 
higher latitudes than previously 
known. Now, BirdLife South 
Africa, Microwave Telemetry, 

Inc., USA, and members of the 
World Working Group on Birds 
of Prey have commenced a satellite 
telemetry programme to study the 
migration routes and other aspects 
of the biology of this little-known 
raptor. At the largest winter roost 
known in South Africa (numbering 
r.26,000 birds) almost 30 birds 
were trapped in early 2010, and the 
biggest ten adults were fitted with 
5g solar-powered satellite tags. Even 



Amur Falcon / Faucon de 1’Amour 
Falco amurensis (Phil Palmer, 
www.Birdholidays.co.uk) 


Afiica Round-up 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -11 



after just a few days surprising new 
information was gathered, with one 
female roosting >100 km from the 
trap site. 

Source: Bernd Meyburg in litt. to 
AfricanBirding January 2010 

More Eleonora’s Falcons GPS- 
tagged 

Following a German’s team study 
using GPS-tagged Eleonora’s Falcons 
Falco eleonorae (see Bull. ABC 16: 

14), four Eleonora’s Falcons were 
fitted with satellite transmitters in 
Greece in spring 2009, to investigate 
the migration routes followed by 
the birds to their wintering areas in 
south-east Africa and Madagascar. 

The four started their journey to 
Africa in mid October. By late 
October, two were in Sudan, one in 
western Ethiopia and one in central 
Egypt. In early November, two had 
reached Madagascar, whilst the other 
two remained in central Africa, in 
Chad and Central African Republic, 
respectively. For maps showing the 
migratory routes of the four birds, see 
the website below. 

Source: www. ornithologiki.gr/life/ 
falcoellenlprogramlsatellite_map.htm 

North Africa 

Local group makes its mark at 
Egypt’s Lake Qarun 

Egypt’s first Important Bird Area 
(IBA) Site Support Group (SSG) 

(see Bull. ABC 16: 144) has 
persuaded one of the country’s largest 
construction groups to end the 
dumping of waste at Lake Qarun, 
which supports regionally important 
numbers of wintering waterbirds. 

Lake Qarun occupies the deepest 
part of the Fayoum Depression, 

>40 m below sea level. Once a 
large body of fresh water, the lake 
now receives almost all its water as 
drainage from irrigated land. As a 
result, and because the only outflow 
is via evaporation, levels of salinity 
have been steadily increasing. Because 
of these environmental changes, a 
local subspecies of Sardinian Warbler 
Sylvia melanocephala norrisae has 
become extinct, while Slender-billed 
Gull Larus genei, which first breed 



Slender-billed Gull / Goeland railleur 
Larus genei (Georges Olioso) 


in the 1990s, now numbers c.8,500 
pairs. Numbers of breeding Spur- 
winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus 
also meet IBA criteria, as does the 
wintering population of Black- 
necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis. A 
salt extraction processing plant has 
been set up, which over time will 
improve water quality and permit 
habitats to be restored, as well as 
providing employment. However, 
unregulated tourist development in 
the south of the lake is destroying the 
best waterbird habitats and leading 
to increased disturbance. Hunters, 
including organised parties from 
Europe, regularly ignore the lake’s 
protected status. 

The SSG was established to 
enhance biodiversity conservation 
and benefit-sharing with local 
communities, in recognition that 
local people could make a significant 
contribution towards conservation 
efforts by reducing exploitation and 
hunting in the protected area. Its 
members have removed shooting 
blinds used by duck hunters, and 
plan to erect signboards with 
information about the lake and its 
importance as an IBA. They are 
also involved in awareness-raising 
and education activities with 
schoolchildren. The local government 
has an ecotourism strategy for Lake 
Qarun, so when the construction 
company began work on a tourist 
development, the SSG went into 
action, and the bulldozers were 
quickly pulled back to 30 nr from 
the shoreline. The construction 
company’s owner has pledged to set 
aside a proportion of his shoreline 
for saltmarshes to be re-established, 
providing a small bird sanctuary on 
the lake. This was to have been a 


hunting lodge in his original plan, 
and he has made a commitment not 
to allow or sanction hunting parties 
along the lake. 

Source: BirdLife International 
press release, September 2009; 
World Birdwatch 31(4), p. 7 

Range extension of Plain Martin 
in north-western Morocco 

In November 2007-February 2008, 
Plain Martins Riparia paludicola were 
found breeding in an abandoned 
sand extraction site at Lower 
Loukkos, north-western Morocco. 
This is the north-westernmost 
breeding record of this species 
in the country and constitutes a 
range extension of c. 1 00 km from 
Khenichet, the nearest previously 
known breeding site. Morocco’s 
isolated population of the endemic 
subspecies R. p. mauritanica, has 
steadily expanded its range north 
since the 1960s. 

Source: Dutch Birding 31, pp. 304— 

306 

Mute Swan in Algeria 

In February 2009, three Mute Swans 
Cygnus olor were photographed 
at Lake Tonga, a Ramsar site in 
north-east Algeria. There are veiy 
few previous records of any Cygnus 
species in the country, the most 
recent in the late 1990s. 

Source: Alauda 77, p. 314 

A Humblot’s Heron in Tunisia 

Endemic to the Malagasy region, 
the rare Humblot’s Heron Ardea 
humbloti, which was photographed 
at Oued Gouifla in October 2008, 
seems a highly unlikely vagrant. 
However, to date, the observers have 
been unable to locate any captive 
individuals in, for instance, Europe 
that might otherwise account for the 
record. 

Source: Alauda 77 , p. 313 

A migration bottleneck in Egypt 

Gudrun Hilgerloh of the Johannes 
Gutenberg University in Mainz 
has provided some counts from a 
migration bottleneck on Egypt’s 
Red Sea coast, at Zait Bay, in the 
coastal desert west of the main 
Suez-Hurghada road. Counts in late 


12 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Africa Round-up 



February-early May 2007 produced 
almost 125,000 storks and nearly 
40,000 raptors, with nearly 180,000 
soaring birds counted in all. 

Source: Bird Conserv. Intern. 19, 
pp. 338-352 

Atlantic Ocean Islands 

Aberrantly dark Fea’s Petrel found 
in the Cape Verde Islands 

In March 2007, an odd Fea’s 
P etrel Pterodroma feae was trapped 
and photographed on Fogo, Cape 
Verde Islands. Unlike normal birds, 
which are clean white below, the 
entire underparts of this individual 
were ashy grey and the underwing- 
coverts lacked any white. The head 
was also darker than in normal 
birds. Melanism is considered to 
be a very rare phenomenon in 
Procellariiformes, with only five 
known cases up to 2005, none of 
which referred to Fea’s Petrel or 
the closely related Zino’s Petrel P. 
madeira. 

Source: Dutch Birding 31, pp. 302- 

304 

The former range of the Razo Lark 

The Critically Endangered Razo Lark 
Alauda razae, which is nowadays 
restricted to the tiny island of Raso, 
in the Cape Verde archipelago, and 
is thought to number in the region 
of just 100 individuals, was formerly 
present on the other north-western 
islands of Santo Antao, Sao Vicente 
and Santa Luzia. This is the finding 
of a group of Spanish researchers, 
based on a survey of subfossil bone 
deposits from all of the ten major 
islands of the Cape Verdes. All of 
the deposits date from before the 
arrival of the Portuguese in the 
15th century. This finding confirms 
previous speculation that the species’ 
modern range is relictual and that 
the Razo Lark was formerly more 
widespread. 

Source: Alauda 77, pp. 309—312 

Last words on the kites of the 
Cape Verdes? 

'Sabine Hille (University of Wien) 
and Nigel Collar (BirdLife) have 
taken a detailed look at the Milvus 


kites in the Cape Verde Islands. 
Sadly, it seems that the Red Kite M. 
milvus fasciicauda which occurred 
on the north-west and south-west 
islands ol the group is almost or 
actually extinct; and numbers of 
Black Kite M. migrans , which occurs 
on the eastern islands and differs 
morphometrically from mainland 
birds, are critically low. There has 
been much confusion between these 
forms. Many earlier visitors did not 
realise that two forms occur in the 
archipelago, and it may now already 
be too late to save either bird. 

Source: Bull. Br. Ornithol. Club 129, 
pp. 217-221 

More on Cape Verde Warbler 

A recent survey of the island of 
Fogo, in the Cape Verde Islands, 
found that Cape Verde Warbler 
Acrocephalus brevipennis is widespread 
across the northern half of the island 
between 200 m and 975 m, with an 
estimated total population of 500 
pairs there. On Fogo, the species 
favours coffee plantations and other 
introduced crops, including maize. 
The authors of the study, Jens 
Hering and Elmar Fuchs, also looked 
at the species’ breeding biology, and 
found that both sexes are responsible 
for incubating the eggs. 

Source: Vogelwarte 47, pp. 157-164 

Red-billed Tropicbird breeding in 
the Canary Islands 

In November 2007, a pair of Red- 
billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus 
was found breeding in the Canary 
Islands for the first time, on the 
westernmost island of El Hierro. One 
young successfully fledged. The next 



Red-billed Tropicbird / Phaeton 
a bee rouge Phaethon aethereus 
(Augusto Faustino) 


year, a pair again bred successfully on 
the island. The nearest breeding sites 
of this species are in the Cape Verde 
Islands and on lies de la Madeleine, 
off Dakar, Senegal, 1,300 and 1,400 
km distant, respectively. 

Source: Quercus 281, p. 44 
(July 2009) 


West & Central Africa 



Black-tailed Godwit / Barge a 
queue noire Limosa limosa 
(John Caddick) 


Black-tailed Godwit’s migration 
followed by satellite 

A Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 
fitted with a satellite transmitter flew 
non-stop within 48 hours from the 
Netherlands to Senegal via Spain 
and over the Sahara, a distance of 
over 4,000 km. Its average speed 
was nearly 80 km per hour. In May 
2009, Theunis Piersma’s research 
group fitted 15 Black-tailed Godwits 
in Friesland, Netherlands, with tiny 
transmitters that were placed into the 
abdominal cavity of the birds. The 
researchers are intent on discovering 
exactly how the birds migrate 
between their winter and summer 
grounds and, for example, whether 
they migrate in a ‘loop’. Indeed, 
it looks as if at least some godwits 
that arrive in West Africa via Spain 
and Morocco, use a more easterly 
route, via Mali and Italy, to return to 
their breeding grounds in Friesland. 
The project has revealed that the 
godwits have a flexible strategy, both 
during their migration and on their 
wintering grounds. The satellite- 
wearing godwits started to leave 
in late June and all had departed 
Friesland by early August. One bird 
initially also flew to Senegal, but 
continued to Guinea-Bissau and, 


Africa Round-up 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -13 



foilwing a three-month stay, flew 
1,200 km east to the Niger Delta in 
Mali, where it was killed in a fishing 
net in November. The migration 
routes of the birds can be seen at 
www.vogelbescherming.nl/grutto 

Source: http://www. rug. nil 
biologie/ 1 02_09 

A scops owl on Principe? 

The Gulf of Guinea islands of Sao 
Tome and Principe are well known 
for their spectacular avian endemism, 
but no owl species is definitely 
known from the latter island, despite 
the presence of an endemic scops 
owl, Otus hartlaubi, on Sao Tome. 
Martim Melo and Martin Dallimer 
have recently published details of 
their recordings of owl-like calls 
in low- altitude primary forest on 
Principe during surveys in 2007. The 
calls are within the frequency range 
of Otus owls and differ from known, 
non-avian calls, suggesting that an 
endemic scops owl is present on 
the island, as had been speculatively 
reported since as long ago as 1928. 

Source: Malimbus 31, pp. 109-115 

Partnerships strengthen 
migratory bird conservation in 
West Africa 

Six countries in West Africa have 
committed to conserving Important 
Bird Areas (IBAs) for migrant birds 
along their coastlines, following a 
recent joint workshop organised by 
BirdLife and Wetlands International. 
“The project offers an opportunity 
for coordinated monitoring and 
conservation of IBAs along the coast 
of West Africa, and for capacity 
building, which is crucial for 
migratory bird conservation, as well 
as enhancement of the livelihoods of 
local communities”, said Dr Hazell 
Thompson, Africa regional director 
of BirdLife International. 

Over 40% of long-distance 
migrants in the African-Eurasian 
flyway have shown signs of decline 
during the last three decades. Of 
these 10% are classified by BirdLife 
as globally threatened or Near 
Threatened on the IUCN Red List. 
Along the coast of West Africa — 
from Guinea to Mauritania — over 
170 migrants have been recorded 



Marbled Teal / Marmaronette 
marbree Marmaronetta angustirostris 
(Georges Olioso) 



Aquatic Warbler / Phragmite aquatique 
Acrocephalus paludicola (Bruno Portier) 


including the Vulnerable Marbled 
Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris 
and Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus 
paludicola, and the Near Threatened 
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca. 
However, of the 43 IBAs in the 
region that qualify for their migratory 
birds, 22 lack any conservation 
action. Key threats identified 
include agricultural intensification, 
pollution, commercial and residential 
development, unsustainable 
harvesting and hunting, modification 
of habitats such as wetlands, invasive 
species and human disturbance. 

Some of the critical IBAs for 
migratory birds in the region include 
Banc d’Arguin National Park and 
Chott Boul (Mauritania), Delta 
du Saloum and Djoudj Wetlands 
(Senegal), Arquipelago dos Bijagos 
(Guinea Bissau), Sierra Leone River 
Estuary, and lies Tristao (Guinea). 

Participants from Guinea Bissau, 
Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, 

Sierra Leone and Gambia met at 
the four-day workshop in Dakar, 
Senegal. They represented civil 


society organisations, government 
institutions and conservation 
programmes and initiatives in the 
region. Together, they identified 
and agreed on a network of sites 
and species, as well as a menu of 
conservation actions that will be 
undertaken over the four-year life 
span of the project. 

Source: BirdLife International 
press release, December 2009 

White-necked Picathartes survey 
in Gola Forest, Sierra Leone 

A survey conducted in October 
2006-January 2007 within Gola 
Forest Reserve and in surrounding 
community forest found 47 White- 
necked Picathartes Picathartes 
gymnocephalus breeding sites, of 
which 35 were active. A total of 109 
active nests were counted, 64 of 
them located within the reserve. It 
is possible that the actual number is 
slightly higher, as some undiscovered 
nest colonies could exist at remote 
locations in the reserve. 

Source: Ibis 1 52, p. 205 

Grey-necked Picathartes survey 
in Cameroon 

Taku Awa et al. from Reading 
University, in the UK, surveyed 
Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes 
oreas in various parts of the 
Cameroon mountains, in particular 
Mbam Minkom Mountain Forest. 
During a complete survey in 
January-March 2006 they found 
90 breeding and 24 potential 
breeding sites, but the whole area 
is under considerable pressure from 
agricultural encroachment and illegal 
timber use. The authors suggest 
various possible remedial actions 
and that the situation needs to be 
monitored. 

Source: Bird Conserv. Intern. 19, 
pp. 254-264 

Good news for Ibadan Malimbe 

The globally Endangered Ibadan 
Malimbe Malimbus ibadanensis, 
whose population is considered to 
number fewer than 2,500 individuals 
confined to a tiny area circumscribed 
by Ibadan, Ife, Iperu and Ilaro, in 
south-west Nigeria, has recently been 
discovered in the Ifon Forest Reserve, 


14 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Africa Round-up 



a newly created protected area of 
282 knv, which now qualifies as an 
Important Bird Area. The finding 
extends the species’ range c. 140 
km to the east, and observations 
made in the reserve suggest some 
degree of dependence on Kola Cola 
gigantea trees, a previously unknown 
association. 

Source: Malimbus 31, pp. 121-122 

Plantations are not only bad news 
for birds 

Lars Holbech of the University of 
Ghana has been looking at tree 
crop plantations and their use by, 
mainly lower storey, forest birds. 

Such plantations have included rustic 
cocoa, neglected coconut and various 
plantations of exotic tree species. He 
found that those areas adjacent to or 
within large forest areas are superior 
to smaller areas near small species- 
poor forests, and a high forest tree 
density and a luxuriant undergrowth 
that is uncut for several years are the 
most important actors permitting 
forest specialists to survive. Fifty 
percent of species of conservation 
importance were found in such 
plantations, thus revealing that they 
are an important reservoir for such 
species. The considerable majority 
of the plantations lack formal 
protection. 

Source: Bird Conserv. Intern. 19, 
pp. 287-308 

Sao Tome Short-tail is more 
widespread than thought 

A team from the Sao Tome 
Association of Biology has found 
three, perhaps four, family groups 
of the Sao Tome Short-tail 
Amaurocichla bocagii in the montane 
forests of the island. Previously 
the species was thought only to 
occur in the lowlands, but clearly it 
breeds higher up too. Similarly, one 
individual of Newton’s Fiscal Lanius 
newtoni was also found. Perhaps the 
conservation of both these species is 
not quite as critical as was thought? 
Source: Bull. Br. Ornithol. Club 129, 
pp. 213-216 


East Africa 

East African Rarities Committee 
changes its remit 

The East African Rarities Committee 
has just changed its remit and 
will now consider the first to fifth 
records of any species from each of 
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is 
hoped that this will make it easier 
for observers to establish whether 
their sightings need to be submitted 
to the committee or not. If you see 
a species that has been recorded 
fewer than five times in any of the 
three countries please submit details 
to the EARC Secretary, Jeremy 
Lindsell, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, 
Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK, 
e-mail: jeremy.lindsell@rspb.org.uk. 
Past records of such rarities are also 
sought. 

Source: D. J. Fisher in litt. 2009 

NABU protects unique wild coffee 
forests in Ethiopia 

NABU (BirdLife in Germany), 
in partnership with the Ethiopian 
government and others, is to operate 
a project to protect the last natural 
forests where the world famous 
'arabica’ coffee is produced. In the 
last ten years, almost 43% of these 
forests have disappeared, having been 
transformed into arable land. “The 
clearing of tropical forests is a major 
source of greenhouse gases. Over 
the past 40 years, 35% of Ethiopian 
forests have been lost through 
deforestation. If we do not act now, 
Ethiopia will lose all its forests by 
2020”, said NABU’s President. 

Experts estimate that the remaining 
forest — c.200,000 ha — contains 
c.25 million tonnes of carbon 
dioxide in soil biomass. It absorbs 
600,000 tonnes p.a. of the harmful 
greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. 
The NABU project will provide 
the restoration of 700 ha of natural 
forest and cultivated areas with 
native wildlife and timber, whilst the 
reforestation of 10,000 ha will be 
jointly managed with the Biosphere 
Reserve following the principles of 
sustainable forestry. Special tourist 
infrastructures, such as animal 
and birdwatching towers, outdoor 


museums and hiking trails will also 
be constructed. After receiving special 
training, local people will be able to 
guide tourists and explain the effects 
of climate change and agriculture 
practices. 

Source: BirdLife International 
press release, December 2009 

Natron community vows to 
protect its flamingos 

Villagers around Tanzania’s Lake 
Natron have vowed to protect 
the lake and its Lesser Flamingos 
Phoemconaias minor from industrial 
development. BirdLife’s Tanzanian 
Partner — the Wildlife Conservation 
Society of Tanzania (WCST) — has 
put forward an alternative to the 
environmentally destructive soda 
ash extraction plant proposed for 
the lake, calling instead for its 
unmatched tourism potential to 
be developed, and for the people 
of Lake Natron to be enabled to 
benefit from the income generated. 
Three-quarters of the global Lesser 
Flamingo population occurs in East 
Africa, with Lake Natron by far their 
most important breeding site. In 
2007, the Indian-based multinational 
company, Lake Natron Resources 
Ltd., proposed to construct a major 
soda ash extraction plant to exploit 
the very alkaline nature of the lake 
(see Bull. ABC 15: 18). 

The company appears to have 
withdrawn its interest following 
a successful appeal by BirdLife 
and the Lake Natron Consultative 
Group, a coalition of community 
and environmental groups in East 
Africa. But in 2009 BirdLife learned 
that the Tanzanian government had 
published invitations to tender for 
soda extraction equipment, and plans 
an extension of the rail network 
to link Lake Natron to the port of 
Tanga. The government subsequently 
denied being responsible for the 
invitations. Speaking at a meeting 
organised by WCST, a Maasai elder, 
Lasoi Ole Nareshoi, said: “God gave 
us this resource for use by ourselves, 
our children and children’s children. 
We will protect it from any industrial 
exploitation that may chase away 
the flamingos and damage the 
environment”. Paul Nnyiti, of the 


Africa Round-up 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -15 


WCST, said the time had come for 
stakeholders and the government to 
come to the assistance of the Lake 
Natron community so that they can 
benefit from tourism, whilst Ken 
Mwathe, who is the Coordinator of 
the Lake Natron Consultative Group, 
said that although the soda ash 
mining plans have been put on hold, 
stakeholders remain worried that the 
plans have not been abandoned. 

Source: BirdLife International 
press release, October 2009; 

World Birdwatch 31(4), p. 7 

House Crows eradicated from 
Socotra 

House Crows Corpus splendens, 
which are native to the Indian 
subcontinent and are recognised as 
an invasive species in many parts 
of the world, were eradicated from 
Socotra, Yemen, in 2009. The first 
individuals arrived in 1996 and 
the population built up slowly to 
ten pairs, raising concerns about 
the damage the species could do to 
native biodiversity. Over the last 1 50 
years the species has been spreading, 
aided largely by ships, which have 
enabled them to colonise many 
parts of the Arabian Peninsula. In 
mainland Yemen, they had reached a 
high density by the 1980s, posing a 
threat to agriculture. Half a million 
were exterminated, but complete 
eradication proved impossible. 

Source: Sandgrouse 31, p. 204 & 
www. birdwatch. co. uk! website I content! 

viewl2673l32l 

Indian Ocean Islands 

Madagascar NGOs unite against 
plunder of natural resources 

Asity Madagascar (BirdLife in 
Madagascar) has joined a group of 
Malagasy civil society organisations, 
Voahary Gasy, in calling for an end 
to the plundering of natural resources 
in the national parks of north-east 
Madagascar. Following the change 
of government in March 2009, all 
but essential humanitarian aid has 
been withdrawn by the international 
community, leaving Madagascar s 
national park and forestry services 
practically unfunded. Loggers 


have moved into protected areas, 
removing valuable hardwoods such 
as rosewood, ebony and mahogany. 
They work for influential business 
people in possession of illegal but 
‘official’ documentation permitting 
them to export these hardwoods. 

Local communities who depend on 
forest resources and tourism have 
been threatened and attacked for 
their opposition to these highly 
destructive activities. A new trade 
in bushmeat has developed and 
lemurs in particular are being killed 
in large numbers. Several endemic 
birds are largely or entirely confined 
to pristine primary forest in this 
region, including the Endangered 
Madagascar Serpent Eagle Eutriorchis 
astur and Vulnerable Helmet Vanga 
Euryceros prevostii and Bernier s 
Vanga Oriolia bernieri. With the 
complete breakdown of protected 
area regulation, and armed gangs 
operating with impunity in the 
forests, it is impossible to assess the 
impact on these and other threatened 
species. 

Voahary Gasy is calling for 
an immediate halt to exports of 
hardwoods, particularly rosewood, 
the enforcement of protected area 
regulation, the creation of a task 
force to combat environmental 
crime, and a campaign to raise 
awareness within Madagascar ol the 
nature and extent of the destruction 
of the island’s remaining forests. 

The umbrella organisation is also 
emphasising that the range of new 
and extreme threats to Madagascar s 
environment and biodiversity is very 
broad and not restricted to the north- 
east of the country or to precious 
hardwoods. Other parts of the 
country, and valuable resources such 
as reptiles, shark fins and rare plants, 
are also affected or at least at risk. 
Asity Madagascar is working with 
other groups to control or prevent 
problems in the far south-east, where 
the largest expanse of lowland forest, 
Tsitongambarika, is under threat, 
and similar initiatives are taking place 
elsewhere. ‘These events are a disaster 
for Madagascar, profiting a tiny 
number of individuals at immense 
cost to the country’s economy and 
extraordinary heritage", said Dr 


Roger Safford, Senior Programme 
Manager at BirdLife International. 
“The global community must 
help to resolve the situation, but 
the emergence of Voahary Gasy is 
a very positive step, showing the 
commitment of Malagasy institutions 
and individuals to lead in publicising 
and tackling the problems. 

Source: World Birdwatch 31(4), p. 10 


Southern Africa 



Pygmy Falcon / Fauconnet 
d’Afrique Polihierax semitorquatus 
(Dave Richards) 


Polyandrous Pygmy Falcons 

During a photographic trip to 
the Kalahari Desert, in August 
2009, photographer Albie Venter 
documented two different 
male Pygmy Falcons Polihierax 
semitorquatus copulating with the 
same female, which had a nest 
nearby. An instance of cooperative 
breeding, wherein rwo male Pygmy 
Falcons had provisioned a single 
female, had been documented 
recently but such behaviour was 
unexplained, until now. It seems 
that, at least occasionally, the more 
strikingly coloured female Pygmy 
Falcon may avail herself of more than 
one mate. 

Source: Africa — Birds & Birding 
14(6), pp. 16-18 

Avian biodiversity in South Africa 
and the BirdLife South Africa List 
Committee 

There has recently been a major 
focus on the Southern African 
bird list, which includes the seven 
countries south of the Zambezi River. 
Remarkably, South Africa itself has 
never received much attention, and 
few birders even know how many 
species this remarkably diverse 


16 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Africa Round-up 



country holds. BirdLife South Africa 
has now reconvened the BirdLife 
South Africa List Committee and the 
resulting official South Africa bird list 
contains 90% of the species known 
from the entire southern African 
sub-region. The South African bird 
list (which can be downloaded on 
the BirdLife South Africa website: 
www.birdlife.org.za) includes 84 1 
species, plus another seven occurring 
in South African territory, on the 
subantarctic Prince Edward Islands. 
The list is highly conservative, 
as vagrants have been subject to 
approval by BirdLife South Africa’s 
Rarities Committee. Of the 841 bird 
species recorded in South Africa, 20 
are true endemics, 50 others are near- 
endemics occurring in Swaziland and 
Lesotho or very marginally spreading 
into countries further north, three 
are breeding endemics and one is 
apparently a winter endemic (Long- 
tailed Pipit Anthus longicaudatus) , 
whilst 120 are vagrants and of the 
remaining 721, 80% are resident. 

An exciting prospect is that all nine 
provinces of South Africa may hold 
new species for the South African list. 
Limpopo and North West provinces 
are diverse yet relatively poorly 
studied, whilst the Northern Cape 
has an unidentified canary that could 
even be new to science. The coastal 
provinces could generate new seabirds 
and waders, and the Eastern Cape 
has also been poorly explored. Chris 
Lotz, Chairman of BirdLife South 
Africa’s List Committee, urges birders 
to submit sightings of species new to 
the South Africa list to the BirdLife 
South Africa Rarities Committee and 
the List Committee; please contact 
him for more information (info@ 
birdingecotours.co.za). 

Source: Chris Lotz in litt. 

January 2010 

Damara Terns in Angola 

While it has been strongly suspected 
for some years that the globally Near 
Threatened Damara Tern Sterna 
balaenarum might breed in extreme 
south-western Angola, specifically 
in the region of the Baia dos Tigres, 
irrefutable evidence for this was 
lacking until January 2009. In 
that month, Rob Simmons visited 



Damara Tern / Sterne des baleiniers 
Sterna balaenarum (Peter Ryan) 


this remote area with the express 
intention of surveying it for the 
species. His trip was fantastically 
successful; around 35 km north 
ol the Cunene River mouth, Rob 
found a breeding colony of Damara 
Terns numbering approximately 570 
individuals and 200 pairs. He found 
five nests with either eggs or young. 

Source: Africa — Birds & Birding 
14(6), pp. 56-60 

Taxonomic proposals 

A new boubou species 

Laniarius willardi has been described 
as a new species of boubou from 
the Albertine Rift by a team of 
researchers, based on its grey to blue- 
grey irides, external morphometries 
and genetic data, which indicate 
that its closest relative is Mountain 
Sooty Boubou L. poensis camerunensis 
from Cameroon. Crimson-breasted 
Bushshrike L. atrococcineus and 
Sooty Boubou L. leucorhynchus 
are together the sister clade to 
L. willardi / L. p. camerunensis. 
Laniarius willardi (the specific 
name honours David Willard, 

Curator of Birds at Chicago’s Field 
Museum of Natural History) and 
the geographically sympatric L. 
p. holomelas differ by 1 1.5% in 
uncorrected sequence divergence, 
whilst elevational data from 
specimens suggest the possibility of 
elevational segregation at c.2,000 
m, with L. willardi occurring below 
this. The team’s broad sampling of 
black and sooty boubou taxa also 
indicate that: L. poensis races do not 
form a monophyletic clade; L. p. 
camerunensis may represent multiple, 
non-sister lineages; and that at 
least one race of Fiilleborn’s Black 
Boubou L. fuelleborni usambaricus 


is genetically distinct from the other 
races of that species. 

Source: Auk online , doi:10.1525/ 
auk. 2009. 09014 

A new ‘Winifred’s Warbler’ 
species 

Rauri Bowie et al. have studied 
genetic samples from the various 
populations of Winifred’s Warbler 
Scepomycter winifredae in the 
mountains of central Tanzania. The 
species was originally known solely 
from the Uluguru Mountains, but 
it has more recently been found in 
the Ukaguru and Rubeho ranges, 
with one record from the eastern 
scarp of the Udzungwas. The latter 
three populations lie >100 km from 
the Uluguru population with no 
contact as far as is known. They are 
also morphologically distinguishable, 
and their DNA is different at several 
localities, suggesting that these might 
be recognised specifically under the 
name Rubeho Warbler Scepomycter 
rubehoensis. 

Source: Ibis 151, pp. 709-719 

How many species of Pterodroma 
occur in Macaronesia? 

Jose Jesus et al. from the University 
of Madeira have been examining 
the taxonomy and relationships of 
the gadfly petrels Pterodroma spp. 
in Macaronesia using cytochrome 
£-gene data and morphometries. 
Results suggest that all three forms: 
Zino’s Petrel P. madeira , and the 
two forms of Fea’s Petrel P. f. feae 
(from the Cape Verdes) and P.f. 
deserta (from Bugio) constitute a 
monophyletic clade most closely 
related to Bermuda Petrel P. cahow 
and Black-capped Petrel P. hasitata. 
The authors consider that all three 
Macaronesian forms warrant species 
status, which in turn has conservation 
implications as P. f. deserta might 
qualify as Vulnerable (see also Bull. 
ABC 16: 18). 

Source: Bird Conserv. Intern. 19, 
pp. 199-214 

Dohrn’s Thrush Babbler is a Sylvia 
The taxonomic position of Dohrn’s 
Thrush Babbler Horizorhinus dohrni, 
the sole representative of this genus 
endemic to the Gulf of Guinea 


Africa Round-up 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -17 


island of Principe, has remained 
uncertain since the species was 
formally described nearly 150 years 
ago. It has been variously placed in 
babblers (Timaliidae), flycatchers 
(Muscicapidae), thrushes (Turdidae) 
and warblers (Sylviidae). Molecular 
analysis by Gary Voelker, Martim 
Melo and Rauri Bowie resulted in 
strong support for the placement of 
Horizorhinus within babblers, and 
as part of the (babbler) genus Sylvia. 
Specifically, Horizorhinus was placed 
as sister to African Hill Babbler Sylvia 
(. Pseudoalcippe ) abyssinica , in a small 
Sylvia subclade that also included 
Blackcap S. atricapilla and Garden 
Warbler S. borin. The researchers 
therefore suggest that Horizorhinus 
be subsumed into Sylvia , and that 
Dohrn’s Thrush Babbler henceforth 
be recognised as Sylvia dohrni. 

Source: Ibis 151, pp. 580-583 

Genetic work reveals surprising 
new relative of the Fairy 
Flycatcher 

Endemic to southern Africa, the 
Fairy Flycatcher (or Fairy Warbler) 
Stenostira scita has been variously 
placed close to the Monarchidae, 
within the Muscicapidae, as Incertae 
Sedis with other warblers, such 
as the tailorbirds Orthotomus, of 
uncertain relationships, or in the 
so-called Stenostiridae, which also 
comprises the genera Elminia , of the 
Afrotropics, and the Indo-Malayan 
Culicicapa (canary- flycatchers). The 
Stenostiridae is just one of seven 
lineages identified within the old 



Fairy Flycatcher / Mignard enchanteur 
Stenostira scita (Peter Ryan) 


Mount Moco website 
www.mountmoco.org 


expanded view of the Muscicapidae 
by recent molecular work. Now, 
further genetic sequencing, by 
Jerome Fuchs et al. suggests that 
the Asian taxon, Yellow-bellied 
Fantail Rhipidura hypoxantha, also 
belongs within the Stenostiridae. 
Because of this, the authors of the 
study recommend that this fantail be 
returned to the genus Chelidorhynx. 
Given strong, independent and 
multi-local support for the definition 
of this family group, Fuchs and his 
co-workers have now formally erected 
the name Stenostiridae under the 
rules of the International Code of 
Zoological Nomenclature. 

Source: Mol. Phyl. & Evol. 53, 
pp. 384-393 

Internet resources 

Mount Moco website 

A new website, www.mountmoco. 
org, is devoted to ornithological work 
at Mount Moco, Angola’s highest 
mountain and arguably the most 


important site for bird conservation 
in Angola. The mountain has no 
formal conservation status and the 
few remaining Afromontane forest 
patches, <85 ha in extent, are being 
eroded by a single community of 
c.300 people. The region is thought 
to support half of all Afromontane 
forest in Angola, making it vital for 
the protection of birds dependent on 
these forests, the most notable being 
Swierstra’s Francolin Francolinus 
sutierstrai, with an estimated 80 
pairs. No other viable population is 
currently known. The main aims are 
to have the site officially recognised 
as a conservation area and to reduce 
impacts on the forest by providing 
alternative sources of wood and 
increasing efficiency of natural 
resource use. Ultimately, it is hoped 
to start a small reforestation project 
and promote tourism to the site. A 
Portuguese version of the website 
should be available soon. 

Source: Michael Mills & Martim Melo 
in litt. October 2009 


Advertise in the Bulletin of the ABC 

Reach over 1 ,200 subscribers in more than 60 countries. 

Copy deadlines 

Advertisements should be submitted as high-resolution 
PDF, Quark or Pagemaker files, preferably by e-mail to the 

March Bulletin 15 January 

August Bulletin 15 June 1 T/i 

Advertising Officer - advertising@africanbirdclub.org. 

1/ 

Rates and technical details 

All advertisements must be prepaid: cheques made payable 

are available on the ABC web site at: 

to the African Bird Club or payment made via the ABC 
website www.africanbirdclub.org. 

www.africanbirdclub.org/club/advertise.html 



18 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Africa Round-up 



Plumage variation in African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro and its 
separation from congenerics in equatorial Africa 

Michel Louettt f; illustrated by Nik Borrow b 


Variation dans le plumage de 1 Autour tachiro Accipiter tachiro et la distinction de ses congeneres 
en Afrique equatoriale. Le plumage de 1 Autour africain Accipiter tachiro presente une grande variation 
geographique et individuelle. Certains plumages lies a l’age et au sexe, ainsi que d’autres caracteristiques, 
sont souvent mal decrits dans la litterature. L auteur analyse les differences morphologiques caracteristiques 
et indique comment distinguer 1 Autour africain d autres especes d’ Accipiter en Afrique equatoriale, avec 
reference speciale a 1 Autour a flancs roux A. castanilius. Differents plumages adultes et immatures sont 
illustres et compares a ceux d’especes similaires et sympatriques du genre Accipiter. 

Summary. African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro displays remarkable geographical and individual variation; 
some of these plumages and other characteristics are often poorly described in the literature. Here I discuss 
the distinctive features and indicate how to separate African Goshawks from other Accipiter species in 
equatorial Africa, with special reference to Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk A. castanilius. Various adult and 
immature plumages are illustrated and compared with those of sympatric congenerics. 


A frican Goshawk Accipiter tachiro is one of the 
commonest raptors in African forests and 
woodlands. However, in the field as well as in the 
museum tray, the species can be easily confused 
with others of the same genus. Indeed, individual 
morphological variation is quite extensive, and 
the species also displays remarkable geographical 
variation, whilst some age- and sex-related 
plumages and other characteristics are often 
poorly described in the literature. Because the 
species' breeding season is prolonged in equatorial 
regions (yet seasonal elsewhere) and post-juvenile 
moult can take almost 12 months, moulting birds 
can be present virtually year-round here. These 
birds in post-juvenile moult are especially tricky to 
identify. Like all Accipiter species worldwide, size 
dimorphism is the rule, with the female being the 
larger of the sexes: in African Goshawk the wing- 
chord of females is up to c. 15% longer than that 
of males in Cameroon and up to c. 19% longer 
in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo 
(hereafter DRC; also Congo-Kinshasa). Weight 
differences are even more important: the female 
usually weighs almost twice as much as the male 
(Louette 2001, 2003) Although the forest forms 
are monomorphic in colour, with both sexes being 
colourful, Chapin (1932) already noted that in the 
woodland forms ‘females have much less rufous 
on flanks and tibiae [than males] and often none 
at all’. 


Taxonomy 

The taxonomy of the genus Accipiter is not yet 
entirely clear. Robust results from molecular 
studies are best awaited in order to decide on 
the number of species in each of the three 
complexes (or ‘superspecies’) — Shikra A. badius 
(and relatives), African Little Sparrowhawk A. 
minullus (plus Red-thighed Sparrowhawk A. 
erythropus ) and African Goshawk (which has 
several recognisable forms). Stresemann (1923) 
unified, purely on morphological grounds, all of 
the described taxa into a single species in each 
of these three cases. Then followed a long period 
of taxonomic stability and some recent works 
(Kemp & Kemp 1998, Borrow & Demey 2001, 
2004, Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001, Allan 
2005) still consider African Goshawk as a single 
species. Under any of the phylogenetic species 
concepts, which tend to afford species rank to 
all recognisable forms, other works prefer to 
split African Goshawk into two species: African 
Goshawk A. tachiro sensu stricto and ‘Red-chested 
Goshawk’ A. toussenelii (Kemp 1994, Clark & 
Davies 2000, Sinclair & Ryan 2003) and this 
will also be the case in a forthcoming field guide 
to African raptors (W. S. Clark pers. comm.). 
Ail recent works retain Shikra as one species but 
separate African Little Sparrowhawk from Red- 
thighed Sparrowhawk. 

Helbig et al. (2002) proposed guidelines 
for assigning species rank, and, anticipating the 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -19 


results of molecular work by ML s team ot 
the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), 
Tervuren, Belgium, it appears that it is still quite 
acceptable to provisionally apply the concept of 
superspecies’ in the case of African Goshawk. 
There are behavioural arguments too, besides 
their morphological resemblance (Dowsett & 
Dowsett-Lemaire 1993). However, hybridisation 
between the woodland form tachiro and the 
forest form toussenelii is not yet proven in the 
contact region in Kivu, DRC (Louette 2003; and 
preliminary molecular work at the RMCA), and 
the plumage of some aberrant individuals might 
be due to age or individual variation. I therefore 
prefer to employ the term paraspecies for tachiro 
on the one hand, and for toussenelii on the other 
(Louette 2003, 2007). Each paraspecies has four 
morphologically identifiable regional populations 
consequently treated here as subspecies. 

In mainland equatorial regions, there is 
just one subspecies in the paraspecies tachiro 
(. sparsimfasciatus , which occurs from Angola to 
Somalia), but three in the paraspecies toussenelii 
(from west to east: macroscelides, from Senegal 
to westernmost Cameroon; nominate toussenelii, 


from Cameroon to western DRC; and canescens, 
in central and eastern DRC) (see Fig. 1). The close 
relationship of all subspecies of African Goshawk 
is demonstrable when examining the endemic 
island forms. The subspecies lopezi, restricted to 
Bioko Island, in the Gulf of Guinea, is a membei 
of the toussenelii paraspecies. It is well saturated 
with rufous below, especially on the breast, flanks 
and thighs and, in some, on the throat, the latter 
a feature unique to this population, although it 
is derived from macroscelides (Louette 2001). On 
the opposite side of Africa, subspecies pembaensis, 
a member of the tachiro paraspecies, is endemic 
to Pemba Island, off Tanzania. This bird is more 
deeply coloured than its founder population, 
sparsimfasciatus in mainland Tanzania and on 
Zanzibar (Louette 1993). 

The isolated Ethiopian form unduliventer , 
which persists within ecological islands , is 
intermediate in coloration between the two 
paraspecies. According to the preliminary 
molecular results, it could either be included in 
the tachiro paraspecies or separated in its own, 
third, paraspecies. 



Figure 1 . Distribution of African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro subspecies. 
Repartition des sous-especes de l’Autour tachiro Accipiter tachiro. 


20 Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Size and plumage variation in African 
Goshawk 

There is a cline in size in equatorial Africa, from 
large East African to small West African birds: 
eastern DRC birds have a c. 16% longer wing- 
chord than those from Liberia, but again, the mass 
difference is no doubt much greater, probably 
c.40% (Louette 2001, 2003). Thus, macroscelides 
in West Africa is the smallest subspecies, toussenelii 
is slightly larger and canescens is again somewhat 
larger, with sparsimfasciatus being the largest, sex 
for sex; in the field, however, this will barely be 
noticeable. 

The pattern of spotting (in the juvenile) and 
barring (in the adult) of the breast feathers is 
variable among all subspecies (from heavily in 
most subspecies to an almost unspotted immature 
in toussenelii and canescens and an unbarred adult 
canescens ). I have explained elsewhere (Louette 
2000, 2007) that plumage characteristics are 
functionally related to habitat (e.g. with plumage 
colour intensity increasing with habitat density), 
age and possibly mimicry. 

The adult female of the woodland 
sparsimfasciatus is cryptically coloured (probably 
related to nesting activities), with individual 
variation, possibly helpful for ‘image avoidance’ 
(so that potential prey does not learn the predator’s 
colour pattern). Specimens from DRC can be 
separated into two general morphs (with buff 
and whitish bellies), but with a variable amount 
of ventral barring. (Here the term ‘morph’ is 
used, although Thomsett (2007) prefers to use 
‘phase’ for a transitional plumage.) The adult 
male is even more variably coloured, which is 
in part age-related. A so-called ‘sepia’ morph — a 
misleading name — exists (Plate 2: 4); this may 
be a ‘first adult’ (subadult) plumage; it occurs in 
at least part of the range (southern and eastern 
DRC, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania). Nevertheless, 
some immatures, in their first (post-juvenile) 
moult, are definitely buff or white ventrally, just 
like adult females. These (subadult) plumages, 
lacking the reddish flanks, may help to avoid 
aggression from older, territorial males. But these 
morphs also exist in adults, with no remaining 
juvenile feathers. The ‘standard’ morph has not 
yet been found in subadults, and may therefore 
well be restricted to older birds. It has whitish 
underparts, finely barred and dark grey upperparts 
and reddish flanks, supposedly becoming darker 


with age; it could be more conspicuous than 
the buff and sepia morphs. This might assist in 
territorial defence or be preferred by females. On 
Plate 2, a wide variety of sparsimfasciatus plumages 
is illustrated. Notice the paler general colour of 
the ‘sepia’ morph compared to the ‘standard’ 
birds. The specimen used for this illustration 
is young. Its juvenile characteristics (the as yet 
unmoulted rufous-fringed uppertail-coverts, see 
Louette 2003) are invisible on the plate. 

The adult evergreen forest canescens shows 
enforcement of colourful advertising plumage 
and loss of sexual plumage dimorphism — more 
pronounced colours may be useful for display in 
the shade of the equatorial forest. Here, the first 
adult plumage is heralded by the late moult of the 
barred juvenile flank-feathers in both sexes. Its 
juvenile is peculiar: it lacks (or has very few) breast 
spots, suggesting image avoidance, but possibly 
also character displacement (in order to help 
differentiate individuals from Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk A. castanilius ) or mimicry (of adult 
Black Sparrowhawk A. melanoleucus ). 

A rare melanistic morph, in both adult 
and immature, is only known in East African 
sparsimfasciatus. 

The ‘normal’ immature of sparsimfasciatus has 
two morphs: one with a whitish, the other with 
a huffish ground colour (respectively 22 and 17 
specimens in the RMCA collection). 

Common identification problems 

1. Separating African Goshawk from 
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk 

In the rain forest zone, Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk is the most likely candidate to be 
confused with the local brightly coloured African 
Goshawk of the toussenelii paraspecies. This is true 
for immatures as well as for adults and is mainly 
due to their similar size and superficially similar 
coloration, combined with poor descriptions and 
illustrations in some handbooks and field guides. 
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk is undoubtedly 
still one of Africa’s least-known raptors. Louette 
(1992) provided a key for distinction in the hand, 
and Louette & Herroelen (2007) were the first to 
publish a photograph. 

Unfortunately, several publications (among 
them Snow 1978) and some museum catalogues 
mention Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk in their 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -21 



22 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Legend to plate on opposite page 

Plate 1 . Adults of the forest taxa (with two woodland 
birds for comparison). 

Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk Accipiter castanilius 

1-2 Adult female 

3 Adult male 

Illustrated are the extremes in variation in the amount of 
red intermingled with black in the breast barring (which 
exists in both sexes). The dark cast to the yellow legs and 
feet is probably a good field character for perched birds. 
Both sexes are very similar in coloration and mainly differ 
in size. 

Red-thighed Sparrowhawk A. erythropus 

4 Adult female A. e. erythropus 

5 Adult male A. e. zenkeri 

A small species with heavily contrasting plumage colours 
and especially conspicuous white throat and uppertail- 
coverts. 

African Goshawk A. tachiro 

6 Adult female A. t. macroscelid.es. Underparts are 
orange-chestnut barred whitish; the white throat is 
finely barred grey. 

7 Adult male A. t. toussenelii. Note the very lightly 
barred, silvery grey throat. 

8 Adult female A. t. sparsimfasciatus. A typical 
individual. 

9 Subadult male A. t. sparsimfasciatus. This c.l -year-old 
individual is unusual as it has no rufous on its flanks. 

1 0 Adult female A. t. canescens. 

1 1 Adult female A. t. canescens. A less barred individual. 

12 Adult male A. t. canescens. 

Adult A. t. canescens is less heavily barred whitish below 
than macroscelides and most toussenelii , and also than 
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk. Some toussenelii and 
canescens , especially in the south-west of the range, are 
almost plain rufous below, with a silvery cast. Adults of 
both sexes of the paraspecies toussenelii are very similar in 
coloration. 


lists or among their holdings from West Africa, 
but my examination of specimens proves this 
to be incorrect in all cases. This species has 
also been erroneously mentioned from Ethiopia 
(BirdLife International 2009). Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk is definitely known only from the 
equatorial forest belt from Nigeria to DRC, where 
it seems to be quite common. There are 101 


Planche 1. Adultes des taxons forestiers (accompagnes 
de deux oiseaux provenant de la savane arboree pour 
comparaison). 

Autour a flancs roux Accipiter castanilius 

1-2 Femelle adulte 

3 Male adulte 

Nous avons illustre les extremes dans la variation du 
rouge mele de noir dans les barres horizontales de la 
poitrine (presentes dans les deux sexes). Le saupoudrage 
noir des tarses et des pieds jaunes est probablement un 
bon critere d identification sur le terrain pour les oiseaux 
perches. Les deux sexes sont de coloration tres similaire et 
different surtout en taille. 

Epervier de Hartlaub A. erythropus 

4 A. e. erythropus femelle adulte. 

5 A. e. zenkeri male adulte. 

Une petite espece aux couleurs du plumage tres 
contrastees, d'ou ressortent la gorge et les sus-caudales 
blanches. 

Autour tachiro A. tachiro 

6 A. t. macroscelides femelle adulte. Les parties 
inferieures sont orange marron barrees de blanc ; la 
gorge blanche est finement barree de gris. 

7 A. t. toussenelii male adulte. Noter la gorge gris 
argente et tres legerement barree. 

8 A. t. sparsimfasciatus femelle adulte. Un individu 
caracteristique. 

9 A. t. sparsimfasciatus male subadulte. Ce specimen 
d’environ un an est particulier par fabsence de 
coloration rousse sur les flancs. 

10 A. t. canescens femelle adulte. 

11 A. t. canescens femelle adulte. Un specimen dont les 
barres sont moins evidentes. 

12 A. t. canescens male adulte. 

Les barres blanches sur les parties inferieures de A. 
t. canescens adulte sont moins apparentes que chez 
macroscelides , la plupart des toussenelii , ainsi que chez 
l’Autour a flancs roux. Certains toussenelii et canescens , 
et surtout ceux provenant du sud-ouest de leur aire de 
repartition, ont les parties inferieures quasi uniformement 
rousses et saupoudrees de gris argente. Les adultes des 
deux sexes de la para-espece toussenelii sont de coloration 
tres similaire. 

specimens of Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk in 
the collection of the RMCA, compared to 127 
specimens of toussenelii — all collected randomly 
during colonial times — suggesting that both are 
about equally common in forested DRC, unless 
there is a behavioural difference, which would 
make one or the other more prone to be collected. 
The range of Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk thus 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -23 


Table 1 . Identification features of adults of five Accipiter taxa from mainland equatorial regions: four subspecies of African Goshawk A. tachiro and 

Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk A. castanilius. 

Tableau 1. Criteres d'identification des adultes de cinq taxons de Accipiter de regions equatoriales continentales : quatre sous-especes de 

I’Autour tachiro A. tachiro et I’Autour a flancs roux A. castanilius. 





Accipiter tachiro 


Accipiter 


macroscelides 

toussenelii 

canescens 

sparsimfasciatus 

castanilius 

Upperparts 

slate-grey 

grey 

grey 

male: variable; mostly dark grey; 
female: blackish brown 

blackish 

Throat 

white, finely barred 
grey 

plain silvery grey 

white or grey 

pale grey, finely streaked 

white, finely streaked 

Breast and belly 

rufous barred 
greyish white 

rufous barred 
whitish or grey 

most: (almost) unbarred 
rufous: some: as toussenelii 

whitish barred grey 

dirty white with bold blackish-brown bars 
(sometimes with chestnut traces) 

Flanks 

rufous 

rufous 

rufous 

barred greyish brown (male) or 
brown (female) 

chestnut 

Thighs 

rufous 

rufous 

greyish white 

barred greyish brown (male) or 
brown (female) 

plain chestnut 

Tail 

blackish with three relatively large white spots 

white spots present, less distinct 
or absent 

blackish with 3-4 relatively large spots 

Irides 


usually yellow, occasionally orange 

usually red 

Legs and feet 

bright yellow 

bright yellow 

bright yellow 

bright yellow 

bright yellow with black cast 


Table 2. Identification features of immatures of five Accipiter taxa from mainland equatorial regions: four subspecies of African Goshawk A. tachiro 

and Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk A. castanilius. 

Tableau 2. Criteres d'identification des immatures de cinq taxons de Accipiter de regions equatoriales continentales : quatre sous-especes 

de I'Autour tachiro A. tachiro et I’Autour a flancs roux A. castanilius. 





Accipiter tachiro 


Accipiter 


macroscelides 

toussenelii 

canescens 

sparsimfasciatus 

castanilius 

Upperparts 

dark brown 

blackish brown 

blackish brown 

brown 

dark brown 

Throat 

dark brown 
mesialstripe 

white 

white 

white with central streak 

white with central streak 

Breast 

drop-like spots 

few or no spots 

few or no spots 

drop-like spots 

heavily spotted 

Belly 

drop-like spots 

white 

white 

white 

white with a variable amount of spots 

Flanks 

barred dark 
brown 

broadly barred 
dark brown 

variable; some 
heavily streaked 

spotted 

heavily streaked or barred 

Thighs 

barred dark 
brown 

white 

white 

drop-like spots 

barred with wider bars than toussenelii 
paraspecies 

Legs and feet 

yellow 

yellow 

yellow 

yellow 

yellow with black cast 


partially overlaps with that of the three mainland 
forms of the toussenelii paraspecies. 

Adult Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk has 
dark blackish upperparts and head-sides; in the 
sympatric African Goshawks these are paler slate- 
grey (in macroscelides ) or grey (in toussenelii / 
canescens). Ventrally, the flanks of Chestnut- 
flanked Sparrowhawk are also darker (chestnut 


vs. orange or rufous in the toussenelii paraspecies) 
and the breast and belly are dirty white with 
bold, dark blackish-brown bars, sometimes with 
chestnut traces; in African Goshawk these parts 
are rufous barred whitish or grey (in toussenelii 
and some canescens) or (almost) unbarred rufous 
(in most canescens ) or whitish barred grey (in 
sparsimfasciatus). The thighs are plain chestnut 


24 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Legend to plate on p. 26 

Plate 2. Variation in adult African Goshawk woodland 
taxon and flight patterns of different species 

1-2 Adult male A. t. sparsimfasciatus in flight. The 
variation in the amount of reddish on the flanks 
and the underwing in A. t. sparsimfasciatus is quite 
extensive. In adults the heavy colour saturation 
overall is more often than not correlated to an almost 
unpatterned underwing. However, underwing pattern 
is quite variable, as shown here. 

3 Adult male A. t. sparsimfasciatus. A particularly dark 
specimen from south Sudan. 

4 Apparently subadult male A. t. sparsimfasciatus in the 
sepia morph. 

3 Adult male A. t. sparsimfasciatus. Another variant with 
more rufous colour in the barring, possibly an old 
individual. 

6 Adult male A. t. sparsimfasciatus. A normal, dark 
male with typically barred underparts and rather 
pronounced rufous flanks. 

7 Adult female A. t. sparsimfasciatus. Some birds from 
Kivu, eastern DRC, and especially those from Idjwi 
Island in Lake Kivu, like this female, have a yellowish 
or even chocolate wash to the underparts. 

8 Adult female A. t. sparsimfasciatus. A bird with heavily 
barred underparts and reddish flanks which was 
suspected to be a hybrid canescens / sparsimfasciatus 
(see Louette 2003). 

9 Adult Red-thighed Sparrowhawk A. erythropus in 
flight. Red-thighed Sparrowhawk is, with African 
Little Sparrowhawk A. minullus , unique amongst 
the African Accipiter in having a white band on the 
uppertail-coverts. 

1 0 Adult Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk A. castanilius 
in flight. The tail spots are small but quite apparent. 

1 1 Adult A. t. macroscelides in flight. Tail spots are 
variable and may be absent. 

12 Adult A. t. sparsimfasciatus in flight. Tail spots are 
variable and may be absent. 

in Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk; they are quite 
variable in the African Goshawk: rufous barred 
white or greyish, rufous mixed with white or 
grey, plain grey or white barred grey. In the 
■southern part of the range of toussenelii, there is a 
silvery grey barring or cast over the orange-rufous 
ground colour of the ventral side and the thighs. 
The throat is white with some faint, narrow grey 
bars in Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk, whereas 
it is plain silvery grey in toussenelii and white in 
canescens-, in the mainly allopatric macroscelides , 
however, the white throat is also finely barred. 


Planche 2. La variation chez 1’Autour tachiro Accipiter 
tachiro adulte du taxon de la savane arboree et patterns en 
vol de differences especes 

1-2 A. t. sparsimfasciatus male adulte en vol. La variation 
dans l’intensite de la coloration rousse sur les flancs 
et le dessous de 1’aile chez A. t. sparsimfasciatus est 
considerable. Chez l’adulte une coloration intense sur 
l’ensemble du corps est souvent correlee a un dessous 
d’aile sans dessin caracteristique. Cependant, le dessin 
du dessous de l’aile est fort variable, comme montre 
ici. 

3 Male adulte A. t. sparsimfasciatus. Un specimen 
particulierement fonce provenant du sud du Soudan. 

4 A. t. sparsimfasciatus probablement male subadulte de 
la forme sepia. 

5 A. t. sparsimfasciatus male adulte. Une autre variante, 
avec plus de coloration rousse dans les barres, peut- 
etre un individu age. 

6 A. t. sparsimfasciatus male adulte. Un male fonce 
caracteristique, presentant les barres typiques dessous 
et une coloration rousse prononcee sur les flancs. 

7 A. t. sparsimfasciatus femelle adulte. Quelques oiseaux 
du Kivu, de Test de la RD Congo, et notamment 
ceux de Hie Idjwi sur le lac Kivu, comme cette 
femelle, ont les parties inferieures lavees de jaune ou 
meme de brun chocolat. 

8 A. t. sparsimfasciatus femelle adulte. Un oiseau au 
dessous fortement barre et aux flancs roux qui fut 
suspecte d’etre un hybride canescens / sparsimfasciatus 
(voir Louette 2003). 

9 Epervier de Hartlaub A. erythropus adulte en vol. 
L’Epervier de Hartlaub (ainsi que l’Epervier minule) 
est unique parmi les Accipiter africains par la bande 
blanche sur les sus-caudales. 

10 Autour a flancs roux A. castanilius adulte en vol. Les 
taches sur la queue sont petites mais bien apparentes. 

11 A. t. macroscelides adulte en vol. Les taches sur la 
queue sont variables et peuvent etre absentes. 

12 A. t. sparsimfasciatus adulte en vol. Les taches sur la 
queue sont variables et peuvent etre absentes. 

The two species have white spots on the upper tail 
(Plate 2: 10-11). 

Adult female Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk 
is not noticeably smaller than male African 
Goshawk in the area of overlap, but the black 
breast barring, bright chestnut flanks and deeply 
coloured chestnut thighs distinguish it from its 
congener (Plate 1: 1-2). 

Immature African Goshawks are quite variable 
according to subspecies and region: toussenelii 
and especially canescens are only sparingly spotted 
ventrally, some even without spots; in macroscelides 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -25 




Legend to plate is on p. 25 





26 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 



Legend to plate is on p. 28 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -27 


Legend to plate on p. 27 

Plate 3. Immatures (with adult Black Sparrowhawk A 

melanoleucus) 

1 Immature male A t. macroscelides. Resembles 
immature Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk (2); they 
are, however, sympatric only in southern Nigeria and 
westernmost Cameroon. 

2 Immature female A. castanilius. Note the browner 
upperparts than A. t. macroscelides, more richly 
coloured barring on the flanks and thighs, the 
different shape to the ‘tear-drop’ breast markings, 
and more mottling on the nape and back. 

3 Immature female A. e. erythropus. Upperparts darker 
than in any race of tachiro. 

4 Immature female A. e. zenkeri. The underparts 
pattern is quite distinctive: buffy-white with uniquely 
spotted breast-sides and dark-barred flanks slightly 
washed rusty. 

5 Adult male A. melanoleucus. Note black patches on 
flanks and thighs. 

6 Immature male A. t. sparsimfasciatus (buff morph). 
Generally a brownish bird, with much less 
contrasting plumage than immatures of the toussenelii 
paraspecies. 

7 Immature female A. t. sparsimfasciatus (white morph). 
Somewhat more contrasting than 6. 

8 Immature female A. t. canescens. May look 
superficially similar to 3, but has many fewer or no 
black markings on flanks and plain white thighs. 

9 Immature male A. t. canescens. As 8, but distinctly 
smaller. 

10 Immature male A. t. toussenelii. May look 
superficially similar to 5, but has many fewer black 
markings on flanks and thighs. Some specimens of 
this subspecies have slightly more brown markings on 
the underparts. 


the spotting is well marked (Plate 3: 1, 8-10). 
Nevertheless, the sympatric subspecies can be 
difficult to separate from immature Chestnut- 
flanked Sparrowhawk, which however always 
has heavy ventral spotting. Immature Chestnut- 
flanked Sparrowhawk also has darker brown 
upperparts (especially after the rufous juvenile 
feather tips have worn off) and the brown bars on 
the thighs are equally both darker and wider than 
in the paraspecies toussenelii. Within the range 
of Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk the confusion 
forms would be macroscelides in south-east Nigeria 


Planche 3. Immatures (avec 1’adulte de 1’Autour noir A. 
melanoleucus ) 

1 A. t. macroscelides male immature. Ressemble a 
l’immature de l’Autour a flancs roux (2) ; ils ne sont 
toutefois sympatriques qu'au sud du Nigeria et dans 
l’extreme ouest du Cameroun. 

2 Autour a flancs roux A. castanilius femelle immature. 
Noter les parties superieures plus brunes que chez 
macroscelides, les barres sur les flancs et les cuisses 
plus richement colorees, les formes differences des 
marques sur la poitrine, et le dos et la nuque plus 
marbres. 

3 Epervier de Hartlaub A. e. erythropus femelle 
immature. Les parties superieures sont plus foncees 
que chez n’importe quelle sous-espece de tachiro. 

4 Epervier de Hartlaub A. e. zenkeri femelle 
immature. Le pattern des parties inferieures est assez 
caracteristique : blanc chamois avec les cotes de la 
poitrine tachetes et les flancs avec des barres sombres 
legerement lavees de roux. 

5 Autour noir A. melanoleucus male adulte. Noter les 
taches noires sur les flancs et les cuisses. 

6 A. t. sparsimfasciatus male immature (forme chamois). 
En general un oiseau brunatre, avec un plumage 
beaucoup moins contraste que les immatures de la 
para-espece toussenelii. 

