MAUMBUS

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VOLUMQE 33 NUttibér %

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West ACrican Ornltholi^cal Society

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2011

65

Some observations of birds and bird behaviour in Kinshasa

and Bas-Congo Province5 Democratic Republic of the Congo

by H.D. Sandy Ayer

115 Strandell Crescent SW, Calgary, Alberta T3H 1K8, Canada

<sayer@ambrose.edu>

Received 25 January 2010; revised 28 December 2010.

Summary

The distribution of many of the avian species of the Democratic Republic of

the Congo (DRC) is still not well known. The birds of the Kinshasa region

and Bas-Congo province, in particular, have received little attention. I visited

both areas during the dry season of 2009 (16 June to 5 July), spending four

days in Kinshasa and environs, ten days in Boma, two in Maduda, and three in

Muanda. I present species lists for each location. I observed a number of

species outside of their currently known ranges, including the second record

for DRC of Cape Glossy Starling Lamprotornis nitens, as well as Lesser

Kestrel Faico naumanni. Glossy Ibis Piegadis faicineiius, Wahlberg’s Eagle

Aquila wahlbergi. White-collared Starling Grafisia torquata and House

Sparrow Passer domesticus. Instances of unusual bird behaviour observed

include a Cattle Egret Buhulcus ibis foraging behind a worker using a

mechanical grass trimmer, and a Little Swift Apus affmis being harried by a

butterfly.

Résumé

Quelques observations sur des oiseaux et leur comportement à Kinshasa

et dans la province du Bas-Congo, République Démocratique du Congo.

La distribution de nombre -d’espèces d’oiseaux de la République

Démocratique du Congo (RDC) n’est pas encore bien connue. Les oiseaux de

la région de Kinshasa et de la province du Bas-Congo, en particulier, ont fait

l’objet de peu d’attention. J’ai visité les deux zones pendant la saison sèche

2009 (du 16 juin au 5 juillet), en passant quatre jours à Kinshasa et les

environs, dix jours à Boma, deux à Maduda et trois à Muanda. Je présente des

listes d’espèces pour chaque lieu. J’ai observé nombre d’espèces hors de leurs

aires de répartition connues actuellement, dont la deuxième observation pour

la RDC du Choucador à épaulettes rouges Lamprotornis nitens, ainsi que du

Faucon crécerellette Falco naumanni, de l’Ibis falcinelie Piegadis faicineiius,

66

H.D.S. Ayer

Malimbus 33

de l’Aigle de Wahlberg Aquila wahlbergi, du Choucador à cou blanc Grafisia

torquata et du Moineau domestique Passer domesticus. Les cas de

comportement inhabituel incluent un héron garde-bœufs Bubulcus ibis

fouillant derrière un travailleur utilisant une tondeuse à gazon mécanique et

un Martinet des maisons Apus affmis harcelé par un papillon.

Introduction

The birds of the Kinshasa district and the adjoining province of Bas-Congo in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have received little attention since the

expeditions of Schouteden (1920, 1926, 1948-60) and Chapin (1932, 1939, 1953,

1954). The observation of Demey & Louette (2001) that “the within-country

distribution of many species is ... still imperfectly known,” is particularly true of

Kinshasa and Bas-Congo. I therefore discuss below the significant sightings I made

during a recent trip to Kinshasa and Bas-Congo (16 June to 5 July 2009). While in the

Figure 1. Sites mentioned in the text; see Table 1 for numbered localities.

2011

Birds of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo

67

field I used Borrow & Demey (2004), with additional information on range and

distribution from Sinclair & Ryan (2003). I identified birds that were heard only, with

the aid of Chappuis (2000). The sites at which I made my observations are shown on

Fig. 1 and named in Table 1. Fig. 1 also indicates other sites mentioned in the text.

My observations provide new information on the ranges of several species or on

species rarely recorded from Bas-Congo, among them: Glossy Ibis Plegadis

faicinellus, Wahlberg’s Eagle Aquiia wahlbergi. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni^

White-collared Starling Grafisia torquata, and Cape Glossy Starling Lamprotornis

nitens.

Table 1. Gazetteer of localities in Kinshasa and Bas-Congo, numbered as in Fig. 1.

68

H.D.S. Ayer

Malimbus 33

Results

All species observed are listed in Table 2, and I discuss species of special interest

below it, including a few instances of unusual bird behaviour.

Table 2. Species observed (x) or heard only (h) at localities numbered as in Table 1.

ICAP IMPH 5 7 8 Others

Podicepitidae

Tachybaptiis ruficollis Little Grebe

Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocorax africanus Long-tailed Cormorant x

Ardeidae

Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret x

Egretta garzetta Little Egret x

E. alba Great Egret x

Ardea purpurea Purple Heron

Ciconiidae

Leptoptilos crumeniferus Marabou Stork

Threskiornithidae

Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis x

Accipitridae

Gypohierax angolensis Palm-Nut Vulture

Polyboroides typus African Harrier Hawk

Accipiter tachiro African Goshawk x

Aquila wahlbergi Wahlberg’s Eagle

Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel

F. tinnunculus Common Kestrel x

Rallidae

Porphyrio alleni Allen’s Gallinule

Jacanidae

Actophilornis africana African Jacana

Glareolidae

Glareola nuchalis Rock Pratincole

Columbidae

Treron calvus African Green Pigeon

Turtur brehmeri Blue-headed Wood Dove

T. tympanistria Tambourine Dove

T. afer Blue-spotted Wood Dove x

Columba livia Rock Pigeon

Sîreptopelia semitorquata Red-eyed Dove x

S. capicola Ring-necked Dove

2

X

XXX

X

XXX

X

X

XXX

X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X X 1 city centre

X X

X

X

X

2011

Birds of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo

69

ICAP IMPH 5 7 8 Others

PsittacMae

Psitîacus erithacus Grey Parrot x

Musophagidae

Tauraco persa Green Turaco

Cuculidae

Chrysococcyx Maas Klaas's Cuckoo

Centropus senegalensis Senegal Coucal

C. rnonachus Blue-headed Coucal

Strigidae

Bubo africanus Spotted Eagle Owl

Apodidae

Cypsiurus parvus African Palm Swift x

Apus affmis Little Swift x

Coliidae

Coiius striatus Speckled Mousebird x

Akedinidae

Halcyon albiventrls Brown-hooded Kingfisher

H. senegalensis Woodland Kingfisher

H. chelicuti Striped Kingfisher

Alcedo cristata Malachite Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis Pied Kingfisher

Meropidae

Merops pusillus Little Bee-eater

M bullockoides White-fronted Bee-eater

Coraciidae

Eurystomus glaucurus Broad-billed Roller

Upupidae

Upupa epops Hoopoe

Bucerotidae

Tockus fasciatus African Pied Hombill

Ramphastidae

Pogoniulus atroflavus Red-mmped Tinkerbird

P. biimeatus Yellow-mmped Tinkerbird

Trichoiaema hirsuta Hairy-breasted Barbet

Picidae

Dendropicos goertae Grey Woodpecker

Hiruedinidae

Psalidoprocne nitens Square-tailed Saw-wing

Riparia cincta Banded Martin

Hirundo abyssinica Lesser Striped Swallow

H. rufigula Red-throated Cliff Swallow

X X

h

X

X X

h

h

X XXX

X X

X XXX

X 2

X X 1 Botanic Garden

X X

X

X

XXX

X

X

X X

X

X

XX 6

X

X

X

X

X

X

70

H.D.S. Ayer

Malimbus 33

ICAP IMPH 5 7 8 Others

H. nigrita White-throated Blue Swallow

Motacillidae

Macronyx croseus Yellow-throated Longelaw

Pycnonotidae

Thescelocichla leucopleura Swamp Palm Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus Common Bulbul x

Nicator chi oris Western Nicator

Turdidae

Turdus pelios African Thrush

Cichladusa ruficauda Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush x

Muscicapidae

Myrmecocichla tholloni Congo Moor Chat

Cisticolidae

Cisticola erythrops Red-faced Cisticola

Prinia subflava Tawny-flanked Prinia

Camaroptera brachyura Grey-backed Camaroptera

Hylia prasina Green Hylia

Platysteiridae

Dyaphorophyia castanea Chestnut Wattle-eye

Batis mimdia Angola Batis

Timaliidae

Illadopsis fulvescens Brown Illadopsis

Nectariniidae

Anabathmis reichenbachii Reichenbach’s Sunbird

Cyanomitra verticalis Green-headed Sunbird x

C rubescens Green-throated Sunbird

Chalcomitra fulginosa Carmelite Sunbird

Cinnyris chloropygius Olive-bellied Sunbird x

C minullus Tiny Sunbird

C. bifasciatus Purple-banded Sunbird

C. superbus Superb Sunbird

C. cupreus Copper Sunbird

Laniidae

Lanius mackinnoni MacKinnon’s Shrike

Malaconotidae

Dryoscopus senegalensis Black-shouldered Puffback

Corvidae

Corvus albus Pied Crow x

Sturnidae

Onychognathus fulgidus

Forest Chestnut-winged Starling

X

X

X

X XXX

X

X 1 Botanic Garden

X XXX

X

X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

3

X

4

3

X 4

6

X X

X X

X

X

X

XXX

X

20il

Birds of Kinshasa and Bas=Congo

71

Egretta ardesiaca Black Heron. Seen every year (Jan-Mar, most numerous in Jan)

by T.M. Ntsankete (pers. comm.) in marshes at west end of PMM. Previously observed

August at mouth of Congo, exact location not given (Lippens & Wille 1976). Two speci-

mens, now in Royal Museum of Central Africa, collected Banana and Muanda, Dec

1951 (Dean & Le Maitre 2006, M. Louette pers. comm.). Uncommon Angola, apparently

not recorded north of Luanda (Dean et ai. 1988); Congo-Brazzaville records confined

to Likouala aux Herbes River (Mokoko Ikonga & Rainey 2005, Rainey et al. 2009).

