raNa '

0

r

i

% ' v

MALIMBUS

/§-' NAT. HIST, ' i

J . - 3 JUN >81

Journal of the West African Ornithological Society

.A.

purcha:- •

Societe d’Ornithologie de l’Ouest Africain

M

rV

f*4^«

VOLUME 3 198 1

Number 1, May

WEST A K HI CAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

KOCIETE

IVORNITHOLOGIE DE LOUEST AFRTCAIN

Council 1979-1981

President Professor Brian J. Harris

Vice-President Dr Gerard J. Morel

Hon. Secretary Professor John H, Elgood

Hon. Treasurer & Membership Secretary Mr Robert E. Sharland

Managing Editor, Malimbus Dr C. Hilary Fry

Editor, Malimbus 3 (1) Dr Michael Dyer

Correspondence should be addressed as follows :

- to the Managing Editor (Aberdeen University Department of Zoology,

Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland, U.K.) regarding contribu-

tions to Malimbus and purchase of back numbers (i.e. the Bulletin of the

Nigerian Ornithologists' Society)

- to the Hon. Treasurer (39 Avon Castle Drive, Ringwood, Hants, U.K. or

P.0. Box 342, Kano, Nigeria) regarding subscriptions and financial

matters

- to the President (Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello

University, Zaria, Nigeria) or Vice-President (Station d 'Ornithologie,

Richard-Toll , B.P. 20, S4negal) regarding policy matters

- to the Hon. Secretary (26 Walkford Way, Highcliffe, Dorset BH23 5LR, U.K.)

regarding all other matters

The Society grew out of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society, which was

founded in 1964. Its object is to promote scientific interest in the birds

of West Africa and to further the region's ornithology mainly by means of the

publication of its journal Malimbus (formerly the Bulletin of the Nigerian

Ornithologists' Society).

Applications for membership are welcomed. Annual membership subscription

rates are £4.00* for Ordinary Members and £10.00* for Corporate Members.

Members receive Malimbus free of charge.

BACK NUMBERS : Vols . 11 (1975), 12 (1976), 13 (1977) and 14 (1978) of the

Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society (the same format as Malimbus)

are available at £2.00* per volume. Most earlier volumes are still available,

at prices on request.

* Payments may be made in £ sterling or FFr for encashment in U.K. or in

Nigerian N for encashment in Nigeria.

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY PRESS : The Society acknowledges with gratitude

subsidy by the Ahmadu Bello University Press, Nigeria, to whom copyright of

Malimbus belongs.

ISSN : 0331

3689

Emblem design by Philip Blasdale

Malimbus

Vol. 3 1981 No. 1, May

it#

Open-bill Anastomus lamelligerus , Nigeria. Photo: Philip Blasdale

2

Malimbus 3

LES BUTEO PALEARCTIQUES EN MAURITANIE ET AU SENEGAL

par G. J. Morel et P. W. P. Browne

Received 27 February 1981

Notre propos est de comparer nos donnees (observations, specimens) sur

Buteo b. buteo , B. b. vulpinus , Buteo r. rufinus et B. rufinus cirtensis

avec celles des auteurs recents .

Heim de Balsac (1951) n'a observe aucun Buteo au sud du Sahara.

Bannerman (1953) ne traite aucun Buteo palearctique . Mackworth-Praed &

Grant (1970) ne mentionnent pas le franchissement du Sahara par B. b. buteo;

ils considerent B. b. vulpinus comme migrateur mais moins commun a l'ouest

qu'a l'est; ils ne citent B. r. rufinus que pour le Tchad et le Niger et

recusent B. r. cirtensis. Glutz von Blotzheim et al . (1971) adoptent la

meme position que Mackworth-Praed & Grant. Moreau (1972) souligne

1' importance de l'hivemage de B. b. vulpinus depuis 1'Afrique orientale

jusqu'en Afrique australe mais ne mentionne pas sa presence dans l'Ouest.

II cite quelques observations de B. b. rufinus et B. b. cirtensis au Senegal.

Cependant, Thiollay, des 1974, par ses observations au nord du Sahara,

apporta des faits nouveaux. A Gilbraltar: passage d'automne de 5 000

B. buteo mais pas de B. rufinus ; au Cap Bon (Tunisie) passage de printemps

de 2 800 B. buteo et 200 B. rufinus (Thiollay 1975b, 1977b). D'autre part,

comme tr!s peu de B. buteo hivernent au Maroc, faute de conditions favor-

ables, il en conclut que ces rapaces migrateurs hivernent necessairement

plus au sud, apres avoir survole l'Ouest africain (Thiollay 1974). De plus,

Thiollay (1977a) , sur des parcours choisis de differents milieux

representatif s , a effectue des recensements de rapaces et donne des indices

kilometriques d'abondance pour B . buteo et B. rufinus.

Nous avons aussi tenu compte des observations relatees dans le

Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society et la Check-list of the

Birds of the Gambia, compilee par M. E. J. Gore.

Nos observations et captures furent effectuees au Senegal (GM, sauf

quelques cas) et en Mauri tanie (PB) .

Buteo b. buteo Buse variable Un seul specimen, a notre connaissance a

ete collect!: une femelle trouvee empoisonnee le ler novembre 1973 dans

\ane colonie de Q. quelea detruite au parathion, pres de Keur Macene, 50 km

au NW de Rosso (16°15'W, 16°45 ' N), Mauri tanie, par L. Bortoli (com. pers.).

La determination (coll, de Richard-Toll) a ete precisee par F. Roux au

Museum de Paris. Ce serait la premiere mention pour l'Ouest africain. On

peut done suggerer que la Buse variable, reputee tres peu ou pas migratrice,

compte quelques elements qui franchissent le Sahara. Ce contingent est

difficile a apprecier du fait de la variabilite de plumage de B. buteo, qui

amene les observateurs a reconnaitre comme vulpinus toutes les buses

observees mais non collectees.

1981

LES BUTEO PALEARCTIQUES

3

Buteo buteo sp. Trois observations a une quinzaine de km au sud de

Nouakchott, sur le cordon dunaire: un sujet volait en direction du sud et

deux autres etaient poses, le 19 novembre 1978 (PB) . Une autre observa-

tion a 85 km au sud de Nouakchott, le 25 novembre 1978 (PB) . Pres de

Richard- Toll , le 22 decembre 1978, un sujet pose sur un chemin dans les

champs de canne-a-sucre (GM) . Pres de Thies: observation d'un sujet, le

7 janvier 1979 (De Smet, K. & Van Gompel, J. sous presse) .

Forbes-Watson (in Lathbury 1970) estime les "buzzards as not uncommon

in Liberia during the winter months between January and December 1968" et

collecta un specimen qu'il attribue h la race intermedius , forme

intermediaire entre buteo et vulpinus (Vaurie 1965) .

Buteo b. vulpinus ; Buse martin En foret de Bandia, 60 km au SE de Dakar,

Senegal, le 14 fevrier 1967, R. Taufflieb collecta deux sujets immatures

(coll. Museum de Paris, coll. Richard- Toll; Morel & Roux 1973). A Nouak-

chott, Mauri tanie, le 30 novembre 1978, PB ramassa un sujet mort (coll.

Richard- Toll) . Thiollay (1977a) signale qu'un adulte bague en Tunisie a

ete repris sur la cote ghaneenne en septembre; lui-meme n'observa qu'un

ou deux sujets hivernant de decembre a mars a Lamto 06&13'N, 05°02'W (Cote

d'Ivoire) et deux indi vidus en fevrier a Bla 12:3 57,N, 05°46'W et Mopti

(Mali). Enfin, l'espece figure sur la liste de Gambie, comme "rare winter

visitor" (Gore 1976) .

Ainsi, quatre specimens seulement, collectes au Senegal, en Mauri tanie

et au Ghana, authentif ient la presence de B. b. vulpinus dans la zone

sahelo-soudanaise et les observations depassent a peine les captures. Bien

que Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1970) estiment que la Buse martin migre en

plus grand nombre par l'Afrique orientale que par l'Afrique occidentale,

nous pensons que la difference proviendrait aussi du moindre nombre

d' observateurs travaillant sur l'Ouest. Les observations faites au

Senegal et en Mauri tanie (Nouakchott) , ou resident precisement des ornitho-

logues, tendent a confirmer ce point de vue. Notons aussi celui de Forbes-

Watson "not uncommon".

Les specimens collectes au Senegal et en Mauritanie (2 vulpinus et 1

buteo), celui collecte au Liberia (1 intermedius) indiquent egalement que

les buses qui hivernent dans l'Ouest ne sont pas toutes des vulpinus .

Thiollay (1975b) fait observer, en comparant les donnees de Suede avec

les decomptes de Gibraltar, que la majeure partie des migrateurs

scandinaves vont jusqu'en Afrique. La Buse martin hiverne en zone prefo-

restiere et forestibre (Thiollay 1978a). Jusqu'ici, les observations

effectuees au Senegal ne designeraient d'apres les dates, que des sujets

de passage.

Buteo rufinus On peut 1' observer au sud du Sahara sous deux races. Mais

seules, les dimensions ( rufinus cfaile: 415-450, $: 433-487; cirtensis

c?: 345-384, ?: 360-425) permettent reellement, sauf a un observateur

tres entraine, de distinguer les deux races (Glutz von Blotzheim 1971) .

B. rufinus est une espece du palearctique or i cal qui atteint a l'ouest

la Grece. B. b. cirtensis habite toute l'Af _que du Nord et, au nord-ouest,

descend vers le sud jusqu'a une trentaine de kilometres d'Atar, Mauritanie,

4

G.J. Morel & P.W.P. Browne

Malimbus 3

par 20°32'N, 13°W (Keim de Balsac & Mayaud 1962). Cette sous-espece est

consideree comme sedentaire par la plupart des auteurs et rufinus comme

migratrice. Thiollay (1977a) estime cet hivernant palearctique "pas rare

dans le Sahel" .

OBSERVATIONS ET SPECIMENS Pres de Ri chard- Toll , nous disposons de sept

observations, 20. i. 1965; 21. i. 1965; 28.1.1965; 4.ii.l965; 25.xii.1966;

4.1.-1976; 9.ii.l979 (GM) . Toutes ces buses ont dtd observes (sauf celle

de 1976, sar une digue pres du fleuve) sur les rizieres moissonnees.

Region de Dakar, 28.xii.1978, un peu a 1'ouest de Rufisque; 21.iii.1979,

entre Ngazobil et Joal (Y. Prevost, com. pers.). Precisons que ces

observations ne sont pas le resultat de recherches systematiques et regulieres

qai auraient assurement augmente le nombre d' observations .

Dans la region de Nouakchott, PB a observe cette espece 12 fois :

9. vi. 1978; 12.x. 1978; 22.x. 1978; 30. xi. 1978; 4.xi.l979; 24-25 . xi . 1979 ;

l.xii.1978; 28. i. 1979; 11. ii. 1979. Enfin, pres de Rosso, sur le fleuve

Senegal, le 28.x. 1979. II est vraisemblable que certaines observations

rapprochees se rapportent au meme oiseau.

Dans l'Ouest africain, Thiollay (1978b) la considers comme "reguliere

dans les plaines seches et decouvertes a faible couverture herbacee" . II

cite (1977a) trois observations au Mali, cinq au Niger, trois en Haute-

Volta et un au Nigeria de novembre a fevrier. Dans le nord du Nigeria, elle

est observes plusieurs fois; Hopson (1964)

Dowse tt (1968) , meme lieu; Sharland (1972)

pres de Kano (12JN) en 1970, 1971 et 1972.

au sud: pres d1 Accra, Ghana (Grimes 1972);

1968) .

a Malamfatori pres du lac Tchad;

observe deux oiseaux chaque annee

On la trouve que Ique- fois plus

pres d' Ibadan, Nigeria (Pettet

De plus nous disposons de trois peaux; Buteo r. rufinus, un male du

15.xii.1964, obtenu pres de Richard- Toll, sur les rizieres; aide: 427 mm

(coll. Museum de Paris; Morel & Roux 1966). II convient de citer egalement

Mi llet-Horsin (1915) qui collects un sujet de cette espece pres de Dakar.

Buteo rufinus cirtensis, une femelle collectee le 15.x. 1961, prds de Richard-

Toll, sur les rizieres (coll. Richard- Toll; aile: 393 mm); un autre

sujet, trouve mort, empoisonne, dans une colonie de Q. quelea, a une

soixantaine de km au NW de Rosso, Mauri tanie, le l.xi.1973 par L. Bortoli

(com. pers.). Seules, les ailes (384 mm) et la queue ont pu etre conservees

(coll. Richard-Toll) .

Nous avons done deux specimens de la sous-esp^ce cirtensis , reputee

sedentaire (Heim de Balsac & Mayaud, loc . cit.) et un seul de la sous-

espece migratrice. II serait bien entendu premature, d'apres trois peaux,

de tirer une conclusion, mais on peut se deman der si la forme africaine

cirtensis ne se livrerait pas a plus de deplacements qu' il n'a jusqu'ici

ete admis. Certes, Thiollay (1977a) juge que "la taille de la plupart des

specimens observes les rapporte a B. r. rufinus" . Sans meconnaitre ce

jugement, nous souhaitons que quelques captures viennent a 1'appui de

cette hypochese. De plus, Thiollay (1977a) observa quatre adultes,

identifies comme cirtensis , a la mi-aout entre Nouakchott et Atar et il se

demande si cette espece ne nicherait pas jusqu'au 19° en Mauritanie.

Enfin, on peut s'etenner avec Moreau (1972) de 1 ' etrange derive: vers 1'ouest

1981

LES BUTEO PALEARCTIQUES

5

de B. r. rufinus, migrateur oriental que Thiollay n'a pas observe a

Gilbraltar .

REMERCIEMENTS

Nous remercions notre

ce texte et y apporter ses

collegue J.M. Thiollay qui a bien voulu lire

corrections .

SUMMARY

The two races of Buteo buteo ( Buteo b. buteo , B. b. vulpinus) are

hardly distinguishable in the field, nor are the two races of Buteo rufinus

( Buteo r. rufinus , B. r. cirtensis ) . But of four specimens of B. buteo

collected in Mauritania, Senegal and Liberia, two were identified as

vulpinus, one as buteo and one as intermedius (between buteo and vulpinus) .

Of three specimens of B. rufinus from Mauritania and Senegal, two were

cirtensis and one was rufinus. Observations of B. rufinus in October-

February have been more frequent than those of B. buteo, but nevertheless

it would appear that B. buteo is more common in the area than hitherto

indicated in the literature. B. rufinus has also been seen in southern

Mauritania in June and August. Taken together, these observations and

specimens demonstrate that Buteo b. buteo penetrates south of the Sahara

in the non-breeding season and Buteo r. cirtensis migrates south of its

known breeding range (south to Atar, Mauritania) instead of being

sedentary; there are also indications that the breeding range may extend

further south than previously thought.

REFERENCES

DE SMET, K. et GOMPEL VAN, J. (1980) Observations sur la Cote senegalaise

en decembre et janvier. Malimbus 2: 56-70

DOWSETT, R.J. (1968) Migrants at Malamfatori, Lake 'Chad, Spring 1968.

Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 5: 53-56

GLUTZ VON BLOTZHEIM, U.N. (1971) Handbuch der Vogel Mi tteleuropas . Band

4. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft. Frankfurt-am-Main.

GORE, M.E.J. (1976) (compile par) Field Check-list of the birds of the

Gambia. The Gambia Ornith. Soc. Banjul pp 18

GRIMES, L.G. (1972) The birds of the Accra Plains. Dactyl.

HEIM DE BALSAC, H.T. (1951) Les migrations des oiseaux dans l'ouest du

continent africain. Alauda 19: 157-171

HEIM DE BALSAC, H. et MAYAUD, N. (1962) Les Oiseaux du Nord-Ouest de

l'Afrique. P. Lechevalier, Paris

HOPSON, A . J . (1964) Buteo rufinus : a species w to Nigeria. Bull.

Nigerian Orn. Soc. 1: 15-16

6

G.J. Morel & P.W.P. Browne

Ma limbus 3

LATHBURY, G. (1970) A review of the birds of Gibraltar and its surrounding

waters. Ibis 112: 25-43

MILLET- HORS IN, H. (1915) Notes orni thologiques d'A.O.F.: les rapaces

observes d'avil 1913 a mai 1914 dans la presqu'ile de Dakar.

L' Oiseau et R.F.O. 4: 1-6

MOREAU, R.E. (1972) The Palaearctic- African Bird Migration Systems.

Academic Press. Pp. 384. London and New York

MOREL, G. et ROUX, F. (1973) Les migrateurs palearctiques au Senegal:

notes complemen taires . Terre et Vie 27: 523-550

PETTET, A. (1968) A Long-legged Buzzard, Buteo rufinus, in Southern

Nigeria. Bull. Nigerian Orn . Soc . 5: 45

SHARLAND, R.E. (1972) Long-legged Buzzards Butec rufinus near Kano. Bull.

Nigerian Orn. Soc. 9: 12

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1974) Notes sur les rapaces hivernant au Maroc. Nos

Oiseaux 32: 230-236

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1975a) Les rapaces des pares nationaux du Tchad meridional.

L' Oiseau et R.F.O. 45: 27-40

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1975b) Migration de printemps au Cap Bon (Tunisie) . Nos

Oiseaux 33: 109-121

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1977a) Distribution saisonniere des rapaces diurnes en

Afrique occidentale . L' Oiseau et R.F.O. 47: 253-294

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1977b) Importance des populations de rapaces migrateurs en

Mediterranee occidentale. Alauda 45: 115-121

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1978a) Les migrations de rapaces en Afrique occidentale:

adaptations ecologiques aux fluctuations saisonni^res de production

des ecosystemes. Terre et Vie 32: 89-113

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1978b) Les plaines du Nord Cameroun, centre d'hivernage de

rapaces palearctiques. Alauda 46: 319-326

THIOLLAY, J.M. et PERTHUIS, A. (1975c) La migration d'automne a Gibraltar

(ler au 20 octobre 1974): analyse et interpretation. Ardeola 21

(especial) : 595-614

VAURIE , C. (1965) The Birds of the Palearctic Fauna. Non-Passeriformes.

Witherby. London

G. J. Morel, Station d' Ornithologie , B.P. 20, Richard-Toll , Senegal

P. W. P. Browne, 490 Cooper Street, Ottawa, Ontario KIR 5H9 , Canada

1981

7

THE BIRDS OF KANO STATE, NIGERIA

by R. E. Sharland and R. Wilkinson

Received 4 September 1979

Revised 4 August 1980

INTRODUCTION

West African ornithology is still at the stage where useful information

can be presented in the form of annotated check lists. The purpose of this

paper is to summarize our present knowledge of the status, relative abun-

dance (and recent changes in abundance of certain species) , local

distribution and breeding records of birds in Kano State, Nigeria. In so

doing we hope to provide a framework to which other workers may add.

Kano State occupies an area of c. 43,000 km2 between approximately 11°

and 13°N on the north central plateau of northern Nigeria. It shares its

northern border with the Republic of Niger and is bounded on the west by

Kaduna State, on the north-east by Borno State and on the south-east by

Bauchi State. The terrain is generally flat, but inselbergs arise in places

The main drainage system, the Kano-Hadejia river, rises from the south in

Plateau State and flows first WNW to Karaye and then ENE to Hadejia and

Kirikasama (Fig. 1) . According to Keay (1953) most of Kano State carries

Sudan Savanna vegetation, which merges in the north with Sahel Savanna and

in the south with Northern Guinea Savanna (Fig. 1) . Kano State is one of

the most heavily populated areas of Nigeria, and particularly around Kano,

is intensively cultivated with crops of guinea corn, millet, cotton, cowpea

and groundnut. The climate is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons

At Kano the first rains usually fall in April or May, the wettest months are

June to August and the rain continues into September or occasionally October

In general the annual precipitation is greatest in the south of the state

and decreases with increasing latitude (Table 1) but at any one locality

varies from year to year (Fig. 2) .

STUDY AREAS

Although we report observations from throughout Kano State a number of

localities have proved particularly rewarding and so feature disproportion-

ately. Most visits away from Kano (where we both live, R.E.S. since 1954,

R.W. since 1977) have been made in the dry season and early and late rains.

Kano City and environs (12°01'N, 08°30'E) The suburbs and gardens of

Kano, the water-filled ' borrow-pits ' from which clay has been extracted for

traditional house-building, the 'Zoo dam', and areas of scrub dominated by

Acacia spp. , and the locust-bean tree Parkia clappertonia .

8

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Ma limbus 3

Gaya Forest Reserve (11°52'N, 09°00'E) Situated centrally in the Sudan

Savanna belt, on both sides of the Dudurum Gaya, a tributary of Kano River.

The presence of old trees such as Khaya senegalensis and Daniellia Olivieri

along the river bank suggest that this area was once a 'kurmi' .

Rano (11°33'N, 8°34'E) Of particular interest because of its out-

cropping inselbergs. Bombax and Ficus are the dominant trees on the

inselbergs and the surrounding areas are intensively cultivated with guinea

corn, beans and groundnuts.

Kirikasama (12°42'N, 10°15'E) Situated on the Komadugu Gana river

draining into Lake Chad; annual flooding of ox-bow lakes results in marshy

areas which are important habitats for wetland birds .

Kazaure (12°39'N, 8°25'E) A varied region encompassing sand dunes,

rocky hills and deep permanent lakes. In some years flash floods late in

the rains result in seasonal lakes, e.g. at Achilafia (12°49'N, 8°24'E)

where large numbers of water birds congregate.

Falgore Game Reserve (11°00'N, 08°42'E) Established in 1973, 640 km2

in extent, Falgore was previously a forest reserve along the Kano River.

This area falls within the Northern Guinea Savanna zone and the trees

include Boswellia, Butyrospermum, Detarium, Entada , Vitex, Cussonia and

Terminaiia .

THE AVIFAUNA

406 bird species have been recorded. One quarter of this total (101

species) are Palaearctic winter visitors or passage migrants through Kano

State, and the winter populations of a further nine species are augmented

by Palaearctic visitors. Of the Afrotropical species, 28 are wet season

visitors and at least a further seven species are either wet season

visitors or partial migrants present at higher densities in the rains. In

contrast, only 12 species are dry season visitors (or present at higher

density in the dry than the wet season) .

Of the 406 species, 20 have been recorded only from Falgore and

another seven only in the extreme south of Kano State; many of these are

typical Northern Guinea savanna birds but others, e.g. the Secretary Bird

Sagittarius serpentarius may be restricted to this area because of the

intensive land use further north. We have visited Falgore less frequently

than many other areas of Kano State and predict that additions to the

systematic list will result from a more thorough working of this area.

In his more than 20 years of residence in what is now Kano State R.E.S.

has been able to detect changes in the abundance of a number of species;

four are now more common than formerly, and 23 have suffered a decline as

follows .

(a) Increasing: Kittlitz's Sand-Plover Charadrius pecuarius, Avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta , White-winged Black Tern Sterna leucoptera , and

Sudan Golden Sparrow Passer luteus .

(b) Decreasing: Darter Anhinga rufa, African Cormorant Phalacrocorax

carbo, Wood Ibis Ibis ibis. Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica , African

Spoonbill Platalea alba, Pigmy Goose Nettapus auritus , Hottentot Teal Anas

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

9

Table 1 Estimated Mean annual rainfall at various localities in Kano

State over the period 1967-76

Figure 1 Map of Kano State showing localities mentioned in the text.

Annua! rainfall (mm) 5-yc running mean

10

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

1000

900-

800-

700-

6001

1 1 ! 1 1 ! 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 T 1 1 1 1

'30 '34 '38 '42 '46 *50 '54 '5 8 '62 '66 '70 '74 '78

Year

Figure 2 Annual rainfall (five-year running means) at Kano from 1929 to

1977.

Figure 3 Original ringing localities of White Storks ( Ciconia ciconia )

subsequently recovered in northern Nigeria.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

11

hottentota , White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus , Hooded Vulture

Neophron monachus , Pale Harrier Circus macrourus , Montagu's Harrier Circus

pygargus , Short- toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus , Fish Eagle Haliaetus

vocifer, Quail Coturnix coturnix , Guinea Fowl Numida meleagris , Crowned

Crane Balearica pavonina , Blue-naped Mousebird Colius macrourus , Senegal

Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis , Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis ,

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator , Red-billed Quelea Quelea, Zebra Waxbill

Amandava subflava, and Quail Finch Ortygospiza atricollis .

The decline in numbers of Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea and

extension of the range of Sudan Golden Sparrow have been discussed by Ward

(1977) who points to the increasing aridity of the Sahel as a major con-

trolling factor. Fry (1973) notes the recent appearance at Zaria

(Northern Guinea Savanna) of five species formerly considered to be typical

of Sudan Savanna and suggests that their presence at Zaria may be related

to the increasing aridity and habitat degradation of this area. This is

further discussed by Pettet (1975) and Fry (1975a). It is of interest to

note that one of these ' soudanian V species , the Blue-naped Mousebird

Colius macrourus , has never been seen by us in Kano State. Although we

consider it beyond the scope of the present communication to discuss in

detail those factors which may be associated with the observed changes in

abundance of each of the species listed above we note that a large number

of the species in decline are water birds or birds strongly associated with

wetland habitats. In recent years the decreasing annual rainfall (Fig. 2)

coupled with man's construction of dams and control of water flow have

resulted in marked changes in the nature of some wetland habitats. Fry

(1975b), in considering bird conservation and prospects in Nigeria, argues

that such habitat changes are not necessarily adverse for the birds as a

whole, as one community will be replaced by another. However it will be

of considerable interest to see whether and how individual bird species

adapt to these changes.

SYSTEMATIC LIST

Scientific nomenclature follows White (1960-65) and with a few excep-

tions the English names are those of Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1970-73).

Resident is used to refer to species which are present throughout the

year but it does not necessarily imply that particular individuals remain

throughout the year (Elgood, Fry & Dowsett 1973) . The term winter visitor

is used only for Palaearctic species; dry season visitor is used only for

Afrotropical species . Common , frequent, occasional and rare are used

subjectively in relation to expected occurrences in preferred habitats:

a species is common if recorded on nearly all visits and is rare if

recorded only about once a year.

LITTLE GREBE Podiceps ruficollis Common resident but numbers fluctuate

from year to year. Two clutches of six eg~ nave been found in June, one

at Kazaure and one at Ungogo.

WHITE PELICAN Pelecanus onocrotalus Floo-.s of 50 to 150 in the dry season

at Kirikasama. 1400 were observed heading north-east near Kano on 6 June

1957.

12

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

PINK- BACKED PELICAN Pelecanus refescens Frequent. Flocks of up to 200 in

the dry season at Kirikasama. Formerly bred in December at Birnin Kudu,

and in 1976 and 1977 bred near Dutse .

AFRICAN CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo Previously frequent at Kirikasama

where last seen in 1967.

LONG- TAILED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax africanus Common resident, sometimes

very numerous, "hundreds" being recorded at Kirikasama on 18 February 1967,

and over a hundred on 10 February 1963 (C. H. Fry) . Nests with young have

been found in January 1966 at Kirikasama.

DARTER Anhinga rufa Previously frequent at Kirikasama where in January

1965 a pair with half-grown young in the nest were seen. No records since

1968.

BITTERN Botaurus stellaris Rare winter visitor. Recorded at Dabi in

December 1958, and at Tsakwa in January 1959.

LITTLE BITTERN Ixobrgchus minutus Occasional or rare. The African race

J. m. payesi and the Palaearctic T. m. minutus have both been netted at

borrow pits around Kano city.

DWARF BITTERN Ixobrychus sturmii Three records: seen twice near Kano on

8 December 1962, and 10 December 1960, and once at Kirikasama in the wet

season .

NIGHT HERON Nycticorax nycticorax Frequent winter visitor to lakes and

dams throughout the state. Occasionally numerous, e.g. 300 at Kirikasama

on 18 February 1967 (C. H. Fry).

SQUACCO HERON Ardeola ralloides A frequent resident whose numbers may be

augmented by winter visitors, e.g. two birds ringed at Srebarna, Bulgaria

(44°07'N, 27°05'E) on 19 September 1963 were recovered from an area south-

west of Nguru on 3 November 1963 (Sharland 1969) .

CATTLE EGRET Ardeola ibis A common resident whose numbers appear to in-

crease in the wet season. Breeding recorded in the wet season and more

occasionally in the late dry season.

GREEN-BACKED HERON Butorides striatus Frequent wet season visitor.

BLACK HERON Egretta ardesiaca Frequent at Kirikasama in the dry season.

GREAT WHITE EGRET Egretta alba Common resident.

YELLOW-BILLED EGRET Egretta intermedia Frequent at Kirikasama and recorded

at Kazaure in the dry season.

LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta Common resident. One bird of the grey phase

(Reef Heron, E. g. gularis) remained at a lake near Kano for a period of

over a week in June 1978, and another, or the same bird, was seen again in

every month from September to December 1979.

GREY HERON Ardea cinerea Frequent resident breeding at Kazaure in the wet

season. Common in the dry season when winter visitors arrive from the

Palaearctic; e.g. one bird recovered at Katagum in November 1960 carried

a ring from the U.S.S.R. (Elgood, Sharland & Ward 1966).

BLACK-HEADED HERON Ardea melanocephala Common resident. Nests with pulli

were found at Kazaure in June 1964, and at Birniwa in December 1978.

GOLIATH HERON Ardea goliath One at Kirikasama in December 1965.

PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea Common, and probably resident but we have few

records for July and August.

HAMMERKOP Scopus umbretta Occasional Ralgcre and Gaya, rare at Kano.

WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia Winter visitor. Gc; ^ionally numerous at

Kirikasama where these are caught to be sold in Kano bird market. Recover-

ies of ringed birds from Tunisia, Spain, France and Germany (Fig. 3) .

BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra Two at Falgore on 30 January 1980. In addition

one in a decoy flock of Ciconia ciconia near Kirikasama in January 1965 and

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

13

another offered for sale in Kano market (probably originating from the

Kirikasama area) .

ABDIM'S STORK Ciconia abdimi Common wet season visitor, arriving at Kano

in April and departing in September. Breeding recorded in July 1963 near

Kazaure and in July 1971, and July 1972 in the vicinity of Gumel.

OPEN-BILL Anastomus lamelligerus Occasional at Kirikasama. Two at Bagauda

Lake on 27 December 1978 (D. O'Connor). One flying over Kano on 5 November

1979.

MARABOU Leptotilus crumeniferus Previously common, breeding in the dry

season at Kirikasama, but uncommon elsewhere. In 1978 only a single pair

was recorded breeding at Kirikasama and in 1979 no nests were found.

WOOD IBIS Ibis ibis Previously common but now occasional. Formerly bred

at Kirikasama, the last breeding record being in December 1962.

SACRED IBIS Threskiornis aethiopica Now occasional although formerly

common, e.g. over 200 at Kirikasama on 10 February 1967 (C. H. Fry, R.E.S.).

Immature birds have been seen in October and February.

HADADA Bostrychia hagedash One record, in February 1963 near Ringim.

GLOSSY IBIS Plegadus falcinellus Common winter visitor. Records in early

August at Kazaure and Kirikasama suggest that some may summer in the north

of the state.

AFRICAN SPOONBILL Platalea alba Formerly a frequent resident at Kirikasama

where recently fledged birds were seen in December. No records since 1970.

SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia Three at Kazaure on 14 May 1978.

FULVOUS TREE-DUCK Dendrocygna bicolor Resident. Locally common.

WHITE-FACED TREE-DUCK Dendrocygna viduata Common resident. A nest contain-

ing ducklings was discovered on 2 October 1961 at Kano.

EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiaca Locally common resident. Young duck-

lings have been seen at Kano in October and November.

SPUR-WINGED GOOSE Plectropterus gambensis Local resident. Common at

Kirikasama and recorded at Bagauda Lake and Birnin Kudu.

KNOB-BILLED GOOSE Sarkidiornis melanotus Common resident. Numbers decrease

in the wet season but this may result from local movement to wooded areas;

birds seen in the rains among trees at Gaya are suspected of breeding.

PIGMY GOOSE Nettapus auritus Previously common e.g. 50 at Tamburawa on 19

February 1967 (C. H. Fry), but now occasional. All recent records have been

from Achilafia. Formerly bred at Kumbotso where goslings were seen in

October 1968. Now rare in Kano State; one bird was seen at Kazaure in

November 1978.

WIGEON Anas penelope Winter visitor. Seen regularly in small numbers at

Kirikasama.

GADWALL Anas strepera One shot near Kirikasama in December 1964, and one

seen by R.E.S. with a flock of Garganey at Kano on 16 April 1980.

TEAL Anas crecca Frequent winter visitor. One of the earliest migrant

ducks, appearing as early as September.

CAPE WIGEON Anas capensis Six at Kazaure on 6 April 1979 (D. O'Connor).

PINTAIL Anas acuta Common winter visitor between November and May. The

largest flock was of 6,000 at Kazaure in December 1977.

HOTTENTOT TEAL Anas hottentota Numbers increased from 1955 to 1970 when a

group of 50 birds were seen at Kazaure but this species is now rare.

Ducklings have been observed at Kazaure in December, January and February

(last record from Elgood, Fry & Dowsett 1973) .

GARGANEY Anas querquedula Abundant winter visitor. This is the commonest

Palaearctic migrant duck with flocks of thousands, e.g. 5,000 at Achilafia

on 2 February 1980. A few records in July 1964 suggest that some birds may

summer in Kano State.

14

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Ma limbus 3

SHOVELER Anas clypeata Frequent winter visitor, records from October to

March. Usually seen in small numbers, the largest flock being 150 at

Kazaure in December 1977.

POCHARD Aythya ferina A few recorded each winter on the lakes near

Kirikasama .

WHITE-EYED POCHARD Aythya nyroca Winter visitor. Numbers fluctuate

greatly from year to year but recently common. The largest flock recorded

was of 1500 birds at Kirikasama in January 1970.

TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula A rare winter visitor to lakes in Kano State,

e.g. 12 at Kirikasama on 18 February 1967 (C. H. Fry).

WHITE-BACKED DUCK Thalassornis leuconotus Previously common but local.

None have been seen since 1972 and this species is now considered rare.

Prior to 1972 ducklings were seen at Kumbotso and Kazaure in November and

December .

WHITE-HEADED VULTURE Trigonoceps occipitalis Local. Seen only at Falgore

and at Dan Gora Forest Reserve.

WHITE-BACKED VULTURE Gyps bengalensis Occasional at Falgore and Kirikasama.

One at Hadejia on 18 February 1967 (C. H. Fry).

EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus Local. Recorded from rocky hills

near Kazaure where they possibly bred in January 1972 (M. Turner) .

HOODED VULTURE Neophron monachus Common resident but at Kano less abundant

in recent years. Breeds in the dry season.

PALE HARRIER Circus macrourus Winter visitor. Previously frequent but now

less common.

MONTAGU'S HARRIER Circus pygargus Winter visitor. Now occasional although

formerly seen more frequently.

MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus Winter visitor. Commoner than the two

preceding harriers.

HARRIER-HAWK Polyhoroides radiatus Occasional.

BATELEUR Terathopius ecaudatus Local at Gaya and near Kirikasama.

SHORT-TOED EAGLE Circaetus gallicus Previously a regular winter visitor,

now rare .

BROWN HARRIER-EAGLE Circaetus cinereus A few records from Gaya, Kirikasama

and Dan Gora distributed throughout the year.

BANDED HARRIER- EAGLE Circaetus cinerascens One at Dan Gora Forest Reserve

in May 1977.

SHIKRA Accipiter badius Common resident. One was seen sitting tightly on

a nest at Kano on 1 April 1980.

OVAMPO SPARROWHAWK Accipiter ovampensis Three at Gaya in October 1977.

CHANTING GOSHAWK Meleirax metabates Common resident. A nest with a single

large chick was found at Kano in late May 1978, and an adult was seen

sitting on a nest at Kumbotso on 10 May 1980.

GABAR GOSHAWK Melierax gabar Common resident. One adult was observed

sitting on a nest at Kano on 3 April 1980. Melanistic birds are seen

occasionally .

LIZARD BUZZARD Kaupifalco monogrammicus Local. Seen at Gaya, Falgore and

Dan Gora Forest Reserve.

GRASSHOPPER BUZZARD Butastur rufipennis Frequent but less common in the

dry season. Three chicks fledged from a nest at Danbatta in the rains of

1975 (M. Turner) .

LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD Buteo rufinus Occasional to rare winter visitor.

First identified in 1968 and seen in the same locality at Kano in 1969,

1970 and 1971.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

15

RED-NECKED BUZZARD Buteo auguralis Frequent and possibly resident in Kano

State. Fledglings have been seen offered for sale in Kano market in April.

LONG-CRESTED HAWK-EAGLE Lophoaetus occipitalis Occasional.

MARTIAL EAGLE Polemaetus bellicosus One at Ririwai on 3 November 1979.

BOOTED EAGLE Hieraaetus pennatus Rare winter visitor. Seen near Kano on

27 January 1962 (R.E.S.), on 6 January 1970 (Wallace 1970) and on 11

January 1980 (R.W.),and at Achilafia on 2 February 1980.

TAWNY EAGLE Aquila rapax Occasional.

WAHLBERG ' S EAGLE Aquila wahlbergi Frequent.

