Talatu Tende

A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute · Department of Zoology

The African Bird Atlas Project (ABAP) is a citizen-science bird-monitoring programme that relies on a robust, repeatable protocol (BirdMap) and allows insights into the distributions of African birds and their conservation. The protocol involves collecting bird lists within spatial sampling units called pentads (5 × 5 minutes of latitude by longitu...

The population of various species of vultures are declining rapidly across Africa, with noticeable declines in most areas including protected areas. This sudden decline of vultures in African countries, especially Nigeria, is quite alarming. One of the most common species of vultures, the Hooded Vulture, is now rarely encountered. This study was ca...

The population of various species of vultures are declining rapidly across Africa, with noticeable declines in most areas including protected areas. This sudden decline of vultures in African countries, especially Nigeria, is quite alarming. One of the most common species of vultures, the Hooded Vulture, is now rarely encountered. This study was ca...

Avian scavengers, by feeding on carrion and other organic matter, provide critical ecosystem services. Vultures, the only obligate avian scavengers, have reportedly experienced massive population declines in Africa yet current knowledge regarding their status in most West African countries is unknown. This study set out to ascertain the status of t...

Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera leo leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is consider...

Lion fecal DNA extracts from four individuals each from Yankari Game Reserve and Kainji-Lake National Park (central northeast and west Nigeria, respectively) were Sanger-sequenced for the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The sequences were aligned against 61 lion reference sequences from other parts of Africa and India. The sequence data were analy...

Lion faecal samples, collected in the field between 1 hour to 1 week after defecation were preserved in three different media (ethanol, ASL buffer and Two-step storage). The aim was to determine which faecal DNA field preservation method best enhances PCR amplification success. Samples stored in ethanol showed a significantly higher amplification s...

A recent survey to estimate the population of raptors in and around Yankari Game Reserve revealed that the reserve still holds a number of raptor species also found in other reserves in West Africa. In total, 886 raptors of 37 species were recorded in the gallery forest and savanna habitats of the reserve, while 155 individuals in 18 species were e...

This survey was conducted in two protected areas in Nigeria to genetically identify individual lions and to determine the genetic variation within and between the populations. We used faecal sample DNA, a non-invasive alternative to the risky and laborious task of taking samples directly from the animals, often preceded by catching and immobilizati...

Breeding distribution, arrival dates, nesting tree preferences, incubation and fledging periods, and clutch and brood sizes of Abdim’s Stork Ciconia abdimii in Nigeria are described based on data collected during a study from 28 April to 19 August 2010. Earliest laying dates were at the end of March to early April, with fledging dates from mid- to...

The biological, chemical, and physical operations and attributes of wetlands are vital in facilitating food resources, water, and shelter, which many terrestrial bird and waterbird species rely on for their daily requirments. Wetlands in Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria are key stone ecosystem that provides a stopover, breeding and/or foraging platfor...

Studies have shown that lion (Panthera leo) populations in West Africa are small, isolated and fragmented. In Nigeria, lions have disappeared from unprotected areas and are nowadays found only in parks and reserves where these populations may still decline. It is therefore urgent to obtain reliable estimates of population sizes at different localit...