Bubulcm ibis Cattle Egret. One intently following a golf course maintenance worker

who was using a grass trimmer, Gombe district of Kinshasa, 17 Jun. The bird was

walking c. 2 m to the side of the worker, apparently waiting for prey stirred up by the

trimmer. Cattle Egrets have previously been observed associating with people cutting

grass with sickles (Menon 1981).

72

H.D.S. Ayer

Malimbus 33

Plegadis faldnellus Glossy Ibis. One soaring above CAP on the morning of 19 Jun,

(all dark; legs trailing; thin, delicate neck; small, rounded head). A migrant in the

DRC, according to Lippens & Wille (1976). In Angola, common in southwest (Dean

2000); no records for Congo-Brazzaville.

Aquila wahlbergi Wahiberg’s Eagle. One heading southeast above FACTEB

campus, 25 Jun (appeared all black, wings long, narrow, leading and trailing edges

parallel). Another soaring (hunting?) 100-150 m above hills east of campus, c. 12h00,

27 Jun (appeared dark monochrome brown verging on chestnut, no barring or

streaking on underparts, tail barely fanned). At c. 13h30, same day, a tight group of

three at a distance of c. 400 m soaring 100 m, above the campus and heading

northeast. Common from southern Bandundu (province adjacent to the south and west

of Bas-Congo) southeastwards (www.pesic-pedersen.com/drc/checklists.html,

accessed 9 Jan 2010); one tracked by satellite over western Bandundu, c. 175 km east

of Kinshasa, Apr and Aug 1994 (Meyburg et al. 1995). In Congo-Brazzaville,

observed in the Lefmi Reserve in 2007 (King 2011). In Angola, most common in

south; uncommon in Cabinda, where likely a passage migrant (Dean 2000). This

species’ migratory movements are not properly understood (Brown et al 1982,

Meyburg et al. 1995). Some birds might take a more westerly route than the

individual tracked by Meyburg et al. (1995). Since it is known to migrate in flocks

(Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001), it is possible that the three I saw heading north were

migrants.

Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel. An adult male circled below me, at a distance of c.

50 m, over baobabs in a ravine south of FACTEB campus, late morning 22 Jun. I

observed possibly the same bird for c. 5 min. at just above eye level, 3-4 h later. I saw

well the unspotted chestnut mantle and lesser and median wing coverts, darkish blue-

grey head and diagonal strip on inner wing, blackish outer wings contrasting with pale

(and plain) blue-grey rump and tail. Adult male Lesser Kestrel is “unmistakable in

reasonable view” (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). During the second observation

the bird soared and occasionally hovered, especially where grass had been trampled

by grazing cattle. It was silent, a characteristic of this species when not breeding

(Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). Common Kestrel F. tinnunculus lacks the

distinctive coloration noted above, which I saw well in good light on both occasions.

Lesser Kestrel winters in semi-arid savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, and leaves

wintering grounds by mid-May (Brown et al 1982) but may occur as a straggler in all

DRC (www.pesic-pedersen.com/drc/checklists.html, accessed 9 Jan 2010). Also

recorded in Congo-Brazzaville (Malbrant & Maclatchy 1949) and Angola, where so

far known only from the southwest (Dean 2000).

Chrysococcyx klaas Klaas’s Cuckoo. A juvenile uttering begging calls and being fed

by a pair of Tawny-flanked Prinias Prinia subflava on the grounds of MPH, 5 Jul.

Known to parasitise warblers (Payne & Sorenson 2005).

Apus affinis Little Swift. One being harried by a white moth or butterfly at CAP. The

two were flying level, 20-30 m overhead. The insect, which had a wingspan of c. 12

2011

Birds of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo

73

cm, kept pace with the bird, which is not considered to be a strong flier (Fry et al

1988), matched its every attempt at evasion and prodded it from time to time. The

swift seemed to be trying to shake off its tormentor. Such behaviour is reminiscent of

some butterflies that engage in aerial contests for mating territories (Kemp 2000).

Some species of African butterflies have been known to attack Pied Crows Corvus

albus and dogs if they perceive them to be threats (L.A. Depew pers. comm.).

Hirundo abyssinica Lesser Striped Swallow, One feeding under the eaves at the

front entrance of my residence at FACTEB. I was less than 2 m away from the bird at

times. It sometimes perched briefly on the porch light socket while picking (dead?)

insects from the light-bulb.

PsalMoprocne nitens Square-tailed Saw-wing. Three foraging low over a forest

clearing, c. 5 km west of Maduda, 30 Jun. In 1931 Chapin (1953) saw a flock of

adults and young of subspecies P. n. nitens at Ganda Sundi, but did not record it

elsewhere in the (Belgian) Congo. Not uncommon in Cabinda (Dean 2000); in Congo-

Brazzaville found in forest edges in the Mayombe (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett

1991).

Anabathmis reichenbacMi Reichenbach’s Sunbird. A very vocal male (cf Cheke &

Mann 2001) seen well at c. 10 m (metallic blue head and throat, grey chest and belly,

yellow under-tail coverts, olive back) in a low bush, Jardin d’Eden c. 100 m from the

N’sele River, 17 Jun. Scarce in DRC (Cheke & Mann 2001, Fry et al 2000), from

mouth of Congo eastward (Lippens & Wille 1976). Specimen collected at Muanda by

Vrijdagh (Schouteden 1948-1960, vol. 8). In Congo-Brazzaville locally common

along the coast and inland to Lac Nanga (Dowsett-Lemaire et al 1993), In Angola,

uncommon in similar habitat in northern Lunda Norte and Cabinda (Dean 2000).

Cinnyris minullus Tiny Sunbird. A male foraging c. 9 m up in a tree-crown, on a

residential street near forest edge in Kinkonzi, 1 Jul. It descended to a bare branch c. 4

m from ground, where it preened for at least 1 min.. The short, slightly decurved bill

was clearly visible. Olive-bellied Sunbird C. chloropygius, can occupy similar habitat,

but forages at lower level and has a longer curved bill (Cheke & Mann 2001, Sinclair

& Ryan 2003). Cheke & Mann (2001) consider C. minullus common in DRC,

although their range map seems to exclude it from the Mayombe, as does that of

Lippens & Wille (1976). Seen twice at Lac de Ma Vallée by D.O. Matson (pers.

comm.): 3-4 birds feeding in bushes adjacent to forest, 16 Feb 2008; one near same

area, 3 Jul 2009. Not recorded in Angola (Dean 2000). In Congo-Brazzaville, restricted

to the Mayombe, gardens and forest edges (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 1991).

Gmfisia torquata White-collared Starling. One observed by P. Mavuemba and me

in savanna in PMM, c. 10 km southwest of Muanda, 3 Jul. It was perched on a 1.5 m

bush and presented clear frontal views at < 20 m. It was just over 20 cm in length, all-

black with prominent white collar, and had the appearance of a small round-headed

starling. The site was c. 5 km from mangrove forests of the Congo estuary, in

apparently appropriate habitat: dry, flat, sandy-soiled, wooded savanna with palms

and baobabs of c. 15 m. P. Mavuemba (pers. comm.) has since seen another two

74

H.D.S. Ayer

Malimbus 33

individuals c. 5 km apart and 20 km from the site of the first observation. This is far

south of the previously-known range. Rare in DRC (Lippens & Wille 1976), until

recently known only in northeast (Finch et al. 2004). However, a flock of 20 was

recently seen in fruiting trees along the Congo River near Lokutu, 450 km south of its

previously-known range in DRC (Finch et al. 2004). Our sighting was 900 km

southwest of this and 800 km south of Odzala NP, site of the only records for Congo-

Brazzaville (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 1998), where it is considered a vagrant

(Dowsett-Lemaire 1997). Not yet recorded in Angola (Dean 2000). Occurs in open

woodland and seems to require tall trees (Feare & Craig 1998).

Lamprotornis nitens Cape Glossy Starling. One perched in a baobab in a ravine

south of FACTEB, 22 Jun. I had clear telescope views for c. 60 s at c. 50 m. It

appeared to be 22-25 cm long, had glossy blue-green plumage, yellow eye, rounded

head and no discernible ear-patch. Splendid Glossy Starling L. splendidus (seen three

times in preceding five days) is noticeably larger, has an ear-patch, appears flat-

headed, has longer and thicker bill, and is proportionally longer-tailed. Purple-headed

Glossy Starling L. purpureiceps has the eye black. Chapin (1954) saw only a single

flock of L. nitens in the Lower Congo, between Matadi and Kinshasa, but gave no

detailed description or precise location, and Lippens & Wille (1976) considered it

uncommon,, probably based on Chapin’s sighting. Schouteden (1948-1960, vol. 8)

mentioned reports from the mouth of the Congo and Mateba Island; the former record

is probably that of Sharpe & Bouvier (1878) from San Antonio da Zaire (= Soyo,

Angola) (R.J. Dowsett pers. comm.), the latter was based on a specimen collected by

Dubois (1905), which has recently been confirmed as L. nitens (M. Louette pers.

comm.), and which is therefore the only confinned DRC record prior to my own. Two

observations in Congo-Brazzaville (Dowsett-Lemaire et al. 1993, Dowsett-Lemaire

1997). Common resident in Angola (Dean 2000), including Cabinda and Zaire Province,

which adjoin Bas-Congo; seen daily at Soyo, Oct 2006 (Dean & Le Maitre 2008).

Passer domesticus House Sparrow. One male (crown and rump grey, black bib, sides

of head white) foraging on a street in Muanda, 3 Jul. Perhaps the first observation for

Bas-Congo. Other males seen there since by P. Mavuemba (pers. comm.), sometimes

in small groups of Northern Grey-headed Sparrow P. griseus. House Sparrow was

also seen in Kinshasa, 16-17 Feb 2008 and 1 Jul 2009 (D.O. Matson pers. comm.).

First recorded in Congo-Brazzaville at Pointe-Noire, Nov 2005 (Rainey et al. 2009).

Probably established in southern Angola by mid-1970’s (Dean 2000, Dean & Le

Maitre 2008) but date of arrival unknown (Dean 2000); seen daily in Soyo, May 2006

(Dean & Le Maitre 2008).