FISH EAGLE Haliaetus vocifer Previously occasional at Kirikasama but none

have been seen within the last ten years.

KITE Milvus migrans Common in all months except July. Nests with eggs

have been found in January and in February. At other nests single almost

fully grown chicks were seen in late April 1979 and early July 1979.

HONEY BUZZARD Pernis apivorus Rare winter visitor. One at Kano in

December 1958 (R.E.S.) and a second at Kazaure in September 1974 (M. Turner).

CUCKOO FALCON Aviceda cuculoides One at Falgore on 21 June 1980.

BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE Elanus caeruleus Common resident. Breeding commences

in the early dry season. Four young fledged from a nest at Kano in

December 1973 (M. Turner) and nest-building was observed at Kano on 22

September 1977.

SWALLOW-TAILED KITE Elanus riocourii One in January 1968 near Kazaure and

a second in April 1970 near Jekara.

BAT-HAWK Machaeramphus alcinus Rare. Three records from Kano in June,

August and December.

OSPREY Pandion haliaetus Frequent winter visitor at lakes throughout the

state .

LANNER Falco biarmicus Frequent resident.

PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus Occasional to rare.

AFRICAN HOBBY Falco cuvieri One in April 1969 and one in July 1970 at

Hade jia.

RED-NECKED FALCON Falco chiquera Frequent resident.

HOBBY Falco subbuteo Occasional winter visitor from October until February.

GREY KESTREL Falco ardosiaceus Occasional.

RED-FOOTED FALCON Falco vespertinus Palaearctic passage migrant. Seen only

in April but then regularly at Falgore where on 26 April 1957 over 200 were

seen feeding on a swarm of termites.

LESSER KESTREL Falco naumanni Rare winter visitor at Kazaure where a party

of twelve birds was seen in January 1965 (M. Turner) .

KESTREL Falco tinnunculus Frequent winter visitor. Kestrels observed in

the wet season may be of the resident race F. t. rufescens .

FOX KESTREL Falco alopex A local resident favouring areas around insel-

bergs . A pair was observed copulating in March 1978.

SECRETARY-BIRD Sagittarius serpentarius One at Falgore in February 1977.

WHITE-THROATED FRANCOLIN Francolinus albogularis Local, probably resident

at Falgore.

COQUI FRANCOLIN Francolinus coqui Rare. Two shot by John Hughes; one at

Jekara on 4 April 1955 and the second near Gezawa on 17 April 1968.

DOUBLE -SPURRED FRANCOLIN Francolinus bicalcaratus Common resident.

Juveniles have been seen at the end of the rains at Tsakuwa.

CLAPPERTON'S FR^VNCOLIN Francolinus clappertoni Found only north-east of

Kirikasama in the area bordering Borno Stat

QUAIL Coturnix coturnix Previously occasi' ai from December to March. None

seen since 1972.

16

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

HARLEQUIN QUAIL Coturnix delegorguei Rare wet season visitor from May-

through to August.

STONE PARTRIDGE Ptilopachus petrosus Common but local resident at Falgore

and Gaya.

GUINEA FOWL Numida meleagris Local resident at Falgore. Previously seen

at Gaya and Ringim but not for over 15 years.

AFRICAN CRAKE Crex egregia Frequent wet season visitor. Two nests each

with 5 eggs were found at Gaya on 24 July 1964.

SPOTTED CRAKE Porzana porzana Three netted in autumn (September 1956, 28

October 1975, 22 November 1975) and one observed in March 1957 at Kano.

BLACK CRAKE Limnocorax flavirostra Frequent. Juveniles have been seen in

July in borrow-pits at Kano.

(PIGMY RAIL Sarothrura sp. Fry (1965) notes that the remains of a Sarothrura

were -found in a dead Python sent from Kano in December 1963)

LESSER MOORHEN Gallinula angulata One netted at Kirikasama in December

1971.

MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus Birds belonging to the African race

G. chloropus meridionalis are common and resident in Kano State. The

British Museum confirmed that one specimen found dead at Kazaure in

February 1978 belonged to the Palaearctic race G. c. chloropus.

PURPLE GALLINULE Porphyrio porphyrio Local. Breeds at Kazaure where

young birds were seen being carried on a parent's back in December and a

dead juvenile was found in December 1979.

ALLEN'S GALLINULE Porphyrio alleni Common resident. A nest with 6 eggs

was found at Kano in August 1965.

COOT Fulica atra Winter visitor to lakes in the north of Kano State.

Single birds have been seen in most years but in the winter of 1977/78 a

raft of 500 were counted at Kazaure.

FINFOOT Podica senegalensis Occasional at Gaya in the wet season.

CROWNED CRANE Balearica pavonina Previously common in the dry season

around Kirikasama but now rare.

DENHAM'S BUSTARD Neotis denhami Six records from throughout Kano State all

in May .

CRESTED BUSTARD Eupodotis ruficrista One near Kirikasama in December 1958.

SENEGAL BUSTARD Eupodotis senegalensis Occurs locally in areas of extreme

scrub. Previously common but numbers may now be declining.

BLACK-BELLIED BUSTARD Eupodotis melanogaster Frequent resident at Falgore.

Occasional elsewhere, all sightings at Kano being in May.

JACANA Actophilornis africana Common resident. Juveniles have been seen

in September at Kano.

SMALLER JACANA Microparra capensis Occasional at Kumbotso, and Achilafia.

SENEGAL THICK-KNEE Burhinus senegalensis Occasional in the Kano area from

May to July .

SPOTTED THICK- KNEE Burhinus capensis Rare. Seen in May, November and

January. One at Kano on 1 November 1979.

SPUR-WINGED PLOVER Vanellus spinosus Common resident. Clutches of eggs

have been found at Debbi and Achilafia in May and June.

BLACK-HEADED PLOVER Vanellus tectus Frequent and probably resident. A

sitting bird was flushed off a scrape . ^h three eggs at Achilafia on 17

March 1979.

WHITE-HEADED PLOVER Vanellus alhiceps Frequent wet season visitor.

SENEGAL PLOVER Vanellus lugubris Two at Achilafia on 4 October 1978.

WATTLED PLOVER Vanellus senegallus Frequent from June to October.

RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula Common Palaearctic passage migrant in

September and March.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

17

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius Common Palaearctic passage migrant

and winter visitor.

KITTLITZ ' S SAND-PLOVER Charadrius pecuarius Previously uncommon but

recently frequent in the dry season at Kazaure and at Bagauda Lake.

THREE-BANDED PLOVER Charadrius tricollaris One netted at Kirikasama on 15

December 1970.

KENTISH PLOVER Charadrius alexandrinus Small parties have been seen on

three occasions in October. One female at Bagauda on 27 December 1978

(D. O'Connor) .

WHITE-FRONTED SAND-PLOVER Charadrius marginatus Seen twice on the Kano

River, near Kano, in August 1962 and November 1963, and once at Kazaure in

December 1977.

CASPIAN PLOVER Charadrius asiaticus A single record; one shot on the Kano

River in October 1956 was subsequently identified by the British Museum.

CURLEW Nuwenius arquata Occasional passage migrant or winter visitor.

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT Limosa limosa Common winter visitor to lakes in the

north of Kano State.

GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia Common winter visitor.

MARSH SANDPIPER Tringa stagnatalis Frequent winter visitor.

WOOD SANDPIPER Tringa glareola Common winter visitor. A few birds summer

in Kano State.

GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus Frequent winter visitor.

COMMON SANDPIPER Tringa hypoleucos Common from September until May, but

occasional from June to August.

REDSHANK Tringa totanus Occasional winter visitor.

SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus Frequent winter visitor.

GREAT SNIPE Gallinago media A single record; one shot at Kano in

September 1964.

COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago Common winter visitor.

JACK SNIPE Gallinago minima Frequent winter visitor.

CURLEW-SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea Frequent passage migrant and occasional

winter visitor. Maximum flock of 100 birds seen at Kano in April 1964.

LITTLE STINT Calidris minuta Common winter visitor.

TEMMINCK'S STINT Calidris temminckii Frequent winter visitor.

RUFF Philomachus pugnax Common and abundant winter visitor.

BLACK-WINGED STILT Himantopus himantopus Common winter visitor.

AVOCET Recurvi rostra avosetta Previously rare but in recent years a

frequent winter visitor. Hall (1976) records a marked recent increase in

frequency of sightings of Avocet in Borno State.

PAINTED SNIPE Rostratula benghalensis Frequent. May be subject to local

movements .

EGYPTIAN PLOVER Pluvianus aegyptius Frequent wet season visitor.

TEMMINCK'S COURSER Cursorius temminckii Rare. One at Kano in May 1957 and

one at Bagauda Lake on 28 May 1978. Fry (1965) notes that at Zaria, some

130 kilometres south-west of Kano, this courser has been recorded only in

November and December. Taken together these observations suggest that

Temminck's Coursers may be subject to regular seasonal movements.

VIOLET-TIPPED COURSER Cursorius chalcopterus Rare. One at Kano on 20

April 1979 and six on 6 November 1979. Four earlier records at Kano;

three in May and one in October.

PRATINCOLE Glareola pratincole Recorded in the dry season near Kirikasama

where numbers fluctuate from year to year. One at Kano on 8 April 1978

(D. O'Connor) .

18

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE Glareola nordmanni Rare winter visitor. An

exceptional record of 30 near Kano in November 1965.

GREY PRATINCOLE Glareola cinerea Rare. One seen on Kano River in May

1964, and one at Kano on 6 May 1980.

GREY-HEADED GULL Larus cirrocephalus Rare except in the winter of 1977/78

when up to 15 at Kazaure.

BLACK- HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus Rare winter visitor. An exceptional

record of 30 at Kazaure in the winter of 1977/78.

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus Two at Kano on 25 March 1978

(D. O'Connor) .

CASPIAN TERN Sterna tschegrava Two seen on the Kano River in October 1977.

GULL-BILLED TERN Sterna nilotica Frequent winter visitor, arriving as early

as September and remaining until late April.

WHISKERED TERN Sterna hybrida Rare winter visitor. One at Kirikasama in

January 1979. Two seen at Kano in April 1979 (D. O'Connor).

WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN Sterna leucoptera Frequent winter visitor. In

1977/78 some 5000 birds wintered on a single lake at Achilafia.

CHESTNUT-BELLIED SANDGROUSE Pterocles exustus Rare. Seen near Kirikasama

in December 1976, and by D. O'Connor on 6 April 1979 at Achilafia.

FOUR- BANDED SANDGROUSE Pterocles quadricinctus Recorded near Kano in April,

May and June with the majority of records in May. At one study area these

sandgrouse were seen daily from 27th April to 24th June 1978.

BUTTON-QUAIL Turnix sylvatica Rare. Seen once at Kano in May 1970, and

once near Kirikasama in July 1971.

QUAIL-PLOVER Ortyxelos meiffrenii Occasional to rare dry season visitor or

passage migrant. Recorded in November, March, April and May. Two quail-

plovers appeared at a study site in Kano on 22 March 1978 and remained for

a period of several weeks.

SPECKLED PIGEON Columba guinea Common resident. Breeds mainly in the dry

season but young have been seen in October at the end of the rains.

TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur Winter visitor. Frequent at Kazaure and

Kirikasama from December to March. Two records from Kano, both in

September .

ADAMAWAN TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia lugens Local, seen at Falgore on 12

March 1979 and 4 November 1979. This species was previously considered to

be restricted to the Plateau region. It is of interest to note that the

only other record outside the Plateau region is from Yankari (Dyer and

Gartshore 1975) .

RED-EYED DOVE Streptopelia semitorquata Local. Seen only at Falgore where

probably resident.

MOURNING DOVE Streptopelia decipiens Common resident in suburban parks and

gardens. Bannerman (1953) notes that in Kano Province clutches of fresh

eggs have been taken from late July until early September. Our only

breeding record is of a bird incubating eggs on 7 April 1980.

VINACEOUS DOVE Streptopelia vinacea Common resident.

PINK-HEADED DOVE Streptopelia roseogrisea Occurs at Gaya, Kirikasama and

Kazaure. Probably resident in most northern areas of the state.

LAUGHING DOVE Streptopelia senegalensis Common resident. Nests with eggs

or chicks have been found at Kano in every month from October to April.

NAMAQUA DOVE Oena capensis Common dry season visitor between September and

early June. Birds in immature plumage have been seen as early as December.

One clutch of eggs was found at Kirikasama in February 1976 and another at

Kano on 16 March 1979. Courtship feeding and copulation were observed at

Kano as late as 8 April 1979.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

19

BLACK-BILLED BLUE-SPOTTED WOOD- DOVE Turtur abyssinica Resident, locally

common but less evident in the wet season. One nest containing a single

egg was found in August at Kumbotso.

BRUCE'S GREEN PIGEON Treron waalia Absent from the north of the state but

a common resident elsewhere.

YELLOW-BELLIED PARROT Poicephalus senegalus Common resident.

ROSE-RINGED PARRAKEET Psittacula krameri Common resident. A pair attempted

to nest in a garden in Kano in May 1964 but were driven off by Red-billed

Hornbills .

RED-HEADED LOVEBIRD Agapornis pullaria Rare. Netted at Kano in September

1976 and September 1977. Once seen at Falgore in April 1956.

GREY PLANTAIN-EATER Crinifer piscator A common resident except in the far

north of the state. One nest containing three eggs was found in May 1967.

VIOLET TURACO Musophaga violacea A frequent resident in the forest reserves

at Falgore and Gaya.

GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO Clamator glandarius Frequent in the wet season but

rare in the dry season. A young bird brought to R.E.S. in late August 1964

had been taken from the nest of a Pied Crow.

PIED CUCKOO Clamator jacobinis A frequent wet season visitor from March to

August.

LEVAILLANT'S CUCKOO Clamator levaillantii Common wet season visitor from

May to October.

BLACK CUCKOO Cuculus clamosus A frequent but local wet season visitor from

May to October. Seen in most years at Kumbotso.

KLAAS' CUCKOO Chrysococcyx klaas Rare wet season visitor. Sighted three

times near Kano in May and once heard in July. One singing male at

Kumbotso on 10 May 1980, and again (probably the same individual) on 24

July 1980.

DIDRIC CUCKOO Chrysococcyx caprlus Common wet season visitor from June to

September, once recorded in December. An immature bird was netted at Kano

on 27 September 1978.

EMERALD CUCKOO Chrysococcyx cupreus Seen twice in June 1956 at Gaya Forest

Reserve .

BLACK COUCAL Centropus toulou Occasional in marshy areas in the wet season.

SENEGAL COUCAL Centropus senegalensis Common resident. An immature bird

was observed at Kano in October 1978.

BARN OWL Tyto alba Widespread but only occasionally seen. A nest with

chicks was discovered near Kirikasama in January 1962.

SCOPS OWL Otus scops Both the African and Palaearctic races of this owl

have been netted at Kano. The African race is resident in the state and

although frequently heard is rarely seen. The European race has been

netted several times at Kano but always in October or November suggesting

that it is probably a passage migrant rather than a winter visitor.

WHITE-FACED SCOPS OWL Otus leucotis Resident at Kano and also seen at

Falgore .

SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL Bubo africanus Recorded at Kano most frequently in June

but probably resident in Kano State. Two nestlings were brought to R.E.S.

in April 1956.

PEARL-SPOTTED OWLET Glaucidium perlatum Occurs throughout the state and is

a particularly common resident at Kano. Two nestlings, taken in May 1965

from a nesthole in a felled tree were successfully reared by R.E.S.

AFRICAN MARSH OWL Asio capensis Rare and local. Three records from a

marshy area near Gezawa, and one from Bagauda. All four records were in

June so this owl may be a wet season visitor.

20

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus europaeus Two netted at Kano in October 1977.

RUFOUS-CHEEKED NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus rufigena Rare wet season visitor. One

roadside casualty at Falgore in May and one netted at Kano on 15 May 1979.

Elgood, Fry & Dowsett (1973) record this species at Kano in August.

LONG- TAILED NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus climacurus Common from March to October

but occasional or rare in other months.

STANDARD-WINGED NIGHTJAR Macrodipteryx longipennis A frequent wet season

visitor. Arrives in Kano in May, when males are easily distinguished by

their long breeding plumes, and remains until October.

COMMON SWIFT Apus apus Rare passage migrant. Seen at Kazaure in June 1977

and at Kano in August when a passage of c. 100 birds occurred.

WHITE-RUMPED SWIFT Apus caffer Local. Seen in the wet season at Birnin

Kudu and at Falgore.

LITTLE SWIFT Apus af finis A common resident. One nest with chicks at Kano

in June 1958.

MOTTLED-THROATED SPINETAIL Chaetura ussheri Rare. One at Kirikasama on 18

February 1967 (C. H. Fry) . Seen twice near Kano, once in March and once in

May .

BLUE-NAPED MOUSEBIRD Colius macrourus Reported as occurring at Takai by

Bannerman, but never seen by the present authors.

NARINA TROGON Apaloderma narina Seen only once in May 1967 at Dan Gora

Forest Reserve.

GIANT KINGFISHER Ceryle maxima Rare. Four records; one at Kano, one on

Kano River, one near Ringim and one on Tiga Lake.

PIED KINGFISHER Ceryle rudis Common resident throughout Kano State.

MALACHITE KINGFISHER Alcedo cristata A frequent resident.

PIGMY KINGFISHER Ceyx picta This species may be a wet season visitor, at

least to the northern and central areas of Kano State where all our records

fall between July and October.

WOODLAND KINGFISHER Halcyon senegalensis An occasional to frequent wet

season visitor at Kano.

STRIPED KINGFISHER Halcyon chelicuti Rare. Four records in the north and

central areas of Kano State all in the early rains. This kingfisher may be

commoner in the south of Kano State, where between March and June 1979

several were sighted at Falgore.

GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER Halcyon leucocephala Common wet season visitor,

normally arriving at Kano in May or June and remaining until November.

D. O'Connor has one record from Bagauda Lake in December and we have seen

this bird still further south at Falgore in March.

EUROPEAN BEE-EATER Merops apiaster A loose flock of ten to twenty at Kano

on 2 April 1980.

BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER Merops superciliosus Two records from near

Kirikasama in December 1977 and 1979.

LITTLE GREEN BEE-EATER Merops orientalis Previously frequent, now occasional

in the Acacia belt in the north of Kano State where it is still regularly

seen at one locality in Hadejia.

CARMINE BEE-EATER Merops nubicus Frequent resident, generally distributed

throughout the state but uncommon around Kano. Reported breeding at Falgore

in the late dry season 1978.

WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATER Merops albicolli s A regular passage migrant in

late April/May and October/November.

LITTLE BEE-EATER Merops pusillus Frequent but local, favouring areas

bordering water.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

21

RED-THROATED BEE-EATER Merops bulocki Common but local resident. Occurs

as far north as Hadejia where breeding has been reported in December.

Breeding colonies also occur at Falgore, Gaya and Bagauda Lake.

SWALLOW- TAILED BEE-EATER Merops hirundineus Rare. Seen only in May and

June; three records from Falgore and two from Gaya.

ABYSSINIAN ROLLER Coracias abyssinica Common throughout the dry season but

less frequently seen from June until September. Breeding reported in May.

RUFOUS- CROWNED ROLLER Coracias naevia A frequent resident.

BROAD-BILLED ROLLER Eurystomus glaucurus A frequent wet season visitor.

HOOPOE Upupa epops The European race U. e. epops is a frequent winter

visitor to Kano State. Hoopoes seen in June and July are suspected to

belong to the African race U. e. senegalensis . One Hoopoe belonging to the

African race was netted at Kano in January 1979.

GREEN WOOD-HOOPOE Phoeniculus purpurreus Frequent and probably resident.

LESSER WOOD-HOOPOE Phoeniculus aterrimus Local. Found at Gaya and Falgore.

GREY HORNBILL Tockus nasutus A common resident, which appears to be most

abundant around Kano in the wet season. Flocks of up to 100 birds have been

seen in May, June and September.

RED-BILLED HORNBILL Tockus erythrorhynchus Common resident. A pair bred in

the same hole in an Albizia tree for five successive years. Nesting

commenced in June and the hole was not vacated until mid-October.

GROUND HORNBILL Bucorvus abyssinicus Local. Recorded only at Falgore.

BEARDED BARBET Lybius dubius Frequent to common resident. Birds seen

entering tree-holes in June are suspected of breeding.

WHITE-HEADED BARBET Lybius leucocephalus Extremely local, seen only near

Kano River at Tamburuwa and just outside Falgore Game Reserve.

VIEILLOT'S BARBET Lybius vieilloti Frequent to common resident.

YELLOW- FRONTED TINKER-BIRD Pogoniulus chrysoconus Common resident. Breed-

ing suspected in March 1971 when a pair were seen repeatedly entering a

tree-hole in a garden in Kano.

BLACK- THROATED HONEY-GUIDE Indicator indicator Occasional, probably

resident.

LESSER HONEY-GUIDE Indicator minor Occasional to rare. Seen at Kano,

Falgore and Bagauda.

WRYNECK Jynx torquilla Regular passage migrant at Kano in September/October

and March/April, and once seen in December.

FINE-SPOTTED WOODPECKER Campethera puncti ligera Common at Gaya where

probably resident. Occasional at Kano.

BROWN- BACKED WOODPECKER Dendropicos obsoletus Local. Recorded from Gaya,

Falgore and Ririwai.

GREY WOODPECKER Mesopicos goertae A common resident which has been

observed nesting at Kano in February 1971, and May 1980.

SINGING BUSH-LARK Mirafra javanica Occasional at Kano, Kirikasama and

Kazaure .

FLAPPET LARK Mirafra rufocinnamomea Frequent at Kano, Falgore and Gaya.

Most often seen from May to July when their flapping display flights make

them conspicuous.

RED- TAILED BUSH-LARK Mirafra nigricans Occasional in Apri 1-May and

October-November .

CHESTNUT- BACKED FINCH-LARK Eremopterix leucotis Occasional in the dry

season with most sightings in Apri 1-May and October-November.

CRESTED LARK Galerida cristata Common resident at Kano. A nest with 2

eggs was found on 8 December 1956 and a nest with one egg on 1 March 1979.

SUN LARK Galerida modes ta A local resident favouring areas of barren

ground.

22

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia Frequent winter visitor at Kirikasama. One

netted at Kano on 19 January 1975 was recovered on 10 August 1977 at

Rostock, Germany (54°16'N, 13°43'E).

AFRICAN SAND MARTIN Riparia paludicola Dry season visitor. Netted by D.

Best in February 1975 at Bagauda Lake, where subsequently seen in December

1978 and January 1979 (D. O'Connor).

ETHIOPIAN SWALLOW Hirundo aethiopica A common resident which breeds in

the wet season.

RUFOUS-CHESTED SWALLOW Hirundo semirufa A single record. One near Kano on

3 May 1969.

MOSQUE SWALLOW Hirundo senegalensis Local. Seen regularly at Falgore in

June .

RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Hirundo daurica Local resident. Three breeding records

from Kano in December- January , and one from Bagauda (a recently completed

nest) on 21 January 1979.

STRIPED SWALLOW Hirundo abyssinica Wet season visitor to Falgore and Dan

Gora Forest Reserve.

GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW Hirundo griseopyga Rare. Observed at Gezawa on 5 May

1968; and twice at Bagauda Lake; on 17 May 1976 and by D. O'Connor on 27

December 1978.

PREUSS ' S CLIFF SWALLOW Hirundo spilodera A colony of over 100 pairs nest

in most years under a bridge at Kazaure . Nests are usually built in May

but in 1967 building commenced in February. These swallows are only

occasionally seen away from this colony e.g. several at Falgore on 12 April

1979.

AFRICAN ROCK-MARTIN Hirundo fuligula Local. Occurs at Kano, Falgore and

Birnin Kudu.

HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica One at Gaya on 3 March 1975.

FANTI ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW Psalidoprocre obscura Observed regularly at

Falgore in June .

YELLOW WAGTAILS Motacilla flava subspp . A common winter visitor from

October until mid-April. Large numbers have been netted at a roost in Kano

city. The majority of these belonged to the race M. f. thunbergi but

feldegg, cinereocapilla iberiae and superculiaris were also identified.

WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba Occasional winter visitor.

TAWNY PIPIT Anthus campestris Winter visitor. Previously occasional at

Kano in December and January, e.g. one on 7 December 1959, and once

recorded in April.

RICHARD’S PIPIT Anthus novaeseelandiae Rare winter visitor from January to

March. One was secured for identification at Kirikasama on 16 January

1964.

PLAIN-BACKED PIPIT Anthus leucophrys Rare. Two on 6 August 1957 and four

on 9 September 1966 at Kano.

TREE PIPIT Anthus trivialis A rare Palaearctic passage migrant. One was

seen on 20 February 1963, and another on 7 September 1965, both at Kano.

One was netted at Kano on 22 October 1978 and two netted at Kirikasama in

October 1977.

RED- THROATED PIPIT Anthus cervinus An occasional to frequent winter visitor,

YELLOW-THROATED LONG-CLAW Macronyx croceus A single record. One at Ririwai

on 3 November 1979.

LONG-CRESTED HELMET-SHRIKE Prionops plumata A common resident except in the

far north of Kano state. Breeding (co-operative) in June and November.

NORTHERN BRUBRU Nilaus afer Occasional, more often heard than seen.

GAMBIAN PUFF-BACK SHRIKE Dryoscopus gambensis Frequent in the central and

southern areas of Kano state.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

23

BLACK-HEADED BUSH-SHRIKE Tchagra senegala Common resident. A nest with

three eggs was found near Kano on 8 July 1967.

BARBARY SHRIKE Laniarius barbarus Common resident. At Kano nest building

was observed on 9 April 1980, and a recent fledgling netted on 17 September

1978.

SULPHUR- BREASTED BUSH-SHRIKE Malaconotus sulfureopectus Occasional at Gaya

and Falgore .

GREY-HEADED BUSH-SHRIKE Malaconotus blanchoti Resident at Kano. A nest of

three chicks was discovered at Kano on 4 June 1978, the young fledgling on

5 July (Wilkinson 1978) .

YELLOW-BILLED SHRIKE Corvinella corvina Common resident at Kano where two

clutches of four eggs were found in April, a brood of three half-grown

chicks on 18 May 1978, and a brood of four chicks on 25 July 1978.

RED-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius collurio Rare winter visitor. All seen belonged

to the eastern race L. c. isabellinus .

WOODCHAT SHRIKE Lanius senator Winter visitor from September to April.

Previously fairly common but appears to have suffered a decline in recent

years .

AFRICAN GOLDEN ORIOLE Oriolus auratus Migratory at Kano normally arriving

in June and remaining until the end of December. Our latest record for

Kano is of a female on 30 January 1979, and our earliest record of a male

on 31 May 1980. Its status further south is uncertain; a singing male at

Falgore on 12 April 1979.

DRONGO Dicrurus adsimilis Common resident.

RED-WING STARLING Oncyognathus morio Local. Frequently observed on the

inselbergs at Rano.

PURPLE GLOSSY STARLING Lamprotornis purpurea Common at Falgore.

LESSER BLUE-EARED GLOSSY STARLING Lamprotornis chloropterus One was shot

for identification at Gaya where this starling is frequent in the dry

season. Sight records also from Falgore, Ririwai, Kumbotso and Bagauda.

Seasonal movements are suggested by the fact that these starlings only

appear at Kumbotso in the rains. Breeding was noted in April 1980 at

Bagauda where the nest site was a hole in a fire-damaged mud building.

BLUE-EARED GLOSSY STARLING Lamprotornis chalybaeus Common around Hadejia

and Kirikasama where two were secured for identification on 28 January

1979. One shot at Gaya on 16 September 1979. Also occurs at Achilafia

where several were seen in November 1979 and February 1980.

LONG- TAILED GLOSSY STARLING Lamprotornis caudatus Occurs throughout the

state and is a common resident at Kano.

AMETHYST STARLING Cinny ricinclus leucogaster An occasional wet season

visitor recorded at Kano in July, August and September, at Bagauda in June,

at Falgore in May, and at Gaya in July.

CHESTNUT-BELLIED STARLING Spreo pulcher Occurs and breeds as far south as

Bagauda and northwards at least up to Kazaure and Kirikasama. A common

resident around Kano city where breeding occurs in the late dry season and

early rains, and again at the end of the rains.

YELLOW BILLED OXPECKER Buphagus africanus A common resident. In July

1967 Oxpeckers were seen inspecting a tree hole in Kano but breeding was

not confirmed.

BLACK MAGPIE Ptilostomus afer Common resident. Red-billed immatures have

been seen in mid-March.

PIED CROW Corvus albus A common resident throughout Kano state. Nest

building observed at Kano in April and May where one chick fledged from a

nest in early July.

24

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

RED-SHOULDERED CUCKOO-SHRIKE Campephaga phoenicea Wet season visitor to

Falgore and Gaya.

COMMON BULBUL Pycnonatus barbatus Common resident. Fledglings observed on

21 April 1979 and 7 November 1979; a nest with eggs on 20 May 1978; and a

nest with two well-feathered pulli on 4 July 1979.

YELLOW- THROATED LEAF-LOVE Chlorocichla flavicollis Rare. One at Birnin

Kudu in July.

WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra Occasional passage migrant in April and

September.

WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe Common winter visitor from November to April.

SPANISH WHEATEAR Oenanthe hispanica Occasional winter visitor. Three

records from Kirikasama and three from Kano.

RED-BREASTED WHEATEAR Oenanthe bottae Previously seen at Kano from April

until June, but in 1979/80 present from December to February.

RED-TAILED CHAT Cercomela familiaris Local. Observed at Rano and Dan Gora

Forest Reserve.

ANT-CHAT Myrmecocichla aethiops Occasional to frequent resident. Breeding

suspected in late May at Kano where Ant-Chats were seen entering a hole

several feet down a well shaft.

WHITE-CROWNED CLIFF-CHAT Myrmecocichla cinnamomeiventris Local. Observed

on the inselbergs at Rano.

WHITE-FRONTED BLACK CHAT Myrmecocichla albifrons Seen only at Falgore

where probably resident.

ROCK THRUSH Monticola saxatalis Rare winter visitor. At Kano one male was

netted on 4 March 1971 and one seen on 4 December 1979. A female was

observed at Bagauda on 7 January 1979.

REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus A common winter visitor but most numerous

in October and March/April.

BLACK SCRUB-ROBIN Cercotrichas podobe A frequent resident at Kirikasama,

once seen at Kano in October but absent from the south of Kano state.

RUFOUS SCRUB-ROBIN Cercotrichas galactotes The African race C. g. minor is

frequent in Kano from October until June but either inconspicuous or absent

in the wettest months of the year. Fry (1965) notes that C. g. minor is

present at Zaria, 130 km S.W. of Kano, from late October until mid April.

These observations suggest that minor may be migratory, possibly moving

north in the wet season. A nest with 2 eggs was found at Bagauda on 7

April 1980. A Palaearctic Rufous Scrub Robin, C. g. galactotes , netted at

Kano in November 1978 was twice recaptured, first in January and finally

in March 1979 (Wilkinson 1979) .

SNOWY-HEADED ROBIN CHAT Cossypha niveicapilla Frequent wet season visitor.

THRUSH NIGHTINGALE Luscinia luscinia Rare. First recorded at Kano in

September 1975 (Best 1977) and again on 21 October 1976.

NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos Common on autumn passage from September

until early November.

BLUETHROAT Luscinia svecica A rare winter visitor recorded from January to

March at Kano, and in March at Kazaure.

OLIVE THRUSH Turdus pelios Common resident in Kano, although perhaps more

numerous in the wet season. Nests with eggs have been found in June and

July at Kano where one recently fledge'" juvenile was netted in August.

BROWN BABBLER Turdoides plebejus A coimuc. resident except in the far

north. Recently fledged young on 14 April 1979 ai,u 22 May 1978, and 7

April 1980.

LITTLE RUSH WARBLER Bradypterus baboecala Resident at Kazaure and

occasional at Kano.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

25

CETTI 1 S WARBLER Cettia cetti Two netted by R.E.S. at Kano in March 1964.

SAVI 1 S WARBLER Locustella luscinoides A rare winter visitor or passage

migrant at Kano where R.E.S. netted two in April and one in September.

SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus A winter visitor from September

until late May. Sedge Warblers become more numerous as the dry season-

progresses and a further increase in numbers in March and April may

represent birds on passage.

REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus Occasional to frequent winter visitor

netted in dry bush areas most unlike its summer habitat.

GREAT REED WARBLER Acrocephalus arundinaceus Rare winter visitor or

passage migrant at Kano where one was netted in October and five were

netted over the months February to March.

RUFOUS SWAMP WARBLER Acrocephalus rufescens Resident at Kazaure and

occasional at Kano.

ICTERINE WARBLER Hippolais icterina Palaearctic migrant; much more

frequent in spring than autumn.

MELODIOUS WARBLER Hippolais polyglotta Palaearctic migrant; in contrast

to the Icterine Warbler the Melodious Warbler is common on autumn passage

but rarely seen in Spring.

OLIVE-TREE WARBLER Hippolais olivetorum A single record. One netted at

Kano on 22 October 1971.

OLIVACEOUS WARBLER Hippolais pallida Two races of Hippolais pallida have

been netted at Kano. The Palaearctic H. p. opaca is a winter visitor which

has been netted in January, March, May and June. The Ethiopian race

H. p. pallida has been netted in April, June, July and October.

GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia borin Palaearctic passage migrant, common between

September and November but less frequent on the spring passage in May.

BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla Rare. Recorded at Kano on 19 October 1965 and

on 24 December 1971.

WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis A common winter visitor from the last week of

September until April.

LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca Winter visitor, much less common than the

White throat .

SUBALPINE WARBLER Sylvia cantillans A frequent winter visitor from the

middle of October until March. At Kano the Subalpine Warbler is more

numerous than the Lesser Whitethroat.

MENETRIE ' S WARBLER Sylvia mystacea One female netted at Gaya on 17 April

1974 (Best 1975) .

WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus Common Palaearctic passage migrant

and occasional winter visitor. Autumn passage normally from mid-September

until mid-November and spring passage between March and May.

CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita Rare winter visitor. A single Chiff chaff

was netted at Kano on 23 February 1969.

BONELLI ' S WARBLER Phylloscopus bonelli An occasional but regular winter

visitor recorded at Kano from December to February. These warblers were

frequent at Kazaure in October 1978.

WOOD WARBLER Phylloscopus sibilatrix Occasional Palaearctic passage migrant

in spring and autumn.

RED- FACED CISTICOLA Cisticola erythrops Local. Seen only at Falgore, one

specimen identified by the British Museum.

SINGING CISTICOLA Cisticola cantans Common resident. Three nests construct-

ed from sewn together cassava leaves, were found in June/July, one at Kano

and two at Kumbotso.

CROAKING CISTICOLA Cisticola natalensis One giving "clink-clunk" calls at

Falgore on 22 June 1980.

26

R.E . Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

RUFOUS CISTICOLA Cisticola rufa Rare. One collected at Kirikasama and

later identified at the British Museum.

ZITTING CISTICOLA Cisticola juncidis Frequent to occasional resident. Two

nests each with four eggs, were found in tufts of grass at Kano in July.

DESERT CISTICOLA Cisticola aridula Rare at Kano; one shot by R.E.S. in

1954 was identified by the British Museum.

CRICKET WARBLER Prinia damans Local. Frequent in an Acacia nilotica

plantation at Achilafia.

RED-WINGED WARBLER Prinia erythroptera Rare. Observed singing on 3 June

1964 at a locality ten kilometres south of Kano.

TAWNY-FLANKED PRINIA Prinia subflava A common resident around Kano where

nest building was observed on 28 July 1978 and 7 August 1978; a nest with

two chicks found on 8 October 1977, and a fledgling netted on 12 November

1978.

BUFF- BELLIED WARBLER Apalis pulchella Seen only once; near Kano on 10

July 1966.

GREY-BACKED CAMAROPTERA Camaroptera brachyura Common resident. Fleglings

netted at Kano from 29 September until 24 October 1978, and at Rano on 23

September 1978. Earlier breeding suspected at Kano where a bird was seen

carrying nest material on 25 May 1980.

YELLOW-BELLIED EREMOMELA Eremomela icteropygialis Found at and north of

Kano where probably resident. A nest with two eggs was found at Achilafia

on 2 February 1980.

SMALLER GREEN-BACKED EREMOMELA Eremomela pusilla Frequent resident at Kano

and also recorded at Falgore . Fledglings were netted at Kano on 22 October

1978.

CROMBEC Sylvietta brachyura A common resident throughout Kano state.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa striata Palaearctic passage migrant through

Kano, occasional in October.

SWAMP FLYCATCHER Muscicapa aquatica Occasional at Kirikasama and Kano.

PIED FLYCATCHER Ficedula hypoleuca Palaearctic passage migrant, commoner

on autumn passage than in spring.

COLLARED FLYCATCHER Ficedula albicollis Rare Palaearctic passage migrant.

Netted at Kano on 27 September 1966 and 9 October 1966.

BLACK FLYCATCHER Melaenomis edolioides Occasional wet season visitor at

Kano and Gaya.

PALE FLYCATCHER Bradornis pallidus Occasional. No breeding records from

Kano state but a nest with three eggs was found at Kaduna in May.

SENEGAL PUFFBACK FLYCATCHER Batis senegalensis Occasional in the central

and southern areas of Kano state .

