AA 2^ I

MAUMBUS

Journal of the West African Ornithological Society

Revue de la Société d’Ornithologie de l’Ouest Africain

VOLUME 23 Number 2

ISSN 0331-3689

December 2001

West African Ornithological Society

Société d’Ornithologie de l’Ouest Africain

Conseil:

Président: Dr Gérard J. Morel

Vice-Président: Prof. C. Hilary Fry

Trésorier et chargé des abonnements: Robert E. Sharland

Rédacteur en Chef: Dr Alan Tye

Membre du Conseil: Dr Max Germain

Secrétaire du Conseil: Dr Roger Wilkinson

Secrétaire adjoint: Dr Hazell S. S. Thompson

Comité de Rédaction: Dr C. Chappuis, Dr R.A. Cheke, R. Demey, R.J. Dowsett, F.

Dowsett-Lemaire, Dr L.D.C. Fishpool, Prof C.H. Fry, Dr P.J. Jones, Dr G.J. Morel, Dr

J.F. Walsh, Dr R. Wilkinson

Distribution de Malimbus: G.D. Field

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2001

77

Birds of Irangi Forest, Albertine Rift,

Democratic Republic of Congo

by Robert Byamana Kizungu

Ornithology Lab., Biology Dept, Centre de Recherche en Sciences Natarelles de

Lwiro, D.S. Bukavu, République Démocratique du Congo

Present address: CRSN-LWÎRO RDC, B.P. 02 Cyangugu, Rwanda

e-mail: kbyamana@yahooxom

Received 1 July 1999; revised 17 October 2001.

Summary

I document 116 bird species recorded in the Irangi area, Jan^-Jun 1996,

inciuding 67 additions to the Irangi avifauna. The total number of bird species

now known from Irangi is about 180. Most birds recorded are forest-

dependent (forest specialists or generalists). The 40% coefficient of similarity

between the birds of primary and secondary forests is caused mainly by

primary^ forest birds entering clearings to feed, and by forest fragmentation.

Of the 116 species recorded, 76 are also found in Budongo forest (Albertine

Rift, NW Uganda). Conservation issues in the area are also discussed.

Résumé

Les oiseaux du Forêt i^Iraugi, Rift Albertin^ République Démocratique

du Congo* Les 116 espèces d’oiseaux inventoriées à Irangi de janvier à juin

1996, dont 67 s’ajoutent à cette avifaune, sont ici annotées. Le nombre total

d’espèces actuellement coimues à Irangi est d’environ 180. La plupart

dépendent de la forêt comme spécialistes ou généralistes. Le coefficient de

similarité de 40% entre les espèces de forêt secondaire et primaire est dû au

fait que les espèces de forêt primaire vont dans les clairières pour se nourrir,

et de la fragmentation de la forêt. Des 116 espèces inventoriées, 76 se

trouvent également dans la forêt de Budongo (Rift Albertin, NO de l’Ou-

ganda). Je fournis enfin des données sur les moyens de conserver ces espèces.

Introduction

Irangi Forest is close to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, eastern Democratic Republic of

Congo (DRC), and belongs to the Albertine Rift Sub-Region (FigJ). The sub-region

78

R.B. Kizungu

Malimbus 23

is an endemic bird area and important for many other endemic taxa (Collar & Stuart

1988, Bibby et al. 1992). The high diversity of species and habitats is due to the

biogeographic position of the Albertine Rift, a transition zone between the Guineo-

congolian, the Lake Victoria mosaic and the Zambezian region (White 1983). Two

important factors seem to have played a significant role in the distribution and

composition of biodiversity in this sub-region; natural events (including the dry

Pleistocene period, eruptions and altitude barriers) and high human population density

(Hamilton 1976, Diamond & Hamilton 1980, Harcourt & Fossey 1981). The status of

birds along the Albertine Rift is not well known (Dowsett 1985, Prigogine 1985,

Collar & Stuart 1988) and the patterns of distribution have not been related to the

environmental factors mentioned above. Although species lists are available for most

of the Albertine forests, these are not complete (Britton 1980), partly due to

identification problems (Dranzoa 1997).

Most work on Irangi birds has comprised only surveys in the forests and savanna

(Wilson & Catsis 1990, Kizungu 1996, Kizungu & Beyers 1994, Kizungu et al. 1998)

rather than ecological study. This paper attempts to determine the habitats used by the

bird species found in the Irangi area and discusses their conservation.

Study Area

Irangi station (alt. 700-1200 m, 1°59'S, 28°27'E) is situated 110 km NNE from

Buka vu on the Bukavu-Walikale-Kisangani road, between Bunyakiri and Hombo. It

has a high rainfall all year, with a minimum in Jan-Feb; the mean temperature is c.

25°C. It is essentially an equatorial rainforest. The Irangi area is characterized by the

presence of fog each morning until about 8h00, which affects bird activities.

The primary forest at Irangi is characterized by the canopy trees Gilbertiodendron

dewevrei, Julbernard^a sereti, Cynometra alexandri and Piptadeniastrum africanum,

with Puelia ciliata a id Aframomum spp. dominant in the herb layer and the shrub

stratum characterized by Sapium ellipticum, Scaphopetalum thonneri and

Thomandersia laurifolia (Kizungu & Beyers 1994). The secondary forest is

dominated by the trees Uapaca guineensis and Musanga cecropioides, by the shrubs

and lianas Macaranga spinosa, Albizia gummifera, Harungana madagascariensis,

Alchornea cordifolia and A. floribunda, with understorey plants including Costus afer,

Sporobolus sp., Panicum sp. and Setaria sp.. Within the secondary forest are primary

forest patches comprising tree species which characterize primary forest relicts, such

as Antiaris welwitchii, Canarium schweinfurthii, Celtis dubia and Gilbertiondendron

dewevrei. In the open areas are fish-rearing ponds, which attract some additional bird

species.

The Irangi area exhibits forest fragmentation. The people living near the forest

collect lianas and wood for house construction, and hunt game. Among the rich

biodiversity of the forest other than the birds, are many plants of the Guineo-

2001

Birds of Irangi

79

congolian Region (e.g Gilbertiondendron dewevrei, Musanga cecropioides,

Macaranga spinosd) and others endemic to the eastern DRC {e.g. Polyscias

kivuensis). Important animal species found within the area include primates

characteristic of lowlands {e.g. Cercopithecus ascanius) and the otter shrew

Potamogale veiox.

Methods

The study was carried out in the Reserve Forest of the Centre de Recherche en

Sciences Naturelles (CRSN-Lwiro) in Irangi. All observations were in lowland

habitats, between 700 and 950 m altitude (cf. Prigogine 1975). North-south transects,

of 3 km in primary forests and 5 km in secondary forest, were walked on ten days per

month in the six months Jan-Juee 1996. Transect times were between 6h00 and

12h00 in primary and from 14h00 in secondary on the first day, and then in reverse

order on the second day. I recorded all birds seen or heard in four habitat types:

primary forest, secondary forest, fishponds, air. Birds were identified using

Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1973), Williams & Arlott (1989), Lippens & Wille

(1976), Sinclair et al. (1993) and Perlo (1995).

Results

The 1 16 species recorded in Irangi are presented below. Of these, 69 species occurred

in secondary forest (SF: 58%), 49 in primary forest (PF: 42%), 12 in the fishponds (P:

10%), and 10 in the air (A: 8%). Species known or suspected to be forest-dependent in

the region (Matthews 1996) are indicated by the following abbreviations in

parentheses: (FG) forest generalists; (FS) forest specialists; (FGL) lowland forest

generalists; (FSL) lowland forest specialists. Palaearctic migrants are indicated by

PM. Numbers in parentheses indicate the months when observations were made.

Abundance is indicated by: c (common: at least one individual recorded in 5-6

months); f (frequent: at least one individual recorded in 3-4 months); u (uncommon:

at least one individual recorded in 1-2 months). * indicates not recorded by Wilson &

Catsis (1990), Kizungu & Beyers (1994) or Kizungu (1996). B indicates species

recorded in Budongo Forest by Matthews (1996).

Podidpedidae

Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe. P(1-4)P B.

Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocorax africanus Long-tailed Shag. P(l,3“5)f B.

Ardeidae

Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret. A(1”4)P B.

80

R.B. Kizungu

Malimbus 23

Egretta garzetta Little Egret. A(l-2)u*.

E. intermedia Yellow-billed Egret. A(l)u*.

Ardea purpurea Purple Heron. A(3-4)u*.

Threskiornithidae

Bostrychia rara Spot-breasted Ibis. P(l)u*.

Anatidae

Pteronetia hartlaubii Hartlaub's Duck, P(l-4)f.

Acdpitridae

Pernis apivorus Honey Buzzard. SF(l,4—5)f* B.

Gypohierax angoiensis Palm-nut Vulture. SF(l,3-4)f B.

Polyboroides radiatus Harrier Hawk. SF(4)u* B.

Accipiter tachiro African Goshawk. SF(2)u*.

Kaupifaico monogrammicus Lizard Buzzard. SF(l)u* B.

Buteo vulpinus Common Buzzard. PM,SF (l,4-5)f*.

Lophaetus occipitalis Long-crested Hawk-Eagle. SF(C4-5)f*B.

Fakonidae

Falco cuvierii African Hobby. (FG) PF(4)u* B.

Scolopacidae

Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper. PM, P(l,4)u* B.

Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper. PM, P(l,4)u.

Coîumbîdae

Columba unicincta Grey Wood-Pigeon. (FS) SF(4)u* B.

C. iriditorques Western Bronze-naped Pigeon. (FG) PF,SF (3--5)f.

Turtur afer Red-billed Wood-Dove. SF(l,3-4)f* B.

T. tympanistria Tambourine Dove. (FG) SF(3)u* B.

Treron australis Green Fruit-Pigeon. (FG) PF,SF (3-4,6)f B.

Psittacidae

Psittacus erithacus Grey Parrot. (FS) SF(l-6)c B.

Musophagidae

Coryihaeola cristata Great Blue Turaco. (FG) SF(l-3,5-6)f B.

Cuculidae

Clamator levaiilantii Levaillant’s Cuckoo. PM , PF(4)u* B.

Cuculus clamosus Black Cuckoo. (FS) PF,SF(3)u* B.

Chrysococcyx cupreus Emerald Cuckoo. (FG) SF,PF (l-6)c B.

C. flavigularis Yellow-Throated Green Cuckoo. (FG) PF(6)u*.

C. klaas Klaas’s Cuckoo. SF(1-3)F,

Ceuthmochares aureus Yellowbill. (FG) PF(3)u*.

Centropus monachus Blue-headed Coucal. SF(l-6)c B.

Apodidae

Rhaphidura sabini Sabine's Spinetail. (FS) PF(5)* B.

Neafrapus cassini Cassin’s Spinetail. (FSL) A(2-4)f B.

Cypsiurus parvus Palm Swift. SF(2)u* B.

2001

Birds of Irangi

81

Apus apus Eurasian Swift. PM, A(l)u B.

A. barbatus African Black Swift. A(l)u.

A. horns Homs Swift. A(l)u*.

Alcedinidae

Aicedo quadribrachys Shining Blue Kingfisher. (FG) P(4)u* B.

Ceyx pictus Pygmy Kingfisher. P(4,6)u* B.

Halcyon badia Chocolate-backed Kingfisher. (FSL) PF(3,5)u* B.

H. malimbica Blue-breasted Kingfisher. (FG) PF(4)u* B.

H. sene£alensis Woodland Kingfisher. P(l-4,6)c* B.

Coraciidae

Eurystomus gularis Blue-throated Roller, (FG) PF(5)u* B.

Bucerotidae

Tropicranus albocristatus White-crested Hombill. (FG) PF(3,5)u.

Tockus camurus Red-billed Dwarf Hombill. (FG) PF(l)u.

T. fasciatus Pied Hombill. (FG) SF(l-6)c B.

Bycanistes fistulator Piping Hombill. (FG) PF,SF (2-3, 5)u B.

B. cylindricus White-thighed Hombill. (FG) PF,SF (l-3,6)f B.

Ceratogymna atrata Black-casqued Wattled Hombill. (FS) PF(l-6)c.

Lybiidae

Pogoniulus scolopaceus Speckled Tinkerbird. (FS) PF,SF (l-6)c B.

P. subsulphureus Yellow-throated Tinkerbird. (FS) PF,SF (l-6)c B.

P. atroflavus Red-mmped Tinkerbird. (FS) SF(1,4-5)P.

Tricholaema hirsuta Hairy-breasted Barbet. (FS) PF,SF (l-3,6)f.

Indicatoridae

Indicator maculatus Spotted Honeyguide. (FS) PF(3)u*.

Pkidae

Campethera caillauti Green-backed Woodpecker. (FG) SF(3)u.

C. caroli Brown-eared Woodpecker. (FG) PF(5)u B.

Hirundinidae

Psalidoprocne nitens Square-Tailed Roughwing. PF(3,5-6)f

Pseudhirundo griseopyga Grey-mmped Swallow. PF,SF (5)u.

Hirundo nigrita White-throated Blue Swallow. A(l)u.

Motacillidae

Motacilla capensis Cape Wagtail. P(l-4)f

M. clara Mountain Wagtail. P(l,3)u.

M. aguimp African Pied Wagtail. P(l^,6)c.

Pycnonotidae

Andropadus virens Little Greenbul. (FG) PF,SF(4)u B.

A. latirostris Yellow-whiskered Bulbul. (FG) PF,SF (2,4)u B.

Ixonotus guttatus Spotted Bulbul. (FS) SF(4-5)u* B.

Chlorocichla flavicollis Yellow-throated Bulbul. SF(2)u B.

Criniger calurus Red-tailed Bulbul. (FS) PF(l-2)u* B.

82

R.B. Kizungu

Malimbus 23

Pycnonotus barbatus Common Bulbul. SF(l-6)c B.

Turdidae

Stizorhina fraseri Fraser’s Ant-Thrush. (FS) PF(2-4,6)f'‘ B.

Sylviidae

Eremomela badiceps Brown-crowned Eremomela. (FGL) SF(3-4,6)f B.

Sylvietta virens Green Crombec. (FG) SF(4)u B.

S. denti Lemon-bellied Crombec. (FSL) SF(l)u* B.

Hylia prasina Green Hylia. (FG) PF,SF (2,5-6)f.

Prinia subflava West African Prinia. SF(4-6)f*' B.

Apalis nigriceps Black-capped Apalis. (FSL) SF(5)u*B.

