Category: Blog

Snakes can’t fly. So when they drop down from the sky, something is amiss, right? An incident that occurred in June 2021 in Kitui caused quite a stir. A man was bitten by a snake while driving. The snake landed on the car’s roof and made its way inside through an open window. It then tangled around the man’s arm and bit him. 

Luckily, passersby came to the man’s rescue, killing the snake and freeing him from the deadly grip. More drama ensued. As the passersby prepared to burn the dead snake, a large bird swooped, grabbed the snake and made away with it. The spectacle left many baffled. Social media platforms and news outlets were full of speculations, bordering from bizarre theories to superstition. 

Being a bird enthusiast and naturalist, let me share some insights into the mysterious bird’s action. Many reports indicate it was an eagle. The peculiar behaviour displayed by the bird is typical of a bird of prey. My guess is a Snake Eagle. 

Snake Eagles, as the name suggests, specialize in hunting snakes. Like other eagles, Snake Eagles are agile, have a very sharp vision, and strong feet equipped with great curved talons. Additionally, a thick overlay of scales protects their feet from snake bites. Snake Eagles are medium-sized eagles with large rounded heads, striking yellow eyes, bare legs and an upright stance when perched.

A Snake Eagle hunts from a perch, or while soaring up in the skies. Once it spots prey on the ground, the eagle descends and snatches it, then quickly flies upwards. When it comes to hunting down some of the swiftest and deadliest snakes in the world, like cobras and black mambas, there is no room for errors. Neutralizing any potential harm comes first. The eagle crushes or rips off the serpent’s head while airborne. It then swallows the entire snake, head first. 

Occasionally, the snake may break free from the eagle’s grip and drop to the ground. Such was the case in Kitui. 

Several species of Snake Eagles occur in Kenya. They include the Black-chested, Brown, Southern Banded and Western Banded Snake Eagles and the rare Short-toed and Beaudouin’s Snake Eagles. The Beaudouin’s is listed as Vulnerable, and Southern Banded as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

Indeed, eagles are fascinating birds of prey that display unique hunting skills. Unfortunately, many of these raptors are experiencing a decline in their populations. Habitat destruction, collision with energy infrastructure, hunting, and pollution are among contributors to the dwindling numbers. A lot needs to be done to keep these skilled, soaring hunters airborne. 

When you think of bees, the first things that comes to mind are yellow and black stripes, a buzzing sound, and the possibility of getting a painful sting. Can you imagine bees without a sting? 

Actually, those do exist! Such bees are called meliponines or simply stingless bees. Worldwide, more than 600 species of stingless bees exist. However, only a fraction of them has been studied to date. 

Stingless bees are distinguished from ordinary honey bees by their size, with meliponines being smaller, having reduced wing venation, and characteristically lacking a sting. This does not mean they are defenceless, as they are known to bite possible intruders. 

Like honey bees, stingless bees are eusocial insects, forming perennial colonies that consist of a single queen, workers, and temporary males. In the wild, they build their nests in a variety of habitats such as tree cavities, holes in the ground, dead wood, cracks in stone or mud walls and abandoned termite nests. 

Stingless bees play an important role in the environment as pollinators of various flowering plants, since they feed on pollen and nectar. Stingless bees have also shown potential as pollinators for agricultural systems. Some species have shown promising results in the pollination of vegetable crops such as capsicum, leading to an increase in their yields. 

Besides pollinating plants, meliponines also produce honey. Their honey has a high medicinal value due to its antibiotic properties. Stingless bee honey is one of the most sought-after and highly-priced therapeutic natural products. Their propolis and wax also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Background: 

Grey Crowned Cranes are being ringed to study their movements and timing, determine regional populations, mortality and other aspects of their natural history such as age at first pairing and breeding. Ringing involves placing a metal or coloured ring or band on the bird’s leg. This is a joint initiative of several organizations (NMK, KWS, NABU, ICF/EWT and Cranes Conservation Germany). The focus for now is to mark a substantial population of Grey Crowned Crane (GCC) across the range States. 

