Category: Blog

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.

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa-Kenya (CCBA-K) supported Hombe Community Forest Association (CFA) members to plant 15,000 trees in Mt. Kenya forest, facilitated by Nature Kenya. Early this year, Nature Kenya and CCBA-K signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement socio-economic investment programs in environmental conservation in Kenya. The MoU, geared towards CCBA-K’s sustainability agenda, targets forest reforestation programs in Kenya’s catchment areas. 

Planting took place during the April rains season. The Hombe restoration site includes a swamp on the verge of drying up. It is hoped that the newly planted trees will resuscitate this wetland as they mature. 

Hombe CFA has a membership of about 1,900 individuals drawn from the neighbouring community. Most members engage in tree seedling production as their main source of income. The CCBA-K support has helped to improve the livelihoods of Hombe CFA members through the sale of 15,000 tree seedlings. 

“The support from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa-Kenya has helped me pay for rent and other basic family needs like food, particularly during this difficult Covid-I9 period,” says Gladys Wangu, a member of Hombe CFA.

“I am grateful to the management of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa-Kenya and Nature Kenya for their support towards restoration of our forest. I appeal to others to also join us in making Hombe and the larger Mt. Kenya forest regain its original state,” says Wilson Thige, the chairperson of Hombe CFA.

Mt Kenya forest is home to rich flora and fauna. Among the species it hosts is the Critically Endangered Mountain Bongo and Kenya Jewel Damselfly, and the vulnerable Abbott’s Starling. 

Every year since 1969, bird ringers from Europe and Kenya meet at Ngulia Safari Lodge in Tsavo West National Park to participate in the ringing of Palaearctic migratory songbirds. These are birds who breed in Europe and Asia and migrate to spend the winter in Africa. Most of these birds fly south at night, passing over Tsavo in November and December. On dark, misty nights, the migrating songbirds become disoriented and land in the bush around the lights of the lodge.

This is a rare occasion in bird migratory phenomena in the world. The birds are gently caught, carried in cloth bags, identified, measured, and fitted with a light metal ring on one leg. Then they are released to continue their journey. A total of 597,694 Palearctic migratory birds of 72 species and 15,570 individuals of Afrotropical birds of 234 species have been ringed in the last 51 years (1969-2020) at the site.

Last year (2020) 10,666 Palaearctic migrants of 32 species and 588 Afrotropical birds of 75 species were captured and ringed. With so many birds, it was a challenge for the local Kenyan team to take the lead, since the ringers from Europe could not participate due to travel restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plans for the 2021 ringing are on; it will be a two-week session commencing on 30th November and ending on 10th December 2021. The Kenyan team is expected to carry out the event, since international travel is still difficult. Nature Kenya members are welcome to book a stay at Ngulia Lodge during that time and observe the ringing. You may also volunteer to “scribe” (write the notes) for the ringers. It is a rare opportunity to see many species and big numbers of Palaearctic songbirds in ringers’ hands both day and night.

For more information or to sign up, please contact nguliabirdmigration@gmail.com or Dr. Titus Imboma <imbomati911@gmail.com>.