Acknowledgments

I thank Dr Mabiala Justin-Robert Kenzo, Ambrose Seminary (Calgary, Alberta) and

rector of FACTLB, for inviting me to Borna and arranging my visit. René and Cecelia

2011

Birds of Kinshasa and Bas=Congo

75

Holvast provided hospitality and warm companionship during my stay. Dr Pierre

Mavuemba found accommodation in Muanda, accompanied me on my excursions

there and contributed sight records. Thomas Mfu Ntsankete of PMM oversaw my

tours of the park and contributed records of Black Heron. Major Samson Babaka

Nzau served as a “military escort”. Pastor Donatien Tsumbu Tsumbu saw me through

immigration and helped retrieve my luggage. Mr Lucain Ntoto was my driver in

Kinshasa. R.J. Dowsett alerted me to early records, and he, Tony King and W.R.J.

Dean commented on the manuscript and provided additional bibliography. They, Bob

Cheke, Michel Louette, Tommy Pedersen, Hugo Rainey, R. Slotow, Ted Goshulak,

Gus Yaki and my wife Diane (Ambrose University College Library) offered advice

and provided articles. David O. Matson provided me with sight records from his

numerous visits to the DRC. L.A. Depew sent information on butterflies. Ron Demey

provided taxonomical guidance. Wes Campbell and Barbara Quaale compiled the

maps.

References

Brown, L.H., Urban, E.K. & Newman, K. (eds) (1982) The Birds of Africa, vol. 1.

Academic Press, London.

Chapin, J.P. (1932) The birds of the Belgian Congo. Part 1. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.

65: 1-756.

Chapin, J.P. (1939) The birds of the Belgian Congo. Part 2. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.

75: 1-632.

Chapin, J.P. (1953) The birds of the Belgian Congo. Part 3. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.

75A: 1-821.

Chapin, J.P. (1954) The birds of the Belgian Congo. Part 4. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.

75B: 1-846.

Chappuis, C. 2000. Oiseaux d’Afrique (African Bird Sounds), 2 West and Central

Africa. 1 1 CDs. Société d’Etudes Ornithologiques de France, Paris.

Cheke, R.A. & Mann, C.F. (2001) Sunbirds: A Guide to the Sunbirds,

Flowerpeckers, Spiderhunters and Sugarbirds of the World. Yale University

Press, New Haven.

Dean, W.R.J. (2000) The Birds of Angola: an annotated checklist. British

Ornithologists’ Union, Tring.

Dean, W.R.J. & Le Maître, D.C. (2008) The birds of the Soyo area, northwest

Angola. Malimbus 30:1-18.

Dean, W.R J., Huntley, M.A., Huntley, B.J. & Vernon, C.J. (1988) Notes on

some birds of Angola. Durban Mus. Novit. 14: 43-92.

Demey, R. & Louette, M. (2001) Democratic Republic of Congo. Pp. 199-218 in

Fishpool L.D.C. & Evans M.I. (eds) Important Bird Areas in Africa and

Associated Islands. BirdLife International, Cambridge.

76

H.D.S. Ayer

Malimbus 33

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1997) The birds of the Léfini Reserve, Téké Plateau (Congo).

Tauraco Res. Rep. 6: 125-134.

Dowsett^Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R. J. (1991). The avifauna of the Kouilou Basin

in Congo. Tauraco Res. Rep. 4: 189-239.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. (1998) Further additions to and deletions

from the avifauna of Congo-Brazzaville, Malimbus 20: 15-32.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Dowsett, R.J. & Bulens, P.(i993) Additions and corrections

to the avifauna of Congo. Malimbus 15: 68-80.

Dubois A. (1905) Remarques sur Tomithologie de TEtat Indépendant du Congo

suivies d’une liste des espèces recueillies jusqu’ici dans cet état. Ann. Mus.

Congo, ZooL (4)1: 1-36.

Feare, C. & Craig, A. (1998). Starlings and Mynahs. Christopher Helm, London.

Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D.A. (2001) Raptors of the World. Houghton Mifflin,

Boston.

Finch, B., Butynski, T, & Dykstra, K-D.B. (2004) A rapid survey of the avifauna

of Lokutu. Pp. 42^6 in Butynski, T. & McCullough, J. (eds) A Rapid

Biological Assessment of Lokutu, Democratic Republic of Congo. RAP Bulletin of

Biological Assessment 46. Conservation International, Arlington.

Fry, C.H., Keith, S., & Urban, E.K.. (eds) (1988) The Birds of Africa, vol. 3,

Academic Press, London.

Fry, C.H., Keith, S., & Urban, E.K.. (eds) (2000) The Birds of Africa, vol. 6.

Academic Press, London.

Kemp, D.J. (2000) Contest behavior in territorial male butterflies: Does size matter?

Behavioral Ecology 1 1 : 591-596.

King, T. (2011) The birds of the Lesio-Louna and Lefmi Reserves, Batéké Plateau,

Republic of Congo. Malimbus 33: 1-41.

Lippens, L. & Wille, H. (1976) Les Oiseaux du Zaïre. Lannoo, Tielt.

Malbrant R. & Maclatchy A. 1949. Faune de V Equateur Africain Français. Vol.

1. Oiseaux. Lechevalier, Paris.

Meyburg, b. U., Mendelsohn, J.M., Ellis, D.H., Smith, D.G., Meyburg, C. &

Kemp, A.C, (1995) Year-round movements of a Wahlberg’s Eagle Aquila

wahlbergi tracked by satellite. Ostrich 66: 135-140.

Mokoko Ikonga j. & Rainey H. J. (2005) Premières observations de FAigrette ardoisée

Egretta ardesiaca au Congo-Brazzaville. Bull Afr. Bird Club 12: 166-167.

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Oxford.

Rainey, H. J., Mokoko Ikonga, J., Vernon, R. & King, T. (2009) Additions to the

avifauna of Congo-Brazzaville. Bull. Afr. Bird Club 16: 53-60.

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2011

Birds of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo

77

SCHOUTEDEN H. (1948-60) De Vogels van Belgisch Congo en van Ruanda-Urundi.

Ann. Koninkl. Mus. Beig. Congo. C Zoologie. 1: 1-200; 2: 201^16; 3: 417-564;

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de septembre 1876 à septembre 1877. Bull. Soc. Zool. Fr. 3: 71-80.

78

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Notes on the breeding biology of the Loango Weaver

Ploceus subpersonatus and its adaptation to urban habitats

by Guillaume Passavy

Les Concizes, 63390 Chateauneuf-les-bains, France. <passavy@netcouiTier.com>

Received 14 March 2011; revised 4 August 2011.

Summary

From 2007 to 2009, the Loango Weaver was regularly observed in and around

Port-Gentil, Gabon. One nest was found in a Eucalyptus tree, another in

farmland close to an industrial area. Two juveniles were fed boiled rice by an

adult male in a suburban garden. Loango Weavers can thus breed in suburban

areas. The nest and the plumage detail of two juveniles of the Loango Weaver

are described for the first time.

Résumé

Notes sur la reproduction du Tisserin à bec grêle Ploceus subpersonatus

et son adaptation à un milieu urbain. De 2007 à 2009, le Tisserin de

Loango a été observé régulièrement dans la ville de Port-Gentil et ses

environs. Un nid a été trouvé sur un Eucalyptus, un autre dans des champs

situés à proximité d’une zone industrielle. Deux jeunes ont été nourris de riz

bouilli par un male adulte dans un jardin de banlieue résidentielle. Ces

éléments prouvent que le Tisserin de Loango est capable de se reproduire dans

une zone urbanisée. Sont décrits pour la première fois le nid et le détail du

plumage de deux juvéniles du Tisserin de Loango.

Introduction

The Loango Weaver is an endemic resident of the Atlantic coast from Gabon to

Northern Angola, recorded historically from Cabinda (Dean 2000) in Angola, along

the Congo River in DRC (Chapin 1954) and coastal Gabon (Rand et al. 1959).

Regarded as Vulnerable on the lUCN Red List (Birdlife International, 2000), it was

fomierly considered rare, although recent sightings suggest that this is not the case,

and that it occurs over a wider distributional range than previously thought. It is now

known in Gabon from Akanda National Park (Christy 2001) and the Port-Gentil area

(Sargeant 1993), in the Congo from Pointe Indienne, Pointe Noire (Bulens & Dowsett

2011

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79

2001) and 3 km west of Fouta (one male on 6 Apr 2008, pers. obs.). There is also a

recent record from Soyo in Northern Angola (Dean & Le Maitre 2007).

The Loango Weaver is poorly known (Collar & Stuart 1985), and occurs in

swamp forest, mangroves and savanna margins (Fry et al. 2004), secondary habitats

near water and seasonal swamps (Bulens & Dowsett 2001), mainly in the vicinity of

small patches of swamp forest surrounded by savanna {e.g. on Mandji Island, Gabon,

pers. obs.). The presence of water seems to be common to all the habitats frequented

by the Loango Weaver. It has been recorded to nest on Caesalpinia bonduc (Birdlife

Inter-national 2000), on the Black Mangrove tree Avicennia nitida, on Chrysobalanus

icaco (a small tree of coastal savannas), and most frequently on the palm Phoenix

reclinata, which seems to be its favoured nesting tree in natural habitat (P. Christy

pers. comm.). However, the Loango Weaver has not been recorded nesting on

Rhizophora (P. Christy pers. comm.) although the birds occur in habitat adjacent to

Rhizophora mangroves.

There is apparently no published information about the breeding period of the

Loango Weaver. It is estimated, but without documented records, as from September

to March and May for nest building, and from July to August and October to March

for the begging immatures (Alexander-Marrack 1990). The eggs are reported to be

“pink, spotted with brown” and the nest to “resemble those of Ploceus nigricollis'’'

(Alexander-Marrack 1990), which seems to be the first known description of its eggs

and nest. The soft parts of the female have also not been described. In this note I

present some observations, made from 2007 to 2010, on the breeding biology of the

Loango Weaver and its occurrence within suburban areas.