7 A. t. sparsimfasciatus femelle immature (forme 
blanche). Quelque peu plus contrastee que 6. 

8 A. t. canescens femelle immature. Peut sembler 
superficiellement similaire a 3, mais possede 
beaucoup moins ou quasi pas de marques noires sur 
les flancs. De plus, les cuisses sont uniformement 
blanches. 

9 A. t. canescens male immature. Comme 8, mais 
nettement plus petit. 

10 A. t. toussenelii male immature. Peut paraitre 
superficiellement similaire a 5, mais possede 
beaucoup moins ou quasi pas de marques noires sur 
les flancs et les cuisses. Certains specimens de cette 
sous-espece presentent legerement plus de marques 
brunes sur les parties inferieures. 

/ south-west Cameroon or a small juvenile 
male sparsimfasciatus (as illustrated on Plate 3). 
Immature / juvenile toussenelii and canescens are 
easier to separate, as they have a plainer white 
breast with fewer or no drop-shaped markings. 
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk’s tail has fewer 
and smaller white spots than sympatric African 
Goshawk. If seen well the darker legs and feet of 
the former should be distinctive in both adults 
and immatures. 

Photographs suggest some differences in the 
amount of naked skin around the eye, the cere, 


28 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


bill, legs and feet colours, and the head shape. 
Adult Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk may have 
the brighter yellow cere and facial skin of the two, 
but this could be due to temporal, individual or 
even sexual variation. 1 here is a photograph taken 
at the nest in Kenya of a male sparsimfasciatus 
showing a restricted amount of naked skin around 
the eye (van Someren 1956), whereas this seems 
quite extensive in the female. Legs and feet are 
yellow in both species, but in Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk it seems as if a black cast has been 
put over the yellow ground colour. The head of 
Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk is proportionately 
wider (Louette & Herroelen 2007; Plate 1: 1). 

An Accipiter photographed by M. Wilson, 
at Bwindi, Uganda (Figs. 2-3), provoked a 
discussion. Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk is not 
yet known for Uganda, but its occurrence in this 
border area with DRC is plausible. Obviously, 
it is in adult plumage. However, the bird does 
not show the decidedly black dorsal plumage 
colour, or the dark cast to the yellow legs and 
feet, which are so obvious in Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk. Other features of the Bwindi 
bird are the barred flanks and thighs; these are 
plain chestnut in Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk 
but barred in sparsimfasciatus , the subspecies of 
African Goshawk in this area. Additionally, the 
white tail spots are indistinct; the bars on the 
vent are single-coloured reddish and lack the 
black component typical of Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk. A female sparsimfasciatus is large 
and much paler than the bird in the photograph, 
and the relative length of the tail and the size of 
the person’s hand both indicate that the bird’s size 
was approximately correct for a male. The bars on 
the breast are bicoloured, which is not the rule for 
a male, but not impossible. 

2. Separating African Goshawk from larger 
Accipiter species 

The peculiar immature female of African Goshawk 
in west-central Africa, between Cameroon and 
DRC ( canescens and toussenelii) , which sometimes 
lacks ventral spots, could be confused with adult 
male Black Sparrowhawk (Plate 3: 5 and 8). 
Superficially, the latter differs only in that it has 
more extensive black patches on the flanks and 
even more on the thighs (it also has the typical 
adult red irides, whereas the immature female 


African Goshawk still has brown or pale yellow 
eyes). 

3. Separating African Goshawk from smaller 
Accipiter species 

When size is difficult to appreciate in the field, 
confusion of the small toussenelii males is also 
possible with the generally smaller Red-thighed 
Sparrowhawk; in fact, the largest females of Red- 
thighed Sparrowhawk attain just about the same 
size as the smallest males of Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk (Plate 1: 3-4). Adults of these two 
species have decidedly blackish upperparts (grey 
in toussenelii) and red eyes (orange or yellow in 
toussenelii ). Male Red-thighed Sparrowhawk is 
noticeably smaller. Just as in African Goshawk, 
the western nominate subspecies of Red-thighed 
Sparrowhawk is smaller than the eastern subspecies 
A. e. zenkeri, but to a lesser extent (c.5% difference 
in wing-chord: Louette 2002), and it is usually less 
saturated with rufous on the ventral side than the 
eastern one (see Borrow & Demey 2001). The 
ventral colour of female A. e. zenkeri is usually, but 
not always, overlain with silvery grey, as is the case 
with most toussenelii. 

In woodland, where an appreciable size 
difference separates male sparsimfasciatus from 
female African Little Sparrowhawk, confusion is 
less likely, although the identification of a lone 
bird can prove difficult, even from a photograph, 
see e.g. www.birdquest.net/afbid/birdspecies. 
php?func=view&slideno=3&af_bs_id=276. 

4. Separating African Goshawk from other 
similar raptors 

Shikra is also a common woodland Accipiter, its 
iris is orange to red in the adult and its central pair 
of tail-feathers is plain (compared to other species 
discussed here, on Plate 2). Immature Shikra has a 
dark mesial throat stripe and contrasting blotches 
on the breast, which are lacking, indistinct or 
narrow in African Goshawk. 

It is less likely that African Goshawk will 
be confused with Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk 
A. rufwentris or Ovambo Sparrowhawk A. 
ovampensis ; these species exhibit several features 
that distinguish them from the former and are 
well depicted in several handbooks (although 
a photograph of Ovambo Sparrowhawk is 
misidentified as A. tachiro in del Hoyo et al. 1994: 
79). Long-tailed Hawk Urotriorchis macrourus has 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -29 



Figures 2-3. African Goshawk / Autour tachiro Accipiter tachiro sparsimfasciatus, Bwindi, 
Uganda, 26 October 2000 (M. Wilson) 


a much longer, graduated tail with a conspicuous 
white bar at its base. Gabar Goshawk Micronisus 
gabar has, among other differences, prominent 
white uppertail-coverts, even when immature. 

Key features to check 

1. Iris and cere colour. This is often a useful 
character for species recognition. The iris is red 
in most adult Chestnut-flanked and Red-thighed 
Sparrowhawks, but mostly yellow (occasionally 
orange) in African Goshawk. The cere is bright 
orangey-yellow in most Chestnut-flanked and 
Red-thighed Sparrowhawks but rarely so bright 
in the toussenelii paraspecies of African Goshawk. 
In sparsimfasciatus it is yellow or (more often) 
greenish-yellow (Chapin 1932, Zimmerman et al. 
199 6; specimens in RMCA); in southern Africa 
(nominate tachiro ) it is grey or greenish-grey 
(Allan 2003, Kemp & Kemp 1998). 

2. Leg and foot colour. Chestnut-flanked 
Sparrowhawk is peculiar among African Accipiter 
in having a blackish cast overlaying the yellow 
ground colour. Ail RMCA specimens show this 
feature, and this must be visible in live birds too. 
All adult African Goshawks have bright yellow 
legs and feet (although dark legs appear also 
on a macroscelides specimen from The Gambia, 
photographed by C. Barlow after it was kept in a 
fridge for ten years). 


3. Tail spots in adults. A. t. toussenelii, canescens 
and macroscelides have three relatively large 
white spots on the uppertail. While these spots 
are largest in the toussenelii paraspecies, they 
also occur in some individuals of the tachiro 
paraspecies: in sparsimfasciatus some males have 
them, but others do not and some females also 
have spots, although these are less distinct. (In 
southern Africa’s nominate tachiro only the male 
has uppertail spots: Allan 1997). 

Conclusion 

It is important to realise that in such a variable 
species as the African Goshawk, many characteristics 
should be taken into account before a definite 
identification can be made in those areas where it 
occurs alongside other Accipiter species. Whilst it 
cannot be excluded that individuals occasionally 
occur outside their normal range, this must be 
rare, because African Goshawks are sedentary. 
Therefore, the locality is an important clue to the I 
taxon concerned and possible contusion species. 

Acknowledgements 

Ron Demey initiated this project by suggesting an 
overview paper for the information published up to 
now in technical papers. Alain Reygel examined all the 
specimens with me, photographed many of them for 
Nik Borrow and proffered useful comments. Malcolm 
Wilson sent the photograph of the Bwindi bird. Clive 
Barlow sent photographs of birds from The Gambia. 
Mary Hennen sent photographs of specimens in The I 


30 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 



Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA. Bill 
Claik and Emmanuel Cilissen provided other useful 
advice. 

References 

Allan, D. G. 1997. Field identification of African 
Accipiter species and similar-looking hawks. Bull. 
ABC A: 74-82. 

Allan, D. G. 2005. African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro. 
In Hockey, P. A. R„ Dean, W. R. J. & Ryan, P. 
G. (eds.) Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa. Seventh 
edn. Cape Town: Trustees of the John Voelcker 
Bird Book Fund. 

BirdLife International. 2009. IBA factsheet. Senkele 
Sanctuary. www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites 
(accessed 16 June 2009). 

Borrow, N. & Demey, R. 2001. Birds of Western Africa. 

Fondon, UK: Christopher Helm. 

Borrow, N. & Demey, R. 2004. Field Guide to the 
Birds of Western Africa. Fondon, UK: Christopher 
Helm. 

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

Chapin, J. P. 1932. The birds of the Belgian Congo. 

Part 1 . Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 65. 

Clark, W. S. & Davies, R. A. G. 2000. Taxonomic 
problems in African diurnal raptors. In Chancellor, 
R. D. & Meyburg, B.-U. (eds.) Raptors at Risk. 
Proceedings of the 5th World Conference on Birds of 
Prey and Owls, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 
4-11 August 1998. Berlin: World Working Group 
on Birds of Prey and Owls & Blaine, Washington 
DC: Hancock House Publishers. 

Dowsett, R. J. & Dowsett-Femaire, F. 1993. Comments 
on the taxonomy of some Afrotropical bird species. 
Tauraco Res. Rep. 5: 323-389. 

Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D. A. 2001 . Raptors of the 
World. London, UK: Christopher Helm. 

Helbig, A. J., Knox, A. G., Parkin, D. T., Sangster, G. 
& Collinson, M. 2002. Guidelines for assigning 
species rank. Ibis 144: 518-525. 
del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds.) 1994. 
Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. 
Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. 

Kemp, A. C. 1994. Afrotropical Accipitridae. In del 
Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds.) Handbook 
of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Barcelona: Lynx 
Edicions. 

Kemp, A. &c Kemp, M. 1998. Birds of Prey of Africa and 
its Islands. London, UK: New Holland. 


Louette, M. 1992. The identification of forest Accipiters 
in central Africa. Bull. Br. Ornithol. Club 112: 
50-53. 

Louette, M. 1995. A catalogued immature specimen 
of the Pemba African Goshawk in the National 
Museums of Kenya. J. East Afr. Nat. Hist. 84: 
35-37. 

Louette, M. 2000. Evolutionary exposition from 
plumage pattern in African Accipiter. Proc. Ninth 
Pan-Afr. Ornithol. Congr. Ostrich 7 1 : 45-50. 

Louette, M. 2001. Redescription of African Goshawks 
Accipiter tachiro on Bioko Island and the adjacent 
mainland. Ostrich 72: 24-27. 

Louette, M. 2002. Relationship of the Red-thighed 
Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus and the African 
Little Sparrowhawk A. minullus. Bull. Br. Ornithol. 
Club 122: 218-222. 

Louette, M. 2003. Size, plumage, moult and supposed 
hybrids of African Goshawks (. Accipiter tachiro 
/ toussenelii group) in DR Congo. Ostrich 74: 
18-29. 

Louette, M. 2007. The variable morphology of the 
African Goshawk (. Accipiter tachiro). Ostrich 78: 
387-393. 

Louette, M. & Herroelen, P. 2007. Comparative 
biology of the forest inhabiting hawks Accipiter 
spp. in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ostrich 
78: 21-29. 

Sinclair, I. & Ryan, P. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the 
Sahara. Cape Town: Struik. 

Snow, D. W. 1978. An Atlas of Speciation in African 
Non-passerine Birds. London, UK: Br. Mus. (Nat. 
Hist.). 

van Someren, V. G. L. 1956. Days with birds. Fieldiana, 
Zool. 38: 1-520. 

Stresemann, E. 1923. Ueber einige Accipiter-Aiten. J. 
Ornithol. 71: 517-525. 

Thomsett, S. 2007. A record of a first year dark 
plumage Augur Buzzard moulting into normal 
plumage. Gabar 18: 25-30. 

Zimmerman, D. A., Turner, D. A. & Pearson, D. 
J. 1996. Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. 
London, UK: Christopher Helm. 

"Royal Museum for Central Africa, B-3080 Tervuren, 

Belgium. E-mail: michel.louette@africamuseum.be. 

h Flat 5, 63-67 St George’s Drive, Pimlico, London SW1V 

4DD, UK. E-mail: n.borrow@btinternet.com 

Received 3 June 2006; final version accepted 26 

October 2009. 


Plumage variation in African Goshawk: Louette 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -31 


Status of Short-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana 
in south-eastern Botswana 

Chris A. Brewstef, Keddy Mooketsa b and Marc Her remans 


Le statut de l’AIouette a ongles courts Certhilauda chuana au sud-est du Botswana. La grande majorite 
de la population de I’Alouette a ongles courts Certhilauda chuana , une espece endemique a I’Afrique 
australe, se trouve au sud-est du Botswana. Des recensements par transect ont ete effectues en novembre 
2007-janvier 2008 afin d’etablir son statut dans cette region et de comparer les resultats avec ceux d un 
recensement effectue en 1992-93. En janvier 2008 des observations ont egalement ete faites pour etablir 
les limites de son aire de repartition. Les resultats indiquent une modeste augmentation des effectifs et une 
legere diminution de la superficie d’habitat approprie, tandis que l’aire de repartition a peu change. On n’a 
pas trouve de correlation entre les changements de la superficie de l’habitat approprie et les changements des 
effectifs, ce qui indique qu’a present il y a suffisamment d’habitat qui convient. Au sud-est du Botswana, 
l’Alouette a ongles courts est presque entierement confinee a des terrains en jachere ou la cultivation est avec 
des methodes agricoles traditionnelles. Les dernieres annees on a enregistre une diminution substantielle de 
la surface plantee avec du sorgho et du mat's selon des methodes traditionnelles. Si cette tendance continue, 
cela pourrait avoir un effet defavorable sur l’Alouette a ongles courts. L’espece beneficierait probablement 
beaucoup de l’instauration d une prime gouvernementale pour stimuler [’utilisation de methodes agricoles 
traditionnelles. 


Summary. The large majority of the population of Short-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana , a southern 
African endemic, is found in south-eastern Botswana. A series of transect surveys was undertaken in 
November 2007-January 2008 in order to establish its status in this region and to compare the results 
with those obtained during a 1992-93 survey. In January 2008 observations were made to establish the 
limits of its range. Results suggest a modest increase in numbers and a small decline in the area of suitable 
habitat, whilst there has been little change to the range. No correlation between changes to the area of 
suitable habitat and changes in numbers was found, indicating that currently there is no shortage of suitable 
habitat. In south-east Botswana, Short-clawed Lark is almost completely confined to fallow land that has 
been cultivated for field crops using traditional agricultural practices. In recent years there has been a large 
decrease in the area of land cultivated with sorghum and maize using traditional practices. If this trend 
continues, this could have an adverse impact on Short-clawed Lark. The most beneficial support for the 
species is probably a government incentive to farmers to cultivate field crops using traditional practices. 


S hort-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana (Fig. 1) 
is endemic to southern Africa. There are 
two discrete populations: a large one in south- 
eastern Botswana and the North West Province 
of South Africa, extending marginally into the 
Northern Cape and Free State Provinces, and a 
smaller, isolated, population largely restricted to 
the Pietersburg Plateau in Limpopo Province, 
South Africa. A survey conducted in the 2004-05 
breeding season in the North West, Northern Cape 
and Free State Provinces indicated an apparent 
range reduction and possible decrease of Short- 
clawed Lark in South Africa (Engelbrecht et al. 
2007). This prompted CAB and KM to undertake 
a survey in south-eastern Botswana in November 
2007-January 2008, in order to establish the 
species’ current status in the country and make a 


comparison with an earlier, unpublished survey 
undertaken by MH in November-December 
1992 and November-December 1993. 

Short-clawed Lark is found territorially in pairs 
for most of the year (Herremans & Herremans 
1992). Only the male sings the territorial song 
(Herremans & Herremans 1992). The male 
usually sings from a bush, fence-post or small tree 
up to cA m tall, occasionally from a clod of earth 
in a ploughed field. In south-east Botswana the 
intensity of its song increases dramatically from 
October to December (Herremans & Herremans 
1992). There is a spectacular aerial display, 
which reaches its peak in October-November. 
Territorial activity is much reduced in the latter 
part of the rainy season, when birds are moulting, 
and in the dry season (Herremans & Herremans 


22 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


1992). In a study of the eastern population in 
the Polokwane Game Reserve on the Petersburg 
Plateau, Engelbrecht (2005) found that territorial 
activity commenced in early August, reached 
its peak towards mid and late September, then 
continued at a low frequency throughout the 
summer before reaching a second peak at the end 
of the breeding season in March-April. 

Farmers are often familiar with the species 
and call it sebota , the Setswana word for lark. 
Possibly because it is accustomed to the presence 
of farmers it is a confiding species, showing little 
fear of people. The first indication of its presence 
is often of a male singing, just a few metres away. 
It appears to have the tendency to move towards 
an intruder, such as a person or vehicle, venturing 
into its territory and then announce its presence 
by singing at close range. Occasionally it follows 
the intruder at close quarters, right through its 
territory until the intruder has left. Due to its 
confiding nature and its obtrusive habits, the 
male is often easy to observe, particularly in early 
summer. 

Study area 

Location 

The study area was located in the core range of 
Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana. 
1 his is an area of c. 16,000 knr extending west 
to c.24°59’E, north to c.24°00’S and east to 
c.26°30’E. The international boundary with 
South Africa represents the southern limit. There 
are also a few records outside of this core range, 
particularly north of 24°00’S (Herremans 1997). 

i Climate 

The climate is characterised by long hot summers, 
with summer rainfall, and short, cool, dry winters. 
Annual rainfall around Gaborone averages 450- 
500 mm, with most rain falling in October-April 
(Campbell & Main 2003). Rainfall varies greatly 
from year to year. Annual rainfall data at Gaborone 
since 1980 indicate that the summers with the 
lowest rainfall were 1984-85, with 243 mm, 
1991-92, with 2 44 mm, and 2006-07 with only 
1 45 mm (Department of Meteorolgical Services, 
Gaborone, in litt. 2008). For the same period 
the summer with the highest annual rainfall was 
1999-2000, with 886 mm; 2007-08 was also 
particularly wet, with 713 mm. The study period 
was thus preceded by a particularly dry summer. 


Habitat 

The natural vegetation of south-east Botswana 
is predominantly Acacia savanna, though habitat 
dominated by broad-leaved tree species is also 
widespread, particularly on sandy soils and rocky 
hills. Short-clawed Lark occurs primarily in areas 
with Acacia savanna. Its distribution is centred 
on luvisols and lixisols on granite substrate. The 
species is generally absent from rocky ground 
and, accordingly, avoids rocky hills (Herremans 
1997). Rocky hills occupy extensive areas in south- 
east Botswana, particularly between Mochudi and 
Molepolole and also to the south-west of Gaborone, 
and around Kanye and Lobatse. The species avoids 
Kalahari sands, which are most prevalent in the 
west of the study area, at the eastern edge of the 
Kalahari and also avoids vertisols, though such 
soils are localised and mainly confined to the area 
between I lokweng and Sikwane (Ministry of 
Agriculture 1990). 

Most land in south-east Botswana is tribal 
leasehold land. There is, however, an extensive 
block of freehold farms around Lobatse, and 
immediately north and south of Gaborone is also 
private land. The city of Gaborone is situated 
on former freehold farming land. Short-clawed 
Lark is almost totally confined to areas of tribal 
land that have been cultivated using traditional 
dry-land farming practices (Herremans 1997, 
2005). Such traditional practices involve the dry- 
land planting of field crops, mainly sorghum and 
maize, and the grazing of fields, after crops have 
been harvested, by livestock, primarily cattle, 
donkeys and goats. Short-clawed Lark prefers 
fallow fields, grazed by livestock, with scattered 
bushes and small trees, primarily Acacia tortilis , 
though occasionally A. mellifera and Dichrostachys 
cinerea (Fig. 2). It has a preference for open 
habitat. Large open fields devoid of bushes or 
small trees, characteristic of commercial farms, 
are also unsuitable. However, the great majority 
of arable land in south-east Botswana is cultivated 
using traditional practices. According to data for 
2002, 42.8% of the 16,000 km 2 core range of 
Short-clawed Lark is considered to be land either 
cultivated, or previously cultivated, for crops 
using dry-land farming practices (Department of 
Surveys and Mapping, Gaborone, in litt. 2008). 
However, this figure is likely to include some land 
subsequently encroached by Acacia and no longer 
suitable for Short-clawed Larks. 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -33 



Figure 1 . Short-clawed Lark / Alouette a ongles courts Certhilauda chuana, Ntlhantlhe, south-eastern Botswana, August 
2008 (Eugenie Skelton) 


Methods 

Both in 1992-93 and in 2007 a series of transect 
surveys was undertaken along a representative 
selection of routes in order to estimate the number 
of territories of Short-clawed Larks and to assess 
the area of habitat suitable for the species. The 
same methods were used for both sets of surveys so 
the results are directly comparable. Most transects 
were undertaken along gazetted roads but a few 
went along un-gazetted tracks. All transects had a 
width of 400 m — 200 m on either side of the road 
or track. Hence for every 1 km of road or track, 40 
ha were surveyed. 

A Short-clawed Lark was usually first 
located when a singing bird was heard, although 
occasionally one was first located by the sound of 
its alarm or contact call. Only veiy seldom was 
a bird initially located by sight. The presence of 
a singing bird or of a bird in display flight was 
considered to be evidence of a territorial pair. 
Habitat was considered to be suitable for Short- 
clawed Larks if it was open land or fallow land 
with or without scattered trees or bushes, and 
unsuitable if it was thick, closed bush, woodland, 
habitation or had a rocky substrate. Occasionally 
birds were found in unsuitable habitat, such as 


closed bush or the vicinity of habitation, but 
always there was suitable habitat nearby, within 
100 m from the bird. Fallow land that had been 
largely encroached by Acacia was considered to 
be no longer suitable. For each transect habitat 
was recorded at 100-m intervals for the entire 
transect, so that the area of habitat and proportion 
of the land suitable for Short-clawed Lark could 
be calculated. Habitat was recorded separately 
on each side of the road, as quite often there was 
suitable habitat only on one side of the road. 
Along each transect, on both sides of the road, the 
start and finish of suitable habitat, to the nearest 
100 m, was recorded. 

All transects were undertaken by vehicle. 
Wherever habitat was considered to be suitable, 
the vehicle was driven slowly and stopped at 
100-m intervals to listen for Short-clawed Larks 
within 200 m of the road or track. If, following a 
wait of five minutes, no Short-clawed Larks were 
recorded, a tape-recording of the song (recorded 
by MH in 1992-93) was played, using the sound 
system of the vehicle. For all singing birds, the 
perpendicular distance of the bird to the road and 
coordinates of the point on the road closest to the 
bird, were recorded. Coordinates were recorded 


34 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Status of Shot t-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 



Figure 2. Short-clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana habitat, 
Ntlhantlhe, south-eastern Botswana, August 2008 
(Eugenie Skelton) 

Habitat de l’Alouette a ongles courts Certhilauda chuana, 
Ntlhantlhe, Botswana du sud-est, aout 2008 (Eugenie 
Skelton) 

correct to the nearest hundredth of a minute, 
using a Garmin GPS, model MAPbOCx. If birds 
were recorded at successive stops, 100 m apart, 
then an effort was made to hear all birds recorded 
at both stops at the same time, to avoid recording 
the same bird or birds twice. When they could not 
be heard at the same time they were not recorded 
as birds had the tendency to follow the vehicle 
while it remained in their territories. 

Most field work was undertaken in the 
morning, starting as early as possible after sunrise 
(05.30 hrs); it was seldom continued after 14.00 
hrs. Territorial males are most vocal early in the 
morning, and till c. 10.00 hrs it was generally 
possible to locate them without playing the tape- 
recording. From c. 10.00 hrs to c. 14.00 hrs males 
were less vocal, although they would often still 
sing. To locate males at this time it was often 
necessary to play the tape recordings of the song 
and wait for a response; these tape recordings 
included both dialects. After c. 14.00 hrs rerritorial 
males became much more difficult to locate, even 
using playback. Evidence of this was obtained for 
the transect survey undertaken along the Kanye- 
Mmathethe road. When this transect was surveyed 
in the mid-afternoon, no birds were recorded 
despite the habitat being suitable, but when the 
transect was re-surveyed in the early morning, two 
weeks later, seven pairs were located. 

The efficiency with which birds were located 
was probably also influenced by the weather 
conditions. It was generally easier to locate birds 


on windless days than on windy days. It was also 
easier to locate birds on cool days, following a 
period of rain rather than during hot and/or dry 
periods. Fortunately, during the 2007 surveys the 
weather was relatively cool and cloudy with well 
above average rainfall, with nearly all transects 
being undertaken in favourable conditions. 

In 1992-93 a total of 1,350 km were surveyed. 
To allow direct comparison, the large majority of 
transects in 2007 were exactly the same as in 1 992- 
93. However, transects in which no Short-clawed 
Larks were recorded in 1992-93, such as from 
Mochudi and from Sikwane to Olifants Drift, were 
not repeated in 2007 (see Appendix 1 for all place 
names mentioned). Transects on which Short- 
clawed Larks were recorded only at low density in 
1992—93, were not deemed to be a priority, so the 
majority of such transects were not surveyed again 
in 2007. Un-gazetted tracks in rural Botswana tend 
to vary their route over time, due to allocation of 
fields and plots, fallen trees and erosion. Attempts 
to follow the exact routes of three transect surveys, 
from Oodi ro Mochudi, from Mogoditshane to 
the eastern corner of rhe international airport and 
from Makgomane to Tswaaneng, which were 
undertaken on un-gazetted tracks in 1992-93, 
were unsuccessful as the exact route followed 
could not be re-located. Accordingly the data for 
these three transects are not directly comparable 
(although they are certainly in the same area). 
One transect, from Pitsane via Tlharaseleele to 
Rakhuna, adjacent to the area where Engelbrecht et 
al. (2007) searched unsuccessfully for Short-clawed 
Larks in South Africa, was surveyed in 2007, 
though it had not been surveyed in 1992-93. 
In January 2008 S. & L. Tyler, using the same 
methods, surveyed an additional transect from 
Botlhapatlou via Hatslatladi to Lentsweletau that 
was also not surveyed in 1992-93; the results of 
this transect are included in the data. In 2007-08 
transects surveyed had a total length of 990 km, 
which represents r.2.5% of the core range of 
Short-clawed Lark; 841 km of these are directly 
comparable with data for 1992-93. 

In January 2008, an effort was made, with 
the assistance of S. & L. Tyler, to visit areas at 
the edge of the range that had not been covered 
in transect surveys, in order to establish the range 
limits. Locations where the species occurred 15 
years previously were revisited to ascertain if there 
had been any range changes. 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -35 


Results 

Survey efficiency 

The estimated perpendicular distances of territorial 
birds from the road or track (the centre of the 
transect) are grouped into 10-m class intervals and 
are presented in Fig. 3. 

The estimated perpendicular distances show a 
bias to more ‘convenient' distances from the road, 
particularly for greater distances. Class intervals, 
such as 100 < d < 110, 150 < d < 160 and 
200 < d < 210 (d = perpendicular distance, in 
metres, from road) are represented in the data 
more frequently than other class intervals, because 
ol rounding-off of estimates. 

The data clearly indicate that a greater 
proportion of territorial birds were recorded closer 
to the road than further away. Indeed, 77% of 
territorial birds were recorded at <110 m from 
the roads, while only 23% were found in the 
peripheral 48% of the transects. 

It is reasonable to assume that the data do 
not include all the territorial males present within 
the transects. To estimate the proportion of 
birds present that were detected in a survey is 
not straightforward. Assuming the drop-off in 
numbers recorded with distance (Fig. 3) represents 
the probability of being detected as a function 
of distance, we can fit a polynomial curve and 
estimate the efficiency of the surveys. Accepting 
the curve as a probability density function, it can 
be estimated that only 46% of the birds present 
were actually recorded during the surveys (though 
see also Discussion). 


Numbers and population density 

The 30 transects that were surveyed both in 
1992-93 and in 2007, for which the results are 
directly comparable, are listed in Table 1. 

For comparable transects a total of 396 pairs 
were recorded in 1992-93 and 447 in 2007, 
representing a 12.9% increase. While the results 
suggest that the numbers ol pairs increased between 
the two surveys, the area of habitat considered 
suitable for Short-clawed Larks decreased slightly, 
from 11,410 to 10,810 ha, i.e., for comparable 
transects, a 5.3% reduction. Accordingly, there 
was also an increase in density in suitable habitat, 
from 3.57 pairs / 100 ha in 1992-93 to 4.14 pairs 
/ 100 ha in 2007, an increase of 19.2%. 

Short-clawed Lark is clearly more common 
in some parts of its range than in other areas. In 



20 40 60 80 100 120 |40 160 180 200 



20 40 fit) 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 


Figure 3. Perpendicular distance of pairs of Short-clawed 
Larks Certbilauda chuana from line of transect. 

Distance perpendiculaire des couples de l'Alouette a 
ongles courts Certbilauda cbuana par rapport au transect. 

2007 the highest densities were around Mosopa, 
Kubung and Thamaga; >10 pairs / 100 ha of 
suitable habitat were recorded for several transects 
in this area. Relatively high densities of >6 pairs / 
1 00 ha of suitable habitat were also found around 
Ntlantlhe and north of Gaborone. Densities in the 
southern part of the range, south of the Lobatse- 
Kanye main road, were noticeably lower: south of 
25°10’S densities for all transects were < 4 pairs / 
100 ha of suitable habitat. The pattern of densities 
is illustrated in a 15-minute grid (Fig. 4). 

For most transects more pairs were recorded 
in 2007 than in 1992-93. Those for which fewer 
were recorded are Bokaa-Kopong (from 12 pairs 
to nine pairs), Lentsweletau-Kopong (ten pairs 
to five pairs), Letlhakeng-Gasese (24 pairs to 
three pairs), Mmangodi-Moshupa (26 pairs to 
22 pairs), Boatle-Mmankgodi (11 pairs to eight 
pairs), Mmathethe-Metlojane (11 pairs to two 
pairs), Good Hope-Mmathethe (nine pairs to six 
pairs) and Metlojane— Good Hope (two pairs to 
one pair). For the Mmankgodi-Mosopa transect, 
the reduction in numbers was due to a large 
decrease in pairs recorded around Mmankgodi, 
whereas near Mosopa a small increase was actually 
recorded. 


36 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Table 1 . Summary of results of transect surveys (from north to south) 
Tableau 1 . Apergu des resultats des recensements par transect (du nord au sud) 


TRANSECT 

Total ha 

% suitable habitat 

Pairs 

Density, pairs/100 ha 







in suitable habitat 



2007 

1992-93 

2007 

1992-93 

2007 

1992-93 

Molepolole-N of Hatsalatladi 

2,180 

34.4 

25.7 

19 

13 

2.54 

2.32 

Molepolole — Lentsweletau 

1,400 

22.8 

23.6 

5 

3 

1.57 

0.91 

Lentsweletau — Rasesa — Pilane 

1,334 

19.7 

12.9 

4 

1 

1.52 

0.58 

Lentsweletau— Kopong 

1,020 

9 

15.4 

5 

10 

5.42 

6.37 

Bokaa— Kopong 

572 

34.8 

38.5 

9 

12 

4.52 

5.45 

Mabalane — Mochudi 

1,682 

7.3 

14.2 

2 

1 

1.62 

0.42 

Mmamashia turn-off — Modipane — Mabalane 

1,664 

20.8 

16.9 

9 

2 

2.6 

0.71 

Letlhakeng— Gasese 

1,994 

19.8 

29.6 

3 

24 

0.76 

4.06 

Gasese— Pitseng 

844 

41 

52.3 

16 

11 

4.62 

2.49 

Molepolole — Thamaga 

1,398 

27.7 

20.8 

18 

10 

4.65 

3.44 

Thamaga— west along power-line 

1,360 

15.9 

36 

23 

14 

10.63 

2.86 

Kubung— north to power-line— N of Losilokgokong 

924 

20.5 

24.5 

25 

19 

13.17 

8.4 

Mosopa — Kubung 

644 

25.2 

20.9 

19 

6 

11.72 

4.46 

Mosopa— edge of sandveld (Ralekgetho road) 

792 

31.1 

27.5 

17 

15 

6.9 

6.89 

Mosopa— Thamaga 

624 

21.1 

51.3 

14 

11 

10.66 

3.44 

Mmankgodi— Mosopa 

948 

24.3 

36.3 

22 

26 

9.58 

7.55 

Boatle (Ramotswa turn-off)— Mogonye— Mmankgodi 

1,060 

18.8 

28.2 

8 

11 

4.01 

3.68 

Mogobane turn-off — Borotsi — Ntlhantlhe — Ranaka 

1,396 

38.8 

36.1 

40 

37 

7.38 

7.34 

Ranaka— south through fields— Ntlhantlhe 

778 

62.8 

47.4 

43 

41 

8.8 

11.13 

Ntlhantlhe — Gamoswane (Kanye — Lobatse road) 

858 

57.8 

62.6 

38 

36 

7.67 

6.71 

8 km along Mmathethe — Kanye road 

326 

79.1 

70.2 

7 

5 

2.71 

2.18 

Pelotshetlha turn-off— Dipotsana 

748 

52.8 

75.5 

10 

8 

2.6 

1.42 

Lobatse road turn-off— Mmathethe 

1,548 

55.7 

56.8 

17 

16 

2.07 

1.82 

Mmathethe— Metlojane 

1,084 

28.1 

21.3 

2 

11 

0.66 

4.77 

Mmathethe— Good Hope 

1,100 

39.4 

30.6 

6 

9 

1.38 

2.67 

Mmathethe— Metlobo 

1,470 

43.2 

45.3 

14 

10 

2.21 

1.5 

Good Hope— Lorwana 

944 

57 

75 

18 

17 

3.34 

2.4 

Metlojane— Good Hope 

372 

60.1 

43.5 

1 

2 

0.45 

1.24 

Metlojane— Makgomane 

630 

79.2 

60.9 

15 

7 

3,01 

1.83 

Borobodilepe — Hebron — Phitsane Molopo 

1,946 

28.2 

27.2 

18 

8 

3.27 

1.51 

TOTAL OF 30 TRANSECTS SURVEYED IN BOTH 1992-93 AND 2007 

33,640 

32.1 

33.9 

447 

396 

4.14 

3.47 

Oodi— Mochudi 

1,282 

14.1 


11 


6.08 


Oodi— Mochudi 

1,580 


18.9 


3 


1.05 

Mogoditshane— Mmopane— E corner of airport 

896 

28.4 


18 


7.08 


Mogoditshane— Mmopane— E corner of airport 

1,092 


30.9 


14 


4.14 

Makgomane— Tswaaneng 

1,132 

48 


4 


0.74 


Makgomane— Tswaaneng 

1,256 


47.1 


4 


0.68 

TOTAL OF 33 TRANSECTS (2007 data) 

36,950 

31.9 

33.6 

480 

417 

4.07 

3.3 

Lentsweletau— Botlhapatlou (January 2008) 

1,962 

29.3 


37 


6.25 


Pitsane — Tlharaseleele — Rakhuna 

692 

54.5 


4 


1.06 


TOTAL OF ALL DATA 

39,604 

32.2 


521 


4.09 



Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -37 


There is no correlation between change in 
area ot suitable habitat and change in numbers, 
indicating that there is currently no shortage of 
suitable habitat. While near Mmankgodi and 
Kopong a decline in numbers appears to be 
related to bush encroachment, there are other 
transects where numbers have increased despite 
a large decrease of suitable habitat between 
the two surveys. For example, for the transect 
from immediately north of Thamaga westwards 
along the power-line, the area of suitable habitat 
decreased from 490 ha to 216 ha, whilst the 
number of pairs recorded increased from 14 to 
23 pairs. 

In 2007 the highest densities of Short-clawed 
Larks were recorded for the transect northwards 
from Kubung to north of Losilokgokong, with 25 
pairs in 189.86 ha, i.e. 1 pair / 7.6 ha. Noticeably 
high densities were also recorded locally around 
Gathwane, on a section of the transect from 
Good Hope to Lorwana. Around Gathwane ten 
pairs were recorded in 78 ha of suitable habitat, 
a density of 1 pair / 7.8 ha. In 1992, between 
Ranaka and Ntlhantlhe, 30 pairs were recorded in 
234 ha ol suitable habitat, i.e. 1 pair / 7.8 ha. 

Continued occupation by territorial males 

In both surveys, coordinates (correct to the nearest 
hundredth of a minute) were recorded for the 
point on the road closest to each territorial male. 
The perpendicular distance from the road was also 
recorded. With these data the localities of territories 
could be compared between the two surveys. 

For all birds recorded less than 110 m from 
the road in 2007, 38% (127 out of 334) were in 
the same localities (±100 m) as a territorial male 
in 1992-93. For birds <60 m from the road, 39% 
(93 of 237) were at the same location (±100 m) as 
a territorial bird in 1992-93. However, continued 
occupation of localities by territorial males was in 
general lower, or even non-existent, for transects 
where Short-clawed Lark occurs at lower densities 
and higher for transects with higher densities. 
Such a relationship is perhaps not unexpected 
as where Short-clawed Larks occur at highest 
densities, the great majority of suitable habitat 
is likely to be occupied. The highest continued 
occupation of localities by territorial males was 
for all three transects near Ntlhantlhe where 63% 
of the territories <1 10 m from the road remained 
occupied and 68% of those <60 m from the road. 


Range limits 

The 1992-93 survey found that the core range 
of Short-clawed Lark extended westwards to 
Phitsane Molopo, Tswaaneng, Metlobo, Pitseng 
and Gasese. Field work in January 2008, in areas 
not visited in 1992-93, established that it extends 
slightly further west along the Molopo Valley, 
west of Phitsane Molopo. The westernmost record 
in this area is of a bird seen west of Leporung 
at 25°47.50’S 24°52.27’E. In January 2008 the 
species was also found commonly to the south of 
Sesung. These records extend its known range but 
it seems likely that it had simply been overlooked 
in 1992-93, due to lack of visits, rather than the 
species has expanded its range. 

Between Gasese and Letlhakeng, along the 
Moshaweng Valley, there was a drastic reduction 
in numbers at the edge of the range between the 
two surveys: from 24 territorial males in 1992 to 
only three in 2007. In 2007, the most northerly 
record was in the Moshaweng Valley at 24°22.97’S 
25°01.04’E, exactly where there was also a record 
in 1992, whereas in 1992 the northernmost record 
was at 24°14.82’S 24°59.84’E, 16 km further 
north. The apparent contraction of range from the 
northern Moshaweng Valley is the only indication 
of any change in the core range between the two 
surveys. 

The northern limit of the core range of Short- 
clawed Lark is c.24°00’S. North this there are 
only scattered records. There were rwo isolated 
records in 1993, north-west of the core range, 
one c. 14 km north-northwest of Letlhakeng and 
the other c. 17 km north-west of Botlhapatlou. 
These two locations were not visited in 2007-08; 
both are situated in valleys, which provide some 
localised suitable habitat, in areas that are largely 
unsuitable for Short-clawed Larks, due to the 
predominant Kalahari sands. 

In 1992 two birds were found near Lephephe, 
well to the north of the core range of the species, 
and birds were also recorded at two other different 
locations to the east-northeast of Lephephe. There 
was also, in 1992, an isolated record east of 
Shoshong at 23°15.01’S 26°34.85’E, which is the 
most northerly location at which Short-clawed 
Lark has been reported in Botswana. In 2007-08 
the Lephephe area was searched, without success, 
for Short-clawed Lark. Attention was then focused 
on the Sojwe area, west of Lephephe, where a 
territorial bird was eventually located 1 1 km 


38 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


25°E 


26°E 


27°E 


Shoshong 

x 


Mahalapye 


■ X X 

Sojwe 

BOTSWANA 


N 

i 


Botlhapatlou 


X Letlhakeng 


■ ■ 

Lentsweletau 


s' 


Molepolole 




Mochudi 
Mogoditshane Gaborone 


Moshupa 


Thamaga 


Tlokwang 


f 

SOUTH 

AFRICA 


Ramotswa 

■ 


Kanye 


Lobatse 


t 


Goodhope 


Pairs (d)/ lOOha 

Relative 

of suitable habitat 

abundance 

d < 2 

■ 

uncommon 

2<d<6 

■ 

fairly 

common 

6 <d < 10 

■ 

common 

d > 10 

■ 

very 

common 


X 

recorded 
in 1992-93 

Okm 


50km 



Figure 4. Distribution of Short- clawed Lark Certhilauda chuana in 
south-eastern Botswana 2007-08. 

Repartition de l’Alouette a ongles courts Certhilauda chuana au sud- 
est du Botswana 2007-08. 


north of Sojwe. The continued presence of Short- 
clawed Lark in the Lephephe area was therefore 
confirmed, though it certainly must occur only 
sparsely in this area 

In the east, in 1992-93, transect surveys from 
Sikwane and from Mochudi to Olifants Drift 
failed to produce any records of Short-clawed Lark 
and, apart from one record c.20 km south-east of 
Mochudi, on the road to Mabalane, it was not 
found to the east of Mochudi. In January 2008 
territorial birds were seen about 22 and 28 km 
east north-east of Mochudi. These records extend 
the known limits of its range in the east; it is 
likely, however, that Short-clawed Lark had been 
overlooked in this area, due to lack of visits, rather 
than the species had extended its range. 

Short-clawed Lark was searched for, without 
success, between Tlokweng, a large urbanised 
village immediately to the east of Gaborone, and the 


South African border; the predominantly 
black cotton soils in this area appear to 
provide unsuitable habitat. It was neither 
recorded in the city of Gaborone, nor on 
freehold land immediately to the south 
of Gaborone, where suitable habitat is 
lacking. On most freehold land to the 
north and south of Lobatse it is likely to 
be absent due to lack of suitable habitat 
(rocky hills and wooded savannas). It 
does, however, occur commonly close to 
the South African border in the Ramotswa 
area. 

Population estimate 

An estimate of the population of Short- 
clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana 
involves the consideration of several 
parameters. These include the range, the 
proportion of the range that is suitable, 
the representativeness of the transects, 
the density in suitable habitat and the 
proportion of the territories that were 
detected in surveys. 

Lhe total range, excluding the 
outlying Lephephe area, where it occurs 
only sparsely, is estimated at 16,000 km 2 . 
For the calculations, we use 2007 and 
January 2008 transects except for parts of 
three transects (Mmamashia-Mabalane, 
Mabalane-Mochudi and Letlhakeng- 
Gasese) that are not considered to be 
within the range. 2002 data (Department 
of Surveys and Mapping, Gaborone, in litt. 2008) 
indicate that 42.8% of the range of Short-clawed 
Lark has a land-use which could make it suitable 
for the species. From our transect surveys 31.7% is 
suitable habitat and the average density of Short- 
clawed Lark here was 3.9 pairs / 100 ha; we use 
these figures in the calculation. 

The proportion of occupied territories that 
were detected during transect surveys is more 
debatable than the other variables. We use the 
figure of an efficiency of 46% as indicated by 
the curve in Fig. 3, which could represent a 
probability-density function. 

Based on the above figures, we estimate the 
total population of Short-clawed Larks at 43,000 
pairs. If the efficiency of the data is assumed to 
be higher (e.g. 60%, see discussion for particular 
reasons affecting the probability of recording), 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010)- 39 


the population could be 33,000 pairs. Both these 
figures contain a wide margin of error. While 
it is difficult to make a more accurate estimate, 
it seems reasonable to assume that the total 
population in 2007 was in excess of 20,000 pairs. 
This is an improvement on the previous estimate 
(‘over 10,000 pairs’) made by Herremans (2003), 
which even referring to data of 1992-93 may have 
been too prudent. 

Discussion 

For comparable transects a 12.9% increase in 
numbers and a 19.2% increase in density was 
recorded between the two surveys. The methods 
used for the two surveys were the same. However, 
some of the differences in numbers could possibly 
be accounted by factors other than an increase 
in numbers. For example, comparable transect 
surveys could have possibly been undertaken at 
different times of day, when detection rates are not 
necessarily the same. Secondly, weather conditions 
might not have been the same for comparable 
transects; surveys undertaken in good conditions 
are likely to be more comprehensive than surveys 
undertaken in unfavourable conditions, such as 
windy or hot days. There might too have been 
differences in the approaches of the observers. 
Due to these factors it likely, as stated above, 
that the data contain a wide margin of error. 
Nevertheless, the results of the two surveys suggest 
that there has been a modest increase in numbers 
between the two surveys. 

There appear to be three possible reasons for a 
greater proportion of birds being recorded closer 
to roads. Firstly, detection probability decreases 
with distance: birds that are at greater distance 
from the road are more likely to be overlooked as 
their vocalisations are less likely to be heard than 
those that are closer to the road, particularly on 
windy days. Secondly, as already indicated, Short- 
clawed Larks tend to move towards an intruder, 
which makes them more likely to be encountered 
nearby than further away. Birds at greater distances 
are, however, expected to be less likely to move to 
an intruder as their territories would be less likely 
to include the road. Thirdly, the use of a tape- 
recording to locate territorial birds is more likely 
to be effective for birds nearby than for distant 
birds, particularly because the vehicle’s sound 
system was not powerful (50 watt). However, these 
factors could be partially offset by the tendency of 


all males to commence singing when they hear one 
male start to sing. These reasons indicate that the 
probability-density function as presented in Fig. 4 
might underestimate the efficiency of the surveys, 
because there are genuine reasons for birds to be 
detected closer to the roads. 

The decline in numbers recorded around 
Kopong and Mmankgodi is likely to be related 
to a relatively large reduction in suitable habitat: 
in 2007, bush encroachment on land that had 
previously been cultivated was particularly 
noticeable. When fields are not cultivated any 
longer and become steadily encroached by bushes 
and trees, primarily acacias, they become unsuitable. 
For the three transects between Mmathethe, Good 
Hope and Metlojane, however, the decrease in the 
number of pairs recorded between the two surveys 
is not obviously related to a change in habitat; 
there was actually a large increase in suitable 
habitat for these transects. The factors that might 
have caused this apparent reduction in numbers 
are unclear. 

Engelbrecht (2005) states that males defended 
approximately 6- 10-ha territories in a study of 
the eastern population in the Polokwane Game 
Reserve. The size of these territories is remarkably 
similar to the highest densities recorded in the 
two surveys in Botswana. This suggests that 
when Short-clawed Lark was recorded at its 
highest densities in south-east Botswana, almost 
all available suitable habitat was occupied by 
territorial males. 

Considering, firstly, that not all territorial 
birds were recorded and, secondly, that 12.9% 
more territories were located in 2007 compared to 
1992-93, the degree of continued occupation of 
localities by territorial birds is probably considerably 
higher than the above figures suggest. If all 
territories <60 m from the road were detected in 
2007 and 60% of the territories, irrespective of the 
distance from the road, were detected in 1992-93, 
then an estimated 65% of the localities recorded as 
occupied in 2007 were also occupied in 1992-93. 
Given the higher number of territories recorded 
in 2007, the degree of continued occupation of 
localities over the period between the two surveys 
is likely to be slightly higher, possibly over 70%. 
These figures suggest that localities have ceased to 
be occupied at an estimated average rate of c.3% 
per annum between the two surveys. 


40 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Threats 

The data from 2007 support Herremans’ (1997, 
2005) contention that Short-clawed Lark in 
south-east Botswana is almost totally restricted 
to tribal land that is cultivated using traditional 
agricultural practices. Any changes to agricultural 
practices are therefore likely to have an impact on 
the species. 

Although there is an extensive block of freehold 
farms to the north and south of Lobatse, the great 
majority of agricultural land is tribal land under 
traditional farming practices. While there have 
been no major changes in either land ownership 
patterns or farming practices in recent years, and 
none seem likely in the near future, there has been 
a steady decrease in the area of tribal land that 
has been cultivated for field crops (Ministry of 
Agriculture, Gaborone, in lift. 2008). Botswana is 
prone to a great variation in rainfall from year to 
year. In drought years the area planted with field 
crops is very small, while in years of good rainfall a 
much greater area is planted. For the ten years from 
1981-82 to 1990-91, mean annual area planted 
for field crops in the traditional sector was 227,890 
ha. For the ten years from 1996-97 to 2005-06 
(the last year for which figures are available) this 
area decreased by 53% to 106,260 ha. In 1988-89, 
a year of good rainfall, 237,100 ha of sorghum 
and 76,000 ha of maize were planted in the 
traditional sector, while in 2005-06, another year 
with good rainfall, the totals were only 38,700 and 
45,900 ha. These figures illustrate the precipitous 
decline of the area planted with sorghum in the 
traditional sector in recent years. The area planted 
with maize has also decreased, but less markedly. 
Though there are no supporting data, the reasons 
for these decreases are likely to be primarily socio- 
economic. With increasing prosperity and a higher 
standard of education young people tend to lose 
interest in farming. Older people also appear to 
have lost some of the enthusiasm to farm, either 
due to increasing age or due to the opportunity 
now to be able to rely financially on their relatives 
working in the urban areas. Whereas previously, 
young people would help their older relatives 
with cultivation of their fields, now they are more 
likely to be gainfully employed in urban areas and 
unable to assist their relatives in cultivation of the 
land. In 2008 the government introduced a new 
scheme, ISPAAD (Integrated Support Programme 
for Arable Agricultural Development), to support 


the traditional sector, in a bid to reverse the decline 
in crop production. 

The result of declining cultivation of field crops 
is a decline in the availability of suitable habitat 
for Short-clawed Larks. As less land is cultivated, 
fields are encroached by bushes, rendering them 
unsuitable. It is unclear how long it takes for a 
fallow field to become bush encroached, but it 
is likely to be more rapid in years of high rainfall 
than in dry years and when there is no grazing by 
livestock. 1 hough there are no supporting data, it 
seems possible that it can take ten years or more 
for a fallow field to be encroached by Acacia to 
the extent that it becomes unsuitable for Short- 
clawed Lark. For several years, when bushes are 
coppicing, the land can still be suitable. 

The other main threat to Short-clawed Larks 
is likely to be the expansion of settlements, 
particularly the city of Gaborone and the villages 
nearby. While currently Gaborone is situated 
on land that in recent years has never provided 
suitable habitat for Short-clawed Larks, the rapid 
expansion of the city and of nearby villages, such 
as Mogoditshane, Mmopane and Metsimotlhaba, 
is taking place where Short-clawed Larks occur at 
relatively high density. Inevitably there will be a 
localised decline in the numbers of Short-clawed 
Larks, particularly to the north of Gaborone. 
The expansion of settlements is also taking place 
elsewhere in south-east Botswana, albeit to not 
such a great extent. It is possible, too, that the 
large numbers of small stock discourage farmers to 
cultivate fields close to the settlements due to the 
high risk of goats destroying their crops. Therefore 
bush encroachment of fields is likely to be greater 
close to settlements than elsewhere. This was 
noted particularly around Kopong, Mmankgodi 
and Lorwana. 

The current favourable status of Short-clawed 
Lark in south-east Botswana is in sharp contrast 
with that in the adjacent parts of its range in 
South Africa, where the species has experienced 
an apparent range contraction and a possible 
decline in numbers (Engelbrecht et al. 2007). The 
factors that Engelbrecht et al. (2007) consider 
to be inimical to Short-clawed Lark in South 
Africa include commercial agriculture, cultivation 
of pasture grass, insufficient grazing pressure 
resulting in excessively lush vegetation, bush 
encroachment in areas with traditional agricultural 
practices and, lastly, development. In contrast to 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -41 


its status on agricultural land there, where very few 
birds were found, it was common in the Botsolano 
Game Reserve, a protected area in Botswana close 
to the South African border, near Pitsane, where 
commercial agriculture, cultivation of pasture 
grasses and insufficient grazing pressure do not 
occur, or only marginally so. Bush encroachment 
and development have, as yet, only a localised 
effect on numbers in south-eastern Botswana. 

In conclusion, Short-clawed Lark is currently 
still doing well in south-eastern Botswana. Results 
suggest that numbers have shown a small increase 
since an earlier survey was undertaken in 1992- 
93. Its conservation status is favourable, and, due 
to a possible decline in numbers in South Africa 
(Engelbrecht et al. 2007), its population probably 
constitutes an increasingly large proportion of the 
world population of this species. However, the 
continued decline in the cultivation of field crops 
using traditional practices presents a potential 
threat. The most beneficial support for the 
species would appear to be an incentive, by the 
government of Botswana, to farmers to cultivate 
sorghum and maize using traditional practices. 
This would not only support the Short-clawed 
Lark but also improve farmers’ livelihoods and 
Botswana’s food security. 

Acknowledgements 

We thank BirdLife Botswana for providing a 
Garrnin GPS, logistical support and much positive 
encouragement, the African Bird Club Conservation 
Fund and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds 
for providing financial support, Stephanie and Lindsay 
Tyler for assisting with fieldwork, the Department of 
Surveys and Mapping in Gaborone for compiling maps, 
the Ministry of Agriculture of Botswana for providing 
agricultural data, the Department of Meteorological 
Services in Gaborone for providing rainfall data, and 
Stephanie Tyler and Derek Engelbrecht for commenting 
on this report. 

References 

Campbell, A & Main, M. 2003. Guide to Greater 
Gaborone. Gaborone: The Botswana Society, 
Engelbrecht, D. 2005. Breeding biology of the eastern 
population of the Short-clawed Lark in South 
Africa. Ostrich 76: 1 54-1 61. 

Engelbrecht, D., Grosel, J. & Dippenaar, S. 2007. 
The western population of Short-clawed Lark 
Certhilauda chuana in South Africa revisited. Bull. 
ABC 14: 58-61. 


Herremans, M. 1997. Shortclawed Lark Certhilauda 
chuana. In Harrison, J. A., Allan, D. G., Underhill, 
L. G., Herremans, M., Tree, A. J., Parker, V. & 
Brown, C. J. (eds.) The Atlas of Southern African 
Birds. Johannesburg: Birdlife South Africa. 

Herremans, M. 2005. Shortclawed Lark Certhilauda 
chuana. In Hockey, P. A. R., Dean, W. R. J. & 
Ryan, P. G. (eds.) Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 
Seventh edn. Cape Town: The Trustees of the John 
Voelcker Bird Book Fund. 

Herremans, M. & Herremans, D. 1992. Breeding of 
the Shortclawed Lark Mirafra chuana in Botswana. 
Babbler 23: 6-17. 

Ministry of Agriculture. 1990. Soil Map of the Republic 
of Botswana. Gaborone: Ministry of Agriculture. 

“PO Box 26292, Gaborone, Botswana. E-mail: cbrewster@ 

botsnet. bw 

h BirdLife Botswana, Private Bag 003, Suite 348, 

Mogoditshane, Botswana. E-mail: keddii@webmail. 

co.za 

Mead of Research, Natuurpunt (BirdLife partner, 

Flanders), Coxiestraat 1 1 , B-2800, Mechelen, Belgium. 

E-mail: marc.herremans@natuurpunt. be 

Received 20 January 2009; revision accepted 5 October 

2009. 


Appendix 1 . Gazetteer of localities 
Annexe 1 . Liste des localites citees 


Boatle 

24°50'S 25°49’E 

Mmopane 

24°44’S 25°52’E 

Borobodilepe 

25°37’S 25°29’E 

Mochudi 

24°23’S 26°08’E 

Borotsi 

24°57'S 25°43’E 

Modipane 

24°37’S 26°07’E 

Bokaa 

24°26'S 26°01’E 

Mogobane 

24°58’S 25°42’E 

Botlhapatlou 

24°02'S 25°30'E 

Mogoditshane 

24°37’S 25°52’E 

Dipotsana 

25°14'S 25°25’E 

Mogonye 

24°49’S 25°42’E 

Gaborone 

24°40'S 25°55’E 

Molepolole 

24°24'S 25°31’E 

Gamoswane 

25°07'S 25°29'E 

Mosopa 

24°47’S 25°25’E 

Gasese 

24°31’S 25°03'E 

Ntlantlhe 

24°58'S 25°35’E 

Good Hope 

25°28’S 25°26'E 

Olifant's Drift 

24 0 11’S 26°51'E 

Hatsalatladi' 

24°08'S 25°35'E 

Oodi 

24°34’S 26°02’E 

Hebron 

25°40’S 25°24'E 

Pelotshetlha 

25°12’S 25°22'E 

Kanye 

24°58’S 25°20'E 

Pilane 

24°24’S 26°05’E 

Kopong 

24°28’S 25°54'E 

Pitsane 

25°28’S 25°36’E 

Kubung 

24°37'S 25°20'E 

Phitshane Molopo 

25°45’S 25°13'E 

Lephephe 

23°21’S 25°51'E 

Pitseng 

24°41'S 25°02'E 

Leporung 

25°46’S 24°58'E 

Rakhuna 

25°34'S 25°34'E 

Letlhakeng 

24°06'S,25°02'E 

Ralekgetho 

24°41'S 25°11’E 

Lentsweletau 

24°15’S 25°51'E 

Ramotswa 

24°52'S 25°53'E 

Lobatse 

25°13'S 25°40’E 

Ranaka 

24°55'S 25°28'E 

Lorwana 

25°19'S 25°32’E 

Rasesa 

24°22’S 26°05’E 

Losilokgokong 

24°33’S 25°22'E 

Sesung 

24°53’S 25°00’E 

Mabalane 

24°38’S 26°22'E 

Shoshong 

23°02'S 26°30'E 

Makgomane 

25°33'S 25°14'E 

Sikwane 

24°38’S 26°24’E 

Metlobo 

25°26'S 24°58’E 

Sojwe 

23°26'S 25°45’E 

Metlojane 

25°32'S 25°22’E 

Thamaga 

24°40’S 25°32’E 

Mmamashia 

24°32'S 26°00'E 

Tlharaseleele 

25°29'S 25°37’E 

Mmankgodi 

24°44'S 25°39'E 

Tlokweng 

24°40’S 25°57’E 

Mmathethe 

25°19’S 25°16’E 

Tswaaneng 

25°31’S 24°59’E 


42 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Status of Short-clawed Lark in south-eastern Botswana: Brewster et al. 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: towards an 
atlas of Angolan bird distributions 

Michael S. L. Mills' 1 ', Ursula Frank?, Grant Joseph', Francisco Miato' 1 , Suzanne Milton 1 ’, 

Ara Monadjerri, Dieter OschadleuJ and W. Richard J. Dean b 


Cataloguer la collection de peaux d oiseaux de Lubango : vers un atlas des repartitions des oiseaux 
angolais. La collection de peaux d oiseaux logee a Lubango, Angola, comprend plus de 40.000 specimens, 
lepiesentant plus de 850 taxons. En juin 2008, nous avons travaille sur la collection pendant deux semaines, 
a de collecter des donnees concernant la distribution des especes. Ces travaux font partie d un projet atlas 
pour les oiseaux de 1 Angola. La collection est toujours en bon etat et le «Instituto Superior da Ciencias e 
Educaqao)) (ISCED), qui abrite la collection, doit en etre felicite. Les donnees mentionnees sur les etiquettes 
de 1 5.000 peaux, dont celles de tous les specimens des especes moins connues, ont ete saisies dans une base 
de donnees informatisee. Les 25.000 enregistrements restants sont faits sur la base de photos des «fiches de 
catalogue». Les specimens les plus interessants sont ceux de quatre Aigrettes vineuses Egretta vinaceigula — les 
premieres donnees pour 1 Angola de cette espece cataloguee mondialement «Vulnerable». D’autres exemples 
de peaux interessantes sont illustres par des photos et attirent l’attention sur l’importance de la collection 
pour des etudes systematiques. La collection de mammiferes est aussi mentionnee brievement. Enfin, des 
recommandations sont faites pour la gestion future de la collection. 

Summary. The bird collection housed in Lubango, Angola, contains more than 40,000 skins, representing 
more than 850 taxa. As part of an atlas project for Angolan birds, we visited rhe skin collection for two 
weeks in June 2008, to extract distributional information from the specimens. The skin collection is still in 
good condition, and the Instituto Superior da Ciencias e Educa^ao (ISCED), which houses the collection, 
is to be commended for this. Data from labels of 15,000 skins were entered into an electronic database, 
including all specimens of lesser known species. The remaining 25,000 entries are being made from 
photographs of ‘catalogue’ cards. The most interesting specimens are four Slaty Egrets Egretta vinaceigula, 
the first records of this globally Vulnerable species in Angola. Other examples of interesting skins are 
illustrated in various photographs, drawing attention to the importance of the collection for systematic 
studies. A brief mention is also made of the mammal collection. Finally, a list of recommendations is given 
for the future management of the collection. 