PARADISE FLYCATCHER Terpsiphone viridis A wet season visitor from May to

September. Bred in June 1977 and June 1978 in a well established garden at

Kano. In both cases the clutch was of three eggs.

WHITE-SHOULDERED BLACK TIT Parus leucomelas Common and probably resident

at Falgore and frequent at Gaya. On 12 April 1979 an adult was seen to

repeatedly carry caterpillars into a tree nest hold at Falgore.

WEST AFRICAN PENDULINE TIT Remiz parvulus Occasional at Kumbotso where

recently seen on 1 July 1978 and 24 June 1980.

SPOTTED CREEPER Salpornis spilonata A single record. One at Falgore on 22

June 1980.

PIGMY LONG-TAILED SUNBIRD Anthreptes platura Dry season visitor to Kano

from October to June. Active nests seen in December and March at Kano,

where dependent young were seen on 12 April 1979.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

27

SCARLET- CHESTED SUNBIRD Nectarinia senegalensis A common resident

throughout Kano state. At Kano nest building has been observed in April

and a nest with a single egg was found in June.

VARIABLE SUNBIRD Nectarinia venusta Rare. Observed near Kano on only

four occasions all in June and July.

COPPER SUNBIRD Nectarinia cupreus Seen twice, at Falgore on 6 June 1979

and 22 June 1980.

BEAUTIFUL LONG- TAILED SUNBIRD Nectarinia pulchella Common resident.

Nesting in July /August at Kano where immatures are present from early

November until late December.

YELLOW WHITE-EYE Zosterops senegalensis Occasional resident.

CABANIS BUNTING Emberiza cabanisi Recorded only at Falgore; on 18 March

1979 (D. O'Connor) and on 22 June 1980.

YELLOW-BELLIED BUNTING Emberiza flaviventris Occasional and probably

resident. A nesting containing two chicks was found at Kano on 23 May 1978.

BROWN-RUMPED BUNTING Emberiza forbesi Rare. One at Falgore on 22 June

1980.

CINNAMON-BREASTED ROCK-BUNTING Emberiza tahapisi Particularly common at

Kano in May. A nest with 3 eggs was found at Ririwai on 3 November 1979.

YELLOW- FRONTED CANARY Serinus mozambicus Frequent at Falgore and Bagauda.

Occasional at Kazaure and Kano.

GREY CANARY Serinus leucopygius A frequent resident throughout Kano state.

LITTLE WEAVER Ploceus luteolus Common resident. Males come into nuptial

plumage in April. Nests with eggs or chicks at Kano in April, June, July

and August.

VITELLINE MASKED WEAVER Ploceus velatus Frequent resident at Kano, also

recorded at Gaya. Males acquire breeding plumage in May or June. Nest

building has been seen in June and a nest containing two young chicks was

found at Kano on 14 October 1977.

HEUGLIN'S MASKED WEAVER Ploceus heuglini Local. Nest building was seen

on 18 March 1979 at Falgore and active nests noted at Tamburawa in July.

Also recorded at Rano.

VILLAGE WEAVER Ploceus cucullatus Common resident. At Kano nest building

commences as early as February and juveniles have been netted in May, June,

September and October .

BLACK- HEADED WEAVER Ploceus melanocephala Local. Recorded only from

Kazaure .

RED-HEADED WEAVER Malimbus rubriceps Local. Seen only at Falgore where

nest building was observed on 18 March 1979, and a female was seen to feed

chicks in the nest on 12 April 1979.

RED-BILLED QUELEA Quelea quelea Previously common at Kano in May. Now

rarely seen, however two were netted at Kano on 1 April 1980.

YELLOW- CROWNED BISHOP Euplectes afer Local and probably resident. Found

at Kumbotso, Kazaure and Jekara where breeding noted in July and August.

BLACK-WINGED BISHOP Euplectes hordeaceus Local. Observed near Birnin

Kudu, at Falgore and at Ririwai.

YELLOW-MANTLED BISHOP Euplectes macrourus Local. Seen at Falgore and at

Birnin Kudu.

RED BISHOP Euplectes orix Common resident. Nests at Kano: one nest with

three clear blue eggs on 9 August 1978, one with three chicks on 8 August

1978, and one with two eggs and a hatchling on 11 October 1978. In addi-

tion one nest at Kazaure with two eggs on 15 October 1978. Males are in

breeding colour from June/July until October.

28

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

BUFFALO WEAVER Bubalornis albirostis A common resident except in the south

of Kano state. Nest building occurs throughout the year. Several nests

were blown down by strong winds at Kano in June and two of these contained

eggs. Adults were observed carrying grasshoppers to feed to young in the

nests at Kano in September 1979 and July 1980.

SPARROW-WEAVER Plocepasser superciliosus Local. Seen at Falgore, Kano,

Bagauda and Tamburawa. The majority of sightings have been in the wet

season .

GREY-HEADED SPARROW Passer griseus A common resident. Nesting observed in

August at Kano where fledglings have been netted in December.

SUDAN GOLDEN SPARROW Passer luteus Previously rare but now present in

large numbers in the dry season in several areas in the north of the state.

Golden Sparrows were particularly abundant at Kirikasama in the winters of

1970/71 and 1971/72, and at Kazaure in the winters of 1977/78 and 1978/79.

BUSH PETRONIA Petronia dentata A common resident at Falgore and occasional

at Kano. A Bush Petronia was seen feeding large nestlings in a tree nest

hole at Kano on 15 March 1979.

SPECKLED-FRONTED WEAVER Sporopipes frontalis Common resident. A nest with

2 eggs was found at Bagauda on 4 April 1980.

PIN-TAILED WHYDAH Vidua macroura These Whydahs have been seen at Kano

between May and August when they are then at their most conspicuous males

being in full breeding colour from May until at least mid-October.

INDIGO-BIRD Vidua chalybeaeta Common resident. The Indigo-bird at Kano is

a brood parasite of the Senegal Firefinch. Fledglings and immature birds

have been noted in April, October, December and January. Males are in

breeding colour from June to February.

BROAD-TAILED PARADISE WHYDAH Vidua orientalis A frequent resident in Kano

state but may be subject to local movements. Males seen in breeding plumage

from June to February.

CUT-THROAT WEAVER Amadina fasciata A dry season Afrotropical migrant

normally arriving at Kano in October and leaving before the end of May. Our

latest record is of a single male on 5 June 1978 at Kano. Immature birds

have been seen in most months from November to May.

MELBA FINCH Pytilia melba Local. At Kano fledglings have been netted in

most months from January to April. A nest with three eggs was found on 1

March 1979, the chicks hatching on 9 March.

RED-WINGED PYTILIA Pytilia phoenicoptera One at Falgore on 30 October 1979.

ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL Estrilda melpoda Local. Recorded at Falgore on 12

April 1979 (D. O’Connor) and on 27 July 1980.

BLACK-RUMPED WAXBILL Estrilda troglodytes Locally common in flocks of up to

several hundred birds. A nest with seven white eggs was found at Kano on

10 August 1978 and fledglings were netted in November and December 1978.

RED-TAILED LAVENDER WAXBILL Estrilda caerulescens Local. Found at Gaya,

Falgore and Tamburawa.

RED-CHEEKED CORDON-BLEU Estrilda bengala A common resident. At Kano nest

building has been observed in July, August and October and fledglings netted

in September, October and December. A nest found at Bagauda on 23 September

1979 contained a single egg.

BLACK-FACED FIRE-FINCH Estrilda larvate Local. Seen only at Falgore and

Takai .

BAR-BREASTED FIRE-FINCH Lagonostida rufopicta A single record of a party

of 7 or 8 birds at Falgore on 22 June 1980.

SENEGAL FIRE-FINCH Lagonosticb senegala A common resident. Fledglings have

been netted at Kano in most months from October to April.

1981

BIRDS OF KANO STATE

29

BLUE-BILLED FIRE-FINCH Lagonostida rubricata Local. Seen only at Rano ; > ident-

ification confirmed by R.B. Payne.

ZEBRA WAXBILL Amandava sub f lava Local and now rare. Previously occasional

in May and June on the marshy areas of Gezawa and Tsakuwa but not seen for

over ten years .

QUAIL FINCH Ortygospiza atricollis Previously occasional in the dry

season at Tamburawa and near Kazaure where nests have been found in

December and February. Two at Kirikasama on 18 February 1967 (C.H. Fry,

R.E.S.) and two at Bagauda in November 1977 (D. O'Connor).

WARBLING SILVERBILL Lonchura malabarica Common resident. Two nests, one

with three eggs and the other with four eggs, were found at Kano in March

1979, and one nest with three eggs was found at Kirikasama on 16 December

1966. Fledglings have been seen in most months from January to May.

BRONZE MANNIKIN Lonchura cucullata Local. Seen only at Falgore and Rano.

REFERENCES

BEST, D. (1975) Mdndtrie's Warbler Sylvia mystacea. New to Nigeria and

West Africa. Bull. Nigerian Orn . Soc . 11: 85-86

BEST, J.R. (1977) Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia . New to Nigeria and

West Africa. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 13: 81

DYER, M. & GARTSHORE, M.E. (1975) Birds of Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria.

Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 11: 77-84

FRY, C.H. (1965) The Birds of Zaria. I. African migrants, II. Palaearctic

migrants. III. Residents, vagrants and check-list (non-passerines),

IV. Residents, vagrants and check-list (passerines). Bull. Nigerian

Orn. Soc. 2: 9-17, 35-44, 68-79 & 91-101

FRY, C.H. (1973) Avian indicators of increasing environmental aridity at

Zaria. Savanna 2: 126-128

FRY, C.H. (1975a) Arid-zone elements in the Northern Guinea savanna

avifauna - a reply. Savanna 4: 197-200

FRY, C.H. (1975b) Bird Conservation and Prospects in Nigeria. Ardeola 21:

993-1015

HALL, P. (1976) The Status of Cape Wigeon Anas capensis , Three-banded

Plover Charadrius tricollaris and Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta in

Nigeria. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 12: 43

KEAY, R.W.J. (1953) An Outline of Nigerian Vegetation. Government Printer,

Lagos, Nigeria. pp. 1-55

MOREAU, R.E. (1972) The Palaearctic- African Bird Migration Systems.

Academic Press, London

PETTET, A. (1975) Avian indicators of increasing environmental aridity?

Savanna 4: 75-80

SHARLAND, R.E. (1969) Ringing in Nigeria, 1968: Eleventh Annual Report.

Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 6: 26-29

WALLACE, D.I.M. (1970) Booted Eagle near Kano Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 7:

107

30

R.E. Sharland & R. Wilkinson

Malimbus 3

WARD, P. (1977) Quelea Investigations Project, Nigeria. Final Report 1972-

1975. Centre for Overseas Pest Research, London

WILKINSON, R. (1978) Behaviour of Grey-headed Bush-Shrikes at their nest.

Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 14: 87

WILKINSON, R. (1979) Palaearctic Rufous Scrub-Robin: New to Nigeria.

Malimbus 1: 65

R. E. Sharland , P.O. Box 342, Kano, Nigeria

Roger Wilkinson , Department of Biological Sciences , Bagero University ,

P.M.B. 3011, Kano, Nigeria

ADDENDA

Since going to press, the following additional species have been

recorded in Kano State giving a new total of 412. As earlier predicted

five of these additions are from Falgore but the sixth, Lanius excubitor ,

is an arid- zone species.

WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW Hirundo smithii Two at Falgore on 15 February 1981,

flying up to a partly built nest positioned on a strut of a hanging

travelling box on the bridge across the Kano river.

PIED-WINGED SWALLOW Hirundo leucosoma Several at Falgore on 21 June

1980.

GREY SHRIKE Lanius excubitor Two east of Hadejia on 11 January 1981;

one at Jekara on 14 February 1981.

BRONZE-TAILED GLOSSY STARLING Lamprotornis chalcurus Two at Falgore on

15 February 1981.

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER Hyliota flavigaster One at Falgore on 27

September 1980.

BLACK-BELLIED FIREFINCH Lagonostica rara A male at Falgore on 15

February 1981.

The Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris previously reported at Kano

by R.E.S. (J.H. Elgood, 1975, Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 11: 68-73) does not

appear in our list, since, on review, we feel that the evidence on which

this record was based was insufficient clearly to separate it from a Reed

Warbler A. scirpaceus.

1981

31

THE DIET OF LARGE GREEN BEE-EATERS MEROPS SUPERCILIOSUS SUPERSP.

AND THE QUESTION OF BEE-EATERS FISHING

by C. H. Fry

Received 12 February 1981

By 'large green bee-eaters' are meant the Madagascar Bee-eater M .

superciliosus , the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater M. persicus and the Blue-tailed

Bee-eater M. (s.) philippinus , together comprising the M. superciliosus

superspecies (Snow 1978) , This paper deals in particular with the second

and third taxa but its conclusions doubtless apply also to the nominate

one.

As predators, bee-eaters are of course decidedly specialist. They

take a wide variety of flying insects and within size limits probably most

that they encounter. But large proportions of their diets are Hymenoptera,

in particular dangerous stinging wasps and bees, which other aerial-

feeding birds like drongos, broad-billed rollers, flycatchers, pratincoles,

swifts and swallows mainly avoid.

At first appearance Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters seem to have the same

foraging behaviour and diet as most of their congeners. They feed by

making forays after passing insects, from an elevated vantage point like a

dead limb or - particularly favoured - telegraph wires. Larger prey items

can sometimes be identified when the bird returns with it to its perch:

butterflies, dragonflies, or stinging hymenopterans like sandwasps

(Sphecidae) and spider-hunting wasps (Pompilidae) ; and, as with other bee-

eaters, Honeybees Apis mellifera, when plentiful, may be eaten to the

exclusion of other prey (Borrett 1973) .

But appearances can be deceptive, and to investigate the diet of this

bird in detail I analyzed the content of 44 regurgitated pellets collected

at Malamfatori, 13°43'N, 13°29'E, on the shores of Lake Chad in Bornu

State, Nigeria, on five dates in March 1967, 12 at the same place in April

1968, and 40 at a nesting colony at 09°45'N, 04°43'E, on the River Niger,

Kwara State, Nigeria, in May 1967. In addition I examined the contents of

two gizzards collected at Bangui in the Central African Republic on 10

December 1969, in forested country near the Ubangui River. Only a few

small or soft sclerites of insects pass from bee-eaters' gizzards (where

food is triturated) into their intestines for ultimate excretion; nearly

all are regurgitated as well-formed blackish pellets which microscopic

examination shows to contain even such insignificantly small parts as

mandibles, tongues, stings, antennae and compound-eye fragments. I am

therefore confident that, contrary to the fears expressed by Hartley

(1948) about this very species, bee-eater pellet examination gives an

unbiased and accurate picture of their diet.

32

C.H. Fry

Malimbus 3

RESULTS

Prey consisted exclusively of insects, of which 924 were recovered

from pellets. Results from the Nigerian material are given in Table 1 and

indicate, surprisingly, that numerically dragonflies and demoiselle-flies

(Odonata) comprise about two-thirds of the diet. By weight and hence

probably nutritionally, odonates will feature even more importantly in

Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters' diets, since they are individually larger on

average than other prey items. Hymenoptera comprise roughly one-sixth of

the diet, two-thirds of them being stinging worker Honeybees. The remain-

ing prey, in sequence of decreasing importance, are bugs, flies, butter-

flies, beetles, grasshoppers and mantises.

Table 1 Dietary composition of Merops persicus , Nigeria

Prey numbers Prey percentages

Insect families: ODONATA (see text); ORTHOPTERA Acrididae; DYCTYOPTERA

Mantidae; HEMIPTERA Cicadidae, Reduviidae, Gerrididae, Lygaeidae,

Coreidae, Pentatomidae, Cydnidae, Gelastocoridae , Nepidae;

HYMENOPTERA I chneumonidae , Scoliidae, Chalcidae, Formicidae,

Pompilidae, Vespidae, Sphecidae, Halictidae, Apidae; COLEOPTERA

Scarabaeidae , Curculionidae , Bos trychidae . Further taxonomic detail

available from the author.

1981

DIET OF LARGE GREEN BEE-EATERS

33

The presence of odonates was detected by mandibles rather than wings.

Odonate mandibles are remarkably uniform morphologically, even between

Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (demoiselle-flies) , so that further

identification was not possible. However, mandibles recovered from pellets

were matched for size with those on entire insects, and suggest that the

odonates eaten range in size from small Zygoptera with body length of 30 mm

to large Anisoptera, e.g. Anax , up to 80 mm long.

The two Bangui gizzards contained 13 odonates, 4 flying ants, a coreid

bug, a butterfly, and a ? fly. The proportion of odonates is again 65%

(see Table 1) .

DIETS OF ALLOSPECIES

I collected 20 Blue-tailed Bee-eater pellets from Universiti Malaya

hockey-pitch, Kuala Lumpur, in October 1980 and found that the diet was

overwhelmingly hymenopteran , mainly the honeybees Apis indica and A. dorsata .

Out of insect 585 prey items in total, only 5 were odonates. They had also

been feeding on fish (see below) .

PREDATION TECHNIQUE

Dyer (1980) described for the first time the peculiar way in which a

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, having flown out towards an airborne insect from a

perch, may catch it from below. The bird seizes its prey with the tips of

the mandibles, the head being thrown back and the beak pointing vertically

skyward. I have not seen such a technique used in Africa; but in October

and November 1980 I made a long series of observations on Blue-tailed Bee-

eaters predating in this manner in Malaysia.

Unlike Dyer's birds, the Blue-tailed Bee-eaters never caught more than

one insect per foray, nor evidently did they mandibulate prey before they

had returned with it to perch. Many insects were captured in normal bee-

eater fashion, but others were seized from below with the beak pointing

straight upward, which behaviour was remarkable for being sustained up to

1.5 secs. I observed it in three places : birds hawking over extensive

paddy-fields from power cables 7 m high; hawking low over a 120-m broad

estuary from adjacent mangrove; and hawking very low over a campus hockey-

field from 2-m high goal posts.

In the first situation the bee-eaters scanned into the 2-4 knot wind

and flew to intercept prey (small wasps) flying towards them down wind. A

bird flew straight and level or rising slightly on a course to pass

immediately below the insect, but at the last moment it reached its beak up

and masterfully plucked the insect from the air. Incidentally, the strike

was made up to a measured 65 m from the birds 1 perch after a flight of up

to 6.5 secs duration. During that time the insect would have moved 14-28 m

and was therefore discerned by the perched bee~rater, against a background

of sky and perhaps distant trees, at a distanc af 80-95 m'.

In the second situation the birds were feeding on the large and fear-

some wasp Vespa tropica, taken singly after a declining 10-70 m flight over

34

C.H. Fry

Ma limbus 3

water, and always seized from below. Perhaps because of the size and

danger of this prey, the bee-eaters held their beak-up capture-posture for

a long time, estimated at 1.5 secs, while making several wing-beats for the

return to the perch, where the wasp was "bee-rubbed" and beaten until

immobile .

The third situation, when the birds were feeding mainly on the large

honey-bee Apis dorsata, was chiefly remarkable for their ability to fly

below an insect which was itself only 0.5 m above the short grass sward.

All the same the sky-pointing posture was used and momentarily sustained.

THE QUESTION OF FISHING

From time to time claims have been made that various species of bee-

eaters feed by diving into water. Never having seen such behaviour myself

in hundreds of hours watching these birds, I had privately dismissed such

reports as being somehow in observational error for bathing, which is quite

common and could easily be mistaken by the unwary as splashing onto the

surface of water for food. Bathing in bee-eaters, when I have seen it,

involves a slow glide from a low waterside perch, skimming over still

water and with a sudden twist or stall splashing onto the surface, partly

but momentarily immersing the body. It is followed by vigorous preening

at the perch, and never by prey-beating behaviour nor even swallowing that

I have been able to observe.

I have been able to find 13 published references to bee-eaters diving

into water; they are listed in Table 2 and involve eight species of Merops .

Most authors have briefly discussed whether their birds were bathing or

feeding. There are seven positive indications of the latter, as follows -

(I) (Table 2) : "Mr. Blyth informs me that he had seen a number of

them assembled round a small tank, seizing objects from the water in the

manner of kingfishers."

(3) : A young bird dived into a pool and "emerged with a white larva-

like object in its bill".

(4) : Under the title "Bee-eaters diving into water for floating

insects" Foenander stated that birds splashed onto water but in his text

made no remarks in substantiation of the inference in his title.

(6): "... gliding a foot or two above the water and dropping down to

pick small insects from the surface" ( M . persicus) and "... dived into the

water with considerable force so that the head and most of the body were

submerged, and when they came up some sort of insect could be seen in the

bill" (Ah apiaster ) .

(8): "... after rising from the water, [the birdj dropped something

and immediately turned to plunge in after it ... [it was then] seen to be

swallowing ..."

(II) : "... emerged from the water with prey which I was unable to

identify" (M . superciliosus) .

Table 2 Literature references to diving in bee-eaters

l981

DIET OF LARGE GREEN BEE -EATERS

35

36

C.H. Fry

Malimbus 3

(12): "The fry were subsurface and the birds half immersed themselves,

coming out with the small fish in the beak." Three months after the

observation the author added "I could see fry in the beak as they emerged

... they did not seem to be over 2-3 cm long", but a further two years

later he qualified it with "I had little doubt that they were fishing and

thought I could see clearly the flash of fish being taken in the beak"

(both in litt. ) .

Observations (6) and (11) were of the M. superciliosus superspecies,

and even if they are not entirely convincing, I have now been brought around

to the realization that this superspecies (and some other Merops species

too) does occasionally fish, by my finding fish bones in pellets. As

mentioned above I collected Blue-tailed Bee-eater pellets at a hockey-pitch

in Kuala Lumpur in October 1980. One or two pellets were found daily under

a goal-post cross-bar which was the favoured perch throughout the month of

a pair of bee-eaters. All except two of 20 pellets collected were normal in

appearance and typical in content (in sum 572 insects: 91.3% honeybees Apis

indica and A. dorsata, 5.2% other Hymenoptera, 3.5% other alate insects).

The exceptional two, collected together, were smaller and finer- textured

than usual and grey rather than black. They contained 60 fish vertebrae

with centra 1.0-1. 2 mm long, other fish bones, and 14 insects (8 ants,

vespid, scoliid and pompilid wasps; a beetle, a bug and a grasshopper).

The fish were identified as almost certainly Gambusia af finis (Cyprinidonti-

formes, Poeciliidae) . Males reach 35 mm long and females 60 mm; each has

33 vertebrae, so the contents of the pellets very probably represent two

males .

A small stream usually less than 150 mm deep ran alongside the

hockey-pitch and the bee-eaters spent much time hawking insects from

streamside bushes. The fishes were likely to have been taken there.

Gambusia affinis is a mosquito-fish commonly occurring at the surface film,

making it a far more likely prey than deep-dwelling animals. Although I

did not see the bee-eaters diving onto the stream, I am confident that the

pellets had been regurgitated by no other bird species. The only other

large-pellet-casting bird present was a single kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

I have studied that species elsewhere and its pellets look quite different.

Moreover, although the two pellets were abnormal in some characters they

were of typical bee-eater shape and consistency; and the insects in them

are practically diagnostic of Merops.

Two further observations are additional to the foregoing and substan-

tiate the notion that bee-eaters occasionally fish. In 1972 I collected a

few pellets of Blue-breasted Bee-eaters M . variegatus near the shore of

Lake Victoria at Usengi, Kenya; they were stored away and analyzed only

after my 1980 visit to Malaysia. All were normal in appearance and content

except one which was slightly smaller, greyish, dense and f ine-textured.

It contained no insect remains; but a few fish bones and large numbers of

ctenoid scales, almost certainly of cichlids (Perciformes , Cichlidae) and

very probably of a small, neustonic (surface film feeding) , vegetarian

species. From scale size the fish or fishes were judged to be < 30 mm

long .

Last, Richard Harris (unpubl.) studied the behaviour of Red-throated

Bee-eaters M. bulocki in Ghana in July-August 1978 and had the following to

say (Aberdeen University Hons. Zool. thesis, 1979):

1981

DIET OF LARGE GREEN BEE -EATERS

37

"Flights that involve bee-eaters coming into contact with water fell

into two categories."

"1 Feeding flights that involved the birds picking insects from the

surface. This was observed on three occasions .... on each the birds were

observed to make a minimal contact with the water by swooping from a perch

to a point just above the point of contact with the water, stalling and

stabbing their bills into the water, the rest of the bird making only

fleeting contact. Each time the bird returned immediately to its perch

and twice was seen to beat what is presumed to have been a prey insect in

a manner identical to normal prey immobilization behaviour."

"2 Definite bathing behaviour, as opposed to feeding from the water,

was recorded 71 times . . . . "

DISCUSSION

The spectrum of insects captured by bee-eaters varies widely from

place to place according to local circumstances. In Africa, pellets

collected from suburban situations with honeybee-attracting flowerbeds

always have a higher proportion of honeybees in them, I have found, than

pellets collected 'in bush'. That is probably the reason for the high

proportion of bees in the suburban sample of Merops superci liosus food from

Kuala Lumpur. In another Malaysian study odonates featured far more

importantly, with 26% by weight (Avery & Penny 1978) . Many regional bird

books mention odonates as common prey of this species and of its allo-

species M. persicus , and there is every reason to suppose that the larger

sample from four central and west African localities, with 65% numerically

of odonates, is representative of the diet of the superspecies.

A specialization on odonates is not unexpected, since of all bee-eater

species M. superciliosus sens lat. evidently has the greatest predilection

for waterside habitats, and odonates are of course strongly associated with

water, where they hatch. Breeding habitats of these bee-eaters in Africa

are river valleys, open sandy plains with scattered trees usually near

rivers or lakes; swamps and riparian vegetation in shallows with trees;

and coastal dunes with nearby creeks and mangroves. Wintering grounds are

greener - well-watered and well-wooded country as around Lake Victoria and

the southern part of Lake Chad (Fry 1981) . Other insect families in the

pellet samples which are aquatic are Nepidae and Gerrididae, doubtless

airborne when taken. As for fish and insects taken from water, only the

M. superciliosus superspecies is certainly implicated (my finding above and

references (6) and (11) ; reference (12) could refer to M. superciliosus as

probably to M. ?viridis) . M. apiaster evidently feeds similarly; see (3),

(6) and (8). Perhaps M. orientalis does too (1). With whatever species,

it must be a rare event, probably depending upon the special circumstance

of fish or insects being easily visible at the surface of still water.

While Merops superciliosus supersp. favours the proximity of water,

it also nests, somewhat paradoxically, in waterless semi-desert. What

Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters foraging in semi-desert -t is poorly known; at

Biskra, Algeria, prey included large Hymenopte’ and Coleoptera ( Ammophila ,

Psammophila , Philanthus , Sphenoptera, Gymnopleurus) (Koenig 1953). They may

also feed upon odonates, since migratory ones often occur in arid terrain

far from water (pers . obs . ) .

38

C . H . Fry

Ma limbus 3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am much obliged to Mr F. Walsh for collecting pellets for me at the

Nigerian colony of M. persicus which he discovered in 1966, and to Mr D.R.

Aspinwall , Mr G.S. Cansdale and Mr I.C.J. Galbraith for their comments.

To Dr P . A . Orkin I am particularly grateful for identifying and commenting

upon the fish in the M. superciliosus and M. variegatus pellets.

SUMMARY

Merops persicus , an allospecies of M. superciliosus , is literally a

bee eater but it specializes on Odonata (65% of 944 prey items sampled in

four localities) . Cases of fishing by M. superciliosus in Malaysia, M .

variegatus in Kenya, and M. bulocki in Ghana are described, and literature

claims for fishing by bee-eaters are reviewed. They suggest that M.

persicus , M . apiaster and M. orientalis may also fish rarely.

RESUME

Merops persicus , allo-espece de M. superciliosus , est bien apivore

mais specialise en Odonates (65% des 944 proies reparties sur quatre

localites) . L'auteur decrit des observations de M. superciliosus,

M. variegatus et M . bulocki pechant en Malaisie et en Afrique, et cite les

references bibliographiques de guepiers pechant, ce qui suggere que

M. persicus, M. apiaster et M. orientalis puissent le faire a 1' occasion ;

REFERENCES

AVERY, M.L. & PENNY, N.D. (1978) Analysis of pellets from Blue-tailed and

Blue- throated Bee-eaters in Province Wellesley, Malaysia. Malay. Nat.

J. 32: 223-226

BORRETT, R.P. (1973) Notes on the food of some Rhodesian birds. Ostrich

44: 145-148

DYER, M. (1980) Notes on prey-capture by Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.

Malimbus 2: 76

FRY, C.H. (1981) The residential status of the Madagascar Bee-eater

Merops superciliosus L. in Africa. Scopus 6: 000

HARTLEY, P.H.T. (1948) The assessment of the food of birds. Ibis 90:

361-381

KOENIG, L. (1953) Beobachtungen am afrikanischen Blauwangenspint ( Merops

superciliosus chrysocercus) in freier Wildbahn und Gef angenschaf t , mit

Vergleichen zum Bienenfresser ( Merops apiaster L.). Z. Tierpsychol.

lO: 180-204

SNOW, D.W. (ed. ) (1978) An Atlas of Speciation in African Non-Passerine

Birds. BMNH, London.

C. H. Fry, Aberdeen University , Zoology Department , Tilly drone Avenue

Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland

1981

39

RINGING IN NIGERIA IN 1980. 23rd ANNUAL REPORT

by R. E. Sharland

Received 8 April 1981

In 1980 ringing in Nigeria was limited and only 307 Palaearctic

migrants were ringed. The Caspian Tern was the second recovery from a

batch of juveniles ringed in Finland on 3 July 1976.

Schedule 1 Numbers of Palaearctic species ringed

,09

Grand Total

71837

White-shouldered Black Tit Parus leucomelas , Nigeria.

40

R.E. Sharland

Malimbus 3

Schedule 2

Controls in Nigeria and Tchad

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

M 5003 Ringed 11/7/71, Pernaja La ani, Finland, 60°20'N 28°18'E

Caught in trap 1977, Djimtilo, Tchad, 12°50'N 14°10'E

White Stork Ciconia ciconia

7522 Ringed 28/6/76, Oberndorf f-Zollbaum, Germany, 53°46'N 9°11'E

Trapped 15/12/78, Nguru, 12°53'N 10°30'E

Caspian Tern Sterna tschegrava

CT 18485 Ringed 3/7/76, Brando Aland, Finland, 60°40'N 20°56'E

Trapped 10/1/81, Yauri, 10°48'N 4°42'E

Schedule 3 Controls outside Nigeria

Garganey Anas querquedule

EF 95114 Ringed 5/2/78, Kazaure, 12°40'N 8°25'E

Shot 25/2/79, Gali Georgia, U.S.S.R., 42°37'N 41°41'E

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

KC 49129 Ringed 22/11/77, Kano, 12°00'N 8°31'E

Shot 23/9/78, Novomirgord, Kirovgrad, U.S.S.R., 48°47'N 31°38'E

Photo : Philip Blasdale

1981

41

PREFERENCES ALIMENTAIRES DE PLOCEUS CUCULLATUS AU TCHAD

par M. Da Camara-Smeets et S. Manikowski

Received 20 January 1981

INTRODUCTION

Ploceus cucullatus est un Ploceidae dont l'aire de repartition s'etend

de la bordure de la foret claire d la savane seche (Dekeyser 1954) . Son

regime alimentaire est essentiellement granivore, mais on sait que Ploceus

cucullatus consomme des insectes pendant toute l'annee (Collias et Collias

1970) et qu'il peut se nourrir de baies sauvages (Ruelle 1973) et de fruits

cultives (Ndiaye 1973) .

Pour des raisons methodologiques , 1' etude presentee ici est limitee d

la partie vegetale du regime alimentaire.

Les captures d'oiseaux pour les experiences en cage et l'obtention des

specimens pour 1' analyse des contenus de jabots ont eu lieu au meme endroit

que les observations sur le comportement alimentaire en nature.

En captivite, les preferences alimentaires de l'oiseau ont ete deter-

minees grace a la presentation simultanee des graines sauvages et cultivees,

trouvees le plus frequemment dans les jabots.

METHODES

On a etudie Ploceus cucullatus au Tchad de 1973 a 1976, dans la zone

sahelienne proche de Ndjamena. 221 contenus de jabots d'oiseaux, recoltes

au cours des differents mois, ont ete examines. La capture de Ploceus

cucullatus en dehors de la periode de reproduction est particulierement

ardue, ce qui explique le nombre restreint d' echantillons obtenus. Les

specimens captures sur le terrain sont ramenes au laboratoire. On leur

extrait le jabot dont le contenu est lave et seche a l'etuve a 100°C

pendant 24 h. Les graines cultivees et sauvages sont triees, determinees

d'apres Gaston (1974) et comp tees .

On distingue les grosses graines sauvages, Sorghum lanceolatum , Oryza

barthii , des petites graines sauvages - Echinochloa sp, Panicum sp,

Dacty loctenium sp, dont le poids est inferieur a 5 mg.

Apres avoir verifie la Constance de la consommation quotidienne de

Pennisetum americana par l'oiseau captif, isole ou en groupe (6.06 ± 0.93

g) , on a procede aux experiences de choix alime aire.

Cinq oiseaux, gardes captifs en voliere depuis trois mois et nourris

42

M. da Camara-Smeets & S. Manikowski

O

to

<c

£

A

0

•n

tn

0)

TJ

U)

"H i

O

s

U)

-p

c

0

P

\0

4-1

*r H

43

cn

QJ

43

cn

P

o

3

fC

cn

p

3

-p

a

to

u

X

3

to

QJ

cn

-H

o

cn

0)

43

cn

-u

o

X!

<0

-n

QJ

43

cn

3

c

QJ

-p

c

o

U

dP

O

in

QJ

43

+

cn

C

to

43

0)

o

sc

\0

cn

QJ

P

cu

li

I!

to

-n

cn

QJ

43

o\°

O

uo

QJ

43

I

cn

c

to

43

QJ

O

3

'QJ

cn

0

p

Ph

!

0

P

3

Cn

•rH

Ma limbus 3

1981

PREFERENCES ALIMENTAIRES DE P. CUCULLATUS

43

^ 3

de petit mil, ont ete places respectivement dans trois cages de 1 m .

Dans chaque cage se trouvaient des mangeoires a six compartiments

identiques qui permettaient de ramasser les graines gaspillees. Six

categories de graines ont ete presentees simultanement, en quantite

superieure a la consommation habituelle.

La position des graines dans la mangeoire a et£ changee journel lenient,

suivant un programme etabli a l'aide d'une table des nombres au hasard. La

consommation des graines a ete mesur^e chaque jour. Chaque experience a

dure 10 jours. Un autre test a porte sur le choix de grains de tailles

differentes. Les grains, proposes simultanement, ont ete obtenus par

fractionnements successifs du ma'is: 50 mm , 20 mm , 14 mmz , 10 mm , 5 mm

et de la farine. Cette experience a dure 3 jours. Pour chaque test, on a

utilise des oiseaux inexperimentes . Les resultats ont ete soumis a

1' analyse de variance a trois niveaux, les tests de F ont ete calcules

d'apres Mather (1972).

RESULTATS

Regime alimentaire de Ploceus cucullatus dans la nature

L'examen des contenus de jabot de l'oiseau montre (Fig. 1) que

celui-ci consomme des graines de petites graminees sauvages de mars a

juillet, c'est-a-dire pendant la saison s^che. II se nourrit de grosses

graines sauvages ( Oryza barthii et Sorghum lanceolatum) d'aout a decembre,

pendant la fin de la saison des pluies. Quant aux graines cultivees, on

en trouve dans les jabots pendant toute l'annee, meme en dehors des

periodes de maturation et de recolte.

Preferences de Ploceus cucullatus en captivite

La consommation des differentes graines proposees (Petit mil -

Pennisetum americana , Sorgho cultive - Sorghum bicolor , Riz cultive -

Oryza sativa, Ma'is - Zea mays, Sorgho sauvage - Sorghum lanceolatum, Riz

sauvage - Oryza barthii, Panicum laetum) est illustree a la Fig. 2. Pour

les deux tests successifs, 1' analyse de variance montre une difference de

consommation significative d'apres la nature des graines. L'effet ^espece" ,

teste contre 1 1 interaction "espece" - "cage", donne des valeurs de 5/10:

20.8 et 15.4 respectivement, superieures au seuil de probability P = 0.001.

On n'a mis en evidence aucun effet significatif du au jour.

Ploceus cucullatus affectionne particulierement le petit mil et les

grosses graines sauvages, quoique sa preference pour le petit mil soit

augmentee artif iciellement par 1 1 accoutumance au regime du petit mil en

voli^re. II reste done une preference claire pour les grosses graines

sauvages. Une sequence identique des preferences se repete a une mois

d'intervalle et chez des oiseaux differents.

Dans le cas du riz et du sorgho, la variete sauvage est preferee a la

variete cultivee, mais les graines des petites graminees sauvages (ici

DECEMBRE JANVIER

44

M. da Camara- Smeets & S. Manikowski Malimbus 3

C Q)

03 03

P-< r— I

03

03 >

N • r4

>-j 03

O c/3

03

n x

>. *->

O 03

X

w

C/3 O) c/3

T3 C U

• rH «r4 \QJ

O 03 E

a. u e

DO o

c </)

03 c/3 c

03 O

^ "O u

E o

X o

DO U

V-I oH

O X

C/3

JL

X

Figure 2 Preference alimentaire de Ploceus cucullatus en cage : echelle

de consommation des differentes graines proposees simultanement .