A. rufogularis Buff-throated Apalis. (FS) PF,SF (2-4)f B.

Camaroptera brachyura Grey-backed Camaroptera. PF,SF (l-4,6)c B.

Muscicapidae

Fraseria ocreata Forest Flycatcher. (FG) PF,SF(3)u B.

Muscicapa cassini Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher. (FG) SF(l-5)c B.

M. sethsmithi Yellow-footed Flycatcher. (FS) PF(2-3,5)f* B.

M. infuscata Sooty Flycatcher. (FG) SF(4)u*.

Platysteiridae

Dyaphorophyia castanea Chestnut Wattle-eye. (FS) PF,SF(l)u B.

Monarchidae

Erythrocercus mccallii Chestnut-capped Flycatcher. (FS) PF(2-3)u* B.

Terpsiphone viridis African Paradise Flycatcher. PF,SF(3)u B.

T. bedfordi Bedford’s Paradise Flycatcher. (FS) PF(2-3,5)f

Nectariniidae

Anthreptes rectirostris Green Sunbird. (FS) SF(4)u* B.

A. collaris Collared Sunbird. (FG) SF(l,3,5)f B.

Nectarinia seimundi Little Olive Sunbird. (FGL) PF(3)u B.

N. olivacea Olive Sunbird. (FS) PF,SF (2,4)u B.

N. verticalis Green-headed Sunbird. (FG) SF(2,3)u* B.

K cyanolaema Blue-throated Sunbird. (FS) SF(5)u* B.

N. senegalensis Scarlet-chested Sunbird. (FG) SF(5)u* B.

N. chloropygia Olive-bellied Sunbird. (FG) SF(l-4)f B.

N. superba Superb Sunbird. (FGL) SF(l,3-4)f*‘ B.

Oriolidae

Oriolus brachyrhynchus Black-headed Oriole. (FS) PF,SF (l,3-6)f B.

Malaconotidae

Dryoscopus senegalensis Pink-footed Puffback. (FG) SF(l)u*.

Nicator chloris Common Nicator. (FG) SF(l-2,4— 6)f B.

Dicrurldae

Dicrurus atripennis Shining Drongo. (FS) PF(l)u.

Corvidae

Corvus albus Pied Crow. SF(l,3-5)f.

2001

Birds of Irangi

83

Sturraldae

Onychogmtus fulgidus Forest Chestnut-winged Starling. (FS) PF,SF B.

Lamprotornis purpureiceps Purple-headed Glossy Starling. (FG) PF,SF (l“456)c B.

Cinnyricindus leucogaster Amethyst Starling. SF(3)u B.

Plocddae

Ploceus tricolor Yellow-mantled Weaver. (FS) PF(3)u* B.

P. preussi Preuss*s Golden-backed Weaver. PF(3)u*.

Maiimbus maiimbicus Crested Malimbe. (FG) PF(3)u B.

M rubricoliis Red-collared Malimbe. (FS) PF(6)u* B.

M coronatus Red-crowned Malimbe. (FG) PF(l)u*.

EstrîîdMae

Nigriia canicapilla Grey-crowned Negrofinch. (FG) SF(4-”5)f B.

N. luteifrons Pale-fronted Negrofinch. SF(4)u.

N. feicotor Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch. (FSL) SF(l-2,4~“5)f B.

N. fusconota White-breasted Negrofinch. (FG) SF(4— 5)u* B.

Estriida melpoda Orange-cheeked Waxbill. SF(l-“6)c.

E. atricapiiia Black-headed Waxbill. SF(4“6)f.

Lonchura bicolor Red-backed Mannikin. SF(l“-2)u.

L. fringilloides Pied Mannikin. SF(3“4)u.

In primary forest, Chrysococcyx cupreus and Pogoniulus subsulphureus were the

commonest species, and they were inventoried during all 6 months in both primary

and secondary forests. Of the bird species found only in primary forest, Ceratogymna

atrata was the most conspicuous. Among the 49 primary forest species, 46% were

forest generalists, 32% forest specialists, 6% lowland forest specialists, and 2%

lowland forest generalists. The remainder include widespread species and visitors

from other habitats, including Palaearctic migrants.

In secondary forest, Pycnomtus barbatus and Pogoniulus subsulphureus were the

most common species, with records during all six months. Of the 69 secondary forest

species, 37% m^ere forest generalists, 19% forest specialists, 4% lowland forest

specialists and 3% lowland forest generalists.

\

Among the 12 fishpond species, Motacilla aguimp and Halcyon senegalensis

were the most common species. Only K senegalensis was recorded during all six

months.

In. the air, Apus horns and Bubulcus ibis were the most common of the ten species

recorded, which included one lowland forest generalist.

With 49 bird species inventoried only in primary forest, 69 in secondary forest

and 24 in both primary and secondary forests, the Sorensen coefficient. of similarity

(Bachelier 1963) was 40%.

84

R.B. Kizungu

Malimbus 23

Discussion

Among the species inventoried, 67 had not been included by Wilson & Catsis (1990),

Kizungu & Beyers (1994) or Kizungu (1996). Of the 116 species recorded in the

Irangi area, 76 are also found in Budongo Forest.

In Irangi, some Palaearctic migrants, such as Apus apus, winter above the forest,

while others concentrate along forest edges, clearings, in secondary forest and around

villages and roads. They are thus somewhat favoured by the destruction of the

primary forest which has probably allowed many of them to extend their winter range,

for instance Pernis apivorus.

The African ŸQacock Afropavo congensis, previously reported by the local Tembo

people (Kizungu et a/. 1998), has been extinguished from Irangi forest due to severe

damage and heavy hunting. However, Alcedo quadribrachys and Muscicapa cassini

are still observed in Irangi (700-950 m), although they were thought extinguished

from Nyungwe forest (Rwanda) by Dowsett-Lemaire (1990), Estrilda atricapilla and

Nigrita canicapilla were observed at relatively low altitudes in Irangi (700-950 m),

thus extending their formerly known altitudinal range (Dowsett-Lemaire 1990, Perlo

1995) down to 700 m.

Among the hombills listed by Kemp (1979) as African lowland forest endemics,

four {Tockus fasciatus, Tropicranus albocristatus, Bycanistes fistulator, Ceratogymna

atratd) have been found in Irangi at 700-1000 m, while only one {Bycanistes

subcylindricus: pers. obs.) has been found at Kahuzi-Biega (1300-3300 m).

The 40% coefficient of similarity between primary and secondary forest birds was

caused mainly by forest birds entering clearings for feeding (Kizungu 1996). Further,

because of the destruction of primary forest, some truly primary forest species, like

Ceratogymna atrata, Corythaeola cristata, Psittacus erithacus, Terpsiphone bedfordi

and Tropicranus albocristatus, have also been inventoried in the secondary forest.

Since most Irangi birds are forest specialists, generalist or visitors, action to

conserve the forest is essential because the current intense and uncontrolled

destruction may cause all these birds to disappear. Because of forest destruction, we

lack recent information about the status of the rare species and we need more surveys

to assess their situation in the study area. However, some of the following species are

potentially threatened: the Congo endemic Terpsiphone bedfordi, the hombills Tockus

fasciatus, Bycanistes fistulator, Tropicranus albocristatus and Ceratogymna atrata,

and all species that suffer from trade (Psittacus erithacus, Corythaeola cristata) or

hunting (Ceratogymna atrata, Bycanistes spp., Corythaeola cristata). In many parts

of Irangi, the large hombills have completely disappeared, mainly due to hunting.

Hunting laws usually ignore the breeding seasons of forest birds and are rarely (if

ever) enforced. It will be difficult to stop or even reduce hunting because of reliance

on bird hunting for food and income. The trade in wild caught birds is also important

in Irangi.

2001

Birds of Iraagi

85

As stated by Thiollay (1985), the most efficient way to protect all the concerned

species is to set aside large areas of undisturbed habitat or to let them recover if they

have been exploited. Where only exploited forest can be preserved, it will be better to

set apart some tiny undisturbed patches (the least accessible), rather than promote

selective exploitation throughout. In cultivated areas, the only way to maintain many

forest species is to leave as many big trees as possible, scattered through the

plantations, as well as woodlots and larger patches of forest between relatively small

clearings.

References

Bachelier, G. (1963) La Vie Animale dans le Sol. ORSTOM, Paris,

Bibby, C J., Collar, NJ., Crosby, MJ., Heath, M.F., Imboden, C., Johnson, T.H.,

Long, AJ., Stattersfield, AJ. & Hirgood, SJ, (1992) Putting Biodiversity on

the Map, International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge.

Britton, P.L. (1980) Birds of East Africa. East African Natural History Society,

Nairobi.

Collar, N.J. & Stuart, S.N. (1988) Key Forests for Threatened Birds in Africa.

International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge.

Diamond, A.W. & Hamilton, A.C. (1980) The distribution of forest passerine birds

and quaternary climatic change in tropical Africa. J. ZooL Lond. 191: 379-^02.

Dowsett, R.J. (1985) The conservation of tropical forest birds in Central and

Southern Africa. Pp. 197-212 in Diamond, A.W. & Lovejoy, T.E. (eds).

Conservation of Tropical Forest Birds. Tech. Publ. 4, International Council for

Bird Preservation, Cambridge.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1990) Eco-ethology, distribution and status of Nyungwe

forest birds (Rwanda). Pp. 31-85 in Dowsett, R.J. (ed.) Enquête Faunistique et

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2001

87

La population ouest-africaine du Flamant nain

Phoenimnaim minor: effectifs^ répartition et isolement

par Bertrand Trolliet & Michel Fouquet

O.N.C.F.S. Chanteloup, 85340 Ile d’Olonne, France

e-mail: chanteloup@onc.gouv.fr

Reçu 29 juin 2001; revu 23 décembre 2001.

Résumé

L’effectif de Flamants nains Phoeniconaias minor fluctue dans le delta du

Sénégal entre une centaine et près de 50 000 individus. Des observations

récentes sur le littoral guinéen mettent en évidence l’existence d’un second

site de stationnement régulier en Afrique de l’Ouest, pouvant accueillir plus

de 10 000 individus. La quasi-absence de reproduction en Afrique de l’Ouest

ainsi que l’ampleur et la chronologie des fluctuations d’effectifs dans cette

région permettent de conclure, contrairement à ce qui est habituellement pré-

sumé, que la population ouest-africaine bénéficie nécessairement d’échanges

avec la population d’Afrique orientale et/ou celle d’Afrique australe.

Summary

Size, distribution and isolation of the W African population of Lesser

Flamingo Phoemiconaim minor. The population of Lesser Flamingo in the

Senegal Delta fluctuates between c. 100 and 50,000 individuals. Recent

observations on the coast of Guinea have revealed a second regularly used W

African site, holding up to 10,000 birds. The near-absence of reproduction in

the W African population, and the amplitude and timing of the fluctuations

there, indicate that, contrary to what has usually been assumed, the W African

population experiences exchange with one or more of the E or southern

African populations.

Introduction

Le Flamant nain Phoeniconaias minor est réparti essentiellement en Afrique, en trois

populations séparées. La plus importante se trouve en Afrique orientale, dans la vallée

du Rift. La population d’Afrique australe est centrée sur la Namibie et le Botswana.

Ces deux populations étaient considérées comme isolées mais on suppose maintenant

88

B. Trolliet & M. Fouquet

Malimbus 23

l’existence d’échanges entre elles en raison de fluctuations d’effectifs concomitantes

et de ce que ces oiseaux s’avèrent en fait capables de couvrir cette distance d’une

seule traite (Simmons 2000). L’Afrique occidentale héberge une petite population

localisée dans le delta du fleuve Sénégal et évaluée à environ 6000 individus (Hoyo et

ai. 1992). En raison de son éloignement avec des deux autres zones de peuplement

africaines (plus de 5000 km), des capacités présumées de déplacement de ces oiseaux

et de la rareté des observations de l’espèce sur des sites intermédiaires, l’éventualité

d’échanges entre la population occidentale et l’une ou l’autre des deux autres

populations africaines n’est évoquée que de façon hypothétique (Brown et al 1982,

Hoyo et al 1992, Johnson 1997). L’intensification récente des recherches

ornithologiques en Afrique de l’Ouest permet d’apporter des éléments de discussion

sur ce point, ainsi que des précisions sur la taille et la répartition de la population

ouest-africaine.

Résultats et discussion

La seule tentative de reproduction avérée (et infructueuse) de l’espèce en Afrique de

rOuest, signalée par Naurois (1965), concerne l’Aftout es Saheli, situé dans la partie

mauritanienne du delta du Sénégal, où près de 800 couples ont pondu en 1965. Une

tentative de reproduction y a de nouveau eu lieu en 1988, sans succès selon

Hamerlynck & Ould Messaoud (2000) bien qu’une centaine de jeunes volants, dont

certains encore nourris par leurs parents, aient été observés en mars 1988 au Parc

national des Oiseaux du Djoudj (ci-après “Djoudj”), ce qui témoignait de la réussite

d’une reproduction régionale. En 1999, l’observation de quelques jeunes volants à c.

20 km de l’Aftout es Saheli laisse présumer également qu’une reproduction a pu avoir

lieu (Hamerlynck & Ould Messaoud 2000).

Les effectifs de Flamants nains stationnant dans le delta du Sénégal sont

maintenant correctement appréhendés, grâce à la succession de dénombrements

réguliers d’oiseaux d’eau qui y sont effectués. Ils le sont habituellement en janvier,

pour prendre au mieux en compte les oiseaux d’eau d’origine paléarctique.

Tableau 1. Effectifs de Flamants nains comptés dans le delta du Sénégal en

janvier.

Année 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Effectif 1185 830 6156 105 3093 5125 8348 11658 7544 6810 1770 4022 1004

De janvier 1989 à 2001 inclus, l’effectif dénombré dans le delta a été en moyenne

de 4435 individus. Il a en fait varié très fortement (Tableau 1), entre 105 en 1992 et

11658 en 1996 (Schricke et al 1989, 1999, com. pers., Perennou 1991, Girard eî ai.

