Birds of East Africa
Abstract
Checklist of birds of Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania. Habitat, status & distribution
... An injured adult on 12.11.51 in Nairobi (Britton 1980) and a few months later 1 at Eldoret (Summers, in Mann 1977); 2 on 10.11.74 at Embu (Turner 1978); and singles on 5.11.78 at Ngulia and on 9.4.80 at Nakuru (Britton 1980 Where are the falcons from April to October ? ...
... An injured adult on 12.11.51 in Nairobi (Britton 1980) and a few months later 1 at Eldoret (Summers, in Mann 1977); 2 on 10.11.74 at Embu (Turner 1978); and singles on 5.11.78 at Ngulia and on 9.4.80 at Nakuru (Britton 1980 Where are the falcons from April to October ? ...
... This axis is most likely determined by tree cover or density. Giraffes are strict browsers, impala are generalist browsers that use medium density areas, and eastern chanting goshawks use dense treed areas to hunt (Cerling and Harris 1999;Stevenson and Fanshawe 2020;Sponheimer et al. 2003). In contrast, both zebra and hartebeest are grazers that prefer more open areas with low tree cover and higher grass cover (Cerling and Harris 1999). ...
... Managers may want to consider using indicator species to oversee habitat quality under EHD pressures (Bal et al. 2018). Kirk's dik-dik and buff-crested bustards may be ideal indicator species, as both prefer areas with high density woody vegetation (Amubode and Boshe 1990;Stevenson and Fanshawe 2020). Dik-dik showed a strong association with low EHD areas, were abundant (the most detected species during the study) and thus easier to monitor than other species and have high fidelity to their small home territories (0.11 ha; Amubode and Boshe 1990). ...
... Waterbirds Survey Methods Total count method (Bibby et al. 2000) was used to record all waterbirds in various study areas. Individual bird species were identified with the help of a pair of binoculars and where there was doubt about identification, we referred to the field guide for Birds of East Africa (Stevenson and Fanshawe, 2002). The survey team comprised of four to five people. ...
... Data was recorded using standard field sheets which are internationally accepted for transect recordings (Annex 1). Birds were identified with the help of a pair of binoculars and in instances where a species was difficult to identify, the standard field guide reference book: "A Field guide to the Birds of East Africa" by Stevenson and Fanshawe (2002) was consulted for identification. ...
Birds have for a long time been used as indicators of the state of biodiversity and the environment, the context from which they are monitored in this study. The results, from the NatureUganda monitoring prgrammes so far have been able to show that although the National Parks and other protected areas are rich in bird species, many of the best species-rich sites in Uganda are in privately owned sites outside Protected Areas including small-scale mixed agricultural sites and these need some form of protection. They showed a need for promoting community conservation in the country in addition to protected areas.
... This technique was carried out in two stages: a static observation at the first 10 minutes during which all bird species seen were noted, and the rest of the time was used for moving along the practicable paths around the sites [30]. Specimen identification of observed and captured birds was made possible by a range of references and guides [31] [32] [33] [34]. Once the individual was captured and kept quietly in a cloth bag for identification, it was released into the wild by placing ink on its fingers to prevent double sampling. ...
... The handbooks Roberts birds of southern Africa, Birds of Africa and Handbook of the birds of the world were also checked for the inclusion of unpublished personal observations by the compilers and for any additional published records. The field guides for East Africa (Stevenson and Fanshawe 2006) and for Africa south of the Sahara (Sinclair and Ryan 2003) sometimes specifically mention birds as occurring in MSFs, presumably because this could assist observers in locating certain species. I have assumed that these comments are based either on personal observations or on unpublished records provided by other observers; I have included these two sources only when no other reports were found for particular species and have then attributed them to the country that seemed most probable on the basis of the distribution of the species concerned. ...