1981

PREFERENCES ALIMENTAIRES DE P. CUCULLATUS

45

Panicum laetum ) ne sont consommees qu'en dernier recours . La consommation

des grains des dimensions differentes est illustree a la Fig. 3. La

dimension apparemment preferee parmi 1' even tail propose (de 50 mnh- a la

farine) est de 5 mm^; cependant cette preference n'est pas assez

prononcee pour etre mise en evidence par 1' analyse de variance. L'effet

"espece" teste contre 1 ' interaction "espece cage", donne une valeur de

F5/10: 1.149, inferieure au seuil de probability P = 0.05.

DISCUSSION

La phenologie culturale au Tchad permet d' interpreter le contenu des

jabots de Ploceus cucullatus en fonction de ses preferences.

Les grosses graines sauvages preferees par Ploceus cucullatus ( Orgza

barthii, Sorghum lanceolatum ) sont accessibles sur pied en fin de saison

des pluies, et la plupart des oiseaux en consomme ef fectivement . A par-

tir de decembre, les graines tombent au sol, souvent dans le fond des

mares, et restent inaccessibles jusqu'a leur assbchement (fin fevrier,

debut mars) . A ce moment on les trouve a nouveau dans les contenus de

jabot .

Toutes les cereales cultivees sont consommees par Ploceus pendant

leur periode de maturation, 1' occasion creant le larron. Le sorgho pluvial,

present en grande quantite et accessible aisement en septembre/octobre ,

procure un rendement quantite /temps d'autant plus interessant que c'est

l'epoque de la reproduction et que l'oiseau doit faire face en un minimum

de temps a des depenses accrues d'energie. Le sorgho de decrue est

consomme en novembre, decembre et janvier, le riz cultive est consomme en

juin, juste avant la recolte, et le ble en mars-avril.

On trouve du ma'is dans quelques jabots a differentes epoques , suivant

les periodes ou le ma'is cultive en faible quantite devant les "cases"

arrive au stade laiteux.

Conformement aux resultats des tests menes avec l'oiseau captif, on

remarque une preference de Ploceus pour les grosses graines puisqu' il

dedaigne les champs de petit mil en septembre-octobre , au detriment des

champs de sorgho. II recherche cependant le petit mil sur les marches et

dans les calebasses des menageres, pendant la saison sdche de mars a

juillet. A la meme epoque, comme on le constate d'apres 1' evolution

respective des stocks grainiers de Sorghum lanceolatum et de Panicum laetum

au sol (Fig. 4, d'apres Gaston 1974), le poids a 1' hectare du Sorghum

lanceolatum est plus eleve que celui de Panicum laetum, mais le nombre de

graines disponibles en est plus faible, et la distribution tr^s aggregative.

L'obtention des graines de Sorghum lanceolatum requiert done une recherche

ardue, expliquant la presence de petites graminees sauvages. L' alimentation

de l'oiseau est caracterisee par 1 ' opportunisme et 1 ' adaptabilite . Devant

le choix offert par la vegetation, Ploceus se nourrit d'abord de riz et de

sorgho sauvages sur pied et au sol, ou de varietes cultivees, dedaignant

les petites graminees sauvages. En saison seel il diversifie son

alimentation. Il complete pendant toute 1 1 anr sa ration alimentaire a

l'aide d'insectes.

46

M. da Camara- Smeets & S. Manikowski

Malimbus 3

% en poids

des graines

consommees

Figure 3 Preference alimentaire de Ploceus cucullatus en cage : echelle de

consommation de grains de faille croissante.

PANICUM LAETUM

SORGHUM LANCEOLATUM

nb/m

2

nb/m

2

Figure 4

Disparition du stock grainier prfes de Ndjam^na.

1981

PREFERENCES ALIMENTAIRES DE P. CUCULLATUS

47

Les sources de nourriture exploit^es par Ploceus cucullatus sont

disperses, ce qui le contraint hors de la reproduction & se disseminer en

petits groupes de un a quelques dizaines d'indi vidus. A ce moment, le

comportement gregaire se rel&che, phenomene qui a ete observe egalement

chez Corvus frugilegus (Feare et al . 1974). Mais des que Ploceus se

nourrit sur les cultures, il reforme des groupes plus nombreux et integres.

Son poids (40 g) , son bee puissant (longueur 2 cm), sa consommation

quotidienne moyenne (6 g) et son regime alimentaire apparemment polyphage

(Crook 1964, Morel 1968) en font un dangereux depredateur potentiel et la

lutte est d§ja effective dans certains pays (Summar 1974) .

Dans un futur proche, 1' extension des cultures irriguees, la

possibility de se nourrir de graines faciles a obtenir et de taille

adequate vont supprimer la contrainte de dispersion en petits vols pour le

nourrissage .

On peut attendre des lors une adaptation du comportement de Ploceus

cucullatus susceptible d'accroitre sa pression sur les cultures.

REMERCIEMENTS

Ces travaux ont ete realises dans le cadre du Projet PNUD/FAO

"Recherches sur la lutte contre les oiseaux granivores" que nous remercions

vivement pour son aide morale et son appui financier. Nous remercions

Egalement le Dr. E. Leboulenge pour son aide efficace dans le domaine

statistique et le Professeur Ph. Lebrun pour la lecture et la discussion du

manuscrit .

RESUME

Les contenus de jabot de Ploceus cucullatus , captures au cours de

l'annee, montrent que l'oiseau se nourrit de graminees sauvages et de

toutes les cereales cultivees disponibles. II complete son regime a

l'aide d'insectes. Les experiences de preference alimentaire indiquent

qu'il prefere les grosses graines sauvages aux graines cultivees et aux

petites graminees sauvages.

Son regime alimentaire est opportuniste ; en 1' absence de ses graines

preferees, il recherche les graines cultivees sur pied ou dans les stocks

et consomme en dernier recours les petites graines de graminees sauvages.

Cette recherche de nourriture restreint la taille des vols de gagnage,

mais quand il se nourrit sur les champs, il reforme des vols de plusieurs

centaines d' oiseaux.

48

M. da Camara-Smeets & S. Manikowski

Malimbus 3

SUMMARY

Crop contents of Ploceus cucullatus , sampled throughout the year,

showed that wild seeds, all forms of available cultivated grains, and

insects were eaten. Experiments indicated that it prefers large, wild

seeds to cultivated grain and to small, wild seeds. It is an opportunistic

feeder; in the absence of preferred food, it searches for cultivated

grains on the ground or in storage, and eats small wild seeds only as a

last resort. This form of feeding limits the size of foraging flocks;

when feeding in fields, flocks of several hundreds of birds may form.

BIBLIOGRAPHIE

COLL IAS , N.E. & COLL IAS , E.C. 1970 The behaviour of the West African

Village Weaver-bird. Ibis 112: 457-480

CROOK, J.H. 1964 The evolution of social organization and visual communi-

cation in the weaver-bird (Ploceidae) . Behaviour Suppl. 20: 177 pp

DEKEYSER, P.L. 1954 Le Gendarme, Plesiositagra cucullata Muller.

Documents a 1' usage des Services de 1 1 Agriculture . Documentation de

1 1 I FAN , DAKAR: 7 et 8

FEARE, C.J., DUNNET, G.M. & PATTERSON, I.J. 1974 Ecological studies of

the Rook ( Corvus frugilegus) in North-east Scotland: food intake and

feeding behaviour. J. App. Ecol . 11: 867-896

GASTON, A. 1974 Esquisse de reconnaissance des groupements vegetaux de

la ZREI du Projet Quelea. Etude des potentiali tes grainieres de

certains groupements vegetaux. Rapport FAO-IEMVT: 122 pp

MATHER, K. 1972 Statistical Analysis in Biology. Pp. 76-77

MOREL, G. 1968 Contribution a la synecologie des oiseaux du Sahel

senegalais. Mem. ORSTOM 21: 176 pp

NDIAYE , A. 1973 Enquete sur les degats causes par la Perruche verte ^

collier dans la zone d' arboriculture (Senegal). Essais effectues en

vue d'aboutir a une methode de lutte. Rapp. Pro jet Quelea n° 216:

15 pp

RUELLE, P. 1973 Etudes concernant la zone de Recherches Ecologiques

Intensives. Rapp. Pro jet Quelea n° 307: 130 pp

SUMNAR, C. 1975 Notes on vertebrate pests of rice. Central Agricultural

Experiment State on SVAKOKO BONG COUNTY LIBERIA (A.D.R.A.O.) Rapport

interne, 14 pp

M. da Camara-Smeets , Laboratoire d' Ecologie G&n£rale et Experimentale ,

Place de la Croix du Sud 5, B-1348 Louvain- la-Neuve , Belgium

S. Manikowski , Institute of Environmental Biology, Jagiellonian University ,

30 060 Krakow, Krupnicza 50, Poland

1981

NOTES

49

BATES'S WEAVER PLOCEUS BATESI NEAR VICTORIA, AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS FROM

WESTERN CAMEROUN - On 13 April 1979 I investigated some small forest patches

near the coast a few km west of Victoria, Cameroun. Much of the low-lying

ground in this area has been cleared for oil-palm plantations but a

particularly dense patch of forest was located along a small rocky river.

In places the river was overhung by large trees and creepers, and in one

such area my attention was drawn to a weaver which was moving in a zig-

zagging manner up a creeper-covered tree trunk about 15 m away. It was

plain olive-green above, including wings and tail, and yellow below. The

head pattern was distinctive, the entire head to the nape, including the

face, being bright chestnut and the chin and throat being black, this

colour extending in a narrow band around the edge of the chestnut face to

the side of the neck at about the level of the eye. The yellow of the

underside extended around the side of the neck below the black band and

continued on to the nape, where it formed an ill-defined narrow collar

between the chestnut nape and green back. The lores were black, the bill

was black and the eye was dark. Leg colour was not seen. The bird was

apparently searching for insects and was unconcerned by my presence. I

watched it until it moved out of sight in the upper part of the tree. No

other weaver was seen in this tree. On returning to my car I immediately

identified the bird from Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1973) as a male Bates's

Weaver Ploceus batesi . I subsequently returned to the same area but failed

to relocate the bird.

Bates's Weaver is a rare forest species which has been seen by very

few observers in the field (Mackworth-Praed & Grant 1973 and M. Dyer in

litt.). It is confined to lowland forest in southern Cameroun (Hall &

Moreau 1970) and this record represents an extension of range westwards.

Hall & Moreau (1970) consider it to be closer to the P. ocularis super-

species than any other, but its behaviour reminded me strongly of the

insectivorous Bar-winged Weaver P. angolensis with which I am familiar and

which is placed in the P. insignis group by these authors. The habits of

this group appear to closely resemble those which I observed in P. batesi ,

and I have seen P. angolensis move in a zigzag fashion along tree trunks

and branches searching for insects.

The following records are from four areas: Cameroun Mountain, the

Buea area, the Victoria area and primary forest some 20 km west of Muyuka

off the Buea-Kumba road. They relate to the period 12-23 April 1979.

Hieraaetus africanus CASSIN'S HAWK-EAGLE One circling over forest on

Cameroun Mountain, 18 April.

Bubo poensis FRASER'S EAGLE OWL At about midday on 13 April I flushed one

from dense cover in tall trees along a rocky river west of Victoria. The

bird emerged from cover while I was some distance away and sat in partial

cover for a time before flying off.

Turtur brehmeri BLUE-HEADED DOVE This dove is confined to lowland forest

and is said not to come out to feed on paths or in clearings (Snow 1978) .

A little after daybreak on 23 April I had excellent views of one in the

open on a well-used dirt road running through primary forest near Muyuka.

The bird was a few metres from cover and was apparently feeding.

Apus batesi BATES'S SWIFT At least one over an area of partly-cleared

forest near Buea on 14 April. (Identified by small size, rather slender

appearance, forked tail and entirely black colour; fast flight.)

50

NOTES

Malimbus 3

Neafrapus cassini and Raphidura sabini CASSIN'S and SABINE'S SPINETAILS

Seen together over clearings in primary forest near Muyuka on 23 April,

but neither species seen in less heavily-forested areas.

Telacanthura melanopygia BLACK SPINETAIL At least four were well-seen

over tall trees in partly-cleared forest near Buea on 15 April.

(Identified by large size, strong flight, entirely black colour with pale

chin and throat - no white on rump or belly - and square-ended tail, quite

long for a spinetail. The trailing edge of the wings was indented at the

join with the body.) Apparently rare (Mackworth-Praed & Grant 1970), and

Snow (1978) gives no records for this area.

Indicator willcocksi WILLCOCKS'S HONE YGU IDE A single bird (distinguish-

able from J. exilis by its lack of loral and malar streaks, pale grey

underside and rather greenish-grey colour on the upperside) was seen

fluttering in a butterfly- like manner around the trunk of a large tree in

primary forest near Muyuka on 22 April. It occasionally perched on twigs

and was probably catching insects.

Dryoscopus sabini LARGE-BILLED PUFFBACK Both sexes were seen in several

bird parties in heavy forest near Muyuka. They appear to be reasonably

common in this area.

Alethe diademata FIRE-CREST ALETHE On 16-17 April this species was wide-

spread in forest near Muyuka, being seen on the ground in dense forest in

several places along lh km of track. None were encountered in the same

area four days later.

Platysteira tonsa WHITE-SPOTTED WATTLE-EYE A female on 17 and a male on

22 April, the former in a bird party which also contained P. castanea;

lowland forest near Muyuka. P. castanea was seen in several bird parties

in this area and appeared to be quite common.

Platysteira concreta GOLDEN- BELLI ED WATTLE-EYE A pair moving very low

down in dense undergrowth along a stream on Cameroun Mountain on 18 April.

Nectarinia seimundi LITTLE GREEN SUNBIRD Two were in a small patch of

degraded secondary forest surrounded by cultivation near Buea on 12 April.

N. batesi was seen on other occasions elsewhere and was noted as being

duller below and having a much more noticeably-curved bill, the bill of

seimundi being fairly straight and quite long with a downcurve at the tip.

Speirops lugubris BLACK-CAPPED SPEIROPS On 18 April I observed a flock

of about 15 at the tree limit on Cameroun Mountain (2000 m) . They were

feeding at flowers in the canopy at the forest edge and they called

frequently, uttering contact notes which I rendered sieu and twit and also

musical chirps.

Ploceus melanogaster BLACK-BILLED WEAVER A female with other birds in

the canopy of fairly open forest along a steep-sided gully on Cameroun

Mountain on 19 April was perhaps in unusual habitat, as Mackworth-Praed &

Grant (1973) state that this species keeps to undergrowth and creepers and

is not found in the overhead canopy.

Ploceus tricolor YELLOW- MANTLED WEAVER On 22 April a single bird of this

uncommon species was seen in the canopy of primary forest near Muyuka. It

was moving along small branches searching for insects.

Malimbus coronatus RED-CROWNED MALIMBE One was with a bird party in dense

forest near Muyuka on 22 April. It kept at fairly low levels in the denser

growth. This locality is farther west than the range shown in Hall & Moreau

(1970). Other malimbes in the area were M. rubricollis , M. nitens and

M. malimbicus .

P.B. Taylor

P.0. Box 87336, Mombasa , Kenya

1981

NOTES

51

BLACK- HEADED BEE- EATERS Me Tops

(Bombylonax) brewer i at nest.

Elubi ,

Benue

State, Nigeria, March 1981. A full report on this important recent discovery

by M. Dyer and J. Hendrick, is in preparati .. Photo: C.H. Fry.

52

NOTES

Malimbus 3

ON THE BREEDING SEASON OF MEROPS PERSICUS IN WEST AFRICA - I have been able

to assemble the following data for western Africa to the south of the

Sahara:

In Gambia adults were entering nest-holes in early February (E. M.

Cawkell & R. E. Moreau, 1963, Ibis 105: 169).

On the Nigerian shore of Lake Chad fledging occurred about mid-July to

mid- August one year (pers. obs.) but in the second half of June in another

(M. Dyer, pers. comm.); egg-laying would be about seven weeks earlier,

i.e. late May to late June, and late April.

At 10 °N on the R. Niger in Nigeria eggs were laid about mid May and

fledging was about mid July (F. Walsh, 1966, Bull. Niger. Orn. Soc. 3: 74,

and 1968, idem 5: 11).

Also on the R. Niger, at 15°N in Niger, some nests held young in early

June when other pairs were pre-breeding (L. Koenig, 1953, Z. Tierpsychol .

10: 180) .

In the central delta of the R. Niger in Mali breeding is in May and

June (B. Lamarche, 1980, Malimbus 2: 121).

In N. Senegal nest-holes were excavated in early June and breeding was

from July to September with some nestlings still in mid September (G. J.

Morel & F. Roux, 1966, Terre Vie 1: 71).

In the eastern Sahel of Mali breeding is in July and August (B. Lamarche,

loc. cit .); and in southern Mauretania a clutch was found in October

(K. M. Guichard, 1947, Ibis 89: 450).

In the Palaearctic, M. persicus lays from March in Mesopotamia (E. C. S.

Baker, 1934, The Nidification of Birds of the Indian Empire,- Vol. Ill), to

the second half of June in the Sind (K. R. Eates , 1939, J. Bombay nat. hist.

Soc. 40: 757) . Records from Algeria, Egypt, and the USSR are all within

these limits.

Discussion - The early record from Gambia is best discounted, since other

bee-eater species, if not M. persicus also, sometimes dig and occupy nest-

holes months in advance of laying. In more southerly latitudes in West

Africa eggs are laid in the ear ly-wet-seascn months of May and June.

Further north in the Sahel and southern Sahara breeding is, however, not

only much later in some cases but also protracted, with egg-laying from

late Aprii/early May to late September/early October. While in the

Palaearctic laying spans three months, the period of five months in West

Africa is surprising (although with any one population in any one year it

would probably be considerably less protracted) .

C . H . Fry

Aberdeen University, Zoology Dept., Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN,

Scotland

1981

NOTES

53

NOTES ON THE LANNER FALCO BIARMICUS FROM TENERE DESERT, WITH COMMENTS ON

THE INCIDENCE OF SCORPION PREDATION BY RAPTORS - The Lanner is a fairly

common and widespread inhabitant of the arid and sub-arid habitats of West

Africa. In Chad and in Niger, it frequents the rocky, saharan-massif

terrain of the Ennedi , Tibesti and Air Mountains. During a visit to the

Air and Tenere Desert in March 1979, a pair of Lanners was observed in the

vicinity of Jikara (19°10'N, 09°58'E), a small, isolated outcrop some 40

km east of the Air massif. Jikara is about 15 m high and is completely

surrounded by open, sandy-desert habitat (Erg Brusset) . It is situated in

a zone where, if it occurs at all, rainfall amounts to no more than a few

millimeters annually.

A nest containing 3 eggs was discovered on top of the outcrop, and

beside it was a considerable amount of bone and feathers and a large

number of regurgitated pellets. The remains of a Turtle Dove ( Streptopelia

turtur) , a Rock Dove ( Columba livia ) and an unidentified passerine were

found amongst the bones and feathers. The pellets contained the remains of

gerbils ( Gerbillus sp.); a jerboa ( Jaculus jaculus) ; several birds of

which one was probably a lark; scales and teeth of several lizards; part

of a skull, the scales and ribs of a small snake; mandibles from a number

of Camel Spiders ( Galeodes sp . ) ; beetle sclerites, and perhaps most

surprisingly of all, the remains of at least a dozen scorpions. These

latter were identified by parts of the exo-skeleton, especially the unmis-

takable claws and 'sting1.

It is not surprising that the banners1 diec consisted of somewhat

atypical food-items. In central Chad, birds were the Lanner ' s principal

prey (Newby 1979) , and in the Tenere Desert resident bird species are rare;

those that do occur ( Otis arabs , Oenanthe leucopyga , Alaemon alaudipes ,

Columba livia, Ammomanes cincturus and A. deserti ) are only infrequent

visitors. It is very likely that most species frequenting the area around

Jikara would be palaearctic migrants on passage. (During a brief stay in

the area, a number of palaearctics were seen: S. turtur, Hirundo rustica ,

Motacilla flava and some larks, probably Calandrella brachydacty la .)

The discovery of scorpions in the Lanner 's diet has since led to a

close scrutiny of other raptors' pellets. Although the study is far from

conclusive, scorpion predation does appear to be a fairly widespread

phenomenon, at least in the more arid regions of Niger where either scor-

pions are common or alternative prey species less available. So far,

scorpion remains have been identified from pellets of the Peregrine

(Falco paregrinus) , Desert Eagle Owl ( Bubo bubo) , African Barn Owl ( Tyto

alba ) and White-faced Scop's Owl ( Otus leucotis) . How these birds cope

with the possibility of being stung during prey-capture, or in the sub-

sequent digestion process, is far from clear. Another interesting point is

raised when one considers that besides the scorpions, other items in the

Lanner' s diet, for example the Camel Spiders and geckos, are predominantly

nocturnal. That also applies to the small mammal prey. Hopefully,

subsequent research will shed some light on these enigmatic problems.

J . E . Newby

Direction des Eaux et Forets, B.P. 578, Niamey, Niger

54

NOTES

Malimbus 3

BLACK- HEADED AND GREY-HEADED GULLS IN WEST AFRICA - Mackworth-Praed & Grant

state that the Grey-Headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus is the common breeding

Gull of the African lakes and that there are odd records of Black-Headed

Gulls L. ridibundus inland. Since 1970 both these birds appear to have

been increasing their inland range in Nigeria. For the past three dry

seasons there has been a mixed flock of about fifty gulls at Achi Lafia

near Kazaure; about 80 appeared on Jekara Reservoir 32 km NE of Kano in

January 1981, and a flock of 24 was seen on the Zoo Reservoir at Kano. On

17 January 1981 I saw a Black-Headed Gull on a borrow-pit in Zinder, Niger

Republic, and on 21 February three were seen on the River Benue at Makurdi .

Considerable changes are taking place in many wetlands in West Africa

and seasonal ox-bow lakes are being replaced by more permanent waters, which

is likely to affect the inland distribution of these small gulls.

R.E. Sharland

P.0. Box 342, Kano, Nigeria

DESERT EAGLE-OWL IN NIGER - On 17 January 1981 during a visit to Niger

Republic I camped on the side of a small rocky hill some 80 km north of

Zinder. Here I heard a Desert Eagle-Owl Bubo ascalaphus every night and

saw it several times by day. It was frequently harried by Pied Crows

Corvus albus, Fan- tailed Ravens C. rhipidurus and Kestrels Falco tinnunculus ,

and was also followed several times by a Honey-Buzzard Pernis apivorus .

R.E. Sharland

P.O. Box 342, Kano, Nigeria

BLACK-NECKED GREBE NEW TO NIGERIA AND WEST AFRICA - On 6 April 1981 Dr David

Aidley and I made a brief visit to Jekara Reservoir, about 30 km east-north-

east of Kano, Nigeria, and in good lateral evening sunlight we saw a Black-

necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis feeding in loose company with two Little

Grebes Tachybaptus ruficollis . They were on open water and moved slowly

away from an initial range of about 30 m; we watched them for ten minutes.

The Black-necked Grebe was in winter plumage and was identified as such, in

distinction from the similar Slavonian Grebe P. auritus , by the tip-tilted

beak and the dusky cheeks. I am familiar with the two species in winter

plumage, and Dr Aidley concurred with my identification although he is not

familiar with Slavonian Grebes. According to K.D. Smith in his appendix

(p. 286) to R.E. Moreau's The Palaearctic-African Bird Migration Systems

(Academic Press, London, 1971), P. n. nigricollis has a few records from

the Sudan and was seen recently at Lake "had. I know of no other western

African records. The species occurs sporadical.^ n eastern and South

Africa .

C.H. Fry

Zoology Department , Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland

1981

LETTER AND NOTICES

55

A NEW SPECIES OF MALIMBUS FROM SIERRA LEONE?

Sir ,

I read with great interest G.D. Field's paper "A new species of

Malimbus sighted in Sierra Leone and a review of the genus" ( Malimbus 1,

1979: 2-13) . But I regret that, in the absence of a type specimen, a -new

name Ploceus ( Malimbus ) golensis was published, accompanied by a descrip-

tion, that makes it valid. It is particularly unfortunate that the

description of Malimbus ballmanni by Wolters (Bonn. Zool . Beitr . 25, 1974:

290-291; holotype in the collection of the Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn,

collected by Dr P. Ballmann in south western Ivory Coast, 05°52'N,

07°28'W) was overlooked.

In spite of the absence of a photograph or a drawing of Malimbus

ballmanni, the great similitude between the description of Ballmann' s

Malimbe and that given for the adult male of Malimbus golensis is evident:

"Nape and hind-neck golden yellow with an orange wash, chest brilliant

yellow with an orange wash, under tail-coverts vivid yellow" (free trans-

lation of Wolters) . The Gola forest is situated in eastern Sierra Leone

not very far (about 500 km) from the place where the type of Malimbus

ballmanni was collected. Thus it appears that golensis should be

relegated to the synonymy of ballmanni .

24 November 1980 Alexandre Prigogine,

Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique,

Rue Vautier 31,

1040 Brussels,

Belgium

APPEAL FOR INFORMATION : PREDATION ON SCORPIONS

I would be most grateful to receive any information which readers may

have on scorpion predation by raptors. Please send reports to:

John E. Newby, Consultant, World Wildlife Fund, Direction des Eaux et

Forets, B.P. 578, Niamey, Niger.

CODED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGY 1980

Available gratis by application to C.H. Fry, Zoology Department, Tillydrone

Avenue, Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland, U.K.

CORRECTION : RUPPELL ' S GRIFFON AT KOTORKOSHI

With reference to Malimbus 2 (1980) p. 102, last sentence of para. 2,

the authors now consider that the chick was seven weeks old, not five;

the laying date would thus have been about 29 November.

56

Malimbus 3

WEST AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

SOCIETE D ' ORNITHOLOGIE DE L' QUEST AFRICAIN

REVENUE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 1980

Subscription received £ 834

Payments for printing and postage £ 763

Surplus for year £ 71

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31st DECEMBER 1980

Assets

Bank balances in Nigeria and U.K. £ 460

Liabili ties

Subscriptions received in advance £ 95

Accumulated Funds

Balance at 1st January 1980 £ 294

Surplus for year £ 71

Balance at 31st December 1980

£ 365

£ 460

SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL

Members are reminded that 1981 subscriptions fell due for payment on 1st

January. For rates see inside front cover.

Attempts to open a bank account in France for the convenience of Members

wishing to pay in FFr have not yet been successful. To obviate difficult-

ies which have recently been encountered in remitting FFr to Nigeria, such

Members may now pay the FFr equivalent of £4.00 or £10.00 to Dr G. J. Morel,

Station d'Ornithologie, B.P. 20, Richard-Toll , Senegal.

NOTIC E TO CONTRIBUTORS

Malimbus publishes papers, short notes, reviews, letters and illustrative

material. Contributions should be typed on one side of the paper with double

spacing and wide margins. Wherever possible papers first should have been

submitted to at least one ornithologist or biologist for critical scrutiny.

Textual matter will be retyped for offset printing, but FIGURES should be

prepared as for final reproduction, allowing for 20 percent reduction, using

Indian ink on good quality white paper, and Letraset and Letratone lettering

and shading (or equivalent) as appropriate.

CONVENTIONS regarding tabular material, dates, numbers, metric values,

references etc. should be carefully adhered to and can be sought in this and

recent issues. Articles containing lengthy SPECIES-LISTS should be of

tabular format (eg Malimbus 1: 22-28 or 1: 49-54) or of the textual format

of Malimbus 1: 36-42 for shorts texts per species or Malimbus 1: 90-109 for

longer texts.

STANDARD WORKS WHICH NEED NOT APPEAR IN REFERENCE LISTS

BANNERMAN 1930-51 or 1953 : Bannerman, D.A. (1930-51) The Birds of West

Tropical Africa. 8 vols. Crown Agents, London ; (1953)

The Birds of West and Equatorial Africa. 2 vols. Oliver and Boyd,

Edinburgh and London

ELGOOD, SHARLAND & WARD 1966 : Elgood, J.H;, Sharland, R.E. & Ward, P.

(1966) Palaearctic migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 108 : 84-116

ELGOOD, FRY & DOWSETT 1973 : Elgood, J.H., Fry, C.H. & Dowsett, R.J.

African migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 115 : 1-45 and 375-411

HALL & MOREAU 1970 : Hall, B.P. & Moreau, R.E. (1970) An Atlas of Speciation

in African Passerine Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.) , London

MACKWORTH-PRAED & GRANT 1957-73 or 1970-73 : Mackworth-Praed, C.W. & Grant,

C.H.B. (1957-73) African Handbook of Birds. Series I, Birds of Eastern

and North Eastern Africa (2nd ed.) . 2 vols. Series II, Birds of the

Southern Third Africa. 2 vols. Series III, Birds of West Central and

Western Africa. 2 vols. Longmans Green & Co., London; (1970-73)

African Handbook of Birds. Series III, Birds of West Central and

Western Africa. Vol. I, 1970, Non-passerines, Vol. 2, 1973, Passerines.

Longmans, London

SERLE & MOREL 1977 : Serle, W. & Morel, G.J. (1977) A Field Guide to the

Birds of West Africa. Collins, London

SNOW, D.W. (Ed.) 1978 : An Atlas of Speciation in African Non-Passerine

Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London

WHITE 1960-65 : White, C.M.N. (1960) A check list of the Ethiopian

Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Part I Occasional papers of the National

Museums of Southern Rhodesia 3 (24B) : 399-430; (1961) A revised check

list of African broadbills ... etc. Lusaka : Government Printer;

(1962a) A check list of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Parts II

and III. Occ. Pap. Nat. Mus . S. Rhod. 3 (26B) : 653-738; (1962b) A

revised check list of African shrikes ... etc. Lusaka : Gov. Printer;

(1963) A revised check list of African flycatchers ... etc. Lusaka :

Gov. Printer; and (1965) A revised check list of African Non-Passerine

birds. Lusaka : Gov. Printer.

MALIMBUS 3 (1) May 1981

CONTENTS

Les Buteo Palgarctiques en Mauri tanie et au S£n£gal.

G.J. Morel et P.W.P. Browne 2

The Birds of Kano State, Nigeria. R.E. Sharland and R. Wilkinson 7

The Diet of Large Green Bee-eaters Merops superciliosus supersp.

and the Question of Bee-eaters Fishing. C.H. Fry 31

Ringing in Nigeria in 1980. 23rd Annual Report. R.E. Sharland 39

Preferences Alimentaires de Ploceus cucullatus au Tchad.

M. da Camara-Smeets et S. Manikowski 41

NOTES :

Bates's Weaver Ploceus batesi near Victoria, and Other Observations

from Western Cameroon . P.B. Taylor 49

Black-headed Bee-eater 51

On the Breeding Season of Merops persicus in West Africa. C.H. Fry 52

Notes on the Lanner Falco biarmicus from Tenure Desert, with Comments

on the incidence of Scorpion Predation by Raptors. J.E. Newby 53

Black-headed and Grey-headed Gulls in West Africa. R.E. Sharland 54

Desert Eagle-Owl in Niger. R.E. Sharland 54

Black-necked Grebe New to Nigeria and West Africa. C.H. Fry 54

Letter and Notices :

A New Species of Malimbus from Sierra Leone? Alexandre Prigogine 55

Predation on Scorpions / Coded Bibliography of African Ornithology

1980 / Ruppell's Griffon / Accounts and Balance Sheet / Sub-

scription Renewal

MALIMBUS

Journal of the West African Ornithological Society

Societe d’Ornithologie de l’Ouest Africain

VOLUME 3 1981

Number 2 , October

WEST AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

SOCILTE D’ORNITHOLOGIE DE LOUEST AFRICAIN

Conseil 1979-1981

President Professeur Brian J. Harris

Vice-President Dr Gerard J. Morel

Secretaire Professeur John H. Elgood

Tresorier Mr Robert E. Sharland

Editeur, Malimbus Dr C. Hilary Fry

La cor re spon dance doit etre adressee comme suit :

- les manuscrits et les demandes des numeros precedents a 1' editeur

(Aberdeen University Department of Zoology, Tillydrone Avenue,

Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland, U.K.)

- les cotisations et toutes questions financieres au tresorier (P.0.

Box 342, Kano, Nigeria)

- les questions d'interet general au President (Department of

Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria)

ou au Vice-President (Station d'Ornithologie, Richard-Toll,

B.P. 20, Senegal)

- les autres questions au Secretaire general (26 Walkford Way,

Highcliffe, Dorset BH23 5LR, U.K.)

La Societe tire son origine de la "Nigerian Ornithological Society"

fondee en 1964. Son but est de promouvoir l'interet scientifique

pour les oiseaux de 1 ' Ouest-africain et de faire avancer l'ornitho-

logie de ces regions principalement au moyen de son journal Malimbus

(anciennement the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists' Society) .

Les demandes d' adhesion seront les bienvenues. Les cotisations

annuelles * sont de 4£ pour les membres ordinaires, et de 10£ pour

les Societes. Les membres regoivent gratuitement Malimbus .

Anciens numeros : les volumes 11 (1975); 12 (1976); 13 (1977) et 14

(1978) du "Bulletin de la Nigerian Ornithological Society" (meme

format que Malimbus ) sont disponibles a raison de 2 livres anglaises

par volume. La plupart des numeros plus anciens sont encore dis-

ponibles. Prix a la demande.

* les cotisations doivent etre payees en livres sterling ou en francs

frangais pour leur encaissement au Royaume-Uni ou en livres

nigerianes pour leur encaissement au Nigeria.

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY PRESS : La Societe est tres reconnaissante de

la subvention d' Ahmadu Bello University Press, Nigeria a qui

appartient le copyright de Malimbus .

ISSN : 0331 - 3689

Emblem design by Philip Blasdale

Malimbus

Vol. 3 1981 No. 2, October

REPONSE A LA PLUIE DE MIRAFRA JAVANICA

Gerard J. Morel

Received 17 August 1981

Le declenchement rapide et opportuniste de la reproduction par la

pluie chez les oiseaux des milieux arides aux precipitations imprevisibles

a ete decrit en particulier par Keast & Marshall (1954) , repris par

Serventy in Farner & King (1971) a propos de l'Australie desertique. Chez

Artamus melanops (Artamides) , par exemple, les parades nuptiales peuvent

commencer quelques minutes apres le debut de la pluie et les premieres

copulations seulement deux heures plus tard; cette reponse au stimulus

pluie est evidemment impressionnante .

En Afrique australe, dans le sud-ouest du Kalahari, ou la pluviosite

est tres capricieuse, MacLean (1976) observa aussi une reponse a la pluie

et que l'intervalle entre une precipitation et le premier oeuf pondu peut

etre de 7 jours; il nota aussi qu'un seuil minimal de 20 mm de pluie etait

necessaire.

Dans son etude sur les saisons de reproduction en Afrique, Moreau

(1950) ne traite pas du Sahara. Plus recemment, Heim de Balsac & Mayaud

(1962) ne soulignent pas 1' importance possible des pluies occasionnelles ,

imprevisibles dans la reproduction des oiseaux du Sahara occidental.

Cependant, Davies (1976) a montre que les pretendues aptitudes

parti culieres des especes des deserts australiens a se reproduire en tout

temps, apres une pluie suffisante, reposaient sur des observations hatives

et insuf fisantes et que ces nidif ications opportunistes etaient de peu

d' importance pour la population consideree.

Le nord du Sahel senegalais regoit 300 mm de pluie avec des ecarts

considerables (de 5 mm a 550 mm) entre fin juin et fin octobre. Bien que

cette saison des pluies soit previsible, la hauteur des precipitations et

leur chronologie varient largement: ainsi, les pluies peuvent etre

precoces ou tardives, groupees ou etalees, faibles ou abondantes. On peut

done se demander si cette irregularite n'a pas favorise 1' evolution

d'especes aptes a repondre rapidement a une pluie suffisante. Jusqu'a

present, ce sujet parait avoir suscite peu d’interet.

58

G.J. Morel

Malimbus 3

Pourtant, c'est un fait d'observation courante que des la premiere

pluie - quelques heures apres ou le lendemain - plusieurs especes se

mettent a chanter: en particulier Mira fra javanica , Alaudides. Cette

annee, nous etions sur le terrain (16° 10 N - 15°05 W) le 26 juin, deux

jours apres une precipitation de 40 mm tombant sur un sol sec tres

maigrement couvert d'herbe jaune, la derniere pluie remontant a septembre

precedent. Or, Mirafra javanica chantait partout et deux sujets furent

meme observes en train de construire. Le 9 juillet, un nid avec trois

oeufs fut trouve qui contenait deux jeunes le 14 juillet; on peut estimer

que la ponte remontait au 30 juin, compte tenu de la duree d' incubation et

de l'age des oisillons, soit quelque six jours apres la pluie. Ayant

passe la nuit du 26 juin sur place, nous avions ete frappes par l'abondance

des insectes attires par notre lampe, alors qu'avant la pluie on n'en

voyait aucun.