1991, 1992, Trolliet et al 1993, Taylor & Rose 1994, Dodman & Taylor 1995, 1996,

Dodman et ai. 1997, 1999, M. Benmergui corn. pers.). En dehors des dénombrements

2001

Le Flamant nain en Afrique de l*Ouest

89

de jaE¥ier, ce dernier maximum a été largement dépassé puisqu*au Djoudj 45 000,

46 500 et 15 000 Flamants nains ont été dénombrés respectivement les 19 et 26 février

et le 23 mars 1990 (Fouquet 1990, Rodwell et al. 1996). Le delta du Sénégal accueille

donc un effectif de Flamants nains extrêmement fluctuant, pouvant approcher 50 000

individus. Ces différents résultats sont affectés d’incertitudes et d’approximations,

tenant d’une part à ce que l’ensemble des zones humides du delta susceptibles

d’accueillir des Flamants nains n’a pas toujours été couvert exhaustivement, et d’autre

part aux difficultés particulières que présente T estimation de la taille de groupes

importants de Flamants nains.

Ailleurs en Afrique occidentale et centrale, le Flamant nain a été observé

occasionnellement ou accidentellement en Casamance, en Gambie, en Guinée-Bissau,

en Sierra Leone, au Libéria, au Niger, au Tchad, au Nigéria, au Cameroun et au

Gabon (Vielliard 1972, Louette 1981, Girardin & Christy 1982, Dugan 1984, Guillou

& Pages 1987, Pérermou 1991, Dowsett & Dowsett-Lemaire 1993, Elgood et. ai.

1994, Barlow & Wacher 1997, Gatter 1997). En Guinée, lors d’un survol aérien de la

côte le 25 janvier 1988, Altenburg & van der Kamp (1991) ont vu un groupe d’au plus

10 000 Flamants, qui leur ont para être tous des Flamants nains. Au même endroit, ils

ont observé le 3 janvier 1990 un groupe d’au moins un millier de Flamants nains.

Nous y avons effectué des dénombrements d’oiseaux d’eau sur le site appelé

Khonibenki (ce qui peut se traduire par “vasière aux oiseaux”). Il est constitué de

vasières intertidales, situées à FEst du marigot de Kaliki, autour de 10°27'N,

14°34'W. La surface maximale exploitable par les Flamants nains sur ce site a été

mesurée sur une carte bathymétrique au 1:100 000 (Ministère de la Défense de

FU.R.S.S. 1980), corrigée en fonction de l’évolution géomorphologique intervenue

depuis son édition. Elle est constituée en premier lieu par la surface des vasières

situées à une altitude positive, qui est d’environ 4200 ha. Il s’y ajoute la surface dont

l’altitude est comprise entre 0 et --0.45 m puisque le Flamant nain s’alimente

habituellement dans une profondeur d’eau inférieure à 45 cm (Cramp 1977). Cette

surface est de l’ordre de 1500 ha, portant le total à environ 5700 ha. Les sédiments y

ont une granulométrie hétérogène et vont du sablo-vase à la vase très molle. Nous y

avons effectué, à quatre reprises, des dénombrements à partir du sol, les 14 mars

1998, 15 janvier 1999, 15 Janvier et 20 décembre 2000, dont le premier n’a couvert

que partiellement ce site. Les effectifs dénombrés ont été respectivement 450, 1600,

1300 et 10 900 individus. Lors des quatre dénombrements, ont été observés

respectivement 15, 100, 125 et 600 Flamants roses Phoenicopîerus ruber. Ce site

accueille en outre divers oiseaux piscivores, environ 6000 laridés, et 25 000 limicoies

d’une vingtaine d’espèces.

La présence du Flamant nain ayant été constatée à chacune de ces six dates,

réparties sur une douzaine d’années, elle peut y être considérée comme régulière.

Les deux sites de stationnement régulier de l’espèce connus en Afrique de

l’Ouest, le delta du Sénégal et les vasières de Khonibenki, ne sont distants que

d’environ 700 km, et il est probable que des échanges interviennent, ce qui est

90

B. Troiliet & M. Fouquet

Malimbus 23

corroboré par les observations faites occasionnellement sur des sites intermédiaires.

Ces échanges ne peuvent seuls expliquer les fluctuations locales d’effectifs constatées.

Des dénombrements quasi-simultanés dans les deux secteurs en janvier 1999 et 2000

ont par exemple fourni des effectifs totaux de 3400 et 3200, très inférieurs à celui de

l’hiver 2000-2001, ou à celui compté dans le seul delta du Sénégal en 1996, tous deux

supérieurs à 11 000; au début de 1990, moins de 2000 individus ont été comptés au

total sur les deux sites en janvier, alors que plus de 45 000 individus ont été comptés

sur l’un des deux en février.

Même en tenant compte des incertitudes et approximations signalées

précédemment, il apparaît que l’ampleur et la chronologie des fluctuations constatées

sont incompatibles avec ce que pourrait être la dynamique d’une population locale

autonome de Flamants nains. De plus, le maintien d’une telle population locale est, en

soi, incompatible avec la quasi-absence de reproduction connue en Afrique de

r Ouest. Compte tenu de l’amélioration de la connaissance ornithologique de cette

région, et des exigences écologiques de l’espèce, il est très improbable qu’un site

significatif de reproduction y reste à découvrir. Les dizaines de milliers de Flamants

nains que nous avons observés au Sénégal et en Guinée étaient d’ailleurs tous des

adultes. Il y a donc nécessairement des échanges entre la population ouest-africaine de

Flamants nains et l’une et/ou l’autre des deux autres populations africaines. Cette

conclusion est corroborée par le fait qu’il en va probablement de même entre les

populations d’Afrique de l’Est et d’Asie. En Asie, principalement en Inde, ont été

dénombrés jusqu’à 150 000 Flamants nains (Pérennou et al 1994). Ils sont

probablement, pour l’essentiel, originaires d’Afrique de l’Est dans la mesure où la

reproduction a été rarement constaté en Asie (Mundkur et al 1989, Johnson &

Durand 2001).

Remerciements

Les observations que nous avons faites en Guinée ont été facilitées par un concours

financier de la Commission européenne (DG 11). Nous remercions pour leur

collaboration la Direction nationale des Eaux et Forêts et la Direction nationale de

l’environnement de Guinée, et plus particulièrement Namory Keïta et Fode Lunceny

Camara pour leur aide amicale autant qu’efficace, ainsi qu’Alan Johnson, Ludovic

Measson et Brahim Ould Messaoud.

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Le Flamant nain en Afrique de l’Ouest

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Barlow, C. & Wacher, T. (1997) A Field Guide to Birds of The Gambia and

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d ’Oiseaux dEau en Afrique, 1998. Wetlands International, Dakar.

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Dowsett, R.J. & Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1993) A Contribution to the Distribution

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Dugan, P.J. (1984). Lesser Flamingos Phoenicopterus minor in West Africa in 1983-

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Oiseaux du Djoudj. Rapport inédit, ONC, Chanteloup.

Gatter, W. (1997) Birds of Liberia. Pica Press, Mountfield.

Girard, O., Trolliet, B., Fouquet, M., Ibanez, F., Léger, F., Sylla ,S.I. &

Rigoulot, J. (1991) Dénombrement des anatidés dans le delta du Sénégal, janvier

1991. Bull. mens. Off Nat. Chasse 160: 9-13.

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anatidés dans le Parc national des oiseaux du Djoudj et ses environs (janvier

1992). Bull. mens. Off Nat. Chasse 169: 18-21.

Girardin, N. & Christy, P. (1982) Observation du Petit Flamant Phoenicopterus

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Hamerlynck, O. & OULD Messaoud, b. (2000) Suspected breeding of Lesser

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2001

93

A commentary on a list of birds collected on the 1841 naval

expedition to the Mger River

by Amberley Moore

1 Uppingham Road, Oakham, Rutland LE 15 6JB, U.K.

Received 20 August 2000; revised 29 November 2001

Summary

During the 1841-2 British Royal Naval Expedition to the River Niger, a bird

collection was made in the area, including the islands of the Gulf of Guinea.

Published and unpublished sources are used to establish the chronology of the

expedition. These sources and a published list of the birds collected are used

to locate and identify specimens of this historical collection.

Résumé

Commentaire sur une liste d^oîseaux collectés au cours de l’expédition

navale de 1841 sur le fleuve Niger. Au cours de Texpédition de 1841-2 de la

Marine Royale Britannique sur le fleuve Niger, une collection d’oiseaux ftit

effectuée dans la région, y compris les îles du golfe de Guinée. La

chronologie de l’expédition fut établie à partir de documents publiés et

inédits. Ces documents, ainsi qu’une liste publiée des oiseaux collectés, sont

utilisés pour localiser et identifier les spécimens de cette collection historique.

Introduction

A popular account of the 1841 naval expedition to the Niger River (Allen & Thomson

1848) contains many references to the natural history and geology of West Africa and

includes an appendix list of 45 bird species collected between June 1841 and July

1842, and one, Vanellus albiceps, collected on an earlier visit to the Niger in 1832

(Allen & Thomson 1848, voL 2, pp. 488-508). The appendix is reproduced here with

comments on the status of the species. An attempt has also been made to establish the

history and present locations of the specimens mentioned below.

The three ships of the expedition, the Albert^ the Wilberforce and the Soudan

sailed from Devonport on 12 May 1841. Zoological and botanical collections were

made as the expedition called at the Atlantic islands and the coast of West Africa

before reaching the Niger Delta and entering the river at Akassa on Friday, 13 Aug

94

A.M. Moore

Malimbus 23

1841. The ships slowly ascended 422 km of the Niger and reached the confluence of

the Niger and Benue rivers by 11 September (Allen 1841-2). However, by this time

many of the members of the expedition had developed fever and some had died. The

Wilberforce and Soudan^ with the sick on board, withdrew from the Niger to the naval

base at Clarence (now Malabo) on Fernando Po (now Bioko) on 21 September (Allen

1841-2). The Albert continued 1 12 km upstream to Eggan, but the increasing casualty

rate and the falling river level, as the dry season advanced, made forther progress

impossible and exploration had to be abandoned. The Albert withdrew to Malabo on 5

October. The first party of survivors, including the commander of the expedition,

Captain Dundas Trotter, returned to Britain from Bioko in November 1841. The

remaining survivors sailed in the Albert and Wilberforce to Ascension in November

and December (Allen 1841-2). These two ships returned to West Africa in March

1842 and the expedition was based on Bioko until July 1842. The present day

territories of Madeira, Canary Islands, Ascension, Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone,

Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko and Annobon) and Sao

Tomé and Principe were visited and 534 km of the Niger were examined during the

expedition.

The ornithological collections listed in the Natural History Appendix were made

by the two authors, Captain William Allen and the surgeon Thomas Thomson, and by

two of the five civilian scientists appointed to the expedition, Louis Fraser and

William Stanger (Allen & Thomson 1848). Dates and places given in the text can be

confirmed by Government papers relating to the expedition held in the Public Records

Office at Kew (herein cited as PRO unpubl.) and the U.K. Hydrographic Office at

Taunton (cited as UKHO unpubl.), by published accounts by other survivors (Schon

& Crowther 1842, McWilliam 1843), by unpublished letters in the papers of the 13th

Earl of Derby (1840-51), held in the Liverpool Record Office (cited as LRO Derby

unpubl.) and in the Maritime Archives of the National Museums and Galleries on

Merseyside (cited as MAL Derby unpubl), and by unpublished material in the

William Jardine papers held in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh (cited as RSM

Jardine unpubl).

Birds listed in the Natural History Appendix

The 46 species listed in the Natural History Appendix of Allen & Thomson (1848)

include birds from eight political areas of West Africa (Table 1), and are only part of a

larger bird collection made on the expedition. All but three species in the Natural

History Appendix, Cypselus parvus {Cypsiurus parvus], Zizorhis giganta

{Corythaeola c. cristata] and Corythaix macrorhyncha {Tauraco macrorhynchus

verreauxi], were described as new, and 38 of the 43 species are recognised as valid

today, 37 by Urban et al 1986, 1997, Fry et al 1988, 2000, Keith et a/. 1992

(hereafter summarised Bo A) plus Terpsiphone rufiventer tricolor (see below). The

2001

Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

95

type localities of five taxa given by Allen & Thomson (1848) are erroneous: the type

locality of Drymoica [Cisticola] lateralis is Liberia not Accra; that of D. strangei [C.

natalensis strangei] is Accra not Cape Palmas; that of Nectarinia chloropygia

[Cinnyris chloropygius] is Nigeria not Bioko; that of Tchitrea [Terpsiphone]

atrochalybeia is Sao Tomé not Bioko; and that of Muscipeta smithii [Terpsiphone

rufiventer smithii] given as Western Africa, is restricted to Annobon.

Table 1. Type-localities of birds listed in the natural history appendix of Allen &

Thomson (1848). Localities have been corrected where necessary (see text).

*Includes Terpsiphone rufiventer tricolor (Fraser).

**Includes Vanellus albiceps, collected 1832.

Allen and Thomson presented birds from their collections to the British Museum

in 1842 and 1843. Others were bought by the Museum: 64 skins from Fraser in 1847;

two on the disposal of the Zoological Society’s collection in 1855; seven at the sale of

the Eyton Collection in 1881 (Sharpe 1906); and one from Gerrard, purchased at

Simpson’s sale of bird skins from the Jardine collection in 1886. Listed in the

accession register of the museum between 1842 and 1886 are 114 birds known to

have been collected on the expedition. Of the 46 species listed in Allen & Thomson’s

(1848) appendix, 42 are represented among these acquisitions, including 39 type

specimens presently held at The Natural History Museum (BMNH), Tring. Type

specimens of the other four were not acquired by the museum: Strix poensis, Bucco

subsulphureus, Pitta pulih and Nectarinia stangerii. Unsuccessful searches for these

were made in the collections held in the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia,

the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology, the Muséum National d’Histoire

Naturelle in Paris and the museums of Bolton, Liverpool, Manchester and Norwich

(M. Germain, C.T. Fisher, P. Francis, M. Germain, A.G. Irwin, H. Mcghie, N.H. Rice,

R.J. Symonds, pers. comms).

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Other birds collected on the expedition but not included in Allen and Thomson’s

(1848) list were also acquired by BMNH; their details in the acquisitions register are

brief, but include the country of collection of 16: eight of which were from Fraser’s

collection {Passer iagoensis from St Vincent; Sterna sp. and Phaeton sp. from

Ascension; Cuculus sp. from Ghana; Ethiops canicapillus [Nigrita canicapilla],

Anthreptes fraseri, [Deleornis fraseri holotype BMNH 1847.1.18.38] and Vulture

angolensis BMNH 1847.1.18.62 from Bioko; Psittacus timneh [P.erithacus timneh

holotype BMNH 1855.12.19.368] from Sierra Leone). The other eight were from

Thomson’s collection, four with the country probably correct (Turdus sp. and

Euplectus sp. from Bioko; Euplectus sp. from Idda; Cinnyris Eboensis [C. venusta

male] BMNH 1842.9.24.7 from Aboh in Nigeria) and the other four with the country

of collection listed as Bioko but probably incorrectly {Halcyon [H. malimbica dryas,

holotype BMNH 1847.1 1.4.6], Muscipeta sp., Gallinula sp. and Sula sp.).