Results

On 25 Jul 2007, a nest of Loango Weaver was found under construction by a male and

a female (Fig. 1), and another complete nest was found a few meters away (Fig. 2), in

degraded farmland several hectares in area. These are the first published pictures of

Loango Weaver nests. The nests were attached to a small White Mangrove

Laguncularia racemosa, 1 .5-2 m above water in a 2-m wide drainage ditch. The nest

site was 100 m from one of the main roads at Port-Gentil, between the airport track

and a residence for timber workers. A male was frequently seen in the early mornings

flying over the road towards his nest, until the farmland was cleared early 2009.

On 13 Dec 2009, a male and female Loango Weaver were seen to leave another

nest (Fig. 3) in a mixed patch of mangroves, savanna, native swamp forest and

introduced Eucalyptus forest at the northern part of Cap Lopez. The nest was also 1.5

m above water, attached to a Eucalyptus tree.

Both completed nests had a retort shape (Figs 2 and 3), quite similar to those of

Ploceus nigricollis (Fry et al. 2004, p. 117, type B) but with a shorter entrance tube.

They both had a spherical chamber of c. 10 cm in diameter, with a vertical entrance

80

G. Passavy

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tube 10 cm long and c. 4-5 cm in diameter. Both were made of grass, mainly dry

leaves but also some thin and flexible stems. The nests were not tightly woven, and

presented a somewhat loose appearance from the outside.

On 31 Oct 2009, a male and two juvenile Loango Weavers were observed in a

residential area of Port-Gentil, feeding on boiled rice put out for garden birds. The

male also fed the juveniles with boiled rice, although the juveniles fed by themselves

on rice on the ground. At least one juvenile constantly begged for food when the male

was close, and regularly flicked its wings while doing so. This juvenile (Fig. 4: first

published picture of a juvenile Loango Weaver) had a pale pink gape. It was olive on

the back, upper wing-coverts and the top of the head, with a smooth transition to the

yellowish face. The underparts were yellowish as well, with a slightly paler throat.

The wings and tail were greyer and much darker than the upperparts, with olive-

yellow fringes, broader on the tertiaries than on the secondaries and primaries. The

bill and legs had a greyish pink (horn) colour. The juvenile Loango Weaver is thus

very similar to the juvenile Black-necked Weavers P. nigricollis brachypterus

observed in the area, but the latter have a paler, slightly longer and slightly thinner

bill, as well as a blackish forecrown and a faint black eyebrow.

The other juvenile was apparently older than the first one. It fed most often by

itself and did not show an obvious gape. It was olive overall, including the underparts

and face, which gave it a darker appearance than the first bird. The wings and tail had

the same darker greyer colour with olive-yellow fringes, but the fringes were more

apparent on the secondaries and primaries. The bill and legs were darker, pinkish grey.

These descriptions match the available descriptions of the immature Loango

Weaver, which is “as adult female, but with darker, dull olive forehead, and paler,

brownish bill” (Borrow & Demey 2001), “duller than female, with brown bill” (Del

Hoyo et al. 2010) and with a “paler bill” (Sinclair & Ryan 2003)

The juveniles were able to fly short distances but were not very mobile. These

observations were made 1 00 m from the seashore but within the town of Port-Gentil,

and 1 km away from the closest undisturbed area. The area includes many gardens,

some vacant lots and also one 5-m wide drainage waterway. Other birds at the feeding

site were two Red-Eyed Doves Streptopelia semitorquata, two Laughing Doves S.

senegalensis, two Common Bulbuls Pycnonotus barbatus, two Grey Sparrows Passer

griseus, five Bronze Mannikins Spermestes cucullata, and three Slender-billed

Weavers Ploceus pelzelni. No competition for food or any interactions were observed

between those species and the Loango Weavers. A few months earlier, an adult male

Loango Weaver was seen occasionally feeding on rice at the same place.

Finally, on 15 Aug 2009 at Cap Lopez, a few km from Port Gentil, one female

Loango Weaver was observed feeding a juvenile sitting on small bushes, at the edge

between a swamp forest and a freshwater swamp. The juvenile was similar to that

pictured in Fig. 4, but with a slightly paler bill. The female had a black bill, pinkish-

grey legs and feet, and pale hom claws. This appears to be the first description of the

female soft part colours.

2011

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81

Figure 1. Male Loango Weaver building a nest, July 2007.

Figure 2. Nest of Loango Weaver on Laguncularia racemosa, July 2007.

82

G. Passavy

Malimbus 33

Figure 3. Nest of a Loango Weaver on a Eucalyptus tree, December 2009.

Discussion

The breeding dates (begging immatures August and October, nest visit in December)

are mostly consistent with the previous observations mentioned above (Alexander-

Marrack 1990). The July nest building date is also not unexpected given the

observations of begging immatures in August and from October to March (Alexander-

Marrack 1990). The breeding season thus seems to be either irregular or spread

throughout the year, and it is difficult to deduce a clear breeding pattern from the

scarce available data. An irregular pattern would not be an isolated case in the area,

2011

Loango Weaver

83

Figure 4. Juvenile Loango Weaver feeding on rice.

since the Black-necked Weaver may breed in most months in Gabon, although with

reduced activity during the dry season from June to September (Del Hoyo et al.

2010).

The Loango Weaver has been shown to live in secondary habitats such as the

vegetation surrounding small coastal villages (Birdlife International 2000) and has

been observed feeding on bread in small cities like Omboue and Sette Cama (P.

Christy pers. comm.). This suggests that Loango Weavers can live close to

settlements. They quite possibly nested in the Port-Gentil suburbs in 2009: the two

juvenile Loango Weavers observed there were not very good fliers. There was also

open water in the surroundings due to a drainage waterway, and thus it is likely that

Loango Weavers are able to find favourable nesting conditions in the disturbed

habitats of the Port-Gentil suburbs. There is apparently no strict preference for a

particular tree species for nest sites, since several species, including one alien species

{Eucalyptus sp.) were used as nest sites.

In Port-Gentil, most of the suburban area is well-vegetated and humid. The high-

class residential areas contain a lot of gardens, and the allotments of labourers that

expand into regularly flooded areas often allow the original vegetation of freshwater

swamps to remain, with in consequence species not often found close to development,

such as African Jacana Actophilornis africanus or Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus

occurring alongside the houses (pers. obs.). One of the most common urban species in

Port“Gentii is the Slender-billed Weaver, which has been considered to form a

superspecies (Hall & Moreau 1970) or a species group (Sibley & Monroe 1990) with

84

G. Passavy

Malimbus 33

the Loango Weaver. Slender-billed Weavers, restricted in West Africa to mangroves

and marshes along coastal lagoons and river banks (Borrow & Demey 2001) can be

found almost everywhere in the town and have apparently managed to adapt well to

urban conditions there. Similarly, the Loango Weaver may be able to survive, perhaps

at lower densities, inside an urban or suburban area.

However, it is not known whether the Loango Weaver is able to develop a viable

population inside an urbanized area. The swamp forest of Cape Lopez, its core nesting

area on Mandji Island, is threatened by the expansion of Port-Gentil (Birdlife

International 2000) and should be kept in good condition to maintain the natural

breeding sites and ensure the survival of the Loango Weaver on the island. More

details on the ecology and breeding biology of the Loango Weaver are required to

assess its exact ecological needs before concluding that it has indeed adapted well

enough to survive as a viable population in urban habitats, or to revise its currently

“Vulnerable” status.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank particularly Patrice Christy for his advice and unpublished

communications on the Loango Weaver.

References

Alexander-Marrack, P.d. (1990) Bird List for Mandji Island. Unpublished;

electronic copy available from me on request.

Birdlife International (2000) Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx, Barcelona.

Borrow, N. & Demey. R. (2001) Birds of Western Africa: an Identification Guide.

A. & C. Black, London.

Bulens, P. & Dowsett, R.J. (2001) Little-known African bird: observations on

Loango Slender-billed Wqavqï Ploceiis subpersonatus in Congo-Brazzaville. Bull.

Afr. Bird Club 8: 57-58.

Chapin, J.P. (1954) The Birds of the Belgian Congo. Part 4. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat.

Hist. 75B: 316-317.

Christy, P. (2001) Gabon. Pp. 349-356 in Fishpool, L.D.C., & Evans, M.I. (eds)

Important Bird Areas in Africa and its Associated Islands: priority sites for

conservation. Pisces, Newbury.

Collar, N.J., & Stuart, S.N. (1985) Threatened Birds of Africa and Related

Islands. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge.

Dean, W.R.J. (2000) The Birds of Angola. Checklist 18, British Ornithologists’

Union, Tring.

2011

Loango Weaver

85

Dean, W.RJ. & Le Maître, D.C. (2007) The birds of the Soyo area, northwest

Angola, Malimbus 30: 1-18.

Del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Christie, D.A. (eds) (2010). Handbook of the Birds of the

World, vol.15. Lynx, Barcelona.

Fry, C.H., Keith, S. & Urban, E.K. (eds) (2004) The Birds of Africa, vol. 7.

Academic Press, London.

Hall, B.P, & Moreau, R.E. (1970) An Atlas of Spéciation in African Passerine

Birds. British Museum (Natural History), London.

Rand, A.L., Friedmann, H. & Traylor, M.A. (1959) Birds from Gabon and Moyen

Congo. Fieldiana Zool. 41: 383.

Sargeant, D. (1993) A Birders Guide to Gabon, West Africa. Privately published by

the author.

Sibley, C.G., Monroe, B.L. (1990) Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the

World. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.

Sinclair, I. & Ryan, P. (2003) Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Stmik, Cape

Town.

86

Malimbus 33

Short Notes — Notes Courtes

Observation of a Heuglin’s Wheatear Oenanthe heuglini in the Djoudj

National Park: a new species for Senegal

In the cool morning of 18 Jan 2007, in a small acacia wood with large areas of open

steppe, at Poste de Gainthe (16°23'N, 16°15'W) in the Djoudj National Park, NW

Senegal, our attention was drawn to a bird running across the open sandy ground

under the trees. It resembled a female Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe but was

generally darker. We spent 10 min. observing the bird, which seemed to stand a little

more upright, with relatively longer legs, than Northern Wheatear (Fig. 1). The

median and greater coverts, secondaries and primaries were dark brown with

indistinct narrow yellowish fringes. The dark brown was uniform, with no paler area

on the secondaries. The back, nape and crown were all a uniform dark brown and

there was little contrast between the dark remiges and dark brown back. The narrow

white supercilium, which was not very extensive behind the eye, contrasted strongly

with the dark brown crown and blackish eye-stripe and lores. Behind the eye, the dark

eye-stripe merged into the brown of the nape. The ear coverts were brown and the

throat whitish. The primary projection was shorter, or similar in length, to the tertials.