Cette reaction immediate a la pluie - si l'hypothese est retenue -

serait facilitee par sa previsibilite relative: les ecarts chronologiques

des precipitations restent somme toute assez limites dans le cadre de la

sa? son des pluies au Sahel. Les oiseaux, tels que Mirafra javanica ,

peuvent done etre prets a se reproduire a la fin de la saison seche et

n'attendre que le dernier stimulus.

REFERENCES

Davies, S.J.J.F. (1976) Environmental variables and the biology of

Australian arid zone birds. Proc. 16th Intern. Orn. C. , Canberra

1974: 481-488

Keast, J.A. & Marshall, A.J. (1954) The influence of drought and rainfall

on reproduction in Australian desert birds. Proc. Zool. Soc. London

124: 493-499

Heim de Balsac, H. & Mayaud, N. (1962) Les oiseaux du Nord-Ouest de

l'Afrique. Lechevalier, P. Paris

MacLean, G.L. (1976) Arid-zone ornithology in Africa and South America.

Proc. 16th Intern. Orn. C. , Canberra 1974: 468-480

Moreau, R.E. (1950) The breeding seasons of African birds - 1 Land birds.

Ibis 92: 223-267

Serventy, D.L. (1971) Biology of desert birds in Farner, D.S. & King,

J.R. Avian biology/ 287-339. Academic Press.

SUMMARY

RESPONSE OF Mirafra javanica TO RAINFALL: in northern Senegal, where

the small annual rainfall varies considerably in extent and timing, M.

javanica (and other birds) began singing within two days and laid a clutch

of three eggs within about six days of the first shower (40 mm rain) of the

wet season.

Dr G.J. Morel, Station d' Scologie - O.R.S .T.O.M. ,

Senegal

B.P. 20, Richard-Toll

1981

59

LA DISTRIBUTION GEOGRAPHIQUE DU

PERROQUET GRIS PSITTACUS ERYTHACUS TIMNEH (Forster)

par Rene de Naurois

Received 1 September 1981

La forme nominale du Perroquet gris, caracterisee par sa queue d'un

rouge vif (ecarlate) et sa robe d'un gris bleute plus ou moins clair,

s'etend largement a travers l'Afrique intertropicale : du Cameroun

meridional, du Gabon et de 1' Angola, a travers le Congo et l'Ouganda,

jusqu'au Kenya et la Tanzanie. Mais la repartition comprend en outre:

d'une part l'ile du Prince (Golfe de Guinee), car aucun caractere de

colorations ou de dimensions ne permet de reconnaitre la forme " princeps"

decrite par Alexander (v. Amadon 1953 et Naurois en preparation); d'autre

part les massifs forestiers du Nigeria et de la Cote d'Ivoire orientale

(v. Bouet 1955) .

La forme P. e. timneh (Fraser) se distingue de la forme nominale par

des dimensions sensiblement plus petites, par une queue rougeatre, comme

"fumee", et par la teinte grisatre, foncee, du plumage; ce que Fraser,

dans sa description latine (18) indiquait deja en ces termes: "... saturate

cinereus ... cauda ferrugineo-rubra ...".

Sont tres semblables, en revanche, les habitudes gregaires pendant les

deplacements et pour le repos nocturne, les cris perqants, les regimes

alimentaires (comportant notamment une forte consommation de Noix de Palme) .

Les modes de nidification dans les trous d'arbres sont tres semblables a ceux

de P. e. erythacus (v. les remarques par Biittikofer et Allen au Liberia,

Kelsall et Lowe au Sierra Leone, in Bannerman 1931 et 1953) .

En ce qui concerne la distribution geographique, c'est un fait que les

auteurs mentionnent, certes, le principal, a savoir les massifs forestiers

et savanes arborees de la partie occidentale de la Cote d'Ivoire, du Liberia,

du Sierra Leone et de l'ancienne Guinde Frangaise; mais on fait rarement

etat des donnees obtenues depuis 1946 en Guinee Portugaise.

C'est a la Missao Zooldgica da Guine, dirigee par le Prof. Fernando

Frade, qu'est due la decouverte de cette extension de l'area jusqu'a cent ou

cent cinquante km vers le Nord-Ouest, extension assez remarquable pour que

je rappelle ici les precisions fournies par Frade (1946) ainsi que les

complements apportes par moi-meme au cours de mes recherches de 1961 a 1966

(v. , pour l'essentiel, Naurois 1969).

Selon F. Frade le Perroquet gris existe dans certaines parties boisees

du territoire, tant sur le continent (la limite Nord n’est pas precisee) que

dans l'archipel des Bijagos, ou les lies sont plates et ou les mangroves et

peuplements de Palmiers a huile sont fort etendus (Frade 1946, pp 331 et

351). Lui-meme observa l'espece a l'ile de Caravela (dont la surface atteint

60

R. de Naurois

Malimbus 3

une cinquantaine de km^) et obtint des renseignements de valeur incontestable

sur sa presence dans d'autres lies.

En ce qui me concerne c'est dans la partie Sud des Bijagos, par 11° de

lat. N, que j'ai fait mes observations. D'abord a Joao Vieira (6 km^) ,

ilot plat, inhabite par l'homme qui etait tres densement boise a cette

epoque. Le 22 mars 1961, les Perroquets gris etaient nombreux aux heures

matinales, fort bruyants aussi, tandis qu'ils se rassemblaient sur les

arbres en bordure de plage, puis s'envolaient par groupes de 6 a 10 en

direction des Hots voisins (1 a 3 milles nautiques) de Poelao et Melo,

attires sans doute par l'abondance des arbres a fruits. De fait, le 13 mai

1964, je retrouvai une population abondante (plusieurs dizaines) a l'ilot

do Melo (3 km^) , inhabite mais en partie exploite pour ses Palmiers a

huile. II apparut alors qu*» les Perroquets gris effectuaient des trajets

dans les deux sens, presque en permanence, entre Joao Vieira et Melo; je

ne pus malheureusement pas prolonger mes observations mais j ' eus

1' impression que l'lle Joao Vieira, plus "sauvage", servait de dortoir

principal, peut-etre aussi de territoire privilegie pour la nidification.

A l'lle du Prince, P. e. erythacus est recherche et vendu comme oiseau

de cage. Des experts denichent les oisillons en decembre dans certains

arbres a larges troncs de la grande foret secondaire, ou les cavites se

trouvent a des hauteurs de 15 metres et davantage (un ou deux nids par

arbre - v. Naurois, sous presse) . II en va de meme a l'lle Formosa, au

centre de l'archipel des Bijagos, ou des specialistes indigenes surveillent

les vieux troncs etetes d'Elaeis guineensis . Un evidement se forme au

somme t de ces troncs en voie de pourrissement, le centre se decomposant

plus vite que la peripherie. Tantot des Perroquets gris, tan tot des Mambas

( Dendraspis viridis, parti culierement abondant aux Bijagos) viennent

s' installer ... Sollicites d' identifier pour moi les occupants de certains

palmiers, mes informateurs s'y refuserent. Par crainte de se trouver nez a

nez avec un Mamba, ils attendaient toujours d' avoir vu un perroquet entrer

et sortir a plusieurs reprises avant de grimper.

L'interet pour le Perroquet gris ne manquera sans doute pas de rebondir

quand auront ete mieux precisees les conditions de la transition entre

P. e. erythacus et P. e. timneh. Nous savons qu'elle se place en Cote

d'Ivoire a la longitude de la riviere Bandama orientee N-S (v. Bouet 1961).

Et l'on croit savoir que la variation n'est pas clinale. L'intervalle entre

les territoires ou l'une des formes disparait et ou 1' autre apparait, se

reduit-il a la largeur du fleuve? Ou, plus probablement, a une large vallee?

Autrement dit les deux formes sont-elles contigues, et pourrions-nous avoir

deja affaire a deux especes a l'interieur d'une super-espece? Quoi qu'il en

soit c'est sans doute par inadvertance que R.E. Moreau, dans son etude sur

la speciation en Afrique occidentale (Upper Guinea) , ecrit que la Bandama

n'a pas joue le role de barriere zoogeographique pour les oiseaux, aucune

sous-espece du Nigeria, du Dahomey ou du Ghana n'y trouvant sa limite et y

cedant la place a une autre sous-espece (Moreau 1963 p. 53) .

SUMMARY

The range of Psittacus erythacus timneh, a very distinctive form, is

given by most authors as extending from western Ivory Coast, through Liberia

and Sierra Leone, to the former French Guinea. In fact the Portuguese

zoological mission led by F. Frade in 1946 discovered the Grey Parrot in the

1981

PSITTACUS ERYTHACUS TIMNEH

61

former Portuguese Guinea, not only on the continent but also in the northern

Islands of the Bijagos Archipelago (lat. 12° N) . More recently important

concentrations have been found on several islands and islets in the central

and the southern part of the archipelago. A few etho logical and ecological

details are given.

REFERENCES

AMADON, D. (1953) Avian systematics and evolution in The Gulf of Guinea.

The J.G. Correia collection. Bull. Amer. Mus . Nat. Hist. 100: 397-451

BOUET, G. (1961) Oiseaux de l'Afrique Tropicale. 2e partie: 419-798.

O.R.S.T.O.M. , Paris. Larose ed.

FRADE, F. (1949) Relat6rio da missao zool6gica e contribuigoes para o

conhecimento da fauna da Guine Portuguesa, pp. 263-413 in Trabalhos da

Missao zooldgica da Guine I-V, Lisboa

MOREAU, R.E. (1969) Climatic changes and the distribution of forest verte-

brates in West Africa. J. Zool . 158: 39-61

NAUROIS, R. de (1969) Peuplements et cycles de reproduction des oiseaux de

la cote occidentale d'Afrique, du Cap Barbas, Sahara Espagnol, a la

frontiere de la Republique de Guinee, Mew. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat., Paris,

56: 1-312

NAUROIS, R. de (en preparation) Falconiformes , Strigiformes et Psittacidae

aux lies de Sao Tome et Principe (Golfe de Guinee) . Bonner Zoologische

Beitrage, Bonn

Prof. Dr. R. de Naurois, 2 A116e des Daims , 91800 Brunoy , France

62

Ma limbus 3

Rare birds in Mauritania. (Top) Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala

(with Grey and Great White Herons) , 20 January 1981, (middle) Woodpigeon

Columba palumbus , 26 April 1981, (bottom) Senegal Puff-back Flycatcher

Batis senegalensis , 25 November 1979. (Photos: P.W.P. Browne).

1981

63

NEW BIRD SPECIES IN MAURITANIA

by P. W. P. Browne

Received 17 June 1981

Revised 20 July 1981

Mauritania is the westernmost of the large Saharan/Sahelian countries

which lie in a belt across Africa. Its area is 1,030,700 sq km. About two

thirds is desert (the north) , which is considered part of the Palaearctic

region, and the southern third is dry savanna, part of the Afrotropical

region. Some 405 bird species have been identified in Mauritania since

1934.

The purpose of this short paper is to describe the occurrence of 21

species which I have added to the Mauritanian list (included in the 405) and

19 more species which I have recorded in western Mauritania for the first

time, although they had previously been recorded in the east (east of 12°W) .

In order to put these observations in perspective, Figure 1 shows the

contributions of various western ornithologists to this list of 405 species.

Each contributor is indicated by one or two letters of his name (see below)

placed in Figure 1 above the year of his contribution. Figure 2 shows where

these observations were made by half-degree square. Blank areas in

Mauritania mean there have been no observations at all; squares with a

black dot signify some observations but only inadequate coverage, and squares

with a black star reasonably adequate coverage (more than 20 hours of

observation by more than one observer during more than one season) .

Localities named in this paper are also shown in Figure 2.

The following comments on these contributions are based upon sources

cited in the list of references. Though these are believed to give a fairly

complete picture of the ornithological exploration of Mauritania, they

derive from literature available in Nouakchott which is not exhaustive.

T. Monod (Mo) made extensive observations on many aspects of nature and

culture in Mauritania and appears to have added two species to the list (in

Heim de Balsac & Mayaud, 1962: since this work is often quoted, I refer to

it hereafter as HM) . C. G. Bird (Bi - 1937) added 46 species during his

stay at Nouadhibou in April and May 1936; most were Palaearctic visitors,

p. . Holmes (Ho - in HM) added two pelagic birds in 1938 and W.H. Bierman (Bn -

in HM) two more in 1947. H. Heim de Balsac (H) made a famous journey from

Morocco to Dakar, travelling through Mauritania, in February, March and

April 1947. He added 45 species to the Mauritanian list, including a num-

ber of breeding birds (Heim de Balsac 1949-51, Heim de Balsac &

Mayaud 1962) . He concentrated on the desert north of 20°N, and is

the only observer to the present day with records north of 23°N in

Mauritania. A. Villiers (V) made several expeditions into Mauritania from

1948 to 1953, visiting both desert areas in the north and savanna in the

southwest. L. Dekeyser (D) interpreted much of the material he collected

and also did field work in 1951 and 1952. Their papers (Dekeyser & Villiers

64

P.W.P. Browne

Malimbus 3

1950, Dekeyser 1954) added 99 species (both visitors and breeding birds) to

the Mauritanian list . J . Douaud (Do - in HM) added two species in 1952.

Year

Figure 1 Cumulative number of species identified in Mauritania at the end

of each year with indication of observers responsible.

From 1953 to 1975, G. J. Morel (M - personal communication) made many

observations, mostly in southern Mautiania, near the Senegal River which

forms the boundary between Senegal and Mauritania, and added 75 species to the

list.?. Milon (Mi - in HM) added one in 1958. During the years 1959 to 1965

R. de Naurois (N - 1959 and 1969) paid a number of visits, mostly to the

Mauritanian coast, and was one of the first explorers of the Banc d'Arguin.

This has been found to be an important breeding and wintering area for water

birds and is the site of Mauritania's first national park. De Naurois added

12 species, mostly breeders. F. Roux (R - in HM) was active on the coast in

the Nouadhibou area around 1961 and added 16 species, many of them scarce

Palaearctic migrants. In 1968 H. Politzar (P - pers. commun. via G.J. Morel)

spent several months at Kaedi and spotted 10 new raptors. In 1973, L.

Duhartois and his colleagues (Du - 1974) at the Banc d'Arguin added three

species and Bortoli (Bo - personal communication via Morel) four more in the

south. B. Treca and F. Roux (Tr - personal communication) , in the course of

an aerial survey of water birds in southwest Mauritania in 1975, added

1981

NEW BIRDS IN MAURITANIA

65

another B. Lamarche (L - personal communication) made several visits to

southeast Mauritania in 1973, 1974 and 1975 and added 43 species, mostly

Afrotropical, to the list. From 1973 to 1979, Trotignon (T - 1976, 1980)

and several collaborators were very active in the Nouadhibou-Banc d'Arguin

area and added a further 20. My own observations (B) have been made

entirely in southwest Mauritania (between 16° and 20°N, 12° and 17°W)

during 1978 to 1981, with a total of 640 hours of fieldwork.

In the following list species previously recorded in eastern

Mauritania are distinguished by the letters L or M according to whether the

observer was Lamarche or Morel. The precise localities at which my

observations were made are indicated by L01 to L43, the latitude and

longitude of which will be found in Table 1.

Table 1 Latitude and longitude of localities at which I made observations

BLACK-HEADED HERON Ardea melanocephala (L) Two on rice paddies near Rosso

(L13) 20 January 1980. Distinguished from nearby Grey Heron A. cinerea by

darker grey colouring and black from forehead right down back of neck,

contrasting with white chin and front of neck - well photographed.

HAMMERKOP Scopus umbretta (L) Four nests in acacia forest on north bank of

Senegal River 30 km east of Rosso (L05) on 22 June 1980. A Hammerkop flew

out of one nest.

BEAUDOUIN'S HARRIER-EAGLE Circaetus beaudouini One or more observed at

several places between 15 and 50 km north of Rosso (L16, L19) on 1 June

1979 and another 116 km south of Nouakchott (L26) on 7 October 1979.

WAHLBERG ' S EAGLE Aquila wahlbergi (L) One over rice paddies (L13) on 20

January 1980 and another over well-bushed steppe some 60 km south of

Nouakchott (L34) on 24 January 1981.

66

P.W.P. Browne

Malimbus 3

HONEY-BUZZARD Pernis apivorus One observed just south of Nouakchott (L42)

on 28 May 1978. Two were captured in Nouakchott in June 1979. One taken

on 4 June later escaped but was seen by me. The other, found on the beach

near the town on 13 June, died the same day and I was able to send it to

the ORSTOM ornithological station at Richard-Toll, Senegal, where the skin

was preserved.

DOTTEREL Eudromias morinellus One was seen on the Fisherman's beach,

Nouakchott (L43) on 30 October 1980. It was feeding among fish heads

about h km from the ocean. It allowed very close approach and was identi-

fied by size somewhat greater than nearby Ringed Plover Charadrius

hiaticula , dark brown upperparts with buff edges to feathers and some

rufous feathers on mantle, crown blackish-brown with whitish-buff eye

stripes meeting on the nape, The breast was somewhat striped ending in a

pale buff curved bar right across. Below this lower breast and flanks

were a deep chestnut-buff, with white on belly and undertail coverts.

COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago Observed at Nouakchott (L36, L39, L42) , in

the Senegal Valley near Rosso (L09, L12) and by lakes near Aleg (L22, L28

and L3o) on dates between 23 September and 20 January in 1978, 1979 and 1980

and also on 16 April 1978. These birds were known not to be Great Snipe

G. media because of their erratic flight and loud call "skaap".

TEMMINCK'S STINT Calidris temminckii (L) One was photographed by a pool

just north of the Senegal River near Rosso (L08) on 5 October 1980 and

another seen by a pool near Aleg (L21) on 14 December 1980.

TEMMINCK'S COURSER Cursorius temminckii (L) One on 10 September 1978 about

98 km south of Nouakchott (L29) on lightly bushed steppe.

W00DPIGE0N Columba palumbus One at Nouakchott in wooded gardens (L39) on

26 April 1981; seen at close quarters and photographed.

SPECKLED PIGEON Columba guinea (L) Two seen on the rice paddies near Rosso

(L12) on 6 April 1980 and three in Rosso on 25 May 1980.

BLACK-BILLED WOOD DOVE Turtur abyss ini cus (L, M) Common (e.g. eleven seen

during one 3.7 hour walk) in acacia forest up to 30 km east of Rosso (L04,

L05 , Lll) in May, June and November 1980.

GREY PLANTAIN-EATER Crinifer piscator (M) One observed closely and care-

fully described in wooded ravines 10 km west of Djouk (L20) on 21 January

1981 (Macfie, L., personal communication). I had glimpsed a bird believed

to be this species on 18 January but did not have the opportunity to

personally confirm the identification.

PIED CRESTED CUCKOO Clamator jacobinus Two seen on lightly treed steppe

some 20 km WNW of Rosso (L14) on 22 June 1980. They were distinguished

from both C. glandarius and C. levaillantii by black upperparts including

crest and cheeks contrasting with white unspotted underparts.

WHITE-FACED SCOPS OWL Otus leucotis (L) Three in acacia forest some 10 km

east of Rosso (L10) on 25 May 1980.

1981

NEW BIRDS IN MAURITANIA

67

half-degree square with some (inadequate) coverage

Key m half-degree square with adequate coverage

town mentioned in text

Figure 2 Localities named in the text and ornithological coverage per

half-degree square of Mauritania.

RED-NECKED NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus ruficollis Observed at Nouakchott (L39) on

26 October 1978 (1), 5 May (2 together) and 12 May (1) 1979: -large size,

tawny barring on neck and breast, rufous nape, grey line above eye contiast-

ing with dark centre of crown, white line below eye, white throat and white

spots on the end of the outer tail feathers and on the wing. The contrast

of grey, white, black and tawny on and around the head distinguished these

birds from the Afrotropical nightjars (C. eximi us , C. inornatus ,

C. climacurus and Macrodipteryx longipennis) which are known to occur in

Mauritania. The dates indicated Palaearctic migrants. Several examples of

68

P.W.P. Browne

Malimbus 3

the European Nightjar C. europaeus were seen in the same area, but these

invariably rested during the day on the higher branches of trees (8-12

metres above the ground) whereas the Red-necked Nightjars rested on the

ground. This habit of European Nightjars is described in Roberts Birds of

South Africa (Mclachlan & Liversidge 1978) . The European Nightjars were

smaller and less tawny than the Red-necked Nightjars.

GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER Halcyon leucocephala Single birds seen on bushy

steppe about 40 km NW of Rosso (L17) on 11 July 1979, in acacia forest 10

km east of Rosso (L10) on 23 November 1980 and in a similar habitat 50 km

NE of Aleg (L27) on 9 November 1980.

FINE-SPOTTED WOODPECKER Campethera punctuligera (L) About five seen in

patches of acacia forest 10 and 30 km east of Rosso (L04, L10) in May,

June and November 1980.

GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea Observed at Nouakchott (L39) 26 February and

4 March 1978, 25 November 1978, 6 December 1979 to 10 February 1980. All

were single birds except for two together on 6 December 1979. They kept to

irrigated market gardens, mostly by running channels of sewage water.

Trotignon (1980) saw the species at Nouadhibou on 18 January 1979.

GONOLEK Laniarius barbarus (L) Quite common in acacia forest up to 30 km

east of Rosso in May, June and November 1980 (L04, L05, L06, L07) . As many

as five pairs heard (one pair seen) during a 3.7 hour walk. Also heard in

thick Salvadora persica cover about 35 km NW of Rosso (L16) on 9 April 1979

and one seen about 50 km west of Rosso (L15) on 12 February 1978.

YELLOW-BILLED SHRIKE Corvinella corvina (M) Two about 50 km west of Rosso

(L15) on 12 February 1978.

DRONGO Dicrurus adsimilis (M) On 22 June 1980, about seven seen during a

3.7 hour walk in acacia forest 30 km east of Rosso (L05) ; another nearer

Rosso (L10) on 23 November 1980.

RED-WING STARLING Ony chognathus morio At least four (singles and in pairs)

in wooded ravines with water holes at the north end of the Assaba escarp-

ment about 10 km west of Djouk (L20) on 18 January 1981. Macfie, L. and

Tyack, B. in a personal communication reported seeing flocks of up to

thirty in the same area in March and early April 1981.

LONG-TAILED GLOSSY STARLING Lamprotornis caudatus (M) Very common (34 seen

in parties of 1-9 in a 3 hour walk) in acacia forest up to 30 km east of

Rosso (L04 , L05 , L10) in May, June and November 1980

STONECHAT Saxicola torquata Observed in market gardens at Nouakchott (L39)

20 January, 4 February, 29 October, 25 November 1978 and 1 February 1981.

Trotignon (1980) reported this species at Nouadhibou from November 1978 to

January 1979.

CLIFF CHAT Myrmecocichla cinnamomeiventris Three were seen in the same

ravines as the Red-wing Starlings on 18 January 1981.

1981

NEW BIRDS IN MAURITANIA

69

RING OUZEL Turdus torquatus A single bird seen in flight in the market

gardens at Nouakchott (L39) on 4 February 1978. This is a species I know

well from Europe. It was a black, thrush-sized bird with a white gorget

and light coloured flight feathers.

GREAT REED WARBLER Acrocephalus arundinaceus Observed at Nouakchott (L39)

on 30 September 1978 and 27 May 1979; distinguished by large size compared

with A. scirpaceus , round tail, brown unstreaked plumage.

RUFOUS GRASS WARBLER Cisticola galactotes About four in rushes beside

Tambas (Lll) approximately 5 km NE of Rosso, 4 May 1980.

COMMON FANTAIL WARBLER Cisticola juncidis Very common October and November

1979 and 1980 on rice paddies and marshes near Rosso, e.g. about 12 seen in

song during one 2.2 hour walk (L08, L13) . One also in song near a lake

about 15 km NE of Moudjeria (L38) on 2 November 1980 and about 6 in song

beside Lake Aleg (20 km west of Aleg - L22) on 16 November 1980.

CROMBEC Sylvietta brachyura (L) Seen during practically all months at 14

locations (L01, L02 , L03, L14, L16, L17, L18, L19, L23, L25, L31, L32,

L33, L35) on acacia steppe north and west of Rosso to within 34 km of

Nouackchott. They were also present in acacia forest east of Rosso in

May, June and November 1980 (L04, L05 , L10) and in acacia trees by springs

10 km west of Djouk (L20) on 18 January 1981.

SENEGAL PUFF-BACK FLYCATCHER Batis senegalensis (M) Quite a common bird

on well-bushed steppe throughout the year, observed in groups of 1-4 at

eight localities (L10, L15, L18, L19, L20, L24, L32, L33) as far north as

17°30'N.

SENNAR PENDULINE TIT Remiz punctifrons One or two together about 50 km NNW

of Rosso (L18) on 24 September 1978, 25 November 1979 and 17 February 1980.

Another some 15 km further south (L17) on 2 March 1980.

GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris One seen and heard several times in well-

treed gardens at Nouakchott between 26 May and 4 June 1980. It was a

large finch with a big beak, greenish-grey unstreaked plumage with a

yellow line along wing and yellow in tail. The call (which I know well

from Europe) was "tswee" and a musical trill.

BLACK- HEADED WEAVER Ploceus melanocephalus Two small breeding colonies

3-5 km north of Rosso (L12) among bushes in swamps, September-December

1978 and 1979.

YELLOW- CROWNED BISHOP Euplectes afer This was quite common in the rice

paddies and swamps up to 3 km west (L08) and 5 km north of Rosso (Lll) in Sept

and October 1978, 1979 and 1980. One was also seen near Lake Aleg (L22)

on 16 November 1980. Most were displaying males in breeding plumage.

RED BISHOP Euplectes orix (L) One male at Nouakchott (L39) on 2 October

1978.

SENEGAL INDIGO FINCH Vidua chalybeata (L) Seen at five locations in the

vicinity of the Senegal River west and east of Rosso (L01, L02 , L05, L10,

L14) in groups of 1-5 birds on 23 September 1979, 25 May, 22 June and 7

December 1980.

70

P.W.P. Browne

Malimbus 3

BLACK- RUMPED WAXBILL Estrilda troglodytes (L, M) Single birds at

Nouakchott (L41) on 15 November 1978 and among trees by a lake NE of

Moudjeria (L37) on 2 November 1980.

QUAIL-FINCH Ortygospiza atricollis This species was observed on 17

February, 2 March and 4 April 1980 on the rice paddies just west of Rosso

(L13) and on 7 December 1980 by the north bank of the Senegal River about

50 km further west (L03) .

DISCUSSION

Regarding first my own observations, of the 40 species 11 are

Palaearctic migrants and 29 are Afrotropical birds. Four of the

Palaearctic migrants ( Gallinago gallinago , Calidris temminckii , Motacilla

cinerea and Saxicola torquata) spend the winter in Mauritania while for

tr.e other seven ( Pemis apivorus , Eudromias morinellus , Columba palumbus ,

Caprimulgus ruficollis , Turdus torquatus , Acrocephalus arundinaceus and

CardueJ is chloris) that has not been proved. As far as I have been able

to discover, these are the first records south of the Sahara of Eudromias

morinellus , Columba palumbus , Turdus torquatus and Carduelis chloris) that

has not been proved. As far as I have been able to discover, these are

the first records south of the Sahara of Eudromias morinellus , Columba

palumbus , Turdus torquatus and Carduelis chloris-, the other seven

Palaearctic species have been recorded in Senegal (Morel 1972, 1980).

Of the 29 Afrotropical species, only two ( Onychognathus morio and

Myrmecocichla cinnamomeiventris) appear not to have been recorded in

Senegal. They are rock-loving species recorded as near as Mali. The

other 27 species are well known in the north of Senegal, along or near the

Senegal River, not far south of many of my observations. Campethera

punctuligera , Sylvietta brachyura , Ploceus melanocephalus and Vidua

chalybeata are cited by Serle & Morel (1979) as occurring in southern

Mauritania, evidently without documentary evidence. Such is now provided.

Looking at the wider picture, is it reasonable to assume that with

405 species the Mauritanian list is nearly complete? A glance at Figure 2

will demonstrate that this is hardly likely to be the case. Only 20% of

the half-degree squares in Mauritania have had any ornithological

exploration at all and only 4% a coverage which is in any way adequate.

Even in the south (south of 19°N) only 41% have had any observations, and

in the north only 9%.

Another indication that many species remain to be discovered in

Mauritania, especially in the south, derives from the fact that the

southernmost point of the country lies at approximately 14°43'N, just level

with Dakar. Examination of Morel's checklists (1972, 1980) of Senegalese

birds, reveals that, in Senegal north of 14°43'N, 82 species have been

recorded which are unknown in Mauritania (66 Afrotropical, 13 Palaearctic,

3 Nearctic) . Consequently we can foresee that, with continued exploration,

the graph presented in Figure 1 will continue to climb, especially the

line representing breeding and Afrotropical species.

1981

NEW BIRDS IN MAURITANIA

71

ACKNOWLE DGEMENTS

I wish to thank Dr G. Morel and Mr B. Lamar che for permission to

refer to their unpublished notes on Mauritanian birds, to Messrs Treca

and Roux for allowing me access to their aerial survey observations on

water birds and to Miss L. Macfie and Miss B. Tyack for supplying me with

observations made in Mauritania in 1981.

RESUME

Vingt-et-un nouvelles especes ont ete identifiees en Mauri tanie et

dix-neuf especes en Mauritanie occidentale entre janvier 1978 et avril

1981, dont onze etaient des migrateurs palearctiques et vingt-neuf etaient

des especes afrotropicales . Ceci porte a 405 le nombre d' especes d'oiseaux

connues en Mauritanie.

REFERENCES

BIRD, C.G. (1937) Some notes from Port Etienne, Mauritania and the coast

of Rio de Oro. Ibis 14th series, vol 1: 721-731

DEKEYSER, L. & VILLIERS, A. (1950) Contribution h 1' etude du peuplement

de la Mauritanie. Bull. IFAN 12: 660-699

DEKEYSER, L. (1954) Contribution h l'etude du peuplement de la Mauritanie

Bull. IFAN Serie A 16: 1248-1292

DUHARTOIS , L., CHARMOY, M.C. & F., REYJAL, D. & TROTIGNON, J. (1974)

Seconde prospection post-estivale au Banc d'Arguin (Mauritanie) .

Alauda 42: 313-332

HEIM DE BALSAC, H. & T. (1949-51) Les migrations des oiseaux dans l'ouest

du continent africain. Alauda 17-18: 129-143, 206-221; 19: 19-39,

97-112, 157-171, 193-210

HEIM DE BALSAC, H. & MAYAUD, N. (1962) Les Oiseaux du Nord-Ouest de

l'Afrique. Editions Paul Lechevalier, Paris

LAMARCHE, B., Nouakchott, personal communication.

McLACHLAN, G.R. & LIVERSIDGE, R. (1978) Roberts Birds of South Africa.

The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town

MOREL, G.J. (1972) Liste Cowmentee des Oiseaux du Senegal et de la Gambie

ORSTOM , Dakar

MOREL, G.J. (1980) Liste Commentee des Oiseaux du Senegal et de la Gambie

Supplement No 1. ORSTOM, Dakar

72

P.W.P. Browne

Malimbus 3

MOREL, G.J., ORSTOM, personal communication

NAUROIS, R. DE (1959) Premieres recherches sur l'avifaune des lies du

Banc d'Arguin (Mauritanie) . Alauda 27: 241-308

NAUROIS, R. DE (1969) Peuplements et Cycles de Reproduction des Oiseaux

de la Cote Occidentale d' Afrique . Editions du Museum, Paris

ROUX, F., MAHEO , R. & TAMISIER, A. (1978) L ' exploitation de la basse

vallee du Senegal (quartier d'hiver tropical) par trois especes de

canards palearctiques et ethiopiennes . Terre & Vie 32: 387-416

TRECA, B . , 0RST0M/ & ROUX, F.,CPBP0, Paris, personal communication.

TROTIGNON, J. (1976) La nidification sur le Banc d'Arguin (Mauritanie) au

printemps 1974. Alauda 44: 119-134

TROTIGNON, J. (1980) Parc National du Banc d'Arguin. Comptes-Rendus

d' Activities Scientifiques (Oct. 77 - Fev. 79). B.P. 124, Nouadhibou,

Mauritanie

P. W. P. Browne , 115 Crichton Street, Ottawa, Ontario, KIM 1V8 , Canada

1981

NEW BIRDS IN MAURITANIA

73

LISTE COMMENTEE DES OISEAUX DU MALI

par B . Lamarche

Received 19 September 1981

2eme partie : Passereaux*

Alouette chanteuse Mira fra cantillans (S) Limite du Sahara. Commune et

repandue sur l'ensemble du Sahel, au sud jusque Mopti. (N) de mai a

octobre .

Alouette du Cordofan Mirafra cordofanica (S, MAT) Peu commune, repandue

depuis le 15°N jusqu'au 23 °N, sans doute sur tout le Sahara, en fonction du

"paturage". Se deplace manifestement selon les saisons et les possibilites

du milieu. (N) au debut de la saison des pluies : mai a juillet dans la

region de Tombouctou. Nids egalement en aout (observation rapportee par

chasseurs maures, mais non controlee) , au nord de la boucle du Niger. Un

jeune collecte en novembre a In Alahi, au nord de Tombouctou (Bates 1934) .

Alouette a nuque rousse Mirafra africana batesi Peu commune mais abondante

localement. Des observations nombreuses dans l'est du pays, en avril et en

aout-septembre .

Alouette cannelle Mirafra cinnamomea Commune et largement repandue au

Sahel sud (15°N) , mais surtout abondante en zone soudanienne (battements

d'ailes caracteristiques qui permettent de la reperer) . Effectif important

au sud. (N) de mai a septembre-octobre.

Alouette roussatre Mirafra rufa Assez commune ) l'est de la boucle du Niger

en saison des pluies, affectionne roches et buissons. (N) debut de saison

des pluies, mai-juin, parfois juillet, mais variable car en accord avec la

venue des pluies. La parade ressemble un peu a celle d 'Alaemon.

Alouette a queue rousse Pinarocorys erythropygia Peu commune, localisee au

Sahel sud. S'observe tres communement dans l'est du pays en saison des

pluies, egalement au Sud Gourma et au Delta, Ban Markala (vallee du Bani)

en mai-juin (Duhart 1963) .

Sirli Alaemon alaupides (S) S'observe a partir du 17°N au Mali (Awana,

Azzawad) , du 16°N en Mauri tanie (Aouker) . Nombreux parfois sur les "beaux"

paturages. Quelques sujets peuvent etre tres pales.

* lere partie : voir Malimbus 2(1980): 121-158.

74

B . Lamarche

Ma limbus 3

Alouette des sables a queue noire Ammomanes cinctura (S) Au nord du Sahel

et sur 1' ensemble du Sahara s'il y a des "paturages". Present dans l'Awana

et le nord de l'Irrigui. Petits groupes tres actifs un peu partout.

(N) janvier a avril dans les cailloux.

Ammomane du desert Ammomanes deserti (S) Commune et repandue dans le nord

du Sahel. Dans l'est, descend jusqu'au 16°N. Au nord, s'arrete a la

limite des arbres (18°N - 18°30'N). Trois ssp observees et collectees:

my a, geyri et monodi . Mais la systematique aurait fort besoin d'etre

reprise, de nombreux sujets presentant des caracteres et des mensurations

exterieures aux intervalles donnes.

Alouette de Dunn Ammomanes dunni (S) Assez commune du 14°N au 18°N.

Variable selon les saisons. Petits groupes souvent melanges avec alouettes-

moineaux. (N) jeunes en avril-mai (15°N) .

Cochevis huppe Galerida cristata Commune et repandue. Au voisinage des

cours d'eau, du Delta, des mares saheliennes jusqu'au 17°N, au sud jusqu'a

la frontiere mais toujours dans les zones claires. Concentrations importan-

tes de decembre a avril sur le Delta dans son ensemble (13° a 17°N) .

Observee dans l'est en saison des pluies dans I'Azzawakh, sous-espece qui

pourrait etre ssp jordonsi (Niethammer) si la couleur rousse est un critere

valable. (N) avril-mai et durant la saison des pluies.

Alouette modeste Heliocorys modesta Assez commune et repandue. Affectionne

les zones de roches, rocailles et cuirasses lateritiques . Du 15°N jusqu'au

sud du pays. (N) au sud, novembre a janvier; pres de San, en mai-juin.

Alouette-moineau a orei lions blancs Eremopteryx leucotis Commune et

repandue de l'est a lrouest du Sahel. Ne monte guere au nord du 17°N.

Assez abondante au sud, dans les zones propices, jusque vers 14 °N. (N)

signalee en mars et avril, mais non controlee; par contre controlee

d'octobre a janvier.

Alouette-moineau a front blanc Eremopteryx nigriceps Largement repandue au

Sahel, mais surtout abondante dans l'est ou elle forme des rassemblements

importants. (N) juillet-aout, mais surtout septembre-octobre .

Alouette calandrelle Calandrella brachydactyla (S, MP, a: septembre -

d: avril) Commune et repandue. Ssp brachydactyla (Leis) , arrive en sep-

tembre au nord, un sujet au puits de Tabereshat (Bates 1934) , pas de gros

vols observes en automne sauf aux abords des grands lacs du nord (5 a

10 000) , en decembre groupes de 150 a 700 sur le Moyen Delta, en fevrier-

mars groupes de 500 a Kara (Curry, com. pers.), mais le plus souvent seule

ou par paires, gros vols (10 OOO et plus) sur les marges du Delta et les

grands lacs en mars-avril. Ssp longipennis (Evers) , trois sujets collectes

en septembre dans I'Azzawakh (ailes 102-103) rapportes a cette espece.