Mixed-species flocks of foraging insectivorous birds are found worldwide and have been best studied in the Neotropical region. A survey of the published literature reveals that mixed-species flocks (often termed ‘bird parties’) comprised of 2–30 species and sometimes >70 individual birds are regularly encountered in forest and woodland habitats throughout the Afrotropical region. On mainland Africa, >600 species representing 59 bird families have been reported in such flocks, and for at least 300 species foraging in such flocks may constitute an important part of their feeding activity. In Madagascar, >60 species of 19 families have been recorded in mixed-species flocks, with more than 40 species frequent participants. These foraging parties are dominated by gleaning and sallying insectivorous birds, with other feeding guilds represented by fewer species and individuals. The main hypotheses to explain why birds participate in such flocks emphasise protection from predators while searching for food, and increased foraging efficiency through the disturbance of insects caused by the different foraging activities of flock members. Certain key species may be responsible for the initial formation of the flock. Mixed-species flocks are regarded as particularly vulnerable to disruption by anthropogenic habitat changes, especially to forests, and are thus of special conservation concern. In the Afrotropics, these proposals remain working hypotheses since we currently lack data for a full assessment of the ecological role of mixed-species flocks and their importance in the life history of the participating species.
... Some species identifications were considered by discussions via the mentioned social network. Also the field guides of Withers & Hosking (1996), Spawls et al. (2006) and Stevenson & Fanshawe (2020) were used. ...
. In terms of the biodiversity monitoring and conservation, localities of 9 species of
reptiles, 26 species of birds, and 9 species of mammals were reported for the coastal area of
Kenya (a stripe of about 20 km between the small river of Congo and the harbour to Chale
Island).
... Some of the most abundant species in the bird community were the six greenbuls (see also Keith et al., 1992;Britton, 1980), which responded to the presumed change in food availability by a flexible behavior (see also Dinesen, 1997). Two of the six species studied changed diet and feeding behavior, see also Dinesen (1995) toward significantly more fruits in the dry season and there are indications that Yellow-throated Greenbul do the same as it almost entirely ate fruits in the dry season and occasionally fed on nectar and possibly leaves in this season compared to more arthropods in the wet season. ...
Seasonal variation in the composition of avian communities is poorly documented in African montane forests. Using field observations, mist-netting data (63,424 NMH), recording of mixed-species flocks (160 flocks noted), and of the feeding ecology of greenbuls (757 observations), we document marked seasonal changes in a bird community in an East African montane forest (1,340–2,130 m) in the Udzungwa Mountains in south-central Tanzania. This mountain range contains the largest remaining forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania, part of a key global biodiversity hotspot. Our analysis is based on data in the dry and wet season from about 12 months of fieldwork. Field observation data combined with mist-net data demonstrate noticeable seasonal changes in certain species’ abundances, indicating (i) seasonal movements out of the montane forest during the dry season and (ii) movements of part of the populations for other species. Our mist-net results show a significant difference in species abundances between the two seasons driven by 16 species. We also document significant changes in diet for two species of greenbuls, which shift feeding behavior from arthropods in the wet season to include a larger proportion of fruit in their dry season diet. Our results further show that birds are more active in mixed-species flocks in the dry season, with a significantly higher average number of species and of individuals in the dry season, i.e., 11.3 (±0.52 SE) species, 32.3 (±1.76 SE) individuals] compared to the wet season 9.7 (±0.78 SE) species, 20.8 (±1.85 SE) individuals]. One of two very distinctive types of mixed-species flocks – confined to the understory – exists only in the dry season. We discuss these changes to seasonal variability in climate, i.e., temperature and precipitation.
... They are considered a common winter visitor on the North East coast of Somalia and present in large numbers along the entire coast (Bailey 1971;Schiemann 1986;Ash and Miskell 1998;Delany et al. 2009). In Kenya, Red-necked Phalaropes are present from October to March (Britton and Britton 1979) with counts of hundreds described as regular on the coast (Britton 1980;Lewis and Pomeroy 1989). More specifically, they have been reported at locations where sea-surface temperatures indicate upwelling (Bailey 1971), corresponding to the edge of the coastal shelf at the intersection of the Somali and the East African coastal currents (Schiemann 1986 (Moreau 1972), in order to follow the predictable seasonal and spatial variation of the oceanic net primary productivity (NPP). ...