W ith the sixth-longest bird list of any African 
country, Angola harbours an exceptionally 
rich biodiversity. Add to this one of Africa’s highest 
bird conservation priorities — the Western Angola 
Endemic Bird Area (Stattersfield et al. 1998) and 
its biologically important scarp forests — and the 
biological importance of the country becomes 
unquestionable. During the 1960s and 1970s the 
country’s biodiversity was investigated, plant and 
animal collections established, and several reserves 
were appropriately managed (Huntley 1974), 
but 30 years of civil unrest have left conservation 
and research in Angola well behind that of other 
southern African countries. Basic information on 
species distributions is poor, and the network of 
reserves is dysfunctional. 

Recent peace and stability have provided new 
opportunities for improving the situation. As a 
first step, old reserves need to be re-established, 
knowledge of species distributions updated and 



Figure 1. The team working on the skin collection, 
entering details from bird labels into a database 
(Michael Mills) 

L’equipe travaillant sur la collection de peaux, saisissant 
par ordinateur les donnees mentionnees sur les etiquettes 
(Michael Mills) 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -43 


refined, key gaps in the conservation network 
identified and remedied, and links built with 
Angolan counterparts. Whilst available data 
on Angolan bird distributions were recently 
summarised (Dean 2000), the contents of the 
largest collection of Angolan bird skins, referred 
to here as the Lubango Bird Skin Collection 
(LBSC), were largely unknown. Summaries based 
on some information contained in the LBSC were 
published by Pinto (1970, 1972, 1973, 1983), 
but the collection of more than 40,000 specimens 
must be considered the largest untapped source of 
information on Angola bird distributions, and a 
primary source for systematic research. A sizeable 
collection of mammal skins and skulls is also 
housed here. 

The aim of our visit to Lubango was four- 
fold: (1) to report on the condition ol the 
LBSC and make recommendations for its future 
management, (2) to garner valuable distributional 
information from the LBSC on birds (and to 
a lesser degree bats), (3) to draw attention to 
the value of the collection for study purposes, 
and (4) to build links for future research and 
capacity building in Angola, centred on the 
collection. Here we report on the condition of 
the LBSC and make recommendations for its 
future management and use, draw attention to 
the importance ol the collection by highlighting 
its contents, and provide a progress report on 
the cataloguing of the skin collection. Links with 
Angolan counterparts are being developed on 
several fronts, most notably through the work of 
Brian Huntley and colleagues of the South African 
National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), but are 
not reported on here. 

Short history of the skin collection and 
collecting in Angola 

The LBSC is one of the largest collections of bird 
specimens in south-central Africa and contains 
many well-prepared specimens, comparable in 
quality to any collection in Africa. The collection 
is a tribute to the late Dr Antonio da Rosa Pinto, 
who, in 1958, began the nucleus of the collection 
by leading a collecting trip to Moxico Province, 
in the east of the country. At the time, Dr Pinto 
was a teacher at Salazar High School in Lourenqo 
Marques (now Maputo) in Mozambique, and 
was in Angola on an official ‘temporary’ mission 
with the objective of establishing an Ornithology 


Department at the Instituto de Investigaqao 
Cientifica de Angola (IICA). In 1963 Dr Pinto 
was appointed leader of the Centre for Studies at 
the IICA in Lubango. He subsequently managed 
to gather a very competent group of collectors 
and taxidermists, most of them Angolans, familiar 
with the birds and the countryside. This group, 
usually a team of six men but involving over 60 
different personnel over the years, served the IICA 
well by establishing a collection of over 40,000 
specimens, representing almost all of the avian 
taxa known to occur in Angola. The collection is 
currently housed at the the Instituto Superior da 
Ciencias e Educaqao (ISCED), whose staff is to 
be commended for maintaining the collection in 
excellent condition. 

Although the collection at Lubango contains 
very little ‘old’ material, there is a long history of 
collecting natural history specimens in Angola. 
Bird collections had commenced by the 1850s, 
with visits by Dr Francisco Welwitsch, a botanist 
who collected some birds between 1853 and 1860, 
and Joaquim Monteiro, a mining engineer who 
collected birds in 1858-67. Collecting activity at 
about this time was stimulated by requests for bird 
specimens from Prof. J. V. du Bocage in Portugal, 
who requested that military and administrative 
officers in Angola collect birds for him. Also, in 
1864, Jose Alberto D’Oliviera Anchieta went to 
Angola to collect birds for Prof. Bocage. His first 
collection, said to be ‘rich’, was lost in a shipwreck 
(Pinto 1983). Anchieta returned to Angola in 
1 866, and remained in the country until his death 
in 1897. He worked mostly in central and western 
Angola, collecting almost 4,400 specimens of 460 
species of birds, of which 46 were new species to 
science. 

A number of collectors of many different 
nationalities followed Anchieta in the late 1800s; 
O. Sala (Dutch), C. J. Andersson (Dean et al. 
2006; Swedish), A. W. Eriksson (Swedish), C. 
Hamilton (British), J. Falkenstein (German), L. 
Petit and A. Lucan (French), O. Schiitt and F. 
W. von Mechow (Steinheimer & Dean 2007; 
German), P. J. van der Kellen (Dutch) and 
the Valdivia Expedition. Many of these are 
remembered in the names of Angolan birds. 
With interest growing in the natural history 
ol Angola, expeditions sponsored by museums 
began to visit the country in the early 1900s: the 
French mission of Rohan-Cabot (Menegaux & 


44 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Berlioz 1923), the Swiss scientific expedition to 
Angola in 1928-29 (Monard 1934), the Phipps- 
Biadley expedition (with Rudyerd Boulton as 
collector), the Vernay-Angola expedition and 
collecting trips by Hubert Lynes and Jack Vincent 
(Lynes & Sclater 1933, 1934), and the Pulitzer- 
Angola expedition, again with Rudyerd Boulton 
as collector. Boulton subsequently collected 
and described a new endemic species, Pulitzer’s 
Longbill Macrosphenus pulitzeri (Boulton 1931). 
In 1929-30, the Gray African Expedition of 
the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 
collected birds and mammals in central-western 
Angola (Bowen 1931, 1932), and an Italian 
expedition in 1930 collected the holotype of 
an endemic subspecies of Liihder’s Bushshrike 
Laniarius luehderi amboinensis (Moltoni 1932). 
Individuals, some sponsored by museums and 
owners of private collections, were also active 
in Angola during the early 1900s. Dr William 
Ansorge made several trips to Angola between 
1903 and 1909, collecting r.8,000 bird specimens 
(and many previously undescribed freshwater 
fish). The Portuguese naturalist Francisco Newton 
visited Angola at about the same time (de Seabra 
1903), C. H. Pemberton collected in 1901-02 
and Willoughby Lowe collected some material 
in the Luanda area in 1910-11 (Bannerman 
1912). Important collections in the 1930s were 
made by Jean Bodaly who collected birds at 
Chitau, Bie, and by H. K. Prior at Dondi, 
Huambo. During a similar period, Rudolf Braun, 
who was resident in Angola, collected some 
material, most of which is now in the Zoological 
Museum in Berlin. The last collections of birds 
in Angola before the Ornithology Department 
of the IICA was established were made by H. A. 
Beatty, who collected for the Field Museum in 
Chicago. In two separate major collecting trips 
in 1954-55 and 1957, Gerd Heinrich collected 
birds for the Zoologisches Institut, Hamburg, 
the Field Museum and the Peabody Museum 
at Yale University. The Transvaal Museum and 
the British Museum sponsored expeditions in 
the 1950s, and both expeditions obtained very 
useful study material. With the exception of some 
birds donated to the IICA by Heinrich and the 
British Museum, most of the specimens collected 
between 1850 and 1960 in Angola are scattered in 
museums in Europe, the UK and North America. 
However, many of the specimens collected in 


Angola and sent to Portugal in the late 1800s 
and early 1900s were destroyed in a fire at the 
University of Lisbon in 1978 (Mearns & Mearns 
1998), and many other specimens have not been 
traced. Fortunately the bird collection at Lubango 
remains intact and is an extremely important 
source of reference material for ongoing research 
on the birds of Angola. 

Methods 

For two weeks in June 2008 the authors worked 
at the LBSC. Bird specimens were removed 
from drawers and information displayed on their 
labels transcribed into an electronic database 
on laptop computers (Fig. 1). The following 
information was captured for each specimen: 
specimen number, species name, subspecies, sex, 
age, weight, collection date and locality, and 
collector’s name. In addition, photographs were 
taken of many skins, including representatives 
of all of the rarer specimens. Lesser known 
species were generally processed first. During the 
available time, data from 15,000 specimens were 
captured into the database, covering all of the 
rarer species. Handwriting on the labels was often 
hard to read, requiring substantial cleaning of the 
database, to correct names of collection localities 
and collectors. This work is ongoing. 

In addition toentering data from labels, specimen 
‘catalogue’ cards (cf Fig. 2) were photographed for 
the entire collection. Each card represents a single 
species and subspecies, and contains the following 
information on specimens belonging to the taxon: 


INSTfTUTO DE INVESTIGA^AO CIENTIFICA DE ANGOLA 

S*cc*o d* Ornilologi* 

ESPECIE Franco 1 i_nus . JJr-: t 


|28b 0 ^/^ ^ q 

12861 '• a 

[ 320 1 yy q 

W FT? ' , V 

I 


ls»* 


~ , ) ( V ' ' p* 'r -’v. M?' .V, ,j 0" 

235 G 

6- ?. J&i, f £ o' 

O 65 2.V VyxSjt',, g 


Figure 2. An example of the bird ‘catalogue’ cards, for 
Grey-striped Francolin Francolinus griseostriatus, giving 
the specimen number, date and location of collection, 
and sex (Michael Mills) 


Un exemple d une «fiche de catalogue», pour le 
Francolin a bandes grises Francolinus griseostriatus, avec 
le numero du specimen, date et localite de collection, et 
sexe (Michael Mills) 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010)- 45 



46 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 







Legend to figures on opposite page 

Figure 3. i wo of the four specimens of Slaty Egret 
Egretta vinaceigula in the collection: (a) adult, (b) 
immature. 1 hese are the first published records of the 
species in Angola (Michael Mills) 

Deux des quatre specimens de l’Aigrette vineuse Egretta 
vinaceigula de le collection : (a) adulte, (b) immature. II 
s’agit des premieres donnees publiees de l’espece pour 
1’ Angola (Michael Mills) 

Figure 4. A comparison of Black-chinned Quailfinch 
Ortygospiza gabonensis (top) and African Quailfinch O. 
fiiscocrissa (bottom), from Angola. The latter species has 
a white chin and spectacles, but overall the species are 
very similar and may belong to a single species (Payne & 
Sorenson 2007). Skins from the Lubango museum come 
from a contact zone of the two taxa and could be used 
as part of a detailed phylogenetic study using multiple 
representatives from each quailfinch form, required to 
properly test whether the three detected genetic lineages 
exhibit consistent plumage differences (Fry & Keith 
2004, Payne & Sorenson 2007) (Michael Mills) 

Une comparaison entre l’Astrild-caille a face noire 
Ortygospiza gabonensis (en haut) et l’Astrild-caille a 
lunettes O. fiiscocrissa (en bas) de 1’Angola. La derniere 
espece a le menton blanc et des lunettes blanches, mais 
pour le reste les deux especes sont tres semblables et 
pourraient comprendre une seule espece (Payne & 
Sorenson 2007). Les specimens du musee de Lubango 
proviennent d une zone de contact des deux taxons et 
pourraient servir pour une etude phylogenetique detaillee. 
Une telle etude devrait utiliser plusieurs representants de 
chaque forme d’astrild-caille pour pouvoir examiner si 
les trois lignees detectees ont des differences de plumage 
consistantes (Fry & Keith 2004, Payne & Sorenson 
2007) (Michael Mills) 

Figure 5. Male (top) and female (bottom) specimens of 
Black-chinned Weaver Ploceus nigrimentus , collected in 
Huambo town (previously Nova Lisboa) in March 1966 
probably the most recent ot this rare species in Angola. 
Only two other specimens are listed in Dean (2000), with 
the only other localities being Galanga (the type locality) 
and Mombolo (Michael Mills) 

Specimens male (en haut) et femelle (en bas) du Tisserin 
a menton noir Ploceus nigrimentus, collectes a Huambo 
(auparavant Nova Lisboa) en mars 1966 probablement 
les mentions les plus recentes de cette espece rare en 
Angola. Seulement deux autres specimens, de Galanga 
(la localite type) et Mombolo, sont mentionnes par 
Dean (2000) (Michael Mills) 

Figure 6. An example ol the striking endemic male 
Golden-backed Bishop Euplectes aureus in breeding 
plumage (top), alongside Yellow Bishop E. capensis 
(bottom). A population of Golden-backed Bishop on Sao 
Tome is believed to have been introduced (Fry & Keith 
2004) (Michael Mills) 


Un exemple du remarquable male en plumage nuptial 
de l’endemique Euplecte dore Euplectes aureus (en 
haut), a cote de I’Euplecte a croupion jaune E. capensis 
(en bas). La population de l’Euplecte dore a Sao Tome 
est supposee avoir ete introduite (Fry &c Keith 2004) 
(Michael Mills) 

Figure 7. The near-endemic Bocage’s Sunbird Nectarinia 
bocagii (second, fourth and sixth) alongside the 
distinctive, endemic gadowi subspecies of Bronzy Sunbird 
N. kilimensis. Bocage’s Sunbird is dark purple and black, 
whereas Bronzy Sunbird is greenish bronze and has a 
longer, more curved bill (Michael Mills) 

Le quasi endemique Souimanga de Bocage Nectarinia 
bocagii (deuxieme, quatrieme et sixieme specimens) 
a cote de la sous-espece endemique distincte gadowi 
du Souimanga bronze N. kilimensis. Le Souimanga de 
Bocage est violet fonce et noir, tandis que le Souimanga 
bronze est bronze verdatre et a un bee plus long et plus 
arque (Michael Mills) 

Figure 8. The very similar Bates’s Sunbird Cinnyris 
batesi (top) and Little Green Sunbird Anthreptes seimundi 
(bottom). The latter is overall brighter green, with a 
shorter, straighter bill; Bates’s Sunbird is greyer below, 
and has a black tail, which is hard to see in the field 
(Michael Mills) 

Les tres semblables Souimanga de Bates Cinnyris batesi 
(en haut) et Souimanga de Seimund Anthreptes seimundi 
(en bas). Ce dernier a le plumage vert plus vif, avec un 
bee plus court et plus droit ; le Souimanga de Bates est 
plus gris dessous et a une queue noire, ce qui est difficile 
a voir sur le terrain (Michael Mills) 


specimen number, collection date and locality, and 
sex for each example in the collection. Photographs 
of these cards (4,661 in total, representing 859 
species) have now been labelled and ordered 
by family. Data entry is continuing using these 
photographs, but is expected to take at least 
another 18 months to complete. 

A small amount of time was dedicated to 
comparing specimens of similar species, and taking 
side-by-side photographs, as well as inspecting the 
mammal collection. 

Findings 

Broadly, the collection remains in excellent 
condition, free of insect damage. Specimens are 
housed in wooden drawers lined using paper, 
in 28 large wooden cupboards. All specimens 
are labelled and the complete collection of field 
journals remains with the skins. However, the 
room in which the collection is kept is incredibly 
dusty, the field journals are unordered and poorly 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) - 47 


Table 1 . Details of the four specimens of Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula in the Lubango Bird Skin Collection. 
Tableau 1 . Donnees sur quatre specimens de I’Aigrette vineuse Egretta vinaceigula loges dans la collection 

de peaux d'oiseaux de Lubango. 


Specimen details 



Collection details 



No. 

Sex 

Age 

Mass (g) 

Locality 

Date 

Collector 

23532 

F 

Imm. 

300 

Rio Cunene (Quiteve) 

27 June 68 

A. R. Pereira 

23257 

F 

Ad. 

245 

Luamucua (Quiteve) 

19 June 68 

D. Mumputu 

23259 

F 

Ad. 

175 

Luamucua (Quiteve) 

19 June 68 

A. R. Pereira 

23432 

F 

Imm. 

300 

Rio Cunene (Quiteve) 

24 June 68 

D. Mumputu 


kept, and a large number of mounted specimens 
are clumsily arranged, making for poor working 
conditions. Although the collection has been kept 
in good condition by Prof. Jose Luis Alexandre 
and his staff at ISCED, there is no official curator 
or ornithologist at the collection. The current 
‘caretaker’ of the collection has no training in 
biology or taxidermy, and the collection remains 
largely unused. There is not yet an official 
protocol for access, although permission to work 
on the collection can be granted by the Dean 
of ISCED, Prof. Matondo Tomalela. Francisco 
Miata is employed and trained to maintain and 
care for the herbarium collection housed here, 
and a counterpart in the bird collection is urgently 
needed. 

The LBSC is significant for both the number of 
specimens it contains (>40,000) and the great variety 
of taxa presented (>850), including numerous rarer 
species. More than 1,600 photographs of skins 
were taken, representing >400 species, and have 
been databased. The most interesting discovery 
was the presence of four specimens of Slaty Egret 
Egretta vinaceigula , erroneously labelled as Black 
Herons E. ardesiaca (Fig. 3). These specimens 
(Table 1; Fig. 1) were all collected during a trip 
to Quiteve, Huila Province, on the banks of 
the Cunene River (16°02’S 15°lTE), on 19-27 
June 1968, and constitute the first records of this 
Vulnerable species for Angola (Dean 2000). 

Some other specimens of interest are 
summarised in Table 2 and species and species 
comparisons are illustrated in Figs. 4-12. 

DO worked exclusively on the Ploceidae. Most 
Angolan Ploceidae are represented in the collection, 
notable exceptions being Orange Weaver Ploceus 
aurantius and Slender-billed P. pelzelni. Pinto 
(1972) listed a specimen of P. pelzelni collected 
in Cabinda that should have been present in 
the museum and is listed on the ‘catalogue’ 


cards, but it was not found. While the collection 
generally contains few types, it does house the type 
series of the subspecies of Scaly-fronted Weaver 
Sporopipes squamifrons pallidus described by Pinto 
(1967). Several rare or uncommon weavers are 
represented: Black-chinned Weaver P. nigrimentus 
(2), Loango Weaver P. subpersonatus (2), Brown- 
capped Weaver P. insignis (5), Black Bishop 
Euplectes gierowii (1 from Tanzania) and Golden- 
backed Bishop E. aureus (47). Three specimens 
of Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus were 
collected by Pinto from the isolated Lake Dilolo 
during August 1958 (Pinto 1965, Dean 1996), 
with further specimens from this expedition 
housed at the Lisbon Museum (Louette 1984). 
It has been suggested that these birds belong 
to the reichardi-ruweti species complex (Dean 
2000). The LBSC specimens are dull-plumaged, 
but one is a male starting to moult: there are a 
few orange feathers on the upper throat. Other 
than this orange plumage anomaly (the throat 
should be turning black), the weavers appear to 
match nominate Southern Masked Weaver found 
further south in Angola. The nearest locality for 
Southern Masked Weaver is in north-west Zambia 
(Dowsett et al. 2008). 

Mammals 

The mammal collection at Lubango consists 
of skins and skulls of a variety of species. The 
aim of this expedition was to catalogue the bird 
collection, thus there was only limited time for AM 
to examine the mammals, which numbered more 
than 3,000 specimens of at least 123 species. The 
bats were examined in greatest detail and included 
211 specimens of 23 species. This represents 
about one third of the 63 species known to occur 
in Angola. With respect to collecting sites, there is 
a geographical bias towards the south-east of the 
country, which is unsurprising since that is where 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


48 -Bull ABC Vo! 17 No 1 (2010) 


Table 2. Summary of some of the more interesting specimens contained in the Lubango Bird Skin Collection, with the 

number of specimens for each species (No.). 

Tableau 2. Apergu d un nombre de specimens interessants dans la collection de peaux d’oiseaux de Lubango, avec 

I indication du nombre de specimens pour chaque espece (No.). 


Common Name Scientific Name 

Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris 
Swierstra’s Francolin Francolinus swierstrai 
Grey-striped Francolin Francolinus griseostriatus 
White-throated Francolin Francolinus albogularis 
Horus Swift Apus horus 
Bradfield's Hornbill Tockus bradfieldi 
White-headed Barbet Lybius leucocephalus 
Benguela Long-billed Lark Cedhilauda benguelensis 
Grimwood’s Longclaw Macronyx g rimwoodi 
Angola Cave Chat Xenocopsychus ansorgei 
Black-necked Eremomela Eremomela atricollis 
Congo Moor Chat M yrmecocichla tholloni 
Gabela Akalat Sheppardia g abela 
Pulitzer's Longbill Macrosphenus pulitzeri 
Laura's Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus laurae 
Rock-loving Cisticola Cisticola aberrans 
Angola Slaty Flycatcher Melaenornis brunneus 
Margaret’s Batis Batis margaritae 
White-fronted Wattle-eye Platysteira albifrons 
Bare-cheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenys 
Black-faced Babbler Turdoides melanops 
Rockrunner Chaetops pycnopygius 
Bannerman's Sunbird Cyanomitra bannermani 
Bocage’s Sunbird Nectarinia bocagii 
Ludwig’s Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris ludovicensis 
Oustalet’s Sunbird Cinnyris oustaleti 
Gabela Helmetshrike Prionops gabela 
Chestnut-backed Sparrow Weaver Plocepasser rufoscapulatus 
Bar-winged Weaver Ploceus angolensis 
: Black-chinned Weaver Ploceus nigrimentus 
. Golden-backed Bishop Euplectes aureus 
Dusky Twinspot Euschistospiza cinereovinacea 


No. Notes 

3 Rare in Angola 

6 Vulnerable endemic 

12 Near-Threatened endemic 

6 Rare in Angola 

12 Form toulsoni, often treated specifically as Loanda Swift 

16 Scarce species 

37 Endemic and distinctive ssp. leucogaster 

55 Near-endemic 

38 Data Deficient 

31 Endemic 

65 Localised species 

29 Near-endemic 

7 Endangered endemic 

4 Endangered endemic 

1 Endemic ssp. laurae ; rare in Angola 

6 Endemic ssp. bailunduensis 

32 Endemic 

1 Rare in Angola; endemic ssp. margaritae 

4 Near-Threatened near-endemic 

15 Near-endemic 

21 Near-endemic 

22 Near-endemic 

13 Near-endemic 

11 Near-endemic 

76 Endemic 

31 Localised species 

3 Endangered endemic 

82 Near-endemic 

11 Near-endemic 

2 Near-endemic 

47 Endemic 

29 Endemic ssp. cinereovinacea 


Lubango is situated. The collection includes a 
number of interesting bat specimens such as two 
D’Anchieta’s Fruit Bat Plerotes anchietae, a species 
known from just 11 specimens (Bergmans 1989, 
Kock et al. 1998); 21 specimens of Angolan 
Epauletted Fruit Bat Epomophorus angolensis, an 
Angolan near-endemic; and African Sheath-tailed 
Bat Coleura afra, a widespread species but in 
southern Africa known from just three specimens 
(Monadjem et al. in press). Non-chiropteran 
mammals well represented in the collection 
include genets ( Genetta ), hares ( Lepus ), hyraxes 


(dassies) ( Heterohyrax and Procavia ) and at least 
33 genera of rodents. Primates are particularly 
poorly represented with skins of just six species. 

Habitats: erosion of biodiversity in the 
environs of Lubango 

The habitats in which birds were collected 
between 1958 and 1974 ranged from coastal desert 
through palm and baobab savanna on lowland 
alluvium along the Cunene River, to grassland 
and sclerophyllous shrubland on the sandstones 
of the high-altitude tableland that surrounds 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -49 



Lubango, to escarpment forest along the ‘Scarp’ 
and equatorial gallery forest along various rivers. 
Travelling from northern Namibia to Lubango 
we passed successively through palm savanna and 
mopaneveld, baobab savanna, Baikiaea (teak) 
woodland on yellow sand, mixed woodland 
with Combretum , Terminalia, Commiphora and 
Albizia set among spectacular granite hills, and 
then, at higher altitudes on red sands, miombo 
woodland. The sandstone plateau above the town 
of Lubango supports stunted miombo and a high 



diversity of shrubs including Protea welwitschi and 
grass trees Xeris sp. Closed Afromontane forest 
patches occurred in deep, well-watered gorges on 
the escarpment. When the bird collection was 
constituted, in 1958-74, the human population of 
Angola was sparse and most of the woodland in the 
southern part of Angola was intact. Tall woodland 
that included large specimens ol such hardwoods 
as Pterocarpus angolensis (kiaat), Combretum (bush 
willow) and Baikiaea plurijuga (teak) extended 
from the Namibian border to Lubango. 

Human population growth over the past four 
decades has changed the face(s) of the landscape. 
Within a 50-km radius of Lubango miombo 
woodlands have been cleared and replaced with 
subsistence agriculture based on grain crops, goats 
and cattle, with charcoal made from large miombo 
trees as a cash supplement. Further from the city 
of Lubango bags of charcoal and honey for sale 
at roadside markets are witness to the continued 
erosion of the woodland, as trees make way for 
more subsistence crops, cut to raid bee hives, 
ringbarked for materials used in medicine or to 
construct bark hives, and converted to charcoal 


50 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Legend to figures on opposite page 

Figure 9. I he endemic Monteiro’s Bushshrike 
Malaconotus monteiri (second and fourth) alongside its 
closest relative, Grey-headed Bushshrike M. blanchoti, 
which differs in lacking the pale ring around the eye, in 
having a yellowish, not greyish eye, and a less robust bill. 
Monteiro s Bushshrike is supposedly less orange below 
(Fry & Keith 2000, Sinclair & Ryan 2003), but these 
two specimens contradict this (Michael Mills) 

L endemique Gladiateur de Monteiro Malaconotus 
monteiri (deuxieme et quatrieme specimens) a cote de 
son parent le plus proche, le Gladiateur de Blanchot 
M. blanchoti , qui differe par l’absence du cercle oculaire 
pale et par son oeil jaunatre, non pas grisatre, et son 
bee moins fort. Le Gladiateur de Monteiro est suppose 
etre moins orange dessous (Fry & Keith 2000, Sinclair 
& Ryan 2003), mais ceci est contredit par ces deux 
specimens (Michael Mills) 

Figure 10. Rosy-throated Longclaw Macronyx ameliae 
(second and fourth) alongside examples of the Data 
Deficient Grimwood’s Longclaw, well represented in the 
collection by 38 specimens of two subspecies, grimwoodi 
and cuandocubangensis , the latter not mentioned in Keith 
et al. (1992) (Michael Mills) 

La Sentinelle a gorge rose Macronyx ameliae (deuxieme 
et quatrieme specimens) a cote d’exemplaires de la 
Sentinelle de Grimwood, espece «Insuffisamment 
documente» bien representee dans la collection par 
38 specimens de deux sous-especes, grimwoodi et 
cuandocubangensis. Cette derniere n’est pas mentionnee 
par Keith et al. (1992) (Michael Mills) 

Figure 11 . The Endangered, endemic Gabela 
Helmetshrike Prionops gabela (first and third) alongside 
its closest relative, the widespread Retz’s Helmetshrike P. 
retzii, illustrating the latter species’ larger size and darker 
plumage (Michael Mills) 

Le Bagadais de Gabela Prionops gabela (premier et 
troisieme specimens), espece endemique «Menacee 
d’extinction», et son parent le plus proche a large 
distribution, le Bagadais de Retz P. retzii, illustrant la 
taille plus grande et le plumage plus fonce de ce dernier 
(Michael Mills) 

Figure 12. Two subspecies of Meves’s Starling 
Lamprotornis mevesii found in Angola; the more glossy 
mevesii (top and third) alongside the duller benguelensis, 
endemic to the southern escarpment zone, that may 
deserve specific status (Hall I960). Specimens from the 
Lubango Bird Skin Collection could help unravel the 
'systematics of this species (Michael Mills) 

Deux sous-especes du Choucador de Meves Lamprotornis 
mevesii representees en Angola; mevesii, plus brillant (en 
haut et troisieme), et benguelensis, endemique de la zone 
australe de fescarpement, plus terne. Les deux formes 
pourraient etre des especes a part entiere (Hall 1960); 
des specimens de la collection de Lubango pourraient 
■servir a elucider leur taxonomie (Michael Mills) 


for hearing and cooking in the ever-growing 
urban centres. Large trees are disappearing in even 
quite remote areas such as the slopes above the 
precipitous cliffs of the escarpment at Leba. Smoke 
rising from the woodland, cut stumps, charcoal 
pits, paths made by ox-drawn sleds, and feathers 
of wild birds used to sustain the woodcutters bear 
silent witness to the ongoing erosion of the natural 
capital of this beautiful land. 

Towards an atlas 

One of the objectives of compiling a catalogue and 
database of the bird specimens in the Lubango 
collection is to build a georeferenced database of 
bird specimen records for Angola. These data will 
be merged with another database, containing data 
on distributions taken from Traylor (1963), Pinto 
(1983), Dean (2000) and Mills & Dean (2007), 
data on bird specimens in other collections and sight 
records of birds contributed by visitors to Angola. 
These data will then be mapped, probably at a 15’ 
x 1 5’ scale. The maps will provide guidelines for the 
recommendation of protected areas and will also 
provide some basic distribution patterns, useful for 
modelling effects of climate change and potential 
environmental disasters (e.g. oil spills from offshore 
wells along the northern coast). Gap analyses 
using these data will establish priorities for future 
ornithological field work in Angola. 

Bird atlas studies not only show bird distribution 
patterns, but more importantly also identify areas 
for which there are no data. Globally, bird atlases 
have made a key contribution to conservation, 
through highlighting the conservation priorities 
of species (providing fundamental data for Red 
Data listing) and habitats (e.g. Fishpool & Evans 
2001). Angola, emerging from decades of political 
instability, is a country where knowledge of bird 
distributions is particularly poor, although the 
avifauna is diverse. Most surveys and collecting 
have been conducted in western and north-central 
Angola, and along the coastal areas and parts 
of the Mayombe in Cabinda. We do not know 
whether gaps in the distribution of certain species 
are ’real’ or artefacts of surveys. An atlas will help 
close these gaps or show whether they are real. 
This has important implications for conservation 
in Angola in that attention will then be drawn to 
areas of high avian species richness, which might 
also prove to be areas of high species richness 
amongst other taxa. Identifying focal areas will 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -51 


also lead to an evaluation of land use practices in 
these areas and an assessment of their impacts; for 
example, charcoal burning using native woodland 
(miombo species complex) trees. 

Recommendations for the collection 

Although the collection is being kept in reasonable 
condition, conditions can be greatly improved and 
the collection should be put to practical use. We 
recommend that the following steps be taken: 

• Produce an electronic database of the bird 
skin collection, which work is in progress, 
and once the ciatabase is complete, copies 
will be provided to colleagues in Angola and 
worldwide, to promote work using the skins. 
Data will start to be made available online 
via the website of Natural World (www.nat- 
world.org) within the next 12 months. 

• Training of (a) young Angolan ornithologist(s), 
to act as curator for the collection. 

• Possible 'adoption’ of the collection by a foreign 
museum to assist with training and to improve 
the conditions in which skins are kept. 

• Cleaning of the entire room in which the skins 
are housed. 

• Properly organising all documents pertaining 
to the collection. 

• Cleaning and cataloguing the valuable collec- 
tion of books associated with the collection. 

• Encouraging collaboration between Angolan 
and foreign researchers, using the skin collec- 
tion as a point of contact. 

• Stimulate interest in Angolan birds by incor- 
porating informative visits to the collection 
in standard biology courses at the institute 
and making use of the specimens for student 
projects. 

Conclusions 

Given the threats to biodiversity in Angola, 
it is important that some of the plant and 
animal collections from the 1970s remain in the 
country to guide and inspire a new generation 
of Angolan scientists. With the help of SANBI, 
other biodiversity experts in the South African 
Development Community and assistance from 
outside the region there may still be time to 
plan a protected area network for Angola that 
will retain all vegetation types and the associated 
fauna. Without planning, active protection and 


initiatives to provide alternative sources of income 
for the local inhabitants, it is unlikely that the next 
generation of Angolans will be able to enjoy the 
beauty of the country and the biological diversity 
experienced by their grandparents, to taste wild 
honey, see Giant Sable Hippotragus niger variani 
in the wild, or even to simply find sufficient wood 
or charcoal for their daily needs. 

Acknowledgements 

Funding for this research came from the generous 
contributions of Ursula Franke, the African Bird Club 
Conservation Fund, Tony Dowd and Robert Angiers. 
Brian Huntley assisted tremendously with organising 
access to the collection, and with logistical support. 
Many thanks to Yudo Borges and especially Eduardo & 
Tanya Traguedo for their help during our visit, and for 
being such hospitable hosts. Prof. Matondo Tomalela, 
Dr Fernanda Lages, Prof. Jose Luis Mateus Alexandre 
and other staff at ISCED were incredibly supportive of 
our work, and this project would have been impossible 
without them. Dr Michel Louette, Robert J. Dowsett, 
Ron Demey and Guy Kirwan commented on an earlier 
version of this paper. 

References 

Bannerman, D. A. 1912. On a collection of birds made 
by Mr Willoughby P. Lowe on the West Coast of 
Africa and outlying islands; with field notes by the 
collectors. Ibis 9(6): 219-268. 

Bergmans, W. 1989. Taxonomy and biogeography of 
African fruit bats (Mammalia, Megachiroptera). 
2. The genera Micropteropus Matschie, 1899, 
Epomops Gray, 1870, Hypsignatus H. Allen, 1861, 
Nanonycteris Matschie, 1899 and Plerotes Andersen, 
1910. Beaufortia 39: 89-153. 

Boulton, R. 1931. New species and subspecies of 
African birds. Ann. Carneg. Mus. 21: 43-56. 

Bowen, W. W. 1931. Angolan birds collected during 
the Gray African expedition, 1929. Proc. Acad. Nat. 
Sci. Phil. 83: 263-299. 

Bowen, W. W. 1932. Angolan birds collected during 
the second Gray African expedition, 1930. Proc. 
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. 84: 281-289. 

Dean, W. R. J. 1996. The distribution of the Masked 
Weaver Ploceus velatus in Angola. Bull. Br. Ornithol. 
Cl. 116: 254-256. 

Dean, W. R. J. 2000. The Birds of Angola: An Annotated 
Check-list. BOU Checklist No. 18. Tring: British 
Ornithologists’ Union. 

Dean, W. R. J., Sandwith, M. & Milton, S. J. 
2006. The bird collections of C. J. Andersson in 


52 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


southern Africa, 1850-1 867. Archiv. Nat. Hist. 33- 
159-171. 

Dowsett, R. J., Aspinwall, D. R. & Dowsett-Lemaire, 
F. 2008. The Birds of Zambia. An Atlas and 
Handbook. Liege: Tauraco Press & Aves. 

Fishpool, L. D. C. & Evans, M. I. 2001. Important Bird 
Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority Sites 
for Conservation. Newbury: Pisces Publications & 
Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. 

Fry, C. H. & Keith S. (eds.) 2000. The Birds of Africa. 
Vol. 6. London, UK: Academic Press. 

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

Hall, B. P. I960. The faunistic importance of the scarp 
of Angola. Ibis 102: 420-442. 

Huntley, B. J. 1974. Outlines of wildlife conservation 
in Angola. J. South Afr. Wildlife Manag. Assoc. 4: 
157-166. 

Keith, S„ Urban, E. K. & Fry C. H. (eds.) 1992. The 
Birds of Africa. Vol. 4. London, UK: Academic 
Press. 

Kock, D., Burda, H., Chitaukali, W. N. & Overton, 
M. J. 1998. Plerotes anchietae (Seabra, 1900) in 
Malawi, Central Africa (Mammalia: Chiroptera). 
Z. Saugetierk 63: 114-116. 

Louette, M. 1984. The identity of swamp-dwelling 
weavers in northeast Angola. Bull. Br. Ornithol. Cl. 
104: 22-24. 

Lynes, H. & Sclater, W. L. 1933, Lynes-Vincent tour 
in Central and West Africa in 1930-1931. Part I. 
Ibis 13(3): 694-729. 

Lynes, H. & Sclater, W. L. 1934. Lynes-Vincent tour 
in Central and West Africa in 1930-1931. Part II. 
Ibis 13(4): 1-5L 

Mearns, B. & Mearns, R. 1998. The Bird Collectors. 
London, UK: Academic Press. 

Menegaux, A. & Berlioz, J. 1923. Mission Rohan- 
Chabot, Angola et Rhodesia 1912-1914. Oiseaux, 
Histoire Naturelle 4: 107-155. 

Mills, M. S. L. & Dean, W. R. J. 2007. A revision ol 
the avifauna of Angola. Ostrich 78: 55-63. 

Moltoni, E. 1932. Uccelli d Angola raccolti da L. 
Fenaroli durante la spezione 1930 Baragiola-Durini 
Atti. Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. Milan 71: 169-178. 

Monadjem, A., Taylor, P., Cotterill, F. P. D. & 
Schoeman, M. C. In press. Bats of Southern 
Africa: A Biogeographic and Taxonomic Synthesis. 
Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand 
Press. 

Monard, A. 1934. Ornithologie de l Angola. Arqu. 
Museu Bocage. Arq. Mus. Bocage 5: 1-1 10. 

Payne, R. B. & Sorenson, M. D. 2007. Integrative 
systematics at the species level: plumage, songs and 


molecular phylogeny of quailfmches Ortygospiza. 
Bull. Br. Ornithol. Cl. 127: 4-26. 

Pinto, A. A. da Rosa. 1965. Contribui^o para o 
conhecimento da avifauna da regiao nordeste do 
Distrito do Moxico, Angola. Bol. Inst. Invest. Cient. 
Angola 1(2): 153-249. 

Pinto A. A. da Rosa. 1967. Descri^ao de 4 novas 
subespecies de aves de Angola. Bol. Inst. Invest. 
Cient. Angola 4: 29-32. 

Pinto A. A. da Rosa. 1970. Um catalogo das aves do 
Distrito da Hufla. Mem. Trab. Instituto Invest. 
Cient. Angola 6. 

Pinto, A. A. da Rosa. 1972. Contribuigao para o estudo 
da avifauna do Distrito de Cabinda (Angola). Mem. 
Trab. Inst. Invest. Cient. Angola 10: 1-103. 

Pinto A. A. da Rosa. 1973. Aditamento a avifauna 
do Distrito de Mo 9 amedes, Angola. Livro de 
homenagem ao Professor Fernando Frade Viegas da 
Costa 700 Aniversdrio: 383-419. 

Pinto, A. A. da Rosa. 1983. Ornitologia de Angola. 
Vol. 1. Lisbon: Instituto de Investiga^ao Cientifica 
Tropical. 

Seabra, A. F. 1905. Aves de Angola da explora^ao de 
Francisco Newton em Angola. Ann. Sci. Nat. Porto 
9: 153-159. 

Sinclair, 1. & Ryan, P. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the 
Sahara. Cape Town: Struik. 

Steinheimer, F. D. & Dean, W. R. J. 2007. Avian 
type specimens and their type localities from Otto 
Schutt’s and Friedrich von Mechow’s Angolan 
collections in the Museum fur Naturkunde of the 
Humboldt-University of Berlin. Zootaxa 1387: 
1-25. 

Traylor, M. A. 1963. Check-list of Angolan birds. 
Publ. Cult. Companhia de Diamantes de Angola 61: 
1-250. 

‘A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, University 
of Jos, PO Box 13404, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. E-mail: 
michael@birdingafrica. com 

b Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of 
Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, 
Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. 

Hal 34, 80331 Munich, Germany. 

'JSCED, Department of Natural Sciences, Lubango, 
Angola. 

‘ Department of Biological Sciences, University of 
Swaziland, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Swaziland. 

1 Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, 
University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South 
Africa. 

Received 18 February 2009; revision accepted 9 June 
2009. 


Cataloguing the Lubango Bird Skin Collection: Mills et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -53 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: 
Monte Carmo as a priority conservation site 

Fdbio Olmof and Longtong G. Turshak b 


Observations d’oiseaux de Sao Tome : Monte Carmo comme site de priorite pour la conservation. 

A l’occasion d’inventaires effectues sur l’ile de Sao Tome, dans le Golfe de Guinee, en juillet-aout 2007, 
46 especes one ete trouvees, y compris tous les taxons endemiques. L’abondance avienne, basee sur le 
taux de rencontre, est plus elevee dans les forets montagnardes que dans les forets a plus basse altitude, 
mais ces dernieres abritent plus d’especes. Les zones agricoles supportent une avifaune mixte d’especes 
endemiques et introduites. Les especes les plus abondantes dans les deux habitats forestiers sont quatre 
especes endemiques : le Souimanga de Newton Anabathmis newtoni, la Prinia de Sao Tome Prinia molleri , 
le Tisserin de Sao Tome Ploceus sanctithomae et le Serin roux Serinus rufrobrunneus. Les forets de basse 
altitude de Monte Carmo (Ribeira Peixe) abritent plusieurs Ibis de Bocage Bostrychia bocagei dans une zone 
relativement limitee, ainsi que le Neospize de Sao Tome Serinus ( Neospiza ) concolor et la Pie-grieche de Sao 
Tome Lanius newtoni. Le Nasique de Bocage Amaurocichla bocagii et la pie-grieche ont aussi ete observes 
au dessus de 1.000 m dans la zone d’Ana Chaves. Les forets de Monte Carmo sont considerees comme 
une priorite pour des projets de conservation, qui pourraient inclure du tourisme base sur l’observation des 
oiseaux, mais leur avenir est incertain a cause des developpements recents dans les plantations d’huile de 
pal me avo is in antes. 

Summary. Surveys carried out on the Gulf of Guinea island of Sao Tome in July-August 2007 found 
46 species, including all of the endemic taxa. Bird abundance was higher in montane forests, based 
on encounter rates, than in forests at lower elevations, but the latter held more species. Agricultural 
areas supported a mixed avifauna of endemic and introduced species. Numerically dominant species in 
both forest habitats were the endemic Newton’s Sunbird Anabathmis newtoni, Sao Tome Prinia Prinia 
molleri, Sao Tome Weaver Ploceus sanctithomae and Principe Seedeater Serinus rufrobrunneus. The low- 
elevation forests of Monte Carmo (Ribeira Peixe) held several Dwarf Olive Ibises Bostrychia bocagei in a 
comparatively small area, as well as Sao Tome Grosbeak Serinus ( Neospiza ) concolor and Sao Tome Fiscal 
Lanius newtoni. Sao Tome Short-tail Amaurocichla bocagii and the fiscal were also recorded above 1,000 m 
in the Ana Chaves area. The forests of Monte Carmo are considered a priority for conservation projects, 
which might include birding-based tourism, but their future is uncertain because of recent developments 
in nearby oil-palm plantations. 


T he islands of Sao Tome (857 km : ) and 
Principe (139 km 2 ) in the Gulf of Guinea 
hold at least 17 and eight single-island endemics, 
respectively, probably representing the largest 
number of endemic birds per land area for any 
island group (Melo 2007, Melo & Jones in 
press). Several of the endemics are of conservation 
concern, mostly due to habitat loss, including the 
Vulnerable Sao Tome Short-tail Amaurocichla 
bocagii and the Critically Endangered Newton’s 
Fiscal Lanius newtoni, Sao Tome Grosbeak Serinus 
{Neospiza) concolor and Dwarf Olive Ibis Bostrychia 
bocagei (BirdLife International 2008). 

These volcanic islands possess a rugged 
topography with limited level ground along the 
coast and in some valleys. Sao Tome reaches 
2,024 m, whilst on Principe the highest elevations 
peak at 945 m. Fast-running streams radiate down 


the mountains through lush forest and cropland to 
the sea on both islands (Christy & Clarke 1998, 
Jones & Tye 2006). The islands are covered in 
lush montane and low-elevation forest, shade 
forests (cocoa and coffee plantations), derelict 
plantations ( capoeiras ) and some open savannah 
(on Sao Tome). 

The islands were first occupied by humans after 
their discovery by the Portuguese in the 1470s, 
and their economy became dependent on cash 
crops, especially cocoa and coffee, both cultivated 
under shade trees in large plantations {rogas or 
shade forest) (Seibert 2002). The result was that 
most forest below 1,000-1,200 m was drastically 
modified, if not destroyed; the least disturbed 
forest areas at lower elevations are concentrated in 
the wettest south-western part of Sao Tome, and 
in southern Principe. On the other hand, one of 


54 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


the key habitats on both Sao Tome and Principe 
is the shade forest or capoeira resulting from the 
abandonment of former plantations of cocoa, 
coffee, coconut and oil-palm after independence 
in 1975 (Christy & Clarke 1998, Jones & Tye 
2006). 

Data on the local avifauna appeared only after 
the mid- 19th century. Due to the country being 
closed to most foreigners until the recent past 
(Seibert 2002), updated information on some of 
the rarest endemics became available only after 
the 1980s (Sargeant 1994, Jones & Tye 2006). 
More recent research has addressed the taxonomy 
and biogeography of the endemics (Melo 2007, 
Melo & Jones in press), compared the densities of 
endemic species in different habitats and human 
impacts (Dallimer et al. 2009) and the distribution 
and basic ecology of the threatened species (ABS 

2007, Maia & Alberto 2009). 

Sao Tome possesses three Important Birds 
Areas (IBAs) that encompass the main habitat 
types (lower elevation and montane forests, and 
savannahs (Christy 1998). Some sites within the 
IBAs have been well explored by ornithologists, 
such as the montane forests of Lagoa Amelia and 
the nearby capoeiras and agricultural mosaic of 
Bom Sucesso (Rocha 2008, Dallimer et al. 2009). 
However, areas such as the lower elevation forests 
of Monte Carmo, above Ribeira Peixe, although 
well known to birders and visited by researchers 
(Melo 2007, Leventis & Olmos 2009), lacked 
descriptions of their bird communities. 

Here we report the findings of a bird survey on 
Sao Tome during a fact-finding visit to the islands 
sponsored by BirdLife International and the A. P. 
Leventis Ornithological Research Institute carried 
out between 13 July and 12 August 2007, with 
further on visits in January and July-August 

2008. 

Study sites and Methods 

Observations were made along existing paths in 
selected localities according to access and bird 
species expected to be found. Characterisation of 
the different vegetation types follows Jones & Tye 
(2006). 

Bom Sucesso (00°17’20”N 06°36’45”E; 1,148 
m): visited on 19, 23-28 July and 9 August. 
The site of the national botanical garden and a 
gateway to the trails leading to Pico de Sao Tome, 
Lagoa Amelia and other locations in the central 


massif. A nearby elevation (Macrambala) is also 
accessible by vehicle, with a trail starting along 
the ridge overlooking the Nova Ceilao Valley 
(walked on 28 July). I he gardens cover a small 
area, with both native and introduced trees, and 
flowering plants. This area is surrounded by farms 
cultivating bananas, plantains, carrots and yams, 
with isolated clumps ol trees. Large areas are 
occupied by invasive grasses and herbs. This part 
of the island is much cooler and more subject to 
mist than lower elevations. 

Lagoa Amelia (00°16’50”N 06°35’36”E; 1,385 
m): visited on 23—24 and 26—27 July. Covering 
montane forest inside Parque Natural Obo this 
well-known birding spot is accessed via a track 
from Bom Sucesso. Within the park’s boundary, 
which is already encroached by farmland, the 
forest becomes continuous as the track ascends 
the mountain. Trees may reach over 30-35 m, 
with a heavy cover of moss and epiphytic plants. 
Exotic bamboos along the track mark old roads 
between now derelict rogas. Lagoa Amelia is an 
old volcanic crater, now filled by grassy vegetation 
(no standing water during our visit), surrounded 
by montane forest. 

Monte Carmo (campsite at 00°09’06”N 
06°33’60”E; 363 m): visited on 1-4 August. 
Situated in the south-west of the island near 
Ribeira Peixe, this is a well-known site for the 
rarest species on Sao Tome (Leventis & Olmos 
2009), and is reached after a rwo-hour walk from 
the nearby oil-palm plantation of Emolve. Above 
the plantation the vegetation gradually changes 
Rom capoeira and shade forest to mature low 
forest (with many Symphonia globulifera ) and 
the trail follows a fairly gentle slope bordered by 
deep valleys. The ground is commonly strewn 
with rocks, which probably precluded cultivation. 
There are many level areas along the slope and 
water collects in some places. Signs of foraging 
feral pigs were plentiful. This is one of the wettest 
parts of the island and it rained throughout our 
stay, despite this being the ‘dry’ season. 

Sites in Sao Tome where only qualitative 
observations were carried were Ro 9 a Binda 
(00°13T0”N 06°27’57”E; 30 m) and Ro ? a Juliana 
de Sousa (00 o 12’01”N 06°28’20”E; 214 m), both 
visited on 15 July; Roqa Bombaim and Formoso 
Grande (campsite at 00°13’5T’N 06°37’42”E; 
631 m), visited on 29-30 July; the well-known 
trail between Bom Sucesso and Pico de Sao Tome, 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -55 


and from there down to Ponta Figo (see Christy 
& Clarke 1998), walked on 16-17 July; and the 
headwaters of the rio Ana Chaves (00°15’45”N 
06°34’23”E, 1,182 m), visited on 9 August. 

Birds seen or heard were recorded along 
the trails, including species with far-carrying 
vocalisations such as orioles and pigeons. 
Quantitative data were recorded only when it 
was not raining, accounting for the seemingly low 
effort at Monte Carmo. Some species were sound- 
recorded, the relevant files being available at 
Xeno-canto (XC; www.xeno-canto.org/africa). As 
a measure of relative abundance we used encounter 
rates (Bibby et al. 1998) expressed by the number 
of individuals recorded per ten hours (see Table 1 
for sampling effort). This index and its variations 
give a less subjective idea of the relative abundance 
and detectability of birds present in a given area 
(Pacheco & Olmos 2003). 

We took GPS coordinates of all individual 
Dwarf Olive Ibises, Sao Tome Fiscals, Sao Tome 
Grosbeaks and Sao Tome Short-tails detected. 
As reliable altitude readings could not always be 
made due to the dense tree cover we use values 
obtained from GoogleEarth throughout this 
paper. Nomenclature principally follows Jones & 
Tye (2006) with the modifications suggested by 
Melo (2007) and Melo & Jones (in press). 

Results and Discussion 

All endemic birds known on Sao Tome were 
recorded (Table 1). Overall, 45 species were 
observed, including one seabird nesting in tree 
hollows in the forest and one shorebird on the 
beach. Twenty-five species were found in the 
agricultural mosaic of Bom Sucesso and the 
capoeiras between Binda and Juliana de Sousa, 
both sharing 16 species, whilst 20 were found in 
the shade plantations and capoeiras of Bombaim. 
The environs of Sao Tome town harboured 22 
species, including most of the introductions, 
many of which also occur at Born Sucesso, but 
montane and lowland forests support only native 
species. None of the introduced birds has, to 
date, colonised the latter habitats despite the 
long history of European colonisation and trade 
with mainland Africa (Seibert 2002, Jones & Tye 
2006). 

Montane forests at Lagoa Amelia, where survey 
effort was greatest, held 1 5 species compared to 20 
at the lower elevation Monte Carmo, with 12 of 


these shared. Species found only in mature or old 
secondary forest included Dwarf Olive Ibis, Sao 
Tome Short-tail, Sao Tome Fiscal and Sao Tome 
Grosbeak, all found at Monte Carmo. 

We found no evidence of any endemic species 
breeding during our survey, and only two (Sao 
Tome Oriole Oriolus crassirostris and Newton’s 
Sunbird Anabatbmis newtoni ) consistently 
responded to playback. Sao Tome Prinia Prinia 
molleri was commonly seen performing aerial 
displays, but these appear to occur year-round 
(Christy & Clarke 1998, Jones & Tye 2006). 
Only Vitelline Masked Weavers Ploceus velatus 
were observed nest building and displaying, but 
several Sao Tome Weavers were observed nest 
building in the Bom Sucesso area during the July 
2008 visit. 

A greater richness at Monte Carmo agrees 
with the findings of Dallimer et al. (2009), 
who compared Lagoa Amelia with another lower 
elevation site, rio Sao Miguel, in western Sao 
Tome. The main difference between forest types 
uncovered by their study and ours was the lack 
of endemics such as the ibis, fiscal, grosbeak, 
short-tail and Giant Weaver Ploceus giganteus 
in montane forest. On the other hand, that the 
ibis, fiscal and short-tail do occur in montane 
forest some distance from Lagoa Amelia (Rocha 
2008; see below) lends credence to the theory that 
human activities like hunting and gathering of 
forest products result in lower densities of those 
species (Dallimer et al. 2009). 

The point counts undertaken by Rocha (2008) 
found 15 species in montane forest in the Bom 
Sucesso / Lagoa Amelia area, although his sampling 
in less-disturbed areas further from Lagoa Amelia 
resulted in the addition of Dwarf Olive Ibis and 
Sao Tome Short- tail. The agricultural mosaic of 
Bom Sucesso yielded only 17 species, compared 
to 25 in our list, a difference probably the result 
of recce walks being a more effective method of 
recording uncommon species. 

As noted by other observers (Christy & Clarke 
1998, Jones & Tye 2006) most endemic birds 
utilise shade plantations and agricultural areas 
with a mosaic of cultivation, sparse trees and 
hedges, which finding has since been corroborated 
by more detailed research (Rocha 2008). These 
habitats possess abundant introduced plants 
providing nectar (the shade tree Erythrina 
poeppigiana and the shrub Tithonia diversifolia ) 


56 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


and fruit (the trees Cecropia peltata and Musanga 
cecropioides plus several cultivated species; the 
shrub Cestrum levigatum ) consumed by many 
endemics (Leventis & Olmos 2009). Species 
such as Principe Seedeater Serinus rufobrunneus , 
Sao Tome Flycatcher Tcrsiphone atrochalybeia, 
Sao dome Thrush Turdiis olivaceus , Sao Tome 
Chestnut-winged Starling Onychognathusf.fidgidus, 
Newton s Sunbird and the globally threatened Sao 
Tome White-eye Zoster ops ( ficedulinus ) feae had 
their highest encounter rates in the Bom Sucesso 
mosaic compared to nearby forest, although this 
result masks differences among discreet habitats 
(annual cultivation, tree clumps, banana groves, 
etc.) comprising the mosaic. 

Birds, as a whole, were commonest in Lagoa 
Amelia compared to Monte Carmo, with encounter 
rates of 540 birds / 10 hours at the first compared 
to 170 at the latter. Limited sampling effort and 
almost constant rain during our stay at Monte 
Carmo were factors, but the lower abundance of 
birds observed was striking, especially of common 
species such as prinias, speirops and Newton’s 
Sunbird (Table 1). 

The commonest endemics (Principe Seedeater, 
Newton’s Sunbird, Sao Tome Speirops Zosterops 
lugnbris and Sao Tome Weaver) were also the 
most abundant species in both montane and lower 
elevation forest, but with striking differences in 
relative abundances. Overall, Monte Carmo had 
lower encounter rates for most endemics, and the 
white-eye was absent. Only the flycatcher, starling 
and speirops had encounter rates that could be 
considered similar. 

King & Dallimer (2003) and Dallimer et al. 
(2009), using mist-netting and point counts, also 
found striking differences between montane and 
lowland forests in the relative abundances of Sao 
Tomean endemics, with montane forest holding 
greater numbers of seedeaters, prinias, speirops, 
Sao Tome Weaver and Newton’s Sunbird. In 
contrast, orioles, paradise flycatchers, thrushes and 
Giant Sunbird are commonest at lower elevations. 
Data from encounter rates broadly agree with this 
pattern. 

Significant records 

Dwarf Olive Ibis Bostrychia bocagei This species 
was recorded only at Monte Carmo, a known site 
for the species together with the 16 Grande River 


and hillsides in the Formoso Grande area (ABS 
2007, Leventis & Olmos 2009). What sounded 
like a call was heard briefly at a distance in Formoso 
Grande. Although considered silent compared to 
other Bostiychia ibises (Christy & Clarke 1998, 
Jones & Tye 2006), on 1 August three birds were 
heard calling from different perches at dusk and 
one called at dawn on 2 August. The voice (XC 
18130) is, however, similar to related species. 

Despite being used by hunters, Monte Carmo 
harbours an important ibis population. On 1 
August we recorded the first ibis near the campsite, 
perched c.8 m above ground. On 2 August, at 
06.18 hrs, one was seen perched in the lower 
canopy at 00°09’02.8”N 06°34’05.1”E (321 m), 
with another nearby at 10.00 hrs. On 3 August 
we found eight birds during the morning (07.10- 
11.20 hrs) while walking from 00°08’52.1”N 
06°34T4.7”E (303 m) to 00°09’13.2”N 

06°33’52.9”E (386 m). These included four lone 
birds and two ‘pairs’, one of the latter comprising 
an adult and a juvenile (which had a shorter bill 
and drabber plumage). All of these birds, except 
one of the lone individuals, were foraging on the 
ground when first seen, with one bird perched on 
a tree. Additionally, on 4 August another pair was 
found at 00°08’55.6”N 06°34’32.6”E (c.284 m) 
in a tree-fall gap in second-growth forest with little 
leaf litter and much exposed soil. 

Sightings were at least 150 m apart (the 
latter much further), but we can not discount 
the possibility of double-counting, although we 
tried to track the direction birds flew or if they 
remained perched when we lost contact with 
them. The clumped records show an extraordinary 
gathering of those rare, apparently solitary birds, 
in a small area. 

The ibises foraged alone or in loose family 
groups, and were quite silent by day, calling only 
at dusk and dawn, if at all. All were in mature or 
old second-growth forest at 150-400 m with well- 
spaced large trees, very Open undergrowth and 
large patches of exposed soil resulting from feral 
pig activity or rainwater. In some areas, the soil 
was largely covered by irregularly shaped rocks, 
which also results in an open understorey. The 
association between ibises and disturbed soil or 
open understorey has been mentioned previously 
(Jones & Tye 2006). 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -57 



58 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird observations from Sdo Tome: Olmos & Turshak 




Sao Tome Maroon Pigeon Columba thomensis 
Two adults perched on a jackfruit tree at Juliana 
de Sousa, with another in montane forest at 
Pico Carvalho (00°16T2”N 06°34’35”E; 1,393 
m) on 18 July, and one in the same spot on 9 
August feeding on the fruit of Schefflera manii. 
Another adult seen at 00°17’04”N 06°33’25”E 
(1,165 m) on 20 July completes our records of 
this uncommon species. The record at Juliana de 
Sousa (214 m) reveals that the species is not strictly 
associated with montane lorest and can utilise 
capoeira at low elevations, at least seasonally. 

Dallimer et al. (2009) found this species is 
not a montane specialist as has sometimes been 
suggested (Jones & Tye 2006), with significant 
populations present in the lowlands of western 
Sao Tome, where Juliana de Sousa is sited. On 
the other hand, it was not found at Monte Carmo 
during our survey (although one was seen in 
January 2008), suggesting its occurrence in the 
lowlands might be patchy or seasonal. 

Sao Tome Short-tail Amaurocichla bocagii 
Although Jones & Tye (2006) set the altitudinal 
limit for this species at 500 m, Dallimer et al. 
(2003) found one at 1,100 m in the island’s 
central massif, the same general area where the 
species was found breeding by Rocha (2008). 
Maia & Alberto (2009) found short-tails to be 
regular dwellers in montane forests above 1,300 
m, and fairly common in some areas. 

Our records support those findings. We located 
the species near Formoso Grande, where a pair was 
seen repeatedly on 29-30 July at 00°13’50.6”N 
06°37’44.4”E (622 m) in a gully cut by a stream 
running among boulders in low forest. More 
interestingly, on 9 August we also found short-tails 
along the slope of the Ana Chaves Valley, where 


Legend to figure on opposite page 

Figure 1. (a) Sao Tome Scops Owl / Petit-due de Sao 
Tome Otus hartlaubr, (b) Sao Tome Green Pigeon / 
Colombar de Sao Tome Treron sanctithomae\ (c) Sao 
Tome Short-tail / Nasique de Bocage Amaurocichla 
bocager, (d) Sao Tome Thrush / Merle de Sao Tome 
Turdus olivaceofuscus ; (e) Juvenile Sao Tome Oriole / 
Loriot de Sao Tome Oriolus crassirostris; (f) Male Sao 
Tome Oriole / Loriot de Sao Tome Oriolus crassirostris ; 
(g) Male Sao Tome Paradise Flycatcher / Tchitrec de Sao 
Tome Tersiphone atrochalybeia\ (h) Sao Tome Prinia / 
Prinia de Sao Tome Prinia molleri (Fabio Olmos, except 
(c) A. P. Leventis) 


a pair was seen at 00°15’45.4”N 06°34’23.7”E 
(1,174 m), and a lone individual at 00°15’36”N 
06°34’25”E (1,162 m), all in steep terrain covered 
by transitional montane-low forest, and away 
from water. As noted by Maia & Alberto (2009), 
this suggests that potential habitat for the species 
is more extensive than had been assumed. 

The species was also found at the well- 
known area of Monte Carmo. A pair was seen at 
00°09’09”N 06°34T4.8”E, c.230 m, and a lone 
bird at the campsite, both on 1 August. Next 
day, a trio, a pair and a single individual were 
recorded while walking the area of more level 
ground between the campsite and 00°09 14.4”N 
06°32’04.3”E, a transect of cA km. On 3 August 
a pair was seen on the ground at 00 o 09’13.2”N 
06°33’52.9”E in an area where the undergrowth 
was open with many rocks on the forest floor, 
which appears washed by rain, with little litter. 
Another bird was observed in the lower strata (3-4 
m high) on more level ground at 00°09T3.2”N 
06°33’52.9”E (386 m), at least 100 m from a wet 
gully. One bird was also seen nearby the following 
morning. 