Ssp hermonensis (Tristram) de Syrie et Palestine, neuf sujets collectes a

Tabereshat (Bates 1934) . Praed & Grant (1970) signalent qu'il est fort

probable que cette ssp soit une forme "rufous" de la ssp nominale, critere

de jugement?

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

75

Bergeronnette grise Motacilla alba alba (S, MP, a: septembre-octobre ,

d: mars) Assez commun et repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Commun au Delta,

lac Debo surtout, et marges occidentales (Jarry com pers) en fevrier. De

petits groupes - 5 a 40 - au Sahel et au Sahara (Arawan et Taoudeni) .

Passage, mais hivemage non negligeable.

Bergeronnette pie Motacilla alba vidua (MAT?, R) Du 13 °N a la frontiere

de Guinee, assez commun et repandu, mais effectif assez faible. Zones

humides et cours d'eau, souvent pres des agglomerations. (N) fevrier a mai .

Bergeronnette a longue queue Motacilla clara chapini (MAT?, R?) Peu commun.

Zone frontaliere guineenne, chutes et rapides de la haute vallee du Bating

en decembre et mai. Monte au nord avec les pluies (12°N) . (N) rapportee

de decembre au sud des Monts Mandingues par chasseurs malinkes, mais non

controlee .

Bergeronnette des ruisseaux Motacilla cinerea (S, MP, a: sept?, d: ?)

Peu commun et peu repandu, se cantonne dans le sud du pays: ravins et cours

d'eau a chutes. Dire et Kangaba en novembre, Bamako en decembre, Ansongo en

septembre. Lac Korientze en fevrier (Jarry com pers) .

Bergeronnette printaniere Motacilla flava (S, MP, a: fin aout-sept, d:

mars-avril, mai) Commun, repandu et localement abondant, du 17°N au sud du

pays, dortoirs importants: 6 a 40 000 au lac Horo en novembre et mars-avril,

5 a 30 000 a Mopti de janvier a mars (Jarry com pers) . Des dortoirs

importants se situent egalement au lac Aougoundou (typhaies) , lac Korarou

(typhaies) , lac Korientze: Echinochloa sp sec, et di verses graminees

seches, sur sol sec, en fevrier (Jarry in litt. ) . Les di verses sous-especes

sont observables sur le Delta: ssp flava effectif tres important, grands

dortoirs, d: mars-avril; flavissima effectif assez important, grands

dortoirs, d: mars; cinereocapilla effectif important, grands dortoirs, d:

mars-avril; iberiae faible effectif (au sud) , d: fevrier; thunbergi faible

ou tres faible effectif (Delta) , d: avril; feldegg rare, (Delta, Plateau

Dogon) , d: mars-avril. Un echantillon de 329 males captures a Mopti en

fevrier, donne les pourcentages suivants (Jarry in litt) : M. f. flava

96.6%, flavissima 0.3%, cinereocapilla 1%, iberiae 1.8%, thunbergi 0.3%,

feldegg 0%. La race iberiae apparait en proportion plus importante en

milieu tres humide. Exploitation des pelouses de graminees flottantes, lac

Aougoundou, par exemple, (Jarry in litt) .

Pipit rousseline Anthus campestris (S, MP , a: sept-oct, d: mars-avril)

Commun et repandu au Delta, sur les zones seches, en fait, du 17°N au sud

du pays, dans les zones degagees. Regroupements sur les marges du Delta

avant le depart.

Pipit a long bee Anthus similis asbenaicus (MAT, R?) Rare, dans I'est

essentiellement. Lac Aougoundou en fevrier (Jarry com pers) , ' Tiguirirt en

avril, Tamalet et Anderamboukane en avril et septembre.

ssp . bannermani (MAT?, R?) au sud du 13 °N. Bamako en janvier, Kenyeba et

Mahina en fevrier et mars, Kangaba en novembre et mars, Bougouni en mars

(Jarry com pers) .

Pipit a dos roux Anthus leucophrys gouldii Pas d' observation de cette sous-

espece au Mali.

76

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

ssp zenkeri (MAT, R) Du 15 °N (Delta) au sud du pays commun au delta sur le

sol nu. (N) supposee sur le Diaka en fevrier et mars, parade nuptiale au

lac Korientze en fevrier (Jarry in litt) , observee en juin, zone de Mopti

(Bates 1934) .

Pipit de Richard Anthus novaeseelandiae richardii (S, MP, a: sept, d:

avril) Rare, repandu sur le Sahel (zones humides) . Menaka et Anderamboukane

avril-mai et septembre.

Pipit des arbres Anthus trivialis trivialis (S , MP, a: sept-oct, d: avril)

Peu commun, mais repandu du 17 °N au sud du pays.

Pipit a gorge rousse Anthus cervinus (S, MP, a: oct, d: avril) Rare,

repandu au Sahel, parfois associe a Motacilla flava. Peu ou pas au sud.

Au Sahel, isole ou par pairss; au Delta petits groupes cantonnes.

Alouette sentinelle Macronyx croceus (MAT?, R) Rare, localise: Delta et

zone sahelienne est essentiellement. Plateau Dogon: isole et par 3, 4.

(K) avril-mai a octobre.

CrateroDe brun Turdoides pleheja plebeja (MAT?, R) Peu commun, repandu

dans l’est sahelien exclusivement. Petites bandes a Tamalet, Anderamboukane

Etambo, en aout et septembre. L'iris est jaune. (N) aout.

ssp platycirca L'iris est orange, parfois presque rouge. (MAT?, R) .

Assez commun, repandu du 17°N au sud du pays, effectif localement important.

(N) avril a septembre.

Craterope a tete noire Turdoides reinwardi reinwardi (MAT?, R) L'iris est

jaune. Peu commun, repandu au sud du 14 °N, ravins boises et galeries

forestieres. (N) de novembre-decembre a juillet, peut-etre toute l'annee.

ssp stictilaema L'iris est blanc creme (MAT?, R?) Cite du Mali, sans

precision de date ni de lieu, (Malzy 1962) . Observe et collecte au sud:

Sikasso et Kadiolo en mai .

Craterope fauve Argya fulva buchanani (R) Assez commun, localise. Absent

du Delta. Ne penetre jamais au Mali dans la zone strictement saharienne,

mais est etabli dans la bande sahelienne comprise entre 16 et 18°N -

variable avec la longitude. Monte au nord en saison des pluies. (N) mai a

octobre, mais importantes variations de date dans la meme zone.

Craterope capucin Phyllanthus atripennis atripennis (MAT?, R?) Rare,

extreme ouest et sud-ouest des Monts Mandingues. Observations en mai a

Kenyeba et Falea: ravins boises. Monte au nord avec les pluies, semble-t-

il. (N) presque toute l'annee, d'apres les chaseurs malinkes, mais non

controlee .

Grive akalat brune Trichastoma fulvescens gularis (MAT?, R?) Rare,

localise au sud. Observe et collecte sur la haute vallee du Bafing en mai.

(N) une feme lie a ovules developpes en mai, niche en juin (?) .

Grive akalat de Puvel Trichastoma puveli puveli (MAT?, R?) Observe et

collecte sur la haute vallee du Bafing en mai, apres une serie de gros

orages : galeries forestieres et ravins .

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

77

Bulbul commun Pycnonotus barbatus (MAT?, R) Les sous-especes inornatus et

nigeriae n'ont pas ete retenues car reposant sur des cri teres fort variables

(variations individuelles et saisonnieres) . Assez commun et repandu du

17°N au sud du pays. (N) fevrier-avril, juillet-novembre, peut-etre toute

l'annee selon les zones.

Bulbul huppe a barbe blanche Criniger (Trichophorus) calurus verreauxi

(MAT?, R?) Un male collecte a Bafing-Makana en juin.

Petit bulbul huppe Criniger olivaceus olivaceus (MAT?, R?) Observe et

collecte au sud des Monts Mandingues en mai et novembre: sud de Sagabari,

Bafing-Makana, .Kangaba.

Bulbul moustac a tete grise Bleda canicapilla (MAT?, R?) Rare. Observe et

collecte en mai et juin au sud des Monts Mandingues: Sagabari et Bafing-

Makana.

Grand Bulbul a gorge jaune Pyrrhurus (Chlorocichla) flavicollis flavicollis

(MAT?, R) Peu commun, repandu au sud des Monts Mandingues. Observe et

collecte en mai, octobre et novembre: Sagabari sud, Bafing-Makana, hautes

vallees du Bakoye et du Baoule. (N) novembre, egalement rapportee de la

saison des pluies: juin a septembre, mais non controlee.

Bulbul a queue rousse Pyrrhurus (Phyllastrephus) scandens scandens (MAT?,

R?) Peu commun, sud des Monts Mandingues. Observe et collecte en mai,

octobre et novembre: Bafing-Makana, haute vallee du Bating, Limakole et,

est de Kouremale.

Bulbul a bee grele Stelgidillas (Andropadus) gracilirostris gracilirostris

(MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Sud des Monts Mandingues en mai et octobre: hautes

vallees du Bafing et de la Faleme. Collecte a Sagabari.

Bulbul verdatre Eurillas virens erythropterus (MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Sud

des Monts Mandingues exclusivement: observe et collecte en mai, juillet,

octobre et novembre sur les hautes vallees du Bafing, du Bakoye et du Baoule,

ainsi qu'a l’ouest de Kouremale.

Gobemouche gris Muscicapa striata striata (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: mars-

avril) Peu commun, repandu. Delta et surtout forets seches des marges de

la zone d'inondation et de la zone soudanienne (Parc du Baoule par exemple) .

Localement abondant dans les Monts Mandingues: bois secs non loin des

galeries fores tieres, un effectif important hiverne.

ssp gambagae (MAT, R?) Remonte au nord avec les pluies, observe et collecte

en aout, septembre et decembre dans le sud du Gourma-voisinage de la mare

de Soum- et sur le rebord est du Plateau Dogon: Sourou, Kassa.

Gobemouche noir Muscicapa hypoleuca (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: mars-avril)

Peu commun. Repandu du 15°N jusqu'au sud du pays. Effectif hivernant

reduit: boisements secs non loin de l'eau. Passages importants et "chutes"

irregulieres en compagnie de Phoenicurus phoenicurus et Luscinia megarhynchos

Baoule et nord des Monts Mandingues. Bamako en janvier (Roux com pers) .

78

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Gobemouche a collier Muscicapa albicollis (S, MP , a: aout-sept, d: avril?)

Rare. Observations au Delta et au Sahel fin-aout, septembre et octobre, a

Bamako en octobre egalement.

Gobemouche de marais Alseonax aquaticus aquaticus (MAT?, R) Peu commun,

infeode aux galeries forestieres epaisses et aux marais. Au Delta: lac

Debo, Diaka (Jarry com pers) . Vallee du Bani: present toute l'annee

(Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Parc National du Baoule: galeries du Baoule et

de ses affluents. (N) avril-mai.

Gobemouche-mesange Myoparus (Parisoma) plumbeus plumbeus (MAT?, R) Assez

commun. Localise au sud des Monts Mandingues: observations nombreuses.

II semble exister des mouvements de population. (N) septembre a decembre.

Gobemouche pale Bradornis pallidus modestus (MAT?, R?) Rare. Localise

au sud des Monts Mandingues. Haute Faleme en mai, haut Bating en novembre:

observe et collecte.

ssp nigeriae (MAT?, R?) Cantonne au sud, remonte jusqu'au 15°30'N en

octobre-novembre, apres les pluies. Affectionne les marges du Delta et les

jardins, savane et vergers a Butyrospermum egalement.

Gobemouche- drongo Melaenomis edolioides (R?) Peu commun. Repandu aepuis

le 14°N jusqu'au sud du pays. Monts Mandingues dans leur ensemble. Delta

(partie haute) et cours d'eau: Niger et Bani-Ban Markala (Duhart et

Descamps 1963), present toute l'annee; ne semble pas se deplacer. (N)

rapportee du debut de la saison des pluies (juin) dans les Monts Mandingues,

mais non controlee.

Gobemouche a tete rousse Erythrocercus mccallii nigeriae (MAT?, R?) Due

rebord est des Monts Mandingues, rare. Observe et collecte en mai:

Kouremale et Kangaba.

Gobemouche a gros bee Megabyas flammulatus flammulatus (MAT?, R?) Observe

en mai a Bafing-Makana, rare.

Gobemouche a ventre jaune Hyliota flavigaster flavigaster (MAT?, R?) Peu

commun. Repandu au sud du 14°N. Monts Mandingues: observe en divers

points. Bamako en avril (Paludan 1936) , Ban Markala en janvier (Duhart et

Descamps 1963) . (N) rapportee d ' octobre-novembre au sud des Monts

Mandingues, mais non controlee.

Gobemouche soyeux du Senegal Batis senegalensis (MAT, R) Assez commun.

Repandu du 17°N jusqu'au sud du pays. Bien represente au Sahel et sur le

Delta (marges essentiellement) . Cours d'eau egalement, vallee du Bani

(Duhart et Descamps 1963), Haut Niger et affluents. (N) de fevrier-mars a

juin.

Gobemouche caroncule a collier Platysteira cyanea cyanea (MAT?, R?) Peu

commun, sud du pays exclusivement . Kangaba et Bafing-Makana en novembre,

Bougouni en mars (Jarry com pers) .

Gobemouche bleu a longue queue Elminia (Erannornis) longicauda (MAT?, R?)

Peu commun, repandu au sud. Remonte jusqu'au 13°30'N avec les pluies.

Region de Bamako et bordure est des Monts Mandingues, Bougouni, Sikasso:

toute l'annee semble-t-il.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

79

Moucherolle de paradis Tchitrea viridis (MAT, R?) Peu commun, repandu au

sud. Monte jusqu'au 14°30'N en mai-juin, puis en juillet jusque Tombouctou

(Paludan 1936) et abords du Lac Faguibine, soit 17°N. Present toute l'annee

au sud du 13 °N.

Moucherolle du Congo Tchitrea rufocinerea rufocinerea (MAT?, R?) Rare,

deux exemplaires collectes sans date a Kayes et Koulikoro (Dekeyser et

Derivot 1968) .

Moucherolle a ventre roux Tchitrea rufiventer rufiventer (MAT?, R?) Peu

commun, repandu au sud les Monts Mandingues essentiellement, nombreuses

observations en mai, de Kouremale a Gourbassi. .

Grive musicienne Turdus philomelos (S, MP, a: ?, d: ?) Rare, un sujet

trouve mort aux abords d'Arawan. Impossible de preciser si deplacement

post ou pre-nuptial.

Grive kurrichane Turdus libonyanus chiguancoides (MAT, R?) Commun et repandu

au sud, ne monte guere au nord de 13°30'N en saison des pluies. A Bamako

toute l'annee, semble-t-il.

Merle de roche Monticola saxatilis (MP, a: ?, d: ?) Tres peu commun. Un

male observe en decembre non loin de Kassa sur le rebord est du Plateau

Dogon. Quatre observations dans les collines et falaises greseuses du

Baoule ouest en fevrier. Observations dans les falaises de Missirikoro,

region de Sikasso en hiver (Laferrere com pers) .

Merle bleu Monticola solitaria solitaria Rare. Infeode aux zones greseusse,

non loin de l'eau. En janvier, une observation de la haute vallee du

Bafing, une autre du cours du Bakoye pres de Walia. Une femelle collectee

a Koulikoro en fevrier (Bates 1934) .

Traquet motteux Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: avril)

Commun et repandu de la frontiere sud (zones degagees et seches) . Bien

represente sur les marges du Delta et au Sahel.

ssp leucorhoa (MP, a: oct-nov, d: avril?) De nombreux sujets de grande

taille sont sans doute a rapoorter a cette sous-espece. Collectes a Bamako

et au Delta. Effectif assez important.

ssp libanotica (MP, S, a: sept, d: ?) Collecte dans le Delta et au Gourma

en septembre et decembre. Effectif faible.

ssp seebohmi (S, MP, a: sept, d: ?) Note au Sahel exclusivement . Septembre:

Menaka, novembre: Tombouctou, decembre: Gossi. Quelques individus.

Traquet isabelle Oenanthe isabellina (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: mars-avril)

Commun, repandu entre le 13°30'N et le 17°N. Commun au Delta: se cantonne

sur les marges. Le traquet le plus commun au nord du 16 °N.

Traquet du desert Oenanthe deserti (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: mars-avril)

Assez commun et repandu au nord, ne descend guere au sud de 15 °N. Zones

seches depourvues de vegetation. Bien represente sur la frange sahelienne

nord.

80

B . Lamar che

Malimbus 3

Traquet espagnol Oenanthe hispanica hispanica (S, MP, a: fin aout-sept-oct ,

d: mars-avril) Assez commun et repandu du 18°N au 12°30'N. Commun au

Sahel et Delta nord. Effectif comparable a celui de 0. isabellina .

Rass emblements , groupes tres laches au Delta, en mars-avril.

ssp melanoleuca (S, MP , a: oct, d: mars-avril) Peu commun et, semble-t-ii,

localise. Pas au sud du 16 °N, sejourne tard en mai.

Traquet noir a queue blanche Oenanthe leucopyga aegra (MAT?, S, R) Peu

commun, mais repandu. Infeode tres generalement a des milieux rocheux, mais

pas exclusivement, car rencontre, apparemment can tonne dans des ergs de

faible puissance. Recherche les agglomerations: Arawan, Taoudeni, et les

ruines. Effectue des deplacements. (N) avril-mai dans l'Adrar des Ifoghas,

rapportee mais non controlee. En mars a Arawan.

Traquet a poi trine rousse Oenanthe heuglini (S , MAT, R?) Peu commun au

Sahel moyen et nord. Descend en hiver au sud du Sahel et en zone

soudanienne. Sur les marges du Delta, la majorite des observations se

situe d'octobre a mars; (observation a Amba (Jarry com pers) ) . Toutefois,

en juin a San (Bates 1933) . Le mouvement est-il lie a la reproduction?

(N) rapportee du debut de l'annee en zone soudanienne, mais non controlee.

Traquet de roche a queue noire Cercomela melanura airensis et C. m. ultima

Compte tenu des variations individuelles de teinte existant de l'est a

l'ouest et du nord au sud, la validite des deux sous-especes semble fort

douteuse. (MAT?, R) . Peu commun, repandu dans l'ouest, jusque sur les

eboulis de piemont des inselbergs du Hombori. Dans l'est, collines

rocheuses et pierrailles des berges de l'Azzawakh: collines d'Agalam-

Galam, quelques observations egalement du sud de l'Adrar des Ifoghas.

(N) femelle a ovules developpes en mai. Rapportee d'avril a juin (premiere

pluie en general) , mais non controlee. Niche en mai au Niger, zone de

Tillia (Bates 1934) .

Traquet de roche a queue rousse Cercomela familiaris falkensteini (MAT?,

R?) Peu commun, repandu dans la region sud. Monte jusqu'au 15°30'N durant

la saison des pluies (juin a octobre) , redescend ensuite au sud. Zones

boisees, champs et eboulis. Bien represente dans les massifs greseux:

Plateau Dogon et Pays Bwa (San, Manjakui) , falaises du Baoule, Monts

Mandingues. (N) rapportee de mars par les chasseurs Bobo-oule, mais non

controlee .

Traquet noir a front blanc Pentholaea albifrons frontalis (MAT?, R?)

Assez commun dans les Monts Mandingues de l'est a l'ouest. Souvent observe

autour de Bamako: collecte en avril (Paiudan 1936) et en novembre (Malzy

1962) . (N) rapportee de la saison froide, novembre a fevrier par chasseurs

malinkes mais non controlee.

Traquet de roche a ventre roux Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris bambarae et

T. c. cavernicola . La validite des deux sous-especes est plus que douteuse.

Les milieux sont les memes, de la Haute-Volta jusqu'en Mauri tanie et les

multiples sujets observes et collectes sont identiques. (R) Observe dans

tous les massifs et collines greseux de quelque importance, parfois en

groupe. Bien represente dans les massifs de l'est de Mopti et les Monts

Mandingues. Pas au nord de Hombori. (N) septembre-octobre et novembre

(sans doute) : transport de materiaux.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

81

Traquet fourmilier Myrmecocichla aethiops aethiops (MAT?, R) Commun et

repandu sur l'ensemble du Delta, du 13°N jusqu'au 17°N. Essentiellement

marges du Delta et buttes cultivees: Haut Delta dans peuplement de

Faidherbia , Bas Delta: pres des mares en compagnie de Spreo pulcher

(Duhart et Descamps 1963) . (N) de juillet a septembre.

Traquet patre Saxicola torquata torquata (MP, S, a: ?, d: ?) Deux sujets

trouves morts au Sahara: un pres d'Arawan, un aux abords des puisards

d'El Kseib Ounan. Pas d ' indications concemant trajet vers le sud ou vers

le nord (migration post ou pre-nuptiale) .

ssp moptana (MAT?, R) Dans le passe, les residents s ' observaient locale-

ment en petit .nombre : Kabara en septembre (Paludan 1936), Mopti en janvier

(Bates 1934). Repandu sur l'ensemble du Delta, mais pas au sud du 14°N,

semble-t-il. Actuellement , il semble que le statut de l'espece ait

considerablement evolue, elle est devenue fort rare et essentiellement

localisee autour de Mopti; quelques observations cependant dans le Bas

Delta, Dire et Niafunke. (N) en janvier, aux abords de Mopti (Bates 1934) .

Traquet tarier Saxicola rubetra (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: avril-mai) Peu

commun, passage de peu d' importance . Migration d'automne: arrivee sur

Gourma et Delta; passage de printemps : plus a l'est, semble-t-il, Gourma

et Tamesna.

Cossyphe a ailes bleues Cossypha cyanocampter cyanocampter (MAT?, R?)

Rare. Galeries forestieres et ravins boises, deux sujets collectes en

novembre: Kangaba et Sagabari, un en mai, a Baf ing-Makana.

Grande Cossyphe a tete blanche Cossypha albicapilla albicapilla (MAT?, R?)

Peu commun, repandu dans les Monts Mandingues de l'est a l'ouest. Pas au-

dessus de 13°30'N. Plusieurs sujets collectes a Bamako et a Koulikoro en

juillet, aout et octobre (Malzy 1962) . Semble se replier au sud en saison

d'hiver.

Petite Cossyphe a tete blanche Cossypha niveicapilla niveicapilla (MAT?,

R) Assez commun au sud du 14 °N. Present dans l'ensemble des Monts

Mandingues. Marges est du Delta et vallee du Bani (Duhart et Descamps

1963). (N) Sikasso en mars.

Agrobate rubigineux Agrobates galactotes galactotes (S, MP, R?, a: sept-

oct, d: avril) Peu commun, mais probleme de determination de la sous-

espece sur le terrain. Depuis le nord du Sahel, 18°N, jusqu'au 14°N vers

le sud. Toujours zones boisees ou buissonneuses . (N) Possible, mais non

observee. Certains sujets estivent manifestement.

ssp minor (MAT, R) Assez commun sur l'ensemble du Sahel, descend jusqu'au

14°N. Frequente largement les marges du Delta et les grands lacs aux rives

boisees: Faguibine et Fati, par exemple. (N) de janvier a aout, peut-etre

toute 1 ' annee selon les zones.

Merle podobe Cercotrichas podobe podobe (R) Commun et repandu du 17°N au

12 °N, peut-etre jusqu'au sud du pays. Present toute 1' annee. Bien

represente au Sahel: bas-fonds et zones humides, tout autant que boisements

secs. (N) de fevrier a septembre selon les zones, mais surtout de juillet

a septembre au Sahel, pour la majorite de l'effectif.

82

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Rouge-queue a front blanc Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus (S, MP, a:

sept-oct-nov, d: avril) Assez commun du 15°N au sud du pays. Bien

represente sur Haut et Moyen Delta, les marges des mares saheliennes et

surtout les boisements de la region soudanienne. Regroupements importants

mais laches (plusieurs centaines sur quelques hectares) en mars et avril,

dans les boisements saheliens secs et denses, a proximite de l'eau.

Rouge-queue noir ou Tithys Phoenicurus ochruros (MP, a: ?,' d: ?) Rare, une

seule observation indubitable, sujet male a Bamako (Koulouba) en decembre.

Gorge-bleue Cyanosylvia svecica cyanecula (S, MP, a: oct-nov, d: mars) Peu

commun, repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Effectif peu important sur les

marges du Delta et les berges des cours d'eau: Niger et Bani . Bien

represente en lisiere des crandes typhaies (Jarry com pers) .

ssp svecica (S, MP, a et a, sans doute meme donnees que ssp cyanecula . La

distribution est sans doute la meme que celle de cyanecula, mais l'effectif

semble extremement faible, captures regulieres a Bamako en novembre et

decembre .

Rossignol Luscinia megarhynchos (MP, a: oct-nov, d: ?) Peu d' observations ,

semble de passage et non hivemant. Delta, Bamako et Parc du Baoule en

octobre et novembre. Passage d'automne tres sensible, passage de printemps

non observe. Un sujet collecte en aout a Koulikoro (Malzy 1962) , estivant

ou arrivee precoce(?).

Fauvette babillarde Sylvia curruca (S, MP, a: oct?, d: avril-mai?) Tres peu

commun, semble hivemer aupres des mares saheliennes. Regroupement par 3 ou

4 sur Salvadora persica, en avril et debut mai. Pas au sud du 15°N.

Fauvette grisette Sylvia communis (S, MP, a: aout-septembre et octobre, d:

avril-mai) Du 17°N au sud du pays. Tres irregulierement reparti: commun au

Delta- l'effectif augmente des le nord de Segou- sur les buttes exondees

et en pays Bwa (San et Manjakui) dans les vergers a Butyrospermum. Passages

et stationnements tres variables selon les annees et les saisons.

Fauvette des jardins Sylvia borin (S, MP, a: oct-nov, d: avril?) Repandu,

mais tres peu commun, du sud de Bamako jusqu'au 17°N: quelques observations

de passage rapportees a cette espece.

Fauvette a tete noire Sylvia atricapilla (S, MP, a: oct-nov, d: mars-avril)

Assez peu commun. Repandu en automne, du 17°N au sud du pays, puis se

can tonne en dessous du 15 °N. Depart tres progressif en mars. Quelques

sujets estivent dans les jardins: Bamako, Mark ala, Sevare, Pays Dogon.

Fauvette de Ruppell Sylvia rueppellii (S, MP, a: sept-oct?, d: ?) Rare,

tres peu d 'observations . Un sujet mort dans l'est du Timetrine (abords est

de Tin Karr) , un autre au nord de Tessalit. Une observation, le 2 octobre

a Kara (Curry com pers) .

Fauvette passerinette Sylvia cantillans cantillans (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d:

avril) Assez commun, repandu du sud jusqu'au 17°N. Frequente au Delta des

peuplements de Diospyros (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Rass emblements

importants, plusieurs milliers dans la phragmitaie et aux abords du lac

Horo en janvier et mars; lac Aougoundou egalement et surtout steppe

buissonnante des herds du fleuve au nord de Mopti en fevrier et debut mars

(Jarry com pers) . Quelques sujets estivent.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

83

ssp albistriata (MP, a: ?, d: ?) Abondant et collecte en septembre a

Tabereshat, a Gao en aout (Bates 1934) .

ssp inornata (MP , a: ?, d: mai) Deux sujets collectes a Gossi en mai,

adiposite tres elevee, oiseaux manifestement sur le depart. Collecte au

Niger, abords des puits de Tilia, en mai, adiposite tres elevee egalement

(Bates 1934) .

Fauvette naine Sylvia nana (S, MAT?, R) Peu commun, localise. Pas au sud

de 17°30'N. Entonnoirs dunaires et zones planes de l'Akle Awana dentral,

Erigat du nord-ouest (20°N, 5°W) ; effectif localement important dans les

"paturages" a Cornulaca monacantha, Aristida acuti flora , Aristida pungens .

Un sujet isole* en fevrier a Arawan. (N) de fin novembre a janvier,

transport de materiaux, mais nidification non observee.

Hippolais polyglotte Hippolais polyglotta (MP, a: aout-septembre, d: avril-

mai) Peu commun, repandu. Effectif assez faible, observe aux deux passages,

au Sahel, au Delta, et au sud. Captures annuelles regulieres a Bamako en

novembre et decembre. Une observation le 27 juillet a Kara (Curry com pers) .

Hippolais icterine Hippolais icterina (MP, a: aout-sept, d: avril?)

Passage au Sahel et sur le Delta en automne. Semble se cantonner plus au

sud, captures regulieres et repetees a Bamako en decembre et janvier, dans

les Mimosa pigra des berges du Niger. Observe en fevrier sur Khaya

senegalensis a Bamako (Sayer com pers) .

Hippolais pale Hippolais pallida opaca (S, MP, a: aout-septembre, d: mars-

avril) Commun et repandu du 17°N au sud du pays, abondant au Delta de

novembre a mai (Duhart et Descamps 1963). Les departs s'etalent jusqu'en

juin. Effectif non negligeable d'estivants.

ssp reiseri (MP, a: ?, d: ?) Trois captures rapportees a cette ssp en

decembre a Bamako.

Locustelle tachetee Locustella naevia naevia (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: ?)

Peu commun, repandu, du 17°N au sud du pays. Sahel (bas-fonds) en septembre,

descente au sud ensuite avec faible stationnement sur les marges du Delta

(zones a Mimosa pigra preferentiellement) . Quelques sujets sur le Diaka en

fevrier et mars (Jarry com pers) .

Locustelle luscinioide Locustella luscinioides (MP, a: ?, d: ?) Peu commun,

repandu. Captures et observations au sud en novembre et decembre: Bamako

et Parc du Baoule. Observation de quelques sujets sur le Diaka, fin janvier

(Jarry com pers) . Hive mage dans le Moyen Delta comme pour Locustella naevia

tres certainement .

Rousserolle turdoide Acrocephalus arundinaceus (S, MP, a: sept-oct?, d: mars

avril?) Peu commun, repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Mais petites concentr-

ations au Delta, dans phragmitaies et typhaies, grands lacs tout particuliere

ment: Faguibine et Horo (de decembre a mars-avril) , Aougoundou en mars

(Jarry com pers) .

Rousserolle effarvate Acrocephalus scirpaceus (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d: avril)

Peu commun, repandu depuis le 17°N jusqu'au sud du pays. Au Sahel, mares

perennes et boucle du Niger. Au Delta, typhaies des lacs et Mimosa pigra

des berges. Hivemage important au nord: lac Horo, mais aussi et surtout

plus au sud, lac Aougoundou ou stationnent plusieurs dizaines de milliers de

sujets (Jarry com pers) .

84

B . Lamarche

Ma limbus 3

Rousserolle africaine Acrocephalus cinnamomeus (MAT?, R) Peu commun,

repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Effectif assez important sur le Delta:

grosses concentrations dans les phragmitaies et surtout les typhaies des

grands lacs: Faguibine Horo, Aougoundou (Jarry com pers) . Effectif

regulier au sud dans les Mimosa pigra des berges du Bani et du Niger.

(N) juillet a Bamako, fevrier-mars au Delta: jeunes sortis du nid en mars-

avril (Jarry com pers) .

Phragmite des joncs Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (S, MP, a: sept-oct, d:

avril-mai) Peu commun, repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Hivernage important

au Delta sur les tapis de graminees palustres et Polygonum sp, dans les

typhaies, phragmitaies, et berges a Mimosa pigra: concentrations de

plusieurs milliers d'indi vidus. Hiveme en particulier sur les lacs

Faguibine, Horo de novembre a mars. Verifie egalement de janvier a mars au

lac Aougoundou (Jarry com pt.rs) .

Phragmite aquatique Acrocephalus paludicola (S, MP, a: ?, d: ?) Rare, mais

sans doute effectif faible. Sur les grandes prairies inondees et les

phragmitaies du Delta et des mares et lacs saheliens. En decembre: une

observation a Gossi, un sujet collecte a la mare Takadji (Duhart et Descamps

1963), ’me capture a Bamako. Au Sahara, deux cadavres dans la zone

d'Arawan en novembre, migration post-nuptiale , oiseaux epuises.

Rousserolle des Cannes Calamocichla ( Acrocephalus ) rufescens ssp (MAT?, R?)

Rare, une capture rapportee a l'espece, en novembre a Bamako: bords du

Niger, dans Mimosa pigra.

Pouillot fitis Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus (S, MP, a: aout-septembre ,

d: fin avril, debut mai) Assez commun, repandu du 17°N au sud du pays.

Stationnement au Sahel puis descente au sud en automne. Cantonnements en

petit n ombre, du nord au sud, Sahel, Delta, zone soudanienne. Regroupements

importants a partir de mars, au sud: Bougouni (Jarry com pers) , puis Haut

et Moyen Delta (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . De nombreux sujets estivent:

Delta, Sahel et parfois meme tres au nord -18 et 18°N- sur Salvadora persica.

Pouillot veloce Phylloscopus collybita collybita (S, MP, a: sept, d:

fevrier-mars-avril) Commun, repandu. Statut assez comparable a celui de

P. trochilus , mais effectif beaucoup plus important, 5 a 10 fois plus selon

les zones. De Ke Macina au sud du pays: les grands arbres situes au

voisinage de l'eau - Combretum, Khaya - abritent une population importante .

De nombreux sujets occupent egalement les epaisses bordures de Mimosa pigra

des divers cours d'eau. Les premiers departs ont lieu en fevrier (Jarry

com pers). Un nombre important d'individus estive.

Pouillot siffleur Phylloscopus sibilatrix (S, MP, a: sept?, d: avril-mai?)

Peu commun au passage, repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Rares sujets

can tonnes du Sahel a la zone soudanienne. Le 20 septembre a Tabereshat

(Bates 1934) ; en novembre et fevrier, deux captures a Bamako; en decembre,

une capture a Gossi; une observation en avril, a Kara (Curry com pers) .

Pouillot de Bonelli Phylloscopus bonelli (S, MP, a: aout-sept, d: avril-

mai) Peu commun, repandu du 17CN au sud du pays. Arrivee precoce, 15 aout

a Gossi (Thiney com pers) . Majorite des hivernants au nord du 14°N.

Boisements des marges du Delta et de la bordure des mares saheliennes et des

bas-fonds. Depart progressif. Quelques estivants et retardataires : une

observation en juin a Bamako (Malzy 1962) .

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

85

Fauvette crombec Sylvietta brachyura (MAT?, R) Assez commun du 17°N au

sud du pays. Delta, cours d'eau et mares. (N) juin- juillet, a Tombouctou

(Bates 1934) .

Fauvette crombec verte Sylvietta virens flaviventris (MAT?, R?) Rare, un

exemplaire collecte au sud de Kangaba, rapporte a cette espece.

Eremomele grise et jaune Eremomela (icteropygialis) alexanderi griseoflava

(MAT?, R) Effectif important sur le Bas Delta et au Sahel arbustif. Pas

d'information au sud du 13°N, mais sans doute rare ou absent. (N) juin et

juillet sur les marges du Delta.

Eremomela a dos vert Eremomela pusilla pusilla (MAT?, R?) Commun et repandu

au sud du 14°30'N dans les associations a Butyrospermum, Parkia et

Pterocarpus : Ban Markala, vallee du Bani (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Bamako et Koulikoro (Malzy 1962). Present toute l'annee, jusqu'au sud du

pays. Par contre, absent du Delta vif.

Camaroptere a dos vert Camaroptera chloronata (MAT?, R?) Rare. Deux

sujets collectes, rapportes a 1* espece: un de Bafing-Makana en mai, un de

Kangaba en novembre.

Camaroptere a queue courte Camaroptera brevicaudata (MAT?, R) Commun et

repandu au sud du 17°N jusqu'aux regions les plus meridionales . Effectif

important. (N) juillet a octobre.

ssp tincta (MAT?, R?) Rare. Deux captures rapportees a cette sous-espece,

une a Bamako en novembre, une a Kangaba, en novembre egalement: une

femelle avec ovules developpes. (N) decembre- janvier?

Timalie a tete noire Hypergerus atriceps (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une observation

a Yanfolila en mars, deux observations a Sikasso en avril et en mai.

Cisticole commune Cisticola juncidis uropygialis (MAT?, R) Commun et

repandu du 17°N au sud. Present sur le Delta et les cours d'eau et mares.

Effectif important au Delta dans associations a Vetiveria , Typha, Phragmites

et Mimosa... Bien represente sur les plaines du Delta Moyen et les grands

lacs: Faguibine, Horo et Aougoundou (Jarry com pers) . (N) peut-etre toute

l'annee selon les zones.

Cisticole du desert Cisticola aridula aridula (MAT?, R) Assez commun et

repandu sur les marges du Delta et au Sahel. Ne semble guere descendre au

sud de 14°30'N. (N) juin-juillet et aout (Bates 1934), mais un ovule

developpe sur une femelle collectee a Yelimane en octobre. Niche en

novembre (?) .

Cisticole a dos noire Cisticola eximia occidens (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une

femelle collectee en octobre (Malzy 1962) a Bamako; une autre femelle

collectee a Bamako en novembre.