Ocean currents have wide-ranging impacts on seabird movement and survival. By extension, the extreme oscillations they are subject to, such as extreme Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events, can also be expected to dramatically influence seabird populations. This study links the extreme IOD event that occurred in 2019-2020 to the unusually high number of Red-necked Phalarope sightings observed in February 2020. We show that the extreme IOD event resulted in low net primary productivity (a measure of plankton growth) offshore from the Somalia-Kenyan coast, where Phalaropes have been tracked in previous winters. We suggest that Phalaropes were therefore forced to move closer to the coast to find food at river estuaries, thus explaining the influx in February 2020. This study calls for closer monitoring of seabird populations in East Africa, particularly during extreme IOD events, which are expected to become more common in the future.
Almost all habitats on the planet are home to birds, from the lowest deserts to the highest mountains.
Birds have proved to be excellent indicators of biodiversity or productivity as they are easily
observed and are relatively well known compared to other animals. Although bird species are
distributed across the globe, habitat destruction, fragmentation, and loss have adversely affected
their survival and distribution. Therefore, this study is an attempt to prepare a baseline
data on avifaunal diversity with their relative abundance and species richness in different habitats
within Lewi Mountain Awi zone, Ethiopia from December 2018 to October 2020, including
both the wet and dry seasons. The sampling sites were stratified based on land cover features,
and transect count techniques were employed. The data were summarized per season and habitat
type in the excel spreadsheet throughout the study period. In this study, one-way ANOVA
was used to determine the effect of habitat type on species diversity and abundance. T-tests are
also use to analyze bird populations among seasons. A total of 1591 individuals, 56 bird species
belonging to 29 families and 12 orders were identified during the two seasons. The Wetland
habitat had the highest species diversity index (H’ = 3) with high evenness index (J = 0.88)
during the dry season followed by the open shrubs habitat (H’ = 2.97) with the highest evenness
index (J = 0.95). The settlement had the lowest species diversity (H' = 2.17) and the lowest
evenness index (J = 0.8) in the same season. During the wet season, disturbed forests
recorded the highest Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H’ = 3.2) with the highest evenness
(J = 0.92) followed by Wetland habitat (H’ = 2.97) with high evenness index (J = 0.87). During
dry and wet seasons, the abundance of birds' species in different habitat types did not differ
significantly (F = 1.91, p = 0.193, dƒ = 3) and (F = 1.579, p = 0.199, dƒ = 3), respectively.
From all studied habitats, the overall mean abundance of bird species between dry and wet seasons
was significantly different (F = 3642, P ≤ 0.001, dƒ = 1). In conclusion, settlement had
the lowest species diversity and the lowest evenness index in the research area for the entire season.
The habitats are important to the conservation of birds, so good habitat management is required,
such as minimizing agricultural expansion and overgrazing, demarcating the forest habitats
for wild species only, and creating awareness among local communities.
There are many theories behind the colors of a bird's feathers. Many of these theories point to the color's purpose to attract mates and hide from predators. Some recent investigations concluded that the dark colors of birds help in reducing the drag force during flight. A new theory is presented in the current research, which states that a bird's dark color not only reduces the drag, but the color pattern also improves the overall flight performance, and each color pattern has a different type of flight performance improvement. This difference in improvement is a result of variation in hot and cold surfaces on the bird skin as a result of the variation between light and dark feather colors. To prove this new theory, thermal images were captured of real bird wings under the effect of infrared waves. Also, a novel wind tunnel wing with the ability to adjust the temperature in desired locations and patterns on the wing's surface was manufactured and tested to evaluate the effect of aerodynamics forces as a function in the surface temperature and the hot-cold regions. The collected data from this wing showed potential flight efficiency improvements of 20%, comparing the lift-to-drag ratio for specific heating cases, which could increase the flight range. Individually considering lift and drag, there were specific heating cases with corresponding angles of attack in which these parameters improved by up to 20% and 7%, respectively. Some heating cases could increase the lift at a low angle of attack, which is helpful in cruise flight performance, while some cases could increase the maximum lift coefficient by 6%. This is very helpful in lowering stall and the minimum flight speeds. Furthermore, some cases could increase the lift-to-drag ratio, which led to an increase in the flight range. To better understand the effect of the various patterns , computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted on the wing. The new theory was proved based on the CFD results and verified through the successful results from the wind tunnel experiments.