In the very humid forests of Monte Carmo 
only one pair was closely associated with water, 
foraging near the ground by a drainage line with a 
trickle of water. The others were seen on the forest 
floor and lower strata of the forest. In montane 
forests, Maia & Alberto (2009) also found short- 
tails were not particularly associated with water, 
unlike as previously suggested (Atkinson et al. 
1991), and this finding was corroborated for lower 
elevation forest by Dallimer et al. (2009). 

Sao Tome Fiscal Lanius newtoni Restricted to 
few sites in the south-east and south-west of Sao 
Tome (those areas of highest rainfall), from the 
Bombaim / Formoso area south-west through the 
16 Grande Valley (Schollaert & Willem 2001), 
the Martim Mendes basin above Ribeira Peixe 
and west to the Xufexufe basin (King & Dallimer 
2003) to c. 1 ,300 m (Maia & Alberto 2009). On 3 
August, one was observed low down in a narrow 
forested gully at Monte Carmo (00°09T2.7”N 
06°33’48.9”E; 400 m). 

Our excursion to Ana Chaves, south-west 
of the Bombaim / Formoso area and within the 
headwaters of the 16 Grande, had the specific 
goal of finding this species. The site lies in a deep 
valley with steep slopes. As we descended we heard 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -59 


Table 1. Bird species recorded during this survey. Numbers indicate the number of individuals detected per ten hours of all- 
records censuses, whilst x indicates species recorded outside census periods. 

Tableau 1 . Especes d’oiseaux observees pendant I’inventaire. Les chiffres indiquent le nombre d’individus detecte par dix 
heures de recensement, tandis que x indique les especes observees en dehors des periodes de recensement. 

A: Farms around Bom Sucesso, including tree clumps and small remnant forest patches amid cultivated areas. Census effort: 5.5 hours. 

B: Montane forest near Bom Sucesso, mostly along the trail to Lagoa Amelia and to Novo Ceilao. Census effort: 14.15 hours. 

C: Low forest around the Monte Carmo campsite. Census effort: 7.8 hours. 

D: Trail through shade forest and capoeira (old coconut and cocoa plantations) between rogas Binda and Juliana de Souza. Census effort: only qualitative observations. 

E: Trek through montane forest from Bom Sucesso up Pico de Sao Tome and down to shade forest above Ponta Figo. Census effort: only qualitative observations. 

F: Tall shade forest near Roga Bombaim. Census effort: qualitative observations. 

G: Gardens, orchards, vacant lots, urban areas and the airport environs around Sao Tome town. Census effort: only qualitative observations. 

A : Zones cultivees autour de Bom Sucesso, y compris des fourres et des lambeaux de foret au milieu de cultivations. Effort de recensement : 5,5 heures. 

B : Foret montagnarde pres de Bom Sucesso, principalement le long du sentier vers Lagoa Amelia et Novo Ceilao. Effort de recensement : 14,15 heures. 

C : Foret de basse altitude autour du camp a Monte Carmo. Effort de recensement : 7,8 heures. 

D : Sentier a travers de la foret ombrophile et de capoeira (vieilles plantations de cocotiers et de cacao) entre ropas Binda et Juliana de Souza. Effort de recensement : 
uniquement des observations non systematiques. 

E : Trajet a travers de la foret montagnarde de Bom Sucesso a Pico de Sao Tome et, a la descente, traversal la foret ombrophile au dessus de Ponta Figo. Effort de 
recensement : observations non systematiques. 

F : Foret ombrophile pres de Ropa Bombaim. Effort de recensement : observations non systematiques. 

G : Jardins, vergers, terrains vagues, zones urbaines et environs de I'aeroport autour de la ville de Sao Tome. Effort de recensement : observations non systematiques. 


Common name 

Scientific name 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

White-tailed Tropicbird 

Phaethon lepturus 



X 

X 




Cattle Egret 

Bubulcus ibis 

12.5 



X 


X 


Green-backed Heron 

Butorides striata 




X 


X 


Western Reef Heron 

Egretta gularis 




X 




Dwarf Olive Ibis 

Bostrychia bocagei 



11.5 





Yellow-billed Kite 

Milvus ( migrans ) parasitus 




X 



X 

Red-necked Spurfowl 

Francolinus afer 

X 







Common Sandpiper 

Actitis hypoleucos 







X 

Sao Tome Green Pigeon 

Treron sanctithomae 

1.8 

10.6 

2.6 

X 

X 

X 


Sao Tome Bronze-naped Pigeon 

Columba matherbii 

3.6 

2.1 






Sao Tome Lemon Dove 

Cotumba larvata simplex 

16.1 

26.1 

2.6 

X 

X 

X 


Sao Tome Maroon Pigeon 

Columba thomensis 




X 

X 



Feral Pigeon 

Columba livia 

X 






X 

Laughing Dove 

Streptopelia senegalensis 

1.8 



X 


X 

X 

Red-headed Lovebird 

Agapornis pullarius 




X 



X 

Emerald Cuckoo 

Chrysococcyx cupreus insularum 

1,8 



X 


X 


Barn Owl 

Tyto alba thomensis 

X 






X 

Sao Tome Scops Owl 

Otus hartiaubi 



X 

X 

X 



Sao Tome Spinetail 

loonavena thomensis 

69.6 

4.9 


X 

X 

X 


Palm Swift 

Cypsiurus parvus 

12.5 



X 


X 

X 

Common Swift 

Apus cf. apus 







X 

Little Swift 

Apus affinis bannermani 

8.9 



X 


X 

X 

Sao Tome Kingfisher 

Alcedo ( cristata ) thomensis 




X 


X 


Sao Tome Thrush 

Turdus olivaceofuscus 

16.1 

9.2 

1.3 

X 

X 

X 

X 

Sao Tome Prinia 

Prinia molleri 

35.7 

42.4 

12.8 

X 

X 

X 

X 

Sao Tome Short-tail 

Amaurocichla bocagii 



7.7 





Sao Tome Paradise Flycatcher 

Tersiphone atrochalybeia 

26.8 

14.1 

15.3 

X 


X 


Newton's Sunbird 

Anabathmis newtoni 

128.6 

84.1 

20.4 

X 

X 

X 

X 


60 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Common name 

Scientific name 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

Giani Sunbird 

Dreptes thomensis 


3.5 

1.3 


X 

X 


Sao Tome White-eye 

Zosterops (ficedulinus) feae 

50.0 

17.0 



X 



Sao Tome Speirops 

Zosterops lugubris 

117.9 

114.5 

17.9 

X 

X 

X 


Sao Tome Fiscal 

Lanius newtoni 



X 





Sao Tome Oriole 

Oriolus crassirostris 

12.5 

21.2 

14.0 


X 



Sao Tome Chestnut-winged Starling 

Onychognathus f. fulgidus 

17.9 

2.8 

2.6 

X 

X 

X 

X 

Vitelline Masked Weaver 

Ploceus velatus peixotoi 

35.7 


1.3 


X 


X 

Giant Weaver 

Ploceus grandis 



X 

X 

X 



Sao Tome Weaver 

Ploceus sanctithomae 

30.4 

84.8 

25.5 

X 


X 

X 

Fire-crowned Bishop 

Euplectes hordeaceus 







X 

Common Waxbill 

Estrilda astrild 

282.1 





X 

X 

Southern Cordon-bleu 

Uraeginthus angolensis 







X 

Bronze Mannikin 

Lonchura cucullata 

50.0 






X 

Pin-tailed Whydah 

Vidua macroura 







X 

Yellow-fronted Canary 

Serinus mozambicus 







X 

Principe Seedeater 

Serinus rufobrunneus thomensis 

123.2 

102.5 

33.2 

X 


X 

X 

Sao Tome Grosbeak 

Serinus ( Neospiza ) concolor 



X 






a bird calling at 00°15’45.4”N 06°34’23.7”E 
(1,174 m). More were heard when we reached the 
bottom at 00°15’39.4”N 06°34’33.9”E (1,065 m) 
and playback during the next three hours elicited 
vocal response, although no birds approached the 
source. At least three were heard together along 
the creek running along the valley, one of them 
<20 m away. 

Together with information in the literature 
our records suggest an association between this 
species and watercourses, or at least to more open 
areas in forest, like gullies and riversides, created 
by water. That could mean that fiscal habitat is 
more linear, or patchy, than currently believed. 

Sao Tome Grosbeak Serinus ( Neospiza ) concolor 
Positively recorded only from lower altitude forest 
in the south-west of the island (Jones & Tye 
2006), although there is one record from the 
Monte Cafe area, near Bom Sucesso (Simpson 
2002). In the Monte Carmo area (at 00 o 09’12.4”N 
06°33’55.3”E; 370 m), we heard a song identified 
as a grosbeak (XC17889) on 4 August at 07.50 
hrs. The bird responded but did not approach 
after playback, moving to a nearby gully, where 
two individuals were seen in the canopy and lower 
understorey. The same recording was successfully 
used to attract a pair in the Monte Carmo area in 
January 2008. 


Conservation issues 

Recent conservation initiatives in the country 
have been linked mostly to ECOFAC (Central 
Africa Forest Ecosystem Programme), the largely 
French-funded project that aims to conserve West 
African forests. Starting in 1992, this resulted in 
the establishment of the 295 km 2 Obo Natural 
Park, covering the most mountainous and least 
accessible parts of both Sao Tome and Principe 
(c.30% of the country), and other related initiatives. 
Although all land belongs to the government (a 
legacy of the previous socialist regime), the park’s 
status is still fragile, the law creating it being issued 
only in 2006. The zoning and management plan 
of the park were being prepared in 2008, when the 
first directors were appointed, but the park still 
lacks sufficient personnel and means to enforce 
the law. Agricultural encroachment is evident in 
more accessible parts of the park such as Bom 
Sucesso, whilst hunting is widespread. 

With an only recent opening for free enterprises 
(Seibert 2002), cocoa, coffee and oil palm exports 
from Sao Tome are to date limited. Much of the 
economy is at subsistence level; small-scale farming 
is widespread and extractive activities such as the 
harvesting of palm-wine and hunting of pigeons, 
introduced monkeys and pigs are locally important 
(Carvalho 2008). These occur wherever forest can 
be accessed. During our stay, large numbers of 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -61 



62 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Tursbak 





people were harvesting palm-wine and hunting 
in the Formoso Grande / Bombaim area, which 
was crisscrossed by heavily used trails (some to 
the point of eroding) and some shelters had been 
built even inside the park. The same was true of 
the Brune area, adjacent to Juliana de Sousa and 
also part of the Obo park. 

Hunting is a widespread, unregulated and 
socially accepted activity (Carvalho 2008), and 
hunters were met frequently in the Obo park, 
including within the environs of Lagoa Amelia 
and the trail to Pico de Sao Lome. Although 
subsistence hunters prefer feral pigs and Mona 
Monkeys Cercopithecus mona , larger birds like 
Dwarf Olive Ibises and pigeons are also taken. 
Also, several commercial hunters harvest pigeons 
using airguns to supply urban consumers. On 
most ol the trails small piles of feathers (mostly 
from Sao Tome Green and Bronze-naped Pigeons 
but, at Juliana de Sousa, also Sao Tome Pigeons) 
and spent shotgun cartridges were easily found. 

1 he abundance of harvested and threatened 
species on both Principe and Sao Tome is 
negatively correlated with distance from roads 
and trails (Dallimer & King 2007, Dallimer et al. 
2009). The effect of hunting on species such as 
the ibis is obvious and might explain the species’ 
absence from Lagoa Amelia, but more subtle 
effects from the presence of people must affect 
species that are not directly exploited, for example 
the fiscal, short-tail and grosbeak. 

Monte Carmo harbours all of the threatened 
endemics, including surprising numbers of ibises. 
The area (sometimes called Ribeira Peixe) has 
been considered a priority site for conservation 
action by the BirdLife International partnership. 
BirdLife has supported the establishment and staff 


Legend to figure on opposite page 

Figure 2. (a) Newton’s Sunbird / Souimanga de Newton 
Anabathmis newtoni; (b) Giant Sunbird / Souimanga 
de Sao Tome Dreptes thomensis\ (c) Sao Tome White- 
eye / Zosterops beefigue Zosterops ( ficedulinus ) fear, (d) 
Sao Tome Speirops / Zosterops de Sao Tome Zosterops 
lugubris-, (e) Sao Tome Chestnut-winged Starling / 
Rufipenne de foret Onychognathus fulgidus fulgidus ; (f) 
Sao Tome Seedeater / Serin roux Serinus rufobrunneus 
thomensis ; (g) Sao Tome Weaver / Tisserin de Sao Tome 
Ploceus sanctithomae ; (h) Male Giant Weaver / Tisserin 
geant Ploceus grandis (Fabio Olmos) 


training of a local NGO, Associa^ao dos Biologos 
Saotomenses (ABS) as a country partner, whilst 
ABS has already undertaken a broad survey of 
ibis distribution (ABS 2007) and has commenced 
monitoring all of the Critically Endangered species 
at Monte Carmo by employing field assistants 
from the local community. Further activities are 
planned to promote the conservation of the area, 
part of the buffer zone of the Obo park, including 
awareness campaigns targeting local people. 

Monte Carmo is probably the most accessible 
site where all of the threatened endemics can be 
found and is already a well-known destination for 
birders. An international workshop to promote 
ecotourism in Sao Tome and Principe held in 
February 2008 listed birding as an activity to be 
encouraged and specifically mentioned Monte 
Carmo as a site for a pilot project. In July 2009 
ABS promoted a short course for training bird 
guides to work in Monte Carmo and it is hoped 
that this initiative will bear fruit and be supported 
by the birdwatching community. 

However, Monte Carmo faces pressure 
from neighbouring communities. The lowlands 
adjoining the forested slopes are occupied by the 
old oil-palm plantations of EMOLVE. Once the 
main supplier of cooking oil for the country prior 
to independence, the plantations subsequently 
entered a period of decline, with only limited 
renovation since. The plantations are home to 
some 500 people, who lack access to electricity or 
treated water. The oil-processing plant currently 
employs just 30 persons, half of them on a part- 
time basis, down from some 400 a few decades 
ago. The result is that large numbers of people 
are engaged in palm-wine harvesting, hunting 
and other extractive activities, signs of which are 
evident in the core of Monte Carmo. 

Sao Tome and Principe faces daunting 
problems associated with poverty and an increasing 
population, now estimated at c. 156,000 people, 
etching a living in a very limited land area (Leventis 
& Olmos 2009, Dallimer et al. 2009). The post- 
independence regime oversaw the collapse of most 
of the commercial plantations that the economy 
was reliant upon, and a move to food crops for 
the local market and extractive activities. This is 
now changing as the current government seeks to 
restore the country’s agricultural potential, with 
direct impacts at Monte Carmo. 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Tursbak 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -63 


In June 2009 the plantations were ceded by the 
government (which owns all land in the country) 
to the French-Belgian-Luxembourg Socfinal 
company, which owns oil-palm plantations in 
Africa and Indonesia. According to the local press, 
Socfinal plans to restore c.2,000 ha of plantations 
on the south coast ol Sao Tome, which could 
either result in greater local employment and fewer 
people engaged in hunting and other damaging 
activities, or more people moving to the area being 
attracted by possible jobs, with more substantial 
impacts on the forest and its threatened birds. The 
outcome will largely depend on policies adopted 
by the plantation’s managers. 

Also in mid 2009, a similar concession to 
a Libyan group was announced for the Monte 
Cafe plantation, near Bom Sucesso and site of 
an undocumented grosbeak sighting (Simpson 
2002). As the business environment in the country 
improves and investors’ interest increases, it is 
probable that more initiatives of this nature will 
appear, almost certainly resulting in capoeiras 
being turned into plantations and potentially 
resulting in increasing pressure on natural areas 
if expansion is deemed profitable. A real threat is 
that small-scale producers of food crops will be 
dislodged, with further encroachment into the 
park resulting, as is already occurring in the Bom 
Sucesso area. 

The sustainability of conservation initiatives in 
Sao Tome and Principe is a real issue. The country 
still lacks a critical mass of trained conservation 
professionals and NGOs rely entirely on external 
support. Furthermore, it is uncertain if projects 
such as ECO FAC will leave an enduring legacy 
when funding is removed. On the other hand, new 
actors are forcing changes that, for good or worse, 
will affect the country’s endemic and threatened 
species. The outcome remains uncertain. 

Acknowledgements 

Peter Jones and Will Cresswell made important 
suggestions on an earlier draft of his paper. Our work 
would have been impossible without the support of 
the A. P. Leventis Conservation Foundation. Nigel 
Collar proffered continuous encouragement and helped 
unravel many problems. Bastien Loloum ‘navigated’ us 
through many local issues in Sao Tome and Principe. 
We also acknowledge with gratitude the assistance 
of Faustino Oliveira, Alzira Rodriques, Luiz Mario 
Almeida, Antonio Alberto, Pedro Leitao and all those 


who contributed in one way or the other to our survey. 

Finally, we thank Rita Souza and Ruth Ndam for their 

understanding while we were away. 

References 

ABS (Associa^ao de Biologos Saotomenses) 2007. 
Status and distribution of the Dwarf Ibis Bostrychia 
bocagei in Sao Tome. Unpubl. report to BirdLife 
International. 

Atkinson, P., Peet, N. & Alexander, J. 1991. The status 
and conservation of the endemic bird species of 
Sao Tome and Principe, West Africa. Bird Conserv. 
Intern. 1: 255-282. 

Bibby, C., Jones, M. & Marsden, S. 1998. Expedition 
Field Techniques: Bird Surveys. London, UK: 
Expedition Advisory Centre, Royal Geographical 
Society. 

BirdLife International. 2008. Species factsheets. www. 
birdlife.org (accessed 10 December 2008). 

Carvalho, M. B. 2008. Utilizacpto de recursos 
animais, desenvolvimento rural e conserva^ao 
da biodiversidade em Sao Tome, Repiiblica 
Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe. Relatorio de 
Progresso, Projeto SFRH/ BD/ 30171 / 2006. 

Christy, P. 2001. Sao Tome and Principe. In Fishpool, 
L. D. C. & Evans, M. I. (eds.) Important Bird 
Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priorities for 
Biodiversity Conservation. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife 
International. 

Christy, P. & Clarke, W. P. 1998. Guide des oiseaux de 
Sao Tome e Principe. Sao Tome: ECOFAC. 

Dallimer, M. & King, T. 2007. Habitat preferences of 
the forest birds on the island of Principe, Gulf of 
Guinea. Af. J. Ecol. 46: 258-266. 

Dallimer, M., King, T. & Atkinson, R. 2003. A 
high altitude sighting of the Sao Tome Short-tail 
Amaurocichla bocagei. Malimbus 25: 101-103. 

Dallimer, M., King, T. & Leitao, P. 2003. New records 
of the Sao Tome Grosbeak Neospiza concolor. Bull. 
ABC 10: 23-25. 

Jones, P. & Tye, A. 1988. A Survey of the Avifauna 
of Sao Tome and Principe. ICBP Study Rep. 24. 
Cambridge, UK: International Council for Bird 
Preservation. 

Jones, P. & Tye, A. 2006. The Birds of Sao Tome 
& Principe with Annobon: Islands of the Gulf of 
Guinea. An Annotated Checklist. BOU Checklist 
No. 22. Oxford: British Ornithologists’ Union & 
British Ornithologists’ Club. 

King, T. & Dallimer, M. 2003. Daily activities, moult 
and morphometries of the birds of Sao Tome and 
Principe. Bull. ABC 10: 84-93. 


64 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Leventis, A. P. & Olmos, F. 2009. As Aves de Sao Tome 
e Principe: Um Guia Fotografico / The Birds of Sao 
Tome e Principe: A Photoguide. Sao Paulo: Aves e 
Fotos. 

Maia, H. A. & Alberto, A. C. 2009. The occurrence 
ol Sao 9 ome Short-tail Amaurocichla bocagii and 
Newton’s Fiscal Lanius newtoni in the montane 
forests of Sao Tome. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 129: 
213-216. 

Melo, M. 2007. Bird speciation in the Gulf of Guinea. 
Ph.D. thesis. Institute of Evolutionary Biology, 
University of Edinburgh. 

Melo, M. & Jones, P. J. (in press) Bird speciation in 
the Gulf ol Guinea island system. In Harebottle, 
D. M., Craig, A. J. F. K., Anderson, M. D., 
Rakotomanana H. & Muchai, M. (eds.) Proc. 12th 
Pan-Afr. Orn. Congr., 2008, Cape Town: Animal 
Demography Unit. 

Pacheco, J. F. & Olmos, F. 2005. Birds of a latitudinal 
transect in the Tapajos-Xingu interfluvium, eastern 
Brazilian Amazonia. Ararajuba 13: 27-44. 

Rocha, J. R. T. 2008. Birds in humanized landscapes: 
Sao Tome endemic birds' response to agricultural 
intensification. M.Sc. thesis. Imperial College, 
London, UK. 


Sargeant, D. 1994. Recent ornithological observations 
from Sao Tome and Principe Islands. Bull. ABC 
1: 96-102. 

Seibert, G. 2002. Camaradas, Clientes e Compadres: 
Colonialismo, Socialismo e Democratiza^do em Sao 
Tome e Principe. Lisbon: Ed. Veja. 

Schollaert, V. & Willem, G. 2001. A new site for 
Newton’s Fiscal Lanius newtoni. Bull. ABC 8: 
21 - 22 . 

Simpson, N. 2002. New observations of Sao Tome 
Grosbeak. Bull. ABC 9: 90. 

'Largo do Paissandu 10014c, 01034-010, Sao Paido, SP, 
Brazil. E-mail: f-olmosdPuol. com. br 
'A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, University 
of Jos, PO Box 13404, Plateau State, Jos, Nigeria. E-mail: 
longtongturshak@yahoo. com 

Received 5 December 2007; revision accepted 18 
November 2009. 


Corrigenda 


Bull. ABC 16 ( 1 ) 

In the report of the Moroccan Rare Birds Committee, 
the captions for Figs. 6 and 7 on p. 34 should be 
reversed. 

In Salewski et all s paper on the search for the winter 
quarters of the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola , 
the person holding the Aquatic Warbler in Fig. 3 on 
p. 63 is Indega Bindia, not Ibrahima Gueye. 

Bull. ABC 16 ( 2 ) 

In the reportage concerning the Djibouti Francolin 
Francolinus ochropectus survey, on p. 138, the area of 
potentially suitable habitat in the Mabla Mts. should 
have read 4.3 km 2 . 

In Louette & Hasson’s paper on the rediscovery of the 
Lake Lufira Weaver Ploceus ruweti , the reference ‘Craig 
2004’ on p. 169 should be replaced by ‘Oschadleus 


2004a’, and on p. 172 by 'Oschadleus 2004b’. In the 
reference list, the entry ‘Craig, A. J. F. K. 2004. Ploceus 
ruweti. In Fry, C. H. & Keith, S. (eds.) The Birds of 
Africa. Vol. 7. London, UK: Christopher Helm’ should 
thus be replaced by: 

Oschadleus, D. 2004a. Ploceus ruweti. In Fry, C. H. & 
Keith, S. (eds.) The Birds of Africa. Vol. 7. London, 
UK: Christopher Helm. 

Oschadleus, D. 2004b. Ploceus velatus. In Fry, C. H. & 
Keith, S. (eds.) The Birds of Africa. Vol. 7. London, 
UK: Christopher Helm. 

The lark shown in Recent Reports on p. 234, Fig. 2, is 
not Friedmann’s Lark Mirafra pulpa, but Foxy Lark M. 
alopex. The Kenya record of Friedmann’s Lark of 17 
May 2009, mentioned on p. 232, is thus also erroneous 
See the Photospot in this issue for a discussion of the 
identification features of both species. 


Bird observations from Sao Tome: Olmos & Turshak 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -65 


First records of eight bird species for Eritrea 

Jason Anderson 


Premiere mention de huit especes d’oiseaux pour l’Eritree. Huit additions a l avifaune de l’Eritree, 
observees en octobre 2007— avril 2009, sont documentees. II s’agit des especes suivantes : 1 Erismature 
maccoa Oxyura maccoa , le Courvite somalien Cursorius somalensis , le Pigeon rameron Columba arquatrix, 
le Grand-due du Cap Bubo capensis, l’Engoulevent d’Abyssinie Caprimulgus poliocepbalus, la Bergeronnette 
a longue queue Motacilla clara, le Traquet familier Cercomela familuzris et la Locustelle tachetee Locustella 
naevia. Quatre d’entre elles sont presumees etre des residents, deux sont vraisemblablement des migrateurs 
locaux, une est probablement occasionnelle, tandis que la derniere est un migrateur palearctique. Trois 
especes ont ete vues a deux occasions separees et une, 1’Erismature maccoa, a ete notee sept fois en quatre 
localites differences, indiquant qu’il s’agit probablement d un colonisateur recent, qui a etendu son aire de 
distribution vers le nord a partir de l’Ethiopie. 

Summary. Eight additions to Eritrea’s bird list, recorded in the period October 2007-April 2009, are 
documented: Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa, Somali Courser Cursorius somalensis, African Olive Pigeon 
Columba arquatrix, Cape Eagle Owl Bubo capensis, Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocepbalus, Mountain 
Wagtail Motacilla clara, Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris and Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia. Ot 
these, four are presumed residents, two are likely to be local migrants, one is probably a vagrant and one is a 
Palearctic migrant. Three species were seen on two separate occasions and one, Maccoa Duck, was recorded 
seven times at four different localities, indicating that it is probably a recent colonist, having expanded its 
range north from Ethiopia. 


F rom September 2007 to June 2009 I lived in 
Adi Keyih, a town in the south of the Eritrean 
highlands. During this time I recorded eight new 
species for the country, which are documented 
here. Some of these have already been included in 
Ash & Atkins (2009) and Redman etal. (2009). As 
I spent most of my time in and around Adi Keyih, 
unsurprisingly six of these species were recorded in 
the vicinity of the town, which lies c. 35 km north 
of the Ethiopian border. The other two were 
found in Eritrea’s only remaining extensive forest 
area, Filfil, in the centre of the country. 

Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa 
On 25 April 2008 at c. 16.00 hrs, on a small 
reservoir near the village of Hawatsu (14°53’48”N 
39°20’55”E) at 2,300 m, c. 10 km from Adi 
Keyih, I observed four unusual ducks, c . 50 m 
distant. Given their close proximity and the lack 
of confusion species, it was easy to identify them 
as Maccoa Ducks, despite the absence of males in 
breeding plumage. They had a pale stripe below 
the eye, which contrasted with the overall dark 
brown plumage, and a stiff tail, diagnostic in sub- 
Saharan Africa of this species. The bill was dark. 
I took several photos, in which the key features 
can be seen. 


Subsequently, I recorded the species on six 
other occasions (Table 1; Fig. 1). These records 
indicate that Maccoa Duck is widespread in 
the Eritrean highlands and present year-round, 
although I did not observe evidence of breeding. 
It is probable that, with the increasing number 
of reservoirs, Maccoa Duck has extended its 
range north from Ethiopia, colonising Eritrea in 
recent years. As other reservoirs are planned, other 
waterbirds might also extend their range north 
into Eritrea in the near future. 


Table 1. Records of Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa in Eritrea, 2008-09 
Tableau 1. Mentions de I'Erismature maccoa Oxyura maccoa 
en Eritree, 2008-09 

Date 

Locality / Localite 

Number / Nombre 

25 Apr 2008 

Small reservoir near Hawatsu 

4 

10 May 2008 

Afoma Reservoir, near Senate 

2; 1 d breeding 
plumage (br.) 

2 Jul 2008 

Tseaziga Reservoir, near Tsada Christian 

IT br. 

21 Jul 2008 

Adi Nfas Reservoir, near Asmara 

8-9; at least 4 d br. 

1 Sep 2008 

Acria Reservoir, near Asmara 

2; Id br. 

25 Jan 2009 

Adi Nfas Reservoir, near Asmara 

1 non-br. 

14 Feb 2009 

Afoma Reservoir, near Senate 

5; 2d coming into br. 


66 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


First records of eight bird species for Eritrea: Anderson 



Figure 1 . Male Maccoa Duck / Erismature maccoa Oxyura maccoa , Acria Reservoir, near Asmara, 1 September 2008 (J. 
Anderson) 

Figure 2. African Olive Pigeon / Pigeon rameron Columba arquatrix , Karibosa (S. Ferwerda) 

Figure 3. Cape Eagle Owl / Grand-due du Cap Bubo capensis dillonii, Adi Keyih, Eritrea, April 2008 (J. Anderson) 

Figure 4. Montane Nightjar / Engoulevent dAbyssinie Caprimulgus poliocephalus (sex unconfirmed), Abi Girat, Eritrea, 
25 February 2009 (J. Anderson) 

Figure 5. Adult Mountain Wagtail / Bergeronnette a longue queue Motacilla clara, Adi Keyih, Eritrea, 21 October 
2007 (J. Anderson) 

Figure 6. Juvenile Mountain Wagtail / Bergeronnette a longue queue Motacilla clara , Adi Keyih, Eritrea, 21 October 
2007 (J- Anderson) 

Figure 7. Grasshopper Warbler / Locustelle tachetee Locustella naevia, Sabur, near Filfil, Eritrea, 26 January 2009 (J. 
Anderson) 


First records of eight bird species for Eritrea: Anderson 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010)- 67 



Somali Courser Cursorius somalensis 
On 6 March 2008, at 07.10 hrs 1 was passing 
on my motorbike near the village of Mealewia 
(14°49’13”N 39°2f50”E), c. 3 km south-west of 
Adi Keyih, at 2,400 m. Approximately 20 m from 
the road, on some ploughed but barren land I 
noticed a courser. I observed it through binoculars 
from a distance of c. 20 nr and made field notes. 
The bird’s overall coloration was beige, and it 
had a clear black eye-stripe, a white supercilium, a 
dark grey crown and a white belly/vent, obviously 
paler than the breast. The bill was black and the 
legs pale grey. I twice flushed the bird and on 
both occasions clearly saw its pale inner wing, 
which is diagnostic of Somali Courser, Cream- 
coloured Courser C. cursor having an all-dark 
underwing. Subsequent visits to the same spot did 
not produce any more sightings, either that day, 
or on the following two days. 

This is the first documented record of Somali 
Courser for Eritrea. An unpublished trip list by 
K. Harte and D. Berhane from December 2004 
mentions a record of four Somali Coursers in the 
Eritrean coastal lowlands near Foro, c.50 km from 
Adi Keyih at sea level. D. Berhane (pers. comm.) 
informed me that he was unaware at the time that 
the species had not previously been recorded in 
Eritrea, and that he did not possess any field notes 
to confirm the identification. 

The nearest confirmed sightings are from the 
north-eastern lowlands of Ethiopia and just across 
the border in Djibouti, c.400 km south-east of 
my sighting (Ash & Atkins 2009). The Eritrean 
records indicate that the species occasionally 
occurs significantly further north of its usual range 
and could conceivably occur alongside Cream- 
coloured Courser. However, the high altitude of 
my bird is atypical, suggesting a vagrant. 

African Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix 
On 26 January 2008 at 09.20 hrs, I was 
birdwatching near Filfil Solomuna, in the vicinity 
of the Medhanit Recreation Centre (15°37’0T’N 
38°56’07”E) at 1,000 m, in the middle of Eritrea’s 
largest remaining tract of tropical forest. In a 
mature broad-leaved tree I observed a large pigeon 
with a dark head, yellow eye-ring, yellow bill, 
purple-grey on the wing and mantle, pale spots 
/ mottling on the breast, and yellow feet. These 
features are diagnostic of African Olive Pigeon. 
The bird was only visible for c.30 seconds before 


it disappeared into denser forest. I remained in the 
area for another three days, frequently returning 
to the same spot, but did not see the bird again. 

On 14 February 2008 at 11.35 hrs, I was 
walking with two colleagues through riparian 
woodland at Karibosa, near Adi Keyih (14°54’42 N 
39°25T2”E; c.100 km south of the first sighting) 
at 2,500 m, when I observed another African 
Olive Pigeon in a broad-leaved tree, c. 5 m above 
me. We watched the bird for 5-7 minutes in 
excellent conditions and one of my colleagues 
took several photographs (Fig. 2). 

These two sightings extend this pigeon’s range 
north significantly, the nearest confirmed records 
being from 500 km further south, in Ethiopia 
(Ash & Atkins 2009), although the species has 
recently also been discovered slightly nearer, in 
Djibouti (Redman et al. 2009). The species is 
probably resident in small numbers in isolated 
patches of mature woodland in Eritrea. 

Cape Eagle Owl Bubo capensis 
On 1 April 2008, when I was visiting a school in 
Adi Keyih (14 0 51’14”N 39°22’07”E), at 2,400 m, 
I noticed a group of children surrounding a boy 
who was carrying a large owl. It transpired that he 
had bought the bird from a person who had found 
it injured on the ground close to a nearby village. 

I took the owl home and kept it alive for several 
days. The humerus of the left wing was completely 
broken close to the body. 

The bright yellow-orange eyes separated it 
from all other large owls except Desert Eagle 
Owl B. ascalaphus. The overall darkness of the 
plumage, very heavy mottling on the upper breast 
and strong mottling on the belly identified it as 
Cape Eagle Owl (Fig. 3). Its length was 50 cm. 
The race present in Ethiopia (and presumably 
that involved here) is dillonii, which is sometimes 
treated with B. c. mackinderi (of Mozambique 
to Kenya) as a separate species, Mackinder’s 
Eagle Owl Bubo mackinderi. The Natural History 
Museum at I ring possesses a specimen of Cape 
Eagle Owl collected in Senafe, Abyssinia, in 1868 
(BMNH 1887.11.11.24), which is erroneously 
mentioned as a Desert Eagle Owl in Ash & Atkins 
(2009), leaving just one confirmed record for the 
latter species in Eritrea. As Senafe is in present-day 
Eritrea, the specimen becomes the first confirmed 
record of Cape Eagle Owl for the country, 
the record documented here being the second. 


68 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


First records of eight bird species for Eritrea: Anderson 


Although the nearest confirmed records are from 
central Ethiopia, 600 km to the south, there 
are also lour uncertain records from northern 
Ethiopia (Ash & Atkins 2009). It seems likely 
that the species is a rare resident in Eritrea, and 
possibly also in northern Ethiopia. 

Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus 
On 25 February 2009, at c. 13.00 hrs, I flushed a 
nightjar from the ground near the village of Abi 
Girat, near Adi Keyih (14°53’33”N 39°22’00”E) 
at 2,200 m, along a lightly wooded stream in 
a small, quite barren valley with some small 
Acacia abyssinica and Prickly Pear Opuntia ficus- 
indica. 1 he bird settled c. 7 m away, and I took 
several photographs (Fig. 4). The only features I 
noticed were the rather dark overall coloration, 
a prominent chestnut collar, and several cream 
spots on the wing-coverts. It seemed similar in 
size to Dusky Nightjar C. frenatus , a species I 
had positively identified nearby, and I initially 
suspected that it was that species. When the bird 
flew off, it showed clear white wing spots, but I 
did not notice the tail pattern. When I tried to 
relocate the bird, I was only successful in flushing 
it again, whereupon it emitted a monosyllabic call 
twice in quick succession, kwa-kwa. It flew a little 
further away and, despite extensive searching, I 
was unable to find the bird again. Subsequent 
analysis of the photographs revealed the bird to be 
a Montane Nightjar. 

Two months later, on 25 April 2009 at 
c. 11.30hrs, 1 was birdwatching with D. Berhane 
at Karibosa, near Adi Keyih (14°54’49”N 
39°25’18”E) at 2,500 m, when he flushed another 
Montane Nightjar from dense cover close to a dry 
riverbed. The bird settled on a branch, where we 
could take good-quality photographs. Comparison 
of these with two specimens at the Natural History 
Museum, Tring, collected near Fake Tana, in 
north-west Ethiopia (one male and one female), 
revealed that the plumage of the Eritrean birds was 
identical to that of the specimens. 

Montane Nightjar is a rather uncommon 
resident in Ethiopia and the nearest confirmed 
record is from the Simien Mountains (Ash & 
Atkins 2009). Given the presence of suitable 
habitat in the southern Eritrean highlands, the 
species had long been suspected to occur. It is 
probably resident there, extending the species' 
range c.200 km northwards. 


Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara 
On 21 October 2007 ar 14.30 hrs, I was 
birdwatching in the Maka stream gorge near Adi 
Keyih (14°51’52”N 39°23’13”E) at 2,300 m. 
Following heavy rains, the stream was flowing 
well and I came across three wagtails that seemed 
quite different to White Wagtail M. alba, which 
is a common Palearctic migrant in the area. All 
three had a plain grey head and mantle, and dark 
wing feathers narrowly edged white. Two birds 
had a slim, dark ‘V’-shaped breast-band, but this 
was absent on the third, which followed the other 
rwo. All three birds frequently uttered short sharp 
contact calls. I watched them for c. 20 minutes, 
following them downstream, and took several 
poor-quality photographs, which confirm their 
identity as Mountain Wagtails (Figs. 5-6). The 
third bird’s lack of breast-band indicates it was 
a juvenile. Whilst confusion with juvenile White 
Wagtail is possible, I observed the key features of 
Mountain Wagtail (narrow white supercilium, no 
black moustachial stripe, no white on the median 
coverts, very long tail). 

This is the first record of Mountain Wagtail 
for Eritrea. 1 he species is common in northern 
Ethiopia (Ash & Atkins 2009), making it 
unsurprising that it ranges slightly into Eritrea. 
However, despite checking the same stream 
regularly during the next two years, I did not 
see the species there again. In 2008 the rains 
were not as heavy and the water level was much 
lower. Mountain Wagtail may be a local migrant, 
appearing, and possibly breeding, in Eritrea only 
after heavy rains. 

Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris 
On 12 October 2007 at 16.00 hrs, close to the 
village of Safira, near Adi Keyih (14°51T8”N 
39°24’19”E) at 2,550 m, in an area of open scrub 
with large boulders, I spotted a small passerine 
pursuing insects 10-15 m away. The bird, which 
was constantly flicking its wings and bobbing its 
tail, was drab brown overall and had a brownish- 
rufous rump and outer tail with a ‘T-shaped dark 
central band and tail end. The slender, horizontal 
jizz did not match Common Redstart Phoenicurus 
phoenicurus or Black Redstart P. ochruros, both 
of which I know well, and the underparts were 
also too pale for either. I observed the bird for 
c. 5 minutes before it flew off and identified it as 
a Familiar Chat. Despite extensive observation, 


First records of eight bird species for Eritrea: Anderson 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -69 


I did not notice the rufous mask described and 
illustrated in Sinclair & Ryan (2003); instead, the 
head appeared uniformly brown. 

Exactly one year later, on 12 October 2008, 
I encountered the species again, feeding in a dry 
streambed in a rocky valley several kilometres 
south of the original sighting. I attempted to take 
a photograph, but the bird flew off and I failed to 
relocate it. 

These are the first records for Eritrea of 
Familiar Chat, whose Ethiopian range extends 
right up to the Eritrean border. My sightings thus 
extend the species’ range only slightly but they 
are from a higher altitude than those in Ethiopia 
(1,090-2,000 m: Ash & Atkins 2009). I visited 
both sites regularly thereafter, but did not find 
the species again. Possibly Familiar Chat is a local 
migrant, with some birds moving north after the 
rainy season: both sightings were made in mid 
October, following the rains, when insects are 
most plentiful. 

Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia 
On 26 January 2009 at 11.30 hrs, near Sabur 
Recreation Centre, Filfil Solomuna (c. 1 5°36’N 
38°35’E), at c. 1,300—1,400 m, in an area of open, 
ungrazed meadows on a steep hillside with small 
bushes, surrounded by broadleaf woodland, I 
separately flushed two small brown birds from 
the 20-80 cm high grass. Both dived into small 
bushes nearby. I was unable to relocate the first 
bird, but the second remained for 20 minutes in 
a very small bush, which I approached to within 
10 m. Immediately, I noticed diagnostic dark 
markings on the pale undertail-coverts, as the bird 
cocked its tail and turned away. I also noted the 
generally brown upperparts with black streaking 
on the mantle, crown and wings, slight streaking 
on the breast below a pale throat, and dark face 
with no clear supercilium. These features are 
consistent with Grasshopper Warbler. I obtained 
several reasonable photographs, which confirm 
the bird’s identity (Fig. 7). 

I suspect that the other bird I flushed, as 
well as a third I briefly saw the same day, were 
also Grasshopper Warblers. Possibly the area is 
a wintering ground for this Palearctic migrant. 
(See also Anderson & Berhane (submitted) for 
more about the importance of this site.) There 
are no previous records in Eritrea of Grasshopper 
Warbler, which is an uncommon winter visitor to 


Ethiopia, with only 13 records mentioned by Ash 
& Atkins (2009). 

Note 

This paper originally also included a record 
of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo from 
Mai Nefe Reservoir, near Asmara (15°15’34”N 
38°47’47”E) on 3 February 2009. Recently, 
however, two records of Great Cormorant have 
been published, albeit undated (De Marchi et 
al. 2009). Giuseppe De Marchi (pers. comm.) 
informed me that these concerned a dead bird on 
NN045 Island in Howakil Bay on 30 December 
2002 and a live bird in shallow water in the Gulf 
of Zula on 7 January 2006. My record from Mai 
Nefe thus becomes the third confirmed record of 
Great Cormorant in Eritrea. 

Acknowledgements 

Thanks to John Ash, John Atkins, Nigel Redman, 
Nigel Cleere, Nik Borrow and John Caddick for their 
assistance in identifying some of the above species 
from photographs and field notes, to Dawit Berhane 
and Giuseppe De Marchi for details of their Great 
Cormorant records, and to Steve Smith for his support 
and advice concerning the Cape Eagle Owl. Nigel 
Redman commented on a draft of this paper. 

References 

Anderson, J. & Berhane, D. (submitted) Recent 
observations on the Abyssinian endemic species in 
Eritrea. Bull. ABC. 

Ash, J. & Atkins, J. 2009. Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: 
An Atlas of Distribution. London, UK: Christopher 
Helm. 

De Marchi, G., Chiozzi, G. & Semere, D. 2009. Wings 
over the Red Sea — the birds of the Eritrean Islands. 
Natura, Riv. Sci. Natur. 99(2) Suppl.: 1-128. 
Redman, N., Stevenson, T. & Fanshawe, J. 2009. Birds 
of the Horn of Africa. London, UK: Christopher 
Helm. 

Sinclair, I. & Ryan, P. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the 
Sahara. Cape Town: Struik. 

c/o 5 Wilton House , St. Paul’s Cray Road, Chislehurst, 
Kent BR7 6QG, UK. E-mail: jasonandersonl@gmail. 
com 

Received 19 August 2009; revision accepted 9 January 
2010 . 


70 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


First records of eight bird species for Eritrea: Anderson 


THE WILDLIFE ART GALLERY 



Birds of Africa 

by 

MARTIN WOODCOCK 

All the original plates Martin Woodcock painted for the seven volumes of 
Birds of Africa, published by Academic Press, will for the first time be offered 
for sale in this exhibition. They represent a unique achievement and are 

illustrations of the highest quality. 

The exhibition will also include work from his new book Safari Sketchbook 

9th -23rd MAY 2010 

For further details, please contact us on 01787 248562 
or visit our website : www.wildlifeartgallery.com 

97 High Street, Lavenham, Suffolk CO 10 9PZ 

wildlifeartgallery.com 


Advertisement 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -71 



Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands 

Ruben Barone' and Jens Herinfr 


Observations recentes de Fogo, lies du Cap-Vert. Des donnees sont presentees concernant 12 especes 
d’oiseaux observees a Fogo, lies du Cap-Vert, parmi lesquelles deux premieres mentions pour 1 ile 
(Chevalier gambette Tringa totanus et Hirondelle de fenetre Delichon urbicum ), les premieres donnees de 
nidification du Martinet du Cap-Vert Apus alexandri et les premieres observations babies du Phaeton a bee 
rouge Phaethon aethereus indiquant la nidification probable de celui-ci. Des informations sont egalement 
presentees sur d’autres taxons mal connus a Fogo, tels que certaines especes pelagiques et l’Effraie des 
clochers Tyto alba detorta. 

Summary. We present data on 12 bird species observed on Fogo, Cape Verde Islands, among them two 
first records for the island (Common Redshank Tringa totanus and Common House Martin Delichon 
urbicum ), the first breeding records of Cape Verde Swift Apus alexandri and the first reliable observations 
of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus indicating probable breeding. Information on other taxa poorly 
known on Fogo, such as some pelagic seabirds and Barn Owl Tyto alba detorta, is also given. 


F ogo, one of the Cape Verde Islands, is situated 
in the leeward group (‘Ilhas do Sotavento’), 
c.724 km from the African continent. With 
a surface area of 478 km 2 , the highest peak 
(Pico Novo) reaches 2,829 m (Michell-Thome 
1976). Its landscape is characterised by an active 
volcano (which last erupted in April 1995) and an 
impressive caldera rim c. 1,000-m high, a rugged 
coast with vertical cliffs that rise up to 200 m, 
many small and medium-sized volcanoes, lava 
plains and a few steep gorges. Large areas are 
cultivated and/or used as pasture. The remaining 
original vegetation is mainly confined to the 
Bordeira’ and ‘Cha das Caldeiras’ areas, in cliffs 
and gorges and in volcanic badlands (see Ribeiro 
1954, Mitchell-Thome 1976, Diniz & Matos 
1987, Correia 1996, Day et al. 1999, Leyens 
2002, Olehowski et al. 2008 and Foeken et al. 
2009 for more information on the geology, 
geography, climate and vegetation). 

Few ornithologists have studied the avifauna 
of this island. Among them are Leonardo Fea 
{in Salvadori 1899), Jose G. Correia {in Murphy 
1924), de Naurois (1969, 1987, 1994), Jaime 
Vieira dos Santos {in Frade 1976), Norrevang 
& Hartog (1984), de Bruyn & Koedijk (1990), 
Flazevoet (1995, 1998, 2003), Barone (1997), 
Geniez & Lopez-Jurado (1998), Ratcliffe et al. 
(2000), Jens Hering (Hering & Hering 2005, 
Hering 2008, Hering & Fuchs 2008, 2009) and 
Jesus et al. (2009). 

During five ornithological trips to Fogo in 
2004-06, we observed several bird species not 


reported previously, and some others for which 
there are only a limited number of observations. 
Local information on breeding birds was mainly 
collected by RB. Dates of our visits are as follows: 
18-21 October 2004 (JH & H. Hering), 5-10 
February 2005 (RB), 18-29 September 2005 
(RB), 28-30 December 2005 and 4-5 January 
2006 (JH & H. Hering) and 19 October-1 
November 2006 (JH & E. Fuchs). Information 
on the Cape Verde Cane Warbler Acrocephalus 
brevipennis (Hering & Hering 2005, Hering 
2008, Hering & Fuchs 2008, 2009) and the diet 
of the Barn Owl Tyto alba (Siverio et al. 2008) has 
been published elsewhere. 

Methods 

RB carried out a total of 24 diurnal point counts 
of 20-60 minutes (both visual and aural, three of 
them repeated 2-4 times), in different habitats 
across the island (sea cliffs, lowland xerophytic 
vegetation, cultivation, inland cliffs, gorges and 
high-mountain vegetation), largely following 
the recommendations of Bibby et al. (1992). 
Observations focused on seabirds, herons, raptors, 
swifts and some passerines, using both binoculars 
and a telescope. In addition, 14 gorges and inland 
cliffs, suitable as habitat for diurnal raptors and 
Barn Owl, were explored, and random walks in 
the lower, middle and higher parts of the island 
were performed. These were complemented by 
five nocturnal listening stations of 20 minutes 
(one of them repeated four times) in the Mosteiros 
area, Bangaeira (Cha das Caldeiras) and the main 


72 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


town, Sao Filipe, aimed at detecting pelagic 
seabirds approaching land and Barn Owls. JH 
iocused his attention mainly on the Cape Verde 
Cane Warbler, conducting listening point counts 
and line transects to detect the species during 
its breeding season (see Hering & Hering 2005, 
Hering 2008, Hering & Fuchs 2008, 2009). 

Results and Discussion 

We have selected data on 12 species observed 
on Fogo, including two new island records of 
migrants (Common Redshank Tringa totanus and 
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum) and 
observations concerning breeding taxa, namely 
Cape Verde Swift Apus alexandri (first breeding 
records for the island), Red-billed Tropicbird 
Phaetbon aethereus (first reliable observations), 
several pelagic seabirds and Barn Owl Tyto alba 
detort a. 

Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae 
At least one was seen flying over open sea, more 
than 500 m otf Mosteiros, in the north of the 
island, by RB on 6 February 2005, at 16. 20- 
lb. 25 hrs. Two were seen from the same site, at 
17.20-17.55 hrs the next day. 

This species breeds at several localities on 
Fogo, mainly in the Cha das Caldeiras area above 
1,600 m (Hazevoet 1995, Ratcliffe et al. 2000, 
Jesus et al. 2009), but there are few published 
sightings from adjacent seas. We were informed 
of a previously unknown colony on Monte Vaca, 
on the west side of the island, but it was not 
possible to verify this. Following recent genetic 
and morphometric studies, the nominate Cape 
Verdes’ population has been proposed as a species 
different from the birds of Bugio, in the Desertas 
Islands, Madeira, which are now referred to as P. 
deserta in some literature (Jesus et al. 2009). 

Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii 
Six were observed flying at sea late in the evening 
of 18 September 2005 from Porto de Vale dos 
Cavaleiros, in the west of the island. In the 
afternoon of 20 September 2005, two were seen 
flying c.500 m off Mosteiros, with at least three 
on 21 September. We obtained reliable local 
information about the breeding of this species 
on the marine cliffs below Corvo, in the north- 
east. At Alcatraz, in the south-east, we saw some 


possible breeding sites, indicated by droppings at 
the entrance of several crevices in the marine cliffs, 
on 24 September 2005. 

Despite the fact that Fogo possesses many 
seemingly suitable breeding sites, there are no 
breeding records of Cape Verde Shearwater (de 
Naurois 1994, Hazevoet 1995). This is likely due 
to the lack of a detailed inspection of its sea cliffs. 
Bourne (1955) included this species in his list of 
birds of the islands as it had been ‘reported by a 
reliable inhabitant’. 

Cape Verde Little Shearwater Puffinus 
(, assimilis ) boydi 

On several occasions on 5-8 February and 20-23 
September 2005, we heard birds calling at night 
while approaching the cliffs behind Mosteiros, 
where there seems to be a breeding colony. 
Maximum number of contacts included ten heard 
between 19.45-22.15 hrs on 21 September, and 
13 between 21.30-22.00 hrs on 22 September. 
At times, two birds were heard simultaneously, 
and sometimes males and females could be 
distinguished due to their different vocalisations, 
as pointed out by James & Robertson (1985) 
for Puffinus ( assimilis ) baroli and by Robb et al. 
(2008) for the Cape Verdean endemic. Calls were 
clearly different from those of P. (a.) baroli (, cf 
Robb et al. 2008). During the late afternoon of 21 
September 2005, one or two birds were observed 
at sea off Mosteiros. 

The same locality is mentioned by Hazevoet 
(1995), who heard several birds there in April 
1990. The only known breeding records are 
from Ilheu de Cima, Branco, Raso, Santiago and 
Boavista islands (Hazevoet 1995). 

Red-billed Tropicbird Phaetbon aethereus 
Three, all apparently adults, were seen approaching 
the coastal cliffs of Ponta Lenha-Baia da 
Reconhigao, in the south-west (near ‘Santuario de 
Nossa Senhora do Socorro’), in the afternoon of 
19 September 2005 by RB. One entered a hole in 
the basaltic cliffs, but left after four minutes; later 
the same or another individual visited a different 
cavity and stayed longer. These observations may 
indicate breeding at this locality. 

To date, Red-billed Tropicbird had not been 
definitely reported on Fogo, although it had 
occasionally been observed close to the coast 


Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -73 


(T. Leyens pers. comm.) and Bourne (1955) 
mentioned it for the island based on information 
by a ‘reliable inhabitant’. Breeding has been 
confirmed on Sal, Boavista, Santiago and Brava, 
and on Raso and Rombos islets (Hazevoet 1995, 
1998), and it probably breeds on Santo Antao as 
well (Palacios & Barone 2001, Hazevoet 2003). It 
has been observed recently on Ilheu dos Passaros, 
Sao Vicente (Hazevoet 2010). 

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 

We found a roost of this species in a tree at 
Mosteiros. On 5 February 2005 there were c.125 
birds, with 152 there the next day between 
17.50-18.55 hrs. In September 2005 there were 
no Cattle Egrets at all on the island, and in 
December 2005 and October 2006 only small 
numbers were recorded, the maximum being 12, 
south of Mosteiros, on 19 October. 

This egret is present in the Cape Verdes 
mainly in December-April (Hazevoet 1995), with 
some breeding records from Santiago in the 1960s 
(Bannerman & Bannerman 1968, de Naurois 
1969). Our roost seems to be one of the largest in 
the archipelago, although 540 birds were counted 
near the sewage farm of Sao Vicente on 9-10 
March 1996 (Hazevoet 1997). A roost of 1,344 
birds was found on Santiago in March 2008 and 
a breeding colony containing c.6 0 nests occurred 
on Boavista in 2004 (Hazevoet 2010). 

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 

One flew above the coastal cliffs of Fajazinha, 
north-west of Mosteiros, on 7 February 2005, 
an immature was seen above Mosteiros on 20 
September 2005, and another bird along the shore 
at Mosteiros, on 24 and 29 October 2006. 

Hazevoet (1995) mentioned the existence of 
<10 records from Fogo, Santo Antao and Sal, but 
there has been an increase in observations on the 
last two islands during the past decade and even 
some breeding records on Santo Antao (Hazevoet 
1997, Barone & Delgado 1999, Palacios & 
Barone 2001, Hazevoet 2003). Fogo does not 
offer suitable habitat for this heron, which prefers 
coastal plains and lagoons. 

Sanderling Calidris alba 

Two were observed on a dark sandy beach close 
to Porto de Vale dos Cavaleiros on 18 September 


Legend to figures on opposite page 

Figure 1. Satellite image of Fogo Island, Cape Verde 
Islands, with the main localities cited in the text 
(modified after a NASA photograph). 

Image satellite de file de Fogo, lies du Cap-Vert, avec les 
principals localites citees dans le texte (modifiee d apres 
une photo de la NASA). 

Figure 2. Fajazinha, in the north of Fogo; one of the best 
places for waders on the island (R. Barone) 

Fajazinha, dans le nord de Fogo ; un des meilleurs 
endroits de File pour les limicoles (R. Barone) 

Figure 3. Small canyon between Fajazinha and 
Sambango; within its interior two nests of Cape Verde 
Swift Apus alexandri were discovered (R. Barone) 

Petit canyon entre Fajazinha et Sambango, ou deux 
nids du Martinet du Cap-Vert Apus alexandri ont ete 
decouverts (R. Barone) 

Figure 4. Mosteiros: from the coast several pelagic 
seabirds were seen and in the cliffs behind the town Cape 
Verde Little Shearwater Pujfinus ( assimilis ) boydi and 
Barn Owl Tyto alba detorta were heard (J. Hering) 

Mosteiros : plusieurs especes d’oiseaux pelagiques y ont 
ete vus a partir de la cote, tandis que le Puffin semblable 
du Cap-Vert Pujfinus ( assimilis ) boydi et FEffraie des 
clochers Tyto alba detorta ont ete entendus dans les 
falaises derriere la ville (J. Hering) 

Figure 5. Pai Antonio is one of the main tropical 
agriculture areas in the Cape Verde Islands. Barn Owl 
Tyto alba detorta was found at this site, which is one 
of the most important for Cape Verde Cane Warbler 
Acrocephalus brevipennis in the archipelago (J. Hering) 

Pai Antonio est une des zones principales d'agriculture 
tropicale dans les lies du Cap-Vert. L’Effraie des clochers 
Tyto alba detorta a ete trouvee sur ce site, qui est un des 
plus importants de l’archipel pour la Rousserolle du Cap- 
Vert Acrocephalus brevipennis (J. Hering) 

Figure 6. Partial view of the caldera rim of Cha das 
Caldeiras, situated in the centre ol the island, with two 
villages, Portela and Bangaeira, at its base. This is one 
of the most important breeding sites of Fea’s Petrel 
Pterodroma feae (J. Hering) 

Vue partielle du bord de la caldera de Cha das Caldeiras, 
situee au centre de File, avec deux villages, Portela et 
Bangaeira, a son pied. Ceci est un des sites de nidification 
les plus importants du Petrel gongon Pterodroma feae (J. 
Hering) 

Figure 7. Coastal cliffs close to Santuario de Nossa 
Senhora do Socorro, in the south-west, where Red-billed 
Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus was observed (R. Barone) 

Falaises pres de Santuario de Nossa Senhora do Socorro, 
dans le sud-ouest, ou le Phaeton a bee rouge Phaethon 
aethereus a ete observe (R. Barone) 


74 -Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) 


Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


3 ^ Samban5&4^ 


• v- .. 'wtbsieiros 

.Pdota da Pai Antonio 


ajazinha 


Salina 


Corvo 


Bangaeira 


Mira-Mira 


Portela 


Sao Lourenco 
P. Vale dos 

Cavaleiros 




ao Filipe 


Nossa Sra" 
do Socorro 




Y 







Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -75 


2005. On 25 September, two, possibly the same 
birds, were on a similar beach between Porto 
de Vale dos Cavaleiros and Sao Filipe. Four 
were on Ponta da Salina on 30 December 2005 
with a maximum of three on Porto de Vale dos 
Cavaleiros the same day. 

This wader is more common on the eastern 
islands of Sal, Boavista and Maio (Flazevoet 1995, 
Barone & Delgado 1999, Barone et al. 2001), 
which possess extensive flat coastal habitats and 
lagoons, although it occurs locally throughout the 
archipelago. Our records suggest that Sanderling 
is probably a regular migrant visitor in small 
numbers on Fogo. 

Common Redshank Tringa totanus 
An immature was observed at the shore of 
Fajazinha on 21 September 2005. 

This is the first record for Fogo. There are 
previous observations from Sao Vicente, Sal, 
Boavista, Maio and Santiago (Hazevoet 1995, 
Barone et al. 2001, Hazevoet 2003). 

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 
We have several records from different months, 
all of them along the northern shore. One east of 
Mosteiros and three at Fajazinha on 6-7 February 
and 21 September 2005; three at Mosteiros on 29 
December 2005, and one there next day; finally, 
two at Mosteiros on 24 October 2006, with three 
there five days later. 

There are few published records for Fogo 
(Hazevoet 1995, Barone 1997). Our observations 
suggest that it is a regular migrant visitor to this 
island, as well as to the rest of the archipelago 
(Hazevoet 1995). 

Cape Verde Barn Owl Tyto alba detorta 
One was calling above Mosteiros at 23.36 hrs on 
6 February 2005. The next day, we discovered 
two cavities used by the species on the Sambango 
volcano, in the north. The first, which contained 
bones ol House Mouse Mus musculus and some 
insect remains, was old, but the second (situated 
at 20 m), where we collected c.20 pellets, was still 
in use. On 9 February we found five pellets at 
Ribeira Gomes, near Mira-Mira, on the west side 
of the island, at c.700 m (see Siverio et al. 2008 for 
analysis of the pellets). Other records include: a 
bird calling at night above Mosteiros, at the same 


place as in February, on 20 September 2005; a 
new pellet, containing many insect remains, found 
below the roost on Sambango on 21 September; 
one soaring in a cultivated area between Cova 
Lima and Cutelo Alto, in the north of the island, 
on 20 October 2006; one perched in daylight in 
a mango tree Mangifera indica at the outskirts 
of Pai Antonio, in the north, and another on 
the roofs of the southern part of Mosteiros on 
28 October. The diurnal search for the species 
in several gorges, small canyons and inland cliffs 
in some other northern (between Mosteiros and 
Fajazinha), central (Cha das Caldeiras area) and 
western (Sao Filipe-Sao Louren^o) areas of the 
island was unsuccessful. 

These data suggest that Barn Owl is a locally 
common species on Fogo, as also indicated by 
information obtained from local people. The 
only previous records were published by Hazevoet 
(1995), who saw it several times in June 1989 and 
April 1 990, indicating its probable breeding on this 
island. Previously Bourne (1955) mentioned that 
the species was ‘reported by a reliable inhabitant’. 
Our observations, especially the finding of fresh 
pellets and birds calling at night with territorial 
behaviour, are proof of its establishment on Fogo. 
To date, breeding of the Barn Owl has been 
confirmed on Santo Antao, Santa Luzia, Branco, 
Boavista, Maio, Santiago, Ilheu Grande (Rombos) 
and Brava, but the species is also present on Sao 
Vicente, Raso and Sao Nicolau (Siverio et al. 
2007). Furthermore, there is fossil evidence for its 
presence on Sal (Boessneck & Kinzelbach 1993). 