Cisticole siffleuse Cisticola lateralis lateralis (MAT?, R?) Rare, une

male collecte au sud de Kangaba en novembre.

86

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Cisticole des rochers Cisticola emini admiralis (MAT?, R) Peu commun, au

sud de 15°N, infeode aux collines et massifs greseux: Hombori, Douentza,

Plateau Dogon, Koulikoro, Bamako, Monts Mandingues . (N) Chant et transport

de materiaux a Hombori en septembre. Nidification non observee.

Cisticole chanteuse Cisticola cantans concolor (MAT?, R?) Commun au sud du

14°N, ssp concolor uniquement, d'apres Bates (1934), mais peu de criteres

valables separent cette ssp de la ssp swanzii compte tenu des variations

individuelles et saisonnieres . En bref, C. cantans ssp, commun et repandu

au sud du 14°30'N jusqu'a la frontiere de Cote-d ' Ivoire , bien represente

dans les Monts Mandingues .

Cisticole a face rousse Cisticola erythrops erythrops (MAT?, R?) Assez

commun au sud du 13°N. Monts Mandingues, cours d'eau. Frequente des zones

plus humides que C. cantans.

Cisticole roussatre Cisticola galactotes amphilecta (MAT?, R?) Repandu au

Sahel, sur le Delta et les cours d'eau. Labbezanga, collecte en juillet

(Bates 1934) . Collecte a Koulikoro en octobre (Malzy 1962) . En novembre,

deux specimens collectes au Parc National du Baoule.

ssp zaiingei (MAT?, R) Commun et typique de la zone d'inondation (Duhart

et Descamps 1963), surtout formations a Echinochloa sp, Oryza barthii,...

Partout au sud du lac Debo (Guichard 1947), mais absent de la "boucle".

(N) dans Vetiveria en septembre, a Diafarabe (Guichard 1947) .

Cisticole striee Cisticola natalensis strangei (MAT?, R?) Rare. Quelques

observations et collectes au sud du 12°30'N. Collecte en octobre (sans

indication de lieu) (Malzy 1962) , et en novembre, a Kangaba et Selingue.

Cisticole a ailes courtes Cisticola brachyptera brachyptera (MAT?, R?)

Assez commun et repandu au sud du 14 °N. Collecte dans la savane a

Butyrospermum a Ban Markala en mai (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Captures

regulieres a Bamako, d' octobre a mars. Collecte au sud de Kangaba en

novembre.

Cisticole rousse Cisticola rufa (MAT?, R?) Assez commun et repandu au sud

du 14°N. Kangaba: deux sujets collectes en novembre. Bamako: plusieurs

captures d' octobre a decembre, et une collecte en aout (Malzy 1962). Koni:

collecte et nombreuses observations dans 1 ' association ripicole du marigot

(effectif important) , (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Cisticole grisatre Cisticola troglodytes troglodytes (MAT?, R?) Rare.

Une collecte en aout, Wad Tisswagh a l'est de l'Azzawakh.

Cisticole a tete rousse Cisticola ruficeps ssp (MAT?, R?) La validite des

sous-especes reste a prouver, les criteres separant la ssp ruficeps de la

ssp guinea etant tres discutables. La repartition de l'espece est large

au sud du 16°30'N. Collecte dans l'est du Sahel: mares du Tamesna, Etambo,

\

mare d ' Anderamboukane en aout et septembre. Au sud du Delta, collecte a

Kara en fevrier (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . De Bamako, en octobre, decembre

et mars. A Kangaba en novembre.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

87

Fauvette-roitelet commune Prinia subflava subflava (MAT?, R) Repandu du

17°N au sud du pays. Compte tenu des variations individuelles et

saisonnieres , les sous-especes pallescens et melanorhyncha n'ont pas ete

retenues; il n'existe en effet aucune limite de repartition. Par contre,

les chants pourraient amener a des separations valables en accord avec des

biotopes differents. (N) aout-septembre au Sahel.

Fauvette a ailes rousses Heliolais erythroptera erythroptera (MAT?, R?)

Rare. Une observation sur le Haut Bating en novembre. Deux sur le Bakoye

en fevrier, une a la Faleme en mai. Hautes vallees uniquement, au sud du

13°N.

Grande fauvette a moustaches Melocichla mentalis mentalis (MAT?, R?) Rare.

Mars: une observation a Selingue. Septembre et octobre: une observation

et une collecte au sud de Kangaba. Novembre: deux observations a Bamako,

une observation au Baoule dans la foret ripicole.

Fauvette a front ecailleux Spiloptila damans (MAT?, R) Commun et repandu

entre le 18°N et le 15°N, de l'est a l'ouest du Sahel, mais frequente le

Delta central et la f range sud-saharienne . (N) juin a aout, rarement

septembre, plus precoce dans l'est.

Hirondelle rustique Hirundo rustica (S, MP, a: fin aout-septembre,

octobre, d: mars-avril-mai) Commun, repandu, du 17°N au sud du pays.

Passages importants et nets au Sahel, en automne, tout comme au printemps,

mais variables selon les annees. Un effectif tres faible hiverne du nord

au sud, la grosse majorite des individus ne faisant que transiter vers le

sud. Premieres remontees en fevrier et des mars, dortoirs importants sur

les phragmitaies et typhaies des grands lacs: Faguibine et Horo - 15 a

20 000 associes a Riparia. Un effectif tres reduit estive.

Hirondelle a gorge rousse Hirundo lucida lucida (MAT?, R?) Rare. Quelques

observations sur la Haute Faleme et le Haut Bafing en mai. Semble cantonne

dans 1 'extreme sud-ouest.

ssp dara (MAT, R) Assez commun et repandu, du 14°N au 17°30'N, sur le

Sahel, dans son entier. (N) toute l'annee au Sahel, mais variable selon

les regions .

Hirondelle a gorge blanche Hirundo aethiopica aethiopica (MAT, R) Assez

commun et repandu, dans l'est exclusivement. A Gao, en juillet-aout

(Bates 1934). Bourem, en mai. Sud Tamesna, presque toute l'annee: Menaka,

Waritoufoulout, Anderamboukane . Deplacement en saison froide: novembre a

fevrier. (N) toute l'annee a Anderamboukane, semble-t-il.

Hirondelle a ailes tachetees Hirundo leucosoma (MAT?, R?) Rare. Quelques

observations de San a Bougouni, en janvier et fevrier-mars . Presente

presque tous les mois a Sikasso, Kadiolo et Yanfolila.

Hirondelle a longs brins Hirundo smithii (MAT, R) Peu commun, du 17°N au

12°N. Ansongo et Bourem sur le Niger, Delta ou elle est rare (Duhart et

Descamps 1963) . Deplacements irreguliers. Assez commun au Baoule (Sayer

com pers) . (N) Bamako en fevrier, surplomb rocheux a un metre de la surface

du Niger (Jarry com pers) .

88

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Hirondelle rousseline Hirundo daurica rufula (MP, a: ?, d: mars-avril) Peu

coimnun, pas observe ou sinon quelques rares sujets en autonme, par contre,

passe en faible nombre a Bougouni en mars (Jarry com pers) . Rassemblements

au dortoir avec Riparia, et H. rustica : lacs Faguibine et Horo, en mars-

avri 1 .

ssp domicella (MAT, R?) Peu commun, localise. Massifs greseux a l'est de

Mopti, du Plateau Dogon jusque Hombori. Un male collecte en novembre a

Bamako, chaussee de Sotuba (Malzy 1962) . (N) transports de materiaux en

decembre, Plateau Dogon. Nidification non observee.

Grande Hirondelle a ventre roux Hirundo senegalensis senegalensis (MAT,

R?) Peu commun. Effectue de frequents mouvements . Au sud du 14°N. Mai-

juin- juillet : Koulikoro et Bamako. Juin-juillet et aout: Ban Markala

(Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Septembre a San (Malzy 1962) . Mars a Bougouni

(Jarry com pers) .

Petite Hirondelle a ventre roux Hirundo semirufa gordoni (MAT, R) Peu

commun, pas au nord de 13°30'N. (N) juillet-aout pres de Fana.

Hirondelle a gorge striee Hirundo abgssinica puella (MAT, R?) Peu commun.

Peu d' observations: Avril a Sikasso; juillet, Bougouni et Ban-Markala

(Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Aout, Bamako (Malzy 1962) ; septembre, Ansongo

(Paludan 1936) . Commun pres des habitations au Parc du Baoule a diverses

dates. Done tres generalement au sud de 14°N.

Hirondelle a croupion gris Hirundo griseopggia liberiae (MAT?, R?) Rare.

Au sud du 16 °N. Bas Delta en septembre. Haut Delta en octobre et novembre

(Guichard 1947) . Mopti en janvier (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Hirondelle de Preuss Petrochelidon preussi (MAT, R) Peu commun, localise.

Du 17°N au sud de Bamako. Deplacements frequents qui n'affectent qu'une

part de l'effectif des colonies. (N) tous les mois, sauf aout- septembre

et octobre a Bamako, de 1 500 a 2 500 nids . Dans le sud d' Ansongo, 1 000

nids -nidification toute 1 ' annee semble-t-il. A noter qu'a Bamako, 1' arret

de la nidification est du a la montee du Niger qui recouvre la colonie

etablie en surplomb, detruisant tou jours de nombreuses nichees.

Hirondelle de rivage Riparia riparia (S, MP, a: oct-nov-dec, d: mars-avril)

Commun et repandu. Passage diffus en automne, important et net au printemps .

Mais concentration apres passage du Sahara en novembre et decembre sur les

lacs Faguibine et Horo: 20 a 30 000 sujets durant deux semaines, aved

departs progressifs vers le sud. Rassemblements importants en mars-avril

egalement, tres regulierement : 50 OOO en avril avec H. rustica. Nombreux

dortoirs sur 1' ensemble du pays, Delta et cours du Bani et du Niger. Du

17°N au sud du pays. Hivemage au Sahel et sur le Delta et les cours d'eau:

effectif important sur le Haut Niger et ses affluents.

Hirondelle paludicole Riparia paludicola minor (MAT, R?) Peu commun,

Tamesna moyen et sud en septembre. Segou en fevrier (Bates 1934) .

Frequent au Parc National du Baoule (Sayer com pers) , commun egalement dans

l'ouest de la boucle du Baoule.

Hirondelle de rivage a front blanc Riparia cincta cincta (MAT, R?) Rare.

Une observation de deux sujets dans la plaine du Seno, Koporokenie-Pe , en

septembre .

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

89

Hirondelle de rochers Ptyonoprogne rupestris (MP, a: ?, d: ?) Peu conunun.

Localise. Plateau Dogon et j usque Hombori de decembre a fevrier. Nombreux

sujets collectes.

Hirondelle du desert Ptyonoprogne obsoleta (MAT, R?) Peu commun. Massifs

greseux essentiellement : est de Mopti et Monts Mandingues. Observe en

transit et en chasse au Sahel sableux, sur les lacs et les bas-fonds, sur

les marges du Delta plus rarement. Quelques sujets collectes.

Hirondelle de fenetre Delichon urbica (S, MP, a: novembre, d: mars-avril)

Peu commun. Passage tres peu marque en octobre et novembre, surtout

sensible au Sahel. Remontee tres nette en avril en meme temps que des

groupes importants d 'Apus apus et- d 'Hirundo rustica et Riparia. Quelques

indi vidus se cantonnent au sud: region de Sikasso. Estivants tres rares.

L'effectif d'ensemble est faible.

Hirondelle herissee Psalidoprogne obscura (MAT, R?) Peu commun. Au sud

du 13 °N uniquement. De Bamako, un sujet collecte en aout (Malzy 1962) .

Commun au Parc du Baoule (Sayer com pers) , Gourbassi en mai, falaise de

Tambaoura en juin.

Echenilleur a epaulettes Campephaga phoenicea (MAT, R?) Rare. En mai,

collecte a Kami (Duhart et Descamps 1963), en janvier et aout, pres de

Bamako (Malzy 1962) . Au pare du Baoule en novembre, a Bamako en decembre.

Echenilleur pourpre Campephaga quiscalina quiscalina (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une

observation au sud de Selingue en mars.

Echenilleur a ventre blanc Coracina pectoralis (MAT?, R?) Rare. Deux

femelles juveniles collectees en octobre (Malzy 1962) , une observation en

novembre, toutes a Bamako.

Drongo veloute Dicrurus adsimilis adsimilis (MAT, R) Assez commun. De

Niafunke, jusqu'au sud de Bamako. La majorite de la population se situe

dans les vergers a Butyrospermum et la savane arboree . Tres commun le long

du Bani et du Baoule. Se deplace beaucoup, semble-t-il. (N) juin a

octobre dans le sud du Sahel et la region de San. Donnee de la meme

periode dans les Monts Mandingues, mais non controlee.

ssp atactus Si la couleur est un critere valable, observations nombreuses

a rapporter a cette espece dans le sud des Monts Mandingues. Trois sujets

collectes a Sagbari en novembre.

Drongo de Ludwig Dicrurus ludwigi sharpei (MAT?, R?) Rare. Si couleur de

1'iris est un critere valable, deux observations et deux sujets collectes:

Bafing-Makana en novembre et Manantali en mai (foret-galerie) .

Bagadais casque Prionops plumata plumata (MAT?, R?) Assez commun, localise

dans le sud du 15°N. Surtout abondant entre 12 et 14°N: groupes de 10 a

20. Toute l'annee vers San et sur la vallee du Bani (Duhart et Descamps

1963) .

Bagadais a bee rouge Sigmodus caniceps caniceps (MAT?, R?) Rare. Deux

observations dans les Monts Mandingues: Nana Kenyeba (sud de Bamako) .

Deux observations sur le Soussan, sud de Dyoumanssana.

90

B . Lamarche

Ma limbus 3

Pie-grieche bru-bru Nilaus afer afer (MAT?, R?) Assez commun, tres

inegalement reparti du 17 au 12°N. Surtout abondant au Bas Delta durant les

pluies. (N) juin a novembre.

Pie-grieche grise Lanius excubitor elegans (MAT, R) Assez commun. Du 17°N

au 14°30'N, sur toute la largeur du Sahel. (N) juin a octobre au Sahel.

Pie-grieche fiscale a dos gris Lanius excubitorius excubitorius (MAT, R)

Peu commun. Pas au sud de 15°N. Frequente Sahel, nord Sahel et Sahara.

Disparait durant les pluies. (N) fevrier a mars: Sahel et Sahara.

Pie-grieche a poitrine rose Lanius minor (S, MP, a: ?, d: ?) Peu commun.

Au nord exclusivement . En mars: lac Faguibine et Horo, Akle Awana. En

novembre et decembre: lac Horo, Goundam et Tombouctou.

Pie-grieche fiscale Lanius collaris smithii (MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Au sud

de 13°30'N. Avril: Sikasso; novembre: Siby; mars: San et Tominian.

Pie-grieche masquee Lanius nubicus (MP, R?) Peu commun. Observe dans l'est

uniquement. Sahel et petits centres de cultures: d'aout a avril.

Pie-grieche ecorcheur Lanius collurio collurio (S, MP, a: ?, d: ?) Rare.

Un cadavre au Sahara (19°30'N, 04°30'W) en janvier, migration postnuptiale .

Pie-grieche isabelle Lanius isabellinus (MP, a: septembre ?, d: avril ?)

Rare. Pas au sud de 14°30'N. Au Bas et Moyen Delta, au Sahel surtout et

jusque vers 18°N.

Petite Pie-grieche a dos roux Lanius gubernator (MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Au

Sahel est: mares de Tefoulet, et Tamalet en aout et septembre. Plaine du

Seno: zones cultivees en novembre.

Pie-grieche a tete rousse Lanius senator (S, MP, a: mai-aout-sept-oct, d:

avril-mai) . Commun et repandu. Cantonne sur l'ensemble du Sahel et des

marges du Delta, descend neanmoins jusqu'au 12°N. La pie-grieche la plus

commune au sud de 16°N, de septembre a avril.

ssp badius (MP, a: ?, d: ?) Rare. Trois observations au Sahel est: Menaka

en aout et septembre, Wad Adelanfane en aout.

Corvine lie Corvinella corvina corvina (MAT, R) Assez commun, gregaire et

erratique (suit les eclosions et deplacements d'insectes) sur les marges

du Delta, monte jusqu'au 15°N (mais pas dans le Delta vif) (Duhart et

Descamps 1963); ailleurs, du 14°N au sud du pays. Toute 1 1 annee a Ban

Markala; sur le Bani, tres commun d' octobre a mai . Infeode aux formations

ligneuses denses Pterocarpus lucens par exemple. (N) avril a juillet,

debut des pluies .

Gonolek de Barbarie Laniarius barbarus barbarus (MAT?, R) Assez commun.

Repandu du 17°N a la frontiere sud. Marges et buttes du Delta; Sahel:

mares et bas-fonds; forets-galeries au sud. Semble en general sedentaire,

mais disparait a certaines epoques de quelques zones: mouvements? (N)

avril a septembre au Sahel, mais novembre- decembre au sud du 13°N.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

91

Pie-grieche cubla Dryoscopus gambensis gambensis (MAT?, R) Assez commun,

irregulierement repandu de Mopti au sud du pays car infeode comme Corvinella

aux formations ligneuses denses. (N) de mai a octobre, rapportee par

chasseurs malinkes. Controlee en juin, juillet, et septembre au sud du

pays .

Grand Tchagra a tete noire Tchagra senegala senegala (MAT?, R) Assez

commun et repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Abondant de Segou a Niafunke,

toute l'annee sur le Bani (Duhart et Descamps 1963). Faible effectif dans

le Gourma, mais commun au sud-Tamesna, (Menaka, Anderamboukane) . II

n'existe pas de differences de couleur notables selon les regions; certes,

on note des indi vidus plus clairs, mais pas de repartition precise, aussi:

les ssp notha et timbuktana devraient etre reexaminees, car apparemment

sans grande validite. (N) rapportee de mai a juillet, par des chasseurs

Tamachek, au Sahel est, mais non controlee.

Tchagra a tete brune Tchagra australis ussheri (MAT?, R) Peu commun,

cantonne au sud-est des Monts Mandingues: Kangaba et Bafing-Makana en

novembre et decembre. Kenyeba et Falea en mai. (N) rapportee du debut de

la saison des pluies, de mai a juillet par chasseurs malinkes, mais non

controlee .

Pie-grieche verte a ventre rouge Chlorophoneus multicolor multicolor (MAT?,

R?) Rare. Monte sans doute avec les pluies jusque 12°30'N. Note au sud

exclusivement : Sikasso et Bougouni en mai; Selingue sud et Bamako sud en

juin .

Pie-grieche soufree Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus sulfureopectus (MAT, R)

Peu commun. De Mopti a la frontiere sud, en savane boisee. Present toute

l'annee autour de Bamako, mais effectue des deplacements. (N) Bamako, de

mars a juin.

Pie-grieche verte a tete grise Malaconotus (hypopyrrhus) poliocephalus

pallidirostris (MAT, a et d: avec les pluies) Peu commun monte au nord

avec les pluies. Bamako, a: mars, d: oct. Ban Markala, a: mai, d:

octobre. Zones boisees de savane. Bamako, predateur des nids de

tourterelles, Stigmatopelia senegalensis par exemple (Malzy 1962) .

Pie-grieche nicator Nicator chloris (MAT, R?) Rare. Un sujet collecte a

Sikasso en juin.

Mesange noire a epaulettes blanches Parus leucomelas guineensis (MAT?, R?)

Peu commun. Pas au nord de 14°30'N. Mopti en decembre (Bates 1934). San

et Ban Markala, Mopti, en avril et mai (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Missira

(Parc du Baoule) en juillet (Sayer com pers) . Diverses localites des Monts

Mandingues, de mai a octobre.

Remiz du Soudan Anthoscopus punctifrons (MAT?, R) Commun mais localise.

Sahel entre 15°N et 17°30'N, localement abondant pres des mares et des puits.

(N) juillet-aout a Goundam.

Remiz a ventre jaune Anthoscopus parvulus senegalensis (MAT?, R) Localement

commun. Du sud de Bamako jusqu'au 15°N. Sedentaire, semble-t-il. (N)

Bamako, en fevrier-mars .

92

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Loriot jaune Oriolus oriolus (MP, a: sept?, d: avril?) Rare. Deux

observations: deux indi vidus le 15 avril a In Takoreit (Azzawakh) et un

cadavre au nord de Tessalit le 20 septembre, migration post-nuptiale .

Loriot jaune d'Afrique Oriolus auratus auratus (MAT, R?) Assez commun,

present toute l'annee au sud du 11°30'N. Monte avec les pluies jusqu'au

15°N. A Ban Markala, a: mai, d: fin oct (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

(N) en mars et en novembre au sud, (11°N) , rapportee par chasseurs

senoufos, mais non controlee.

Corbeau a cou brun Corvus ruficollis (S, MAT, R) Assez commun, repandu du

14°30'N au 25°N. (N) juillet a octobre, mais egalement decembre a fevrier:

Sahel nord et Sahara.

Corbeau pie Corvus albus MAT, R) Commun et repandu du 17°N jusque la

frontiere sud. (N) aout a octobre.

Corbeau- eventail Rhinocorax rhipidurus (MAT?, R?) Rare. Note en mars,

avril, novembre et decembre a Hombori, un a deux sujets.

Piac-piac Ptilostomus afer (MAT?, R) Assez commun, du 16°N au sud du pays.

Bien represente au Haut Delta, pres des agglomerations, cantonne de

novembre a juin (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . (N) de juillet a octobre,

souvent sur Borassus et Hyphaene .

Etourneau amethyste Cinnyricinclus leucogaster leucogaster (MAT, R?)

Assez commun. Present toute l'annee vers le 11°N, monte jusqu'au 15°N avec

les pluies. A Mopti, a: mai, d: fin octobre (Duhart et Descamps 1963).

(N) donnee de mars-avril au sud, par chasseurs senoufos, mais non controlee.

Etourneau metallique a oreillons bleus Lamprocolius chalybeus chalybeus

(MAT, R) Commun et repandu du 17°N au 14°30'N. Toute l'annee vers le 16°N,

Niafunke et Goundam (Duhart et Descamps 1963). L ' etourneau le plus commun

au nord de la zone d'inondation (Guichard 1947) . (N) de juin a aout,

utilise souvent les nids vides de Bubalornis , Threskiornis et Ciconia

abdimii .

Etourneau metallique a queue violette Lamprocolius chalcurus chalcurus

(MAT?, R?) Commun au sud du 13 °N. Toute l'annee a Bamako, commun dans les

Monts Mandingues ou il semble sedentaire.

Etourneau metallique de Swainson Lamprocolius chloropterus (MAT, R) Assez

commun, repandu du 17°N: Tabereshat en septembre et Tombouctou en octobre

(Bates 1934) , a Bamako en groupes, partout ou il existe des boisements.

(N) femelle avec ovule developpe en juin a Kangaba.

Etourneau pourpre Lamprocolius purpureus (MAT, R?) Commun et repandu du

15°N au sud du pays. Particulierement abondant sur le Haut Niger et le

Bani durant la saison des pluies: bandes de plusieurs centaines a Ban

Markala en juillet-aout et septembre (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Etourneau metallique aux yeux blancs Lamprocolius splendidus chrysonotis

Peu commun. Quelques observations au sud du 11°30'N dans les galeries

forestieres: en juin, Sikasso et Bougouni; en novembre, Kangaba et

Selingue .

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

93

Etourneau metallique a longue queue Lamprocolius caudatus (MAT, R) Commun

et repandu, du 16°30'N au sud du pays. Abondant a partir du 15°30'N, au

Delta et au Sahel; vers le sud affectionne tout parti culierement les

associations a Butyrospermum, effectifs importants. (N) aout a octobre, du

nord au sud, dans les trous d'arbres.

Etourneau metallique du Fouta Coccylius iris (MAT?, R?) Rare. Deux

observations seulement, en mai: Baf ing-Makana et Kenyeba.

Etourneau roupenne d 'Alexander Onychognathus morio neumarmi (MAT?, R?)

Extreme est du pays, tres localise, semble-t-il. Un couple collecte en

aout sur la berge est de la vallee fossile de l'Azzawakh: la femelle

avait deux ovules developpes. Les iris etaient rouges, l'aile pliee: 170

mm. (N) septembre?

ssp modicus (R) Occupe tous les massifs greseux, du nord au sud et de l'est

a l'ouest du pays: de Hombori a la falaise de Tambaoura. L'iris est brun.

(N) de septembre a mars, selon les zones.

Spreo a ventre roux Spreo pulcher (MAT, R) Commun et repandu entre le 13 °N

et le 17°N. Abondant au nord du 14°30'N dans les boisements clairs. (N)

juillet a septembre generalement mais parfois d'avril a novembre (Duhart et

Descamps 1963) .

Pique-boeufs a bee jaune Buphagus africanus (MAT?, R?) Assez commun, mais

localise, du 17°N au sud du pays. Infeode aux troupeaux domestiques tant

au Sahel que dans le sud du pays. Frequente egalement les grands herbivores

sauvages: Syncerus , Taurotragus , Alcelaphus , Damaliscus , Hippotragus et

Giraffa. Sedentaire dans le Haut Delta et sur la vallee du Bani, San et

Ban Markala (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Oiseau- lunettes jaune Zosterops senegalensis senegalensis (MAT?, R) Peu

commun. Repandu du 16°N au sud du pays, bien represente dans les Monts

Mandingues. (N) juin.

Soui-manga vert dore a longue queue Nectarinia pulchella (MAT?, R) Commun

et repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Une part de la population est sedentaire,

1' autre semble se deplacer avec les insectes et les fleurs disponibles:

Bombax, Acacia sp, Loranthus sp . (N) juillet a octobre.

Soui-manga pygmee a longue queue Hedydipna platura platura (MAT?, R) Commun

et repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Surtout abondant au Sahel et sur les

marges du Delta. Sedentaire, semble-t-il, mais capable de deplacements

alimentaires : insectes et fleurs tout comme Nectarinia pulchella . (N) de

mars a septembre.

Soui-manga superbe Cinnyris superbus ashantiensis (MAT?, R?) Rare. Quelques

observations ; Bougouni en mai, Sikasso fin mai, Kangaba en juin.

Cinnyris de Johanna Cinnyris johannae johannae (MAT?, R?) Rare. Trois

observations dans la zone de Kangaba en mai et juin.

Soui-manga cuivre Cinnyris cupreus cupreus (MAT?, R) Assez commun au sud

du 12°30'N, bien represente dans les Monts Mandingues. (N) juin, dans la

region de Bamako.

94

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Soui-manga eclatant Cinnyris coccinigaster (MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Au sud

du 12 °N en debut de saison des pluies exclusivement : Bougouni, Sikasso,

Kangaba et Bafing-Makana en mai et juin.

Soui-manga a ventre jaune Cinnyris venustus (MAT?, R?) Assez commun et

repandu sur le Baoule-Banifing, de meme que dans le sud des Monts Mandingues:

mai et juin, novembre et decembre.

Soui-manga a ventre olive Cinnyris chloropygius kempi (MAT, R?) Rare.

Deux individus collectes au sud de Bamako en juin, rapportes a cette espece .

Soui-manga a poi trine rouge Chalcomitra senegalensis senegalensis (MAT, R?)

Peu commun, repandu du 16°N au sud du pays, ou il est abondant a partir du

13°30'N. Deplacements saisonniers pour les insectes et les fleurs.

Soui-manga a tete bleue Cyanomitra verticalis verticalis (MAT, R?) Rare.

Deux observations: Kangaba en mai, Siby en juin.

Soui-manga olivatre Cyanomitra olivacea (MAT, R?) La difference etablie entr

les sous-especes cephaelis et guineensis etant tres relative, il n'a pas ete

possible de definir la sous-espece. Deux sujets collectes en novembre au sud

de Kangaba .

Soui-manga a collier Anthreptes collaris subcollaris (MAT?, R?) Rare. Deux

captures: Narena et Kouremale en juin.

Soui-manga a gorge jaune Anthreptes rectirostris (MAT?, R?) Rare. Un couple

collecte a Kangaba en novembre.

Soui-manga de Longuemare Anthreptes longuemarei longuemarei (MAT?, R?) Peu

commun. Localise: frontiere de Guinee, Monts Mandingues du sud, Haut Niger.

La sous-espece haussarum qui coexiste avec longuemarei ne semble que peu

valable .

Soui-manga de Fraser Anthreptes fraseri idia (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une

observation sur le Baoule au sud de Bougouni en mai. Deux observations sur

la Sankarani, pres de la frontiere de Guinee en novembre.

Hylia verte Hylia prasina superciliaris (MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Sud et

abords ouest de Kangaba en juin et novembre; Falea et sud de Sagabari en

mai .

Alecto a bee blanc Bubalornis albirostris (MAT, R) Assez commun, du 13 °N au

17°N. Sedentaire au sud, se deplace en fonction des pluies au nord. (N)

juillet a septembre au Sahel, en mai sur les marges du Delta.

Moineau-tisserin Plocepasser superciliosus (MAT?, R?) Peu commun, localise.

Entre les 12°30'N et 13°30'N sur les marges du Delta et la vallee du Bani.

Moineau brun Passer iagoensis (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une observation en mars a

Bougouni (Jarry com pers) .

Moineau du Sahara Passer simplex (MAT?, R) Peu commun. Localise, du 16°N

au 25 °N. Tres rare en dehors des zones boisees. (N) mai a septembre.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

95

Moineau de l'Ouest africain Passer griseus griseus (MAT?, R) Commun et

repandu du 12 °N au 19 °N, surtout abondant entre 13 °N et 16 °N, aux abords

des agglomerations. Les variations individuelles de couleur et de taille

sont considerables. Deux sous-ensembles de population, semble-t-il: l'un

"de village", l'autre "de brousse". (N) avril a octobre, parfois novembre .

Moineau dore Auripasser luteus (MAT, R) Commun, localise de 14°30'N a

17°N, zones boisees exclusivement . (N) juillet a octobre, boisements

proches de l'eau, colonies importantes.

Petit Moineau soulcie Petronia dentata dentata (MAT, R) Commun et repandu,

entre le 15°N et le 17°N,. de l'est a l'ouest du Sahel. Variations de

couleur importantes. (N) novembre et decembre.

Grand Moineau soulcie Petronia xanthocollis (MAT, R) Peu commun, repandu

au Gourma et au Tamesna de 15°30'N a 16°30'N. (N) juin et juillet.

Moineau quadrille Sporopipes frontalis frontalis (MAT, R) Peu commun.

Repandu entre 13 °N et 17°N sur Acacia et Salvadora au Sahel, savane a

Butgrospermum plus au sud. La sous-espece pallidior ne semble pas valable,

des indi vidus pales s' observant sur 1' ensemble de l'aire de repartition.

(N) septembre et octobre et construction de nids en fevrier a Mopti (Jarry

com pers) .

Tisserin-gendarme Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus (MAT?, R) Commun et

repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. (N) juillet a octobre en colonies

d' importance variable, boisements inondes bien souvent.

Tisserin masque Ploceus atrogularis neglectus (MAT?, R) Assez commun,

repandu localement. Du 14°N au sud du pays. (N) juillet en petites

colonies, pas d 'observations de "nids associes) .

Tisserin vitellin Ploceus vitellinus vitellinus (MAT, R) Commun et repandu,

du 17°N au sud du pays. Bien represente au Delta Moyen et dans le sud du

Sahel. (N) juillet a octobre.

Tisserin a tete noire Ploceus melanocephalus melanocephalus (MAT?, R)

Repandu et commun, entre 12 °N et 15 °N. Abondant dans la zone d ' inondation .

(N) aout a octobre, des juillet au Delta (Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Tisserin a cou noir Hyphanturgus nigricollis brachypterus (MAT, R?) Peu

commun. Quelques observations dans la region de Bamako et la frange est et

nord des Monts Mandingues en juillet et en juin: Siby, Narena, Negala,

Kita.

Tisserin minulle Sitagra luteola (MAT, R) Assez peu commun, repandu, du

17°N au sud du pays. Sedentaire dans le Bas Delta, Niafunke (Duhart et

Descamps 1963) , generalement a proximite des agglomerations. (N) aout a

octobre, souvent, nids en fibres de Borassus .

Tisserin-malimbe huppe Malimbus malimbicus nigrifrons (MAT, R) Peu commun.

Deux observations faites pres de Kangaba en mai . (N) a Bougouni, en mars,

trois nids vides appartenant tres vraisemblablement a 1'espece (Jarry com

pers) .

96

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Tisserin-malimbe a tete rouge Malimbus rubricollis bartletti (MAT, R?)

Rare. Deux indi vidus en juin, dans l'ouest de Siby.

Tisserin-malimbe a bee bleu Malimbus nitens nitens (MAT, R?) Rare ou

peu commun. Juillet: sud de Bamako et Siby. Aout: Kayes.

Anaplecte a ailes rouges Anaplectes melanotis melanotis (MAT, R?) Peu

commun. Quelques observations: Sikasso et Bougouni en mai . Fana,

Koutiala et Kouri en juillet.

Travailleur a bee rouge Quelea quelea quelea (MAT, R) Assez commun,

repandu, du 17°N au sud du pays. Abondant au Sahel et sur les marges du

Delta: rassemblements importants depassant parfois le million d'individus.

A tres fortement diminue en effectif depuis 1973-1974, suite au deficit et

a l'inegale repartition des pluies qui ont reduit, semble-t-il, de fagon

drastique le nombre des sites propices a la nidification et les ressources

en graines sauvages: Echinochloa, Digitaria... (N) juillet a octobre,

tres grosses colonies de milliers de nids, boisements aux abords directs

de l'eau ou meme largement inondes. Des colonies importantes etaient

encore largement occupees en janvier sur le Diaka, etablies dans des

peuplements de Sesbania .

Travailleur a tete rouge Quelea erythrops (MAT?, R) Peu commun, localise.

Au sud du 14°30'N, dans les zones ouvertes, riches en graminees.

Localement abondant. Se deplace, mais interpretation des donnees diffi-

cile. (N) aout a octobre.

Ignicolore Euplectes orix franciscana (MAT, R) Commun et repandu du 17°N

au sud du pays. Abondant sur les marges du Delta et des grands lacs, le

long du Niger et du Bani. Bandes de plusieurs centaines de sujets en

janvier a Ban Markala (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . (N) mai a octobre, en

colonies desordonnees , souvent sur le riz lui-meme.

Monseigneur Euplectes hordacea (MAT, R) Peu commun, repandu entre les 12°N

et 15 °N, localement commun. (N) aout et septembre.

Worabee Euplectes a fra (MAT?, R) Assez commun, repandu du 17 °N au sud du

pays. Localement abondant, souvent en compagnie de Euplectes orix. (N)

aout a octobre, souvent sur Vetiveria .

Veuve a epaulettes orangees Coliuspasser axillaris (MAT?, R?) Assez commun,

localement. Confine a la vallee du Niger entre 17°N et 14°N, essentielle-

ment prairies inondees, zones a Typha et Echinochloa sp. Observe egalement

dans le Delta, marges orientates et occidentales, grands lacs et effluents.

(N) en septembre, de nombreux sujets possedaient des organes sexuels

developpes, ponte en octobre -no vemb re?

Veuve a dos d'or Coliuspasser macrourus macrourus (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une

seule observation, un male a San en juin (Bates 1934) .

Spermete a capuchon Lonchura (Spermestes) cucullata cucullata (MAT?, R?)

Assez commun et repandu du 14°N au sud du pays. Toute l'annee a Bamako.

(N) transport de materiaux en juin et septembre-octobre .

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

97

Spermete a bee bleu Lonchura poensis bicolor (MAT?, R?) Peu commun,

repan du au sud du 12°30'N.

Spermete pie Amauresthes fringilloid.es (MAT?, R?) Rare et localise, au sud

du 13 °N. Quelques observations en mai et novembre, Monts Mandingues sud,

Yanfolila et Kolondieba.

Bee d' argent Euodice malabarica (MAT, R) Commun et repandu du 17°N au sud

du pays. Abondant sur le Sahel et sur le Delta. Present toute l'annee a

Niafunke (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Deplacements en vols importants. (N)

pratiquement toute l'annee, selon les zones.

Astrild-fourmilier a front rouge Parmoptila rubrifrons rubrifrons Rare.

Galerie forestiere du Baoule a Misseni en juin: deux males.

Negrette Nigrita canicapilla emiliae (MAT?, R?) Rare. Une observation

rapportee a cette espece, sud de Kangaba en mars.

Bengali brun a ventre roux Nigrita bicolor bicolor (MAT?, R?) Peu commun.

Au sud de 12°30'N: Monts Mandingues et Haute vallee du Bafing en mai.

Bengali brun a ventre blanc Nigrita fusconata uropggialis (MAT?, R?) Peu

commun. Repandu au sud du 12°30'N. Hautes vallees du Bafing, du Bakoye

et du Baoule-ouest. Zones claires, et zones de rapides, en mai.

Gros-bec sanguin Spermophaga haematina haematina (MAT?, R?) Peu commun.

Au sud du 12°30'N, en mai et novembre. Haute vallee du Baoule, galeries

des marigots du sud de Kangaba.

Gros-bec ponceau Pirenestes sanguineus (MAT?, R?) Peu commun. Hautes

vallees du Bafing, du Bakoye et de la Faleme en mai, novembre et fevrier.