The tail appeared all black, with no white visible on the sides; but we did not see the

bird fly, so narrow white sides to the base of the tail may have been hidden by the

wings. Below, the breast and flanks were orange-buff, the belly and vent whiter, not

unifomi but with scattered orange-buff feathers. The legs were black.

Although it appeared to be a Heuglin’s Wheatear O. heuglini, in order to rule out

other possible Oenanthe spp., we thereafter paid special attention to all that we saw

(tens of Northern Wheatears, a few Isabelline Wheatears O. isabellina and one Black-

eared Wheatear O. hispanica) in January and February that year and in January 2008

in SW Mauritania. Moreover, we are familiar with Desert Wheatear O. deserti in

Morocco and the Middle East. These observations confirmed us in our belief that the

bird we report here was a Heuglin’s Wheatear. The wing plumage of this bird was

fresh, which explained the uniform brown colour and the thin, regular and clear

fringes of the coverts and remiges. It was acquiring fresh feathers on the breast and

belly which explained the sparse new orange-buff feathers on the underparts.

This appears to be the first record of Heuglin’s Wheatear for Senegal (Morel &

Morel 1990, Keith et al. 1992, Borrow & Demey 2001, Hoyo et al. 2005). It is a rare

to locally common migrant between the W African sahel and savanna zones, and is

recorded from nearby in southern Mauritania, and in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.

We thank Dr Volker Salewski for reading and commenting on this note, and Paul St

Pierre for English corrections.

2011

Notes Courtes

87

Figure 1. Painting from field notes of the Heuglin’s Wheatear seen in Djoudj

N.P., Senegal, 18 Jan 2007 (painting: A. Le Nevé).

References

Borrow N. & Demey R. (2001) A Guide to the Birds of Western Africa. Oxford

University Press, Oxford.

Hoyo J. del, Elliott A. & Christie D. (2005) Handbook of the Birds of the World,

vol. 10. Lynx. Barcelona.

Keith, S., Urban, E.K. & Fry, C.H. (1992) The Birds of Africa, vol. 4. Academic

Press, London.

Morel, G.J. & Morel, M.-Y. (1990) Les Oiseaux de Sénégambie. ORSTOM, Paris.

Received 21 March 201 1

Arnaud Le Nevé\ Bruno Bargain^ & Gaétan Guyot^

^5 rue Le Guennec, 29200 Brest, France. <amaud.le-neve@wanadoo.fr>

^Trunvel, 29720 Tréogat, France

O

Kerguien, 29720 Plonéour-Lanvem, France

Movements of a Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor in West Africa

West Africa hosts the smallest and least known population of the Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor (Trolliet & Fouquet 2001, Childress 2005, Childress et al.

2008). In 2009, the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology initiated a project to

investigate movements of Lesser Flamingos by satellite telemetry (Salewski et al.

88

Short Notes

Malimbus 33

2010a). As part of this project one adult Lesser Flamingo was equipped with a solar-

powered GPS satellite transmitter at Lac Khar in Djoudj National Park, Senegal, on 1 1

Feb 2010 (Salewski et al 2010b). This transmitter stopped sending data on 9 Nov 2010.

The bird’s main movements are described in Table 1 and its flight paths in Fig. 1.

It first moved to Aftout es Saheli in Mauritania, where a group of Lesser Flamingos

had started breeding (Isenmann et al. 2010, VS & Quid Sidaty pers. obs.), but after

about a week it was back in Djoudj NP, near the initial capture site. In April it moved

back to Mauritania but after two days there it flew non-stop for about 525 km to

Guinea Bissau, during the night of 16-17 Apr. After some movements over four days

in this country it moved about 175 km to Guinea and a few days later another 170 km

back to Guinea Bissau. It stayed there until October, then moved back to Guinea,

where the transmitter stopped sending data.

Figure 1. Movements of a Lesser Flamingo equipped with a satellite transmitter

in West Africa. Shown are the daily locations (red dots), the dates of stay at the

major staging areas and the main movement from the Senegal valley to Guinea

Bissau (red arrow).

2011

Notes Courtes

89

Table 1. Movements of a Lesser Flamingo equipped with a satellite transmitter in

West Africa. Date is when the bird was first recorded at a locality; distance is

minimum distance from previous locality. Most movements of < 35 km are omitted.

^Coordinates similar to those of the site called Khonibenki by Trolliet & Fouquet (2001).

The movements described above support suggestions by Trolliet & Fouquet

(2001) that fluctuations of Lesser Flamingo numbers in Guinea may be due to

movements from the Senegal delta. They counted 1600 and 1300 Lesser Flamingos in

January 1999 and 2000 respectively, but 10,900 in December 2000 and 13,000 in

January 2002, at Khonibenki, close to Kamsar (Trolliet & Fouquet 2001, Trolliet et al.

2007). The shallow lakes used by Lesser Flamingos in the Djoudj National Park (>

45,000 counted in the Senegal delta in February 1990, Trolliet & Fouquet 2001) hold

water only temporarily. They dry out some months after the rainy season, forcing the

birds to leave. At Lac Khar and Grand Lac, Lesser Flamingos are found only from

January to April (1. Diop pers. com.). The movement of the tagged bird may indicate

where they go during the dry season, as the tagged bird visited rivers, estuaries,

mudflats or shallow lagoons that hold water permanently. However, large numbers of

Lesser Flamingos also occur permanently in the Senegal delta (Isenmann et al. 2010).

Although the tag transmitted data for only nine months, a similar project with

Lesser Flamingos in Kenya shows that satellite tags can transmit data for up to seven

years (Childress et al. 2007, BC unpubl. data). As of April 2011, four Lesser

Flamingos equipped with satellite transmitters in Ethiopia and eight out of 1 5 tagged

in Kenya by the Max Planck Institute in 2009 continued to send data.

R. Mayer kindly helped with the preparation of Fig. 1.

90

Short Notes

Malimbus 33

References

Childress, B. (2005) New flamingo population estimates for Waterbird Population

Estimates, fourth edition. Flamingo population estimates for Africa and Southern

Asia. Flamingo Bull lUCN-SSC/Wetl Internat. Flamingo Spec. Gr. 13: 18-21.

Childress, B., Hughes, B., Harper, D., Van den Bossche, W., Berthold, P &

Querner, U. (2007) East African flyway and key site network of the Lesser

Flamingo {Phoeniconaias minor) documented through satellite tracking. Ostrich

78: 463-468.

Childress, B., Nagy, S. & Hughes, B. (eds) (2008) International Single Species

Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor).

Tech. Ser. 18, Convention on Migratory Species, Bonn.

ISENMANN, P., Benmergui, M., Browne, P., Ba, A.D., Diagana, C., Diawara, Y. &

OULD Sidaty, Z.E.A. (2010) Oiseaux de Mauritanie — Birds of Mauritania.

Société d’Etudes Ornithologiques de France, Paris.

Salewski, V., Childress, B. & Wikelski, M. (2010a) Investigating Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor movements and the potential connectivity among regional

populations using satellite-telemetry. Bull. Afr. Bird Club 17: 188-197.

Salewski, V., Wikelski, M. & Childress, B. (2010b) First Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor equipped with a satellite transmitter in West Africa.

Malimbus 32: 60-63.

Trolliet, B. & Fouquet, M. (2001) La population oust-africaine du Flamant nain

Phoeniconaias minor: effectifs, réparation et isolement. Malimbus 23: 87-92.

Trolliet, B., Fouquet, M. & Keita, N. (2007) Statut du Flamant nain en Afrique de

T Ouest. Ostrich 78: 512.

Received 2 1 February 20 1 1 ; revised 1 8 April 20 1 1

Volker Salewski'’^, Brooks Childress^ & Martin Wikelski'

'Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Schlossallee 2, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany

Present address: University of Osnabrück, Behavioural Biology, Barbarastr. 11,

49076 Osnabrück, Germany <volker.salewski@biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de>

^c/o Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Glos. GL2 7BT, U.K.

Nocturnal roosting by Piapiacs Ptilostomus afer on a dockyard crane in

Lagos, Nigeria

The Piapiac Ptilostomus afer is mainly a savanna species often associated with palm

trees and villages (Fry 2000, Madge 2009). In Lagos, SW Nigeria, it is common in

suburbs (Fry 2000). Its roosting habits have been reported only in general terms: Fry

(2000) wrote that they often roost in palm crowns, and fly “to roost in compact flock.

2011

Notes Courtes

91

uttering ‘pee-ip’ calls”. We describe here what must be atypical behaviour, given the

scarcity of large cranes in the Piapiac's range.

In a small dockyard on Victoria Island, Lagos, is a large waterside tower crane on

runners. Two slender metal towers, one supporting a single large lamp, and the other,

much shorter, capped with a cluster of unused floodlights (“floodlight tower”) are

situated between the dockyard sheds. Piapiacs roost on the tower crane all year, and in

January 201 1 a pair of Black Kites Miivus migrans had a nest on it. For four evenings

from 10-13 Jan 201 1 we watched singles, pairs and parties of Piapiacs come to roost

at the site. With sunset around 18h45 (never visible owing to harmattan haze) the

birds appeared around 18hl0, an hour after dockyard activity had subsided. They

assembled in ones (rarely), twos or threes, usually in silence, from various directions.

Over the next hour their cohesion appeared loose. Birds did not stay on their first

perches, including those that had initially settled on the crane. Single birds often left a

pair or group and flew off, often followed shortly by others. On the crane, the Piapiacs

selected the most complex, perhaps least exposed parts, under the cabin and under the

ballast structure. When one of the Black Kites flew to the back of the crane, Piapiacs

there showed it moderate aggression, and once two of them displaced the raptor.