Cape Verde Swift Apus alexandri 
This endemic was observed in many localities, 
mainly over coastal and inland cliffs and steep 
gorges. It exhibited some nocturnal activity, as we 
heard one or two birds at night above Mosteiros 
on 6 February 2005, a behaviour also recorded in 
similar species like the Plain Swift Apus unicolor 
(Rodriguez 1988). The largest groups consisted 
of 20-21 birds at the cliffs near Porto de Vale 
dos Cavaleiros on 18 September 2005 and more 
than 100 at Cha das Caldeiras on 4 January 2006. 
However, the most interesting records concern the 
discovery of several nests. On 7 February 2005 
three were seen approaching the cliffs west of 
Fajazinha, one of which tried to enter a small hole, 
and a nest (probably in use, as it had droppings 
at the entrance) was discovered in the same area. 


76 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent bird records from Fogo , Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


1 he same day, two other nests were found in a 
small canyon situated in the interior, at 60 m, 
between Fajazinha and Sambango. One of them, 
at c . 5 m height, was occupied, with another, at 
3.5 m, nearby. Bones of Cape Verde Swift were 
lound in Barn Owl pellets collected at Sambango 
in February 2005 (Siverio et al. 2008). 

These are the first breeding records of Cape 
Verde Swift on Fogo. Previously, there were 
nesting data only for Brava and Sao Nicolau, but 
its breeding was considered likely on Santiago, 
Fogo and Santo Antao as well (Hazevoet 1995). 
Listed as breeding on all of the islands in the 
archipelago by de Naurois (1994). 

Common House Martin Delichon urbicum 
One was observed near Bangaeira, in the Cha das 
Caldeiras area, on 5 January 2006 by JH. 

Hazevoet (1995) mentioned that this species 
had not been reported from Fogo. 

Acknowledgements 

JH acknowledges the collaboration of Heidi Hering and 
Elmar Fuchs during the field work. Dr Berthold Seibert 
and his wife Rosi are thanked for their company and 
friendship during some of RB’s trips. Guillermo Garcia 
located some references on geology and geography 
of the island, and assisted with the toponymy of the 
localities, whilst Dr Peter Sziemer provided additional 
literature. Dr Cornelis J. Hazevoet, Miguel Fernandez 
del Castillo and Ana Monedero read and corrected the 
first draft, and Ron Demey proffered editorial advice. 
Leopoldo Moro scanned some original slides of bird 
habitats, Miguel Angel Noriega placed the localities on 
the satellite image of Fogo and finally, Dr Juan Jose 
Bacallado helped RB with a small, personal fund. 

References 

Bannerman, D. A. & Bannerman, W. M. 1968. Birds 
of the Atlantic Islands. Vol. 4. Edinburgh: Oliver & 
Boyd. 

Barone, R. 1997. Observaciones de aves migratorias en 
el archipielago de Cabo Verde, septiembre de 1997. 
Rev. Acad. Canar. Cienc. 9: 87-96. 

Barone, R. & Delgado, G. 1999. Observaciones 
ornitologicas en el archipielago de Cabo Verde, 
septiembre-octubre de 1998. I. Aves migratorias no 
nidificantes. Rev. Acad. Canar. Cienc. 10 [1998]: 
9-19. 

Barone, R., Fernandez del Castillo, M. & Almeida, R. S. 
200 1 . Observaciones ornitologicas en la isla de Maio 


(archipielago de Cabo Verde), octubre de 2000. Rev. 
Acad. Canar. Cienc. 12 [2000]: 143-155. 

Bibby, C. J., Burgess, N. D. & Hill, D. A. 1992. Bird 
Census Techniques. London, UK: Academic Press. 
Boessneck, J. & Kinzelbach, R. 1993. Ein prahistorischer 
Brutplatz von Seevogeln auf der Insel Sal (Kapverden). 
J. Ornithol. 134: 245-271. 

Bourne, W. R. P. 1955. The birds of the Cape Verde 
Islands. Ibis 97: 508-556. 

de Bruyn, D. & Koedijk, O. 1990. Bird watching during 
the Great Drought on the Cape Verde Islands. Cour. 
Forsch. -Inst. Senckenberg 129: 191-1 96. 

Correia, E. 1996. Contribuipoes para o conhecimento 
do clima de Cabo Verde. Garcia de Orta, Ser. Geogr. 
15: 81-107. 

Day, S. J., Heleno da Silva, S. I. N. & Fonseca, J. F. B. 
D. 1999. A past giant lateral collapse and present- 
day flank instability of Fogo, Cape Verde Islands. J. 
Volcano l. Geotherm. Res. 94: 191-218. 

Diniz, A. C. & de Matos, G. C. 1987. Carta de zonagem 
agro-ecologica e da vegetapao de Cabo Verde. II — Ilha 
do Fogo. Garcia de Orta, Ser. Bot. 9: 35-70. 

Foeken, J. P. T„ Day, S. & Stuart, F. M. 2009. 
Cosmogenic 'He exposure dating of the Quaternary 
basalts from Fogo, Cape Verdes: implications for 
rift zone and magmatic reorganisation. Quaternary 
Geochronology 4: 37 — 49. 

Frade, F. 1976. Aves do arquipelago de Cabo Verde. 
(Colecpao do Centro de Zoologia da J.I.C.U.). 
Garcia de Orta, Ser. Zool. 5: 47-58. 

Geniez, P. & Lopez-Jurado, F. F. 1998. Nouvelles 
observations ornithologiques aux lies du Cap-Vert. 
Alauda 66: 307-31 1. 

Hazevoet, C. J. 1995. The Birds of the Cape Verde 
Islands: An Annotated Check-list. BOL1 Check-list 
No. 13. Tring: British Ornithologists’ Union. 
Hazevoet, C. J. 1 997. Notes on distribution, conservation, 
and taxonomy of birds from the Cape Verde Islands, 
including records of six species new to the archipelago. 
Bull. zotil. Mus. Univ. Amsterdam 15: 89-100. 
Hazevoet, C. J. 1998. Third annual report on birds from 
the Cape Verde Islands, including records of seven 
taxa new to the archipelago. Bull. zool. Mus. Univ. 
Amsterdam 16: 65-71. 

Hazevoet, C. J. 2003. Fifth report on birds from the 
Cape Verde Islands, including records of 15 taxa 
new to the archipelago. Arq. Mus. Bocage, n. ser. 3: 
503-528. 

Hazevoet, C. J. 2010. Sixth report on birds from the 
Cape Verde Islands, including records of 25 taxa new 
to the archipelago. Zool. Caboverdiana 1 : 3-44. 


Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -77 


Hering, J. 2008. Eine Entdeckungsgeschichte: Der 
Kapverdenrohrsanger auf Fogo. Falke 55: 2 1 7 — 
221 . 

Elering, J. & Fuchs, E. 2008. Grundzum Optimismus — 
Bestandssituation des Kapverdenrohrsangers 
Acrocephalus brevipennis auf Fogo (Kapverdische 
Inseln). Vogelwarte 45: 371-372. 

Hering, J. & Fuchs, E. 2009. The Cape Verde Warbler: 
distribution, density, habitat and breeding biology 
on the island of Fogo. Br. Birds 102: 17-24. 

Hering, J. & Hering, H. 2005. Discovery of Cape Verde 
Warbler Acrocephalus brevipennis on Fogo, Cape 
Verde Islands. Bull. ABC 12: 147-149. 

James, P. C. & Robertson, H. A. 1985. Sexual 
dimorphism in the voice of the Fittle Shearwater 
Pujfrnus assimilis. Ibis 127: 388-390. 

Jesus, J., Menezes, D., Gomes, S., Oliveira, P., Nogales, 
M. & Brehm, A. 2009. Phylogenetic relationships 
of gadfly petrels Pterodroma spp. from the 
northeastern Atlantic Ocean: molecular evidence 
for specific status of Bugio and Cape Verde petrels 
and implications for conservation. Bird Conserv. 
Intern. 19: 199-214. 

Feyens, T. 2002. Biodiversidade da prevista area 
protegida na Ilha do Fogo I Cabo Verde. Elaboragao de 
programas e medidas para a sua conservagao sustentavel. 
Eschborn: Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische 
Zusammenarbeit(GTZ)GmbH,Tropen6kologisches 
Begleitprogramm. 

Mitchell-Thome, R. C. 1976. Geology of the Middle 
Atlantic Islands. Beitr. Region. Geol. Erde, Bd. 12. 
Berlin / Stuttgart: Gebriider Borntraeger. 

Murphy, R. C. 1924. The marine ornithology of the 
Cape Verde Islands, with a list of all the birds of 
the archipelago. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 50: 
211-278. 

de Naurois, R. 1969. Notes breves sur l’avifaune de 
l’archipel du Cap-Vert. Faunistique, endemisme, 
ecologie. Bull. I.F.A.N. 31, ser. A: 143-218. 

de Naurois, R. 1987. Fes oiseaux de l’archipel du Cap 
Vert. Peuplements, adaptations, endemisme. Bull. 
Soc. Zool. France 112: 307-326. 

de Naurois, R. 1994. Les Oiseaux de PArchipel du Cap 
Vert / As Aves do Arquipelago de Cabo Verde. Fisboa: 
Instituto de Investiga^ao Cientifica Tropical. 


Norrevang, A. & Hartog, J. C. den. 1984. Bird 
observations in the Cape Verde Islands (4—22 June 
1982). Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg 68: 107-134. 

Olehowski, C., Naumann, S., Fisher, D. & Siegmund, 
A. 2008. Geo-ecological spatial pattern analysis ol 
the island of Fogo (Cape Verde). Global & Planetary 
Change 64: 188-197. 

Palacios, C.-J. & Barone, R. 2001. Fe Heron cendre 
Ardea cinerea , nouvelle espece nidificatrice aux ties de 
Cap Vert. Alauda 69: 18. 

Ratcliffe, N„ Zino, F. J., Oliveira, P., Vasconcelos, A., 
Hazevoet, C. J., Costa Neves, H., Monteiro, F. R. & 
Zino, E. 2000. The status and distribution of Fea’s 
Petrel Pterodroma feae in the Cape Verde Islands. 
Atlantic Seabirds 2: 73-86. 

Ribeiro, O. 1 954. A ilha do Fogo e as suas erupgoes. Mem., 
Ser. Geogr. I. Fisboa: Junta de Investigates do 
Ultramar, Ministerio do Ultramar. 

Robb, M., Mullarney, K. & The Sound Approach. 2008. 
Petrels Night and Day. Poole: The Sound Approach. 

Rodriguez, F. 1988. Activite nocturne du Martinet 
unicolore Apus unicolor dans la ville de Fas Palmas 
(ties Canaries). Alauda 56: 181. 

Salvadori, T. 1899. Collezioni ornitologiche fatte nelle 
isole del Capo Verde da Feonardo Fea. Ann. Mus. 
Civ. Storia Nat., Genova (2)20: 283-312. 

Siverio, F., Barone, R. & Delgado, G. 2008. Notes 
on the diet of Tyto alba in two oceanic islands from 
the Mid-Atlantic, Porto Santo and Fogo (Aves, 
Tytonidae). Vieraea 36: 163-165. 

Siverio, F., Mateo, J. A. & Fopez-Jurado, F. F. 2007. On 
the presence and biology of the Barn Owl Tyto alba 
detorta on Santa Fuzia, Cape Verde Islands. Alauda 
75: 91-93. 

“C/. Eduardo Zamacois, 13-3°A, 38005 Santa Cruz de 

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. E-mail: makaronesia68@ 

yahoo, es. 

b CI. Wolkenburger Strafe 11, D-09212 Limbach- 

Oberfrohna, Germany. E-mail: jenshering. 

vso-bibliothek@t-online.de. 

Received 4 August 2009; revision accepted 29 

September 2009. 


78 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent bird records from Fogo, Cape Verde Islands: Barone & Hering 


The separate African winter quarters of Pied Flycatcher 

Ficedula hypoleuca and Collared Flycatcher F. albicollis 

Robert J. Dowsett 


Le Gobemouche noir Ficedula hypoleuca et la Gobemouche a collier F. albicollis ont des quartiers 
d hiver africains bien separes. Goodenough et al. (2009) ont ecrit que le Gobemouche noir Ficedula 
hypoleuca et son proche cousin le Gobemouche a collier F. albicollis hivernent en sympatrie dans des pays 
comme le Tchad et le Nigeria, mais c est incorrect. Le Gobemouche noir hiverne principalement dans les 
forets claires soudaniennes de la Sierra Leone au Cameroun, tandis que le Gobemouche a collier hiverne 
dans les forets claires de la region zambezienne au sud de l’Equateur. 

Summary. 1 he claim that Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and its close relative the Collared Flycatcher 
F. albicollis winter sympatrically in countries such as Chad and Nigeria’ (Goodenough et al. 2009) is not 
tiue. Pied Flycatcher winters mainly in the Sudanian woodlands from Cameroon west to Sierra Leone, but 
Collared Flycatcher does so in the Zambezian woodlands south of the equator. 


I n their discussion of factors relevant to the 
conservation of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula 
hypoleuca , Goodenough et al. (2009) claim that 
this species and its close relative the Collared 
Flycatcher F. albicollis ‘winter sympatrically in 
countries such as Chad and Nigeria (Dowsett 
1993, Elgood et al. 1994)’. This is untrue, and is 
not what was shown by Dowsett (1993). 

A literature search has produced many 
specimen and correctly identified sight records 
of Ficedula flycatchers in sub-Saharan Africa. 
To these have been added my own observations 
from several countries in which these two species 
occur in winter or on passage, from western 
Mali to northern Cameroon for Pied Flycatchers, 
and north-east Nigeria to southern Zambia for 
Collared Flycatchers. 

Winter distribution of Pied and Collared 
Flycatchers 

1 Goodenough etal. (2009) were perhaps influenced 
by the fact that Elgood et al. (1994) wrote of 
Collared Flycatcher in Nigeria ‘uncommon... 
Sep-Mar’, which implies a presence throughout 
that period. This echoed Elgood et al. (1966), 
who considered that it is ‘probably a regular 
winter visitor’. Elowever, the few records of 
Collared Flycatcher in Nigeria all fall between 13 
September and 1 November, except for one bird 
which spent the period 23 February-23 March at 
Vom (Smith 1966). There is a handful of records 
from neighbouring Chad (11 September-19 
October and 1 1-13 April: Salvan 1968). For both 


Nigeria and Chad, Dowsett (1993) made it clear 
that the species occurs only on passage. 

Pied Flycatchers too are known only on 
passage through Chad (7 September to the first 
half of October and 29 March-10 April: Salvan 
1968, Newby 1980), which is at the eastern limit 
of the species’ migration. But they do winter 
in considerable numbers in Nigeria. Elgood et 
al. (1994) reported them between October and 
April, but extreme dates are in fact 17 September 
(Malamfatori, Lake Chad: Dowsett 1969) and 
23 May (Vom: Smith 1966). Pied Flycatchers 
winter south in Nigeria from 11°N (Falgore, 
January: Wilkinson & Beecroft 1985; Zaria, 27 
February: Fry 1965), mostly between 07°N and 
10°N. There are few records from the coastal 
zone of Nigeria (e.g. Lagos: Forrester 1971, Gee 
& Fleigham 1977). In its overall wintering area 
(essentially Cameroon west to Mali, south to 
Sierra Leone: Serle 1949; pers. obs.) the species 
frequents especially the Sudanian woodlands, less 
often clearings or the edge of forest. In the Sahel 
it occurs only on passage, and then there is a 
preponderance of autumn (southbound passage) 
records at several localities; e.g. at Malamfatori, 
at least 14 between 17 September and 9 October 
(Dowsett 1969), but only three on northbound 
passage (early April to 3 May: Dowsett 1968, 
Sharland 1969). In contrast, with the drying out 
of the Lake Chad area, Gustafsson et al. (2003) in 
the period 1997-2000 had only a single autumn 
record at Malamfatori (8 September), and none at 
all in spring. Near Jos (2001-09), M. Stevens (in 


African winter quarters Pied and Collared Flycatchers: Dowsett 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -79 



15W 10W 5W 0 5E 10E 15E 2 0E 2 5E 30 E 35E 40E 


Figure 1. Records (mapped by degree square) of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca (black squares), Collared 
Flycatchers F. albicollis (open squares) and Semi-collared Flycatchers F. semitorquata (black dots). Localities at which 
two species occur are denoted by ‘pied’ symbols. 

Distribution (par carres d un degre de latitude-longitude) des Gobemouches noirs Ficedula hypoleuca (carres noirs), a 
collier F. albicollis (carres creux) et a demi-collier F. semitorquata (points noirs). Les localites oil se rencontrent deux 
especes sont indiquees par un symbole noir et blanc. 


lift. 2009) ringed 100 in October compared to 45 
in March-April. 

In contrast to Pied Flycatchers, Collared 
Flycatchers winter south of the equator, in the 
Zambezian woodlands, centred on Zambia and 
Malawi in particular (Moreau 1972, Dowsett- 
Lemaire & Dowsett 2006, Dowsett et al. 2008). 
Fig. 1 shows the distribution of these two species, 
and the separation of the centres of distribution is 
clear, with the Central African rain forest largely 
avoided. Records of Semi-collared Flycatchers 
F. semitorquata are also mapped; as they are 
difficult to separate, some records might have 
to be reassessed, but it does seem that their 
winter distribution is near the equator, centred on 
Uganda and western Kenya (e.g. Pearson 1998, 
and references therein). 

Future workers are likely to be misled by 
the published statement in such an authoritative 


journal as Ibis , but the editor declined to publish 

this clarification there. 

Acknowledgements 

I thank Peter Jones, David Pearson and Matt Stevens 

for their helpful comments on the manuscript. 

References 

Dowsett, R. J. 1968. Migrants at Malam’fatori, Lake 
Chad, spring 1968. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 5: 
53-56. 

Dowsett, R. J. 1969. Migrants at Malam’fatori, Lake 
Chad, autumn 1968. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 6: 
39-45. 

Dowsett, R. J. 1993. Afrotropical avifaunas: annotated 
country lists. Nigeria and Chad. Tauraco Res. Rep. 
5: 69-77 & 103-108. 

Dowsett, R. J., Aspinwall, D. R. & Dowsett-Lemaire, 
F. 2008. The Birds of Zambia. An Atlas and 
Handbook. Liege: Tauraco Press & Aves. 


80 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


African winter quarters Pied and Collared Flycatchers: Doivsett 


Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R. J. 2006. The Birds 
of Malawi. An Atlas and Handbook. Liege: Tauraco 
Press & Aves. 

Elgood, J. H., Sharland, R. E. & Ward, P. 1966. 

Palaearctic migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 108: 84-116. 
Elgood, J. H., Heigham, J. B., Moore, A. M„ Nason, 
A. M., Sharland, R. E. & Skinner, N. J. 1994. 
The Birds of Nigeria: An Annotated Check-list. 
BOU Check-list No. 4. Second edn. Tring: British 
Ornithologists' Union. 

Forrester, M. F. 1971. The birds of Ikoyi, Lagos. Bull. 

Nigerian Orn. Soc. 8: 13-21. 

Fry, C. H. 1965. The birds of Zaria. IV — Residents, 
vagrants and check-list (Passerines). Bull. Nigerian 
Orn. Soc. 2: 91-102. 

Gee, J. & Heigham, J. 1977. Birds of Lagos, Nigeria. 

[Part 2], Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 13: 103-132. 
Goodenough, A. E., Elliot, S. L. & Hart, A. G. 
2009. I he challenges of conservation for declining 
migrants: are reserve-based initiatives during the 
breeding season appropriate for the Pied Flycatcher 
Ficedula hypoleuca?. Ibis 151: 429-439. 

Gustafsson, R., Hjort, C., Ottosson, U. & Hall, P. 
2003. Birds at Lake Chad and in the Sahel of NE 
Nigeria 1997-2000. Ottenby: Lake Chad Bird 
Migration Project. 


Moreau, R. E. 1972. The Palaearctic-African Bird 
Migration System. London, UK: Academic Press. 

Newby, J. E. 1980. The birds of the Oadi Rime — 
Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve, a contribution to the 
study of the Chadian avifauna. [Part 2.] Malimbus 
2: 29-50. 

Pearson, D. J. 1998. Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca 
at Kakamega Forest — a readmission to the East 
African list. Scopus 20: 46-48. 

Salvan, J. 1968. Contribution a Fetude des oiseaux du 
Tchad. [Part 4.] Oiseau & R.F.O. 38: 249-273. 

Serle, W. 1949. Notes on the birds of Sierra Leone. 
[Part 3]. Ostrich 20: 70-85. 

Sharland, R. E. 1969. Mallam Fatori, spring 1969. 
Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 6: 98-101. 

Smith, V. W. 1966. Autumn and spring weights of 
some Palaearctic migrants in central Nigeria. Ibis 
108: 492-512. 

Wilkinson, R. & Beecroft, R. 1985. Birds in Falgore 
Game Reserve, Nigeria. Malimbus 7: 63-72. 

Le Pouget, 30440 Sumene, France. E-mail: Dowsett@ 

aol. com 

Received 15 September 2009; revision accepted 20 

October 2009. 


African winter quarters Pied and Collared Flycatchers: Dowsett 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -81 


First breeding record and passage of 
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus in Libya 

Jens Hering ', Elmar Fuchs b and Stefan Brehmef 


Premiere mention de nidification et passage de I’Epervier d’Europe Accipiter nisus en Libye. La 

decouverte est rapportee de deux nids occupes d’Eperviers d’Europe Accipiter nisus au nord-ouest de 
Cyrenaica, Libye, en mai 2008. Le premier etait dans une plantation de pins au nord de Cyrene, pres du 
complexe hotelier de Muntasah Shahhat, le second environ 1,2 km au sud-ouest du premier, dans une 
zone cloturee ayant l’aspect d un pare. Des plumees contenaient des plumes d une Tourterelle des bois 
Streptopelia turtur , d un Coucou gris Cucidus canorus et de 11 passereaux qui se trouvent dans la region 
comme especes nicheuses ou de passage. Ceci constitue les premieres mentions de nidification de l’Epervier 
d’Europe en Libye. Deux observations en mars 2009 a Wadi Ash Shari, les premieres pour cette espece au 
Fezzan, pourraient indiquer que ce rapace est aussi un visiteur hivernal plus frequent qu’on ne le pensait 
jusqu’a present. 


I n North Africa, Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter 
nisus is known to breed in Morocco, Algeria 
and Tunisia (race punicus : Orta 1994) and as 
a regular passage migrant or winter visitor (the 
European nominate race: Isenmann & Moali 
2000, Thevenot et al. 2003, Isenmann etal. 2005). 
According to Bundy (1976), it is only a winter 
visitor to Libya, where it has been infrequently 
and irregularly recorded from November to April 
in Tripolitania, mainly in the coastal region. 


Other sightings confirm the rarity of the species in 
this region (Misonne 1973, Brehme et al. 2002). 
The few records from Cyrenaica are from the coast 
and Jebel Akhdar in November-April. However, 
the species is also stated to be occasionally ‘fairly 
common' (R. S. M. Green in Stanford 1953, 
1954, Latham 1973). In the Libyan Desert there 
have been a few spring observations in March and 
April (Bundy 1976). 


Table 1 . Analysis of the material found in the pluckings at Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus nest sites 

near Cyrene, Libya, in May 2008. 

Tableau 1. Analyse du materiel trouve dans les plumees aupres des nids d’Eperviers d’Europe Accipiter nisus 

pres de Cyrene, Libye, in mai 2008. 

Location: A = wood near the Muntasah Shahhat hotel complex, B = wood on the northern periphery of the city of Cyrene. ‘probably part(s) of a plucking. 

Location: A = bois pres du complexe hotelier de Muntasah Shahhat, B = bois a la peripherie nord de la ville de Cyrene. ‘faisant probablement partie dune plumee. 


Species 

Number 

Location 

Remarks 

European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur 

1 

A 

Juvenile 

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus 

1 

A 

2 undertail-coverts, 1 tertial* 

Crested Lark Galerida cristata 

1 

B 

Adult, 1 tail feather, 1 secondary* 

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 

1 

B 

2 tail feathers 

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida 

2 

A 


warbler Phylloscopus sp. 

1 

B 

1 tail feather*, probably P. collybita 

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 

1 

B 


Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala 

1 

B 

Adult male, 1 primary* 

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca 

1 

A 


Blue Tit Parus caeruleus 

1 

A 


Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis or House Sparrow P. domesticus 

1 

A 



3 

B 

1 adult + 2 juveniles 

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 

10 

A 

9 juveniles + 1 adult 


5 

B 

4 juveniles + 1 adult 

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 

1 

A 

Juvenile 


82 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Libya: Hering et al. 




Figure 1 . The pine plantation near the Muntasah 
Shahhat hotel complex, Cyrene, Cyrenaica, where the 
first nest of Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus was 
found, 27 May 2008 (J. Hering) 

La plantation de pins pres du complexe hotelier de 
Muntasah Shahhat, Cyrene, Cyrenaica, ou le premier nid 
d’Epervier d’Europe Accipiter nisus a ete trouve, 27 mai 
2008 (J. Hering) 

Figure 2. Female Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 
near its nest in the pine plantation near the Muntasah 
Shahhat hotel complex, Cyrene, Cyrenaica, Libya, 27 
May 2008 (J. Hering) 

Epervier d’Europe Accipiter nisus femelle pres de son nid 
dans la plantation de pins pres du complexe hotelier de 
Muntasah Shahhat, Cyrene, Cyrenaica, Libye, 27 mai 
2008 (J- Hering) 

Figure 3. Occupied Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 
nest in a pine tree, Muntasah Shahhat hotel complex, 
Cyrene, Cyrenaica, Libya, 27 May 2008 (J. Hering) 

Nid occupe d’Epervier d’Europe Accipiter nisus dans un 
pin, complexe hotelier de Muntasah Shahhat, Cyrene, 
Cyrenaica, Libya, 27 mai 2008 (J. Hering) 

Figure 4. The pine plantation on the northern periphery 
of the city of Cyrene, Cyrenaica, Libya, where the second 
nest of Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus was found, 
29 May 2008 (J. Hering) 

La plantation de pins a la peripherie nord de la ville de 
Cyrene, Cyrenaica, Libye, ou le second nid d’Epervier 
d’Europe Accipiter nisus a ete trouve, 29 mai 2008 (J. 
Hering) 



In May 2008 we visited Cyrenaica, where we 
concentrated our observations in the north-west. 
In a pine plantation of several hectares, at c.600 
m, near the Muntasah Shahhat hotel complex, 
Cyrene (32°49’N 21°52’E; Fig. 1), on 27 May, 
we discovered a Eurasian Sparrowhawk’s nest, 
from which the female flushed, uttering loud 
alarm calls. The bird was not particularly shy and 
permitted us to approach to within 20 m (Fig. 
2). The nest, which was lined with white down, 
was in a fork on the trunk c. 10 m high and c. 30 
m from the forest edge (Fig. 3). We also found 
another nest, undoubtedly from the previous year, 
in the centre of the small wood c.50 m from the 
first. Several moulted feathers belonging to the 
female, including four primaries, two secondaries 
and a single tail feather, were found on the 


Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Libya: Hering et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -83 






forest floor, as well as the remains of 19 birds 
of six species of passerines, a European Turtle 
Dove Streptopelia turtur and a Common Cuckoo 
Cuculus canorus (Table 1), all of which are known 
breeding birds or passage migrants in Cyrenaica 
(e.g. Bundy 1976). 

Two days later, we found a second occupied 
nest, c. 1.2 km south-west of the first, in an 
enclosed park-like area on the northern periphery 
of the city of Cyrene at c.615 m (32°49’N 
21°52’E; Fig. 4). It was at a height of c. 13 m, 
also in a fork on the trunk, within a veiy sparsely 
wooded pine plantation of c . 5 ha. During our 
presence the male vocalised continuously. We 
found five primaries and a secondary of the female 
as well as 12 pluckings of seven locally occurring 
songbirds (Table 1). 

These two occupied nests at the end of May 
agree temporally with the findings of Isenmann & 
Moali (2000) and Isenmann etal. (2005), who give 
the breeding season for Eurasian Sparrowhawk in 
Algeria and Tunisia as mid April to the beginning 
of June. Based on habitat in the region, and 
possibly also in other suitable areas of Cyrenaica 
and Tripolitania, we believe that the Eurasian 
Sparrowhawk breeds here, especially where pine 
plantations occur. 

The present status of this raptor as a rare 
visitor to Libya also needs to be questioned. 
During an 11 -day visit to Fezzan in March 
2009, we saw Eurasian Sparrowhawks twice: on 
28th an individual, probably an adult male, flew 
over the administrative centre and on 30th an 
immature female flew over a cultivated area of 
the A1 Dabwat Agricultural Production Project 
radial oasis complex, in Wadi Ash Shati (27°38’N 
14°08’E) (Hering et al. in prep.). These birds were 
probably returning from their winter quarters in 
Niger or Chad, of which little is known at present 
(cf Brown et al. 1982). These are the first records 
for this part of the country. 

Acknowledgements 

We thank P. Becker for analysis of the pluckings and 
T. Kraft and D. Saemann for other assistance. Our 
thanks also go to Abdullah Zaied Agilla of the General 
Management of Agricultural Production Projects, 
Tripoli, who permitted us to conduct field studies in 
the Wadi Ash Shati radial oasis complex. Translation of 
the manuscript into English was by David Conlin. 


References 

Brehme, S., Thiede, W. & Borges, E. 2002. Beitrage 
zur Vogelwelt Libyens, III: Accipitridae bis 
Charadriidae. Ornithol. Mitt. 54: 391-399. 

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

Bundy, G. 1976. The Birds of Libya: An Annotated 
Check-list. BOU Check-list No. 1. London, UK: 
British Ornithologists’ Union. 

Hering, J., Brehme, S. & Fuchs, E. in prep. Beitrag zur 
Fruhjahrs-Vogelwelt in West-Libyen. 

Isenmann, P. &c Moali, A. 2000. Oiseaux dAlgerie / Birds 
of Algeria. Paris: Societe d’Etudes Ornithologiques 
de France. 

Isenmann, P., Gaultier, T., El Hili, A., Azafzaf, 
H., Dlensi, H. & Smart, M. 2005. Oiseaux de 
Tunisie / Birds of Tunisia. Paris: Societe d'Etudes 
Ornithologiques de France. 

Latham, J. J. 1973. Birds of Al Adem, Tobruk, and 
adjacent desert areas of Cyrenaica. Roy. Air Force 
Ornithol. Soc.J. 8: 24-44. 

Misonne, X. 1973. Notes sur les oiseaux hivernant 
a Nofilia, Golfe de Syrte, Libye. Gerfaut 63: 
211-217. 

Orta, J. 1996. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. 
In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds.) 
Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. 
Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. 

Stanford, J. K. 1953. Some impressions of spring 
migration in Cyrenaica March-May 1952. Ibis 95: 
316-328. 

Stanford, J. K. 1954. A survey of the ornithology of 
northern Libya. Ibis 96: 449-473, 606-624. 

Thevenot, M., Vernon, R. & Bergier, P. 2003. The 
Birds of Morocco: An Annotated Checklist. BOU 
Checklist No. 20. Tring: British Ornithologists’ 
Union & British Ornithologists’ Club. 

" Wolkenburger Strafe 1 1, D-09212Limbach-Oberfrohna, 

Germany. E-mail: jenshering. vso-bibliothek@t-online. de 

h Hartensteiner Strafe 48a, D-09376 Oelsnitz, Germany. 

E-mail: elmar.fuchs@gmx.de 

l Gdrschstrafe 47, D-13187 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: 

stefan. brehme@klinikum-niederlausitz. de 

Received 5 July 2009; revision accepted 11 November 

2009. 


84 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Eurasian Sparrowhawk in Libya: Hering et al. 


Correction of three historical bird records from Libya 

Adriano De Faveri" and Nicola Baccetti“ 


Correction de trois mentions historiques d’oiseaux en Libye. 7 rois specimens collectes par Toschi en 
Libye en 1939, s averent avoir ete mal identifies : deux Pouillots fitis Phylloscopus trochilus sont en fair des 
Pouillots veloces P. collybita et un traquet libelle comme Traquet motteux Oenanthe oenanthe est un Traquet 
du desert O. deserti. Ces mentions constituaient les seuls donnees hivernales pour les especes en question, a 
part quelques mentions plus anciennes du Pouillots fitis qui sont probablement egalement erronees. II y a 
toutefois des observations hivernales recentes du Pouillot fitis et du 1 raquet motteux dans le pays. 


T hree major reviews of Libyan birds have been 
published: Zavattari (1934), Toschi (1969) 
and Bundy (1976). They contain most details of 
the original literature sources and historical skin 
collections. Inevitably, they also contain a few 
errors and inaccuracies. We found evidence of three 
such cases while cataloguing the bird collection 
at the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la 
Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA; formerly the Istituto 
Nazionale Fauna Selvatica) in Ozzano Emilia, 
Italy. Here we came across Augusto Toschi's series 
of Libyan skins, originally published by Toschi 
(1947). Three specimens proved to have been 
misidentified by the collector, namely: 

• Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus no. 
10150, shot February 1939 in the Fezzan. 
Correct species: Common Chiffchaff P. 
collybita. 

• Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus no. 
10151, shot 5 February 1939 at Brak, Fezzan. 
Correct species: Common Chiffchaff P. 
collybita. 

• Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe no. 
9996, shot 3 1 January 1 939 at Mizdah, western 
Libya. Correct species: Desert Wheatear 0. 
deserti , female. 

Only the latter two specimens were mentioned 
by Toschi (1969) and none were included in 
Bundy (1976). According to these authorities, 
there are no other winter records of either species 
in Libya, apart from a few of Willow Warbler from 
December-January taken by previous collectors, 
and retained without examination by Toschi 


(1969), but these are probably erroneous too 
(see, however, Brehme et al. 2002-06 for recent 
winter observations of both species). The correct 
species are considered to be regular winter visitors, 
and are common at this season. The identity of 
the remaining 151 preserved specimens (of the 
original 154: Toschi 1947) appeared correct, at 
least at the species level. 

Acknowledgements 

Thanks are due to Ron Demey for improving an 
earlier draft and to Stefan Brehme for his constructive 
comments. 

References 

Brehme, S., Thiede, W. & Borges, E. 2002-06. 
Beitrage zur Vogelwelt Libyens, II— VIII. Ornithol. 
Mitt. 54: 202-212, 391-399; 55: 54-66, 277-287; 
56: 207-219; 57: 337-345; 58: 194-211. 

Bundy, G. 1976. The Birds of Libya: An Annotated 
Check-list. BOU Check-list No. 1. London, UK: 
British Ornithologists’ Union. 

Toschi, A. 1947. Risultati di una escursione zoologica 
in Libia (dicembre 1938-febbraio 1939). Riv. Ital. 
Ornitol. 17: 1-24. 

Toschi, A. 1969. Introduzione alia ornitologia della 
Libia. Suppl. Ric. Zool. appl. Caccia, Bologna 6: 
1-381. 

Zavattari, E. 1934. Prodromo della fauna della Libia. 
Pavia: Tipografia gia Cooperativa. 

“ISPRA, via Ca’Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano Emilia 
BO, Italy. 

Received 26 August 2009; revision accepted 1 October 
2009. 


Correction of three historical bird records from Libya: De Faveri & Baccetti 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -85 


Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis and its 

brood parasite, Jos Plateau Indigobird Vidua maryae, 

in northern Cameroon 

Michael S. L. Mills 


L’Amarante de roche Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis et son parasite, le Combassou de Jos Vidua 
maryae , au nord du Cameroun. L'Amarante de roche Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis est une espece 
extremement locale seulement connue avec certitude, avant 2005, des flancs de collines rocheuses et 
herbeuses au nord du Nigeria. Recemment, plusieurs observations au nord du Cameroun indiquent que sa 
repartition est plus etendue ; ces observations sont recapitulees ici. Le Combassou de Jos Vidua maryae est 
un parasite de l’Amarante de roche et etait suppose etre endemique au Plateau de Jos du Nigeria. L auteur 
rapporte une observation de mars 2009 dans le nord du Cameroun de combassous en plumage internuptial, 
qui imitaient les emissions vocales de l’Amarante de roche. Des sonogrammes de leurs imitations du hote 
sont presentes, ainsi que des sonogrammes de cris de P Amarante de roche. Comme il est peu probable 
qu’une autre espece de combassou parasiterait un amarante aussi local, il est suppose que ces oiseaux 
representent une population auparavant inconnue du Combassou de Jos dans le nord du Cameroun. 


R ock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis 
was described only 12 years ago, from the 
Jos Plateau in northern Nigeria (Payne 1998). 
It belongs to the African/Jameson’s Firefinch 
L. rubricata / rhodopareia clade of firefinches 
(Payne 2004), and is similar to African Firefinch, 
Mali Firefinch L. virata and Chad Firefinch L. 


umbrino dorsalis, but differs from these species 
in having a reddish back in the male. The 
combination of a blue-grey bill, reddish back and 
grey crown in the male is diagnostic. Uniquely, 
Rock Firefinch was discovered by song mimicry 
of its brood parasite, Jos Plateau Indigobird Vidua 
maryae. Jos Plateau Indigobird was first found 



Figure 1 . Male Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis near Mora, northern Cameroon, on 12 March 2009. Birds 
from northern Cameroon may have less extensive grey on the head than birds from the Jos Plateau (Simon Colenutt) 

Amarante de roche Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis male pres de Mora, Cameroun du nord, 12 mars 2009. Les oiseaux du 
nord du Cameroun ont peut-etre moins de gris sur la tete que ceux du Plateau de Jos (Simon Colenutt) 


86 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Rock Firefinch and Jos Plateau Indigobird in Cameroon: Mills 


m. 

Jr 


01 03 0) 


&S 06 07 08 Q« 

Turn (*) 


11 13 1 J 14 


Figure 2. Sonogram of mimicry by Jos Plateau 
Indigobird Vidua maryae of the most common 
vocalisation ot Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta 
sanguinodorsalis , a rapid descending trill of 12-13 notes 
per second, recorded near Mora, northern Cameroon, 13 
March 2009. 

Sonogramme de F imitation du Combassou de Jos 
Vidua maryae de remission vocale la plus commune de 
1 Amarante de roche Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis, un 
trille descendant rapide de 12—13 notes par seconde, 
enregistree pres de Mora, Cameroun du nord, 13 mars 
2009. 


9 - 

8 - 

7 - 



0 05 0.1 0.15 0 2 0.25 0.3 0 35 0 4 0 45 0 5 

Time (s) 


9- 

8- 

7- 


! f ri-r t it 


2 - / m 

1 - * 

0 05 o'l 015 02 0 25 0 3 0 35 

Time (s) 



Figure 3a. Sonogram of mimicry by Jos Plateau 
Indigobird Vidua maryae of Rock Firefmch’s Lagonosticta 
sanguinodorsalis contact trill, recorded on 12 March 2009, 
near Mora, northern Cameroon. 

Sonogramme de l imitation du Combassou de Jos Vidua 
maryae du trille de contact de l’Amarante de roche 
Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis , enregistree pres de Mora, 
Cameroun du nord, 12 mars 2009. 

Figure 3b. Sonogram of the contact trill of Rock 
Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis, recorded near 
Mora, northern Cameroon, 12 March 2009. 

Sonogramme du trille de contact de l’Amarante de roche 
Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis , enregistre pres de Mora, 
Cameroun du nord, 12 mars 2009. 



Figure 4. 1 he non-breeding (presumed) male Jos 
Plateau Indigobird Vidua maryae whose mimicry of 
Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis vocalisations 
are visualised in Figs. 2 and 3a. The whitish bill and 
purplish-grey legs are consistent with those of Jos Plateau 
Indigobird (Simon Colenutt) 

Le Combassou de Jos Vidua maryae presume male 
en plumage internuptial dont les imitations des 
emissions vocales de l’Amarante de roche Lagonosticta 
sanguinodorsalis sont representees par les Figs. 2 et 
3a. Le bee blanchatre et les pattes gris pourpre sont 
caracteristiques du Combassou de Jos (Simon Colenutt) 


in 1968, and initially described as a subspecies 
of Dusky Indigobird V. funerea because it was 
thought to mimic African Firefinch calls (Payne 
1982). Subsequent investigation revealed that it 
mimics unique calls and differs in morphology, 
although it differs only in size from Jambandu 
Indigobird V. raricola , from Barka Indigobird 
V. larvaticola by having a slightly darker wing, 
and from Quailfinch Indigobird V. nigeriae by 
its slightly brighter gloss and larger size (Payne 
1996). 

At the time of its description, Rock Firefinch 
was known mainly from the Jos Plateau in 
Nigeria (09°56’N 08°53’E), but also tentatively 
from the Mandara Mountains on the border with 
Cameroon (11°04’N 13°45’E) and from near 
Rano, in Kano State, Nigeria (11°33’N 08°34’E). 
Other records of ‘African Firefinch’ from northern 
Nigeria were also suspected to belong to the 
newly described species, as were records from 
northern Benin and Burkina Faso (Payne 2004). 
The distribution of Jos Plateau Indigobird was 
confined to the Jos Plateau. 

Recently, several reports of Rock Firefinch 
have come from northern Cameroon, in similar 
habitat — bushy and grassy rock)' outcrops (Brandt 


Rock Firefinch and Jos Plateau Indigobird in Cameroon: Mills 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -87 


Table 1 . Records of Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis from northern Cameroon 
Tableau 1 . Mentions de I’Amarante de roche Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis du Cameroun du nord 


Date 

Observer 

Details 

Locality 

Mar 2004 

C. Cohen (pers. comm.) 

2 probable 

20 km north of Maroua 

Feb 2005 

N. Borrow [in Bull. ABC 12: 179) 

1 female 

5 km north of Maroua 

Mar 2005 

A. Riley & R. White [in lift. 2005) 

2 birds 

north of Maroua 

Mar 2005 

A. Riley & R. White (in lift. 2005) 

12 birds 

Lagdo Lake, c.40 km south-east of Garoua 

Apr 2006 

D. Hoddinott (in lift. 2006) 

12 birds 

north of Maroua 

Mar 2007 

M. S. L. Mills (pers. obs.) 

c.10 birds 

10 km south-west of Mora 

Apr 2007 

K. Valentine (in lift. 2007) 

2 birds 

north of Maroua 

Oct 2007 

C. Artuso (in lift. 2007) 

6 birds 

north of Mora 

Mar 2008 

N. Borrow (pers. comm.) 

several 

5 km north of Maroua 

Mar 2008 

M. S. L. Mills (pers. obs.) 

1 pair 

110 south-south-west of Maroua 

Mar 2009 

M. S. L. Mills (pers. obs.) 

20-30 birds 

10 km south-west of Mora 


& Cresswell 2008) — in the vicinity of Maroua 
(10°36’N 14°20’E) and Mora(10°58’N 14°12’E). 
The first potential record was by C. Cohen in 
March 2004 (pers. comm.), although the first 
published record (in Bull. ABC 12: 179) was 
from 2003, a sighting by N. Borrow, who found 
a single female on a rocky outcrop c . 5 km north 
of Maroua. Since then, repeated sightings in the 
Mora-Maroua area (Table 1) indicate that this 
species is at least fairly common here during the 
dry season, and almost certainly a resident breeder. 
I have also once recorded birds further south, 
nearer Garoua (09°44’N 13°50’E; 110 km south- 
southwest of Maroua), also at a rocky outcrop, 
although these birds were only seen briefly. A 
better sighting would have been preferable to 
be certain of their identity, although the only 
other possible candidate is Chad Firefinch, which 
was recently rediscovered in Cameroon (Voaden 
2008). There are also unpublished records of 
Rock Firefinch from Lake Lagdo (09°03’N 
13°4TE), south of Garoua, <90 km from where 
Chad Firefinch was found (see Table 1). These 
should be treated as unconfirmed until further 
data become available. Rock Firefinches from 
Cameroon and the Mandara Mountains appear 
to differ slightly from those from the Jos Plateau, 
by having less grey on the crown in the male (see 
Fig. 1), although the difference is slight and poorly 
documented, and their calls are reported to be the 
same (Abakala et al. submitted). 

Given the relative abundance of Rock Firefinch 
in northern Cameroon, and because indigobirds 


often show similar distributions to their hosts, 
it could be expected that Jos Plateau Indigobird 
should occur in Cameroon also. However, few 
ornithologists and birders visit northern Cameroon 
during or shortly after the rains, when indigobirds 
are in breeding plumage and on their songposts. 
Indigobirds rarely sing outside the breeding season 
and are generally impossible to distinguish in the 
field in non-breeding plumage. 

On 12 March 2009, I was searching for Rock 
Firefinch and other rocky-country birds with 
a group of nine other birders, on some rocky 
hills just south of Mora, where I had seen Rock 
Firefinch in March 2007. Shortly after sunrise I 
could hear calls and song of firefinches coming 
from the base of the hills, and soon we found 
a loose flock of c. 20 Rock Firefinches. While 
observing the firefinches, I made recordings of 
their contact trills. 

After c.30 minutes of observations, I heard 
the distant calls of an indigobird Vidua sp. I 
scanned the tops of trees in the direction of the 
call, and located a non-breeding bird singing from 
a Faidherbia albida tree at the base of the rocks, 
in the company of at least two other indigobirds. 
I quickly moved closer so I could observe their 
vocalisations and plumage in more detail. I played 
some generic indigobird calls to try to stimulate 
singing, and fortunately the birds sang again. 
Included in the generic ramble of indigobird 
calls was mimicry of at least two different Rock 
Firefinch vocalisations, which I recorded using an 
Edirol R09 recorder with a Sennheiser MKE400 


88 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Rock Firefinch and Jos Plateau Indigobird in Cameroon: Mills 


microphone. Recordings were inspected and 
sonogiams produced using Raven Lite software 
(Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2003-08). 

The most common and distinctive call of Rock 
Firehnch is described as a rapid descending trill of 
12-13 notes per second (Payne 2004). This call, 
visualised in a sonogram (Fig. 2), was made by 
Jos Plateau Indigobird, and delivered at a rate of 
13.6 notes per second (n= 1). A second call, a short 
trill, was mimicked by Jos Plateau Indigobird; a 
sonogram is presented in Fig. 3a. Analogous calls 
by Rock Firefinch were recorded and are presented 
as a sonogram in Fig. 3b. Call structure (shape of 
notes), rate of delivery and frequency are nearly 
identical, although the firefinch trill consisted of 
more notes. Male breeding plumage gloss colour 
and intensity were not observed, although bill 
(whitish) and leg colour (purplish-grey; Fig. 4) 
are consistent with Jos Plateau Indigobird. Given 
the small range of Rock Firefinch, it is highly 
unlikely that another indigobird species parasitises 
the population in northern Cameroon. Hence, it 
can be safely assumed that these birds represent 
a previously unknown population of Jos Plateau 
Indigobird in northern Cameroon. Further 
investigations during the indigobirds’ breeding 
season should enable a better understanding of 
the distribution and abundance of Jos Plateau 
Indigobird in Cameroon. 

Acknowledgements 

I thank Hemme Batjes, Andrew Bunting, Simon 
Colenutt, Andy Deighton, Martin Kennewell, Ian 
Merrill, Jonathan Newman, Volkert van der Willigen 
and Barry Wright, who observed the bird with me, 
for their patience while I made sound-recordings. Nik 
Borrow generously shared information on his records, 
and, with Ulf Ottosson, commented on the manuscript. 
Bob Payne helped to improve the paper’s contents. 


References 

Abalaka, J. I., Ottosson, U., Tende, T. & Larson, 
K. Submitted. Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta 
_ sanguinodorsalis in the Mandara Mountains, north- 
east Nigeria: a new subspecies? Bull. ABC. 

Brandt, M. J. & Cresswell, W. 2008. Breeding 
behaviour, home range and habitat selection in 
Rock Firefinches Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis in 
the wet and dry season in northern Nigeria. Ibis 

150: 495-507. 

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2003-08. Raven Lite 1.0. 

Ithaca, NY: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

Payne, R. 1982. Species limits in the indigobirds 
(Ploceidae, Vidua) ol West Africa: mount mimicry, 
song mimicry, and description of new species. Misc. 
Publ., Mus. Zool., Univ. of Michigan 162: 1-96. 
Payne, R. 1998. A new species of firefinch Lagonosticta 
from northern Nigeria and its association with the 
Jos Plateau Indigobird Vidua maryae. Ibis 140: 
368-381. 

Payne, R. B. 1996. Field identification of the 
indigobirds. Bull. ABC 3: 14-25. 

Payne, R. B. 2004. Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta 
sanguinodorsalis. In Fry, C. H. & Keith, S. 
(eds.) The Birds of Africa. Vol. 7. London, UK: 
Christopher Helm. 

Voaden, N. 2008. Chad Firefinch Lagonosticta 
umbrinodorsalis ‘rediscovered’ in northern 
Cameroon. Bull. ABC 15: 238-241. 

Birding Africa, PO Box 34146, Rhodesgift 7707, Cape 
Town, South Africa; Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African 
Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University 
of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, 
South Africa; and A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research 
Institute, University of Jos, PO Box 13404, Jos, Plateau 
State, Nigeria. E-mail: michael@birdmgafrica.com. 

Received 25 April 2009; revision accepted 3 November 
2009. 


Rock Firefinch and Jos Plateau Indigobird in Cameroon: Mills 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -89 


Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri camera-trapped at 
midday near Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone 

April Conwaf ,b , Sonia Hernandez f and John P. Carroll" 


Une Chouette-pecheuse rousse Scotopelia ussheri photographiee a midi par un piege photographique 
pres de File de Tiwai, Sierra Leone. Une Chouette-pecheuse rousse Scotopelia ussheri a ete photographiee 
a midi par un piege photographique a infrarouges pres de file de Tiwai, Sierra Leone, le 16 juin 2009. 
Ceci est apparemment la premiere fois que cette espece a ete photographiee dans la nature. Curieusement, 
l’oiseau semblait etre actif pendant la journee. 


A s part of a study on Pygmy Hippopotamus 
Choeropsis liberiensis , near-infrared digital 
camera-traps were placed on and around Tiwai 
Island, Sierra Leone (07°33’N 1 1°19’W), between 
November 2008 and June 2009. Cameras were set 
to take a single photograph followed by another 
automatically after ten seconds; the cameras could 
then not be triggered for a further 60 seconds. 
Cameras were moved to different locations after 
each two-week sampling period. On 7 June, two 
cameras were placed on Tagati Island, a small 
island of <1 km 2 , west of Tiwai. 

On 16 June, four photographs of an owl were 
taken by a camera facing a seasonal inlet on the 
west side of Tagati. The first two (one of which 
is reproduced here: Fig. 1) show the owl on 
the ground near the inlet, facing away from the 
camera at 11.53 hrs. In the third photograph the 
owl is landing on a Raffia Palm Raphia vinifera at 
12.02 hrs (Fig. 2). In the last picture, the facial 
disk is partially visible (Fig. 3). Although the owl 


remained in the field of view of the camera for 
c. 10 minutes, it may not have moved enough to 
trigger the camera until it flew off. 

The orange-rufous plumage and the plain 
upperparts identify it as a Rufous Fishing Owl 
Scotopelia ussheri\ the only confusion species, Pel’s 
Fishing Owl S. peli , has barred upperparts (Borrow 
& Demey 2001). Both species are known to occur 
at Tiwai Island (R. Demey in Bull. ABC 15; 275 
and in litt. 2009). To our knowledge Rufous 
Fishing Owl has never before been photographed 
in the wild. The ecology and biology of this Upper 
Guinea forest endemic are largely unknown. 
Although most owl species are nocturnal or 
crepuscular, some are also diurnal (Marks et al. 
1999). The three species of African fishing owls 
Scotopelia , however, are all considered to normally 
hunt at night (Konig & Weick 2008), although 
Pel’s Fishing Owl is reported to be occasionally 
active in daylight when stressed by food scarcity 
due to rivers drying up (Kemp 1988). It is 



Figures 1-2. Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri on the ground beside a small inlet (1) and perching on a Raffia 
Palm Raphia vinifera (2), on Tagati Island, Sierra Leone, 16 June 2009 (camera-trap photos) 

Chouette-pecheuse rousse Scotopelia ussheri par terre a cote d une petite crique (1) et perchee sur un palmier raffia 
Raphia vinifera (2), ile de I agati, Sierra Leone, 16 juin 2009 (photos prises par un piege photographique a infrarouges) 


90 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Rufous Fishing Owl camera-trapped at midday: Conway et al. 





Figure 3. Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri, Tagati Island, Sierra Leone, 16 June 2009; part of the facial disk is 
visible (camera-trap photo) 

Chouette-pecheuse rousse Scotopelia ussheri , ile de Tagati, Sierra Leone, 16 juin 2009 ; une partie du disque facial est 
visible (photo prise par un piege photographique a infrarouges) 


therefore noteworthy that the Rufous Fishing Owl 
was photographed during the day and appeared 
to be active. Whether this is normal behaviour is 
unknown. 

Rufous Fishing Owl is restricted to the forest 
zone from Sierra Leone to south-west Ghana 
and is considered Endangered, with an estimated 
population of <2,500 individuals (BirdLife 
International 2009). Tiwai Island, a Wildlife 
Sanctuary with a research station, might represent 
a convenient base to study this threatened species’ 
ecology, if it proves to occur there regularly. New 
data could be used to support sustainable land 
management and conservation plans for the area. 

Acknowledgements 

Research at Tiwai was funded by Conservation 
International, Tulsa Zoo Conservation Program, The 
University of Georgia Graduate School, and the Warnell 
School of Forestry and Natural Resources at The 
University of Georgia. We thank the Environmental 
Foundation for Africa, officials of the Sierra Leone 
Forestry and Wildlife Division in Freetown, and the staff 
of Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary for allowing access 
to the island and for logistical support. Ron Demey, 


Lincoln Fishpool and Jeremy Lindsell confirmed the 
identification and commented on the manuscript. 

References 

BirdLife International. 2009. Species factsheet: 
Scotopelia ussheri. www.birdlife.org (accessed 31 
July 2009). 

Borrow, N. & Demey, R. 2001. Birds of Western Africa. 

London, UK: Christopher Fielm. 

Kemp, A. C. 1988. Strigidae. In Fry, C. H., Keith, S. 
& Urban, E. K. (eds.) The Birds of Africa. Vol. 3. 
London, UK: Academic Press. 

Konig C. & Weick F. 2009. Owls of the World. Second 
edn. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 

Marks, J. S., Cannings, R. J. & Mikkola, H. 1999. 
Family Strigidae (typical owls). In del Hoyo, 
J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (eds.) Handbook of 
the Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Barcelona: Lynx 
Edicions. 

‘'Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The 
University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA. 
h Corresponding author E-mail: conwaya@warnell.uga. 
edu 

Received 23 September 2009; revision accepted 21 
October 2009. 


Rufous Fishing Owl camera-trapped at midday: Conway et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -91 



Don’t miss 


bargain birding 


9 days -£2,495 

9 to 13 days -from £1,595 

9 days- £1,895 

12 days -£2,395 

12 or 13 days -£2,995 

10 days- £1,695 

10 days- £1,895 

10 days- £1,895 

10 or 12 days -from £1,595 

9 days- £1,895 

10 days- £1,895 

10 days- £1,795 

10 days -£2,395 

12 days- £1,595 

10 days -from £1,395 

10 days- £1,895 

10 days- £1,995 

9 days- £1,995 

10 days- £1,995 

9 days- £1,795 

10 day- £1,695 

10 days -from £2,195 

10 to 12 days -from £1,645 

9 days -from £1,695 

12 days -£2,595 

9-16 days -from £1,395 

9 days -from £1,795 

9 days - from £1,895 




Atfr\ /7*?\ Visit Phone 

£1(3) NATURETREK.CO.UK Ol 962 733051 


Lawson’s Birding 
and 

Wildlife Tours 

V ou’ll want to return to /\frica with 
us time and time again! 

• Tailor-made birding and wildlife tours in Southern Africa 

• Set-departures with superb guides and itineraries 

• Self-drive tours: let us do all the planning for you 

• We have over 1 8 years of experience 
• Contact us todav for an awesome holidav: 

J J 

injo@lawsons.co.za; www.lawsons.co.za 

*-/awyony 



92 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Advertisement 





Noteworthy bird records from Sao Tome and Principe 

Phillip Hall , A. P. LeventiP , Fdbio Olmof, Stephen Rumsey 1 and Longtong Turshak 


Observations remarquables d’oiseaux de Sao Tome et Principe. Des observations remarquables d’une 
douzaine d especes d oiseaux sont rapportees, faites a 1’occasion de visites a Sao Tome et Principe en 
juillet-aout 2007 et janvier et aout 2008. 


W e report noteworthy bird records made 
during trips to Sao Tome and Principe in 
July-August 2007, and January and August 2008. 
For coordinates of the localities mentioned see 
Jones & Tye (2006). 

Little Egret Egretta garzetta 
One near the mouth of the Rio Papagaio, Santo 
Antonio town, Principe, on 7 August 2007 (FO & 
LT; Fig. 1). It was feeding on the shallow ponds 
among the sand and mudflats with a Whimbrel 
Numenius phaeopus and two dark-morph Western 
Reef Egrets E. gularis. Jones & Tye (2006) 
mention only one record from Principe, also at 
the mouth of the Rio Papagaio, in January in the 
mid 1990s. 

Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia 
One in a large grassy area around the Voice of 
America facilities south of Sao Tome town, with 
several Whimbrels and Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis, 
on 18 January 2008 (Fig. 2). This appears to be 
the first record for Sao Tome (Jones & Tye 2006), 
although the species was previously recorded on 
Principe, on 7 April 2003 (M. Melo in Bull. ABC 
11: 77). 

Dwarf Olive Ibis Bostrychia bocagei 
On 23 January 2008 at least three were heard 
calling at dusk at our camp near Monte Carmo 
(sometimes known as Ribeira Peixe; 00°09’06”N 
06°33’60”E). Next morning seven birds (including 
three pairs) were found on a forested plateau 
surrounded by deep valleys covering about 2.0 x 
0.5 km. Most ibises were flushed from the ground 
and perched nearby. A Critically Endangered 
endemic, the population density at Ribeira Peixe 
seems fairly high. 

African Crake Crex egregia 

A medium-sized rail with a short bill, dark legs 
and a dull brown back mottled with black, flushed 


from the track from Terreiro Velho to the Rio 
Pipi, Principe, just before the start of the Oque 
Pipi trail, on 22 January 2008, was identified as 
an immature African Crake. On Sao Tome, FO 
observed an adult crossing a track between Sao 
Vicente and Praia Piscina on 22 August 2008. 
The species is rarely recorded from Sao Tome 
and Principe, where it is perhaps only a straggler 
(Jones & Tye 2006). 

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 
Two were foraging with a Whimbrel near the 
mouth of the Rio Papagaio, Principe, on 22 January 
2008 (Fig. 4). Greenshanks have been recorded on 
the islands mainly in December-January (Christy 
& Clarke 1998), with few records from Principe 
(Jones & Tye 2006). 

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 
One on the east shore of Tinhosa Pequena and 
two groups of four birds each at Tinhosa Grande, 
near the slope allowing access to the island, on 21 
January 2008 (Fig. 5). Considered uncommon 
on Principe, with only one record from the 
Tinhosas cited by Jones & Tye (2006). On 26 
January 2008, one, with two Whimbrels, was 
photographed by APL at Praia Jale, on the south- 
west coast of Sao Tome. 

Swifts Apus spp. 

On 15 July 2007, LT and FO observed a pair of 
all-dark swifts, noticeably smaller than the Little 
Swifts Apus affinis nearby, over the outskirts of 
Sao Tome. On 25 January 2008, SR also observed 
a small, all-dark swift with a square tail, over the 
dirt road between Sao Vicente and Praia Jale, in 
south-west Sao Tome. Common Swifts A. apus 
have been reported from Sao Tome (Christy & 
Clarke 1998), but the birds we saw appeared too 
small and had square tails unlike that species, so 
their identity is uncertain. 


Bird records from Sao Tome and Principe: Hall et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -93 



94 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird records from Sdo Tome and Principe: Hall et al. 


Also, whilst the race bannermani of Little 
Swift is supposedly endemic to both Sao Tome 
and Principe, the Principe birds look noticeably 
smaller than those on Sao Tome when compared 
to the abundant African Palm Swifts Cypsiurus 
parvus. 

Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica 
dryas 

One was observed smashing a land snail Columna 
columna against a rock on the trail to Oque Pipi 
on 22 January 2008 (Fig. 6). The anvil had the 
remains of at least 100 Columna snails (C. columna 
or the similar C. leai). Three more anvils along 
the trail had mostly Columna spp. shells, but one 
had fragments of a small Achatina bicarinata and 
one crab. Anvils with broken snails found on 
Principe were first attributed to thrushes until 
it was realised that Principe kingfishers show 
this behaviour (Jones & Tye 2006), which is 
apparently unknown in mainland forms. 

