Author: John Mwacharo

Violet-backed Starling Breeding in Kakuzi, Murang’a County

Posted on by John Mwacharo

By Simon Odhiambo

On Sunday, 26th January, John Gitiri and visitors stopped by Kakuzi for a little birding. As we walked, out of nowhere, I spotted a male and a female Violet-backed Starling flying past. The birds flew towards an Acrocarpus tree and the male landed and crawled into a hole in one of the dry branches of the tree. Later in the day, excited and armed with my camera, I observed the male and female fly in and out of the nest hole, each time with a beak full of caterpillars. This looked like a busy feeding exercise. On every 6th or 7th visit to the nest hole, the male would come out with a beak-full of solid bird dropping and fly away with it, I guess for safe disposal.  Initially it was the male doing the nest sanitation and just before I concluded that this was his role, the female interfered with my line of thought by flying out with a beak-full of droppings.  I continue observing the nest at least once each day as I am interested in documenting the fledglings and finding out if this is another successful breeding of Violet-backed Starling in Kenya.

Tana Delta Birds, Communities and Conservation

Posted on by John Mwacharo

By Justus M. Munywoki

At Lake Mbililo in Kenya’s Tana River Delta, birds of all shapes, sizes, and colours are out, filling the air with their calls.  Amid the symphony of bird calls, a trained community guide leads colleagues on a data collection mission. Their goal? To monitor the hundreds of bird species in the wetland, particularly waterbirds. This data collection exercise is part of the community-driven initiatives to safeguard the Tana Delta ecosystems that sustain biodiversity. Resident and migratory birds such as Grey-headed Kingfishers, Cattle Egrets, Gull-billed Terns and Common Greenshanks frequent the lake and other such wetlands to feed and breed, making the Delta an attractive destination for bird enthusiasts.

The expansive Tana River Delta, which spans more than 160,000 hectares along the country’s north-eastern coastline in Tana River and Lamu Counties, is a designated Ramsar site (a wetland of international importance). The Delta is also a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) with a diverse range of habitats that attract birds from all over the world, from riverine forests and flooded grasslands to mangroves, intertidal zones, and open beaches.

One of the most outstanding aspects of bird monitoring exercises, like Lake Mbililo’s, is the active participation of local communities. Conservationists work closely with residents to raise awareness about the importance of migratory birds and their habitats. This grassroots engagement promotes a sense of ownership and pride among local people, mobilizing them to protect their environment.

Bird monitoring in the Tana River Delta is not just counting birds. Birds serve as vital indicators of habitat conditions and the impacts of climate change. By observing trends in bird populations and distribution, conservationists can detect early signs of environmental stress, such as habitat degradation or shifting climate patterns, and act to address these challenges.

Birdwatching is a great hobby, and a good entry to environmental awareness. Local communities actively conduct bird counts and identify potential birdwatching areas. This engagement contributes to sustainability, as trained community monitors educate others, fostering a cycle of knowledge and environmental stewardship.

“Raising awareness about bird monitoring is critical in garnering local support to protect the Tana River Delta ecosystem. When communities are involved, conservation becomes a shared responsibility,” says Yona Makondeni from the Tana Delta Conservation Network, the Nature Kenya Site Support Group for the Delta.

The monitoring process is innovative yet simple. In the last waterbird count conducted in February 2024 in Tana, 2,220 individual birds were recorded using the mobile app eBird, which allowed participants to document every bird they saw or heard. They created a digital checklist, which was then uploaded to the app’s global database in real-time. This user-friendly approach has revolutionised bird monitoring at the Delta, making it accessible to both experts and community members.

KBA in Focus: Mida Creek, Whale Island and the Malindi-Watamu Coast

Posted on by John Mwacharo

At Kenya’s North Coast in Kilifi County lie three sites that form one Key Biodiversity Area (KBA): Mida Creek, Whale Island, and the Malindi-Watamu Coast. This KBA is part of the Malindi-Watamu-Arabuko-Sokoke UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is also part of the broader Malindi and Watamu Marine national parks and reserves, a protected area along the Indian Ocean coastline. The ecosystem is an important coastal wetland consisting of mangrove forests, mudflats, beaches, seagrass beds, and coral reefs, including coral outcrops such as Whale Island. It serves as a stopover for migratory birds along the Asian–East African Flyway that rely on the mudflats and exposed reefs as critical feeding grounds. It supports numerous bird species, including sea terns that regularly nest on Whale Island.

The complex ecological nature of the KBA makes it an outstanding site for coastal and marine wildlife, yet it is along the edges of a busy tourism area.  Marine National Parks and Reserve are important for conserving the fringing reef, the famous coral gardens within the lagoons, and the seagrass beds, with their diverse marine biodiversity. The reefs are popular for snorkelling, diving, and marine research. Mida Creek has important mangrove forests with a high diversity of species, including Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Avicennia marina and Sonneratia alba. It is a key spawning ground for many fish species.

This remarkable KBA faces several threats, including coastal development, climate change, overfishing, pollution, and a lack of sufficient funds for research. A nuclear power plant has even been proposed next to this outstanding environmental site! Coastal development projects greatly affect the delicate ecosystems in the KBA, such as coral reefs and mangroves. Infrastructural development and tourism activities have been a leading cause of pollution. Mangroves have continuously been cut down for charcoal burning, furniture making, and construction.

The Mida Creek Conservation and Awareness Group, registered in 2004, is one of the local community groups working tirelessly to conserve the KBA. Its activities include awareness creation and advocacy, mangrove planting, beach clean-ups, participating in the annual waterfowl census, and income-generating activities such as beekeeping, ecotourism, and selling mangrove seedlings.