Otherwise the Piapiacs showed little concern for the kites, but occasionally gave a

sharp alarm call, skwik skwik skwik, in response to kite movements.

From 18h30 to 19h00 the Piapiacs often preened, sometimes allopreened (crown

and scapular areas), and wiped their bills on their metal perches. The birds still

occasionally moved between structures or out of sight into a garden area behind the

sheds, but began to focus on the floodlight tower where their numbers increased, with

by 19h00 up to ten birds on it at one time. Between 19h00 and 19hl3 (when the first

bats appeared) they flew silently in groups of four or five to the crane. On 13 January

the total number on the crane was 14,

The crane is likely to be relatively free of nocturnal predators such as owls, snakes

and mammals. However, the pre-roosting behaviour suggests careful assessment of

the site in advance of its occupation for the night.

References

Fry, C.H. (2000) Ptilostomus afer. Pp. 560-561 in Fry, C.H., Keith, S. & Urban,

E.K. (eds) The Birds of Africa, vol. 6. Academic Press, London.

Madge, S.C. (2009) Piapiac Ptilostomus afer. Pp. 616-617 in Hoyo, J. del, Elliott,

A. & Christie, D.A. (eds) Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 14. Lynx,

Barcelona.

Received 17 January 2011; revised 18 January 201 1

N.J. Collar^ & P. Hall^

'BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road,

Cambridge CB3 ONA, U.K. <nigel.collar@birdlife.org>

A.P. Leventis Conservation Foundation, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

92

Short Notes

Malimbus 33

The first records of Kupe Bush-Shrike Malaconotus kupeensis at two

sites in Nigeria

Previously, the Kupe Bush-Shrike Malaconotus kupeensis was thought to be endemic

to the forests of western Cameroon, being known only from the montane forests of

Mount Kupe (Serle 1951), the Bakossi Mountains (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 1998)

and the southern sector of the Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary (Stattersfield & Capper

2000). Here we present three records of five individuals recorded at two localities in

Cross River State, Nigeria: a total of three birds in the Boshi Extension Forest in 2004

and 2007, and in 2010 a pair in Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Nigerian and Cameroon montane highlands, with forests with Kupe

Bush-Shrike records shaded.

On 16 Dec 2004, at c. 15h00, a single individual was sighted by MG in Boshi

Extension Forest of Cross River National Park (CRNP), Okwangwo Division

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93

(6°26'16''N, 9° 19 '26 "E), at c. 1500 m altitude. The bird was observed for c. 30

s in pristine montane forest (Fig. 2). The distinctive features of grey crown and

mantle, white throat, grey breast and belly, yellow vent, olive-green back, black

bill and black mask separated from grey crown by white line, were recorded.

There was a black neckline separating the white throat and grey breast. The bird

made two short grating calls, one immediately after the other. These were similar

to F. Dowsett-Lemaire’s recording from Cameroon (Chappuis 2000). A recording

was made (by MG) using a Sony MZ-R90 digital recorder (Fig. 3), and has been

deposited at the British Library of Wildlife Sounds. On 23 Jun 2007, at c. 15h00,

a foraging Kupe Bush-Shrike was sighted by II in the same area (6°25'57"N,

9° 19 '44 "E) at 1472 m. It was shortly joined by a second; the birds then

continued to forage together. They were observed for c. 10 min., in primary forest

with an open understorey, on a steep rocky slope. Both had grey crown and

mantle, black bill, a white line separating black mask from grey crown, white

throat separated from grey breast by an unbroken black neckline, olive-green

back and yellow vent. They both gleaned insect larvae from under leaves and tree

branches at heights between 8 m and 12 m. The habitat was similar to that in

which two individuals were recorded on Mt Kupe in Cameroon by Dowsett-

Lemaire (1999).

Figure 2. Montane forest with grassland in the foreground, in the Boshi

Extension of Cross River National Park, where Kupe Bush-Shrike was observed

in 2004.

94

Short Notes

Malimbus 33

4i

.V. -.5' •?'

1

Time (s)

2

3

Figure 3. Frequency spectrogram of two calls made by the Kupe Bush-Shrike in Boshi

Extension Forest. The second call was made almost immediately after the first.

On 6 May 2010, at c. 1 IhOO, a pair of Kupe Bush-Shrikes was recorded by DTCC

in Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (6°18'30"N, 8°57'37"E) at c. 850 m. The birds

were observed for 2-3 min., in primary forest with a clear understorey on a steep-

sided mountain ridge. Both had grey crown and mantle, black mask and bill with a

white line above the mask, and white throat separated from grey belly by a distinctive

unbroken black neckline. They both had olive-green back and rump and yellow vent.

The apparent pair was gleaning insects on tree branches c. 8 m above the ground; both

birds made regular grating contact calls, at intervals of 0-14 s (see Chappuis 2000).

The lowest altitude at which Kupe Bush-Shrike has previously been recorded was c.

900 m on Mt Kupe (Harris & Franklin 2000), with 26 records ranging between 950

and 1450 m (Bowden 2001). The low altitude of the Afi record may result from the

fact that the mountain peak is only 1318 m high, resulting in there being less than 18

km^ of forest above 800 m (Bergl et al. 2007).

Previous observers of this species in Cameroon have noted the presence of either

a maroon throat spot or a black necklace. It has been suggested that this may indicate

either sexual dimorphism (Fry 2000), or age (Dowsett-Lamaire 2004) with the

maroon patch developing after the necklace (a necklace was recorded on the only

immature specimen: Serle 1951). None of the five birds recorded in Nigeria was

observed to have a maroon patch, suggesting that the patch is more likely related to

age and not to sexual dimorphism.

Records of this species at two sites in Nigeria are a positive sign for the long term

survival of this species, which has been classed as Endangered due to its restricted

habitat range, low population density and habitat loss (<www.iucnredlist.org>,

consulted 15 Jan 2011). However, due to the low recorded population densities within

these montane “island” habitats, coupled with the high human pressure on the forests,

we suggest that the classification should remain as Endangered. The records presented

here suggest that populations may also occur in lesser surveyed montane forests of

Cameroon and Nigeria. More surveys might therefore expand the known range of this

2011

Notes Courtes

95

species. Our observations highlight the biodiversity value of these two sites and the

need for their conservation.

We thank the Leventis Conservation Foundation, without which none of these

observations would have been made, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, for their

support of the 2004 and 2007 expeditions. Mr S.O. Abdulsalam, Director of CRNP,

provided important support and discussion during the 2004 field trip. Thanks to H.

Coneybeare and C. Radcliff for cleaning up the sonograms. This is publication

number 47 from the A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute.

References

Bergl, R.A., Oates, J.F. & Fotso, R. (2007) Distribution and protected area

coverage of endemic taxa in West Africa's Biafran forests and highlands. Biol.

Conserv. 134; 195-208.

Bowden, C.G.R. (2001) The birds of Mount Kupe, southwest Cameroon. Malimbus

23: 13^4.

Bowden, C.G.R. & Andrews, S. (1994) Mount Kupe and its birds. Bull. Afr. Bird

Club 1: 13-17.

Chappuis, C. (2000) African Bird Sounds 2: Birds of North, West and Central Africa.

Société d’Etudes Ornithologiques de France, Paris.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1999) The first observations of the territorial song and display

of the Kupe Bush-Shrike Malaconotus kupeensis. Malimbus 21:1 15-1 17.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2004) On sexual dimorphism and vocal behaviour in the

Mount Kupe Bush-Shrike Malaconotus kupeensis. Malimbus 26: 32-34.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. (1998) Zoological survey of small mammals,

birds, frogs and butterflies in the Bakossi and Kupe Mts, Cameroon. Unpubl. rep.

to WWF-Cameroon (also deposited at BirdLife, Cambridge).

Harris, T. & Franklin, K. (2000) Shrikes and Bush-Shrikes. Christopher Helm, London.

Serle, W. (1951) a new species of shrike and a new race of apalis from West Africa.

Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 71: 41-43.

Stattersfield, A.J. & Capper, D.R. (2000) Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx,

Barcelona.

Received 21 January 2011; revised 18 April 201 1

Daniel T.C. Cox ’ , Manu Shiiwua , Mary Gartshore & Inaoyom Imong ’

^School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Bute Building,

St Andrews, Fife, KYI 6 9TS, U.K. <dan.t.cox@googlemail.com>

^A.P. Leventis Omithol. Res. Inst., Laminga, Jos Plateau State, P.O. Box 1304, Nigeria

^316 Norfolk County Rd 60, RR#1, Walsingham, Ontario NOE 1X0, Canada

"^Wildlife Cons. Soc., Plot 302, State Housing Est., Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

96

Malimbus 33

News & Letters — Nouvelles & Lettres

Bird atlas of Mauritania: request for information

A new annotated checklist of the birds of Mauritania has been published but without

distribution maps. Bruno Walther and I aim to fill the gap with an atlas and kindly

request ornithologists and birders to send records to me at the email address below.

P.W.P. Browne

<pbrowne@primus.ca>

Reviews — Revues

Oiseaux de Mauritanie — Birds of Mauritania, by P. Isenmann, M. Benmergui, P.

Browne, A.D. Ba, C.H. Diagana, Y. Diawara & Z.E.A. ould Sidaty (2010). 408 pp.

Société d’Etudes Ornithologiques de France, Paris. ISBN 2"9 16802-02-9 (paperback),

€38.

Although covered mostly by desert, Mauritania is very interesting for ornithologists.

It is a region where the Afrotropical and Palaearctic meet, as shown for example by

the sympatric breeding of species like the African Grey Woodpecker Dendropicos

goertae and the Palaearctic Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata near the oasis of

Ouadâne. Furthermore Mauritania is of utmost importance for Palaearctic migrants.