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 

Two were perched on the wires of an antenna at 
Principe airport on 23 January 2008. One had 
the dark mottling on the chest of a first-winter; 


Legend to figures on opposite page 

Figure 1 . Little Egret / Egrette garzette Egretta garzetta, 
Santo Antonio, Principe, 7 August 2007 (F. Olmos) 

Figure 2. Intermediate Egret / Egrette intermediate 
Egretta intermedia , the Voice of America facilities, Sao 
Tome, 18 January 2008 (F. Olmos) 

Figure 3. Dwarf Olive Ibis / Ibis de Bocage Bostrychia 
bocagei, Monte Carmo, Sao Tome (A. P. Leventis) 

Figure 4. Common Greenshank / Chevalier aboyeur 
Tringa nebularia , Santo Antonio, 22 January 2008 (A. P. 
Leventis) 

Figure 5. Ruddy Turnstones / Tournepierres a collier 
Arenaria interpres, Tinhosa Grande, Principe, 21 January 
2008 (A. P. Leventis) 

Figure 6. Blue-breasted Kingfisher / Martin-chasseur a 
poitrine bleue Halcyon malimbica breaking a Columna 
snail against a rock, Oque Pipi, Principe, 22 January 
2008 (A. P. Leventis) 

Figure 7. Yellow Wagtail / Bergeronnette printaniere 
Motacilla flava, Praia Seca, Principe, 6 August 2007 (F. 
Olmos) 

Figure 8. Sao Tome Grosbeak / Neospize de Sao Tome 
Serinus ( Neospiza ) concolor , Monte Carmo, Sao Tome, 24 
January 2008 (A. P. Leventis) 


no details were noted of the second bird, as it flew 
off immediately. There appears to be only one 
old previous record, from Bafa de Santo Antonio 
(Jones & Tye 2006). 

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 
On 6 August 2007, during a visit to Praia Seca 
(01°32’46”N 07°23’36”E), on the south-east 
coast of Principe, FO and LT observed a Yellow 
Wagtail in non-breeding plumage foraging on 
the beach near some fishermen huts (Fig. 7). It 
remained there throughout the afternoon and was 
still in the same area the following day. 

The occurrence of wagtails Motacilla spp. in 
Sao Tome and Principe has been a minor mystery. 
They were reported as fairly common in Principe 
during the second half of the 19th century, and it 
was suggested they were White Wagtails M. alba , 
but there are no specimens (Jones & Tye 2006). 
This seems to be the first documented record of 
this species for the country (Jones & Tye 2006). 

Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucopbnys 
A group of four pipits seen twice flying over the 
landing strip of Principe airport on 23 January 
2008 had unmarked, dark brown upperparts, 
buffish underparts without obvious spots or 
stripes, and buff outertail feathers. These features 
suggest Plain-backed Pipit, a common species in 
Nigeria with which PH is very familiar. Although 
in need of proper documentation, this seems to 
be the first country record for the species (Jones 
& Tye 2006). 

Sao Tome Grosbeak Serinus ( Neospiza ) concolor 
A pair was feeding on the small green fruit of a 
Dicranolepis thomensis tree (a known food item) 
at Monte Carmo, at c.315 m, on 24 January 
2008 (Fig. 8). The birds peeled the husk off and 
crushed the seed, and were readily attracted by 
whistles mimicking their single-note contact calls, 
similar to those of Principe Seedeater Serinus 
rufobrunneus, but much stronger, lending support 
to their suggested close relationship (Melo 2007). 
The birds approached closely, singing in response 
to the playback of a song recorded during a 
previous visit to the area (available at http://xeno- 
canto.org/africa, XC 18131). 


Bird records from Sao Tome and Principe: Hall et al. 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010)- 95 


References 

Christy, P. & Clarke, W. V. 1998. Guide des Oiseaux de 
Sao Tome et Principe. Sao Tome: ECOFAC. 

Jones, P. & Tye, A. 2006. The Birds of Sao Tome 
& Principe with Annobon: Islands of the Gulf of 
Guinea. An Annotated Checklist. BOU Checklist 
No. 22. Oxford: British Ornithologists’ Union & 
British Ornithologists’ Club. 

Melo, M. 2007. Bird speciation in the Gulf of Guinea. 
Ph.D. thesis. Institute of Evolutionary Biology, 
University of Edinburgh. 


"5 Louis Solomon Close, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. 

E-mail: philhall. obe@btinternet. com 

h 19 Ilchester Place, London W14 8AA, UK. E-mail: 

elizabeth. thaddeus@leventis-overseas. com 

‘ Largo do Paissandu 1 00 /4c, 01034-010, Sao Paulo, SP, 

Brazil. E-mail: f-olmos@uol. com. br 

d Ashes Farm, Hogg Hill, Icklesham, Winchelsea, East Sussex 

TN36 4AH, UK. E-mail: srumsey@beamingbroadband. 

com 

' A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, 
University of Jos, PO Box 13404, Plateau State, Jos, 
Nigeria. E-mail: longtongturshak@yahoo.com 

Received 8 October 2008; revision accepted 17 
November 2009. 






96 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Bird records from Sao Tome and Principe: Hall et al. 


Display behaviour of Shelley’s Oliveback Nesocharis shelleyi 

Michael S. L. Mills 


Parade du Dos-vert a tete noire Nesocharis shelleyi. La parade du Dos-vert a tete noire Nesocharis shelleyi, 
une espece a repartition restreinte confinee a la Zone d’Endemisme pour les Oiseaux des Montagnes 
camerounaises, n’a pas encore ete documentee. Cette note decrit la parade d’un male, observe au Mont 
Cameroun, et fournit des informations sur son comportement et son chant. 


T he olivebacks Nesocharis are a trio of Central 
and West African finches (Estrildidae) 
characterised by their distinctive grey, black and 
olive plumage (Fry & Keith 2004). Shelley’s 
Oliveback N. shelleyi is a range-restricted endemic 
of the Cameroon Mountains Endemic Bird Area, 
which straddles Cameroon, Nigeria and Equatorial 
Guinea (Stattersfield et al. 1998). Little is known 
concerning its behaviour or breeding (Goodwin 
1982, Fry & Keith 2004), and its nuptial displays 
are undescribed. 

On 7 March 2009 I was observing birds on 
the Race Track above Buea, Mt Cameroon, with 
a group of nine other birders. At 14.00 hrs, at 
1,700 m, I heard high-pitched calls emanating 
from cA m above the ground, directly above the 
trail. The source proved to be a male Shelley’s 
Oliveback, distinguished from the female by its 
having an olive breast and whitish borders to the 
sides of the black head (Fig. 2). In its bill it held, 
by the very tip, an upside-down grass stalk with 
seeds, c. 15 cm in length. During c . 3 minutes of 
observation it hopped back and forth along a bare 
branch, singing as it did so. Some of the time its 
flank feathers were expanded. This is similar to 
the observed behaviour of a singing male White- 
collared Oliveback N. ansorgei, its sister species, 


which sang from a branch 10 m above the ground, 
with its flank feathers expanded and its head and 
bill raised (Chapin 1959). 

Eighty seconds of song were recorded in .wav 
format (using an Edirol R09 recorder with a 
Sennheiser MKE400 microphone). Recordings 
were inspected using Raven Lite software (Cornell 
Lab of Ornithology 2003-08) and a sonogram 
produced (Fig. 1). The song consisted of a repeated 
series of 4-8 different, high-pitched, buzzy trills, 
in the 5-8 kHz range. Within each series, trills 
differed in duration, pitch and structure, some 
having an upward or downward inflection, and 
others being flat. Pitch appeared to undulate 
between successive notes, and different trills were 
repeated in a similar sequence, giving the song 
quite a musical tone. During 80 seconds, the 
sequence was repeated 14 times, lasting a mean 
5.7 seconds. 

Acknowledgements 

Hemme Batjes, Andrew Bunting, Simon Colenutt, 
Andy Deighton, Martin Kennewell, Ian Merrill, 
Jonathan Newman, Volkert van der Willigen and 
Barry Wright observed the bird with me. Volkert van 
der Willigen recorded some invaluable video material, 
which was used in the description, and Simon Colenutt 


Series 1 Ser ics 2 



Figure 1 . Sonogram of the display song of Shelley’s Oliveback Nesocharis shelleyi. The song consists of a series of 4-8 
buzzy trills in the 5-8 kHz range and lasting 5-6 seconds; here series of five and six notes are shown. 

'Sonogramme du chant de parade du Dos-vert a tete noire Nesocharis shelleyi. Le chant consiste de series de 4-8 trilles de 
5-6 secondes dans la bande de 5-8 kHz ; ici des series de cinq et six notes sont montrees. 


Display behaviour of Shelley ’s Oliveback: Mills 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -97 



Figure 2. Displaying male Shelley’s Oliveback Nesocharis shelleyi , holding a c. 1 5 cm grass stalk in its bill, Mt 
Cameroon, Cameroon, March 2009 (Ian Merrill) 

Dos-vert a tete noire Nesocharis shelleyi male en parade, tenant une tige d'environ 1 5 cm dans son bee, Mont 
Cameroun, Cameroun, mars 2009 (Ian Merrill) 


and Ian Merrill took some excellent photographs. 
Hilary Fry, Guy Kirwan and Ron Demey helped to 
improve the contents of this manuscript. 

References 

Chapin, R. T. 1959. The behaviour of the Olive 
Weaver-Finch Nesocharis ansorgei. Proc. I Pan-Afr. 
Orn. Congr., Ostrich Suppl. 3: 230-232. 

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2003-08. Raven Lite 1.0. 

Ithaca, NY: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

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


Goodwin, D. 1982. Estrildid Finches of the World. 
London, UK: Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) & Oxford: 
Oxford University Press. 

Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J. & Wege, 
D. C. 1998. Endemic Bird Areas of the World: 
Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. Cambridge, 
UK: BirdLife International. 

“Birding Africa, PO Box 34146, Rhodesgift 7707, Cape 
Town, South Africa. E-mail: michael@birdingafrica.com 

Received 20 April 2009; revision accepted 3 November 
2009. 


98 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Display behaviour of Shelley 's Oliveback: Mills 



Little-known African bird: 

Madagascar Serpent Eagle Eutriorchis astur 

Jonathan C. Eames 


Un oiseau africain peu connu : le Serpentaire de Madagascar Eutriorchis astur. Malgre le fait que nos 
connaissances concernant le Serpentaire de Madagascar Eutriorchis astur ont avance de faqon significative 
ces dernieres 15 annees, ce rapace globalement menace, qui est confine au nord-est de Madagascar, est 
rarement observe et encore plus rarement photographic. Superficiellement, il ressemble a un Accipiter : il 
a des ailes relativement courtes et une longue queue barree, ainsi que des parties superieures brunes et des 
parties inierieures marquees de larges barres. La htterature mentionne qu’il pourrait etre confondu avec 
1 Autour de Henst Accipiter henstii, dont la femelle a une taille similaire, mais le serpentaire est barre de 
sombre dessus et a la queue plus arrondie, les barres sur la poitrine plus larges et une crete courte mais bien 
visible. Contrairement a ce que son nom suggere, il ne prend que rarement des serpents, se nourrissant 
principalement de cameleons Furcifer et Calumma spp. et de geckos Uroplatus spp. 



Figures 1-2. Adult Madagascar Serpent Eagle Eutriorchis astur , Masoala National Park, Madagascar, 24 November 
2008 0- C. Eames) 


Serpentaire de Madagascar Eutriorchis astur adulte, Parc National de Masoala, Madagascar, 24 novembre 2008 (J. C. 
Eames) 


A bove all other poorly known or seldom 
seen bird species of Madagascar, pride of 
place surely belongs to Madagascar Serpent 
Eagle Eutriorchis astur. This globally Endangered 
Malagasy endemic has recently been recorded 
only in the north-east where it occurs mainly in 
primary forest (Thorstrom & Rene de Roland 
2003, BirdLife International 2009). It has been 
described as elusive and secretive, and is one of 
the rarest birds of prey in the world (Thorstrom 
& Rene de Roland 2000, 2003, Thorstrom et al. 
2003). Although it is not the rarest of Malagasy 
endemics, Madagascar Serpent Eagle is amongst 
the hardest to see, even at the handful of sites from 
which it is known. 

Our knowledge of the species has advanced 
significantly in the last 15 years and clarification 
of its territorial call has lead to the eagle’s discovery 



Figure 3. Adult Henst’s Goshawk Accipiter henstii, 
Ranamofana National Park, Madagascar, 2 December 
2005 (J. C. Eames) 

Autour de Henst Accipiter henstii adulte, Parc National 
de Ranamofana, Madagascar, 2 decembre 2005 (J. C. 
Eames) 


Little-known African bird 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010)- 99 



at several new sites (BirdLife International 2009). 
However, there are few published images of the 
species, helping to perpetuate the near-mythical 
aura that surrounds this eagle. I have been able 
to trace only five photographs, all by staff of The 
Peregrine Fund, who have conducted most of 
the research to date on this species. Probably the 
two best known are those of an adult in the hand 
and an adult perched in the forest subcanopy, 
published in Morris & Hawkins (1998), whilst 
two others, of an adult and fledgling at the nest, 
and of a young bird in the canopy, were published 
in Thorstrom & Rene de Roland (2003). A 
photograph of an adult and pullus at the nest can 
be viewed at http://www.peregrinefund.org/press. 

Having not previously encountered the species, 
I resolved to see and photograph it on a return visit 
to Masoala National Park in November 2008. 
Based at Masoala Forest Lodge, I made early- 
morning forays into the forest with Andrianoelina 
Fitia Lofontsiriniaina and guide Marco, in the 
hope of hearing birds calling as they left their 
nocturnal roost. From 19 to 24 November, we 
searched daily along trails from 04.00 hrs. We 
concentrated our efforts on a relatively small area 
of primary littoral forest (according to Marco the 
species never ventures into the hills at Masoala) 
and visited two old nests. Although we never heard 
the species calling and despite frequent heavy rain, 
persistence finally paid off. In the early afternoon 
of 24 November, c.500 m from Marco’s village of 
Ambodifonaha and close to a pit-sawing site, we 
disturbed a large raptor suspended upside-down 
from an epiphytic fern (possibly an Asplenium sp.) 
f.10 m from the trail in logged primary forest. It 
hung, flapping, preoccupied with trying to take a 
prey item, possibly a gecko or frog, from within 
the fern. Upon our approach it dropped whatever 
it had caught and flew to an exposed perch above 
the trail, where it was dive-bombed by a Crested 
Drongo Dicrurus forficatus. I was able to take three 
photographs, of which two are published here 
(Figs. 1-2). It then flew off through the forest and 
despite a mad dash over several hundred metres we 
were unable to relocate it. 

Madagascar Serpent Eagle has been described as 
a rather small and atypical snake eagle, having the 
shape and general brown and barred appearance 
of a large Accipiter (Morris & Hawkins 1998, 
Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). Superficially 
Madagascar Serpent Eagle does indeed appear 


Accipiter-Yikf. it has relatively short wings and 
a long barred tail, as well as brown upperparts 
and broadly barred underparts. The similarity 
is such that three specimens in collections were 
originally misidentified as Henst’s Goshawk 
Accipiter henstii (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). 
The two species are reportedly difficult to separate 
(Morris & Hawkins 1998, Thorstrom & Rene de 
Roland 2000). Indeed, female Henst’s Goshawk 
is closely similar in size and plumage (Ferguson- 
Lees & Christie 2001). However, the serpent eagle 
averages larger (although some measurements 
overlap) and has dark-barred upperparts, a fuller, 
more rounded tail, broader breast barring and a 
short but obvious crest. It also has conspicuous 
and abundant rictal bristles and a slight ruff on 
the nape, which has pale tips and dark subterminal 
bars to each feather. Henst’s Goshawk lacks the 
pale scaling on the nape and has plain, darker 
brown upperparts and finer barred underparts. 
In addition, the serpent eagle possesses 6-7 even- 
width dark tail bars, which are narrower than the 
brown gaps between them (Morris & Hawkins 
1998, Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001, Sinclair 
& Langrand 2003). The bulging head shape is 
also sometimes referred to (BirdLife International 
2009). In life, at close range, the likeness to an 
Accipter is superficial because of the odd bill, 
teddy-bear like eye and facial shape and feathering. 
A closely observed serpent eagle is instantly and 
easily identified as such. 

In Figs. 1-2 most of the diagnostic features 
mentioned above can be seen; for comparison 
with Henst’s Goshawk see Fig. 3. The short crest is 
flattened and invisible. Although it has been stated 
that the serpent eagle has short tarsi (Sinclair &: 
Langrand 2003), they appear proportionately 
long to me. Tarsus length is given as 80-92 mm 
for Madagascar Serpent Eagle and 81-100 mm 
for Henst’s Goshawk (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 
2001), the latter a bird one would not describe 
as having short tarsi. Other structural points to 
note (mentioned by Ferguson-Lees & Christie 
2001) are the apparently relatively short toes and 
nails, although these are not easy to see. Also 
noteworthy is the large yellow eye, an adaptation 
perhaps to taking Uroplatus geckos, which are 
nocturnal. Furthermore, note the swollen, bulbous 
appearance of the bill, which lacks the tooth- 
notched upper mandible of Henst’s Goshawk, and 
the grey cere, which is largely hidden by the rictal 


100 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Little-known African bird 


bristles. In the photographs at full resolution one 
can see the scutellated tarsi, described elsewhere 
as heavily scaled and knobbly looking (Ferguson- 
Lees & Christie 2001). 

Madagascar Serpent Eagle is traditionally 
placed alongside Congo Serpent Eagle Dryotriorchis 
spectabilis (Kemp 1994, Ferguson-Lees & Christie 
2001) and it had even been suggested that this 
genus and the monotypic Eutriorchis should be 
united (Brown & Amadon 1968). However, 
recent research has revealed that Eutriorchis astur 
is not related to the serpent eagles Spiliornis of 
Asia or to Dryotriorchis spectabilis — which have 
now been placed together in the Circaetinae — but 
nestles within one of two Old World vulture 
clades, the Gypaetinae, alongside Lammergeier 
Gypaetus barbatus , Egyptian Vulture Neophron 
percnopterus and Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax 
angolensis (Lerner & Mindell 2005). Its English 
name also does not accurately reflect its dietary 
preferences as it rarely eats snakes. In a recent 
study, snakes comprised just 1.5% of prey items 
brought to a nest, whereas chameleons Furcifer 
and Calumma spp. and leaf-tailed geckos Uroplatus 
spp. comprised over 80% (Thorstrom & Rene de 
Roland 2003). On this trip to Masoala, and despite 
considerable effort, I failed to locate any Uroplatus 
geckos, which I had easily found after dark on an 
earlier visit. These geckos are popular in the exotic- 
pet trade and in some areas there is concern that 
collectors are reducing the populations (http:// 
www.wildmadagascar.org/wildlife/uroplatus. 
html). I have no evidence of Uroplatus collecting 
in Masoala National Park, but perhaps the issue is 
worthy of further investigation? 

Acknowledgements 

I thank my Asity counterpart Andrianoelina Fitia 
Lofontsiriniaina, Tsiry, who was simply invaluable, as 
well as being good company. I would like also to thank 
Voninavoko Raminoarisoa (aka Vony), Coordonnateur , 
Asity Madagascar for her support and collaboration. 
Thanks also to Nigel Collar, Frank Hawkins, Simon 
Mahood and Roger Safford for their encouragement 
and for commenting on drafts of this article. Particular 
thanks to Pierre & Sandra Bester for their hospitality, 
and guide Marco at Masoala Forest Lodge. Special 


thanks to Roger Safford for making many useful 
comments added at proof stage and for suggesting 
additional references. 

References 

BirdLife International. 2009. Species factsheet: 
Eutriorchis astur. www.birdlife.org (accessed 22 
July 2009). 

Brown, L. H. & Amadon, D. 1968. Eagles, Hawks 
and Falcons of the World. Feltham: Country Life 
Books. 

Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D. A. 2001. Raptors of the 
World. London, UK: Christopher Helm. 

Kemp, A. C. 1994. Madagascar Serpent-eagle Eutriorchis 
astur. In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. 
(eds.) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2. 
Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. 

Lerner, H. R. L. & Mindell, D. P. 2005. Phylogeny of 
eagles, Old World vultures, and other Accipitridae 
based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Mol. 
Phyl. & Evol. 37: 327-346. 

Morris, P. & Hawkins, F. 1998. Birds of Madagascar: A 
Photographic Guide. Robertsbridge: Pica Press. 
Sinclair, I. & Langrand, O. 2003. Birds of the Indian 
Ocean Islands. Cape Town: Struik. 

Thorstrom, R. & Rene de Roland. L. A. 2000. First nest 
description, breeding behaviour and distribution of 
the Madagascar Serpent-Eagle Eutriorchis astur. Ibis 
142: 217-224. 

Thorstrom, R. & Rene de Roland, L. A. 2003. 
Eutriorchis astur, Madagascar Serpent-eagle, 
Fandrasasalambo. In Goodman, S. M. & Benstead, 
J. P. (eds.) The Natural History of Madagascar. 
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 
Thorstrom, R., Rene de Roland, L. A. & Watson, R. T. 
2003. Falconiformes and Strigiformes: ecology and 
status of raptors. In Goodman, S. M. & Benstead, 
J. P. (eds.) The Natural History of Madagascar. 
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 

PO Box 89, 6 Dinh Le, Hanoi, Vietnam. E-mail: 
EamesdPbirdlife. org. vn 

Received 27 July 2009; revision accepted 23 October 
2009. 


Little-known African bird 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) - 101 


Photospot: 

Friedmann’s Lark Mirafra pulpa 

Nik Borrow 


L’Alouette de Friedmann Mirafra pulpa. Bien que l’Alouette de Friedmann Mirafra pulpa ait ete 
decrite en 1930 — par l’ornithologue americain Herbert Friedmann sur la base d’un specimen collecte 
en 1912 au sud de l’Ethiopie — ce n’est que pendant les annees 1970 que nos connaissances de l’espece 
ont augmentees substantiellement. Elle demeure toutefois classee comme «InsufFisamment documentee». 
L’oiseau est d’apparence quelque peu erratique et n’est pratiquement jamais observe en dehors de la periode 
de reproduction, en saison des pluies. Son aire de repartition s’etend de la localite type en Ethiopie du sud 
jusqu’a la Reserve de Mkomazi au nord de la Tanzanie, en passant par les Reserves de Samburu/Shaba et 
du Parc National de Tsavo au Kenya. Les criteres d’identification sont presentes et illustres par des photos, 
et compares avec celles d’autres especes d’alouettes. 



Figure 1 . Friedmann’s Lark Mirafra pulpa, Shaba 
National Reserve, Kenya, 3 November 2008 (Nik 
Borrow). The drawn-out and far-carrying hoo-ee-oo song 
is usually given during song-flight or from the topmost 
branches of a prominent bush. Whilst singing the bright 
white throat is forced outwards forming a distinctive 
‘beard’. 

Alouette de Friedmann Mirafra pulpa, Reserve Nationale 
de Shaba, Kenya, 3 novembre 2008 (Nik Borrow). Le 
chant etire et portant loin hoo-ee-oo est d’habitude emis 
en vol ou a partir du sommet d’un buisson preeminent. 
La gorge blanche est gonflee en chantant, formant ainsi 
une ‘barbe’. 


Figure 2. Friedmann’s Lark Mirafra pulpa, Shaba 
National Reserve, Kenya, 3 November 2008 (Nik 
Borrow). Features to look for on a silent bird include the 
brown centres to the median and greater coverts that are 
bordered by a darker submarginal line. Also, the streaks 
on the breast-sides tend to coalesce, giving the illusion of 
a dark patch. 

Alouette de Friedmann Mirafra pulpa, Reserve Nationale 
de Shaba, Kenya, 3 novembre 2008 (Nik Borrow). 

Les caracteristiques a noter chez un oiseau silencieux 
comprennent les centres bruns des moyennes et grandes 
couvertures hordes d’une ligne sombre sub-marginale. 

Les stries sur les cotes de la poitrine ont aussi tendance a 
s’unir, donnant I’impression d’une tache sombre. 

F riedmann’s Lark Mirafra pulpa is probably 
one of those few birds that really deserve 
the often-misused adjective ‘enigmatic’. The 
species was described in 1930 by the American 
ornithologist Herbert Friedmann from a specimen 
collected in southern Shoa Province, Ethiopia, 
by E. A. Mearns in May 1912 (Friedmann 



102 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Photospot: Friedmann s Lark 





Figure 3. Friedmann’s Lark Mirafa pulpa, Tsavo East 
National Park, Kenya, 28 November 2009 (Axel Smets). 
In worn plumage the appearance is more uniform 
but although the pale edges have abraded to quite an 
extent, the brown-centred coverts with darker vane and 
submarginal areas can still be seen. Even when not singing 
this individual shows the distinctive white throat. 

Alouette de Friedmann Mirafra pulpa , Parc National de 
Tsavo Est, Kenya, 28 novembre 2009 (Axel Smets). En 
plumage use 1’apparance est plus uniforme, mais bien que 
les liseres pales soient deja bien abrases, les couvertures aux 
centres bruns et les parties plus sombres des plumes sont 
toujours visibles. La gorge blanche caracteristique est bien 
apparente, meme chez cet individu silencieux. 

Figure 4. Foxy Lark Mirafra alopex, Shaba National 
Reserve, Kenya, 17 May 2009 (Adam Riley / Rockjumper 
Birding Tours). The form that overlaps with Friedmann’s 
Lark shows greater contrast and a much warmer tone to 
the plumage than the latter. Note also that in Foxy Lark 
the pale-fringed greater and median coverts are dark- 
centred and the supercilium and semicircular mark below 
the eye are whiter and more prominent; this effect is 
further heightened by the blackish lores. 

Alouette abyssinienne Mirafra alopex. Reserve Nationale 
de Shaba, Kenya, 17 mai 2009 (Adam Riley / Rockjumper 
Birding Tours). La forme qui chevauche avec l’Alouette de 
Friedmann a un plumage plus contraste, au teint beaucoup 


plus chaud, que 1 Alouette de Friedmann. Noter egalement 
que chez l’Alouette abyssinienne les grandes et moyennes 
couvertures ont un centre sombre et des liseres pales, et 
que le sourcil et la marque semi-circulaire en dessous 
de l’ceil sont plus blancs et plus prononces ; cet efifet est 
augmente par les lores noiratres. 

Figure 5. Williams’s Lark Mirafra williamsi, Shaba 
National Reserve, Kenya, 3 November 2008 (Nik 
Borrow). This lark prefers more open, rocky, lava or sandy 
plains, is virtually plain-backed and blotched or spotted 
below and not likely to be confused. 

Alouette de Williams Mirafra williamsi, Reserve Nationale 
de Shaba, Kenya, 3 novembre 2008 (Nik Borrow). Cette 
alouette prefere les plaines plus ouvertes, rocailleuses, de 
lave ou sablonneuses et est pratiquement unie dessus et 
tachete dessous; il est improbable qu’elle soit confondue. 

Figure 6. Somali Short-toed Lark Calandrella somalica, 
Liben Plains, Ethiopia 19 October 2006 (Nik Borrow). 
This species has a distinctive facial pattern with obvious 
pale semicircular areas around the eye and a browner 
plumage with dark centred median and greater coverts. 

Alouette roussatre Calandrella somalica, Plaines de Liben, 
Ethiopie, 19 octobre 2006 (Nik Borrow). Cette espece 
a un pattern facial distinct avec des zones pales semi- 
circulaires marquees autour de 1’oeil et un plumage plus 
brun avec des grandes et moyennes couvertures aux centres 
sombres. 


Photospot: Friedmann 's Lark 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -103 


1930a). During the same expedition, three more 
specimens were collected from near Archer’s Post 
in the Samburu area of northern Kenya, but these 
were originally described as a separate species 
M. Candida (Friedmann 1930b). There were 
subsequently no further records until December 
1972 when the ringing team at Ngulia Lodge, 
Tsavo West National Park, south-east Kenya, 
found a corpse there after the bird flew into the 
walls at night, having presumably been attracted 
to the bright lights of the lodge (Lack 1977). 

During the 1970s our knowledge of the bird 
was much advanced, in particular by Peter Lack 
who described its song and field features (Lack 
1977). However, the species remains elusive and 
somewhat erratic in its appearances ro this day, 
and it is almost never seen outside the breeding 
season (see Lack 1997 for all records prior to 
1997). It is still classified as ’Data Deficient’ 
(BirdLife International 2009). In order to stand 
a good chance of seeing Friedmann’s Lark the 
visiting birder must firstly visit the known range, 
which stretches from the type locality in southern 
Ethiopia, through the Samburu/Shaba Game 
Reserves and Tsavo National Park areas of Kenya 
into the Mkomazi Game Reserve in northern 
Tanzania. The species’ preferred habitat is rather 
open grassland with sparse to dense bush cover. 
The best time to look is definitely in the rainy 
season, but as the rains can be erratic in this region, 
this is not something that can be easily planned 
several months in advance. However, a visit timed 
within the months December to January (‘short’ 
rains) or possibly April to May (‘long’ rains) seems 
to coincide with the optimum times. 

Friedmann’s Lark usually makes its appearance 
once the rains start falling but even this doesn’t 
seem to be 100% guaranteed in the same localities 
every season. Nonetheless, when the species is 
present it is often reasonably numerous and 
probably not easy to miss, provided its most 
distinctive song is known. One should listen out 
at any time of day (or night) for a single, long 
drawn-out and far-carrying hoo-ee-oo with an 
emphasis on the middle part. This simple phrase is 
monotonously repeated at intervals of one to two 
seconds, either from a conspicuous perch or in an 
undulating but rather lazy song flight that reaches 
up to a height of c. 10 m. 

No other smaller lark in range sings like this; 
Singing Bush Lark M. cantillans, Williams’s Lark 


M. ivilliamsi, Flappet Lark M. mfocinnamomea, 
Foxy Lark M. alopex and Somali Short-toed Lark 
Calandrella somalica all give more complex or 
variable scratchy, warbling or melodious songs. 
The distinctive Short-tailed Lark Pseudalaemon 
fremantlii sings a slow, deliberate, but slightly 
slurred whistle from the ground seen seeu . . . seen 
seen seeu . . . seeu seeu TEWleu. Perhaps the song of 
Friedmann’s Lark might be overlooked as coming 
from a White-browed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas 
leucophrys , although this is rather unlikely. 

Having heard the song the bird shouldn't be 
difficult to locate, as it is by no means a ‘skulker’ 
when singing or displaying. Check the tops of 
the bushes for a typical Mirafra lark that will be 
slightly raising its crown feathers and puffing out 
its pure white throat with every song phrase. This 
prominent white throat extends in a half-collar 
around the neck, immediately giving the bird 
a most distinctive appearance totally unlike its 
congeners (Figs. 1-2). 

Perhaps the real mystery is to where this species 
goes when it is not breeding and vocal. There is 
some evidence to suggest that Friedmann’s Lark is 
a local or intra-African migrant (for example, the 
appearances at Ngulia Lodge at night), but if this 
is the case exactly where are the non-breeding areas 
that it migrates to and from? Perhaps part of the 
problem lies in identifying the bird using plumage 
alone and if faced with a silent lark in north-east 
Africa what features should be looked for? 

The larks in the genus Mirafra range in size 
from small to large with short, rounded wings, 
and variably shaped bills that can be short and 
conical or long and decurved. Friedmann’s Lark 
is typical of the smaller, shorter billed types. Of 
the several comparable Mirafra larks, White-tailed 
Lark M. albicauda occurs in dense grasslands on 
black cotton soils, probably a habitat not suited to 
Friedmann’s, and albicauda also appears blackish 
from a distance and so can be immediately rejected 
as a confusion species. The similar looking Flappet 
Lark M. rufocinnamomea, unlike Friedmann’s, 
lacks any white in the tail, although the buff or 
rufous outer tail feathers can be confusingly pale 
in some populations. The localised Williams’s 
Lark M. ivilliamsi prefers more open, rocky, lava 
or sandy plains, is virtually plain-backed and 
blotched or spotted below, and again unlikely 
to be confused. The distinctive facial pattern of 
Somali Short-toed Lark Calandrella somalica with 


104 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Photospot: Friedmann s Lark 


its obvious pale semicircular areas around the eye 
and browner flight feathers should also be enough 
to immediately discount this species. 

We are therefore left with two widespread and 
common species that perhaps offer the greatest 
challenge to correct identification. A Foxy Lark M. 
alopex was recently misidentified as Friedmann’s 
Lark: see the photograph in Bull. ABC 16: 234, 
reproduced here (Fig. 3). Comparing this bird 
with Friedmann’s Lark, we should note that the 
general coloration of Foxy Lark shows greater 
contrast, being generally warmer and much more 
rufous. I his is particularly noticeable on the edges 
of the primaries, which form an obvious reddish 
panel on the closed wing. The pale-fringed greater 
and median coverts of Foxy Lark are dark-centred, 
whereas in Friedmann’s Lark these feathers are 
brown-centred with a darker submarginal line. 
The white supercilium and semicircular mark 
below the eye are whiter and more prominent 
on Foxy Lark, which effect is heightened by the 
blackish lores. An encounter with the little-known 
rufous morph of Friedmann’s Lark may be more 
problematic but this form should show an even 
more uniform appearance with the white areas 
washed warm buff. 

Singing Bush Lark M. cantillans is somewhat 
more similar in plumage tone to Friedmann’s 
and is perhaps the most likely confusion species. 
However, it is always a colder, greyer looking 
bird and completely lacks the rufous fringes to 
the flight feathers (Lack 1992, Zimmerman et al. 
1996). The central rectrices of Friedmann’s are 
also reddish-brown as opposed to cold grey or 
sepia brown in the appropriate race, marginata , 


of Singing Bush Lark. Another feature seemingly 
unique to Friedmann’s is that the streaks on the 
breast-sides tend to coalesce, giving the illusion of 
a dark patch somewhat akin to that often seen on 
short-toed larks Calandrella spp. 

With increased understanding of the field 
features, perhaps it will not be too long before the 
final mysteries of this little-known bird are finally 
unravelled. 

References 

BirdLife International. 2009. Species factsheet: Mirafra 
pulpn. www.birdlife.org (accessed 20 November 
2009). 

Friedmann, H. 1930a. A lark new to science from 
southern Ethiopia. Occ. Pap. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. 
5: 237-259. 

Friedmann, H. 1930b. A lark new to science from 
north-central Kenya Colony. Auk 47: 418-419. 
Lack, P. C. 1977. The status of Friedmann’s Bush-Lark 
Mirafra pulpa. Scopus 1: 34-39. 

Lack, P. C. 1992. Mirafra pulpa. In Keith, S., Urban, 
E. K. & Fry, C. H. (eds.) The Birds of Africa. Vol. 
4. London UK; Academic Press. 

Lack, P. C. 1997. Lriedmann’s Lark Mirafra pidpa — an 
enigma. Bull. ABC 4: 132-134. 

Zimmerman, D. A., Turner, D. A. & Pearson, D. 
J. 1996. Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. 
London, UK: Christopher Helm. 

Flat 5, 63-67 St George’s Drive, London SW1V 4DD. 
E-mail: n. borrow@btinternet. com 

Received 1 5 November 2009. 


Photospot: Friedmann ’s Lark 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -105 


Finding southern Ethiopia’s endemic birds 

Claire N. Spottiswoode 


Trouver les oiseaux endemiques au sud de l’Ethiopie. Le sud de l Ethiopie possede un endemisme 
avien remarquable et est reconnu comme une Zone d'Endemisme pour les Oiseaux. Cet article fournit des 
informations concernant cinq especes endemiques et explique comment les trouver sur le terrain. II s’agit 
du Touraco de Ruspoli Tauraco ruspolii, de l’Engoulevent de Nechisar Caprimulgus solala, de l’Alouette 
d’Erard Heteromirafra sidamoensis , de l’Hirondelle a queue blanche Hirundo megaensis et du Corbin de 
Stresemann Zavattariornis stresemanni. Ces especes sont menacees par la degradation ou la destruction de 
leur habitat par les activites d une population humaine toujours en augmentation. 


^ cattered along the southernmost escarpment of 


in 


Ethiopia’s highlands are the tiny distributions 
of five endemic bird species. This nucleus of 
remarkable and unexplained endemism 
grassland, savanna and juniper forest 
is recognised as a global Endemic 
Bird Area (EBA; Stattersfield et al. 

1998). All five endemics are globally 
threatened, one critically so, and 
conservation projects in the region will 
be beneficiaries of funds raised by the 
2010 British Birdwatching Fair. This 
support is urgently needed to avert 
at least one imminent extinction: 
without immediate conservation 
intervention, southern Ethiopia’s 
Liben Lark (previously known as 
Sidamo Lark: see Collar 2009) 
seems destined to become mainland 
Africa’s first recorded bird extinction 
(Spottiswoode et al. 2009). 

Endemics aside, birdwatching in 
this region is tremendously diverse, 
enjoyable and for the most part 
straightforward, owing to its open 
habitats and dry climate. The focus of 
this article is, however, the endemic 
species, briefly sketching their ecology and how 
and where each can most reliably be seen during 
a short birding trip. Much of the information is 
adapted from a forthcoming bird-finding guide to 
Ethiopia (Spottiswoode et al. in press), which also 
describes in detail other sites along the journey 
‘linking’ the endemic species, from Negele to 
Yabelo via the village of Arero. 

Until recently, the pantheon of southern 
Ethiopia’s endemics would also have included the 
far-flung Degodi Lark Mirafra degodiensis , but 
Collar et al. (2008) have shown this species to be 


poorly defined with respect to morphology, voice 
and genetics, and best regarded as a subspecies 
of Gillett’s Lark Mirafra gilletti , itself a relatively 
localised endemic to the Horn of Africa. 



Above: general map of southern Ethiopia showing the 
main areas discussed herein. All of the maps reproduced 
here are by Claire Spottiswoode, and taken from Finding 
Birds in Ethiopia , reproduced with permission of the 
publishers. 

Legend to figures on opposite page 

Figures 1-2. Liben (formerly Sidamo) Lark / Alouette 
d’Lrard Heteromirafra sidamoensis, Liben Plain, Ethiopia, 
2 August 2007 (Greg Davies) 

Figure 3. Prince Ruspoli s Turaco / Touraco de Ruspoli 
Tauraco ruspolii, Arero Forest, Ethiopia, 31 August 2005 
(Claire Spottiswoode) 


1 06 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Finding southern Ethiopia ’s endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


■■H 



Finding southern Ethiopia ’s endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -107 




Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco Tauraco ruspolii 
When Prince Ruspoli was trampled to death 
by an elephant in south-west Ethiopia in 1893, 
his collecting bag — happily intact— contained 
the type specimen of this turaco. The specimen 
was presumed to originate from Arero Forest 
(described below), but it is now clear that the 
bird occurs patchily over a wider area of southern 
Ethiopia, and is not confined to forest. Despite 
its tolerance of tall Acacia and secondary growth, 
it remains heavily threatened by wood extraction 
and agriculture (Borghesio et al. 2004). There is 
little confidence that its distributional limits have 
been properly defined, and any records outside its 
established range (between Arero and the Genale 
River) are of great interest and should be reported 
to the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History 
Society (EWNHS; BirdLife in Ethiopia). The 
three sites below represent those where it can most 
reliably be seen, but keep an eye out for the species 
in any denser roadside vegetation throughout 
the wooded highland foothills (particularly from 
Negele to Kebre Mengist and Shakisso). This 
species and the more widespread White-cheeked 
Turaco T. leucotis occur alongside one another 
at Arero Forest and in the Kebre Mengist region; 
hybrids are worryingly widespread at the latter 
(Lernould & Seitre 2002, Borghesio et al. 2004). 

Finding it. Although habitat degradation in the 
heavily populated Negele region has already taken 
a heavy toll on Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco (Borghesio 
et al. 2004), one site in this area is perhaps still the 
simplest place to see it. Halfway between Negele 
town and the Liben Plain (see Liben Lark below), 
a drainage line with sparse thicket crosses the 
road (1 on Negele map; 05°18.44’N 39°38.04’E). 
Scan for turacos perched in the open on exposed 
branches in the early morning and evening, often 
calling hoarsely, or stroll through the habitat 
to search for them; when flushed they typically 
fly only a short distance to the next clump of 
thicket. 

Travelling between Negele and the Bale 
Mountains, many birders have sought this species 
(with some success) at the point where the road 
crosses the Genale River. Stop at the sandy drift (2 
on Negele map; 05°41.10’N 39°31.85’E) 2.8 km 
south of the main Genale bridge, and search the 
many impressive fig trees here, particularly in the 
dry season. A local turaco guide, Adem Dube, may 
well appear and help, and guide you up a beautiful 


wooded valley to the east. Turacos also occur in 
mixed Acacia-Terminalia-Combretum woodland 
further from the Genale River. 

Arero Forest, a mixed juniper and Podocarpus 
evergreen forest west of Negele, is the presumed 
type locality of Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. This area 
is prone to ethnic disputes so it is worth checking 
on the security situation before visiting. Entering 
Arero village, turn left at the large ‘roundabout’ 
centred on a big tree, and you will shortly 
enter juniper forest (1 on Arero map). Turn 
right 6.2 km from the roundabout (04°47.42’N 
38°49.47’E), and keep an eye out from this point 
for turacos at the roadside, although they are more 
commonly seen further on. Continue through this 
forest, beyond a cleared area, until you reach a 
second, better-developed forest patch. Soon after 
this point there is an area of exposed rock on the 
right-hand side of the road (2 on map), which 
provides a fine place to stand, ideally with a scope, 
and scan the juniper canopy for turacos. Also walk 
slowly along the road either side ol this site, and 
keep alert for ‘crashing’ sounds in the canopy, 
nasal, squirrel-like trilling or explosive alarm calls, 
or red wings gliding amongst the junipers. Beware, 
though, that all of these can also indicate White- 
cheeked Turaco. The forest beyond the exposed 
rock, extending along another 2.6 km of road, is 
also an excellent area for the turaco. Arero Forest 
itself can feel rather birdless, but other species 
include Hemprich’s Hornbill Tockus hemprichii, 
Northern Brownbul Phyllastrephus strepitans and 
White-breasted Cuckooshrike Coracina pectoralis. 

Nechisar Nightjar Caprimulgus solala 
So far as is known the Nechisar Nightjar is 
endemic to the isolated grasslands of the Nechisar 
Plain, at the western extremity of this EBA. To 
date it is known with certainty only from the type 
specimen, a single and distinctive wing famously 
rescued from a decomposing roadkill in 1990 
(Safford et al. 1993), and an excellent guide to 
its potential field identification has already been 
published in Bull. ABC (Butchart 2007). There 
has recently (2009) been a tantalising first claim 
of a live bird (I. Sinclair pers. comm.), although 
full details remain forthcoming. It is probable that 
an individual will need to be captured to confirm 
this species’ continued existence. 

Finding it. The Nechisar Plains lie within the 
spectacularly beautiful Nechisar National Park, 


1 08 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Finding southern Ethiopia 's endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


near the town of Arba Minch in the Great Rift 
Valley. At the time of writing the agonisingly 
poor road from Shashemene to Arba Minch was 
being remade, which will hopefully simplify future 
searches. 1 he black cotton soils of the plains are 
crisscrossed by several tracks, a jolting 30 km 
(occasionally impassable after rain) beyond the 
park entrance, and this is also the best place in 
the world to see the oddly localised White-tailed 
Lark Mirafra albicuuda. The area is very good for 
nightjars in general, with nine species occurring in 
all, and a night search is likely to turn up one or 
several of the following: Slender-tailed C. clarus , 
Star-spotted C. stellata, Donaldson-Smith’s C. 
donaldsoni. Montane C. poliocephaliis and perhaps 
even Standard-winged Macrodipteryx longipennis. 

Liben (formerly Sidamo) Lark Heteromirafra 
sidamoensis 

The Liben Lark is a perilously threatened bird 
confined to the arid grassland of the Liben Plain 
near Negele, and recent surveys indicate that 
fewer — probably far fewer — than 250 individuals 
survive within its tiny range, which continues to 
be rapidly squeezed by habitat loss through crop 
planting, overgrazing and scrub encroachment 
(Collar et al. 2008, Spottiswoode et al. 2009). 
By 2009 it was confined to less than 3,000 ha of 
heavily degraded habitat (Donald et al. in press). 
It belongs to a uniformly imperilled genus of 
highland grassland larks that also comprises the 
Vulnerable Rudd’s Lark H. ruddi of South Africa 
and rhe Critically Endangered Archer’s Lark H. 
archeri of Somaliland, which has not been seen 
with certainty since its discovery in 1922. 

Finding it. For a species so close to extinction, 
the Liben Lark could still, at the time of writing, 
relatively easily be seen. It remains most numerous 
at the western end of the Liben Plain (3 on Negele 
map; around 05°16.37’N 39°4l.08’E), just south 
(1-2 km) of a dilapidated but still active military 
camp, which it is essential to avoid. The lark is 
found in relatively short grass with very sparse or 
absent shrubs. Early mornings are best (especially 
06.30-09.30 hrs), seemingly year-round, when 
males are most likely to be heard giving their short 
skylark Alauda- like aerial song that is audible at 
several hundred metres. Males hover as they sing 
only c.lO m above the ground, resembling a fly 
on the horizon before they parachute down after 
about 20 seconds. At closer range, their incredibly 


elongated hindclaws can be seen dangling 
conspicuously. This short and largely stationary 
song-flight contrasts with the long, high, circular 
and somewhat chirruping song-flights of Somali 
Short-toed Lark Calandrella somalica, which is 
very common here. When flushed, Somali Short- 
toed Lark is easily distinguished by its rather nasal 
flight call (if anything, a flushed Liben Lark gives a 
rather melodious tseep-eeep-eeep-eeep, reminiscent 
of a Pectoral-patch Cisticola Cisticola bnmnescens ) , 
and on the ground by its relatively heavy pinkish 
bill, conspicuous whitish eye-ring, heavily streaked 
(rather than scalloped) mantle, and generally pot- 
bellied and horizontal posture. The alternative 
(if you are unable to visit in the morning) is to 
walk until you flush a Liben Lark; they tend not 
to fly, but run quickly and rodent-like through 
the grass, occasionally standing upright to scan 
their surroundings, showing their pale, triangular- 
looking head, markedly scalloped back and pale 
central crown-stripe. 

Birds are thin on the ground on the Liben 
Plain, but other interesting species to be seen 
here are Hartlaub’s Bustard Eupodotis hartlaubi, 
remarkably high concentrations of Kori Bustard 
Ardeotis kori , Somali Courser Cursor somalensis, 
Black- winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus , 
White-crowned Starling Spreo albicapillus, 
whilst Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco and Salvadori’s 
Seedeater Serinus xantholaemus occur nearby. 
Quail Plover Ortyxelos meiffrenii has been seen 
here, and occasionally small groups of unusually 
easterly White-tailed Swallows Hirundo megaensis 
(Gabremichael et al. 2009). 

White-tailed Swallow Hirundo megaensis 
The range of this species overlaps almost perfectly 
with that of the Ethiopian Bush Crow; this 
coincidence is not at all understood, since the 
birds have quite different ecologies. White-tailed 
Swallows have an extremely agile, bat-like flight, 
and are typically seen speeding gracefully over 
open savannah and scrubland. They especially 
favour places with sparser cover, such as open 
valleys, but sometimes occur over woodland. The 
species was first collected by Con Benson and his 
Mozambican collector, Jali Makawa, while they 
were stationed at Mega during the Second World 
War and did much pioneering work (Benson 
1946). Benson suspected that they bred in hollows 
in termite mounds, and this has been confirmed 


Finding southern Ethiopia s endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -109 














110 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Finding southern Ethiopia ’s endemic birds: Spottiswoode 





Legend to figures on opposite page 

Figure 4. White-tailed Swallow / 
Hirondelle a queue blanche Hirundo 
megaensis, Liben Plain, Ethiopia, 29 June 
2006 (Claire Spottiswoode) 

Figure 5. Ethiopian (Stresemann’s) 

Bush Crow / Corbin de Stresemann 
Zavattariornis stresemanni, between 
Yabello and Arero, Ethiopia, 29 May 
2009 (Paul Donald) 

Left: map of the Negele region of 
southern Ethiopia 

Below: map of the Yabelo region of 
southern Ethiopia, with (inset) details of 
the Arero Forest. 


to occur (M. N. Gabremichael pers. 
comm.), but circumstantial evidence 
strongly suggests that they may also 
nest against the interior beams of 
Borana houses, as does the sympatric 
Ethiopian Swallow H. aethiopica. Any 
breeding records are of interest and 
should be submitted to EWNHS. 

Finding it. White-tailed Swallows 
can be seen anywhere in the Yabelo- 
Arero-Mega triangle, and are likely 
simply to be bumped into during a 
couple of days birding in the area. If 
time is short and luck is low, though, 
there are some specific areas that 
are well worth focusing on. Perhaps 
best of all is the open, heavily grazed 
vicinity of the village of Dubuluk 
(2 on the Yabelo map). Scanning 
the open country immediately north 
and south of the village is likely to 
turn up a swallow. The arid, rocky 
country along the gravel road from 
the main Yabelo-Mega road to Soda 
(turn-off at 04°09.56’N 38°16.83’E; 
3 on map) is also good for swallows, 
as well as species typical of arid stony 
country such as Somali Courser, 
Short-tailed Lark Pseudalaemon 
fremantlii and Somali Fiscal Lanins 
somalicus. (Note that a smaller short- 
cut track — 4 on the map — leaving 
the tar road a little further north, 


Finding southern Ethiopia s endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -111 



at 04°12.52’N 38°16.87’E, and rejoining the 
main Soda dirt road at 04°11.51’N 38°20.59’E 
is also very good for birding; you might choose 
to return this way.) A third place to search is 
the open, largely cultivated area just south of 
Mega town, on the road to Moyale. Stop along 
the road 6-1 4 km south of the town (3 on the 
map; 04°01.05’N 38°22.02’E) scanning especially 
in open areas along river valleys. Beware that 
Ethiopian Swallows also occur in all of these areas, 
but are readily distinguishable by their dark tails, 
breast markings, and noticeably less agile flight. 

Ethiopian (Stresemann’s) Bush Crow 

Zavattariornis stresemanni 

Ethiopia’s star endemic is also an evolutionary 
and ecological enigma: its closest relatives are the 
ground-jays Podoces of central Asia (Ericson et al. 
2005), and it is bafflingly confined to a small scrap 
of arid savannah in the triangle formed by Yabelo, 
Arero and Moyale in Ethiopia’s far south. Happily 
it is patchily common in this area, and very easily 
seen. The first sign of its presence is often its nest, 
a large gourd of spiny sticks with an upward- 
facing entrance tunnel, sitting on the flat top of an 
Acacia. It is highly social, confiding, wonderfully 
characterful, and especially common and tame in 
the vicinity of villages and livestock enclosures, 
where it turns over pieces of livestock dung in 
search of grubs, and even perches on cattle. Flocks 
are noisy and mobile, frequently giving metallic, 
Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula-XiVt calls, from 
which comes its Borana name, kaka. Although 
bush crows are still relatively numerous, there is 
much concern that they are currently declining 
owing to the whittling away of their habitat of 
mature Acacia savannah by commercial cultivation, 
charcoal production, and bush encroachment 
probably caused by overgrazing and fire supression 
(Borghesio & Giannetti 2005, Gedeon 2006, 
Mellanby et al. 2008). 

Finding it. Seeing an Ethiopian Bush Crow is 
still unlikely to pose any problems. Any area with 
some tall acacias and ideally a village or animal 
enclosure nearby is likely to reveal a party of bush 
crows. If time is very short, an excellent area to 
focus on is the tall woodland just north of Yabelo, 
on the main road to Addis Ababa (map) and in 
the vicinity of a small settlement called Harobake 
(1 on the Yabelo map; 04°59.56’N 38°12.59’E), 
where a livestock market is held on Sundays. The 


combination of tall acacias, little ground cover, 
and the presence of cattle and camel enclosures 
is prime habitat for bush crows, but take care 
when photographing them that no livestock are 
in the background, as this can offend their 
owners. Another area with a particularly good 
concentration of bush crows is the first 10-40 km 
of the dirt road from Yabelo to Arero, where bush 
crows are almost invariably present in the vicinity 
of small Borana settlements. 

General birding in the Yabelo-Mega area is 
tremendously diverse and exciting, long after the 
first bush crows and swallows have been sighted. 
Species likely to be seen during a 2-3-day visit 
include Somali Courser, Vulturine Guineafowl 
Acryllium vulturinum, Short-tailed Lark, Somali 
Short-toed Lark, Foxy Lark Mirafra alopex. Scaly 
Chatterer Turdoides aylmeri , Somali Crombec 
Sylvietta isabellina, Pygmy Batis Batis perkeo, 
Pringle’s Puffback Dryoscopus pringlii, Somali 
Fiscal, Red-naped Bushshrike Laniarius ruficeps, 
White-crowned Starling and Northern Grosbeak 
Canary Serinus donaldsoni. 

The future 

Ail of southern Ethiopia’s endemics are threatened. 
The turaco faces habitat destruction from wood 
cutting and agriculture, and the lark, swallow and 
bush crow from bush enroachment, agricultural 
expansion and rangeland degradation. There are 
hints that new species to science might still 
await discovery in the region, but if so they will 
doubtless find themselves listed as threatened as 
soon as they are described. In the face of relentless 
population pressure and large-scale vegetation 
shifts hastened by climate change, the long-term 
challenges to the birds of southern Ethiopia are 
truly daunting. Yet there is reason for optimism, 
not least that human and conservation interests 
often coincide in this region: bush encroachment 
and rangeland degradation favour neither birds 
nor pastoralists (Spottiswoode et al. 2009, Donald 
et al. in press). The 2010 Birdfair will be the first 
to focus on the Afrotropics for many years and 
will bring significant support to the invaluable 
work of the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural 
History Society. Most urgently of all, their efforts 
at grassland restoration on the Liben Plain should 
give the Liben Lark a fighting chance of seeing out 
the new decade. 


112 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Finding southern Ethiopia 's endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


Acknowledgements 

I am grateful to Nigel Collar, 1 im Dee, Paul Donald, 

Julian Francis, John Miskell and Nigel Redman for 

helpfully commenting on earlier drafts, and ro Julian 

Francis and Merid Gabremichael for their support and 

collaboration in the field. 

References 

Benson, C. W. 1946. Notes on the birds of southern 
Abyssinia. Ibis 88: 287-306. 

Borghesio, L. & Giannetti, F. 2003. Habitat degradation 
threatens the survival of the Ethiopian bush crow 
Zavattariornis stresemanni. Oryx 39: 44-49. 

Borgeshio, L„ Gianetti, F„ Ndang’ang’a, K„ Shimelis, 
A., Borghesio, A., Rizzo, D. & Fufa, K. 2004. A 
reassessment of the conservation status of Prince 
Ruspoli’s Turaco Tauraco nispolii. Bull. ABC 11: 
104-111. 

Butchart, S. 2007. Birds to find: a review of ‘lost’, 
obscure and poorly-known African bird species. 
Bull. ABC 14: 139-157. 

Collar, N. J. 2009. Letter. Conservation-driven changes 
in English bird names, and the case of the Liben 
Lark. Bull. ABC 16: 245. 

Collar, N. J., Dellelegn, Y., Fishpool, L. D. C., 
Gabremichael, M. N., Spottiswoode, C. N. & 
Wondafrash, M. 2008. Type locality, behaviour, 
voice, nest, eggs and plight of the Sidamo Lark 
Heteromirafra sidamoensis. Bull. ABC 15: 180- 
190. 

Collar, N. J., Dingle, C., Gabremichael, M. N. & 
Spottiswoode, C. N. 2009. Taxonomic status of the 
Degodi Lark Mirafra degodiensis, with notes on the 
voice of Gillett’s Lark M. gilletti. Bull. Br. Ornithol. 
Club 129: 49-62. 

Donald, P. D., Buchanan, G. M., Collar, N. J., Dellelegn 
Abebe, Y., Gabremichael, M. N., Mwangi, M. 
A. K., Ndang’ang’a, P. K., Spottiswoode C. N. 
& Wondafrash, M. (in press) Rapid declines 
in habitat quality and population size in the 
Sidamo (Liben) Lark Heteromirafra sidamoensis 
necessitate immediate conservation action. Bird 
Conserv. Intern. 

Ericson, P. G. P., Jansen, A. L., Johansson, U. S. & 
Ekman, J. 2005. Inter-generic relationships of 
the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: 
Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. J. 
Avian Biol. 36: 222-234. 


Gabremichael, M. N., Spottiswoode, C. N., Fishpool, 

L. , Forsyth, E., Lewis, A., Pain, D., Thomas, R. 
& Toye, N. 2009. Occurrence of the White-tailed 

~ Swallow Hirundo megaensis near Negele, Ethiopia. 
Bull. ABC 16: 83-86. 

Gedeon, K. 2006. Observations on the biology of the 
Ethiopian Bush Crow Zavattariornis stresemanni. 
Bull. ABC 13: 178-188. 

Lernould, J.-M. & Seitre, R. 2002. Observation 
d hybrides naturels entre le Touraco a joues 
blanches Tauraco leucotis et le Touraco du Prince 
Ruspoli T. ruspolii. Alauda 70: 247-251. 

Mellanby, R. J., Ross, B., Watt, A., Wondafrash, 

M. , Ewnetu, M., Broadhurst, C., Critchlow, R., 
Dadesa, A., Deas, T., Enawgaw, C., Gebremedin, 
B., Graham, E., MacLean, S., McKean, M., Collar, 

N. J. & Spottiswoode, C. N. 2008. Distribution, 
abundance and habitat preferences of White-tailed 
Swallow Hirundo megaensis and Ethiopian Bush- 
crow Zavattariornis stresemanni , two southern 
Ethiopian endemics. Bird Conserv. Intern. 18: 
395-412. 

Safford, R. J., Ash, J. S., Duckworth, J. W., Telfer, M. 
G. & Zewdie, C. 1995. A new species of nightjar 
from Ethiopia. Ibis 137: 301-307. 

Spottiswoode, C. N., Wondafrash, M., Gabremichael, 
M. N., Dellelegn, Y., Mwangi, M. K., Collar, N. 
J. & Dolman, P. M. 2009. Rangeland degradation 
is poised to cause Africa’s first recorded avian 
extinction. Anim. Conserv. 12: 249-257. 
Spottiswoode, C. N., Gabremichael, M. N. & Francis, 
J. E. (in press) Finding Birds in Ethiopia. London, 
UK: Christopher Helm. 

Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J. & Wege, 
D. C. 1998. Endemic Bird Areas of the World: 
Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. Cambridge, 
UK: BirdLife International. 

Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, 
Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. E-mail: 
cns26 @cam. ac. uk 

Received 22 December 2009; revision accepted 25 
January 2009. 


Finding southern Ethiopia 's endemic birds: Spottiswoode 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -113 


Recent Reports 



These are largely unconfirmed 
records published for interest only; 
records are mostly from 2009, 
with a few from earlier dates. We 

thank all birders who have sent 
in their records and urge them to 
submit full details to the relevant 
national or regional organisations. 

It is suggested that observations 
of each species be compared with 
relevant literature to set new data in 
context and that observers who are 
unfamiliar with the status of birds 
in a particular country refer to R. 

J. Dowsett’s (1993) Afrotropical 
avifaunas: annotated country 
checklists (in R. J. Dowsett & F. 
Dowsett-Lemaire. A Contribution 


to the Distribution and Taxonomy 
of Afrotropical and Malagasy Birds. 
Tauraco Res. Rep. 5. Liege: Tauraco 
Press) or more recent or appropriate 
sources before submitting records. 


Les observations ci-apres sont en 
majeure partie non confirmees et 
sont publiees uniquement dans le 
but d informer. La plupart des 
donnees sont de 2009 ; quelques- 
unes sont plus anciennes. Nous 
remercions tous les ornithologues 
qui ont pris la peine de nous 
faire parvenir leurs donnees 
et nous recommandons de les 
envoyer, dument documentees, 


aux organisations nationales 
ou regionales concernees. II est 
conseille de verifier le statut des 
especes observees dans la litterature 
appropriee, afin de mettre les 
nouvelles donnees en perspective, 
et de consulter notamment R. 

J. Dowsett (1993) Afrotropical 
avifaunas: annotated country 
checklists (en R. J. Dowsett & F. 
Dowsett-Lemaire. A Contribution 
to the Distribution and Taxonomy 
of Afrotropical and Malagasy Birds. 
Tauraco Res. Rep. 5. Liege : 
Tauraco Press) ou des sources plus 
recentes ou appropriees. 


Azores 

The following records are from 
May-November 2009. The second 
Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma 
hasitata for the Azores was 
photographed south of Queimada, 
Pico, on 22 May (the first was on 26 
May 2007), whilst the fifth Trindade 
Petrel P. arminjoniana was a dark 
morph photographed south of Faial 
on 20 August. The Pied-billed 
Grebe Podilymbus podiceps at Lagoa 
das Furnas, Sao Miguel, first seen on 
9 November 2008, was joined by a 
first-year on 29 October with both 
remaining to at least late November; 
a third was on Flores in October- 
November. An adult Brown Booby 
Sida leucogaster was on the Mosteiros 
cliffs, Sao Miguel, in November. 
Double-crested Cormorants 
Phalacrocorax auritus were seen on 
Flores in October (one) and Sao 
Miguel in November (up to two). 

On Santa Maria, an American 
Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus was 
observed on 1 1 October, and the 
long-staying Cattle Egret Bubulcus 
ibis at Vila harbour pool through 
October. Up to two American Great 
Egrets Egretta alba egretta were on 


Corvo in September-November, 
with a Great Blue Heron Ardea 
herodias there on 20-23 October 
(and one on Flores on 30 October). 