The collectors and their collections

William Allen R.N., F.R.S., (1793-1864)

Allen commanded H.M.S. Wilberforce and took command of the expedition after

Captain Trotter was invalided home in November 1841. He returned to Britain with

the main party in July 1842. His collection held in BMNH includes three species

listed in the Allen & Thomson (1848) appendix. He had made an earlier visit to the

Niger when he joined the private Macgregor Laird expedition to the Niger of 1832-4

at the request of the Admiralty, to chart the river. During that expedition he had made

a zoological collection from the Niger and Bioko, which was presented at a meeting

of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) on 10 June 1834. The collection included

the new Vanellus albiceps, described by Gould (1834), which is included in Allen and

Thomson’s list (1848). The type specimen was presented to the ZSL and was acquired

by BMNH in 1881, via the Eyton Collection.

In 1843, 15 birds acquired by BMNH (nos. 1843. 3. 31. 1-15), were listed in the

accessions register as “Presented by Mrs Heywood [possibly a relative of Thomson:

J.A. Jobling, pers. comm.] Niger Expedition” and a further seven presented on the

same day (nos. 1843.3.31.15-22) were listed as “Niger Exp. Presented by Mrs

Heywood and Cpn. Allen”. These 22 specimens are of 1 1 species and include two of

the 39 type specimens listed in the Appendix: Hirundo nigrita (Gray 1845) and

Glareola cinerea, described by Fraser (1843c). Both were collected at the entrance to

the River Nun, one of the mouths of the Niger Delta. There is an account of their

collection in Allen & Thomson (1848, vol. 1, pp. 166-167).

Louis Fraser (c. 1819-1883)

Fraser was Curator of the ZSL’s collection when he was appointed naturalist to the

Niger Expedition. Instructions for him were drafted by Sir William Jardine (RSM

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Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

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Jardine unpubl. 6/137). Almost nothing is written about Fraser in any of the accounts

of the expedition, although he is listed as on the Wilberforce with Allen (Allen &

Thomson 1848, vol. 1, p. 467).

Fraser’s own account of the expedition is given in a series of unpublished letters,

written from June 1840 to June 1842, to the 13th Earl of Derby (LRO Derby unpubl.,

MAL Derby unpubl). In June 1840, Fraser wrote to Derby asking him to propose to

the Council of the Zoological Society that a naturalist be appointed to the Niger

Expedition. Derby supported Fraser’s appointment and ftimished him with additional

ftmds to make collections on his behalf. Fraser’s letters in 1840 and early 1841 make

brief references to the preparations for the expedition, and four letters written in West

Africa (13 Aug 1841, 6 Feb, 17 Mar and 6 Jun 1842) describe his part in it, from the

start to the arrival at the mouth of the Niger, the ascent of the river to the confluence,

withdrawal to Bioko and Ascension, and his return to Bioko in May 1842. He became

very ill during the ascent, and was carried on the Wilberforce to Ascension in October

1841. He was considered too unfit to continue with the expedition when it returned to

the West African mainland in March 1842. He made his own way to Bioko, reaching

it by 15 May 1842, after spending six weeks along the Gulf of Guinea in other naval

vessels. He found lodgings on the island and, despite the onset of the wet season,

began a collection of birds, mammals, fish and crustaceans. The months spent in the

Gulf of Guinea from March to July were profitable; he collected over 100 skins as

well as specimens in spirits (Fraser 1842a, 1/59/2-39 in LRO Derby unpubl). He is

likely to have returned to Britain in HMS Kite with the main party of the expedition in

July 1842; his return to London by 25 Sep 1842 is noted in a letter from the

expedition collector Thomas Whitfield to Derby (MAL Derby unpubl).

Fraser’s was the largest contribution to the list of birds in Allen & Thomson

(1848). It included 35 of the species listed; of which 34 were thought to be new, 20

from Bioko, one from Sierra Leone, three from Liberia, six from Ghana, two from

Nigeria, one from Annobon and one from Sao Tomé. Of the 34 new species

described, 30 are recognised as valid species or subspecies in BoA. After his return to

London, his zoological collections were presented at meetings of the ZSL. During the

autumn of 1842, Fraser (1842b,c,d) described 11 new bird species: Platysteira

castanea [F. c. casianea], P. leucopygialis [P. c. castanea], Euplectes rufovelatus

[Malimbus rubricollis rufovelatus], Sylvia [Eremomela] badiceps, Coccothraustus

{Linurgus o.] oliva-ceus, Nigrita fusconotus {N. f fusconota], Amadina {Lonchura p.]

poensis and Strix poensis \Tyto alba affinis] from Bioko; Ploceus collaris [P. grandis]

from Sao Tomé; Amadina {Lonchura poensis] bicolor from Cape Palmas; and Pitta

pulih [P. angolensis] from Sierra Leone. At meetings during 1843 he described a

ftirther 18 new birds (Fraser 1843a,b,c,d): Sylvicola [Camaroptera] superciliaris,

Bucco {Pogoniulus 5.] subsulphureus, Muscipeta tricolor {Terpsiphone rufiventer

tricolor] and Halcyon {Corythomis /.] leucogaster and D. {Apalis] rufogularis from

Bioko; Collurio smithii {Lanius collaris smithii], Drymoica [Melocichla m.] mentalis,

D. strangei [Cisticola natalensis strangei], D. uropygialis [C. juncidis uropygialis].

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Malimbus 23

Estrilda [Lagonosticta r.] rufopicta and Ixos inornatus {Pycnonoîus barbatus

inornatusi from Ghana; D. lateralis [C. lateralis'\ and Anthus gouldii [A. leucophrys

gouldii\ from Liberia; Muscipeta smithii [Terpsiphone rufiventer smithii] from

Annobon; Drymoica ruficapilla [Cisticola anonymus] and D. rufa [C. rufus'\ from

Nigeria; Glareola cinerea collected by Allen (see above) in Nigeria; and Treron

crassirostris \T. sanctithomae]^ which had been collected by Thomson. Fraser (1843d)

gave no type locality for Treron crassirostris, but later believed it to be from Sao

Tomé (Fraser 1849).

At a meeting of the ZSL on 25 Jun 1844 Strickland (1844) described Cypselus

[Cypsiurius] parvus and the seven new species Prinia olivacea [Apalis r. rufogularis],

P. icterica [Camaroptera superci Haris], Cossypha [Neocossyphus] poensis,

Andropadus latirostris, A. gracilirostris, Muscicapa [Neocossyphus] fraseri and

Tephrodornis ocreatus [Fraseria ocreata], all from Fraser’s collection from Bioko.

In 1847, BMNH purchased 64 bird skins from Fraser (nos. 1847.1.18.1-62,

1847.3.12.2-3), which included 25 types. Six more types were purchased with the sale

of the Eyton Collection in 1881 (nos. 1881.2.18.5,19,31,136,153,629) (Sharpe 1906).

Three types described by Fraser were not acquired by BMNH: Bucco [Pogoniulus 5.]

subsulphureus. Pitta pulih [P. angolensis pulih] and Strix poensis [Tyto alba affinis],

and their whereabouts are not known.

Fraser (1849) illustrated 21 new bird species from West Africa, including 20 of

those listed in Allen & Thomson (1848); some additional field notes are given in the

text. He refers to two specimens of Vanellus albiceps “procured” by Allen on

Fernando Po and presented by him (Allen) to ZSL (Fraser 1849, pi. 64). It is not clear

whether he was referring to the type of V. albiceps (collected 1832) or to other indi-

viduals collected in 1841 (see below). Fraser (1849) also included Mgn'to canicapilla

from Bioko, which had been described by Strickland (1841) from an 1833 specimen

collected on the island. Fraser collected a specimen on Bioko in 1842 (acquired by

BMNH, no. 1847.1.18.8), which was not listed by Allen & Thomson (1848).

William Stanger M.D., F.G.S. (1811-1854)

Stanger was appointed geologist and explorer to the expedition. He sailed with Trotter

in the Albert and returned with him to Britain in November 1841, after ascending the

Niger to Eggan. His small bird collection included two new sunbirds listed by Allen &

Thomson (1848): Nectarinia chloropygia [Cinnyris chloropygius] and N. stangerii

[Chalcomitra rubescens stangerii]. They were probably actually collected by

Thomson and given to Stanger (Allen & Thomson 1848, vol. 2, p. 222). On Stanger’s

return to Britain in January 1842, he gave them to George Waterhouse of ZSL. Water-

house showed the collection to Jardine in July 1842 (6/138 in RSM Jardine unpubl.)

and Jardine (1842) described the four species in the collection: Chrysococcyx auratus

[C. cupreus], from the description a male; and three sunbirds N. chloropygia, N.

stangerii and N. cyanocephala [Cyanomitra verticalis cyanocephala]. Chrysococcyx

auratus and Nectarinia cyanocephala were not included by Allen & Thomson (1848).

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Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

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Jardine had a single male of N. chloropygia, which he compared with one evidently

retained by Stanger (Jardine 1842), The hoiotype was included in the sale of Jardinets

collection in 1886 (Anon. 1886), when it was purchased for BMNH (no. 1886.6.24.314).

It is catalogued “River Niger Dr Strange” in the 1881 Quaritch Sale Catalogue of Jardine

Bird Skins (Anon. 1881). The whereabouts of Stanger’ s other specimen are unknown.

Jardine refers to only one specimen of N. stangerii, in breeding dress, which he

describes as “the Niger bird” leading to some confusion subsequently about the type

locality. However, there is an account of the collection of N. stangerii from Bioko by

Thomson, probably from Bassa Pu (Allen & Thomson 1848, voL 2, p. 221, Moore

1995, Cheke 2001). The type seems to have been lost. There is no record in the

accessions register of BMNH to suggest that other birds of Stanger’ s collection were

acquired, although he presented other zoological specimens to the museum in 1842

and a visit he paid to the museum in October 1842 is recorded in the visitors’ book.

Enquiries elsewhere in Britain and South Africa, where Stanger lived from 1843, have

so far been unsuccessM (Moore 1995).

Thomas R,H. Thomson, M.D., Surgeon R.N, (c. 1813-1876)

Thomson was Surgeon on the Wilberforce, with Allen, transferred to the Soudan as

she ran down the Niger and left for Bioko on 26 September 1841. He stayed on the

island for some weeks before joining the Albert when she left Bioko on 18 December

1841 for Ascension Island, giving an opportunity to collect on Principe (20 Dec) and

Sao Tomé (24 Dec) where the ship anchored at the islet of Roilas, before going on to

Annobon and Ascension, which was reached on 28 Jan 1842. He rejoined Allen on

the Wiiberforce and returned to the coast of West Africa from March to July 1842.

Thomson’s collection of 19 birds now held at BMNH includes six species listed in

the appendix of Allen & Thomson (1848). The six include the types of four species

described as new: Porphyrio aiieni, collected from the Niger by the town of Idda and

Tchitrea [Terpsiphone} atrochalybeia from Sao Tomé (Thomson 1842); Treron

crassirostris [J. sancîiîhomae} from Sao Tomé (Fraser 1843d); and Cinnyris eboensis

[Neciarinia adelberti eboensis] collected from Aboh on the banks of the lower Niger

(Jardine 1843). The other two were species of turaco, Corythaeola c. cristata from

Bioko and Tauraco macrorhynchus verreaiai from the seldom-visited Mondoleh

Island in Ambas Bay, on the coast of Cameroon. Thomson presented 18 birds to

BMNH between September and November 1842 (nos. 1842.9.24.1-8; 1842.10.13.1,

1842.1 1.4. 1-9). He presented Treron crassirostris to ZSL in 1842; it was acquired by

BMNH on the dispersal of the Society’s collection in 1855 (no. 1855.12.19.304).

The birds of Alien & Thomson’s (1848) natural history appendix

The following list of 46 bird species, presented in the order in which they appear, is

taken from the natural history appendix of Allen & Thomson (1848). The entries on

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A.M. Moore

Malimbus 23

the list, the name of the taxon, the authority and locality (“habitat”) and extracts from

the notes accompanying them are given in quotes as they appear in the original

text of Allen & Thomson (1848), The modem scientific and English names given

follow BoA. The BMNH registered number for specimens held in the collections at

Tring is given; the type status for these birds follows Warren (1966) and Warren &

Harrison (1971). Where I refer to only one syntype, this is the one placed by Warren

& Harrison in the BMNH Type Collection. Unless otherwise mentioned, I did not

locate the other syntypes in the general collection. Place names are given as in the

Allen & Thomson (1848), with changes noted where necessary.

‘‘STRIX POENSIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Dec. 1842). Habitat:

Fernando Po, West Africa. A very scarce bird.”

Tyto alba affinis Bam Owl. Holotype not held in BMNH, whereabouts unknown.

From Fraser’s (1842a) description it seems that he had only one specimen, but there is

a skin in BMNH Tring (Tyto alba, 1842.7.19.14, bearing a flimsy label with

“Morgan” and “poensis” written on it), which was acquired from the Rev. D.F.

Morgan in July 1842. Sharpe (1875) remarks that, unlike the other birds received from

Morgan registered at the same time, which were from The Gambia, no locality is

given for this specimen “a tme 5. insularis" and he suggests that it may have been

collected in the Cape Verde Islands. Morgan was Colonial Chaplain of Sierra Leone

for 10 years (Schon & Crowther 1842). In the course of his duties he would almost

certainly have visited the British base then on Bioko, and probably the other islands of

the Gulf of Guinea, so the possibility that the bird was collected on Bioko or Sao

Tomé cannot be discounted. He did, in fact, meet members of the 1841 expedition on

Sunday 28 June 1841 in Freetown (Schon & Crowther 1842).

‘‘TEPHRODORNIS OCREATUS (Strickland, In Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond., June

1844). Habitat: Fernando Po, West Africa”

Fraseria ocreata Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.33, adult.

‘^COLLURIO SMITHII (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb.1843). Habitat:

Cape Coast Castle”

Lanius collaris smithii Fiscal Shrike. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.30, adult male.

‘‘DRYMOICA MENTALIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb. 1843),

Habitat: Accra, West Africa”

Melocichla m. mentalis Moustached Grass- Warbler. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.29,

adult.