The Parc National du Banc d’Arguin stands out as a stopover and wintering site for

waders along the East Atlantic Flyway, as does the Parc National du Diawling in the

valley of the Senegal River with the only known breeding site of Lesser Flamingos

Phoeniconais minor in West Africa. Both regions are also important as breeding sites

for herons, gulls and terns. The Banc d’Arguin is unique in Africa by hosting a

combined number of 25,000 to 50,000 breeding pairs of 16 species including an

endemic subspecies of the Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia balsaci and an

endemic heron Ardea monicae. The southern fringe of the desert and oases within it

are important refuelling areas for migrating birds especially in spring before crossing

the desert. However, previous species lists of the birds of Mauritania were either out

of date, of a preliminary character or were difficult to obtain, and a comprehensive

work dealing with the avifauna of the entire country was wanting. This has changed

with the publication of this new book by Paul Isenmann and his co-workers.

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97

The informative introduction covers the geography and climate of the country, the

history of ornithology and the biogeographical affinities of breeding birds, followed

by an account on Palaearctic^Afrotropical migration in Mauritania. In these chapters

the readers are informed that some 155 species have been found breeding in the

country, that the great majority of passerine migrants across the Sahara stops during

the day and migrates during the night whereas in larger non-passerines the migration

strategy varies according to species, and that the Banc d’Arguin alone hosts 50 % of

ail the waders wintering in Africa. Conservation problems are also mentioned.

General problems include habitat degradation by wood-cutting and the invasion of

cattail following the permanent flooding of large areas of the Senegal delta. Specific

examples in the species accounts include the probable extinction of the Ostrich StrutMo

camelus and the decline in numbers of several bustard species due to hunting.

As usual for this kind of book, the introduction is followed by the annotated

checklist, where ail 506 bird species that have been convincingly recorded in the

country are described. It is a great advantage that all texts in the book are in both

French and English. The species accounts are informative and vary in length

according to the knowledge that exists about each species. The authors exhaustively

compiled all available information about birds in the country; an immense effort that

is reflected in the bibliography at the end of the book, which is itself a valuable

resource. More extensive accounts are divided by subheadings such as “breeding” and

“nesting data”, or “wintering” and “origin” (for migrants). There are no distribution

maps, but these should not be expected for such a large country in which only a few

regions have been visited by ornithologists regularly and vast areas not at all. The

book is made more attractive by numbers of colour plates that intersperse the text,

with photographs taken mainly by Maurice Benmergui.

The main species list is followed by a list of 86 species that have been previously

reported for the country but which were excluded from the main list due to

insufficient documentation. This is warranted for the majority of the mentioned

species and increases the reliability of the information of the book. However, some of

these species, such as Little Crake Porzana parva and Red-chested Swallow Himndo

lucMa, will probably be recorded for Mauritania in the future as they are observed

more or less regularly in the Parc National des Oiseaux du DjoudJ in Senegal (pers.

obs.), just south of the Senegal River, the border betv/een the two countries. It is

however not clear why some of these species are not listed under the following list of

species that occur nearby in Senegal.

In conclusion, this is a book that all ornithologists interested in the avifauna of

West Africa have long been waiting for. It ftilfils the first of its tasks mentioned in the

introduction, to reflect adequately the present state of knowledge of the birds in

Mauritania. Let us hope that it will also fulfil its second task, to promote the study

and protection of birds in the country.

Volker Salewski

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Malimbus 33

Society Notices — “ Informations de la Société

Gérard Morel, 1925”2011

En pensant à Gérard Morel, deux impressions marquantes me reviennent à l’esprit,

à 40 ans d’intervalle. La première fois, quand étudiant thésard, je pénétrais pour la

première fois dans son laboratoire de Richard-Toll, oasis climatisée au milieu de

rizières surchauffées alors grouillantes d’oiseaux. La seconde, lors d’une visite

récente au Sénégal, quand j’écoutais avec quelle profonde admiration deux de ses

anciens collaborateurs africains me parlaient de lui, comme si leur travail commun

n’avait pas cessé. Quatre décennies, c’est aussi la durée d’une vie professionnelle

que Gérard consacra entièrement aux oiseaux et au Sénégal qu’il ne voulut pas

quitter par fidélité à l’équipe qu’il avait formée et par souci de pérenniser les

connaissances acquises. Arrivé en bateau dès 1953 pour y étudier la biologie du

Quéléa, il eut pour premier contact le Prof. T. Monod, alors directeur de l’Institut

français d’Afrique noire (ILAN) et surtout l’appui indéfectible du Prof. P.

Bourlière, longtemps l’une des personnalités centrales de l’écologie française. C’est

ainsi qu’à l’indépendance du Sénégal, il intégra l’O.R.S.T.O.M. (aujourd’hui

I.R.D.) qui fit de Richard-Toll, dans le nord du pays, sa principale station de terrain,

et la seule consacrée à l’ornithologie, soigneusement construite et gérée par Gérard

et son épouse Marie-Yvonne jusqu’à leur départ en 1992. L’ornithologie ouest

africaine de cette époque n’était guère développée qu’au Nigéria et les deux

volumes du Bannerman tenaient lieu de seul guide de terrain pour les ornithologues

qui s’aventuraient alors dans cette partie de l’Afrique. La collecte d’oiseaux et la

constitution d’une collection de référence étaient encore considérées comme

indispensables à la connaissance d’une avifaune et comme base de toute étude.

C’est à cela que Gérard Morel se consacra d’abord, méticuleusement et

systématiquement, formant une équipe d’africains, du collecteur au taxidermiste,

qui tentent aujourd’hui encore de préserver cet acquis. Ce fut l’occasion de bien des

découvertes et de l’identification précise des sous espèces présentes au Sénégal,

mais ce fut aussi une base de deux publications majeures: le premier guide moderne

d’identification des oiseaux de l’Ouest Africain (Serle, W. & Morel, G. J. 1977,

Collins, Londres; adaptée dès 1979 en français) et une avifaune de Sénégambie

(Morel, G. J. & Morel, M.-Y. 1990, O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris). Gérard testa aussi les

méthodes, alors nouvelles, de recensement des oiseaux (par quadrats, transects ou

points) fournissant ainsi les premières données pour l’Afrique de densités d’oiseaux

nicheurs et migrateurs et de leurs relations dans une savane sahélienne. La biologie,

la reproduction et la dynamique des granivores (Quelea, Moineau doré et même

Tourterelle des bois) l’occupèrent aussi beaucoup à une époque où leurs statuts

changeaient (sécheresse, mises en cultures).

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Nombre de chercheurs se rendirent à Richard-Toll pour bénéficier de ses

connaissances ou pour cosigner des publications, non seulement des français (C.

Chappuis, J. Dorst, R.D. Etchécopar, R. de Naurois, F. Roux etc) mais aussi

anglophones (R.E. Moreau, N. and E. Collias...) qui l’invitèrent ensuite jusqu’aux

Etats-Unis ou à Rome (F. A. O.). Tous appréciaient l’hospitalité des Morel, leur

parfaite organisation sur le terrain, et aussi leurs spécialités culinaires, telles les

charcuteries de phacochère dont je me souviens encore. Tout naturellement, Gérard

établit alors des liens privilégiés avec les ornithologues travaillant au Nigéria (R.E.

Sharland, C.H. Fry...) avec lesquels il cofonda la Société d’Omithologie de l’Ouest

Africain en 1979 dont il fut neuf ans Vice-président, puis 19 ans Président jusqu’à son

retrait en 2006. Il y joua un rôle actif dans son organisation, jusqu’à la création de son

site internet et la tenue de réunions de la Société en Normandie et de son Conseil à

son domicile. Il participa activement aussi à tous les congrès Panafricains

d’ornithologie depuis le premier et ne cessa d’y promouvoir le travail des

francophones, comme aussi le bilinguisme, facilitant la présence des africains

francophones.

Les temps ont beaucoup changé au cours de cette seconde moitié du 20ème siècle,

Tomithologie et même les oiseaux du Sénégal aussi. Mais c’est à des personnalités

discrètes, obstinées, rigoureuses et passionnées comme celle de Gérard Morel que l’on

Deux images de Gérard Morel: lors de la réunion SOOA de 1994 aux Pays-Bas

(photographe inconnu) et chez lui à Richard-Toll, vers 1980 (photo: Peter

Browne). — Two facets of Gerard Morel: at the 1994 W.A.O.S. meeting in the

Netherlands (photographer unknown) and in his home at Richard-Toll, c. 1980

(photo: Peter Browne).

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doit nos acquis d’aujourd’hui. Je peux en témoigner personnellement, ayant vécu

ces changements en Afrique de l’Ouest et ailleurs, au contact de tels pionniers. Les

jeunes ornithologues visitant aujourd’hui le Sénégal, et y faisant parfois des

découvertes impensables autrefois, ou même parcourant le site internet de notre

Société, auront sans doute perdu le souvenir de tels précurseurs. Qu’ils sachent

pourtant que d’autres comme Gérard Morel leur ont patiemment ouvert la voie,

défriché les connaissances de base indispensables, et cela dans des conditions

matérielles et techniques beaucoup moins faciles qu’ aujourd’hui. Qui accepterait de

nos jours de rester 35 ans dans une bourgade isolée dans le savane pour y

documenter de façon rigoureuse et indiscutable l’étude de son avifaune? Merci à

Gérard de nous avoir ainsi permis d’avancer dans l’étude et la connaissance des

oiseaux de l’Ouest Africain.

Jean-Marc Thiollay

Président de la S. O. O. A.