Bird Ringing in Ngulia

Posted on by John Mwacharo

By Aloise Garvey

Do you know that a tiny metal or plastic ring placed on a bird’s leg can unlock incredible secrets about its life? This process, known as bird ringing or bird banding, is a fascinating way researchers learn about birds and how to protect them.

Here’s how it works: a small tag (usually a strip of metal) with a unique code is gently attached to a bird’s tarsus (the part of the leg just above the foot). This tag, now a band or ring on the bird’s leg, helps researchers identify the bird if it’s seen or caught again.

Birds are carefully captured using special mist nets – thin mesh nets with small pockets designed to hold the birds until trained handlers remove them for processing safely. Once ringed, the bird’s species, age, sex, and wing length are recorded. This information helps scientists answer important questions: where do birds go during migration? How long do they live? When do they breed? What’s their health like?

One of the most remarkable bird-ringing sites in the world is right here in Kenya, at Ngulia Safari Lodge in Tsavo West National Park. The Ngulia bird ringing story began in 1969 when on a misty night the lodge’s bright floodlights attracted thousands of birds. Many flew into the lights, while others settled in nearby bushes. Curious about this phenomenon, ornithologists discovered that these were Palearctic birds – migratory birds travelling thousands of kilometres from Europe and Asia to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. These birds rely on the moon, stars, landmarks, and instincts to guide their epic journeys. But on misty nights, when they reach the hills near the lodge, they become disoriented, and fly towards the lodge’s lights.

Since then, bird enthusiasts and researchers worldwide have gathered at Ngulia annually to ring these extraordinary travellers and witness the awe-inspiring migration. The 2024 Ngulia Annual Bird Ringing event, held from November 24 to December 6, was nothing short of spectacular. A total of 13,328 birds were ringed, including 966 resident birds. An impressive 118 species were recorded, including migratory Eurasian Scops Owl and Corn Crakes and a rare Lesser Cuckoo, and the local, colourful Narina Trogon, charming Eastern Nicators, vibrant African Golden Orioles, and many more.

These birds, with their incredible journeys and dazzling diversity, reveal the wonders of migration and remind us how truly interconnected our world is. Bird ringing isn’t just exciting – it’s crucial. By understanding birds’ migration routes, breeding habits, and survival challenges, researchers can develop strategies to protect them. Events like Ngulia’s Annual Bird Ringing are vital in global bird conservation efforts.

So, the next time you spot a bird in your garden or on a nature walk, remember – it might just be part of an incredible story that spans continents and connects us all.

Raising seedlings of hope in Cherangani

Posted on by John Mwacharo
By Julius Kimani and Paul Kaino

In the Cherangani Hills, communities are leading a transformative effort to restore degraded forests and build resilience against climate change. In 2024, six Community Forest Associations (CFAs) from the area achieved a remarkable milestone of producing 700,000 tree seedlings in a year! This feat shows how concerted local action can spur forest restoration efforts. The CFAs – Elgeyo, Kessup, Cherangani, Cheptongei, Kapyego, and Chesoi – have established vibrant nurseries that nurture over 20 species of indigenous trees, including Syzygium guineense, Markhamia lutea, Hagenia abyssinica, Olea europaea ssp. africana, Juniperus procera, Prunus africana and many more. These nurseries ensure a steady supply of seedlings for forest restoration efforts while empowering communities with new skills and economic opportunities to create a greener, more sustainable future.

The journey to this milestone has been as transformative as the outcome. Through Nature Kenya, with financial support from the TerraFund for AFR100 project, CFA members have been trained in tree nursery management and provided with essential materials, such as potting tubes, wheelbarrows, hose pipes, watering cans, water tanks and piping, to support their efforts.

“Thanks to Nature Kenya, we’ve learned valuable skills to manage our nurseries and restore our forests,” says Mercy Chebet, a member of Chesoi CFA. “This achievement gives us pride and hope for the future.”

Beyond restoring forests, tree seedling production has become a lifeline for local communities. Selling seedlings to the restoration program, county governments, and private buyers has brought much-needed income.

In the Kessup forest, one of thirteen fragments of the Cherangani Hills Forest that spans Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties, the CFA raised over 400,000 seedlings and earned over Ksh 2.1 million through the sale of the seedlings. Similarly, Cheptongei CFA produced more than 160,000 and earned more than Ksh 4 million by selling seedlings to the project. “This income helped sustain our operations and improve our lives,” says Dr Thomas Chepkiyeng, Chairman of Elgeyo CFA.

Women have been key players in this success story. The Berur Women’s Group, part of Kessup CFA, has expanded its operations and created economic opportunities by selling seedlings.

The impact of producing these seedlings extends far beyond the nurseries. In April and November 2024, over 288,000 seedlings of 18 assorted species raised in the CFAs’ nurseries were planted across 290 hectares of forest, marking significant progress in restoring degraded areas inside the state forests. To ensure survival, the communities take care of the planted seedlings.

“On average, the survival rate of the planted seedlings is 80%, which is proof that our efforts are working,” says John Musa, a committee member of Cheptongei CFA.

Under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS), communities have been granted access to degraded state forest areas by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), where they plant trees alongside crops, thereby blending conservation with food security.

The CFAs are not stopping at 700,000 seedlings. Going forward, they plan to expand production to one million seedlings annually while diversifying into flower and fruit farming. This ambitious vision underscores the communities’ commitment to conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

“This is only the beginning,” says Hance Juma, a forest station manager at Kessup Forest. “Anything is possible when communities and other stakeholders come together for a common goal – to restore our degraded forests.”

The Cherangani Hills Forest is part of a montane global biodiversity hotspot and a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Cherangani, vital for biodiversity and local communities, provides critical ecosystem services as a water catchment for the Kerio Valley basin (Lake Turkana) and Lake Victoria basin, supporting domestic use, irrigation, industry, and hydropower.