We review the distribution and taxonomy of the buff-bellied subspecies of the Grey Penduline Tit Anthoscopus caroli in East Africa using photographs of specimen material as well as of birds in the field. Our study reveals three distinct taxa in the group, including, in addition to the currently recognized sylviella of eastern Tanzania and sharpei of south-central and western Tanzania, recognition and reinstatement of the form rothschildi from eastern Kenya (previously synonymized with sylviella). We show that contrary to literature accounts, sylviella has richer underparts and darker upperparts than sharpei, and the range of sharpei extends southeast from Tabora to the Iringa area of Tanzania and not northwards into southwestern Kenya, as had been previously thought. Meanwhile, we extend the range of sylviella from eastern Tanza-nia to areas west of the Rift Valley in the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania as well as southwestern Kenya, both areas previously considered occupied by sharpei. We further demonstrate that these two taxa intergrade where they meet in the southern reaches of the Serengeti National Park, and that sylviella also intergrades with roth-schildi across a small area to the east of the Rift Valley in Kenya immediately south of Nairobi. Further work may show birds in the Chyulu Hills, Kenya, to be a distinct form, while birds in the central Kenya Rift Valley remain only tentatively assigned to sylviella.
Background
Although normal haematological and serum biochemical values for both pet and wild birds have been published, little information is available on the haematological and serum biochemical values in long‐legged buzzards (Buteo rufinus).
Objectives
This is the first study that aimed to define reference values of haematological, biochemical parameters, and protein electrophoretic fractions of long‐legged buzzards in Iran.
Methods
Blood samples were collected from 30 clinically healthy adult long‐legged buzzards of both sexes. Hematological, biochemical parameters, and protein electrophoretic fractions were measured. The mean and standard deviations were calculated.
Results
Mean values for red blood cells, packed cell volume, haemoglobin, and white blood cells were 2.72 ± 0.60 ×10⁶/μl, 39.10 ± 3.70%, 13.45 ± 1.30 g/dl, and 3.92 ± 1.39 ×10³/μl, respectively. Mean values for biochemistry parameters were total protein 4.46 ± 1.27 g/dl, albumin 1.78 ± 0.55 g/dl, creatinine 0.54 ± 0.22 mg/dl, uric acid 7.81 ± 2.89 mg/dl, calcium 9.63 ± 2.22 mg/dl, phosphorus 4.31 ± 1.00 mg/dl, glucose 398.87 ± 96.90 mg/dl, blood urea nitrogen 10.46 ± 3.85 mg/dl, alkaline phosphatase 127.01 ± 1.46 IU/L, aspartate aminotransferase 262.22 ± 116.30 IU/L, and alanine aminotransferase 56.63 ± 27.85 IU/L. Mean values for serum protein fractions included pre‐albumin, albumin, α‐1 globulin, α‐2 globulin, β‐ globulin, and ϒ‐globulin was 0.20 ± 0.09, 2.35 ± 0.67, 0.28 ± 0.13, 0.32 ± 0.07, 0.62 ± 0.24, and 0.68 ± 0.53 g/dl, respectively.
Conclusion
The reference data presented in this study can be used as health assessment values for veterinary laboratories and clinicians when developing release criteria for rehabilitated long‐legged buzzards.
We describe the discovery of a previously unknown population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana from northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, some 2000 km north of what was previously thought to be its northern limit in central Zimbabwe. The identification of this population as M. cheniana is based primarily on analyses of mitochondrial DNA and song. We also clarify relationships within this genus by sequencing material of White-tailed Lark Mirafra albicauda for the first time; although its relationships with other species in the group remain unclear, our analyses clearly show it to be different from M. cheniana in the newly discovered population. The discovery of a population of M. cheniana in East Africa conforms to a known pattern for closely related lark species to have disjunct distributions in southern and eastern Africa.
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