A White Stork Ciconia ciconia on 
Terceira on 30 August was the first 
for the Azores. 

The third Greater White-fronted 
Goose Anser albifrons for the Azores 
remained at Vila harbour pool, Santa 
Maria, until 4 June. A Pale-bellied 
Brent Goose Branta ( bernicla ) hrota 
was on Corvo from 18 October. On 
Terceira, a flock of up to 19 Blue- 
winged Teals Anas discors was seen 
on 14-22 October, a juvenile Surf 
Scoter Melanitta perspicillata from 3 1 
October into November, and a male 
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis 
on 1 1-13 June. A female-plumaged 
Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis on 
Flores on 30 October that appeared 
at Cabo da Praia, Terceira, next day, 
is the first for the archipelago. Single 
Taiga Merlins Falco columbarius 
columbarius were reported on Corvo 
on 3 November and Flores on 
21 October and 4 November. If 
accepted, a first-year Barbary Falcon 
F. peregrinoides at Anjos, Santa 


Maria, on 12 August will be the first 
for the Azores. 

Semipalmated Plovers Charadrius 
semipalmatus were reported on 
Terceira, in June-July and October- 
November, on Sao Miguel on 17-23 
October (up to two), and on Flores 
on at least 21 October (up to four). 

A Kildeer C. vociferus was on Flores 
on 17-18 October and up to three 
Eurasian Dotterels C. morinellus 
on Corvo from 10 October into 
November. Records of Calidris 
sandpipers included Semipalmated 
Sandpipers C. pusilla at Cabo da 
Praia, Terceira, in early September 
(three) and on Corvo on 16-23 
October (one), a Western Sandpiper 
C. mauri at Cabo da Praia, Terceira, 
from 2 September, Least Sandpipers 
C. minutilla on Corvo, on 14 
September and 18-23 October (one), 
Sao Miguel on 13 October (one), 
Terceira on 14-31 October at least 
(one), and Flores on 14-18 October 
(one), White-rumped Sandpipers C. 
fuscicollis on Terceira in September 
(two) and at Caldeirao, Corvo, on 
14 September (four), and Pectoral 
Sandpipers C. melanotos at Cabo da 
Praia, Terceira, from 2 September 


114 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 




Figure 1 . Thick-billed Cuckoo / Coucou d’Audeberc Pachycoccyx audeberti, Gbadagba Game Ranch, north of Djidja, Zou, 
Benin, 1 1 February 2009 (Bruno Portier) 

Figure 2. Male Barka Indigobird / Combassou de Barka Vidua larvaticola , near Didani, west of Cobly, Benin, 30 August 2009 
(Johannes & Sharon Merz) 


(three). Other waders included a Jack 
Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus on Sao 
Miguel in October, Wilson’s Snipes 
Gallinago (gallinago) delicata on Sao 
Miguel on 25 October (two shot), on 
Corvo in October— November, and 
on Flores from 15 October (one). 

An Upland Sandpiper Bartramia 
longicauda was on Flores on 14-18 
October and a Solitary Sandpiper 
Tringa solitaria flew in off the sea 
at Anjos on Santa Maria on 12 
October. On Terceira, a Spotted 
Sandpiper Actitis macularius and a 
Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus 
were found in September. 

Gull records on Terceira include 
a Laughing Gull Larus atricilla on 
22 October and 3 November (with 
another on Flores on 30 October) 
and a first-year Bonaparte’s Gull L. 
Philadelphia on 3 1 October and an 
adult on 19 November. Two Sooty 
Terns Sterna fuscata were still at 
Ilheu da Vila, Santa Maria, during 
June, but they failed to hatch young. 
On Pico, possibly the same Bridled 
Tern 5. anaethetus first reported this 
year on 24 April was still present at 
Manhenha in June. On Terceira, 
a first-year American Black Tern 
Chlidonias niger surinamensis 
stayed at Cabrito reservoir from 1 1 
September and a White-winged 
Tern C. leucopterus was observed on 
1 1-18 October. 

Yellow-billed Cuckoos Coccyzus 
americanus were recorded on Corvo 


on 15-30 October (at least two) 
and Sao Jorge on 16 October (one). 

A Common Nighthawk Chordeiles 
minor was on Corvo on 9 October, 
and single Chimney Swifts Chaetura 
pelagica on Corvo on 23-27 October 
and Terceira on 31 October. 

Four firsts for the Azores include a 
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella 
brachydactyla on Sao Jorge on 17 
October, a possible Plain Martin 
Riparia paludicola on Santa Maria on 
28 May, a Citrine Wagtail Motacilla 
citreola on Corvo on 14 September, 
and a Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus , 
also on Corvo, on 1-15 November. 
Up to two BufF-bellied Pipits 
Anthus rubescens were on Corvo 
from 17 October to 15 November. 

A ‘black-eared wheatear Oenanthe 
hispanica / melanoleuca on Santa 
Maria on 9 September was the 
second for the archipelago. 

As in previous years, an impressive 
number of New World passerines 
was reported in September- 
November, including four firsts for 
the Azores: on Corvo, a Canada 
Warbler Wilsonia canadensis on 

12 October and a Chestnut-sided 
Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica on 

13 October; and on Flores, a Dark- 
eyed Junco Junco hyemalis on 5 
November and two Dickcissels Spiza 
americana on 6 November. Other 
species seen, mainly in October, on 
Corvo, include a White-eyed Vireo 
Vireo griseus, a Yellow-throated 


Vireo V. flavifrons, at least one 

Philadelphia Vireo V. philadelphicus, 
at least two Red-eyed Vireos V. 
olivaceus , Black-and-white Warbler 

Mniotilta varia, a Northern Parula 
Parula americana , an American 
Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia, 

up to two Black-throated Green 
Warblers D. virens, a Myrtle 
Warbler D. coronata, an American 
Redstart Setophaga ruticilla, up to 
two Ovenbirds Seiurus aurocapilla, 
up to three Common Yellowthroats 
Geothlypis trichas , a Savannah 
Sparrow Passerculus sandwich ensis, 
a Rose-breasted Grosbeak 
Pheucticus ludovicianus , Indigo 
Bunting Passerina cyanea, Bobolink 
Dolichonyx oryzivorus and Baltimore 
Oriole Icterus galbula. Flores held a 
female Magnolia Warbler Dendroica 
magnolia, a female Scarlet Tanager 
Piranga olivacea, a Savannah 
Sparrow, a White-crowned Sparrow 
Zonotrichia leucophyrs, a Lapland 
Bunting Calcarius lapponicus, a 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, an Indigo 
Bunting and a Baltimore Oriole 
(per Dutch Birding3\: 252-257, 
311-322, 383-389). 

Benin 

Records from 2009 include the 
following. Two Streaky-breasted 

Flufftails Sarothrura boehmi were 
heard and a female flushed in 
rice fields east of Cobly, Atacora 
department, on 5 September; the 


Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -115 


next day a female and two juveniles 
were seen at close range. These 
are apparently the first records for 
Benin (JM & SM). The following 
species were found outside the range 
indicated in Borrow & Demey 
(2004. Field Guide to the Birds of 
Western Africa). A Thick-billed 
Cuckoo Pachycoccyx audeberti was 
observed at Gbadagba Game Ranch, 
north of Djidja, Zou, on 11 February 
and 30 April (Fig. 1; BP). Zitting 
Cisticolas Cisticola juncidis were 
observed at several localities in the 
communes of Cobly, Tanguieta 
and Boukoumbe, Atakora, in the 
north-west, and also at Cotonou, in 
June-September. Two Whistling 
Cisticolas Cisticola lateralis were 
photographed and their song tape- 
recorded 8 km east ofTchaourou, 
Borgou, on 22 August. Two male 
indigobirds with a greenish gloss 
and uttering a call similar to that of 
Black-faced Firefinch Lagonosticta 
larvata near Didani, west of Cobly, 
on 30 August, were thought to be 
Barka Indigobirds Vidua larvaticola 
(Fig. 2; JM &SM). 

Botswana 

The following records are from May 
2009-early January 2010. Single 
Black-necked Grebes Podiceps 
nigricollis were observed at Lobatse 
sewage ponds on 26 July (57), in the 
Nata River close to Nata Delta on 7 
September (PN) and on a small pan 
near Ghanzi on 26 November ( KG ). 
Some 36 Great White Pelicans 
Pelecanus onocrotalus , including 
brown immatures, were counted 
along the Boteti River between 
Makalamabedi and Samedupi in 
late July (57); c.42 were at Shashe 
Dam on 26 July, with 55 there on 
23 January (PDA, NBo et al.), and 
43 at Nata Delta on 10 August 
( CB ). A single Pink-backed Pelican 
P. rufescens was seen along the 
Okavango River between Mohembo 
and Shakawe on 1 8 July (PH et 
al.); 45 were noted along the Savuti 
Channel between Mantswe Pan and 
Zibadianja on 17 July (GH, BG), one 
at Bokaa Dam on 10 January (CB), 
and 13 at Shashe Dam on 23 January 
(PDA, NBo). 


An African Openbill Anastomus 
lamelligerus at a pan in the extreme 
south-west in November, was well 
out of range (ME); there was a large 
influx of this species in South Africa 
at the same time. Another was at 
Thagale Dam, north ofMochudi 
in the south-east on 23 January; 
this is only the third record for this 
region of Botswana (CB). Two Black 
Storks Ciconia nigra were seen at 
the Crocodile Pools in Mokolodi 
Nature Reserve on 6 December 
(DMc, MG, CV et al.). Large flocks 
of c.300 Woolly-necked Storks 
C. episcopus were noted in Moremi 
Game Reserve in early January 
(MM, AF). A single White Stork 
C. ciconia, probably from the South 
African breeding population, spent 
the winter at Malema Pan in Khama 
Rhino Sanctuary (IW); two were 
at Mokubilo Pan on 30 July (57) 
and one was at Lake Ngami on 17 
August (CB). Unusual in south-east 
Botswana, a Saddle-billed Stork 
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis was 
at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, near 
Gaborone, in late October-early 
November (GB, SB). Few Greater 
Flamingos Phoenicopterus (ruber) 
roseus were seen in July, other than 
four at Phakalane sewage ponds, 
near Gaborone, on 5 th (JD), three 
at Ramotswa sewage ponds and one 
at Thagale Dam on 12th, and 52 at 
Bokaa Dam on 26th (CB), a single at 
Rysana Pan on 31st (57), with 300 
at Nata Delta on 10 August; on 18 
October there were 80 at Bokaa Dam 
(CB). In mid December r.100,000 
Lesser Flamingos Phoenicoenias 
minor were in the country, including 
c.60,000 along the edge of Sua Pan 
and 10,000 at Nata Sanctuary (CB). 

Two Fulvous Whistling 
Ducks Dendrocygna bicolor were at 
Phakalane sewage ponds on 5 July 
(JD), one at Bokaa Dam on 18 
October, and eight at Thagale Dam 
on 23 January (CB). White-backed 
Ducks Thalassornis leuconotus were 
seen at Mogobane Dam on 22 July 
(one: CB), at Lake Ngami on 29 
July (174: RR, PFf) and at Mokolodi 
Crocodile Pools on 6 December 
(two: DMc, MG et al ). At Thagale 
Dam, 260 Southern Pochards 
Netta erythrophthalma (with 670 at 


nearby Bokaa Dam) on 23 January 
represents a good count (CB). July 
counts of Maccoa Ducks Oxyura 
maccoa included two at Phakalane 
sewage ponds on 5th (JD), five at 
Jwaneng sewage ponds and 77 at 
Moshupa Dam on 20th (MG, DG, 
HH) and three at Lobatse sewage 
ponds on 26th (57); one was at 
Mokolodi Crocodile Pools on 6 
December (MG et al.) and 32 were at 
Sekagwana Dam, near Modipe Hill, 
in late December-early January (IW). 

An Osprey Pandion haliaetus 
was at Lake Ngami in late December 
(CB). Three Hooded Vultures 
Necrosyrtes monachus were at a Giraffe 
Giraffa Camelopardalis carcass and 
four at a pan in Moremi game reserve 
on 9 August (57), with six between 
Xakanaxa and Paradise pools on 
15 September (PN). Lappet-faced 
Vulture Torgos tracheliotus records 
include three south of Ghanzi on 
28 May (DB, BB), a pair nesting in 
the Central Kakahari Game Reserve 
in May (GH), one near Gaborone 
on 12 July (CB), one with White- 
backed Vultures Gyps africanus near 
Mopipi and two near Rakops on 
31 July, one near Samedupi on 1 
August (57), two in Khutse Game 
Reserve in September and one at 
Nxai pan on 9 September (PN). 

Single White-headed Vultures 
Trigonoceps occipitalis were seen at the 
Khwai River on 9 August (57) and in 
Khutse Game Reserve in September 
(CB). A European Honey Buzzard 
Pernis apivorus was photographed 
along the Old Matsiloje road south- 
east of Francistown on 22 November 
(MS). A juvenile Western Marsh 
Harrier Circus aeruginosus was seen 
at Gaborone Game Reserve on 21—22 
December (IW) and a Pallid Harrier 
C. macrourus in Khutse Game 
Reserve on 28 November (CV). A 
pair of Black Sparrowhawks Accipter 
melanoleucus was between Crocodile 
Pools, Ngotwane, and Ramotsa on 7 
July (CB) and one was also regularly 
seen near Maun in late December- 
early January (MM). Lesser Kestrels 
Falco naumanni were seen in Khutse 
Game Reserve on 28 November ( CV) 
and a Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo 
north of Sua in early December (CB). 


116 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 


African Crakes Crex egregia were 
frequent along the northern edge 
of Lake Ngami in late December 
(CB). An estimated 2,000-3,000 
Black-winged Stilts Himantopus 
himantopus were at the same lake in 
August {MM, AF , CB, ST). In early 
December, c. 100 Black-winged 
Pratincoles Glareola nordmanni 
were 20 km east of Sua Spit within 
Nata Sanctuary, Makgadikgadi Pans 
{CB)-, a group of 4-8 was seen at 
Segakwana Dam, in the south-east, 
on 24 and 26 December {IW), 180 
at Bokaa Dam on 10 January, and 
one at Thagale Dam on 23 January 
{CB). A Caspian Plover Charadrius 
asiaticus at Lake Ngami on 17 August 
was early. Thirty-six Common 
Ringed Plovers C. hiaticula were at 
Bokaa Dam on 18 October. At Nata 
Delta, a single Chestnut-banded 
Plover C. pallidus and four Bar- 
tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica 
were seen on 10 August {CB). Green 
Sandpipers Tringa ochropus were 
present along the Kwando River in 
the Caprivi on 27 October (one), at 
Mowana on 1 November (two), and 
at the sewage works west of Gang in 
early November (one) (per 777). A 
Ruddy T urnstone Arenaria interpres 
was at Bokaa Dam on 19 September, 
with two there on 18 October {CB). 
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia records 
include two at Lake Ngami in late 
December {CB), one at Phakalane 
sewage ponds in early January 
(per IW) and two at Bokaa Dam 
on 10 January {CB). Due to high 
water levels, there were few records 
ol African Skimmers Rynchops 
flavirostris, but on the Okavango 
River, where levels were dropping 
by mid July, two were observed 
between Mohembo and Shakawe 
Lodge on 18 July and ten between 
Phillipo Channel junction, one at 
the Nxamaseri turn-off and three on 
the Phillipo Channel on 19 July {PH 
et al.)] at least one was at Mowana 
Lodge, Kasane and on the Chobe 
River within the park on 26-27 
August {HH). 

An African Cuckoo Cuculus 
gularis was calling at Ngotwane, 
south of Gaborone, on 28 
September — a very early date. Also 
there, a Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx 


klaas was calling on 29 September. 

Of note was a pair of Grey-headed 
Kingfishers Halcyon leucocephala at 
Kumakwane, in the Gabane Hills, on 
1 November {CB, MG et all)-, this is 
a summer visitor mainly to northern 
Botswana. A Black Cuckooshrike 
Campephaga flava south of Gaborone 
on 25 September is an early record. A 
single Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 
on a lawn at Chobe Safari Lodge, 
Kasane, on 12 November {RR) was 
only the fourth record for Botswana. 
Along the Thamalakane River in 
Maun, 5-6 Thrush Nightingales 
Luscinia luscinia were heard in early 
January {MM, RR). 

Cameroon 

Records from Domaine de 
Petpenoun, near Foumban, West 
Province, in October 2009, include 
eight White-faced Whistling Ducks 
Dendrocygna viduata , on lower 
Petpenoun Lake (larger numbers 
occur on nearby Bamenjin reservoir) 
and a pair of Fox Kestrels Falco 
alopex in the crater of the extinct 
volcano Mbapit. There are rather few 
records of these species from the area 
( JvdW) . 

Canary Islands 

Records from May— November 
2009 include the following. On 
Lanzarote, Red-billed Tropicbirds 
Phaethon aethereus were observed 
off Arrecife on 27 May (one), at 
Costa Teguise on 7 July (two), and 
again off Arrecife on 14 November 
(a first-year). A Wood Duckv4/x 
sponsa was at Erjor Ponds, Tenerife, 
on 18 August. A Purple Swamphen 
Porphyrio porphyrio was picked up 
exhausted on Gran Canaria on 2 
October and, after fully recovering, 
was released on 25 October and seen 
again next day. 

Noteworthy waders include a 
juvenile American Golden Plover 
Pluvialis dominica at Las Martela 
ponds, La Palma, on 19 October, 
an adult Least Sandpiper Calidris 
minutilla at Charca de Maspalomas, 
Gran Canaria, on 6-8 August, a 
juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper C. 
melanotos at an irrigation pond near 
El Medano, Tenerife, on 7 October, 
and a juvenile Greater Yellowlegs 


Tringa melanoleuca near Las Palmas, 
Gran Canaria, on 22-24 August. 

A Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes 
cinctura was found with a Trumpeter 
Finch Bucanetes githagineus near 
Roquito del Fraile, Tenerife, on 9 
October. Single Yellow-browed 
Warblers Pbylloscopus inornatus 
were observed on Lanzarote from 23 
October to 19 November at least and 
at Betancuria, Fuerteventura, on 15 
November (per Dutch Birding 5 1 : 
317, 370-383; Birding World 22: 
236, 279, 373,416, 456). 

Egypt 

In April-October 2009 the following 
were reported. A Red-billed 
Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus was 
seen near Surnaka Island, south 
of the Ras Banas peninsula, on 
7 August (per Dutch Birding 31: 

313). Two Goliath Herons Ardea 
goliath were seen again north of 
Bir Shalatin in October (per Dutch 
Birding 31: 370). An African 
Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus 
photographed on Crocodile Island, 
Luxor, on 26 May will be the first 
for Egypt, if accepted (per Dutch 
Birding 31: 253). At El Gouna golf 
course, at least three Black-winged 
Pratincoles Glareola nordmanni 
were seen on 9 April and a Caspian 
Plover Charadrius asiaticus on 9-13 
May (per Sajidgrouse 31: 209-210). 
Up to three Three-banded Plovers 
C. tricollaris were found at Aswan on 
9-10 September. The first Richard’s 
Pipit Anthus richardi reported in 
autumn 2009 was as early as 12 
September (per Dtitch Birding 31: 
317-319). 

Ethiopia 

The following records are from 
November 2009. A first-winter 
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei was 
photographed at Lake Awassa on 1 2 
November; there are very few records 
in Ethiopia (Fig. 3; AB). At Dinsho, 
in the Bale Mountains, an African 
Long-eared Owl Asio abyssinicus was 
also photographed (Fig. 4; SR)-, this 
generally uncommon species is locally 
common in Ethiopia. More than ten 
Egyptian Nightjars Caprimulgus 
aegyptius were claimed from the Bilen 
area on 25 November; Ash & Atkins 


Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Voi 17 No 1 (2010) -117 



Figure 3. First-winter Slender-billed Gull / Goeland railleur Larus genei, Lake 
Awassa, Ethiopia, 12 November 2009 (Artur Bujanowicz) 

Figure 4. African Long-eared Owl / Hibou d’Abyssinie Asio abyssinicus, Dinsho, 
Ethiopia, November 2009 (Steve Rooke / www.sunbirdtours.co.uk) 

Figure 5. Grey-headed Silverbill / Capucin a tete grise Lonchura griseicapilla, 
Yabello, Ethiopia, 15 November 2009 (Kris Blachowiak) 

Figure 6. Wilson’s Phalarope / Phalarope de Wilson Phalaropus tricolor, Cape 
Lopez, Gabon, 10 October 2009 (Guillaume Passavy) 

Figure 7. Red Phalarope / Phalarope a bee large Phalaropus fulicarius, near 
Georgetown, Central River Division, The Gambia, 12 November 2009 (John 
Cooper) 

Figure 8. Eurasian Bittern / Butor etoile Botaurus stellaris , near the White Volta, 
Ghana, 4 December 2009 (Daphne Gemmill) 


(2009. Birds of Ethiopia & Eritrea) 
mention only a single record. A male 
Menetries’s Warbler Sylvia mystacea 
observed at Lalibela on 29 November 
represents a new site for this rarely 
observed Sylvia. A Grey-headed 
Silverbill Lonchura griseicapilla 
was photographed at Yabello on 15 
November; there are few records of 
this uncommon species (Fig. 5 \AB). 

Gabon 

A Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus 
tricolor was photographed at Cape 
Lopez on 10 October 2009 (Fig. 6; 
GP ). 

The following records from the 
south-west, all outside the range 
indicated on the distribution maps in 
Borrow & Demey (2004. Field Guide 
to the Birds of Western Africa), are 
from late December 2009-January 
2010. An adult Allen’s Gallinule 


Porphyrio alleni was observed near 
Moupia, south of Franceville, on 11 
January and a juvenile at Gare de 
Moanda on 1 4th. A Black-collared 
Lovebird Agapornis swindernianus, 
perhaps losely associated with 
numerous Red-headed Lovebirds A. 
pullarius, was seen in Moanda town 


on 6 January. About 250 African 
River Martins Pseudochelidon 
eurystomina were perched on wires in 
Bakoumba, south-west of Moanda, 
on 3 January, whilst singles, in the 
company of other hirundines, were 
seen at Moyabi, near Moanda, on 
7th, at Mounana on 8th, and at 


11 8 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 



Lekoni bridge, on the Franceville- 
Okondja Road at Onvouri-Oulinga, 
on 10th. Several Mountain Wagtails 
Motacilla clara were on a stream just 
west of Kessala along the Franceville— 
Kessala road on 9 January. A pair of 
Violet-tailed Sunbirds Anthreptes 
aurantium was observed at Eaux 
Claires near Lekoni on 29 December 
and several Reichenbach’s Sunbirds 
Anabathmis reichenbachii in swamps 
at the outskirts of Moanda on 3 
January and at Franceville on 9th. 
Several Yellow-billed Oxpeckers 
Buphagus africanus were seen on 
African Buffaloes Syncerus caffer 
near Moupia, south of Franceville, 
on 11 January. On 31 December, 
a small flock of Zebra Waxbills 
Sporaeginthus subflavus was recorded 
outside Lekoni town (KD). 

The Gambia 

A belated report, from November 
2008, concerns a pair of Common 
Moorhens Gallinula chloropus 
breeding and producing six young at 
Kartong, Western Division (WD); 
this is the first definite breeding 
record for the country. Also there, 
single Great Reed Warblers 
Acrocephalus arundinaceus were mist- 
netted on 25 and 28 April 2009; 
there are few previous records (JH). 

In July 2009-January 2010 the 
following were reported. A Dwarf 
Bittern Ixobrychus sturmii stayed at 
Kotu, WD, in December-January; 
this species is rarely seen on the coast 
(per KR). Twenty Black Storks 
Ciconia nigra were observed near 
River Gambia National Park, Central 
River Division (CRD), on 24 January 
( MSe ); although still rare, this species 
is being increasingly recorded. A Bat 
Hawk Macbeirbampbus alcinus was at 
Lamin Kotu, WD, on 5 November. 


Thirty adult Rtippell’s Vultures Gyps 
rueppellii bathing near N’jau, CRD, 
on 6 November is a remarkably 
large number at the end of the 
rains (per CBa). An Ayres’s Hawk 
Eagle Hieraaetus ayresii was seen at 
Tanku Bolong, Bao Bolon Wetland 
Reserve, North Bank Division, on 5 
January (WT); there are an increasing 
number of reports of this species, 
which was formerly considered rare, 
from a variety of wooded habitats in 
The Gambia. A Little Buttonquail 
Turnix sylvaticus was observed at 
Farasuto, WD, on 7 December; 
this species is rarely seen {CBa). 

On 17 November, two Senegal 
Lapwings Vanellus lugubris were at a 
small pool near Lamin Lodge, WD 
(PS). A Red Phalarope Phalaropus 
fulicarius was feeding in rice fields at 
Jahally Swamp, near Georgetown, 
CRD, on 12 November (Fig. 7; 

JQ. At Wassu, CRD, a Red-necked 
Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis 
corpse was found on the road on 
5 November (CBa). A Black-and- 
white Mannikin Loncbura bicolor 
was reliably reported by a ranger at 
Brufut, WD, on 12 July (AJ)\ this 
would be the first record for The 
Gambia, if accepted. 

Ghana 

The following records are from late 
November-early December 2009. A 
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris 
was photographed at a flooded pan 
near the White Volta on 4 December 
(Fig. 8). At Sakumo Lagoon, an 
American Golden Plover Pluvialis 
dominica was observed on 2 1 
November. A male Blue Rock 
Thrush Monticola solitarius was 
found in the Tongon Hills on 6 
December and a Western Bonelli’s 
Warbler Pbyllosco pus bonelli was near 


Tono Dam on 5th; subsequently four 
were seen there. Nimba Flycatcher 
Melaenornis annamarulae was seen 
again in Atewa Forest (where it was 
discovered in 2006: see Bull. ABC 15: 
95-96) on 8 December. Two White- 
billed Buffalo Weavers Bubalomis 
albirostris were east of Bolgatanga 
on 5 December, whilst two Ortolan 
Buntings Emberiza bortulana were in 
the Tongon Hills on 6th (DIP). 

Guinea 

In November-December 2009, 
a search for Sierra Leone Prinia 

Schistolais leontica was conducted at 
1 1 sites in the Fouta Djalon, from 
‘La Dame du Mali’ in the north to 
Dalaba in the south. The species was 
encountered only at Dalaba, where 
five pairs were located in a small 
and threatened forest behind the old 
colonial governor’s residence in the 
centre of town (10°40’N 12°16’W), 
at 1,196-1,314 m, on 1 1-12 
December (MBC & KS). There is 
only one previous record of Sierra 
Leone Prinia in the Fouta Djalon, 
involving a single pair near Dalaba at 
1,160 m in October 1999 (see Bull. 
ABC 13: 45-48). 

Kenya 

The following reports are from 
July-December 2009, with 
additional records from April-June 
2009 not mentioned in previous 
Recent Reports. Several White-tailed 
Tropicbirds Phaethon lepturus were 
seen off Kiwaiyu, north of Lamu, 
in early November; this species is 
probably more common than reports 
suggest, due to the lack of observers 
at sea. A Eurasian Honey Buzzard 
Pernis apivorus was at Lake Baringo 
Club on 18 April — this species is 
uncommon in the Rift Valley; two 


Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -119 


were observed in Kakamega Forest 
on 22-23 September and a third 
near Kisumu on 25 September — it is 
normally only occasional in western 
Kenya. An Ovampo Sparrowhawk 
Accipiter ovampensis, a scarce species 
in Kenya, was seen at Kichwa 
Tembo, Masai Mara, on 25 April. An 
adult female Eurasian Sparrowhawk 
A. nisus was photographed in Tsavo 
West National Park (=NP) on 17 
November (Fig. 9); this probably 
overlooked species is only recorded 
every few years. In 2009, there were 
several records of Lizard Buzzard 
Kaupifalco monogrammicus in 
Nairobi, where it is normally rare. 

Displaying Red-winged 
Francolins Francolinus levaillantii 
were observed on the Keekorok 
road, Masai Mara, on 26 April; 
this is the first record in Kenya for 
over 20 years. Two juvenile Allen’s 
Gallinules Porphyrio alleni on a pond 
at Nguu Tatu, Mombasa, on 15 
August, are suggestive of breeding. A 
Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla was 
at Sukari Dam, Brookside Dairies, 
Thika, on 23 September; this species 
is very rarely recorded in Kenya. A 
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus 
ostralegns on the beach at Watamu, 
on 5-6 November, is the first record 
there for many years. A Eurasian 
Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus 
was photographed near Lukenya, 
Machakos, on 15 November (Fig. 

10); this is the first record in Kenya 
for many years. Four Madagascar 
Pratincoles Glareola ocularis at 
Sabaki on 4 April is an early date. 

A flock of c.50 Caspian Plovers 
Charadrius asiaticus at Aruba, Tsavo 
East NP, on 16 September, is an 
unusually high number for eastern 
Kenya. A Temminck’s Stint Calidris 
temminckii at Lake Jilore, Malindi, 
on 5 April, is noteworthy as there are 
relatively few coastal records. 

Seven Namaqua Doves Oena 
capensis in Nairobi NP on 20 June 
suggest a local influx to an area 
where the species is rare. Also in 
Nairobi NP, a Thick-billed Cuckoo 
Pachycoccyx audeberti was seen on 
3 May (second inland record) and 
an immature Eurasian Cuckoo 
Cuculus canorus on 21 September 
(an early date). An adult Eurasian 


Scops Owl Otus scops was ringed 
at Lions Bluff, Lumo Conservancy, 
Taita, on 21 November. Another late 
record is a Forbes-Watson’s Swift 
A pits berliozi at Arabuko-Sokoke on 

4 April. On 4 August, a Bar-tailed 
Trogon Apaloderma vittatum was 
photographed in Masai Mara, where 
the species is rarely recorded. 

Friedmann’s Larks Mirafra pulpa 
were reported in Shaba National 
Reserve on 15 April (three) and in 
Tsavo West NP on 20 November 
(at least three singing). If accepted, 
two Greater Short-toed Larks 
Calandrella brachydactyla behind 
Turtle Bay Beach Club, Watamu, on 

5 November, will be the third record 
for Kenya. A Red-rumped Swallow 
Cecropis daurica of the Palearctic race 
rufula was ringed at Ngulia, Tsavo 
West NP, on 19 December; this will 
be the first record of this race for East 
Africa, if accepted. A Yellow Wagtail 
Motacilla flava of the white-headed 
race leucocephala was seen on Solio 
Ranch on 16 April — this race is very 
uncommon in Kenya; an adult flava- 
type in Nairobi NP on 13 September 
was very early. Three Sharpe’s 
Longclaws Macronyx sharpei were 
observed in grasslands 1 1 km west of 
Molo near the Mau Forest, on the 
western escarpment, on 16 August; 
this endemic is mostly reported 
from the highlands east of the Rift. 

A Common Redstart Phoenicurus 
phoenicurus ringed at Ngulia, Tsavo 
West NP, on 20 December, is only 
the 12th to be ringed there since 
1969, during which time almost half 
a million birds have been ringed at 
this well-known site. An adult female 
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra stayed 
in Nairobi NP from 20 June to 28 
August; it is unusual for this species 
to over-summer. 

An Acrocephalus ringed at Ngulia, 
Tsavo West NP, on 17 December 
had all the features of Blyth’s Reed 
Warbler A. dumetorunr, blood 
samples are being analysed and if 
the results and the description are 
accepted, this will be the first record 
for Africa. Further noteworthy 
records from Nairobi NP include 
a Grey Penduline Tit Anthoscopus 
caroli on 13 November (possibly 
the first since 1971), a Red-billed 


Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis niger on 
20 I une, a Blue-capped Cordon- 

bleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus on 
13 September (first record) and a 
Somali Bunting Emberiza poliopleura 
on 14 August (second record). 

Two or three pairs of Blue-capped 
Cordon-bleus were found atop the 
Limuru-Mai Mahiu escarpment, 
at 2,200 m; perhaps the birds were 
driven there by the drought, as it is 
very unusual for this species to occur 
at this altitude (per CJ). 

Liberia 

In Sapo National Park, White- 
breasted Guineafowl Agelastes 
meleagrides appeared in a remarkably 
high proportion of photographs 
taken by camera-traps in 2009; this 
Upper Guinea forest endemic is 
considered rare at the site ( BQ . 

Madeira 

Records from late April-November 
2009 include the following. During 
an expedition on 20-29 April, 13 
Zino’s Petrels Pterodroma madeira 
were observed at sea off Madeira, of 
which four were photographed; full 
details concerning their identification 
will be published in due course. 

Daily maximum counts of seabirds 
off Porto Moniz during the first week 
of September included 3,482 Cory’s 
Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea 
borealis on 1 September, 5,072 Great 
Shearwaters Puffin us gravis on 2nd 
and 862 Manx Shearwaters P. 
puffinus on 6th. A Wilson’s Storm 
Petrel Oceanites oceanicus was seen 
off Deserta Grande on 27 August. 

A Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon 
aethereus was observed south of 
Funchal on 3 and 7 August. The 
first Brown Booby Sula leucogaster 
for Madeira involved an immature 
photographed between Funchal and 
Bugio on 1 September. 

Single Squacco Herons Ardeola 
ralloides were at Porto da Cruz on 
7 July and Machico on 18 July, 
whilst juvenile Purple Herons Ardea 
purpurea were noted at Ribeiro 
Salgado on 6 October and on Porto 
Santo on 7 October. Three Eurasian 
Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia were 
seen at Tanque on 4 October. A 
female-type Wood Duck Aix sponsa 


1 20 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 


remained at Ribeira de Janela from 
27 October until late November 
at least, whilst three American 
Wigeons Anas americana stayed 
at Lugar de Baixo throughout 
November. The long-staying first 
Green-winged Teal A. ( crecca ) 
carolinensis for the island was still at 
Ribeira da Janela in November, and 
the second at Lugar de Baxio was 
still there in July. A Ring-necked 
Duck Aythya collaris was observed at 
Tanque on 4 October. 

On 20 July, a Long-legged 
Buzzard Buteo rufinus was at Ponta 
do Pargo. A pale-morph Eleonora’s 
Falcon Falco eleonorae photographed 
at Ribeira de Janela on 14 and 16 
August was the fourth for Madeira. 

A Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus 
was at Ponta do Pargo on 10-13 
October. The third Barbary Falcon 
F. peregrinoides for the island was 
photographed on Porto Santo on 
31 August; probably the same bird 
was seen there again on 5 October. 

A Hudsonian Whimbrel Numenius 
phaeopus hudsonicus that remained 
at Porto Moniz from 7 July to 28 
August at least is reportedly the 
second for Madeira. Three adult 
Long-tailed Skuas Stercorarius 
longicaudus flew past Porto Moniz on 
24 August and three Alpine Swifts 
Tachymarptis melba were observed 
at Machico on 7 July (per Birding 
World 22: 204-218, 279, 329, 

416, 435; Dutch Birding 31: 253, 
311-317, 370). 

Mauritania 

In 2009, a juvenile Saker Falcon 
Falco cherrug , satellite-tracked from 
Hungary to Spain and Portugal, 
migrated south along Morocco’s 
coast (see below) and arrived at Banc 
d’Arguin in October (see www. 
sakerlife.mme.hu/en/gmap; per 
Dutch Birding 31: 373); there are few 
records of the species in the country. 

Morocco 

Records from the period April — 
November 2009 are as follows. A 
Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis 
found at Essaouira on 18 April 
was still present on 13 November. 

In 2009, White-headed Ducks 
Oxyura leucocephala succesfully raised 


young at Sidi Bou-Rhaba, Kenitra, 
where at least seven were counted 
on 4 October; this accidental visitor 
was a resident until at least the 
early part of the 20th century, but 
occasional breeding was considered 
likely following the recent increase 
in numbers in Spain. A satellite- 
tracked Saker Falcon Falco cherrug , 
a juvenile from Hungary, flew via 
Spain and Portugal to Morocco; 
Thevenot et al. (2003. The Birds of 
Morocco) mention just two certain 
previous records, one collected in 
the late 19th century and another 
captured in May 1963. Two 
adult Grey-hooded Gulls Larus 
cirrocephalus were photographed 
at Oued Souss, Agadir, on 19-21 
May. In July, Cricket Warblers 
Spiloptila clamans continued to be 
seen between Dakhla and Awserd. A 
Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula 
parva was reported from Goulimime 
on 1 1 November (per Dutch Birding 
31 : 317, 370-383; Birding World 
22: 279). 

Mozambique 

In little-known Quirimbas National 
Park, Capo Delgado province, 
northern Mozambique, some unusual 
records were made in 2008-09 which 
were either ‘firsts’ for Mozambique 
or for the park. A Western Banded 
Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens 
was claimed from Taratibo on 24 
October 2008, with two along the 
main road near the park headquarters 
at Biaque. There were also two 
Southern Banded Snake Eagles 
C. fasciolatus at Mareja and one 
along the road to Guludo. These 
two species are usually considered 
allopatric but apparently occur 
together in the park; the former 
would be new for the Mozambique 
list. On Matemo Island, a Eurasian 
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus 
was seen on 24 October 2008. A 
Northern Carmine Bee-eater Merops 
nubicus was photographed on Situ 
Island in February 2008, five were 
seen at Tandanhangue in March 
2008, and more were photographed 
on 14 January 2009 (Fig. 1 1); these 
are the first records for Mozambique 
and apparently the southernmost 
for the species. A pair of Ulunguru 


Violet-backed Sunbirds Anthreptes 
neglectus was observed at Taratibo 
on 25 October 2008. Gorgeous 
Bushshrikes Malaconotus quadricolor 
(■■ =Telophorus viridis) are quite 
common at Nemau and on Ibo 
Island, although not mapped for this 
area on distribution maps. 

Other noteworthy records from 
the north-east include two European 
Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus at 
Lake Kagevero, one at Bilibiza on 30 
May 2008 and one at Tandanhangue 
on 15 April 2009, a Horus Swift 
Apus horus at Pemba on 9 April 
2009, two Mascarene Martins 
Phedina borbonica at Marerja on 
2 June 2008, and a Northern 
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe south 
of Pemba on 16 October 2009 (very 
few previous records for the country, 
all from the south; cf. Roberts’ Birds 
of Southern Africa 2005: 949-950). 
About 1 00 African Paradise 
Flycatchers Terpsiphone viridis 
congregated at Pemba on 9 April 
2009 (MW). 

More southern records, for 
the period September-December 
2009, include the following. Single 
Eurasian Honey Buzzards were 
reported from the Panda area in early 
November and near Inhamitanga 
in December. A Western Marsh 
Harrier Circus aeruginosas was 
recorded at Gorongosa National 
Park in September. At Inhambane, 
Crab Plovers Dromas ardeola were 
seen again in September and early 
November. The Panda area also 
produced a Common Redshank 
Tringa totanus in early November. 

A ‘Lesser’ Cuckoo Cuculus sp. 
was reported near Chinuzua in 
December; unfortunately, the bird 
was not calling nor did it respond to 
any playback, and the photographs 
will not enable positive identification: 
Asian Lesser Cuckoo C. poliocephalus 
and Madagascar Cuckoo C. rochii are 
indeed extremely difficult to separate 
reliably (per TH). 

Namibia 

Records from July-December 2009 
include the following. A trip aboard 
a bottom trawler off the coast of the 
north of the country (more or less 
at the latitude of Etosha National 


Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -121 



Figure 9. Eurasian Sparrowhawk / Epervier d’Europe Accipiter nisus, Tsavo West 
National Park, Kenya, 17 November 2009 (Toby Collett) 

Figure 10. Eurasian Thick-knee / CEdicneme criard Burhinus oedicnemus , near 
Lukenya, Machakos, Kenya, 15 November 2009 (Phoebe Munyoro) 

Figure 11 . Northern Carmine Bee-eaters / Guepiers ecarlates Merops nubicus , 
Situ Island, Quirimbas National Park, Mozambique, 14 January 2009 (Tess 
Macdonald) 


Park) in July produced three 
Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea 
exulans and at least four Spectacled 
Petrels Procellaria ( aequinoctialis ) 
conspicillata. A Tristan Albatross 
D. ( exulans ) dabbenena was seen 
offshore on 3 August; the bird was 
ringed and appeared to be from the 
colony on Gough Island. Another 
individual was photographed just 
beyond the 200 nautical mile limit in 
August. These waters also produced 
a Sooty Albatross Phoebetria 
fusca and a Blue Petrel Halobaena 
caerulea, the latter probably one of 
the northernmost records of this 
species (per TH). A Madeiran Storm 
Petrel Oceanodroma castro was 
photographed on Halifax Island just 
off Luderitz in mid October (JK & 
JPR per TH). 

In early November, a Grey 
Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus was 
observed c.50 km west of Katima 
Mulilo, in the easternmost Caprivi 
Strip; this species is normally 
restricted to north-western Namibia. 
A Eurasian Oystercatcher 
Haematopus ostralegus stayed in 
Walvis Bay from late September 
to December at least. Up to three 
Common Redshanks Tringa totanus 
were present at Mile 4 Salt Works 
north of Swakopmund throughout 
the period, with one also at Walvis 
Bay from late October. Three Terek 


Sandpipers Xenus cinereus were at 
Walvis Bay on 11-12 July; this is 
generally a scarce species here and 
decidedly rare in winter. Walvis Bay 
also held Red-necked Phalaropes 
Phalaropus lobatus on 11-12 July 
(ten) and again from late September 
to December, with up to 31 on 12 
November and still up to 15 in mid 
December (one still in breeding 
plumage). Also there was a Common 
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 
(initially in full breeding plumage) 
from 23 September until December 
at least. 

In the Caprivi, a Ross’s Turaco 
Musophdga rossae was seen on Ntwala 
Island, near Impalila Island, in 
mid October; if photographs can 
be obtained, this would constitute 
the first substantiated record of the 
species in southern Africa. A Great 
Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius 
was observed east of Luderitz in July; 
not only is this further south than 
its normal range, but the time of 
year is also odd. On 22 November, 
a Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon 
senegalensis was located at Monte 
Christo Guest Farm, c.30 km north 
of Windhoek; this is more than 400 
km south of this species’ regular 
range in the country. 

A Grey Wagtail Motacilla 
cinerea was reported at Popa Falls in 
October (apparently the sixth record 



for Namibia) and on Friedental farm, 
c.80 km south-west of Windhoek, in 
early December (per TH). Shelley’s 
Sunbird Cinnyris shelleyi was seen 
again in the north, at Shamvura 
Lodge, Kavango, on 23 September 
(ID). Of regional interest is a pair 
of Village Indigobirds Vidua 
chalybeata (of the white-billed race 
okavangoensis) at Avis Dam, just 
outside Windhoek, on 20 December; 
the nearest known resident 
population is in the Okavango Delta, 
at least 650 km to the north-east, but 
it is perhaps not that surprising given 
the recent colonisation of Red-billed 
Firefinches Lagonosticta senegala, its 
primary host, in the Windhoek area 
(per TH). 

Niger 

During a field trip by the Sahara 
Conservation Fund Termit project 
44 Great White Pelicans Pelecanus 
onocrotalus were seen on 16 August 
2009 north of Goure, in south-east 
Niger ( CN per JB); there are very 


1 22 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 


few recent records in Niger, all of 
singles or very small groups. In 
autumn 2009, a satellite-tracked 
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus 
flew from Romania to its wintering 
grounds in Angola via Niger (see 
www.kekvercse. mme.hu/ en / gmap) . 
Photographs of a juvenile taken near 
Termit on 20 February 2004, whilst 
one or two other individuals were 
observed nearby, subsequently came 
to light ( TW ); this was very early 
in the year, suggesting that some 
may winter in West rather than 
southern Africa. A Eurasian Hobby 
F. subbuteo from Germany took a 
similar route via Niger to Angola and 
Zambia in autumn 2008 (see www. 
raptor-research.de/); of this species, 
too, there are only a handful of 
observations in Niger (JB ). 

Sao Tome & Principe 

A belated record has been received 
of an adult Squacco Heron Ardeola 
ralloides at an artificial lake next to 
Sao Tome airport from 20 November 
2007 to 31 January 2008 at least (SA, 
MMe)\ the first record for Sao Tome, 
from January 2003, was at the same 
site {Bull. ABC 11: 77). 

Senegal 

The following were recorded during 
field work in the Khossanto- 
Bambaraya-Sabodala area, north of 
Kedougou, in the extreme south- 
east, in July-August and November 
2009. The first Lesser Jacana 
Microparr a capensis for the country 
was discovered at a reservoir on 
29 July; there are very few records 
from neighbouring countries west 
of the Inner Niger Delta in Mali. 

At the same dam, a male Little 
Bittern Ixobrychus minutus on 29 
July and 1-2 males and one female 
on 4 August are the first records 
for the south-east. Also there was 
an immature Black Stork Ciconia 
nigra on 14 November; this species 
is rarely observed inland. A Little 
Buttonquail Turnix sylvaticus was 
flushed from the long grass at the 
reservoir’s edge on 4 August; this 
species is known from relatively few 
records in the country, mainly from 
the north. Also new for the south- 
east were African Crake Crex egregia 


(singles observed at three localities), 
Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni 
(three at the reservoir) and Purple 
Swamphen P. porphyrio (up to four 
at the reservoir), all in July-August. 

A foraging Adamawa Turtle Dove 
Streptopelia hypopyrrha was observed 
at Khossanto on 23 July, whilst 
in the dry season, in November, 
four singing birds were found at 
three other sites; these are new 
localities for this inadequately 
known species, which has been 
recorded in Niokolo-Koba to the 
west and in south-west Mali to the 
east. In the rainy season, at least 
nine singing Dorst’s Cisticolas 
Cisticola guinea were recorded; all 
were silent in November. Small 
numbers of Croaking Cisticolas 
C. natalensis were seen throughout; 
there are remarkably few records in 
Senegambia of this species. A male 
Heuglin’s Masked Weaver Ploceus 
heuglini in breeding plumage was 
with a mixed-species flock on 14 
July; this species was not mapped for 
the south-east. Two Mali Lirefinches 
Lagonosticta virata were found on a 
rocky hillside on 20-22 November 
(RD). 

Seychelles 

Reports received by Seychelles Bird 
Records Committee (SBRC) from 
mid-June to mid-November 2009 
include the first record of Herald 
Petrel Pterodroma aterrima, one 
on Cousin on 10-1 1 June 2009. A 
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 
at Roche Caiman Bird Sanctuary, 
Mahe, on 3 April-26 June was the 
fourth report for Seychelles. Single 
Indian Pond Herons A. grayii on 
Alphonse on 30—31 October, on 
Desroches on 1 1 November and on 
Denis Island on 10 December 2007 
(details received late) were the fifth 
to seventh reports for Seychelles. A 
remarkable number of Common 
Swifts Apus apus were reported 
on Desroches, beginning with one 
on 18 October, rising to ten the 
following day, declining to five on 
20 October, with one remaining 
until 25 October. Of 16 previous 
records, 14 involved solitary birds, 
whilst the remaining two involved 
two individuals, and no sightings 


have been made over such a sustained 
period, the majority being present 
on one day only. There was also a 
Common Swift at Alphonse on 19 
October. 

Also of interest were a Great 
Egret Egretta alba on Paul Island, 

St. Joseph Atoll, on 10 November 
and another at Beau Vallon, Mahe, 
on 15 November (13 previous 
accepted records), a Purple Heron 
Ardea purpurea on Alphonse on 22 
October and one on Desroches on 
24 October (37 previous records), 
an adult Collared Pratincole 
Glareola pratincola on Alphonse on 
5 November (nine previous records), 
an adult Black-winged Pratincole 
G. nordmanni on F regate on 12 
June (seven previous records), a 
Ruff Philomachus pugnax at Roche 
Caiman, Mahe, on 23 September 
(27 previous records), a Common 
Snipe Gallinago gallinago on Aride 
on 12 October and two on Alphonse 
on 20 October-6 November (14 
previous records), a Common Sand 
Martin Riparia riparia on Alphonse 
on 20-26 October (18 previous 
records), a Common House Martin 
Delichon urbicum on Alphonse on 
4-5 October (eight previous records), 
and an adult male White Wagtail 
Motacilla alba on D’Arros on 7 
November (27 previous records) 

(AS). 

South Africa 

Records from July-December 2009 
include the following. During pelagic 
trips south-west of Cape Point, 1-2 
Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea 
exulans, 1-3 Southern Royal 
Albatrosses D. epomophora and 
1-2 Northern Royal Albatrosses 
D. ( epomophora ) sanfordi were 
regularly seen in August-October, 
single Grey-headed Albatrosses 
Thalassarche chrysostoma in July, 
single white-morph Southern Giant 
Petrels Macronectes giganteus in July— 
September, 1-2 Southern Fulmars 
Fulmarus glacialo ides in August- 
October, and single Flesh-footed 
Shearwaters Pujfinus carneipes in 
October. Also observed were an 
adult Salvin’s Albatross Thalassarche 
(i cauta ) salvini c.30 nautical miles 
south-west of Hout Bay on 9 August, 


Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -123 


a Spectacled Petrel Procellaria 
(, aequinoctialis ) conspicillata on 14 
July and another in October, a Little 
Shearwater Puffinis assimilis a few 
miles off Cape Point on 1 August, a 
Red Phalarope Phalaropus fidicarius 
in September, and a pale-morph 
South Polar Skua Cathamcta 
maccormicki on 25 July. 

The most interesting species seen 
within Western Cape waters during a 
36-day fishing trip which returned to 
Cape Town on 8 September included 
Wandering, Northern Royal 
and Southern Royal Albatrosses 
(almost daily), 20 Grey-headed 
Albatrosses, c. 1 0 Sooty Albatrosses 
Phoebetria fiisca, four Light-mantled 
Albatrosses P. palpebrata, 20 Blue 
Petrels Halobaena caerulea, c. 50 
Grey Petrels Procellaria cinerea , a 
few Little Shearwaters (races tunneyi 
and elegans), a few probable Salvin’s 
Prions Pachyptila salvini, several 
Slender-billed Prions P. belcheri 
and, best of all, at least one Fairy 
Prion P. turtur. A two-week trip 
in September 60-90 nautical miles 
south-west of Cape Point produced 
at least 35 Wandering Albatrosses, 
12 Northern and six Southern 
Royal Albatrosses, a Grey-headed 
Albatross, two Grey Petrels, a Blue 
Petrel and a White-headed Petrel 
Pterodroma lessonii. 

A juvenile Northern Rockhopper 
Penguin Eudyptes chrysocome moseleyi 
came ashore at Struisbaai in early 
August; the bird was weak and 
wounded, and was taken into care. 
Two tropicbirds seen briefly at St. 
Francis Bay, Eastern Cape, on 25 
December, were suspected to be 
Red-tailed Tropicbirds Phaethon 
rubricauda. An Australian Gannet 
Morus senator was on Malgas 
Island, Western Cape, on 24 August 
and from mid November until 
mid December at least. A Cape 
Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis 
influx into coastal KwaZulu-Natal 
continued with an unprecedented 
count of 14 birds in Durban Bay 
on 6 August. In Eastern Cape, a 
Crowned Cormorant P. coronatus 
was on Bird Island in Algoa Bay in 
early August; this is at least 350 km 
further east than usual. An immature 
Greater Frigatebird Fregata minor 


soared over the Illovo River near 
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on 21 
December and, probably the same 
bird, over the Umgeni River mouth 
the next day. 

In Northern Cape, four Black 
Herons Egretta ardesiaca were 
reported at Twee Rivieren in 
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 
in July. An influx of African 
Openbills Anastomus lamelligerus 
occurred throughout the country in 
November-December; most records 
involved singles, but a group ol over 
20 was seen in Potchefstroom, North 
West. Sightings within the species’ 
normal range suggest a marked 
increase, with reports of a flock of 
200-300 at St. Lucia and over 1,000 
near Skukuza, Kruger National Park 
(=NP). Records of regional interest 
include a Black Stork Ciconia 
nigra at Grootvadersbosch Farm, 
Western Cape, in late August and 
single Marabou Storks Leptoptilos 
crumeniferus in Durban, KwaZulu- 
Natal, on 12 August, and near 
Kimberley, Northern Cape, on 12 
December. A pair of African Pygmy 
Geese Nettapus auritus was east of 
Letaba, Kruger NP, on 1 1 October. 
In Mpumalanga, a male Tufted 
Duck Aythya fuligula was found at 
Dullstroom Nature Reserve on 1 1 
November. 

Eurasian Honey Buzzards Pernis 
apivorus were reported from Phinda 
Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, 
on 8 November; Irene, Gauteng, 
in mid November; Swadini Resort, 
Limpopo, on 29 November; 
Newlands, Western Cape, on 2 
December; Witwatersberg Mountain 
Range; Gauteng, on 1 0 December; 
Mokala NP, Northern Cape, on 
13 December; and Mkhuze Game 
Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, on 
16 December. Single Palm-nut 
Vultures Gypohierax angolensis 
were seen along the Mphongolo 
Loop, Kruger NP, on 27 August, 
and near Plettenberg Bay, Western 
Cape, on 13 December, where, 
according to a local farmer, the 
bird has been present for at least 
two years. In Western Cape, an 
adult Black-chested Snake Eagle 
Circaetus pectoralis was located south 
of the Vredenberg-Paternoster 


road on 5 July and a Brown Snake 
Eagle C. cinereus at Vergelegen 
on 19 November. An African 
Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus at 
Kimberley, Northern Cape, in July 
is of regional interest. Single Pallid 
Harriers Circus macrourus were seen 
west of Kimberley in early October, 
and west of Alexandria, Eastern 
Cape, on 1 1 December. Western 
Marsh Harriers C. aeruginosas were 
reported from Phinda Game Reserve, 
KwaZulu-Natal, in early October, 
and Marievale Bird Sanctuary, 
Gauteng, on 22 November and 19 
December, with a further two records 
from Vogelfontein on the same day 
and the Kgomo-Kgomo floodplain 
on 20 December. A female Amur 
Falcon Falco amurensis was near 
Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, on 
13 December. 

An unseasonal Lesser Moorhen 

Gallinula angulata was near Ellisras, 
Limpopo, in late July; one at Stanger, 
KwaZulu-Natal, on 30 August is a 
rather early record. A female African 
Finfoot Podica senegalensis was at 
Northern Farm, Gauteng, on 6 July; 
a sighting of this species at what is 
effectively a sewage works is rather 
unusual. In Western Cape, a Kori 
Bustard Ardeotis kori was reported 
at Cape Agulhas from 9 September, 
whilst a pair was found in Bontebok 
NP in November. In KwaZulu- 
Natal, a Red-crested Bustard 
Lophotis ruficrista was in Nambiti 
Game Reserve, near Ladysmith, in 
November. 

A Crab Plover Dromas ardeola 
was at Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, 
from 2 October until 1 1 October 
at least. A Eurasian Oystercatcher 
Haematopus ostralegus occurred 
in the Sundays River mouth area, 
Eastern Cape, in November. Of 
regional interest are African Black 
Oystercatcher H. moquini records 
from KwaZulu-Natal, in Durban 
on 8-9 August (one), Mpenjati 
estuary on 22 August (one) and 
Isipingo on 23 August (two). In 
the same province, a Pied Avocet 
Recurvirostra avosetta was at the 
Umzumbe River estuary on 17-19 
October. In Kruger NP, a pair of 
Three-handed Coursers Rhinoptilus 
cinctus was found breeding near 


124 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 


Pafuri in August; there are few 
breeding records in South Africa. A 
Three-handed Courser was present 
near Ngala Lodge, Limpopo, 
in mid December. A Collared 
Pratincole Glareola pratincola at 
Mkhombo Dam, Mpumalanga, on 
13 December, was several hundred 
kilometres west of the species’ normal 
distribution. 

In West Coast NP, Western 
Cape, up to five Lesser Sand Plovers 
Chamdrius mongolus were present 
in August; at least one stayed until 
late November. Also there in August 
were three Greater Sand Plovers 
C. leschenaultii, with another three 
at Swartvlei, on the Garden Route, 
Western Cape, on 27 October. 
Caspian Plovers C. asiaticus were 
located in the Viljoenskroon area, 
Free State, on 13 September (one) 
and east of Nigel, Gauteng, on 
14—29 November (up to nine). 

In Western Cape, a Common 
Redshank Tringa totanus found 
at Velddrif on 12 August was still 
present on 24 September. Single 
Green Sandpipers T. ochropus 
were recorded in Kruger NP in 
late September-mid October, 
on 7 and 19 November, and 9 
December; others were seen in 
Ndumo Game Reserve, KwaZulu- 
Natal, on 21 November, and at 
Ngala, Limpopo, on 18 December. 

A Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus 
was at Rondevlei, near Wildernis, 
Western Cape, on 18 October. In the 
same province, a Ruddy Turnstone 
Arenaria interpres at Beaufort West 
sewage works on 1 1 October was a 
rather interesting find. A Red-necked 
Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus was at 
Soutvlei, Eastern Cape, on 13-19 
November, and a Red Phalarope 
at Haarlem, in the Langkloof area, 
Western Cape, on 13 November. 

An adult Common Black- 
headed Gull Larus ridibundus in 
full breeding plumage was observed 
in West Coast NP, Western Cape, 
on 12 November and, probably the 
same bird, at Velddrif on 27-29 
November. A Lesser Black-backed 
Gull L. fuscus was reported from a 
small wetland north-east of Kriel, 
Mpumalanga, on 31 July, whilst 
another, which was relocated at 


Orient Beach in East London, 

Eastern Cape, on 20 August after a 
nearly two-month absence, remained 
until early September at least. A 
group of 15-20 Roseate Terns 
Sterna dougallii was reported in a 
tern roost near Gansbaai, Western 
Cape, on 8-9 August. In the Eastern 
Cape, at least one Antarctic Tern 
S. vittata was still present in a tern 
roost near Gonubie Point, East 
London, on 14 August. The Bridled 
Tern S. anaethetus at Cape Recife in 
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, was 
relocated on 7 July and still present 
a week later. A Sooty Tern S. fuscata 
first reported from Bird Island, Algoa 
Bay, Eastern Cape, in early June 
was still present on 4 August; on 3 
November one was on Dyer Island 
near Gansbaai, Western Cape. 

A Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo 
Cercococcyx montanus was reported 
from Ndumo Game Reserve, 
KwaZulu-Natal, on 21 November. 

In Northern Cape, up to four Little 
Bee-eaters Merops pusillus were in 
Rooipoort Nature Reserve, near 
Kimberley, in July. In Mpumalanga, 
an out-of-range Swallow-tailed 
Bee-eater M. hirundineus was 
discovered in the Beerlaagte area, 
north of Villiers, on 12 September; 
another was in Western Cape, 
where the species is rarely recorded, 
near Wildernis on 29 September. 

Two White-fronted Bee-eaters M. 
bullockoides in Augrabies Falls NP, 
Northern Cape, on 30 June, were 
probably the same two found there 
on 22 March; another out-of-range 
pair was reported near Aliwal North, 
Eastern Cape, in August. Crested 
Barbets Trachyphonus vaillantii were 
still in Augrabies in late October — a 
considerable westward range 
extension. 

An African Pitta Pitta angolensis 
in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on 13 
October, is a remarkable record. In 
North West, a Mountain Wagtail 
Motacilla clara was in Tonqani 
Gorge, east of Rustenburg, on 
26 October. Southern Africa’s 
tenth Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus 
tenellus was at Futululu Park, near 
St. Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, on 12 
August, and the 1 1th was at Mkuze 
Game Reserve, also in KwaZulu- 


Natal, on 3-4 October. In early 
August, a Long-tailed Pipit Anthus 
longicaudatus was observed west 
of Christiana, North West, with 
another at Garingboom, Free State. 
On 23 October, a male Blackcap 
Sylvia atricapilla was claimed from 
the Pafuri picnic site, Kruger NP. 

A Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus 
schoenobaenus and a moulting male 
Long-tailed Paradise Wliydah 
Vidua paradisaea at Nossob, 
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, 
Northern Cape, in mid December, 
were well out of range. A Spotted 
Flycatcher Muscicapa striata in 
West Coast NP, Western Cape, on 
16 December, is probably the same 
individual that has returned to this 
site for several successive seasons. 

The immature Bush Blackcap 
Lioptilus nigricapillus first found in 
a Heidelberg garden, south-east of 
Johannesburg, Gauteng, in June was 
still present in mid July. A Malachite 
Sunbird Nectarinia famosa at 
Kimberley, Northern Cape, in July, 
is of regional interest. 