Gérard Morel, 1925-2011

When thinking of Gérard Morel, two particular impressions come to mind,

separated by 40 years. The first was when, as a doctoral student, I entered his

laboratory at Richard-Toll, an air-conditioned oasis in the middle of stifling rice

fields, at that time seething with birds. The second was during a recent visit to

Senegal, when I heard with what deep admiration two of his former African

collaborators spoke of him, as if their shared work had never stopped. Four decades

is also the duration of the professional life which Gérard devoted entirely to birds

and to Senegal, with which he persisted out of loyalty to the team that he had

created and a desire to consolidate the knowledge acquired. Arriving by ship in

1953 to study Quelea biology, his first contact was Prof. T. Monod, then Director of

the Institut français d’Afrique noire (IFAN) and he also benefited from the

infallible support of Prof. F. Bourlière, for many years one of the central

personalities of French ecology. On the independence of Senegal, he joined

O.R.S.T.O.M. (now I.R.D.), which chose Richard-Toll in the north of the country

for its main field station and its only one dedicated to ornithology, to be carefully

constructed and managed by Gérard and his wife Marie- Yvonne until their

departure in 1992. At that time. West African ornithology was poorly developed

except in Nigeria, and the “two-volume Bannerman” was the only field guide for

ornithologists in that part of Africa. Collecting birds for a reference collection was

then considered indispensable for the study of an avifauna, and Gérard first devoted

himself to training, systematically and meticulously, a team of African collectors

and taxidermists, who maintain the skills acquired to this day. This was the

opportunity to discover and determine the subspecies present in Senegal, but it was

also the basis for two major publications: the first modern identification guide to

the birds of West Africa (Serle, W. & Morel G.J. 1977, Collins, London; translated

2011

Informations de la Société

lOi

into French in 1979) and an authoritative checklist of the birds of Senegambia

(Morel, GJ. & Morel, M.-Y. 1990, O.R.S.T.O.M., Paris). Gérard also tested newly

developed methods for censusing birds (by quadrats, transects or points), thus

providing the first calculations for Africa of the densities of breeding birds and

migrants, and their relationships in a Sahel savanna. The biology, breeding and

dynamics of granivores (Quelea, Golden Sparrow and Turtle Dove) also occupied

him much during a period when their status was changing as a result of drought and

conversion of land to agriculture.

Numerous researchers visited Richard-Toll to learn from Gérard or to co-author

publications, not only from France {e.g. C. Chappuis, J. Dorst, R.D. Etchécopar, R.

de Naurois, F. Roux) but also from elsewhere {e.g. R.E. Moreau, N. and E. Collias),

resulting in invitations to the U.S.A and Rome (F.A.O.). All appreciated the

Morels’ hospitality, their perfect organisation in the field and their culinary

specialities, including warthog cold cuts, which I remember very well. Gérard

naturally established close links with ornithologists working in Nigeria, such as

R.E. Sharland and C.H. Fry, with whom he founded the West African

Ornithological Society in 1979, of which he was Vice-President for nine years then

President for 19, until 2006. He played an active role in our Society, including the

creation of its web site and the organisation of W.A.O.S. meetings in Normandy

and Council meetings at his home there. He participated actively in the Pan-African

Ornithological Congresses since the first one, and never ceased to promote the work

of French-speaking ornithologists and bilingualism, and foster the attendance of

francophone Africans.

There were great changes during the second half of the 20th centur}/, in

ornithology as well as for the birds of Senegal. But it is to quiet, persistent, rigorous

and passionate individuals such as Gérard Morel that we owe today’s knowledge. I

can personally testify, having lived through these changes in West Africa and

elsewhere, to the contribution of such pioneers. Young ornithologists visiting

Senegal today, perhaps making discoveries unthinkable in those days, or perhaps

browsing the WAOS web site, may not be aware of the role of such predecessors.

May they understand the extent to which people like Gérard Morel patiently opened

the way for them and established an indispensable basis of knowledge, under

difficult conditions and with equipment and techniques much less well developed

than today. Who would accept these days to live 35 years in an isolated savanna

village to document an avifauna so rigorously? We owe Gérard our thanks for

having laid the foundations that enable us to advance the study and knowledge of

the birds of West Africa.

Jean-Marc Thioliay

W.A.O.S. President

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Introducing our new Webmaster

Ulf Liedén has agreed to take over the management of the W.A.O.S. web site and has

already begun managing the site. Ulf is a Swedish national presently living in

Germany. Inspired by his father, he has had an interest in plants and birds since

childhood, first only looking at them, later photographing them as a serious amateur.

He became involved with the birds of West Africa when his wife took a job in

Niamey, Niger in 2007. Being a professional computer programmer as well, he ended

up designing and managing the Niger Bird DataBase, which holds many of his own

bird pictures. Ulf looks forward to managing the W.A.O.S. web site and building on

the good work of his predecessor, Peter Browne. Council welcomes Ulf and joins him

in thanking Peter for his excellent work on the site over the past seven years.

W.A.O.S. Council

Ulf Liedén, new W.A.O.S. Webmaster — Ulf Liedén, nouveau Webmestre de la

S.O.O.A.

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Présentation de notre nouveau Webmestre

Ulf Liedén a accepté de prendre en charge la gestion du site Internet de la S.O.O.A.et

il a déjà commencé. Ulf est de nationalité Suédoise et réside actuellement en

Allemagne. Inspiré par son père, il s’intéresse aux plantes et aux oiseaux depuis son

enfance, d’abord seulement en les observant, puis plus tard en les photographiant en

amateur confirmé. Il s’est intéressé de plus près aux oiseaux d’Afrique de l’Ouest

quand sa femme a été affectée à Niamey, Niger, en 2007. Informaticien professionnel,

il est devenu le concepteur et gestionnaire de la Base de Données sur les Oiseaux du

Niger, qui contient nombre de ses photos d’oiseaux. Ulf est maintenant prêt à gérer le

site Internet de la S.O.O.A. et à le développer dans la continuité du bon travail de son

prédécesseur, Peter Browne. Le Conseil souhaite la bienvenue à Ulf et se joint à lui

pour remercier Peter de l’excellent travail réalisé sur le site pendant sept années.

Conseil de la S.O.O.A.

W.A.O.S. membership changes

Changements dans la liste d^adhérents de la S.O.O.A.

New members — Nouveaux membres

BuiJ, R., Prof Fockema Andreaelaan 39, 3741 EJ Baam, The Netherlands

Liedén, U., Theodorenstr. 13, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany

Saenz de Santa Maria Muniâtegui, A., Senda del rio Ali 9-2®B, 01015 Vitoria,

Alava, Spain

Thoma, M., Gesellschaftsstr. 89, 3012 Bem, Switzerland

Resignations, deaths and deletions Renonciations, décès et enlèvements

Morel, Dr G. J.

COS Exchange

Name and address changes and corrections Changements et corrections de

nom ou adresse

Ashford, R.W., DSc, 142 Meols Parade, Meols CH47 6AN, Ü.K.

Barlow, C., c/o D. Hook, 1 Waingate, Grimsargh, Preston, Lancs PR2 5RL, U.K.

Claffey, P.M., 3 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4, Eire

Degauquier, R., 298 rue Jean Jaurès, 59920 Quiévrechain, France

Gartshore, M.E., 316 Norfolk County Rd 60, RRl Walsingham, Ontario NOE 1X0,

Canada

Laff ARGUE, C., La Tuilerie, 47200 Forques sur Garonne, France

Neuenschwander, Dr P., Ahomweg 7, CH-3123 Beip, Switzerland

104

Society Notices

Malimbus 33

Phalan, b., Zoology Dept, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, U.K.

Smith, Rev. R.H., 230 Stevenson Rd, Derby DE23 IJL, U.K.

Wagner Hodges, Ms V.J., 12 North View, Wimbledon Common, London SW 19

4UJ, U.K.

Wall, J.W., 19 Tisdale Road, Scarsdale Road, New York, NY 10583=56 13, U.S.A.

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Bibliothèque des Mammifères et des

Oiseaux, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France

Ernst Mayr Library, Museum Comp. Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St,

Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.

The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709, U.S.A.

T. Dodman

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tous les endroits cités. Ils doivent comporter quelques brèves indications sur le climat, la topographie,

la végétation et les circonstances ou événements inhabituels avant ou pendant l’étude (ex. pluies

tardives, etc.). Les listes d’espèces ne doivent contenir que des données importantes: les listes

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de faire de répartition, une estimation d’abondance {Malimbus 17: 38) et les données datées sur la

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l’étude. Eventuellement, replacer les données dans le contexte en les comparant brièvement avec

une liste régionale de référence. Les longues listes d’espèces peuvent être présentées sous la forme

de tableaux (ex. Malimbus 25: 4-30, 24: 15-22, 23: 1-22, 1: 22-28, or 1: 49-54) ou sous la forme

rédigée des numéros récents. La séquence taxonomique et les noms scientifiques (et de préférence

aussi les noms vernaculaires) doivent suivre Borrow & Demey (2001, Birds of Western Africa,

Christopher Helm, London, avec des noms rectifiés de Borrow & Demey 2004, Field Guide îo the

Birds of Western Africa, Christopher Helm, London), ou The Birds of Africa (Brown et al. 1982,

Urban et al. 1986, 1997, Fry et al. 1988, Keith et al. 1992, Fry & Keith 2000, 2004, Academie

Press, London), à moins de donner les raisons de s’écarter de ces auteurs. Un guide plus complet à

l’intention aux auteurs d’articles sur l’avifaune, comprenant l’échelle d’abondance des espèces

conseillée, a été publié dans Malimbus 17: 35-39 et une version augmentée et actualisée de celle-ci

mise sur le site internet (http://malimbus.free.fr/instmale.htm). La Rédaction se fera un plaisir de

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Un fichier pdf des Articles et des Notes Courtes, et une copie du numéro de publication

seront envoyés gratis à fauteur ou à fauteur principal.

MALIMBUS 33(2) September 2011

Contents — Table des Matières

Some observations of birds and bird behaviour in Kinshasa and

Bas-Congo Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

H.D.S. Ayer 65-77

Notes on the breeding biology of the Loango Weaver

Ploceus subpersonatus and its adaptation to urban habitats.

G. Passavy 78-85

Short Notes — - Notes Courtes

Observation of a Heuglin's Wheatear Oenanthe heuglini

in the Djoudj National Park: a new species for Senegal.

A. Le.isfevé, B. Bargain & G. Giiyot 86-87

Movements of a Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor in West Africa.

V. Salewski, B. Childress &'M. Wikelski 87-90

Nocturnal roosting by Piapiacs Ptilostomm afer

on a dockyard crane in Lagos, Nigeria.

NJ. Collar &P.IIali 90-91

The first records of Kupe Bush-Shrike Malaconotus kupeensis

at two sites in Nigeria.

D.T.C. Cox, M. Shiiwua, M. Gartshore & I. Imong 92-95

News & Letters — Nouvelles et Lettres 96

Reviews “ Revues 96-97

Society Notices — Informations de la Société 98-104