Cou-coupe Amadina fasciata (MAT?, R) Assez commun, repandu du 17°N au sud

du pays. Surtout abondant au Sahel. Present toute l'annee aux abords de

Niafunke (Duhart et Descamps 1963) et Gossi. (N) sans doute toute l'annee.

Astril-caille a gorge noire Ortggospiza atricollis atricollis (MAT, R)

Peu commun, repandu du 15°30'N au sud du pays. Abondant dans les plaines

brulees du Delta (avril-mai) et de la vallee du Bani : groupes laches d'une

centaine de sujets (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . (N) janvier-fevrier et mars:

recherche de plumes (Jarry com pers) .

ssp ansorgei (MAT, R?) Rare. Collecte a Baf ing-Makana en mai et a

Kangaba en novembre. Une observation rapportee a cette sous-espece (Bates

1934) .

Tisserin-coucou Anomalospiza imberbis tibatiensis (MAT?, R?) Rare. Un

sujet collecte en aout a Kati (Malzy 1962) . La sous-espece est douteuse-

ment distincte.

Diamant aurore Pytilia phoenicoptera phoenicoptera (MAT?, R?) Rare. Un

male a Koulikoro en decembre. Quelques observations autour de Bamako, de

novembre a fevrier. (N) transport de materiaux en decembre et janvier.

Nidification nom observee.

98

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Beaumarquet Pytilia melba citerior (MAT?, R) Peu commun. Repan du du 13 °N

au 17°N: bas-fonds et forets seches (Gourma et Baoule) . (N) aout a

novembre .

Senegali a bee bleu Lagonosticta rubricata polionota (MAT?, R) Assez

commun. Repandu du 15°N au sud du pays, dans les boisements et a proximite

des agglomerations. (N) juillet a septembre .

Senegali de Jameson Lagonosticta jamesoni virata (R) Peu commun, localise

du 15°N jusqu'au sud du pays. Infeode aux massifs greseux: de l'est de

Mopti, par Koulikoro, jusqu'aux Monts Mandingues, a la frontiere de Guinee.

(N) septembre a decembre, transports de materiaux fin decembre (niche en

j anvier-fevrier?) .

Senegali rouge ou amarante Lagonosticta senegala senegala (R) Commun et

repandu, du 17°N au sud du pays. Veritable commensal de l'Homme. (N)

toute l'annee, semble-t-il, le plus souvent dans les agglomerations.

Seregali a poi trine barree Lagonosticta rufopicta rufopicta (MAT?, R) Peu

commun. Repandu au sud du 13 °N. Abords des galeries fores tieres et des

agglomerations. Localement commun. (N) rapportee d' octobre-novembre par

chasseurs malinkes, non controlee.

Amarante masque Lagonosticta larvata vinacea (MAT?, R?) Peu commun,

localise. Une capture en aout a Bamako (Malzy 1962) . Quelques observations

dans l'ouest des Monts Mandingues en mai-juin: Kenyeba, Falea, Gourbassi,

Sadiola, Dialafara. Au Parc du Baoule en novembre.

ssp togoensis (MAT?, R?) Peu commun, localise, du 16 °N au sud du pays.

Massifs greseux de l'est de Mopti. Vallees du Bani et du Sourou. Bamako

et est de Bougouni (Jarry com pers) .

Queue de vinaigre Estrilda caerulescens (MAT?, R?) Commun et repandu du

15 °N au sud du pays. Souvent en compagnie d 'Uraeginthus bengalus et

d 'Estrilda troglodytes.

Astrild cendre Estrilda troglodytes (MAT?, R) Assez commun, localise,

infeode aux boisements epais et de grande taille, du 16°30'N au sud du

pays (zones plus seches) , souvent non loin des agglomerations. (N) juillet

et aout.

Joues-orange Estrilda melpoda (MAT?, R?) Peu commun, localise du 15°N au

sud du pays. Toujours a proximite de I'eau, abondant sur le Haut Delta:

Kara, Tilembeya (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Galeries fores tieres des Monts

Mandingues: Baoule par exemple. (N) couples et transports de materiaux

en mars-avril, adultes avec gonades tres developpees.

Astrild a f lanes rouges Neisna (Estrilda) sub f lava (MAT?, R?) Peu commun,

localise du 15°N au sud du pays. Commun a Kara en juillet et decembre

(Duhart et Descamps 1963) .

Bengali vert a joues blanches Nesocharis capistrata (MAT?, R?) Peu commun.

Quelques observations sur la Haute Faleme et au sud des Monts Mandingues

sur la frontiere guineenne en mai, juin et novembre.

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

99

Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus bengalus (MAT?, R) Commun, du 17°N au sud du pays.

Toute l'annee au Delta et au Sahel. Dans la plupart des cas, au voisinage

des habitations, villages ou campements. (N) aout a novembre, rarement

decembre .

Combassou du Senegal Hypochera chalybeata chalybeata (MAT?, R) Commun,

repandu du 17°N au sud du pays. Bien souvent au voisinage direct des

agglomerations. Parasite Lagonosticta senegala. (N) de juillet a janvier,

peut-etre toute l'annee.

Combassou bleu Hypochera ultramarina orientalis (MAT?, R?) Peu commun.

Localise du 17°N au 14°N. . Groupe autour des zones humides: vallee du

Niger, du Bani, mares et bas-fonds.

Veuve dominicaine Vidua macroura (MAT, R) Peu commun, repandu du 17°N au

sud du pays. Abondant au Delta, groupes de 20 a 30 en juin (Duhart et

Descamps 1963) et juillet dans le nord. (N) juillet a septembre.

Veuve a collier d'or Steganura orientalis aucupum (MAT, R) Assez commun.

Repandu, mais jamais en nombre, du 17°N au sud du pays, abondant au

voisinage des zones humides: marges du Delta, mares saheliennes . . . (N)

aout a octobre-novembre .

ssp togoensis (MAT, R?) Si la longueur de la queue est un critere valable.

Captures de sujets rapportes a cette sous-espece dans le sud Gourma:

Senomango et abords de la depression du Beli ( jusque mare de Soum) , en

septembre.

Bouvreuil githagine Bucanetes githagineus (MAT?, R?) Rare et localise.

Quelques observations dans les zones rocheuses du nord, au voisinage des

puits. Pas au sud de 16°30'N: Aarar des Ifoghas, Time trine et Tamesna.

(N) rapportee de fevrier-mars par les chasseurs Maures et Tamachek, mais

non controlee.

Serin a front jaune Serinus mozambicus caniceps (MAT?, R) Peu commun,

localise du 15°N au sud du pays. Abondant dans la vallee du Bani (Duhart

et Descamps 1963) et autour de Bamako ( jardins) . (N) juillet a octobre.

Serin gris a tete blanche Serinus gularis canicapilla (MAT?, R?) Rare.

Quelques observations dans le sud de Selingue et de Kangaba, en mai.

Serin a croupion blanc Serinus leucopygius riggenbachi (MAT, R) Commun et

repandu du 17°N au 13°N. Toute l'annee sur les marges du Delta, a

Niafunke par exemple (Duhart et Descamps 1963) . Mouvements sur le Sahel

et le Haut Delta.

ssp pallens Compte tenu des nombreuses et importantes variations

individuelles de rayures et de ton, la validite de cette sous-espece semble

fort douteuse. (N) septembre- octobre au Sahel. Juillet-aout, plus au sud.

Bruant de Cabanis Emberiza cabanisi cabanisi (MAT, R?) Rare. Un made

collecte en juin a Bamako (Malzy 1962) .

Bruant a poitrine doree Emberiza flaviventris flavigastra (MAT?, R) Peu

commun, localise, Du 12°30'N au 17°N. Surtout abondant au Sahel, bas-

fonds et marges du Delta. (N) juin a septembre, tres variable selon les

zones *

100

B . Lamarche

Malimbus 3

Bruant a ventre jaune Ember iza forbesi nigeriae (MAT?, R?) Peu commun,

localise. Observations et collectes sur 1' ensemble des Monts Mandingues,

plateaux et zones seches, en fevrier, mai et novembre.

Bruant-ortolan Emberiza hortulana (S, MP, a: septembre?, d: avril?) Rare.

Petit nombre d 1 observations au passage, en septembre et avril au Sahel et

a Bamako; Pas de cantonnement.

Bruant cannelle Fringillaria tahapisi goslingi (MAT, R) Peu commun,

repandu, du 17°N au sud du pays. Dans les zones de roches, mais egalement

sur les marges du Delta et au Sahel sableux, pres des mares. En aout-

septembre, monte au nord de Tessalit. (N) juillet a decembre.

Bruant familier du Sahara Fringillaria striolata sahari (MAT?, R) Peu

commun, localise. Du 14°N au 17°N au Delta et au Sahel, en general, zones

rocheuses. Monte jusqu'au ^0°30'N dans l'Adrar des Ifoghas et le Timetrine.

(N) tres variable, toute l'annee, selon les zones.

asp sanghae (MAT?, R?) La validite de cette sous-espece est fort douteuse,

ccmpte tenu des tres nombreuses et importantes variations individuelles et

saisonnieres, notables en parti culier au Plateau Dogon, mais egalement loin

vers le nord-ouest, dans la population -d'effectif tres important- qui

occupe les Dhar Nema et Dhar Walata et Tichitt (au sud-est mauritanien) .

La population mauritanienne ne differe pas de celle de l'est de Mopti.

REMERCIEMENTS

A toutes les personnes qui nous ont permis de faire usage de leurs

notes et nous ont fait prof iter de leur experience, souvent grande, du

terrain, nous adressons nos tres sinceres remerciements . Leur aide a ete

d'autant plus appreciee que c'est chose helas fort rare! Nos deplacements

ont ete heureusement toujours largement soutenus et facilites par le Service

des Eaux et Forets du Mali: que soient done remercies ici J.D. Keita, N.

Sanogho, M.M. Diakite, A. Dicko et Hamid. La Direction de L'Ecole Normale

Superieure a su egalement se montrer particulierement comprehensive et nous

en remercions bien sincerement A. Cissoko et Madame R. Keita.

REFERENCES

BATES, G.L. (1933) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries

in French West Africa. Ibis : 752-780

BATES, G.L. (1934) Birds of the southern Sahara and adjoining countries

in French West Africa. Ibis: 61-79, 213-239, 439-466, 685-717

CURRY, P.J. & SAYER, J.A. (1979) The Inundation zone of the Niger as an

environment for Palearctic migrants. Ibis 121: 20-40

DAGET, J. (1954) Notes sur le regime alimentaire du Ceryle pie. Notes

Afr. 62: 55-57

1981

OISEAUX DU MALI

101

DEKEYSER, P.L. & DERIVOT, J.H. (1966) Les Oiseaux de l'Ouest africain.

Initiations Africaines . IFAN , Dakar. Fascicule 1: 507 pp. (1967) ;

Fascicule 2: 280 pp. (1968); Fascicule 3: 112 pp

DUHART, F. & DESCAMPS, M. (1963) Notes sur l'Avifaune du Delta Central

Nigerien et regions avoisinantes . Oiseau et R.F.O. 33 (N° special),

106 pp

ELOSEGUI, R. (1975) Buitres y rocas en el pais dogon. multicop. 31 pp.

(ined. )

GUI CHARD, K.M. (1947) Birds of the Inundation Zone of the river Niger,

French Sudan. Ibis 89: 450-489

HARTERT, E. (1915) List of a small collection of birds from Hausaland,

Northern Nigeria. Nov. Zool. 22: 244-266

HEIM de BALSAC, H. (1933) Mission saharienne Augieras-Draper, 1927-1928,

Oiseaux (Collecte effectuee par Th. Monod) . Bull. Mus . Paris 2(4):

261-268; 5: 355-359

HEIM de BALSAC, H. et T. (1949-1950) Les migrations des Oiseaux dans

l'Ouest du continent africain. Alauda 17-18: 129-143 & 206-221;

(1951) 19: 19-39, 97-112, 157-171 & 193-210

JARRY, G. (1978) Notes de terrain de la mission du C.R.B.P.O. au Mali,

Janvier-Mars 1978. (ined.)

JARRY, G. (1979) Notes de terrain de la mission du C.R.B.P.O. au Mali,

Janvier-Mars 1979. (ined.)

JARRY, G. (1980) Notes de terrain de la mission du C.R.B.P.O. au Mali,

Janvier et Fevrier 1980. (ined.)

LAFERRERE, M. (1968) Observations d ' Apus melba et d 'Apus apus au Mali.

Oiseau et R.F.O. 38: 175-177

MALZY , P. (1962) La Faune avienne du Mali (Bassin du Niger). Oiseau et

R.F.O. 32 (N° special) , 81 pp

MENEGAUX, A. (1918) Sur une petite collection d "oiseaux de l'Afrique

Occidentale Franqaise R.F.O. 105: 185-189

MONOD, Th. (1958) "Majabat al Koubra" Contribution a 1 "etude de "I'empty

quarter" ouest saharien. Mem. IFAN 52: 406 pp

NICKERSON, N. (1958) Some observations on the Carmine Bee-eater Merops

nubicus , Gmelin, in the French Sudan. Ibis : 454-457

PALUDAN, K. (1936-1937) Report on the birds collected during Professor

0. Olufsen's Expedition to French Sudan and Nigeria in the year 1927;

with field notes by the collector Mr Harry Madsen. Vidensk . Medd.

Dansk. Naturh. Foren i Kobenhavn . lOO: 247-346

ROUSSELOT, R. (1938) Les Oiseaux du bord du Niger, du Macina au Lac Debo.

Bull. Serv. Zootechn . et Epizoot. A.O.F. 1: 18-25

ROUSSELOT, R. (1939) Notes sur la Faune ornithologique du Cercle de

Mopti (Soudan Frangais) . Bull. IFAN. 1: 1-88

ROUX, F. (1973) Censuses of Anatidae in the central delta of the Niger

and the Senegal Delta, January 1972. Wildfowl 24: 63-80

102

B . Lamarche

Ma limbus 3

ROUX, F. (1972-1973) Notes de terrain de la mission ornithologique sur

le Delta Central du Niger et du Senegal, en Decembre 1972 et Janvier

1973. (ined.)

ROUX, F. & JARRY, G. (1978) Rapport sur les resultats des recherches

engagees sur l'hivemage des Anatides dans le Delta Interieur du

Niger, Mali, de Janvier a Mars 1978. C.R.B.P.O. 10 pp

ROUX, F., JARRY, G. & LAMARCHE, B. (1979) Rapport de convention.

Recherches sur les Anatides hivemant dans le Delta Interieur du

Niger. C.R.B.P.O. 29 pp

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1973) Arrivee de migrateurs au Sud du Sahara. Nos

Oiseaux 32: 168-171

THIOLLAY, J.M. (1976) Les Rapaces diurnes dans l'Ouest africain Analyse

d'un peuplement de savine preforestiere et recherches sur les

migrations saisonnieres . These de doctorat. Universite Pierre et

Marie Curie . Paris VI . 206 pp

WILBERT, (veterinaire major) . (1923-1924) Les Autruches au Soudan

Frangaise. R.F.O. 8: 130-133

B. Lamarche, B.P. 669 Nouakchott , Mauritania

1981

103

THE BIRDS OF YANKARI GAME RESERVE, NIGERIA:

THEIR ABUNDANCE AND SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

by H. Q. P. Crick and P. J. Marshall

Received 9 September 1981

INTRODUCTION

The avifauna of Yankari, Nigeria's foremost Game Reserve, has already

received some attention in print, with reports in this journal (Dyer &

Gartshore 1975, 1976, Pettet 1976, Skilliter 1976, Geerling 1978, Sharland

1978) and elsewhere (Fry 1964, Geerling 1976) . We are now able to provide

considerably more comprehensive information, as a result of our 2\ years

residence in the Reserve from 1979 to 1981. P.J.M. was employed there as

Wildlife Officer and H.Q.P.C. was investigating the biology of the bee-eater

Merops bullocki ; our observations of the avifauna were incidental to these

employments and are thus of an ad hoc nature. Very few observations were

made in August.

Yankari Game Reserve, about 100 km south-east of Bauchi, is situated

between 10° 15' and 10°45' East and between 9°30' and 10°00' North. It

consists of 2240 km2 set in Northern Guinea Savanna (Geerling 1973) and the

River Gaji flows perennially from north to south through the reserve.

The altitude varies from about 240 m in the river valley rising gradually

to about 400 m on either side. The average annual rainfall is about 1000 mm,

occurring mainly between April and October.

In the following tabulation, which includes all previous records as

well as about 50 new species, nomenclature and sequence follow Serle &

Morel (1977: pp. 295f. rather than 263f. where the sequences are slightly

different) .

X indicates the months in which a species has been recorded; or

B if breeding.

hr indicates a species known to breed, but season not recorded.

Habitat : S savanna.

R riparian and evergreen forest.

F floodplain (locally called fadama) including open sections of

the River Gaji.

U ubiquitous - no clear habitat preference.

Status : c common u uncommon o occasional r rare

Ratings signify probable real abundance. For example, we give Ephippiorhynchys

senegalensis as uncommon because it is frequently seen although there are

probably no more than ten in the whole reserve; Malaconotus blanchoti is also

rated as uncommon because it is difficult to observe although probably number-

ing hundreds. Species recorded by only a single observer are not given an

abundance rating.

104

H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Marshall

Malimbus 3

Observers: initials show the observer who first recorded each

species - RC R. Coulthard, HC H.Q.P. Crick, AD A. Demeter, JE J.H. Elgood,

HF C.H. Fry, CG C. Geerling, DG M. Dyer & M.E. Gartshore (M.E. Dyer),

JJ J. Jia, JL J. Lang, PM P.J. Marshall, JN J. Noel, AP A. Pettet,

RP R.B. Payne, MS M. Skilliter, RS R.E. Sharland, SS S.K. Sikes, JW J.B.

Wood, RW R. Wilkinson.

1981

BIRDS OF YANKARI GAME RESERVE

105

MONTHS

106

H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Marshall

Malimbus 3

1981

BIRDS OF YANKARI GAME RESERVE

107

M

SPECIES JFMA

S. decipiens X

S. vinacea X X X X

S. senegalensis X X X X

Oena capensis X X X X

Turtur afer

T. abyssinicus X X X X

Treron australis X

T. waalia XX X

Poicephalus senegalus X X X X

Psittacula krameri XXX

Tauraco persa X

Musophaga violacea X X X X

Crinifer piscator X X X X

C lama tor glandarius

C. jacobinus

C. levaillantii

Cuculus solitarius

C. clamosus X

C. canorus X

Chrysococcyx klaas X X

C. caprius X X

C. cupreus

Ceuthmochares aereus

Centropus monachus

C. senegalensis X X X X

Tyto alba X

Otus scops X X X X

O. leucotis X X

Bubo africanus X X X X

Scotopelia peli X X X X

Glaucidium perlatum XXX

Caprimulgus inornatus X

C. climacurus

Macrodipteryx longipennis X X

Af. vexillarius

Apus melba

A. aequatorialis X

A. apus

A. af finis X X X X

Cypsiurus parvus X X X X

C. ussheri X X

Apaloderma narina

Ceryle maxima XXX

108

H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Marshall

Malimbus 3

SPECIES

C. rudis

Alcedo guadribrachys

A. cristata

Ceyx picta

Halcyon senegalensis

H. malimbica

H. chelicuti

H. leucocephala

Me r ops orientalis

M. nubicus

M. albicollis

M. pusillus

M. bullocki

M. hirundineus

Coracias abyssinica

C. naevia

C. cyanogaster

Eurystomus glaucurus

Upupa epops

Phoeniculus purpureus

P. aterrimus

Tockus nasutus

T. erythrorhynchus

Bucorvus abyssinicus

Lybius dubius

L. vieilloti

Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Indicator indicator

I. minor

Jynx torquilla

Campethera punctuligera

Dendropicos fuscescens

Dendropicos obsoletus

Mesopicos goertae

Mirafra rufocinnamomea

M. nigricans

Eremopteryx leucotis

Galerida cristata

Riparia riparia

Hirundo rustica

H. smithii

H. aethiopica

MONTHS

JFMAMJJASO

XXXXXXXX X

X XX

XXXXXXXX X

X XXXXXXX

XX xxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxx

X XXX XXX

XXXBXXXXXX

X X

X X X X X X

XXX X

xxxxxxxxxx

BBBBXXXXXX

XXX X

XXXXXBX XX

XXXBXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX X

X X X X X X

xxxxxxxxxx

BXXXXXX XX

xxxxxxxxxx

XXXXBBXXXX

xxxxxxxxxx

XXXXXXX X

xxxxxxxxxx

X X X X

X

XXXXXXX

XXX

X X

XX XXXXX X

XX X

X X

XXX X

X X

ND REMARKS

XX F, u, SS

R, r, HC

X X f/r, u, hf

X X hr,U, c, SS

X X U , u , CG

X X R, u, SS

X R, u, SS

X X hr,U,c,HF

X S/F,r,HF

X X U , c , CG

X U , u , CG

X X F , u , CG

X X hr, U , u, HF

U , o , CG

X X br , S , c , RC

X X br, S,u,SS

XX S , o , HF

X U , c, CG

X X br,S,o, RC

X X br ,S/R, c, HF

X X hr, S , u, HF

X X U , c, SS

X X U, c, SS

X X br , S , o , RC

X X R, u,HF

X X R/S,o,HF

XX S , u , HF

XX U , u , HF

R, r, JN

U , HC

X S/R, u,DG

X S/R, o, DG

S , o , AD

X S/R, u , CG

XX S , u , HF

CG

XX S , u , HF

B hr , RC

S/F, o, DG/HC

X S/F , o , CG

F , r , DG

X F , o , HF

X X

1981

BIRDS OF YANKARI GAME RESERVE

109

110

H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Marshall

Malimbus 3

MONTHS

SPECIES

jfmamjjasond

REMARKS

Cercomela familiaris

My rme cocichla aethiops

M. cinn amome i ven tri s

M. albifrons

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Cossypha albicapilla

C. niveicapilla

Luscinia megarhynchos

Turdus pelios

XXX X X

XXX XX X X X X

XXX XX X X

X

XX X XX XX

XX XXXX XX

X

XX XX XX

S f Ui JL

S, U,HF

JL

S , u , HF

CG

R,o,DG, (Note 5)

R, u,HF, (Note 5)

U , HC

S/R, u i DG

Turdoides plebejus XXXXXXXXXXXX S/R,u,HF

T. reinwardii XX XXXXXXXXX R,u,DG

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

A . rufescens

Sphenoeacus men tali s

Hippolais polyglotta

H. palUda

Phylloscopus trochilus

P. sibilatrix

Cisticola erythrops

C. cantans

C. galactotes

C. natalensis

C. ruficeps

C. brachyptera

C. eximia

Prinia sub f lava

Apalis flavida

Hypergerus atriceps

Camaroptera brachyura

Eremomela pus ilia

Sylvietta brachyura

Muscicapa striata

M. aquatica

Myioparus plumbeus

Ficedula hypoleuca

Melaenornis edolioides

Bradornis pallidus

Hyliota flavigaster

Bias musicus

Batis senegalensis

Platysteira cyanea

Terpsiphone viridis

Parus leucomelas

Remiz parvulus

Anthreptes longuemarei

X X

R , o , HC

1981

111

NOTES

(1) Ostrich was first reported by Alh. Jibirin Jia (now Senior Wildlife

Officer) in 1962, quoted in Sikes (1964) . C. Geerling saw tracks and a tail

feather in May 1971 (Geerling 1976) . Tugga Danladi and Ahmadu Makama

(respectively Senior Game Guard and Game Ranger) saw one near Kariyo Hill

(9°45'N, 10°39'E) in November 1979.

Hamerkop Scopus umbretta , Nigeria. Photo: Philip Blasdale

112

H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Marshall

Malimbus 3

SPECIES

MONTHS

JFMAMJ JASOND REMARKS

A. platura

Nectar inia verticalis

N. senegalensis

N. venus t a

N. cuprea

N. pulchella

X X X B X X

X X X X X

X X B X X

X X

X

X X X X X

XXX

B X X X

X

XXX X

£>r,S, u,HF

R, u, HF

hr,S/R,c,CG

JL

U,o, JE

S/R, u,HF

Zosterops senegalensis

X X X X X X

S/R, u, HF

E. forbesi

E. tahapisi

X X

X X X X X

X X

XX XXX

S , c , DG

S , C, HF

Serinus mozambicus

S. leucopggius

S. gularis

X X X X X X

X XXX

X

X X

XXX

X

U , u , CG

S,o, JN

S , r , HC

Ploceus luteolus

P. velatus

P. cucullatus

P. nigricollis

Malimbus rubriceps

Quelea ergthrops

Q. quelea

Euplectes afer

E. hordeaceus

E. orix

Plocepasser superciliosus

Passer griseus

Petronia dentata

Sporopipes frontalis

Vidua macroura

V. chalgbeata

V. wilsoni

V. inter jecta

X X X B B

X X B B

X XX

X X

X

X X X X X X

X X

B X X X X X

X

B X XX

X X

X

XX X

X X X X

X X

X B B X X X

X X X X X X

X

X X X X X

X X

X X X X X X

br,S/ F,u, JN

F, DG

br ,F ,c ,CG

R/F,o,DG

HF

AD

DG

F , u , CG

F , o , HC

F , c , CG

S , o i DG

br , U , c , CG

2?r,S,c,HF

S , o , DG

S/F , PM

F/S,u,CG

F, u,RP

F , C , HF

Nesocharis capistrata

Pytilia melba

P. phoenicoptera

Estrilda melpoda

E. troglodytes

E. caerulescens

E. bengala

E. larvata

Lagonosticta senegala

L. rufopicta

Lonchura malabarica

L. cucullata

X

JL

XXX

X X XX

XX X X

X X X X X X

X X

X X X X X X

XX XX

X X X X X

X X X X X X

X X

XXX

X XXX

XXX

X

X X X X X X

X X

X X X X X X

X X X X X

XXX

B B X X X X

S , r, AD

F , u , HF

F , u , CG

r , AD

F/R, o , DG

U , c , HF

R/F , o , HF

U , c , CG

R/F,u,DG

hr,U, u,CG

br , U , u , CG

1981

BIRDS OF YANKARI GAME RESERVE

113

(2) The three largest vultures, Aegypius tracheliotus , Trigonoceps

occipitalis and Gyps ruppellii are seldom seen except on large dead animals

which are rarely visible to observers. Thus their monthly sightings are

probably underestimated.

(3) We believe that Burhinus vermiculatus (Water Thick-knee) is also present

in the reserve but we have not been able certainly to differentiate it from

B. senegalensis .

(4) In the absence of netting the starlings Lamprotornis chloropterus , L.

chalcurus and L. chalybaeus are difficult to distinguish in the field. We

are therefore unable to give monthly records for these species.

(5) Cossypha albicapilla and C. niveicapilla are generally seen very briefly

flying across the road in thick forest. Although Cossypha spp have been

seen in every month it was not always possible to distinguish the species

without netting.

(6) Three species recorded by Geerling (1976, 1978) are so far away from

their normal distributional range of southern Nigerian rainforest (Hall &

Moreau 1970, Snow 1978) that their inclusion in a definitive Yankari list

must, we feel, await confirmation. They are the swift Chaetura sabini , the

starling Lamprocolius purpureiceps and the flycatcher Trochocercus nitens.

Geerling (1976) also recorded the moorhen Gallinula chloropus and the

bunting Emberiza flaviventris as present in Yankari, although no other

observer has ever claimed them, and he failed to record their quite common

and similar congeners C. angulata and E . forbesi .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank Mr A. Demeter, Dr M. Dyer & Mrs M.E. Dyer, Dr

C. Geerling, Dr C.H. Fry, Dr R.B. Payne and Dr R. Wilkinson for generously

giving us their latest unpublished records. We would particularly like to

thank Mary Dyer for her advice and assistance in the preparation of this

paper

REFERENCES

DYER, M. & GARTSHORE, M.E. (1975) Birds of Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria.

Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc . 11: 77-84

DYER, M. & GARTSHORE, M.E. (1976) Additional observations on the birds of

Yankari Game Reserve. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 12: 40

FRY, C.H. (1964) Mimeographed report: A.B.U. Zaria

GEERLING, C. (1973) The Vegetation of Yankari Game Reserve: its

utilisation and condition. Bulletin 3: Department of Forestry,

University of Ibadan.

GEERLING, C. (1976) Birds in Yankari Game Reserve, Nigerian Field 41: 64-

78

114

Malimbus 3

GEERLING, C. (1978) Birds of Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria. Bull.

Nigerian Orn. Soc. 14: 82-83

PETTET, A. (1976) Additional observations on the birds of Yankari Game

Reserve. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 12: 41

SHARLAND, R.E. (1978) Additions to local avifaunas: Yankari Game Reserve.

Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 14: 88

SIKES, S.K. (1964) A game survey of the Yankari Game Reserve of Northern

Nigeria. Nigerian Field 29: 54-82 & 127-141

SKILLITER, M. (1976) Additional observations on the birds of Yankari Game

Reserve. Bull. Nigerian Orn. Soc. 12: 41

H.Q.P. Crick, Department oi Zoology, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB9 2TN

P.J. Marshall, 2B Hunstanton Avenue, Harborne, Birmingham

NOTES

ON THE DIETS OF WARBLERS, WEAVERS AND OTHER GHANAIAN BIRDS - In a study of

blood parasites, about 300 Ghanaian birds, mostly passerines, were

collected during the dry seasons of 1972 and 1973 (Wink & Bennett, 1976,

J. Wildl. Disease 12: 587-590). Since data on the diets of African species

are often limited, their stomach contents were studied and are summarized

here. Birds were caught with mist nets near Accra, Bunso and Yeji in

February-April. Gizzard contents were analyzed usually within one to four

hours after killing them. Since food was digested to some extent it was

generally possible to identify items only to ordinal level.

About 220 birds of 31 species, which included two kingfishers, five

bulbuls and thrushes, 12 warblers and seven weaver birds, were analyzed

for their gizzard contents; the findings are summarized in Table 1. The

diet of the two kingfisher species consisted of insects. Pied Crows Corvus

albus had been feeding on waste near human settlements. Whereas the

various bulbuls and thrushes had eaten insects as well as fruits, all of

the warblers had consumed only insects. Among the weavers seeds predomin-

ated but the percentage of insects was quite substantial in some species

(but diets might well differ at other seasons) .

I am grateful to K.H. and R. Wink for their generous hospitality

during both my stays at Accra. I should like to thank Dr M. Edmunds, Dr L.

Grimes, Ch. Pickup, and Dr D. Kramer (Zoology Department, University of

Ghana) for their help and discussion. E.O.A. Asibey (Department of Game

and Wildlife, Accra) kindly permitted the collection of the birds. Dr C.H.

Fry kindly read the manuscript and improved my English. These studies were

supported by a grant from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes.

Dr M. Wink

Institut fur Pharm Biol, Pockelsstrasse 4, D-3300 Braunschweig , West Germany

1981

NOTES

115

0

n

p

•H

13

£

•H

cn

0

■H

O

0

ft

c n

p

0

ft

(0

ft

p

0)

>

r—H

•P

U )

CO

<D

c

O

X

0

CO

d

O

s

0)

N

•H

rd

a

>1

I- 1

4-1

•H

&

0)

X

0

O

CO

X

O

d*

CO

G

•P

0

P

ft

g

0

co

a)

i — i

X

a)

CD

13

•P

ft

P

0

X

CO

03

0

co

cU

P

ft

CM

X

■p

3

X

0 ^

ft LD

("CJ i— I

ft — ^

0 0 in

ft 03 — '

■'0 0

— a) a>

CO

0

X

•H

6

p

Q)

-P

i— I i— I CN CN >P >H

03

CO ft

ft ft

O ft

0!

03

ft

P

ft

o

'd'

co

ft

co

q

0)

ft

CD CO

ft co

ft •n!' CD ft ft) CN

03

-p

O

ft

ft 03

ft -P

P q

X CD

o u

ft q

ft O

ft

X o

ft ft

CD 03

o a;

3

ft co

ft P

o o

03 ft

ft -U

O 0!

O 03

ft q

P ft

■5

o

ft CJ ft KC

03 N

P ft

3 -P

E-h ft

P

13

X X

O ft O <J O

ft 03

P ft

q

ft

P

ft

Empty gizzards discounted.

116

Malirabus 3

WEST AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Election of Council 1982-1985

Election of Officers for the next triennium 1982-1985 is now due. The

present Officers (see inside front cover) are eligible for re-election and

all have indicated their willingness to serve for the forthcoming

triennium.

Any member may propose one or more replacements, however. Such

proposals must reach the Hoa . Secretary by 1 April 1982 (strictly by 1

January 1982, but the late despatch of this notice necessitates an

extension of the usual deadline) when arrangements for postal ballot will

be made, to take place as soon as possible thereafter.

Any alternate nomination must be proposed and seconded by paid-up

membeis of the Society and the nominee must also give his written assent to

serve in the capacity for which his name is proposed.

J.H. Elgood,

Hon. Secretary,

26, Walkford Way,

Highclif fe,

Dorset BH23 5LR, U.K.

RECOMMANDATIONS AUX AUTEURS

Malimbus publie des articles, de courtes notes, des analyses et des lettres

avec illustrations. Les manuscrits doivent etre dactylographies a double

interligne avec une large marge sur un seul cote de chaque page. Autant

que possible, les manuscrits auront ete auparavant soumis a un ornithologue

ou un biologiste.

Le texte sera de nouveau dactylographie pour sa1 reproduction en offset,

mais les figures doivent etre preparees pour une reproduction directe avec

possibility d'une reduction de 20%. On se servira d'encre de Chine et d'un

papier blanc de bonne qualite; on dessinera lettres et grises avec des

"Letraset" ou "Letratone" (ou equivalent) .

LES CONVENTIONS pour les tableaux, les dates, les nombres, les valeurs en

systeme metrique, les references devront etre soigneusement suivies et

pourront etre recherchees dans ce numero et dans les precedents. Les

articles contenant de longues listes d'especes devront etre du format d'un

tableau (e.g. Malimbus 1: 22 ou 1 : 49) ou du format d'une page de textes du

1: 36 et 56 pour les textes avec de courtes observations par especes ou du

1: 90 pour les textes plus longs.

REFERENCES A OMETTRE DANS LA BIBLIOGRAPHIE

BANNERMAN 1930-51 or 1953 : Bannerman, D.A. (1930-51) The Birds of West

Tropical Africa. 8 vols. Crown Agents, London ; (1953)

The Birds of West and Equatorial Africa. 2 vols. Oliver and Boyd,

Edinburgh and London

ELGOOD, SHARLAND & WARD 1966 : Elgood, J.H;, Sharland, R.E. & Ward, P.

(1966) Palaearctic migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 108 : 84-116

ELGOOD, FRY & DOWSETT 1973 : Elgood, J.H., Fry, C.H. & Dowsett, R.J.

African migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 115 : 1-45 and 375-411

HALL & MOREAU 1970 : Hall, B.P. & Moreau, R.E. (1970) An Atlas of Speciation

in African Passerine Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London

MACKWORTH-PRAED & GRANT 1957-73 or 1970-73 : Mackworth-Praed, C.W. & Grant,

C.H.B. (1957-73) African Handbook of Birds. Series I, Birds of Eastern

and North Eastern Africa (2nd ed.). 2 vols. Series II, Birds of the

Southern Third Africa. 2 vols. Series III, Birds of West Central and

Western Africa. 2 vols. Longmans Green & Co., London; (1970-73)

African Handbook of Birds. Series III, Birds of West Central and

Western Africa. Vol. I, 1970, Non-passerines, Vol. 2, 1973, Passerines.

Longmans , London

SERLE & MOREL 1977 : Serle, W. & Morel, G.J. (1977) A Field Guide to the

Birds of West Africa. Collins, London

SNOW, D.W. (Ed.) 1978 : An Atlas of Speciation in African Non-Passerine

Birds. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London

WHITE 1960-65 : White, C.M.N. (1960) A check list of the Ethiopian

Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Part I Occasional papers of the National

Museums of Southern Rhodesia 3 (24B) : 399-430; (1961) A revised check

list of African broadbills ... etc. Lusaka : Government Printer;

(1962a) A check list of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Sylviinae) Parts II

and III. Occ. Pap. Nat. Mus . S. Rhod. 3 (26B) : 653-738; (1962b) A

revised check list of African shrikes . . . etc. Lusaka : Gov. Printer;

(1963) A revised check list of African flycatchers ... etc. Lusaka :

Gov. Printer; and (1965) A revised check list of African Non-Passerine

birds. Lusaka : Gov. Printer.

Vol. 3 1981 No. 2, October

MALIMBUS 3 (2) October 1981

CONTENTS

Reponse a la Pluie de Mirafra javanica . G.J. Morel 57

La Distribution Geographique du Perroquet Gris Psittacus ery thacus

timneh (Forster) . R. de Naurois 59

New Bird Species in Mauritania. P.W.P. Browne 63

Liste Commentee des Oiseaux du Mali (Part II) _ B. Lamarche 73

The Birds of Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria: Their Abundance and

Seasonal Occurrence. H.Q.P. Crick and P.J. Marshall 103

NOTES:

On the Diets of Warblers, Weavers and other Ghanaian Birds. M. Wink 114

NOTICE:

WAOS Council Elections

116

I

r

\

?

i.

t

7

■ )

t

I

r-

-

J

i

,

f