‘‘DRYMOICA LATERALIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1843). Habitat:

Accra, West Africa”

Cisticola lateralis Whistling Cisticola. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.55, adult. “Accra”

must be a typographical error. In Fraser (1843b) and subsequent literature, the type

locality cited is Cape Palmas, Liberia. The skin is labelled “Cape Palmas July 1841”.

Fraser (1843b) did not say how many specimens he collected. This skin was

purchased from Fraser by the museum in 1847.

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Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

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^DRYMOICA STRANGEI in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb. 1843). Habitat:

Cape Palmas, West Africa”

Cisticola natalensis strangei Croaking Cisticola. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.28, adult

male. “Cape Palmas” is an error. Fraser (1843b) gives the habitat as Accra. It was

purchased by the museum in 1847 from Fraser. Fraser (1843b) did not say how many

he had collected.

^^DRYMOICA RUFICAPILLA (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb. 1843).

Habitat: River Nun, West Africa”

Cisticola anonymus Chattering Cisticola. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.57, adult male.

Drymoica ruficapilla was renamed Cisticola anonyma by Miiller (1855); the name

given by Fraser was already occupied by Drymoica ruficapilla A. Smith 1842, now

Cisticola fulvicapillus ruficapillus.

DRYMOICA RUFA (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb., 1843). Habitat:

River Niger opposite Iddah.”

Cisticola rufus Rufous Cisticola. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.42, immature male,

relaxed mount. Lynes (1930) calculated that the birds had been collected in August

1841 or July 1842. The expedition itinerary suggests a slightly later date in 1841:

Iddah was not reached before 4 September that year. While the Wilberforce, with a

limited crew that did not include Allen, Thomson or Fraser, reached Iddah on 10 July

1842 during the second brief ascent of the Niger, such was the difficulty of that ascent

that it is unlikely any collecting would have been done (Allen & Thomson 1848, PRO

unpubl., UKHO unpubL). D. rufa was purchased by the museum in 1847 from Fraser.

Fraser (1843b) does not say how many specimens he collected.

WRYMOICA RUFOGULARIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc, Lond., Feb, 1843).

Habitat: Clarence, Fernando Po.”

Apalis rufogularis Buff-Throated Apalis. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.52, adult. See

Prinia olivacea.

^‘DRYMOICA UROPYGIALIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb. 1843).

Habitat: Accra, West Africa”

Cisticola juncidis uropygialis Zitting Cisticola. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.54, adult male.

^^MUSCICAPA FRASFRI (in Strickland, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., June 1844).

Habitat: Fernando Po, West Africa.

Neocossyphus fraseri Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.34, adult male.

From his description, Strickland had a male and female before him. No. 1847.1.18.34 bears

two labels, one marked “1159 ”, the other “Muscicapa fraserii Strickl”.

"'MUSCIPFTA TRICOLOR (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Jan., 1843).

Habitat: Clarence, Fernando Po”

Terpsiphone rufiventer tricolor Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher. Holotype: BMNH

1847.1.18.56 adult female. Cited as Muscipeta (Tchitrea) tricolor Fraser (1843e) in

subsequent literature. Urban et ah (1997) cite Neumann as authority for T. rufiventer

tricolor, but this is almost certainly an error. Fraser’s (1843a) description suggests he

had only one specimen “in deep moult”.

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A.M. Moore

Malimbus 23

^^MUSCIPETA .SM/TH// (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb., 1843). Habitat:

western Africa”

Terpsiphone rufiventer smithii Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher. Holotype: BMNH

1881.5.1.629 adult male. Listed as the type by Sharpe (1881). This taxon is restricted

to Annobon (Peters et al. 1986). Fraser (1843d) only specifies the type locality as

“western Africa”; in view of what is known now of his itinerary he may not have

visited Annobon and was therefore unable to be more precise. His acquisitions do

include specimens that he had not collected live, e.g. Pitta pulih (Fraser 1 842d), Felis

rutilus (Allen & Thomson 1848) and Pelicanus rufescens (Fraser 1842c). The

specimen was procured and described by Fraser in 1843 and was later acquired by

BMNH at the sale of the Eyton Collection in 1881. However, it carries a label reading

“Presented by T.R. Thompson [^/c], Esq., R.N. 27 Sept. 1842”. The reverse side reads

“Muscipeta smithii. Orig. of descr.” (M.P. Walters pers. comm.).

‘^ANTHUS GOULDII (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb., 1843). Habitat:

Cape Palmas, [Liberia] West Africa”

Anthus leucophrys gouldii Plain-Backed Pipit. Syntype: BMNH 1881.2.18.153, adult.

Fraser (1843c) does not say how many he collected. This skin was purchased at the

sale of the Eyton collection in 1881.

‘‘SYLVICOLA SUPERCILIARIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Jan.1843).

Habitat: Clarence, Fernando Po”

Camaroptera superciliaris Yellow-Browed Camaroptera. Holotype: BMNH

1847.1.18.45, adult male. See Camaroptera superciliaris.

‘^TCHITREA ATROCHALYBEIA (Thomson, in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, VoI.X

p.l04 [error for p. 204] 1842). Habitat: Fernando Po”

Terpsiphone atrochalybeia Sao Tomé Paradise-Flycatcher. Holotype: BMNH

1842.9.24.3, adult male. The type locality is Sao Tomé (Peters et al. 1986). To his

description of T. atrochalybeia, together with those of Porphyrio alleni and a new

species of Genetta, Thomson (1842) added that it was his intention to deposit his

collection in the British Museum. The specimen is listed in the accessions register of

BMNH on 24 Sep 1 842, in a collection of eight birds headed “Expedition of African

Society Presented by TRW Thomson RN”, as '‘'‘Muscipeta atrochalybea Th Fernando

Po”. However, like most of the specimens in BMNH from the Niger Expedition, it

lacks the original collector’s label and written on the present label is “F. Po Fraser”:

see M. smithii above.

PRINT A OLIVACEA (Strickland, in Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond., June 1844).

Habitat: Fernando Po, Western Africa.”

Apalis r. rufogularis Buff-Throated Apalis. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.53, relaxed

mount. Synonymous with Drymoica rufogularis, of which Strickland’s description

was “based on a young bird” (Sclater 1930).

^^PRINIA ICTERIC A (Strickland, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., June 1844).”

Camaroptera superciliaris Yellow-Browed Camaroptera. Holotype: BMNH

1881.2.18.25, adult. Habitat not given in Allen & Thomson (1848), but Fernando Po

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Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

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cited by Strickland (1844). Synonymous with Syivicoia superciiiaris: see this species

above.

PITTA PÜLIH (Fraser in Proc. ZooL Soc, Lond., Dec., 1842). Habitats Sierra

Leone, West Africa.”

Pitta angolensis pulih African Pitta. Holotype not held in BMNH, whereabouts

unknown. Originally procured by Thomson. Fraser (LRO unpubL) complained that,

during the expedition’s only stay at Freetown, in June 1841, it had not been possible

to travel inland. Fraser was “indebted” to Robert Clarke, Assistant Colonial Surgeon

at Sierra Leone, for the single specimen, which Thomson had observed was “found

only in the Timneh country” (Fraser 1842b).

“SYLVIA BADICEPS (Fraser, in Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond., Oct, 1842). Habitat:

Fernando Po, West Africa.”

Eremomela badiceps Rufous-Crowned Eremomela. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.58,

adult male.

“COSSYPHA POENSIS (Strickland in Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond., 1844). Habitat:

Fernando Po, West Africa”

Neocossyphus poensis White-Tailed Ant-Chat. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.35, adult

male.

“lOXOS INORNATUS (Fraser in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1844). Habitat: Cape

Coast, West Africa.”

Pycnonotus barbatus inornatus Common Bulbul. Holotype: BMNH 1881.2.18.19,

adult.

“ANBROPADUS LATIROSTRIS (Strickland, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1844).

Habitat; Fernando Po, West Africa.”

Andropadus latirostris Yellow- Whiskered GreenbuL Syntype: BMNH 1881.2.18.136,

adult female. The bird was purchased for the museum at the sale of the Eyton

collection. Strickland mentions two other specimens collected by Fraser, “probably

younger individuals”; these are BMNH 1847.1.18.16 and 17. Fraser (1849) figures a

specimen, which he explains is not the female from his collection that was described

by Strickland, which could not be found at that time. Fraser’s figure was of an

immature, without the yellow streak each side of the chin. Strickland (1844) had noted

that the mandible of the young bird lacked serrations and had only a small sub-

terminal notch. Benson (1999) suggests that only 1847.1.18.17 is an immature A. I

latirostris, and considers 1847.1.18.16 to be an A. v. virens.

“ANDROPADUS GR.4CILIROSTRIS (Strickland, in Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond.,

June, 1844), Habitat: Fernando Po, West Africa.”

Andropadus gracilirostris Slender-Billed GreenbuL Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.11,

adult male.

“HIRUNDO NIGRITA (Thomson) fsir but actually described by Gray 18451,

Habitat: River Nun West Africa; met with m high up as Abôh”

Hirundo nigrita White-Throated Blue Swallow. Holotype: BMNH 1843.3.31.2, adult.

An account of the first sighting of this swallow is given in the narrative new and

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A.M. Moore

Malimbus 23

beautiftil species of swallow . . . was discovered performing its rapid evolutions over a

placid pool of water 15 Aug 1841 at the entrance to the river Nun (Allen «&

Thomson 1848, vol. 2, p. 166).

^^CYPSELUS PARVUS (Strickland, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.). Habitat: Accra.

From Mr Fraser’s collection.”

Cypsiurus parvus Palm Swift, BMNH 1847.1.18.26.

“PLATYSTEIRA CASTANEA (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct., 1842).

Habitat: Fernando Po”

Diaphorophyia c. castanea Chestnut Wattle-Eye. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.46,

adult female. P. leucopygialis (below) is the male of this species (Sclater 1930).

‘‘PLATYSTEIRA LEUCOPYGIALIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct.,

1842). Habitat: Fernando Po, Western Africa”

Diaphorophyia c. castanea Chestnut Wattle-Eye. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.48,

adult male. Synonymous with P. castanea (above), which is the female.

^‘PLOCEUS COLLARIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct., 1842). Habitat:

Island St.Thomas, West Africa”

Ploceus grandis Sào Tomé Giant Weaver. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.3, adult male.

Fraser’s name was preoccupied by P. collaris Vieillot. Gray (1849) renamed it

Hyphantornis grandis.

“EUPLECTES RUFOVELATUS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct., 1842).

Habitat: Fernando Po, West Africa.”

Malimbus rubricollis rufovelatus Red-headed Malimbe, Syntype: BMNH

1847.1.18.50, adult male. Fraser collected several specimens; there are supposedly

two other syntypes in the collection (Warren & Harrison 1971), of which I found only

one (1847.1.18.51), which was acquired from Fraser at the same time.

“COCCOTHRAUSTES OLIVACEUS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct.,

1842). Habitat: Fernando Po, West Africa”

Linurgus o. olivaceus Oriole-Finch, Holotype: BMNH 1847.3.12.2, adult female.

^‘AMADINA POENSIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct., 1842). Habitat:

Fernando Po, West Africa”

Lonchura p. poensis Black-and-white Mannikin. Syntype: BMNH 1881.2.18.31, adult

(Warren & Harrison 1971). From Fraser’s (1842c) description, he collected several

specimens and the BMNH acquisitions included another three which may have been

L. p. poensis (listed only as "’Amadina”): 1847.1.18.43 and 44 from Fraser and

1843.3.31.20 from Allen. I could not find these in the BMNH collections of L. p.

poensis or L. p. bicolor.

^^AMADINA BICOLOR (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct., 1842). Habitat:

Cape Palmas, West Africa”

Lonchura poensis 6/co/or Black-and-white Mannikin. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.22,

adult male (Warren & Harrison 1971). Fraser (1842c) had three specimens. A second

syntype (1847.1.18.23) is held in the general collections.

2001

Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

105

^‘NIGRITA FUSCONOTUS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Oct., 1842).

Habitat: Fernando Po, West Africa”

Nigrita / fusconota White-breasted Negrofinch. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.19,

adult.

^^ESTRILDA RUFOPICTA (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb. 1843).

Habitat: Cape Coast, West Africa”

Lagonosticta r. rufopicta Bar-breasted Firefmch. Holotype: BMNH 1847.1.18.24,

adult male.

‘W£Cr. STANG, (Jardine, in NatLib., VoLXXXVI, p 198). Habitat: Fernando Po”

Chalcomitra rubescens stangerii Green-throated Sunbird. Holotype not held in

BMNH, whereabouts unknown (Moore 1995). Jardine described a single specimen,

given to George Waterhouse of the ZSL by Stanger, on his return (Jardine 1842).

^^CINNYRIS EBOENSIS (Thomson) NECTARINIA ADELBERTI (Jard. Nat.

Lib., Vol. XXXVI, p 244). Habitat: Aboh [Eboe], River Quorra. A very scarce

bird. Presented by Dr Thomson to the British Museum.”

Chalcomitra adelberti eboensis Buff-throated Sunbird. Holotype: BMNH

1842.9.24.8, adult male. Thomson describes collecting two specimens from Aboh in

August 1841 (Allen & Thomson 1848, vol. 1, p. 250). The type was “... presented by

RW [sic] Thomson from the Niger Expedition” (Warren & Harrison 1971). Jardine

(1843, p. 244) included Nectarinia Eboensis Thomson but “Subsequently [p. 257], in

the same volume he regarded this species as synonymous with N. adelberti Gervais

...” (Warren & Harrison 1971).

^^NECTARINIA CHLOROPYGIA (Jardine, Nat. Hist. Nectarinidæ p 172).

Habitat: Fernando Po.”

Cinnyris chloropygius Olive-bellied Sunbird. Holotype: BMNH 1886.6.24.314, adult

male. The type locality is Nigeria. Jardine (1842) used a bird brought back by Stanger,

collected on the Niger, for the type description. Stanger apparently had another, with

which Jardine (1842, 1843) compared it, but this skin is not with the Stanger

collection held at the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Cambridgeshire. The holotype is

listed in the catalogue of the sale of the Jardine collection in 1881, “River Niger Dr

Strange”. It was purchased by BMNH in 1886 from the dealer Gerrard. Fraser

collected eight males and three females from Clarence, Fernando Po (Jardine 1 843).

^^HALCYON LEUCOGASTER (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Jan., 1843).

Habitat: Clarence, Fernando Po.”