Colour bands or rings: The ringing program being adopted for Kenya and the rest of the GCC range is from the European Crane Ringing Program that has been running since early 1990s led by Cranes Conservation Germany. In Kenya, the program was rolled out in December 2017, and by August 2020, a total of c.60 flightless chicks had been colour-marked in Lake Ol’ Bolossat and Mugie Wildlife Conservancy – initially considered as one population (NB: Kenya is perceived to have six GCC populations but GPS data is proving otherwise!). A few individuals were additionally fitted with GPS tags. 

Why ring flightless chicks? These have the advantage of avoiding the use of traps that could injure delicate waterfowl such as cranes, and give us the certainty of both origin (hatching place) and age (GCC chicks fly from 12 weeks of age) – compared to an adult with an unknown past. Due to chick mortality (especially from predation by stray dogs and mongoose) and mysterious disappearances (likely from poaching for the bird trade), we prefer to mark them at age 10 or 11 weeks – just when they are about to fledge. 

Colour Combinations: Currently, there is a choice of 7 colour rings. A set of three is placed on each leg. The following is an interpretation of each ring: 

LEFT LEG: The top and bottom rings are the country colour code which for Kenya is Blue (Bu) while the middle ring is the population. We have been using Green (G) for the Lake Ol’ Bolossat basin population, and western Kenya has settled on Red. The combination is read top to bottom thus BuGBu. 

RIGHT LEG: This is the unique individual combination of any 3 colours from a choice of 7 [Green (G), Blue (Bu), White (W), Yellow (Y), Red (R), Brown (Br) and Black (Bk)]. The combination is also read top to bottom: GRG. 

GPS tags: At the moment, two types of solar-powered tags are in use: a backpack, and one glued to the colour rings. 

Some findings so far: Re-sighting of colour-marked individuals has been very poor, especially after the chicks take to the air as they disperse to join the non-breeding (‘floater’) flocks. The most rewarding data is from individuals marked with GPS tags. 

Report marked crane sightings: This study is just starting and we hope to spend quite some time unravelling the little-known life of the Grey Crowned Crane. We would therefore appreciate it if any information on marked cranes is shared with us at Wanyoike Wamiti wwamiti@gmail.com (WhatsApp +254 733 599 686) with a cc to George Muigai georgeccv.ke@gmail.com. Your records will be highly appreciated and acknowledged. 

Ever been out on a bird walk and encountered birds exhibiting some extraordinary behaviours? Nature never ceases to amaze! Every moment outdoors has its surprises. Such was Jeam Agutu’s experience during a birding trip in Homa Bay. A White-browed Robin Chat feeding a Red-chested Cuckoo chick? Where did this relationship begin, and how did it happen?

This bird behaviour is called brood parasitism. It occurs when one bird lays eggs in the nest of another bird (the host). The host then plays foster parent to the chick of the parasitic bird. Brood parasitism occurs only in birds of different species. About one per cent of the world’s birds are brood parasites. They include some cuckoos, a duck, honeyguides, whydahs and indigobirds.

But how do they manage to lay their eggs in other birds’ nests? Brood parasites may spend long hours patiently watching their hosts’ nest, anticipating an opportunity. Time is of the essence when the chance arises. The brood parasite lays its eggs in quick succession.

Some species even remove some of the host’s eggs. Others lay identical eggs to their specific host, making it difficult for them to distinguish the intruder’s eggs.

The eggs of brood parasites develop quickly and are usually the first to hatch. The nestlings of some species even kill the young of the unsuspecting host bird to get all attention.

In the case of the Village Indigobird that lays eggs in the nests of Red-billed Firefinches, the young indigobirds and firefinches grow up and feed together.

February 2nd – 2.2.22 – is World Wetlands Day. It’s the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, adopted as an international treaty in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

Wetlands host birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects, plants and microorganisms, providing food, shelter and breeding grounds. The seasonal wetlands of Dakatcha woodland, for instance, are the known breeding grounds of the Clarke’s (Kilifi) Weaver, a threatened bird found only in Kilifi County. Kingwal swamp in Nandi hills is a breeding site for the rare Sitatunga antelope.

Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services and support the livelihoods of millions of communities. Global recognition of the conservation value of the Tana River Delta confirms the significance of the ecosystem services it provides. This vast wetland system provides intangible environmental services, including: regulation of the hydrological cycle, moderation of the climate, protection of soil from erosion, stabilization of the shoreline and reduction of the impact of storm surges. The Delta significantly contributes to the livelihoods of farming, herding and fishing communities, cultural and recreational activities, and supports economic development for Tana River and Lamu Counties and the nation.