In Western Cape, a juvenile Red- 
backed Shrike Lanius collurio was 
in West Coast NP on 22 November 
and an adult near Beaufort West 
on 20 December. A yellow-morph 
Crimson-breasted Shrike Laniarius 
atrococcineus has been regularly 
seen at Klipfontein Lodge, c.45 
km from Klerksdorp, North West; 
this unusual form is normally quite 
difficult to find. A Fork-tailed 
Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis in Darling 
in October probably represents the 
first record on the west coast north 
of Cape Town. In Mpumalanga, 
an out-of-range a pair of Yellow 
Weavers Ploceus subaureus was found 
near Tonga on 20 August; this is 
the first record in the province since 
the mid-1970s. Red-headed Finch 
Amadina erythrocephala, recorded 
for the first time in Kruger NP 
in 2009, was still present in large 
numbers north of Satara in October. 
In Western Cape, a male Village 
Indigobird Vidua chalybeata was 
coming to a garden in Melkbos 
in late November-December. An 
eruption ol Lark-like Buntings 
Emberiza impetuani occurred on the 
west coast in October-November, 


Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -125 



Figure 12. Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle / Circaete de Beaudouin Circaetus beaudouini, 
Kazinga Channel, Uganda, 26 July 2009 (Bernard Hanus) 

Figure 13. Cape Shoveler / Canard de Smith Anas smith'd, Chisamba IBA, 

Zambia, 15 July 2009 (Manfred Wichmann) 

Figure 14. Spur-winged Lapwing / Vanneau a eperons Vanellus spinosus , Lion 
Camp, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, 17 August 2009 (P. Bentley) 


with maximum numbers of over 
1 ,000 being recorded in West Coast 
NP on 21-22 November; two on 
Robben Island on 5 November was a 
rather southerly record and only the 
second for the site (per TH). 

Uganda 

Records in July-October 
2009 include the following. A 
Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle Circaetus 
beaudouini was photographed at the 
Kazinga Channel on 26 July (Fig. 

12; HD). On 23 October, in the 
south, a juvenile male Pallid Harrier 
Circus macrourus and a Crested 
Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii were 
seen at Mityebili, south of Kyotera, 
and a White Wagtail Motacilla alba 
in the Sango Bay area. Three Red- 
knobbed Coots Fidica cristata were 
observed on Lake Victoria during 
a boat trip to the Sesse Islands, on 
1 1 October, whilst on 31 October, 
Common Teal Anas crecca, Dunlin 
Calidris alpina and Caspian Tern 
Sterna caspia were noted en route 
to the lagoon at Lutembe {RS). The 
report of a pair of Bronze-winged 


Coursers Rhinoptilus chalcopterus in 
Lake Mburo National Park in July 
2008 (see Bull. ABC 16: 111) has 
prompted an earlier record of a pair 
at the same locality on 19 September 
2000 to be submitted (AW). 

A Semi-collared Flycatcher 
Ficedula semitorquata was at 
Makerere University on 15 October 
(RS). Three Yellow Penduline Tits 
Anthoscopus parvulus were seen just 
south of the Nile River in Murchison 
Falls National Park in July 2009 
(KV); there have been other (as 
yet unpublished) reports from the 
area recently (per NB) and also one 
from the north-west of the country 
(GP per NB). At Kajansi, south of 
Kampala, four Brown Twinspots 
Clytospiza monteiri were seen on 
24 September and a pair of White- 


collared Olivebacks Nesocharis 
ansorgei next day (RS). 

Zambia 

In 2009 the following were reported. 
Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis were 
found breeding at Siansowa 
Crocodile Farm, 40 km west of 
Sinazongwe, on 21 November; this 
is the first confirmed breeding record 
for Zambia (55). A roost of c. 1 00 
Slaty Egrets Egretta vinaceigula was 
found in reeds on the Lingongole 
River, Simungoma Important 
Bird Area (=IBA), on 1 1 August 
(LR). A pair of Cape Shovelers 
Anas smithii at Chisamba IBA, on 
12-16 July (Fig. 13; MW, K0) is 
the seventh record for the country. 

A Spur- winged Lapwing Vanellus 
spinosus was at Lion Camp, South 


126 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Recent Reports 


Luangwa National Park, on 17-22 
August (Fig. 14; PB)\ this is the 
most southerly record in Zambia of 
this rapidly spreading species. About 
12 Black Saw-wings Psalidoprocne 
pristoptera of the eastern race 
orientalis at Katombora Rapids, near 
Livingstone, on 28 July constitute 
the most westerly Zambian record 
by c.250 km ( BS ). A Red-rumped 
Swallow Cecropsis daurica of the 
Palearctic race rufula was mist-netted 
near Kabwe on 27 January ( BvdB ); 
this is the southernmost confirmed 
record in Africa of this race. 

Records were collated by Ron Demey 
from contributions supplied by 
Stajfan Andersson ( SA ), Clive Barlow 
(CBa), P. Bentley (PB), Nik Borrow 
(NB), Nicky Bousfield (NBo), Chris 
Brewster ( CB), Brian Bridges (BB), 
Doline Bridges (DB), Bennie van den 
Brink (BvdB), Joost Brouwer (JB), 
Grant Buckmaster ( GB), Siobhan 
Buckmaster (SB), Artur Bujanowicz 


(AB), Ben Collen (BC), Mohamed 
Balia Conde (MBC), John Cooper 
(JC), John Dalziel (JD), Peter 
DArcy (PDA), Ian Davidson (ID), 
Ron Demey (RD), Klaas-Douwe 
Dijkstra (KD), Hugues Dufourny 
(HD), Maria Eifler (ME), Ali Flatt 
(AE), B. Gerenamotse (BG), Daphne 
Goldsworthy (DG), Mike Goldsworthy 
(MG), Kevin Grant (KG), John 
High (JH), Glynis Humphrey (GH), 
Harold Hester (HH), Pete Hancock 
(PH), Trevor Hardaker (TH), David 
Hoddinott / Rockjumper Birding 
Tours (DH), Colin Jackson (CJ), 

Aba Jarju (AJ), Jessica Kemper (JK), 
Doreen McColaugh (DMc), Martim 
Melo (MMe), Johannes Merz (JM), 
Sharon Merz (SM), Mark Muller 
(MM), Christian Noirard ( CN), 

Pat Nurse (PN), Kaj 0stergaard 
(K0), Guillaume Passavy (GP), 

Bruno Portier (BP), Richard Randall 
(RR), Leslie Reynolds (LR), Steve 
Rooke (SR), Jean-Paul Roux (JPR), 
Kev Roy (KR), Paul Seligman (PS), 


Matt Selwinsky (MSe), Roger Skeen 
(l IS), Adrian Skerrett (AS), Mike 
Soroczynski (MS), Kadiatou Soumah 
(KS), Bob Stjernstedt (BS), Wande 
Touray ( WI ), Steph Tyler (ST), Keith 
Valentine / Rockjumper Birding Tours 
(KV), Cheryl Vroom (CV), Jaap van 
der Waarde (JvdW), Tim Wacher 
(TW), Ian Walker (IW), Manfred 
Wichmann (MW), Malcolm Wilson 
(MW), and from Africa — Birds & 
Birding, Birding World, Dutch 
Birding, Sandgrouse, capebirdnet, 
SARa reBi rdA lert, www. zestfo rbi rds. 
co.za and sa-rarebirdnews@ 
googlegroups. com. 

Contributions for Recent Reports can 
be sent to Ron Demey, Tenierslaan 
24, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium and 
(preferably) by e-mail: rondemeyl @ 
gmail.com or recent _reports@ 
africanbirdclub. org 



Recent Reports 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -127 








Reviews 



Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: 

An Atlas of Distribution 

John Ash & John Atkins, 2009. London, 

UK: Christopher Helm. 464 pp, numerous 
photographs (16 pp in colour) and more 
than 872 maps. Hardback. ISBN: 978-1- 
4081-0979-3. UKE45.00. 

For the scholar and discerning 
traveller alike, a good distributional 
atlas to the avifauna of a region 
is an invaluable key to unlocking 
its ornithological gems. The two 
countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, 
covered by this well-produced book 
are most certainly an avian treasure 
house, with a grand total of 872 
species having been recorded from 
within their boundaries. More than 
30 of these are endemic to the 
region and most of these specialities 
are mouth-wateringly depicted in a 
photo gallery section. 

These ancient lands are 
undeniably fascinating, possessing as 
they do a rich and colourful history, 
and superb natural scenery, albeit 
greatly modified by the effects of 
mankind. The lengthy Blue Nile 
commences its journey in Ethiopia 
flowing out from the enormous high 
inland Lake Tana that provides a 
livelihood for fishermen using their 
traditional papyrus boats before it 
tips its waters over the dramatic 
Tissisat Falls. The extensive highland 
plateau dissected by the Great 
Rift Valley covers an area that lies 
predominantly over 2,000 m and 
ultimately peaks at 4,620 m on Ras 
Deshen in the Simien Mountains. 
These lofty lands have acted as a 
natural fortress, both protecting 
and isolating, over the centuries. In 
contrast, at the base of these sheer, 
vertical cliffs stretch the lands that 
lead to the Danakil Desert, a desolate 
but equally mystifying place that 
reaches 110 m below sea level and is 
occupied by the fearsome Afar tribe. 
Although Ethiopia is landlocked, 
there are numerous rocky islands 


along the Eritrean coastline holding 
important seabird colonies. This is 
certainly a land of contrasts! 

John Ash and John Atkins are 
indisputably both highly qualified 
to prepare this book for between 
them they have lived and worked 
in Ethiopia for a total of 1 3 years. 
Over the course of the past four 
decades, they have summarised their 
own records and included a huge 
number of sightings submitted by 
many of the other long- and short- 
term visitors to these countries. 
Impressively, they have also 
assimilated a mass of historical 
records (all well referenced in the 
concise bibliography). 

This largish book (246 x 189 
mm) is somewhat deeper than the 
norm but snuggles up perfectly on 
the bookshelf alongside John Ash 
and John Miskell’s previous atlas and 
authoritative sister volume Birds of 
Somalia. This new book, however, is 
a much more refined and somewhat 
thicker volume containing 463 
pages, the first 80 of which provide 
an excellent insight to Ethiopia and 
Eritrea’s ornithology. An initial 
general introduction proffers a 
thumbnail sketch of culture and 
politics, and this is followed by well- 
researched, readable and informative 
essays covering such subjects as the 
history of bird-finding, topography, 
hydrography, geology, vegetation, 
climate, habitats, conservation and 
breeding habits, all generously 
illustrated with photographs and 
tables. A suite of coloured maps 
provides information on political 
boundaries, topography, geology, 
rainfall and notable localities 
including national parks and wildlife 
refuges. The physical situation of 
these two countries and the dramatic 
nature of the terrain have an obvious 
effect on migrants moving in and 
out of Africa, making the chapter 
on migration especially interesting. 


B I R D S O F 

ETHIOPIA & 
ERITREA 





It looks into where these birds are 
coming from and outlines the status 
of each species within the region, as 
well as giving information on their 
arrival and departure dates, all of 
which will be immensely useful to 
the visitor. 

The bulk of the book comprises 
the atlas and species accounts. 
Sequence and nomenclature 
generally follow The Howard & 
Moore Complete Checklist of the 
Birds of the World (Dickinson 
2003) although some English 
names have been changed to fall 
into line with the choices made in 
the recently published and essential 
companion field guide Birds of the 
Horn of Africa (Redman et al. 2009). 
Therefore, there are no great surprises 
taxonomically and the book is as up 
to date as possible, and rightly no 
longer treats ‘Degodi’ Lark Mirafra 
degodiensis as a species but as a form 
of Gillett’s Lark M. gilletti. 

Three species are laid out 
per page, the text for each being 
accompanied by a large-scale, 
monochrome ochre-coloured map 
indicating basic topographical 
contours and major rivers. On a grid 
of half-degree squares, each species’ 
presence is clearly recorded by the 
presence of black (breeding) or white 
(sight) circles with other symbols 
being used for uncertain sightings or 
unconfirmed breeding records. The 
layout is exceedingly pleasing to the 
eye and the superimposed data are 


128 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Reviews 


clear and very easy to read against the 
background map, which although 
strongly coloured is not obtrusive. 

The written account confirms 
the species’ presence in either one or 
both of the countries and endemic 
species are highlighted. Sadly, a more 
global indication of a species’ range 
and distribution is not included. 
However, all subspecies known to 
occur in the area are taken into 
account and where there is more 
than one race represented then the 
known boundaries between the 
forms are outlined in black on the 
map. With migrants such as Yellow 
Wagtail Motacilla flava, where 
multiple races overlap and ranges 
cannot be so defined then the known 
status in either country is stated. 
Information on breeding is briefly 
summarised and succinctly covers 
laying dates and clutch size. There 
is a wealth of information given in a 
relatively small space and, from each 
account, there is enough to inform 
the reader in which habitat to find 
the species, what altitude it prefers, 
habits where relevant, migratory 
movements and often exact localities 
to look for the birds. Appendices 
cover hybridisation, potential and 
rejected species lists, Important Bird 
Areas, ringing and a very thorough 
gazetteer. 

This excellent atlas summarises 
a wealth of field experience from 
real authorities and all that is 
known to date from the literature 
about the distribution of birds in 
these two exciting countries. Both 
clear and precise, it sets a new high 
standard in works of this kind and 
definitely forms a benchmark. It is 
a fitting monument to John Ash’s 
long-standing work and discoveries 
in the region, and is thus an 
absolutely essential reference for 
anyone interested in the countries. 

For many years now Ethiopia has 
been an increasingly popular tourist 
destination for those interested in 
its wildlife and culture. I would 
recommend this atlas to any potential 
visitor, as it will provide the perfect 
overview to the distribution of a rich 
avifauna and a superb aid as to where 
to find the special birds. 

Nik Borrow 


References 

Ash, J. S. & Miskell, J. 1998. Birds of 
Somalia. Robertsbridge: Pica Press. 

Dickinson, E. C. (ed.) 2003. The 
Howard and Moore Complete 
Checklist of the Birds of the 
World. Third edn. London, UK: 
Christopher Helm. 

Redman, N., Stevenson, T. & 
Fanshawe, J. 2009. Birds of the 
Horn of Africa. London, UK: 
Christopher Helm. 


Living on the Edge: Wetlands 
and Birds in a Changing Sahel 

Leo Zwarts, Rob G. Bijlsma, Jan van der 
Kamp & Eddy Wymenga, 2009. Zeist: 

KNNV Publishing. 564 pp, numerous photo- 
graphs, drawings, figures, tables and maps. 
Hardback. ISBN 978-90-5011-280-2. €64.95 
(www.knnvpublishing.nl) or UK£87 (NHBS). 

This hefty and beautifully produced 
volume truly is a superb book. It 
mainly focuses on the ecology of 
Palearctic birds in the Sahel and 
offers a fascinating synthesis of 
numerous studies and the authors’ 
own field work, conducted between 
1982 and early 2009. Their field 
work began as low-budget affairs, 
partly financed by the participants 
themselves, but have since 
developed into larger-scale projects 
encompassing several West African 
countries. The authors’ statement 
that ‘Paid, underpaid or unpaid, the 
passion remained the same’ shines 
through on every page. 

Each year, hundreds of millions of 
birds breeding in Europe undertake 
the daunting journey south to sub- 
Saharan Africa, where they spend the 
greater part of their lives, mainly in 
the c.500 km-wide band of northern 
savannahs stretching 3,500 km from 
west to east. Although this habitat 
can appear superficially poor and 
dry, especially during the Palearctic 
migrants’ stay, it is actually a 
complex ecosystem, where seasonal 
variations in the leafing, flowering 
and fruiting of trees and shrubs 
provide food and shelter for birds 
throughout the northern winter, i.e. 
the region’s dry season. Survival here 
depends mainly on unpredictable 
rainfall in the short wet season and 


the flood extent of the inundated 
areas. Droughts, whose frequency 
and duration have increased since 
1969, have a huge adverse impact on 
birds, which has been magnified by 
negative habitat changes associated 
with human population growth, 
such as deforestation, reclamation of 
wetlands and irrigation. Additionally, 
overgrazing and hunting take their 
toll. It should therefore not come as a 
surprise that population numbers of 
75 out of 127 trans-Saharan migrants 
are decreasing, with those wintering 
in the Sahel suffering the strongest 
declines. 

The book, which pays tribute to 
the ideas aired by Reg Moreau — the 
‘forefather of African ecology’ — in 
The Palaearctic-African Bird 
Migration Systems (1972), documents 
and analyses the multiple problems 
faced by trans-Saharan migrants. It 
does so extremely thoroughly and 
in a highly readable and attractive 
form, despite the huge amount 
of information presented and the 
often-sad message. The whole is 
lavishly illustrated in full colour 
throughout, with hundreds of clear 
diagrams and maps, 35 tables and 
nearly 500 excellent and functional 
photographs — even the index has 
delightful bird drawings, by Jos 
Zwarts, at the bottom of every page! 
The language occasionally betrays 
that the book was written by Dutch 
researchers, but the overall quality of 
the work is of such a high standard 
that to mention it is almost nit- 
picking. 

First, rainfall, rivers, vegetation 
and land use in the Sahel are 
presented, followed by chapters 
on the major wetlands: the Inner 
Niger Delta, the Senegal Delta, the 
Hadejia-Nguru floodplains, the Lake 
Chad Basin, the Sudd and the rice 
fields. Next are 27 chapters devoted 
to single bird species, selected to 
identify events pivotal to numerical 
fluctuations, such as migration 
strategies, distribution and habitat 
selection in Africa, and changing 
conditions on the breeding grounds. 
These species range from Grey 
Ardea cinerea and Purple Herons 
A. purpurea through Black-tailed 
Godwit Limosa limosa and Eurasian 


Reviews 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -129 



Wryneck Jynx 
torquilla to Lesser 
Sylvia curruca 
and Common 
Whitethroats S. 

I communis. A 
chapter, by Wim 
3 Mullie, gives 
an overview of 
recent outbreaks 
of locusts and 
grasshoppers 
and the use 

of chemical pesticides for their 
control, explains the ecology of 
these insects in the region, and 
discusses bird-acridid relationships 
and the ‘ecological service’ provided 
by birds by suppressing acridid 
populations. The book concludes 
with a discussion of the impact of 
ecological changes in the Sahel on 
Eurasian bird population trends. 
Evidence accumulated over many 
years of field work, like that by the 
authors, indicates that population 
fluctuations of several species are 
indeed largely determined by rainfall 
and flood extent in the Sahel. 

This, coupled with changes in the 
breeding areas and stopover sites 
along migration routes, leaves little 
scope for optimism. 

Nevertheless, Leo Zwarts 
and his co-workers hope, 

‘against their own better 
judgement’, that their 
negative predictions will 
prove incorrect and that 
Afro-Palearctic birds 
will be sufficiently 
resilient to cope with 
the changes. 

New data constantly 
lead to new lines of 
research, whilst a lot of questions 
remain unresolved. Fortunately, 
for what is known on Palearctic 
birds in the Sahel we now have an 
excellent synthesis which constitutes 
a milestone for ecological studies in 
the region. This outstanding book 
is a splendid achievement for which 
the authors and publisher are to be 
congratulated. 

Ron Demey 


i 



An Atlas of Wader Populations 
in Africa and Western Eurasia 

Simon Delany. Derek Scott, Tim Dodman 
& David Stroud (eds.), 2009. Wageningen: 
Wetlands International. 521 pp, many colour 
photographs and maps. Hardback. ISBN 
78-90-5882-047-1. UK£70. 

Over ten years in the ‘making’, 
this atlas has been well worth the 
wait. It collates the vast amount 
of information stored in the 
Wetlands International databases, 
as well as drawing on an extensive 
bibliography. Not only does it map 
individual species distributions but 
also provides population estimates 
and identifies key sites according to 
various criteria including the 1% 
population level, cold weather and 
drought refuges, presence of globally 
threatened species and whether there 
may be a high degree of turnover 
of the population during passage 
periods. The maps of key sites in 
Europe and especially Africa are 
fascinating and really highlight the 
importance of areas such as the Banc 
d’Arguin in Mauritania and the 
Senegal and Niger River deltas. 

Most people will turn straight 
to the species accounts. Ninety 
species were considered, ranging 
from the probably 
extinct Slender-billed 
Curlew Numenius 
tenuirostris and the 
rare endemic St Helena 
Plover Charadrius 
sanctaehelenae to more 
abundant species such 
as Northern Lapwing 
Vanellus vanellus and 
Eurasian Woodcock 
Scolopax rusticola. A 
summary of the different 
races is given along with a map of 
key sites and a description of the 
routes taken by different populations. 
These maps reveal the complexity 
of migration undertaken by these 
shorebirds. Individuals from the same 
Siberian breeding area could end up 
on the east or west coast of Africa, 
thousands of kilometres from each 
other or, conversely, birds in the 
same South African wintering area 
could breed in parts of the Arctic 
many thousand of kilometres apart. 


An Atlas of Wader 



For many Afrotropical species we 
don’t understand the distribution 
or population sizes particularly well. 
Some African countries are not 
covered by any counts leaving huge 
gaps in coverage for parts of Central 
and North Africa. For many species 
such as Egyptian Plover Pluvianus 
aegyptius, which tend to be widely 
spread in suitable habitats from West 
to East Africa, population estimates 
tend to be informed guesses. This 
species at least congregates around 
watercourses where they can be 
counted but estimates for birds like 
Bronze-winged Courser Rhinoptilus 
chalcopterus, which are thinly spread 
across a vast area, must be treated 
as highly provisional. With such 
uncertainty surrounding population 
estimates, the determination of any 
population trends is impossible and 
these are only really possible for 
those species that pass through a 
small number of key sites that are 
monitored, or are picked up during 
large-scale European surveys. These 
gaps in our knowledge are one of 
the main take-home messages from 
the atlas and they also provide an 
inspiration to go out and fill them! 

Despite such limitations, the 
distillation of the International 
Waterbird Census counts has 
identified 876 key sites in 85 
countries, which are listed in the 
back of the book. These provide 
a snapshot of our current best 
knowledge and will be especially 
useful for policy makers and 
conservation bodies alike. The 
editors have done a fantastic job 
pulling together information from 
a huge variety of sources and the 
bibliography stretches over 30 pages 
and numbers over 1 ,000 references. 
The book contains a wealth of 
information and is produced to a 
very high standard. It is illustrated 
throughout with excellent colour 
photographs and its design makes it 
very easy to read. It will be essential 
for anyone working with waders but 
also deserves a place on the bookshelf 
of anyone with even a passing 
interest in shorebirds, their ecology, 
distribution and conservation. 

Phil Atkinson 


130 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Reviews 




Phenomenal World Birding 

Our 2010/201 1 African tour destinations: 


South Africa 

Many Departures 

Ethiopia 

January 

Botswana 

February 

November 

Cameroon 

March 

Namibia 

March 

September 

Zambia 

June 

November 

Tanzania 

June 


Mozambique 

July 

December 

Uganda 

July 

Rwanda 

July 

Gabon 

August 

Madagascar 


Owls of th 


Endemics of 
Africa Mega-tours 

Disabled Birders' Tours 
South Africa & Uganda 

Custom-made St 
scouting trips 


October 

Angola Difficult mammal trips 
October aardvark, small St big cats 
Malawi 

November Parrots of Africa 
Ghana 

December 


Photographs C : Burchett's Courser. Herero Chat © Martin Benadie; Buff-spotted Flufftaii, White-chested Aiethe, Red- 
fhioated Wryneck. Bohm's Bee eater © Hugh Chittenden & Nafina Trogon © Adrian Binns. 


Advertisement 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -131 


Letters to the Editor 


A second record of American 
Golden Plover in The Gambia 

I have belatedly noticed the paper 
describing the first American 
Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica 
for Mauritania (Schmaljohann 
& Thoma, 2005, Bull. ABC 12: 
158-161), wherein a table of records 
of the species from West Africa is 
presented. There is, however, an 
additional record missing from 
that list. Just one occurrence was 
mentioned for The Gambia, in 1984, 
but there is a second, a bird that I 
found and photographed at Kotu 
Sewage Farm, Western Division, 
on 1 1 November 1997, which was 
also seen by a group of birders, 
among them Clive Barlow and Tony 
Disley, senior author and artist, 
respectively, of A Field Guide to Birds 
of The Gambia and Senegal (Barlow 
et al. 1997; Robertsbridge: Pica 
Press). Because I assumed that Clive 
Barlow would publish the details as 
appropriate, I never submitted the 
record anywhere, but a photograph 
of the bird appeared in Birdwatch 67: 
42-43 (wrongly credited to me, but 
the published image was taken by 
Tony Disley). 

Dominic Mitchell 
Managing Editor, Birdwatch, 
Warners Group Publications pic, 
The Chocolate Factory, 
5 Clarendon Road, 
London N22 6XJ, UK 

Name changes 

Nigel Collar’s letter ( Bull . ABC 
16: 245) raises more issues than 
he acknowledges. Whilst there 
is certainly a case to be made 
for changing some names for 
conservation purposes, as he suggests, 
there are also good reasons not to 
change established English names of 
birds. 

In the present flush of taxonomic 
changes due to DNA phylogenetic 
research, scientific names are subject 


to considerable flux. Genera and 
species are split or (more rarely) 
combined, and what had been 
a fairly stable situation for most 
groups over many decades is in 
upheaval. On top of this comes 
the attempt at a standardised list 
of English names promoted by 
the International Ornithological 
Congress (IOC), enshrined in Gill & 
Wright (2006) — -this despite much 
apathy or silent opposition from 
many ornithologists who declined 
to be part of the initiative.The net 
result of these two independent but 
simultaneous processes is that there is 
unprecedented flux in both English 
and scientific names of birds, tending 
to cause confusion (and irritation) 
amongst ordinary birders. 

Given that the ‘true’ name of 
any taxon is the scientific name, 
which is subject to both taxonomic 
fashion and phylogenetic research, to 
maintain a degree of stability some 
herpetologists have proposed that 
split genera should be recognised 
as full genera, but grouped under 
their previous umbrella, in the same 
way that subgenera are sometimes 
characterised, by using brackets. 

Thus Sooty Gull Larus ( Icthyaetus ) 
hemprichi or White-bellied Black 
Tit Parus ( Melaniparus ) albiventris. 

So far, given that The Birds of Africa 
(and thus the ABC checklist) has 
been fairly conservative, much of this 
upheaval has escaped the continent 
and hence this Bulletin , but Europe 
and the Americas are much affected. 
Where a familiar species has been 
found to comprise two or more 
cryptic species one can similarly 
bracket the old species name, e.g. 
Madagascar Hoopoe Upupa ( epops ) 
marginata or the expected African 
Hoopoe U. (e.) africana. 

However, the above is just to 
provide background to the issue 
of changing English names. A 
quick glance at Peter Lack’s latest 


changes in the ABC checklist’s 
preferred names, incorporating the 
IOC ‘international names’, many 
against his own grain as he admits, 
reveals the scale of mostly arbitrary 
alterations that have taken place 
within the ABC area — 108 in all. As 
I noted in reviewing Gill & Wright 
{Ibis 149: 429-431), some of these 
names are daft. Calling Foudia 
madagascariensis ‘Red Fody’ instead 
of Madagascar (Red) Fody is pretty 
absurd when most male fodies (five 
of the seven extant species) are red, 
and when, if it is to be changed at 
all, there is the French / Creole name 
Cardinal (hence ‘Cardinal Fody’) 
in use throughout its range (except 
on St. Helena). Why change Pacific 
Swift Apus pacificus to Fork-tailed 
Swift — it is neither the only swift 
in the Pacific area, nor the only 
swift in the world with a forked tail; 
replacing one inadequate name with 
another is no improvement! Others 
are simply banal: Pintado Petrel has 
long been an attractive alternative 
to the traditional mariner’s name 
Cape Pigeon for Daption capense , 
but why lose the charm of both with 
Cape Petrel? In at least one case 
Lack has defied the IOC, though 
it’s another banal one — Fairy Tern 
Gygis alba becomes White Tern (a 
long-standing alternative); the IOC 
invented Angel Tern de novo. Some 
are still behind the times: Circus 
maillardi Madagascar Marsh Harrier 
becomes Reunion Harrier, but 
maillardi has for some years been 
generally split from C. macrosceles , 
so whilst the former is indeed 
the Reunion Harrier, the latter is 
inevitably again the Madagascar 
(Marsh) Harrier. The inappropriate 
retention of ‘Marsh’ for these birds 
is purely based on their relationship 
to Eurasian Marsh Harrier C. 
aeruginosas- — they hunt in forests, not 
marshes. 


132 - Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Letters to the Editor 


The ABC has always accepted 
alternative names in the checklist, 
and I hope will long continue to do 
so. However, they are relegated to 
an inferior status in relation to the 
'preferred name’, even if, as Lack 
refreshingly states, he is ‘well aware 
that English names in particular 
are major causes of argument and 
potentially confusion. Whatever 
names are chosen will not be liked by 
everyone’. 

My suggestion is to retain an 
international name, but demote it to 
a junior partner of local usage. Hence 
the bird called Rose-ringed Parakeet 
by the IOC ( Psittacula krameri) 
would be cited (pending revision in 
progress . . . ) as Long-tailed Parakeet 
(Rose-ringed Parakeet) in a paper on 
West Africa, Ring-necked Parakeet 
(Rose-ringed Parakeet) in a paper on 
Mauritius, but simply Rose-ringed 
Parakeet in South Africa. Thus even 
if the international name changed 
(e.g. in the next edition of the IOC 
list), the local name would not, and 
continuity would be maintained. 

In the case of Collar’s 
Heteromirafra sidamoensis, itself a 
segregate from the former Long- 
clawed Lark H. ruddi (the nominate 
always Rudd’s Lark in South 
Africa), there is no long tradition 
of an English name, since the taxon 
was only described in 1975. Erard 
made a very reasonable attempt to 
localise the bird with the scientific 
name, and it is hardly his fault 
that all the traditional provinces 
in Ethiopia (including Sidamo) 
were abolished in 1996. However, 
that leads onto another important 
issue — whether English bird names 
should slavishly follow changes in 


local political nomenclature. I was 
rather struck when reviewing Gill 
&C Wright that a regrettably ignored 
Indian contribution to English bird 
nomenclature submitted to the 
IOC (Manakadan & Pittie 2002) 
had retained names using ‘Ceylon’, 
whereas the ‘politically correct’ IOC 
changed them to ‘Sri Lanka’. The 
IOC was in fact very inconsistent in 
this process: even ‘Abyssinia’ survived 
in at least one name, and Bioko 
failed to displace Fernando Po in 
several. In this respect, retaining or 
adopting a discoverer’s name, in this 
case Erard’s Lark (as used by Ash & 
Atkins 2009), is a safeguard against 
geographical name changes. The 
same applies to Lybius chaplini also 
discussed by Collar, who persuaded 
BirdLife International to change 
its name from Chaplin’s Barber to 
Zambian Barbet: Chaplin remains 
himself — Zambia was Northern 
Rhodesia earlier in the 20th century, 
and prior to that was simply a 
disparate large area with no unified 
name. 

Although there is no real reason 
why English geographical names 
should change when local usage does 
(we don’t call Egypt ‘el Misr’ or 
India Bharat’), there is nonetheless a 
general tendency to do so, in Africa 
more than anywhere else. It is very 
sobering to look at an 1898 map of 
Africa and hardly recognise any place 
names or state boundaries — half of 
today’s countries lack names on the 
map altogether! Politically driven 
name changes are understandable 
in relation to colonial names with 
unfortunate connotations (e.g. 
Rhodesia), less so where it is possible 
to separate the political entity from 


the geographical place; e.g. the 
Republic of Burkina Faso occupies 
the geographical area formerly known 
in Europe as Upper Volta, Malawi 
the shores of Lake Nyasa. Some name 
changes are simply revised ways of 
spelling: Botswana/Bechuanafiand] , 
Lesotho/Basuto [land] . 

In short, we should be very wary 
of name changes, especially when 
advanced for sectional interests, 
and remember that conservation is 
by no means the only issue to be 
taken into account when tampering 
with established nomenclature. 

Even the conservation issue is not 
clear cut — the successful rescue of 
Psittacula eques and Nesoenas mayeri 
has been under the banners of Echo 
Parakeet and Pink Pigeon — no 
mention of Mauritius, though the 
IOC stubbornly prefers ‘Mauritius 
Parakeet’. 

References 

Ash, J. & Atkins, J. 2009. Birds of 
Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas 
of Distribution. London, UK: 
Christopher Helm. 

Gill, F. & Wright, M. 2006. Birds of 
the World: Recommended English 
Names. London, UK: Christopher 
Helm. 

Manakadan, R. & Pittie, A. 2002. 
Standardized English and scien- 
tific names of the birds of the 
Indian subcontinent. Newsletter for 
Birdwatchers 42(3): i-viii, 1-36. 

Anthony Cheke 
139 Hurst Street, 
Oxford OX4 1HE, UK 
E-mail: anthony.cheke@ 
innerbookshop. com 


Letters to the Editor 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -133 



Ike perjeci 
environment -for 


Watamu is a hotspot for East African coastal birds 

Over 450 species of birds have been recorded within a radius of 40 km. 

Specialities include the nearendemic Sokoke Scops Owl (Africa's smallest owl), 
Clarke'sWeaver (endemic to Arabuko-Sokoke Forest), the stunning Carmine 
Bee-eater, Crab-plover and African Pygmy Goose. For one-birder families, a great 
advantage of birding at Turtle Bay Beach Club is that birders can be assured that 
the family will also have a wonderful holiday being fully entertained at the hotel. 



Tel +44 (0)1372 469818 
www.turtlebay.co.ke 



TRAVELERS' 

CHOICE' 


2010 




Recognised by FTO, ANVR, 
FAR, ABTO & ASTOl 



Silver 

Award Winner 


1 34 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Advertisement 






BEN’S ECOLOGICAL SAFARIS 


We offer a less hectic true birding vacations, great for beginners or avid birders, 
interested in not only identifying the birds, but also their ecology and behavior. 
Whether it's birding, walking, wildlife viewing, photography or natural history, it's 
a mix that makes us the perfect outfitter for your anticipated holiday. 



FOR PROFESSIONAL BIRD WATCHING A WILDLIFe/h<KIDAYS IN EAST AFRICA 
^ t Please call, come or visit our website 

" ^ info^'bensecoIogicalMfairis.com / www,bensecolog»calsafari? com 

Tel : *254203755290/1 C«4I ; +254722861072 / *254734873923 



~ * r hmu 

V- - V. • • 

; . 4 ■* '*■* J 

. j * d 

. 

,Z " I 


‘The best of birdwatching tours’ 

With 30 years experience and tours 
ranging from Kenya to Ghana and 
Ethiopia to South Africa, Sunbird is 
the best choice for your African 
birding holiday. 

Visit www.sunbirdtours.co.uk for 
details of all our tours in Africa and 
beyond. 

Email: sunbird@sunbirdtours.co.uk 
or call us on 01 767 262522 

Sunbird 26B The Market Square 
Potton, Sandy, Bedfordshire frjW' 
SG192NP 


Advertisement 


Bull ABC Vol 1 7 No 1 (2010) -135 





MKA 


ECOLOGY 


Worldwide expertise in ecological 
assessment for planning and 
development issues 

Professional guidance on ecotourism, 
eco-lodge design and wildlife tours 

Specialists in Madagascar and East 
Africa 

Experienced tour leaders available 
www.mkaecology.co.uk 


The Holt, 5 The Sidings, Shepreth, Herts, SG8 6PZ 
Telephone: 01763 262211 
Email: info@mkaecology.co.uk 


136 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Advertisement 




Birding & Beyond Safaris 
Tanzania Birding 

A specialised bird watching safari operator providing 
East African safaris to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. 
Operating big game and professional bird photographic 
safaris for individuals, small groups and families. 

P.O. Box 11500 Arusha, Tanzania 
Tel: +255 754 286058 
tours@tanzaniabirding.com 
www.tanzaniabirding.com 


Greentours Natural History Holidays 


Expertly led small group tours covering the full range of fauna and flora 
from Desert Wild Cats in the Sahara to Narcissi in the Rif Mountains. 


Ghana - a two week January tour focussing on the rich mammal and bird 
fauna of Kakum and Mole and the amazing butterflies of Bobiri. 

Mauritania - March and November tours to the golden sands of the 
Sahara at Chinguetti, the Adrar Mountains, and the Banc d’Aguin. 

Morocco - March in Oued Massa and the southern desert, October for 
the autumn bulbs of the Rif and great birding at Larache and Asileh. 

Gabon - three weeks in August for Gorillas, Mandrills and great birding at 
Lope, Mikongo and Loangu - Sao Tome & Principe extension. 

Namibia - November for birds and mammals in superb landscapes, 
forthcoming tours to Cabo Verde Islands and Socotra 





NATURAL HISTORY HOLIDAYS 


Tel/Fax: 01298 83563 rfW' 

Email: enquiries@greentours.co.uk Web: www.greentours.co.uk vjmO 
Greentours, Leigh Cottage. Gauledge Lane. Longnor, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 OPA 


Advertisement 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) - 137 





Professionally lead tours by Ghana's best guides with 

Ashanti African Tours 

. . £ 


www.ashantiafricantours.com 

info@ashantiafricantours.com 

Tel: Ghana +233 (0) 51 81151 / UK +44 (0) 8707662283 


BIRDING TOURS IP 

IN AFRICA & WORLDWIDE 


• Exclusive, Scheduled 
and Custom Tours 

• Self drive tours: 

we do all the planning for you 

• Expert tour leaders 

• Personal service 

_ __ _ _______ PV\ Travel Trust 

0844 41 5 01 55 



info@closeencounters. travel www.closeencounterstravel.com close 

Your dreams, your travel, our responsibility encounters 

7 J 7 1 * BESPOKE TRAVEL 


1 38 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Advertisement 





v 4 

/\{x‘ f 2 




Aim for the Heart of Africa 
Ornithological Paradise 

* UGANDA y KENYA y TANZANIA y RWANDA y 


♦ Private, Guided Birding and Big Game Safaris 
to renown and off-the-beaten path locations 

♦ Flexible, tailor-made Programs to Suit YOUR 

interests, preferences and budget 

♦ Programs may incorporate Kilimanjaro treks, 
Chimp & Gorilla tracking, Zanzibar beach & 

diving holidays, and so much more... 


Contact: Aim 4 Africa Ltd 
www.aim4africa.com 
0845 408 4541 
0114 255 2533 



BIRD, BIG CATS, WHALE AND DOLPHIN WATCHING HOLIDAYS 
PLUS THE BEST CHOICE OF WILDLIFE CRUISES 2009-2010 



Advertisement 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) - 139 




sarus 



Kenya: 19 days covering all the major hab- 
itats. c. 700 species with Ben Mugambi 

May 2010 

Tanzania Southern Endemics: 14 days in 
the far south, with Ulugurus, Rubehos and 
Udzungwas with Callan Cohen and Nigel 
Moorhouse. 

Sep 2010 

Nigeria: 2 week tour for Jos Plateau and 
Cameroon Forest Specials including Grey- 
necked Picathartes & Vermiculated Fishing 
Owl with Tony Disley 

Sept 2010 

Also:Ghana; Madagascar; Cameroon; 
Uganda; Rwanda and more. 



www.sarusbirdtours.co.uk 


12 Walton Drive 
Bury 
BL9 5JU 
UK 

Tel: +44 161 761 7279 
Fax: +44 161 797 6243 
E-mail: nigel@sarusbirdtours. co. uk 




Rwanda ABC Conservation Fund Tour July 

Uganda Shoebill, Albertine rift endemics and primates Jan/July 

Gabon Birds & Mandrill June 

Madagascar Ground-rollers & lemurs Oct/Nov/Dec 

Cameroon, Tanzania, Mali, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia & Okavango 


Cape Town 

Pelagics 


www.capetownpelagics.com 


Customised trips 
for groups of friends 
& bird clubs 


Weekly day trips from Cape Town with up to 6 albatross species. 
We donate all proceeds to seabird research and conservation. 


Bircfling 


www.birdingafrica.com 


140 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Advertisement 



ORNITHOLIDAYS 
TO AFRICA 


Send for our brochure detailing over 
70 tours including holidays to Gabon, 
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, 
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt, 
Seychelles and Madagascar. 


29 Straight Mile Romsey 
Hampshire S051 9BB 
01794 519445 

www.ornitholidays.co.uk 



ABACUS AFRICAN VACATIONS 



The best birding safaris in East Africa 
with an ordinary choice of the most threatened and endangered 
bird species in East Africa. Our tour destinations are Uganda, 
Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Check 

http://www.abacusvacations.com for our birding tours. 


To learn more about our birding safaris please contact; 

+ 256312261930, +256772 331332 or +256753 331332 
Uganda P. O. Box 34944 Kampala Uganda. 


Advertisement 


Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) -141 




2 4 Years of Birding Tours Worldwide 


• Comprehensive programme selected from 
over 150 top flight birding tours and cruises 


Expertly led, small group tours... including 
Morocco, Gambia, Ghana, Gabon, Tanzania, 
Uganda, Namibia, South Africa and Madagascar 


• See our website for Tour Itineraries, Bird Lists, 
Trip Reports, News and our Gallery of photos 
taken on tour - like this fabulous Short-legged 
Ground-roller on our 2008 Madagascar tour 

For our latest Brochure: OI263 578143 

www.limosaholidays.co.uk 

Limosa, Suffield House, Northrepps, Norfolk NR27 oLZ 
email: info@limosaholidays.co.uk 


Q( INDEPENDENT 
TOUR OPERATORS 


www.birdquest. co. uk 


the natural choice in Africa 



Birdquest - 

with unrivalled experience > small group 
sizes and remarkable leaders! 

Morocco • Egypt • Gambia • Senegal • Ivory Coast • Cameroon • Gabon 
Sao Tome & Principe • Ethiopia • Kenya • Uganda • Tanzania • Rwanda • Malawi 
Zambia • Angola • Namibia • Botswana • Zimbabwe • South Africa • Madagascar 

All included in our extensive programme of more than 150 tours worldwide! 

To learn more about ' The Ultimate in Birding ' please visit our 
website. Alternatively, call us on +44 (0)1254 826317 

or E-mail: birders@birdquest.co.uk 
and request a brochure 



Pennant-winged Nightjar 


142 -Bull ABC Vol 17 No 1 (2010) 


Advertisement 




WildSounds ;(% 


mnw WtldlH* iMks, Audio & Multimedia Guidos 



LJMl'Llll.mil.HI 

Svensson, Mullarney & Zetterstrom 

Birds of the 

The most complete field guide to the birds of 

1 lorn ol Africa 

Britain, Europe, North Africa, most of the Middle 

_ ~ 

East, the Canaries & Madeira. Treats Pharoah 

"■fct 

Eagle Owl, Atlas Flycatcher, Seebohm's & 

^ 7 

Magreb Wheatears all as separate species. 


□ Hardback £25-00 £19.99 


bk □ Softback £49^9 £13.99 



COLLINS 


GUJDE 


mrMOsrcoMm n 
GUIDE TO Till BIRD? 

Of &RITMN ANO IKf 


Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names 

James Jobting 

Lists the generic and specific name for almost 
every species of bird in the world and gives its 
meaning and derivation. 

A much needed book that will provide hours of 
fascinating reading. 

□ Hardback £4^00 £34.99 


Finding Birds in Morocco: the deserts 

Dave Gosney 

Covers the best birding sites, with specific 
locations for species such as Scrub Warbler, 
Crowned Sandgrouse and Mourning Wheatear. 

□ Softback £9.50 

□ DVD £17.95 (£15.28) 


Bats of Britain, Europe & 
North-west Africa 

C Dietz, O von Helversen & D Nill 
Comprehensive handbook covering 
all 51 bat species that occur in the region. 
Over 400 breathtaking colour photos. 

□ Hardback £4^00 £33.69 


Birds of the Horn of Africa 

Nigel Redman, John Fanshawe 
& Terry Stevens on 

Helm Field Guide to the birds of Ethiopia, 
Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Socotra. 

□ Softback £29:99 £23.99 


o 

o 

7T 

(A 

o 

■o 







Reviewed! 


Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea 

John Ash & John Atkins 

The first accurate 


Birding Ethiopia 

Ken Behrens, Keith Barnes & Christian Boix 
This new site guide, which is copiously illustrated 
with maps and photos, will show you where to find 
the remarkable birds of endemic-rich Ethiopia. 

□ Softback £29:99 £27.99 


Sounds of Zambian Wildlife 

Bob Stjernstedt 

An MP3 DVD featuring the sounds of 574 Zambian birds, 
20 Zambian mammals & 32 frogs. 

□ £29r99 £19.99 (£17.01) 


The Endemic Birds of Madagascar - Guy Eldridge 
4 DVD set featuring 1 30 Malagasy endemic species. 

□ £A9c99 £39.99 (£34.03) 


African Bird Sounds (Vols 1 & 2) 

Claude Chappuis & The British Library 
Out of a total of 1 550 regular species in the area, 

1 466 are presented (95% of the total) on 1 5 CDs. 

□ Vol 1&2 £47 4 t5C £1 54.99 (£131.91) 

EH Vol 1 (North West Africa & Canary Islands) £6-Tt50 £56.99 (£48.50) 
EH Vol 2 (West & Central Africa - south to Zaire) 

£4-29:95 £1 1 7.99 £100.42) 




Of her best beys 


B I R It > (> t 

ETHIOPIA* 

ERITREA 



assessment of the 
distribution of each of 
the 870 species known 
from the two countries. 
□ Hardback £45r00 
£41.99 


Field Guide to Birds of Gambia & Senegal (Barlow et al).. 

Bird Song of Kenya & Tanzania (Hammick) 

Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands (Sinclair & Langrand).... 

Bird Sounds of Madagascar (Hawkins & Ranft) 

Photo Field Guide Birds of Southern Africa (Sinclair et al) . 


Souths 


Softback 

£29^99 

£23.99 

Softback 

£24999 

£21.99 

CD 

£44999 

£1 1.99 

Softback 

£49999 

£13.99 

CD 

9^9 

£8.99 

Softback 

£24999 

£21.99 

Softback 

£49599 

£16.99 

3 DVD set 

£74r97 

£49.99 

6 CD set 

£59^9 

£49.99 

6 cassette set 

£59-95 

£42.95 


(£10.20) 


(£7.65) 


(£42.54) 

(£42.54) 

(£36.55) 


Every sale helps the African Bird Club 


* 2 
'*s C** 


WildSounds : Birdlife International Species Champion for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. 
Whilst the little chap alongside is not normally found in Africa, we think you'll agree that 
saving his species is vitally important, which is why - in addition to the support we give to 
the African Bird Club - WildSounds is proud to support the Spoon-billed Sandpiper. 

WildSounds , 



m 


Dept. ABC 
Cross Street 
Salthouse, Norfolk 
NR2S 7XH 
United Kingdom 


0 

© 


Call (UK) +44 (0)1263 741100 


www.wildsounds.com/abc 



tayment by cheque, postal order or credit card. POSTFREE only within the UK. 

Vices in brackets indicate the price outside the European Union. For terms & conditions, please visit our web-site: www.wildsounds.com 











Rockjumper Birding Tours 


We offer the most comprehensive selection of 
African birding tours, solid value for money and a long-established reputation. 

Tel: +27 33 394 0225 / Fax: +27 88 033 394 0225 / Email: info@rockjumper.co.za 
PO Box 13972, Cascades, 3202, South Africa 

www.rockjumper.co.za 




Rockjumper Birding Tours 

Worldwide Birding Adventures 


The ABC welcomes original contributions on 
all aspects of the birds of Africa, here defined 
as the area covered by Collar, N.J. & Stuart, 
S.N. 1985. Threatened Birds of Africa and 
Related Islands: The ICBP/IUCN Red Data 
Book. Cambridge, UK: International Council 
for Bird Preservation, namely continental 
Africa, Indian Ocean islands west of 80'E, 
e.g. Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands and 
Socotra; Atlantic Ocean islands on or east 
of the mid-Atlantic ridge, e.g. the Tristan da 
Cunha group, the Azores and the Canaries. 

Contributions will be accepted subject 
to editing and refereeing by independent 
reviewers, where appropriate. The Editorial 
Team will be happy to advise authors on 
the acceptability of material at draft stage 
if desired. 

Submissions 

Two hard (printed) copies should be sent 
unless submitting by e-mail (preferred) to 
the editor’s address on the inside front cover. 
Typewritten manuscripts should be double- 
spaced, on one side of the paper only, with 
wide margins all round. All submissions are 
acknowledged. 

Contributions are accepted in English 
or French: French summaries are required 


Notes for Contributors 

for all papers published in English, and vice 
versa. Those submitting papers should supply 
a summary for translation into English, or 
French, as appropriate. 

If you submit your contribution on CD 
or floppy disk, please state computer (e.g. 
IBM compatible PC, Macintosh) and word- 
processing package (e.g. Word, WordPerfect) 
used. 

When sending your contribution on 
disk, please do not key anything in ALL 
CAPS (i.e. with the CAPS LOCK key 
depressed) unless the combination always 
occurs in that form (e.g. ‘USA’). Do not use 
the carriage return key at the end of lines, 
and do not right justify the margins. When 
formatting tables use one tab, and not spaces, 
between each column. Unless a sketch map 
is provided as part of the article, the names 
of places should follow those on standard or 
readily available maps (preferably a recent 
edition of The Times Atlas of the World). 

Preferred names 

Given the current instability over worldwide 
lists of bird names, authors are requested to 
follow those used in The Birds of Africa Vols. 
1-7. The African Bird Club has recently pub- 
lished (www.africanbirdclub.org/resources/ 


checklist.html) a checklist of birds in its 
region. This is based on Birds of Africa but 
incorporates more recent revisions where 
appropriate. It includes preferred scientific, 
English and French names, as well as races 
and alternatives used by publications widely 
used in Africa. For bird names this list should 
be used or at least the preferred name used 
there should be given as an alternative. For 
non-Birds of Africa species (e.g. from the 
Malagasy region) use Dowsett & Forbes- 
Watson (1993). Deviation from such works 
should be noted and the reasons given. The 
Editorial Team will keep abreast of changes 
in nomenclature and when an agreed list 
of African names is available, will consider 
switching to follow it. 

Style 

Authors are requested to follow conventions 
used in The Bulletin of the African Bird Club 
and to refer to a recent issue for guidance. A 
detailed style guide can be obtained, either 
electronically or as a hard copy, on request 
from the Managing Editor. 


Typesetting and layout by Alcedo Publishing, Arizona, USA • e-mail engli@egreenworks.us 
Colour repro & print production by Crowes of Norwich, UK • FSC accredited 

• tel +44 (0)1603 403-349 • e-mail graphics@crowes.co.uk 




Mixed Sources 

Product group from well-monaged 
forests and other controlled sources 
T7 Q C* * www.fsc.org Cert no. SGS-COC-004586 
r C199« Forest Stewardship Council 



Ascension Island: John Hughes, The Old Shop, High 
Street, Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire SP9 7UE, UK, 
E-mail: rasuk@btconnect.com. 

Angola: Pedro de Franca Doria vaz Pinto, Rua Holder 
Neto 12, 7 A; Luanda. E-mail: pvpinto@clix.pt. 
Australia: K. David Bishop, PO Box 1234, Armidale, 
NSW 2330. E-mail: kdbishop@ozemail.com.au. 
Austria: Graham Tebb, Graf Starhemberggasse 20/14, 
1040 Vienna. E-mail: tebb@fwf.ac.at. 

Belgium: Jan Goossens, Vruntebaan 18, 2520 
Emblem. Tel/fax: +32 3 488 13 71. E-mail: jan. 
goossens5@pandora.be. 

Botswana: Chris Brewster, PO Box 26292, Gaborone. 
E-mail: cbrewster@botsnet.bw. 

Canada: Antonio Salvadori, 17 Colborn Street, Guelph, 
Ontario. NIG 2M4. E-mail: Salvadori@rogers.com. 
Canary Islands/Spain: Tony Clarke, Repiiblica 
Dominicana No. 61, Barrio de Fatima, 38500 
Gtifmar, Tenerife. E-mail: bluechaffinch@ 
btopcnworld.com. 

Central African Republic: Nigel Voaden, 18 Fair Hill, 
Shipham, Winscombe, Somerset BS25 1TH, UK. 
E-mail: nigel.voaden@talk21.com. 

Denmark: Uffe Gjol Sorensen, Ovengaden Oven 
Vandet 68,2, 1415 Copenhagen. E-mail: ugs@post7. 
tele.dk. 

Democratic Republic of Congo: Byamana Robert 
Kizungu, Head of Ornithology Laboratory, CRSN- 
Lwiro, DRC, BP02 Cyangugu, Rwanda. E-mail: 
kbyamana@yahoo.com. 

Djibouti: Abdi Jama, do Guelle Osman Guelle, 

PO Box 239, Djibouti City. E-mail: abdi.jama@ 
ymail.com. 

Egypt: Sherif & Mindy Baha El Din, 2 Abdalla El 
Katib St. Apt. 3, Dokki, Cairo. Tel/Fax: 3608160. 
E-mail: egyptcalling@yahoo.com. 

Eritrea: Russom Teklay, do Andeberhan Teklay, 

PFDJ, zone: Maekel, sub-zone: south east, PO Box 
4618, Asmara. E-mail russotek79@yahoo.com. 
Ethiopia: Mengistu Wondafrash, Ethiopian Wildlife 
& Natural History Society, PO Box 13303, Addis 
Ababa. E-mail: m.wondafrash@ewnhs.org.et. 

France: Bob & Fran^oise Dowsett, Le Pouget, 

Suniene, F30440. E-mail: Dowsett@aol.com. 

Finland: Annika Forsten, Tornvalksv. 2 bst 15, 

02620 Esbo. E-mail: annika.forsten@elisanet.fi. 

The Gambia: Solomon Jallow, do WABSA, 
Department of Parks & Wildlife, Management HQ, 
Abuko Nature Reserve, Abuko, PMB 676 S/K. 
E-mail: habitatafrica@hotmail.com. 

Supported and Affiliated Membership 

The Supporting Members scheme is a key part 
of the Club’s strategy of encouraging the spread 
of knowledge and understanding of birds as 
widely as possible throughout Africa. The scheme 
enables Africans who would not otherwise have 
the resources to join, to become members of 
the Club. The scheme is funded by Supporting 
Members who pay a minimum of UKT30 to 
cover their own membership and the subscription 
of at least one African member. The money they 
contribute over and above their own subscription 
is placed in a special fund that is used to cover 
the membership expenses of African members 
whom they may have nominated, or who have 
been nominated by other Club members. 

Although we have suggested a minimum 
of UKT30 to become a Supporting Member, 
any contribution is welcome. All members of the 
Club, even if they do not feel able to become 
Supporting Members themselves, are invited to 
nominate candidates for supported memberships. 
Candidates should be nationals of an African 
country, with a genuine interest in wild birds 
but without the resources to become members 
in their own right. Africans who think they 
may qualify are very welcome to put their own 


ABC Representatives 

Ghana: Samuel Kofi Nyarne, PO Box KIA 30284, 
Airport, Accra. E-mail: samknyame02@yahoo.com. 
Italy: Giuseppe Micali, Via Volterra 3, Milano, 

Ml 1-20146. E-mail: xeaym@tin.it. 

Kenya: Simon Nganda Musila, Department of 
Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, 

PO Box 40658, GPO 00100, Nairobi. Email: 
surnbirds@yahoo.com. 

Liberia: Moses A. Massah, Society for the 
Conservation of Nature of Liberia, Monrovia Zoo, 

PO Box 2628, Monrovia. E-mail: mosesmassah@ 
yahoo.com. 

Libya: Abdulmaula A. Hamza, Head, Marine 
Conservation, Nature Conservation Dept., 
Environment General Authority EGA, Box 13793 
Tripoli. E-mail: abdhamza@gmail.com. 

Madagascar: Julien Ramanampamonjy, 

Section Oiseaux, PBZT, BP 4096, 101 Antananarivo. 
E-mail: julien_asity@mel.moov.mg (mark FAO: 

Julien Ramanampamonjy). 

Malawi: Tiwonge Mzumara, do Likhubula House, 

PO Box 111, Mulanje. E-mail: tiwongem@yahoo.com. 
Namibia: Tim Osborne, PO Box 22, Okaukuejo, 
vis Outjo 9000. E-mail: kori@iway.na. 

Nigeria: Phil Hall, A. P. Leventis Ornithological 
Research Institute, Jos. E-mail: philhall.obe@ 
btinternet.com. 

Rwanda: Marcell Claassen, Elegantafrica, PO Box 181, 
Musanze. E-mail: marcell@elegantafrica.com 
Sao Tome & Principe: Angus Gascoigne, CP 289, 

Sao Tome. E-mail: agascoigne@eits.st. 

Seychelles: Adrian Skerrett, Shipping House, 

PO Box 336, Victoria, Mahe. Fax: 380538. E-mail: 
maheship@seychelles.net or adrian@skerrett.fsnet. 
co.uk. 

Sierra Leone: Kenneth Gbengba, Conservation 
Society of Sierra Leone, 2 Pyke Street, PO Box 
1292, Freetown, Sierra Leone. E-mail: factsfinding@ 
yahoo.com. 

Somaliland/Somalia: Abdi Jama, do Guelle Osman 
Guelle, PO Box 239, Djibouti City, Republic of 
Djibouti. E-mail: abdi.jama@ymail.com. 

South Africa: Adam Riley, Managing Director, 
Rockjumper Birding Tours, PO Box 13972, Cascades 
3202. E-mail: info@rockjumper.co.za. 

Swaziland: Dr Ara Monadjem, UN1SWA, P/Bag 4, 
Kwaluseni. E-mail: ara@uniswacc.uniswa.sz. 

Tanzania: Lota Melamari, CEO/Coordinator, Wildlife 
Conservation Society of Tanzania, Garden Avenue, 

names forward, supported by a letter of recom- 
mendation from someone such as their employer, 
teacher or an officeholder in a local wildlife 
organisation. 

The scheme now also includes clubs who 
wish to be affiliated with the African Bird Club 
in African countries where it is difficult for local 
individuals to become members in their own 
right. Clubs accepted for membership under 
the scheme receive up to six copies of each 
issue of the bulletin for circulation among their 
members. Instead of paying a membership fee. 
Clubs are asked to provide a short annual report 
on their activities that may be published in the 
bulletin. Clubs interested in becoming Affiliated 
Member Clubs are invited to apply to the ABC 
Secretary giving details of their membership, their 
constitution or a statement of their objectives 
and conditions of their membership, and their 
activities to date. 

ABC Information Service 

ABC offers a service to help members with 
information requests. Perhaps you are planning 
a trip to Africa and need local advice, or maybe 
you are in search of an obscure fact about an 
African species. The Club does not guarantee 


Plot 39; PO Box 70919, Dar es Salaam. E-mail: 
melamarilota@yahoo.co.uk. 

Tunisia: Hichem Azafzaf, 1 1 rue Abou el alia el maari, 
Cite el liouda, 2080 Ariana. E-mail: azafzaf@gnet.tn. 
Uganda: Prof. Derek Pomeroy, Makerere University 
Institute of the Environment and Natural Resources, 
PO Box 7298, Kampala. E-mail: derek@imul.com. 
USA: Kurt Leuschner, 70065 Sonora Road #267, 
Mountain Centre, CA 92561. E-mail: kleuschner@ 
collegeofthedesert.edu. 

Zambia: Rod Tether, Kutandala Camp, North 
Luangwa NP. E-mail: rod@kutandala.com 
Zimbabwe: Rod Tether, Kutandala Camp, North 
Luangwa NP. E-mail: rod@kutandala.com. 

The ABC Representatives scheme aims to support 
existing members by providing a local point of 
contact in their region, for example, to answer queries 
to the Club, to solicit submissions for the bulletin, 
and possibly to arrange local meetings for members. 
Existing ABC members can contact their local 
Representative in the first instance with queries relating 
to the Club. ABC Representatives help to recruit new 
members in their region, for example, by distributing 
posters and arranging local advertising. In Africa, ABC 
Representatives help to identify opportunities to invest 
the ABC Conservation Fund and candidates for the 
Supported Membership scheme. 

The Club aims to appoint many further ABC 
Representatives. If you are interested in supporting 
and promoting the Club in your region, have any 
queries, or require further information relating to the 
ABC Representatives scheme please do not hesitate to 
contact the Membership Secretary at the Club address, 
e-mail membership@africanbirdclub.org. 

ABC is seeking Country Representatives in the 
following countries, principally within the Club's 
region: Algeria, Azores, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, 
Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Chad, Comoros & 
Mayotte, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, 
Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Madeira, 
Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, 
Netherlands, Niger, Reunion, Rodriguez, Senegal, 
Socotra, Somalia, St Helena, Sudan, Togo, Tristan da 
Cunha and USA. 


to find all the answers but will try to help. The 
service is free to ABC members. Contact: Keith 
Betron, who is also custodian of ABC’s journal 
library', at 8 Dukes Close, Folly Hill, Farnham, 
Surrey, GU9 ODR, UK. Tel: +44 1252 724068. 
E-mail: info@africanbirdclub.org. 

AfricanBirding e-mail discussion list 

Launched, in October 2000, by the ABC and 
the Pan-African Ornithological Congress, 
AfricanBirding or AB, as it is known, has become 
a useful forum for those interested in African 
birds. To join the discussion, which averages 
1-2 messages a day, send a blank e-mail to 
African Birding-subscribe@)'ahoogroups.com. 

You w'ill then receive an e-mail instructing you 
how to join. 

The Club also maintains a list of members' 
e-mail addresses. This list is confidential and used 
only for Club purposes, e.g. for informing mem- 
bers of upcoming events and news concerning 
the Club. It is not divulged to any'body outside 
the Club or used for commercial advertising. At 
present it includes addresses for about 50% of 
the membership. Please send any additions or 
amendments to the membership secretary: mem- 
bership@africanbirdclub.org. 




Humblot’s Heron / Heron de Humblot Ardea humbloti by Martin Searle, www.mtsphotography.com