Corythornis I White-bellied Kingfisher. Syntype: BMNH 1847.1.18.25,

adult male. Fraser (1843a), in his description of the male, does not say whether he

collected other specimens. This male was bought by BMNH from Fraser in 1847.

Thomson notes that he presented a Halcyon leucogaster to BMNH (Allen & Thomson

1848, vol. 2, p. 504), but the only kingfisher listed among the birds acquired by

BMNH from Thomson is “Halcyon” BMNH 1842.11.4.6, which is H. malimbica

dryas (Hartlaub 1854).

106

A.M. Moore

Malimbus 23

^^BUCCO SUBSULPHUREUS (Fraser, in Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond., Jan. 1843).

Habitat: Clarence, Fernand® Po”

Pogoniulus subsulphureus subsulphureus Yellow-throated Tinkerbird. Type not held

in BMNH, whereabouts unknown. Fraser (1843a) collected three or four from the

same tree, but the whereabouts of these syntypes are unknown. He adds a footnote

that he collected several young specimens of Bucco, some of which he considered

might be a different species, but did not have sufficient material to name it. From his

description of these, they were probably Bucco stellatus {Pogoniulus scolopaceus

stellatus) (Jardine 1851), collected by Fraser when he returned to W Africa as British

Consul at Whydah, 1851-3. A UMZC specimen of P. s. scolopaceus (26/Cap/7/i/3),

collected by Fraser and labelled “1843?? ??”, was probably collected on the Niger

Expedition.

^^ZIZORHIS GIGANTA Blue Plantain Eater (Thomson). Habitat: Fernando Po”

Corythaeola c. cristata Great Blue Turaco. BMNH 1842.11.4.2 is noted in the

accessions register of 4 Nov 1842, among nos. 1-5 “Musophaga gigas Presented by

Mr Thompson on payment of expenses 10/0/-” with “exchanged with Dr Rüppell”

added; this may refer to nos. 1842.1 1.4. 1 and 4, which are not in the collection. Nos. 3

and 5 are Tauraco macrorhynchus verreauxi (see no. 42 below).

‘‘CORYTHAIX MACRORHYNCHA (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1837).

Habitat: Bimbia and Cameroons”

Tauraco m, macrorhynchus Yellow-billed Turaco. The date 1837 is a typographical

error for 1839. Three specimens (BMNH 1842.10.13.1, 1842.11.4.3 and 5) were

collected from the same tree on Mondoleh Island, the largest island of Ambas Bay,

Cameroon, each having a crest “... in a different state ... we have reason to believe

they have been divided into distinct species, although it is quite clear to us, they were

merely of different ages...” (Allen & Thomson 1848, vol. 2, p. 290). The accessions

register of 13 Oct 1842 contains “Musophagus Mr R.W. Thomson, Esq. Some sp[?]

plain green crest with white band under the red, with red tips to the crest feathers”.

‘^TRERON CRASSIROSTRIS (Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Feb.1843).

Habitat: Islands of St Thomas and Rollas ... where it abounds, together with

many other varieties of pigeons ... Dr Thomson sent a specimen to the Zoological

Society’s Museum, from which it was described by Mr Fraser ...”

Treron sanctithomae Sao Tomé Green Pigeon. Holotype: BMNH 1855.12.19.304,

adult, mounted specimen.

‘‘PORPHYRIO ALLENI (Thomson, in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. VoI.X 1842).

Habitat: Iddah, River Niger ... This very pretty species was shot among the

reeds, on the inundated Island opposite Iddah, ... Dr Thomson called it Alleni, in

honour of his distinguished commander. Captain W.Allen, R.N. Presented to the

British Museum ...”

Porphyrio alleni Allen’s Gallinule. Holotype: BMNH 1842.9.24.1 adult.

‘‘GLAREOLA CINEREA (Fraser, in Proc.Zool.Soc.Lond., Feb 1843). Habitat:

Banks of the mouth of the Nun River, West Africa”

2001

Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

107

Giareoia cinerea Grey Pratincole. Syntype: BMNH 1843.3.31.145 adult. Allen

presented three specimens to BMNH; two syntypes (1843.3,31.13 and 14) are in the

collections; the third, no. 15, was not found.

^WANELLUS ALBICEPS (GouM, In Proc. Zool. Soc. Lend., June 1834)* Habitat:

River Quorra, West Africa*”

Vanellus albiceps White-headed Plover. Holotype: BMNH 1881.2.18.52. Presented

by Allen to ZSL and figured in Fraser (1849). Collected by Allen on the Macgregor

Laird Expedition to the Niger in 1832, probably from the sandbanks of the Niger

during the dry season, although the exact location is not clear from Gould's

description, and the holotype carries an Eyton label “Fernando Po”. Fraser (1849)

refers to two “procured” by Allen on Fernando Po and presented by him to ZSL; the

whereabouts of these specimens are not known. If this refers to birds collected during

the 1841 expedition they would not have been collected from Nigeria. The birds are

absent from the Lower Niger when the river is in full flood (Moore 2000a).

Acknowledgments

I should like to thank the staff of the General Library of the British Museum (Natural

History) at South Kensington, for allowing me access to records in their care. I

gratefiilly acknowledge the help of the Archivists Ms Susan Snell and the late John

Thackray. I thank Mr Ray Symonds of UMZC for information on birds collected by

Fraser held in that Museum, and the staff of the Fenland and Wisbech Museum in

Cambridgeshire, who gave me every assistance. Dr Robert Prs-Jones allowed me

access to the Library and the collections of the British Museum (Natural History) Sub-

department of Ornithology, and I thank him, Mr Michael Walters and Mrs F.E.Warr at

Tring, for much generous help. I thank Dr Clemency Fisher of Liverpool Museum,

who drew my attention to the letters of Fraser to the 13tli Earl of Derby. I am most

gratefiii to Lord Derby for granting permission to refer to these letters. I thank the

Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool Libraries & Information Services for allowing me

access to the letters. Reference to material in the National Museum & Galleries on

Merseyside (Merseyside Maritime Museum) is by courtesy of the Board of Trustees.

Captain M.K. Barritt, R.N., advised on tracing Royal Naval archives. Prof. Robert

Cheke kindly read an early draft of this paper and suggested improvements; he and

James Jobling provided additional data.

References

Allen, w. & Thomson, T.R.H. (1848) A Narrative of the Expedition sent by Her

Majesty’s Government to the River Niger in 1842. 2 vols. Bentley, London. (1968

new impression: Cass, London)

108

A.M. Moore

Malimbus 23

Anon. (1881) For Sale, the Valuable Collection of Bird Skins Formed by the Late Sir

William Jardine, Bart. Quaritch, Loudon.

Anon. (1886) A Catalogue of the Valuable Collection of Bird Skins Formed by the

Late Sir William Jardine, Bart. Puttick and Simpson. London.

Benson, C.W. (1999) Type Specimens of Bird Skins in the University Museum of

Zoology, Cambridge. British Ornithologists’ Club, Tring..

Cheke, R.A., (2001) Confirmation of the position of the likely type-locality of

Chalcomitra rubescens stangerii. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 121: 62“-63.

Fraser, L. (1839) Proc. Zool Soc. Land. 34-35.

Fraser, L. (1842a) Letter from Mr Fraser, Zoologist to the Niger Expedition. Ann.

Mag. nat. Hist. 10: 126-127.

Fraser, L. (1842b) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 141-142.

Fraser, L. (1842c) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 144-145.

Fraser, L. (1842d) Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 189-190.

Fraser, L. (1843a) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 3-4.

Fraser, L. (1843b) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 16-17.

Fraser, L. (1843c) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 26-27.

Fraser, L. (1843d) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 34-35.

Fraser, L. (1843e)4««. Mag. Nat. Hist. 12: 440^42.

Fraser, L. (1849) Zoologica Typica. Published by the author, London.

Fry, C.H., Keith, S. & Urban, E.K. (1988) The Birds of Africa, voL 3. Academic

Press, London.

Fry, C.H., Keith, S. & Urban, E.K. (2000) The Birds of Africa, vol. 6. Academic

Press, London.

Gray, G.R. (1845) The Genera of Birds, vol. 1, pi. 20. Longman, Brown, Green and

Longman, London.

Gray, G.R. (1849) The Genera o/Birds, vol. 2, p. 351. Longman, Brown, Green, and

Longman, London.

Gould, J. (1834) Proc. Zool Soc. Lond. 45.

Hartlaub, G. (1854) Versuch einer synoptischen Ornithologie Westafrica’s.

Alcedinidae. J. Orn. 7: 1-5.

Jardine, W. (1842) Description of some birds collected during the last expedition to

the Niger. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10: 186-190.

Jardine, W. (1843) (Ed.) The Naturalist’s Library, Nectarinadae, vol. 36, Lizars,

Edinburgh.

Jardine, W. (1851) Collections ofL. Fraser, Esq.. Con. Orn. 151-156.

Keith, S., Urban, E.K., & Fry, C.H. (1992) The Birds of Africa, vol. 4. Academic

Press, London.

LRO Derby (unpubl.) Letters of Fraser to Derby 1840-2 (920 DER (13); 1/59/1-

1/59/79). Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool. (Relevant refs are ail in letters 2-39.)

Lynes, H. (1930) Review of the genus Cisticola. Ibis (12) 6 SuppL: 1-658.

2001

Birds of the 1841 Niger Expedition

109

MAL Derby (unpubl) Copies of letters from Fraser to Derby and from Thomas

Whitfield to Derby, 1842. Derby notebook MM/8/K/3, Maritime Archives of the

National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool.

McWilliam, J.O. (1843) Medical History of the Expedition to the Niger during the

Years 1841-1842. Churchill, London.

Moore, A.M. (1995) More anecdotal evidence of the type-locality of Chalcomitra

rubescens stangerii. Bull. Brit. Om. CL 115: 134"! 35.

Moore, A.M. (2000a) Comment on species rejected and added to the avifauna of

Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea). Malimbus 22: 31""33.

Müller, J. von (1855) Systematiches Verzeichniss der Vogel Afrika’s. J. Om. 15 : 193-208.

Peters, J.L., Mayr, E., Traylor, M.A. & Watson, G.E.. (1986) A Check-list of the

Birds of the World, vol. 1 1. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass.

PRO (unpubl.) Ship’s Papers of HMS Albert (ADM 51 3549) and HMS Wilberforce

(ADM 51 3706). Public Records Office, London. [HMS Soudan (ADM 51 3678)

is also catalogued, but missing].

RSM Jardine (unpubl.) Letters from Fraser to Jardine, 1842-3 (2/34) and Waterhouse

to Jardine 1842 (6/138); draft instructions to Fraser, undated, (6/137). Royal

Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

SCHÔN, J.F. & Crowther, S. (1842) Journals of the Rev. James Frederick Schon and

Mr Samuel Crowther. Hatchard and Son, London.

SCLATER, W.L. (1930) Systema Avium Aethiopicarum, vol. 2. British Ornithologists’

Union, London.

Sharpe, R.B. (1875) Catalogue of the Striges or Nocturnal Birds of Prey in the

Collection of the British Museum. Trustees of the British Museum, London.

Sharpe, R.B. (1881) On some Flycatchers lately added to the collection of the British

Museum. Proc. Zool. Soc. Land. 8: 788.

Sharpe, R.B. (1906) The History of the Collections in the Natural History Departments

of the British Museum, vol. 2. Trustees of the British Museum, London.

Strickland, H.E. (1841) Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. p. 30.

Strickland, H.E. (1844) Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. pp. 99-102.

Thomson, T.R.H. (1842) Description of a new species of Genetta and of two species

of birds from western Africa. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10: 203-204.

UKHO (unpubl.) Letters of Cdr. W. Allen to the Admiralty 1841-2: AlOl; A102;

A 141. United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Taunton.

Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. & Keith, S. (1986) The Birds of Africa, vol. 2. Academic

Press, London.

Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. & Keith, S. (1997) The Birds of Africa, vol. 5. Academic

Press, London.

Warren, R.M. (1966) Type Specimens of Birds in the British Museum {Natural

History), vol. 1, Non passerines. British Museum (Natural History), London.

Warren, R.M. & Harrison, C.J.O. (1971) Type Specimens of Birds in the British Museum

{Natural History), vol. 2, Passerines. British Museum (Natural History), London.

no

Malimbus 23

Short Notes — Notes Courtes

First records of Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus and Grass Owl

Tyto capensis from Mt Cameroon

When we found Scarce Swifts Schoutedenapus myoptilus for the first time on the

West African mainland, on the edge of Manenguba Crater in 1999, we suggested that

the species might also occur on Mt Cameroon and elsewhere, having apparently been

confused at times with Bates’s Swift batesi (Dowsett & Dowsett-Lemaire 2000).

Scarce Swifts are readily located from their distinctive calls: a good tape-recording is

presented by Gibbon (1991), the same again by Chappuis (2000), and a sonogram was

published by Dowsett & Dowsett-Lemaire (1978). We were able to visit the southern

slopes of Mt Cameroon in March 2001, and found Scarce Swifts to be common there.

We saw and heard them daily from 4-13 March (except for 5 March, after a storm).

They were especially numerous in the area of Mann’s Spring (4°7'N, 9°8'E) from

2000 to 2500 m, but we noted them down to 900 m at Mapanja (4°5'N, 9°10'E) and at

Spider Camp (4°7'N, 9°9'E) at 1600 m, where one was tape-recorded. The Swifts

were most conspicuous from dawn to mid-morning and from mid- or late afternoon to

dusk, usually in pairs or small groups, calling when chasing each other (which they do

frequently). Their absence at midday suggests they are not breeding at this time of

year; moreover, no aerial matings were seen. Scarce Swifts should be expected to

occur over some other montane forests of Cameroon, although they are apparently

absent from Mt Kupe and the Bakossi Mts — we did not find any in 15 weeks of field

work, at different seasons, over a period of four years. They have been known from

nearby Bioko for nearly a century (Pérez del Val 1996); the paucity of records there

may just reflect a lack of fieldwork by observers familiar with this Afromontane

species. The Swifts could easily cross between Mt Cameroon and the island. They are

known to be migratory (breeding visitors) in at least Malawi (Dowsett-Lemaire 1989)

and Zimbabwe (Brooke in Harrison et al. 1997).