Despite the critical functions they provide, wetlands are continually under threat. Yala Swamp, for example, currently faces imminent danger from agricultural development. Yet Yala Swamp filters and cleans water entering Lake Victoria, supports local communities and protects papyrus-dependent birds and wildlife.

Lake Nakuru in the Rift Valley is choking with raw sewage and industrial waste. In Lake Naivasha, new industrial developments compete for fresh water with the lake, the horticulture it supports and the wildlife it shelters. Dunga swamp in Kisumu faces pollution from sewerage from adjacent residential estates, encroachment and excessive and unsustainable harvest of papyrus.

Seasonal Wetlands face special threats

Seasonal wetlands are under particular threat, because they appear dry much of the year. They are thus converted to agriculture, not reserved during land demarcation, and ignored in road construction and other infrastructural development. Aerial photographs are usually taken in the dry season, and seasonal wetlands may be “invisible” to planners and decision makers, leading to ecological and hydrological degradation and habitat loss.

Seasonal wetlands include floodplains; seasonal marshes, lakes and springs; temporary pools in grassland, woodland and bush; and ephemeral rock pools, flooded rock slabs and seeps. They play a critical role in dryland ecology.

Seasonal wetlands are breeding and regeneration sites for animals and plants. During the rainy season, fish, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and birds disperse to seasonal wetlands to breed. Mammals such as wildebeest migrate to areas with seasonal rain pools to give birth. Trees germinate on silt brought by flooding rivers. Seasonal wetlands are critical feeding grounds for livestock, migratory waterfowl and wildlife.

Some actions to protect seasonal wetlands include: Making at least one survey for an EIA during or immediately after the rainy season or enquire from local people which areas hold water during the rainy season; discouraging the planting of trees on seasonal wetlands, as trees may speed the natural conversion of wetland to land.

Addressing threats facing Kenya’s wetlands

In Tana River Delta and Yala Swamp, two of Kenya’s largest and most important wetlands, Nature Kenya has been championing for better planning of developments in the wetlands to minimize biodiversity loss.

In 2011, Nature Kenya led a collaborative effort of various stakeholders to develop the Tana River Delta Land Use Plan (LUP). The LUP was informed by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The LUP is a framework that guides the management of land and natural resources for various uses, including conservation, at the Tana River Delta, a wetland of international importance (Ramsar site). Implementation of the Tana Delta LUP is ongoing.

Nature Kenya is leading different initiatives to support the Tana Delta ecosystem:

• Promoting the indigenous and community conservation areas (ICCAs) approach at the Delta. The ICCAs are biodiversity-rich conservancies based on traditional, cultural, and multiple land use under the management of local communities.
• ‘The Restoration Initiative (TRI) Tana Delta’ project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) seeks to restore degraded forest landscapes and reverse biodiversity loss for increased and improved ecosystem services at the Delta. Nature Kenya is the project’simplementing partner.
• Promoting sustainable livelihood activities to enhance community resilience to climate change and conserve the 130,000-hectare Tana River Delta. The livelihood activities include climate-smart agriculture and beekeeping. This initiative is funded by the European Union (EU) through its Rebuilding Community Resilience-Building in Livelihood and Disaster Risk Management (REBUILD) project. This project is being implemented by CISP, in collaboration with Nature Kenya, the National Drought Management Authority, GROOTS and Procasur.

A land-use plan for Yala Swamp has also been developed. The land-use plan seeks to put the use, management and conservation of Yala Swamp on a sustainable footing.

Community Engagement

Communities living adjacent to wetlands play a critical role in their conservation. Nature Kenya works with local conservation groups that serve as Site Support Groups (SSGs) for Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). These KBAs include wetlands. Community groups engage in site restoration, monitoring, advocacy, environmental education and awareness creation, and promotion of sustainable livelihood activities. The SSGs are active in Yala Swamp, Tana River Delta, Lake Bogoria, Lake Naivasha, Lake Ol’ Bolossat, Mida Creek, Sabaki River Mouth and Dunga Swamp. The Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group (DWCG) works to conserve Dakatcha Woodland, including its seasonal wetlands.