While camped at Mann’s Spring we heard the call of a Grass Owl Tyto capensis

on two separate evenings, each time just at the edge of the forest (at 2300 m), with

extensive grassland on one side, and much bracken briar in the open montane forest

that spreads below the grassland. The voice can be separated from that of Bam Owl T.

alba by its being a single screech, quieter and never repeated in a series, with lower

pitch, shorter duration and lack of tremolo. A recording is presented by Gibbon (1991)

and the same again by Chappuis (2000). Mt Cameroon is the western limit of Grass

Owl. It appears to be common in Manenguba Crater (Serle 1950, pers, obs.) and

specimens are also known from Lake Paponoun (or Monoun) (Germain et al. 1973),

some 100 km north-east of Manenguba. Moreover, Serle (1950) probably saw this

owl at Bambulue, and there is a possible sight record from Mbi Crater (Dowsett-

2001

Notes Courtes

111

Lemaire & Dowsett 1998). There are specimens of Bam Owl from Mt Cameroon

(Reichenow 1911, under Strix maculata), but a sight record from grassland at 2500 m,

attributed to Bam Owl by Eisentraut (1973), might perhaps have been a Grass Owl.

We thank James Acworth and E.M. O’Kah (Mt Cameroon Project) for arranging our

fieldwork, and Dr Atanga Ekobo (WWF-Cameroon) for agreeing to our visit to Mt

Cameroon while under contract to the Cross-Sanaga project. Dr C. Chappuis kindly

reviewed this note.

References

Brooke, R.K. (1997) Scarce Swift. In Harrison, J.A., Allan, D.G., Underhill,

L.G., Herremans, M., Tree, A.J., Parker, V. & Brown, C.J. The Atlas of

Southern African Birds, vol. 1 : 627. Birdlife South Africa, Johannesburg.

Chappuis, C. (2000) Oiseaux d'Afrique - 2. Afrique occidentale et centrale. 11 CDs,

SEOF, Paris.

Dowsett, R. J. & Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1978) The voice of the Scarce Swift

Schoutedenapus myoptilus. Scopus 2: 51-52.

Dowsett, RJ. & Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2000) New species and amendments to the

avifauna of Cameroon. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 120: 179-185.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989) Ecological and biogeographical aspects of forest bird

communities in Malawi. Scopus 13: 1-80.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. (1998) Surveys of Oku Mt and other IB As in

NW Province (Cameroon), Febmary-March 1998. Unpubl. rep., BirdLife

International, Cambridge.

Eisentraut, M. (1973) Die Wirbeltierfauna von Fernando Poo und Westkamemn.

Bonn. zool. Monogr. 3: 1-428.

Germain, M., Dragesco, J., Roux, F. & Garcin, H. (1973) Contribution à

l’ornithologie du Sud-Cameroun. Oiseau Rev. fr. Orn. 43: 119-182, 212-259.

Gibbon, G. (1991) Southern African bird sounds. 6 cassettes. Southern African

Birding, Hillary.

PÉREZ DEL Val, J. (1996) Las Aves de Bioko, Guinea Ecuatorial. Edilesa, Leon.

Reichenow, A. (1911) Die Omithologischen Sammlungen der Zoologisch-Bota-

nischen Kamemn-Expedition 1908 und 1909. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin 5: 203-258.

Serle, W. (1950) A contribution to the ornithology of the British Cameroons. Ibis 92:

343-376, 602-638.

Received 19 April 2001 RJ. Dowsett & F. Dowsett-Lemaire

12 me des Lavandes, Ganges F-34190, France

email: dowsett@aoLcom

112

Short Notes

Malimbus 23

Comments on Black-throated Coucal Centropus leucogaster^ claimed

from Niger

Debout et ai. (2000) report seeing near Niamey what would be the first Black-throated

Coucal Centropus ieucogaster for Niger. As they remarked, there are few records

from this latitude, the nearest being from Kangaba in the Monts Mandingues of

southern Mali (Lamarche 1980-1), and the nearest at any latitude being from Djodji

and Kouniohou in Togo (Cheke & Walsh 1996), some 650 km south of Niamey. The

habitat of the Niamey sighting (gardens and old cultivation) is quite atypical for this

forest bird (LDCF pers. obs., Cheke et al. 1985). Even the extreme southwest of Niger

seems to be utterly devoid of forest species such as the sedentary C. Ieucogaster. The

only large coucal known from the Niamey area is the savanna Senegal Coucal C.

senegalensis, although another that might occur is the Blue-naped Coucal C.

monachus, whose status and distribution in W Africa are imperfectly known, owing to

the few certain records of it. This species is reported from the R. Niger, some 620 km

northwest of Niamey, at Diré in Mali (Lamarche 1980-1), and reappears further east

at L. Chad (Dowsett 1971).

C. Ieucogaster is a skulking species that rarely leaves thick cover, but when seen

should be the easiest coucal to identify; indeed, G. Debout {in litt.) stresses that “les

conditions étaient très bonnes et l’oiseau très proche de nous ... et nous sommes donc

certain que la poitrine était bien noire”. Debout et al. (2000) mentioned “le dessous

vraiment blanc (non crème)” which would point to an adult of this species. C.

monachus does not have any black on the throat as a rule, although Bannerman (1933)

refers to the immature having “dark tips to some of the feathers of the throat”, but this

would not be sufficient to give the appearance of a totally black throat, and in the

juvenile the rest of the underparts would be buff rather than pure white. The rufous

underparts of the morph epomidis of C. senegalensis also rule out that possibility, and

in any case this form probably does not occur further inland than some 200 km from

the coast (Elgood 1973). Perhaps an undescribed morph (black throat, white

underparts) of C. senegalensis is involved.

We are not sure which species of coucal Debout et al (2000) saw at Niamey, and

G. Debout (in litt.) is now no longer certain of the identification. Despite the fact that

the totally black breast recorded by Debout et al. (2000) seems not to allow for any

known alternative other than C. Ieucogaster, we believe that there is insufficient

evidence for this species to be claimed to occur in Niger.

We thank Gabriel Debout for kindly replying to our enquiries.

References

Bannerman, D.A. 1933. The Birds of Tropical West Africa, vol. 3. Crown Agents,

London.

2001

Notes Courtes

113

Cheke, R. a. & Walsh, J.F. 1996. The Birds of Togo. Checklist 14, British

Ornithologists’ Union, Tring.

Cheke, R.A., Walsh, J.F. & Fishpool, L.D.C. 1985. Bird records from the Republic

of Niger. Malimbus 7: 73--90.

Debout, G., Meister, P. & Ventelon, M. 2000. Notes complémentaires sur

Favifaune du Niger. Malimbus 22: 87-88.

Dowsett, R.J. 1971. Quelques observations sur les oiseaux du Tchad. Oiseau Rev.fr.

Orn. 41: 83-85.

Elgood, J.Fl. 1973. Rufous phase Senegal Coucals in southwest Nigeria: an

illustration of Gloger’s Rule. Bull. Brit. Ornithol. Club 93: 173.

Lamarche, B. 1980-1. Liste commentée des oiseaux du Mali. Malimbus 2: 121-158;

3: 73-102.

Received 10 October 2000 R. Demey*, R, J. Dowsett^ & L.D.C. Fishpool^

Van der Heimstraat 52, 2582 SB Den Haag, The Netherlands

email: 106706.603@compuserve.com

^Rue des Lavandes 12, Ganges F-34190, France; email: dowsett@aol.com

^BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ON A, UK

email: lincoln.fishpool@birdlife.org.uk

Editor’s note

As might be imagined, both referees and I strongly questioned this record before

agreeing to publish it in Malimbus. At the time, the authors’ description and additional

correspondence seemed to allow for no alternative to C. leucogaster, despite the

extremely unlikely habitat. The record was therefore published as it stood. The bird’s

description, taken in excellent viewing conditions, still argues for C. ieucogasîer,

although the habitat does not, and vagrancy in this sedentary species seems unlikely.

The suggestion of an undescribed form is intriguing. Other observers might care to

examine the site of Debout et al.' s record, or skin collections.

Première observation d’une Zoothera en Guinée

Le 1 1 décembre 2000, marchant en compagnie de Michel Fouquet sur une piste à

quelques km à l’est de Tountouroun, préfecture de Labé, Guinée (1 1°24'N, 12°14'W)

à c. 1000 m d’altitude, mon attention a été attirée par un oiseau fouillant la litière de

feuilles sèches du sous-bois proche. J’ai pu d’abord apercevoir l’oiseau effectuant un

court vol au ras du sol, puis l’observer à l’aide de jumelles, pendant c. 10 s, posé au

sol à c. 12 m de moi, avant qu’il ne s’éloigne à pied hors de ma vue. Cet oiseau avait

l’apparence d’une grive et à peu près la taille d’une Grive musicienne Turdus

philomelos. Il avait des barres sombres sous l’œil et en arrière de la joue, elle-même

114

Short Notes

Malimbus 23

claire, et ses couvertures alaires avaient des extrémités blanchâtres. Le dessus de la

tête et du corps était uniformément brun, le poitrail était ponctué de taches noires, plus

grandes et plus arrondies que celles de la Grive musicienne et ressemblant plutôt à

celles de la Grive draine Z viscivorus, mais en faible densité, contrastant sur fond

clair et ne s’étendant pas jusqu’au ventre. Cet oiseau était solitaire. Il n’a pas crié ni

chanté pendant la demi-heure durant laquelle nous sommes restés dans les environs.

L’observation a eu lieu dans un secteur relativement peu dégradé du massif du

Fouta-DJalon. La pente du sol y est de l’ordre de 30®. La couverture boisée est

continue sur plusieurs centaines d’hectares. La taille des arbres, atteignant au

maximum, c, 30 m, varie selon la profondeur du sol A Fendroit précis de

l’observation, le sol est superficiel. Les arbres y sont donc de taille modeste et

F ouverture du milieu créée par la piste favorise également la pénétration de la lumière

sur ses abords, ce qui explique la présence d’un sous-bois broussailleux assez dense.

Sur le même site (dans un rayon de quelques dizaines de mètres) ont aussi été

observés: Pigeon vert à front nu Treron calva, Barbion à croupion jaune Pogoniulus

bilineatus, Pic cardinal Dendropicos fuscescens. Pic gris D. goertae, Gobemouche

noir Ficeduîa hypoieuca, Cratérope à tête noire Turdoides reinwardii, Souïmanga à

ventre jaune Nectarinia venus ta, Souïmanga à poitrine rouge N. senegalensis. Pie-

grièche cubla de Gambie Drymcopus gambensis, Gonolek de Turati ou d’Abyssinie

Laniarius sp., Drongo de Ludwig Dicrurus iudwigii et Astrild queue-de-vinaigre

Estrilda caerulescens.

Les caractéristiques de F oiseau désignent sans aucun doute une Zoothera, ce qui

est conforté par son comportement et le milieu où il se trouvait. La détermination

spécifique est plus problématique, puisqu’il présentait des caractères communs à un

immature de Grive olivâtre Z prince! et à la Grive tâchetée Z guttata sans

correspondre précisément à Fune ou l’autre de ces espèces telles qu’elles sont décrites

par Urban et al. (1997), Clement (1999) et Clement & Hathway (2000).

Aucune espèce de Zoothera n’a jusqu’alors été signalée en Guinée. La seule

Zoothera dont Faire de répartition s’approche du site de cette observation est Z

prince!, connue, à plus de 500 km de là, de Fextrême est de la Sierra Leone et de la

partie libérienne du Mont Nimba (Urban et ai. 1997, Clement & Hathway 2000). Les

cinq sous-espèces de Z gutîata ont une répartition extrêmement localisée et morcelée,

entre le sud du Soudan et l’Afrique du Sud.

L’avifaune du Fouta-Djaioe est très mal connue. Quelques jours de prospection

ornithologique nous ont permis d’y observer bon nombre d’espèces (y compris des

espèces communes et/ou plus facilement visibles qu’une Zoothera) loin de leur aire de

distribution connue. Pour ne prendre que l’exemple des autres observations, citées ci-

dessus, le Pic cardinal et le Drongo de Ludwig sont les premiers observés en

Moyenne-Guinée, le Pic gris, le Gobemouche noir, le Cratérope à tête noire, le

Souimanga à poitrine rouge et la Pie-grièche cubla de Gambie sont les premiers

observés dans la préfecture de Labé. Le Barbion à croupion jaune est une espèce

2001

Notes Courtes

115

omniprésente, dont nous avons fait les premières observations dans sept préfectures

différentes couvrant la majeure partie du massif.

Elle doit tenir compte d’autre part de ce que, selon Clement (1999) les Zoothera

africaines présentent “un défi aux taxonomistes et à l’observateur de terrain”. Compte

tenu de cela, aucune hypothèse ne peut être totalement exclue, y compris le fait qu’il

s’agisse d’une nouvelle sous-espèce ou espèce de Zoothera.

Bibliographie

Clement, P. (1999) The African Zoothera thrushes. Identification, distribution and

some problems with classification. Bull Afr. Bird Club 6:17-24.

Clement, P. & Hathway, R. (2000) Thrushes. Christopher Helm, London.

Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. & Keith, S. (1997) The Birds of Africa, vol. 5. Academie

Press, London.

Reçu 29 juin 2001

Revu 4 août 2001

Bertrand Trolliet

Chanteloup, 85340 Ile d’Olonne, France

2001

116

News & Letters — Nouvelles & Lettres

Request for bird observations from Ivory Coast

A project to compile an annotated species list for the birds of Ivory Coast has started

recently. We should appreciate receiving any species lists and additional information

such as numbers, seasonal appearance, habitat, breeding and moult of birds in the

country.

Demande d’informations sur les oiseaux de Côte d’ivoire

Une initiative pour l’édition d’un livre sur les oiseaux de Côte d’ivoire est en cours.

Nous serions heureux de recevoir toutes informations additionnelles sur les oiseaux du

pays, telles que des données numériques, les observations saisonnières, habitats,

nidifications et mues.

I 0 ^

Hilaire Yaokokore Beibro , Volker Salewski & Hugo Rainey

* Société de Conservation de la Nature de Côte-d’Ivoire (SCN-CI)

s/c Dépt de Zoologie, Univ. de Cocody/ Abidjan, 22 BP 368 Abidjan 22, Côte d’ivoire

tel +225 (0) 7985434; e-mail <scnci@hotmail.com>

‘J

Prinz-Rupprecht-Str. 34, 93053 Regensburg, Germany/Allemagne

tel ++ (0) 9417086788

^School of Biology, Bute Medical Building, Univ. of St Andrews, St Andrews,

FifeKY16 9TS, U.K.

e-mail <hjr3@st-andrews.ac.uk>

Africa Section of the Society for Conservation Biology

Research and training institutions in Africa have existed for decades, but today

conservation science in parts of Africa is faltering. There is a need to develop and

build on existing capacity in order to promote better science in the management and

preservation of Africa’s spectacular wildlife heritage. An important step in this

direction is the creation of an Africa Section of the Society for Conservation Biology.

The section aims to be a pan-African conservation network to bring scientists and

practitioners together in a virtual and real way through various activities identified by

the group. The section will also strengthen an African voice within the SCB.

An Interim Committee of the Africa Section has been formed, prior to elections

for office bearers in Mar-Apr 2002. Procedures for elections will be developed to

117

News & Letters

Malimbus 21

ensure that there is good regional representation. The Interim Committee includes

Paula Kahumbu (Acting Chair), Trinto Mugangu (representing Central Africa),

William Oduro and Egnankou Wadja (West Africa), Chris Chimimba and Joan

Jaganyi (Southern Africa), and Nyawira Muthiga (marine ecosystems). Alan Rodgers

and Paula will represent East Africa. Sanjayan Muttulingam and Alastair McNeilage

represent non-African members.

We will launch the section officially at the SCB meeting at the University of

Kent, England, in July 2002. We are also hoping to publicise conservation issues in

Africa at that meeting and encourage Africans to present their research findings. A

special symposium on African conservation issues entitled “Living with Wildlife in

Africa” has been proposed which will focus on emerging conservation issues in

Africa. We should particularly like to hear from any African ecologists interested in

presenting their research at that meeting.

To join the Africa section you must be a member of the SCB (apply through

www.conservationbiology.org) and then you can simply send a message to

<africa@conservationbiology.org> stating your interest. You can join only one

regional section as a voting member but you can be a non-voting member in other

sections.

We soon plan to create an email-based African bulletin that will distribute

information on the contents of the SCB journals Conservation Biology and

Conservation Biology in Practice^ as well as additional information relevant to Africa

such as research and finding opportunities, meeting notices, etc. This will be

available free to members and non-members in English and French, and anyone is

encouraged to send information for posting.

We would appreciate hearing from anyone interested in assisting the section in a

voluntary capacity (fund raising, web design, information exchange etc.). We would

also like to hear from people interested in sponsoring African memberships.

We look forward to this exciting venture and to hearing from you.

Paula Kahumbu, Alan Bombusch, Mac Hunter

2001

118

Reviews — Revues

Threatened Birds of the World, senior editors A.J. Stattersfield & D.R. Capper,

2000. 852 pp., numerous maps and colour illustrations. Birdlife International,

Cambridge. ISBN 0-946888-39-6, hardback, £70. Available from Lynx Edicions,

Passeig de Gracia 12, Barcelona, Spain (www.hbw.com).

This is a magnificent review of all bird species assessed by Birdlife according to the

lUCN 1994 red data book criteria, including all species considered extinct since 1500.

I found it hugely interesting and despite its size looked at every page, seeking species

with which I was familiar. However, since this is the first rigorous global assessment

of threatened birds, some inconsistencies inevitably occur.

Some 12% of the world’s avifauna is considered Threatened (Critically

Endangered CR, Endangered EN or Vulnerable VU), a figure much less than those

for plants (where a flora has been fully assessed), mammals, reptiles, amphibians and

fish. This difference may at least partly result from a non-rigorous application of

certain of the lUCN criteria. This probably lies more with the category VU than

others, and the 182 species listed as CR are probably a true representation of the

world’s most endangered bird species. However, the evaluation has been carried out

at the (biological) species level, which results in many of the most endangered taxa

being left out of the book completely.

Introductory sections discuss threats and trends, and show the global distribution

of threatened species. The hotspots are all in the tropics, especially Indonesia, and the

Upper Guinea to Cameroon region of W Africa ranks high. Most threatened species

depend on forests. The major current threat appears to be habitat loss, but the major

cause of recent extinctions has been introduced species. These introductory sections

are exceptionally clearly written and presented, as one has come to expect of Birdlife

publications. The species accounts are an excellent source of information on biology,

populations, threats, and conservation action and needs. One quibble with the

systematic section is that Family names are not included in the page headers.

The threat assessments themselves, for species with which I am familiar, seem

mostly consistent in terms of matching the lUCN criteria, but not always, especially

at lower levels (VU and Near-threatened NT). According to lUCN criteria, all single-

small-island endemics match VU criterion D2 based on range and number of sub-

populations, but not all receive this category. W African examples are Principe and

Sao Tomé Speirops Speirops leucophaeus (NT) and S. lugubris (not included),

whereas Fernando Po and Mt Cameroon Speirops S. brunneus and 5. melanocephalus,

and the single-island Golden White-eye Cleptornis marchei, all with similar ranges

and ecology and no evidence of decline, receive VU. Some other species that are

known or suspected to be suffering declines and have relatively small ranges, such as

119

Reviews

Malimbus 23

some Upper Guinea or New Zealand species, are not included at all. In general it

seems as though many species listed as NT should, according to the lUCN criteria, be

listed as VU. Birdlife may have its own arguments for not strictly following the lUCN

criteria, but if the latter are to be as far as possible comparable across taxonomic

groups and different types of distribution, then the criteria should be followed to the

letter by all evaluating authorities.

A short section near the end of the book lists some species as Least Concern (LC),

although it is not clear how these were chosen. In theory, every non-threatened, non-

NT species should be LC, unless it has not been evaluated (NE) or is listed as Data

Deficient. In fact, it looks like many of the “LC” species should really be NT. The LC

list as it stands suggests that all bird species not included in the book have not been

evaluated, which is surely not the case. A simple species list of LC and/or NE species

would have been better, instead of the brief descriptions for a few selected LC

species.

Finally, a section at the end lists threatened and NT species by country, but

disappointingly does not include the recently-extinct species. This would have been

usefiil to show the progression of the process of extinction in different areas.

These criticisms do not in any way condemn the book. On the contrary, it is a

timely and invaluable reference, and I hope that Birdlife will continue to find the

money to permit regular revisions.

Alan Tye

The Birds of Angola^ by W.R.J. Dean, 2000. 433 + x pp,, colour habitat photos, a

few maps. Checklist 18, British Ornithologists’ Union, Tring. ISBN 0-907446-22-1,

hardback, £50.

The latest BOU checklist takes up an honourable tradition: the avifauna of an African

country that has been effectively closed to study for many years. The second

Checklist, of Zanzibar and Pemba (1979, BOU, London), was based mainly on

Pakenham’s studies that he had carried out much earlier, since few ornithologists had

visited the islands since independence. This Angola checklist is based almost entirely

on collections, and observational data by the author and colleagues, up to the 1970s.

Angola has since experienced almost continuous civil war, and most of the country is

now a minefield. Even the study of collections is incomplete: those within Angola,

including those of A.A. da Rosa Pinto, could not be studied, and one large collection

in Lisbon was lost when the Bocage Museum caught fire in 1978.

The book therefore summarises older knowledge and is most useful as a synthesis

and evaluation of already-published data. It will form an excellent resource for further

study after the landmines have been cleared.

2001

Revues

120

There are some stylistic and content differences from previous BOU checklists.

There is no statement of global range for the species; a pity since this is always useful

to place the country’s records within context, and a 1-2 line statement for each of the

900-odd species included would have increased the size of the book by less than five

pages. Many of the species given in square brackets are included based on their

occurrence in neighbouring countries and therefore probable occurrence in Angola, in

addition to the more usual BOU convention of using square brackets to indicate

doubtful records from within the country. Each species has all collection localities

listed with month of collection (the fact that this could even be considered indicates

how sparse were the data for the work). This is useful for rare species, but common

species have up to a page of localities, which should really have been summarized,

thereby both saving space and facilitating interpretation.

The photographs are excellent, and give a superb impression of the country’s

range of habitats, but I found myself wondering how many of the areas depicted still

look like they did in the 70s: possibly many, given the low population density in

Angola and the prevalence of landmines. However, Dean points out that most large

mammals and birds are probably now verging on extinction due to hunting and mines.

The gazetteer is also first-class, with hundreds of minor place-names and collection

localities listed, which are not to be found in large atlases.

Many birds of the Guinea rainforests (including several Malimbus spp.) reach

their southern limit in the Cabinda enclave or the Uige and Cuanza Norte provinces of

Angola, many E African species are found in the savannas of the east of the country,

and many southern African desert specialists extend up the coast into the arid Namibe

and Benguela provinces. Although it has relatively few endemic birds for its size,

Angola is a fascinating country biogeographically, with a large avifauna, and this

book will surely stimulate much interest in field work within the country when the

security situation finally permits.

Instructions aux Auteurs

Malimbus publie des Articles, des Notes Courtes, des Revues de Livres, des Informations, des

Nouvelles & Lettres et des illustrations traitant de l’ornithologie ouest-africaine. Les Articles et les

Notes Courtes doivent être des apports originaux; ceux déjà publiés ailleurs, en partie ou en totalité,

seront normalement refusés. Les Notes Courtes sont des articles de moins de 1 500 mots (références

comprises) ou de trois pages imprimées. Autant que possible, les manuscrits auront été auparavant

soumis au moins à un ornithologue ou biologiste pour un examen minutieux. Les manuscrits seront

envoyés pour critique à au moins un lecteur compétent. Les textes des Nouvelles & Lettres ne

devraient dépasser 1000 mots.

Les textes sont acceptés en anglais et en français; la Rédaction pourra aider les auteurs dont

la langue maternelle n’est pas l'une de celles-ci. Les textes soumis seront tapés en deux

exemplaires, d’un seul côté de la page, avec double interligne et larges marges. Les auteurs ne

doivent pas envoyer une disquette en même temps que l’article qu‘ils soumettent, mais sont priés

d’indiquer s’ils peuvent adresser une disquette ou une copie e-mail au cas où leur article serait

accepté. Les disquettes seront retournées aux auteurs. Consultez l’Éditeur pour tout détail

supplémentaire, p. ex. les logiciels compatibles.

Les conventions concernant les tableaux, les chiffres, le système métrique, les références, etc.

peuvent être trouvées dans ce numéro et doivent être soigneusement suivies. Notez en particulier

que les dates s’abrègeront comme 2 fév 1990 mais dans un texte pourront s’écrire en entier; que les

heures s’écriront comme 6h45, 17h00; que les coordonnées s’écriront comme 7°46'N, 16°4'W; que

les nombres jusqu’à dix s’écriront en entier, excepté devant une unité de mesure (p. ex. 6 m), que

les nombres à partir de 1 1 s’écriront en chiffres sauf au début d’une phrase. Toute référence citée

dans l’article, et aucune autre, doit figurer dans la bibliographie.

Les articles d’avifaune doivent comprendre une carte ou une liste des localités citées. Ils

devraient donner quelques détails sur le climat, la topographie, la végétation et l’environnement (y

compris les événements inhabituels) avant ou durant l’étude (p. ex. pluies tardives, etc.). Les listes

d’espèces ne devraient contenir que des données importantes: les listes complètes ne sont justifiées

que pour les régions encore non étudiées ou délaissées pendant longtemps. Autrement, ne citer que

les espèces sur lesquelles l’étude fournit de nouveaux faits sur la répartition, la période de séjour, la

reproduction, etc. Pour chaque espèce, indiquer le statut migratoire, la période de séjour (telle

qu’elle ressort de l’étude), l’extension de l’aire, une estimation d’abondance {Malimbus 17: 38) et

les données datées sur la reproduction. Eventuellement, replacez les faits dans le contexte en les

comparant brièvement avec une liste régionale de référence. Les longues listes d’espèces devraient

être sous forme de tableaux (p, ex. Malimbus 12: 39-51, 1: 22-28, ou 1: 49-54) ou sous forme de

texte des derniers numéros (p. ex. Malimbus 12: 19-24, 12: 61-86, 13: 49-66, 16: 10-29). La

séquence taxonomique et les noms scientiflques (et de préférence aussi les noms vernaculaires)

devraient suivre Dowsett & Forbes-Watson (1993, Checklist of Birds of the Afrotropical and

Malagasy Regions, Tauraco Press, Liège) ou The Birds of Africa (Brown et al. 1982, Urban et al.

1986, 1997, Fry et al. 1988, 2000, Keith et al. 1992, Academie Press, London), à moins de donner

les raisons de s’écarter de ces auteurs. Un guide plus complet aux auteurs d’articles sur l’avifaune,

comprenant une notation d’abondance des espèces la plus conseillée, est publié dans Malimbus 17:

35-39. On peut en obtenir une copie de la Rédaction, qui se fera aussi un plaisir d’offrir ses conseils

sur la présentation de ce genre d’études.

Les figures doivent être préparées pour une reproduction directe, permettant une réduction de

20-50%; on se servira d’encre de chine sur papier blanc de bonne qualité ou calque épais et de

caractères Letraset (ou équivalent) selon le cas. Les diagrammes obtenus par programmes

informatisés autres que logiciels graphiques et sur imprimantes autres que laser sont rarement de

qualité acceptable. Pour le dessin des Figures, tenir compte du format de Malimbus.

Tous les Articles (mais non les Notes Courtes) comporteront un Résumé, n’excédant pas 5%

de la longeur totale. Le Résumé mentionnera brièvement les principaux résultats et conclusions de

l’Article et ne sera pas un simple compte rendu du travail. Les résumés seront publiés à la fois en

anglais et en français et seront traduits au mieux par la Rédaction.

Dix tirés-à-part des Articles (mais non des Notes courtes) seront envoyés gratis à l’auteur ou à

l’auteur principal. Les tirés-à-part ne seront ni agrafés, ni reliés ou recouverts; ce sont de simples

extraits de la revue.

3 9088 00997 6747

Malimbus 23(2) December 2001

Contents — Table des Matières

Birds of Irangi Forest, Albertine Rift, Democratic Republic of Congo.

R.B. Kizungu 77-86

La population ouest-africaine du Flamant nain Phoeniconaias minor:

effectifs, répartition et isolement.

B. Trolliet & M. Fouquet 87-92

A commentary on a list of birds collected on the 1841 naval expedition

to the Niger River.

A.M. Moore 93-109

Short Notes — Notes Courtes

First records of Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus and

Grass Owl Tyto capensis from Mt Cameroon.

R.J. Dowsett & F. Dowsett-Lemaire 110-111

Comments on Black-throated Coucal Centropus leucogaster,

claimed from Niger.

R. Demey, R.J. Dowsett & L.D.C. Fishpool 112-113

Première observation d’une Zoothera en Guinée.

B. Trolliet 113-115

News & Letters — Nouvelles & Lettres 116-117

Reviews — Revues

118-120