Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Kumbira Fieldwork 2013

Finally… news about the fieldtrip we did to Kumbira.

Let’s begin with Luanda, where we (Francisco Maiato, Michael Mills and I) gave a presentation to the students of the Science Faculty of the Agostinho Neto University (UAN) (Figure 1). This presentation was a great opportunity to promote the conservation projects we are developing in Angola and to encourage students to participate in these projects.
Figure 1. Michael Mills and I giving a presentation in UAN
Then…all the way to Kumbira!!
Bird point counts were done with the help of Michael Mills (who has been training me in bird species identification). Point counts were done during 10 minutes in the early morning (6:15h-10:00h) in forest stands that were old growth and secondary growth. Vegetation variables were also measured in these points.
A total of 54 bird (see list at the end) species were registered in 50 sampling points. Statistical analyses are being performed to establish differences in bird community.

A radio-tracking pilot study was performed with two individuals of Gabela Akalat and Gabela Bush-shrike. The objective was to evaluate if radio-tracking could be used to study habitat use and home range of endemic species. Birds were captured using mist-netting. A decoy and playback were used to increase capture probability of Gabela Bush-shrike (Figure 2). Captured birds were tagged using transmitters manufactured by Biotrack (Figure 3 and 4). Tagged birds were followed during 10 days and bearings were registered every 2 hours (from 7:00h to 17:00h) using a TR-100 telemetry receiver and a Yagi antenna (Figure 5). Data is being analysed using the software Locate, Quantum GIS and R.
Figure 2. A decoy was used to increase capture probability of Gabela Bush-shrike
Figure 3. Gabela Akalat with 0.47g tag
Figure 4. Gabela Bush-shrike with 1.25g tag
Figure 5. Looking for the tag signal
Conservation Issues
Farming for Luanda. More areas are being cleared for agriculture (Figure 6). People are not only farming for subsistence but also to sell products in Luanda. In different occasions we saw trucks taking bananas, tomatoes, pineapples and pumpkins to be sold in Luanda. Some people mentioned that is more profitable to send their products to Luanda than to nearer cities like Sumbe.
Figure 6. Cleared areas for agriculture
Selective Logging. Selective logging is taking place in Kumbira. A piece of wood can cost 8-17 USD depending on the wood quality. Each tree can give up to 30 pieces of wood, meaning that a tree in Kumbira is being cut for 240-510 USD (Figure 7). Loggers have chainsaws and wood is usually taken out from Kumbira by trucks on Sundays (probably less control by authorities). The Administrator of Conda mentioned this problem and that they have already fined different persons and confiscated logging equipment.

Figure 7. Logged tree in Kumbira
Visitors in the camp
During our stay in Kumbira we received visitors in the camp:
Juliette Mills (from Luanda International School) and Rui Marcão (Portuguese birder) spend a couple of days with us at the beginning of the trip.
Mrad and Inge Shaia and their friends visited us at the end of June. They were South African tourists travelling around Angola.
Kelse Alexandre, Henrietta and Takko Konning from the Angolan Field Group visited the camp at the beginning of July.
Bruce Bennett, a Zimbabwean living for 20 years in Angola, spent a couple of days with us just before we left the field.

It was great to have all these people around and to see that different persons are interested in Kumbira.

Bird species registered during point counts

Scientific name
English name
1
Accipiter badius
Shikra
2
Turtur afer
Blue-spotted Wood Dove
3
Tauraco erythrolophus
Red-crested Turaco
4
Tockus alboterminatus
Crowned Hornbill
5
Tricholaema hirsuta
Hairy-breasted Barbet
6
Pogoniulus bilineatus
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
7
Campethera cailliautii
Green-backed Woodpecker
8

Woodpecker sp.
9
Smithornis capensis
African Broadbill
10
Batis minulla
Angola Batis
11
Dyaphorophyia castanea
Chestnut Wattle-eye
12
Dyaphorophyia concreta
Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye
13
Black-backed Puffback
Black-backed Puffback
14
Dryoscopus angolensis
Pink-footed Puffback
15
Campephaga petiti
Petit's Cuckooshrike
16
Oriolus auratus
African Golden Oriole
17
Elminia sp.
African Blue Flycatcher
18
Terpsiphone sp.
African Paradise Flycatcher
19
Trochocercus nitens
Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher
20
Parus funereus
Dusky Tit
21
Pycnonotus tricolor
Dark-capped Bulbul
22
Chlorocichla falkensteini
Falkenstein Greenbul
23
Phyllastrephus fulviventris
Pale-olive Greenbul
24
Bleda syndactylus
Red-tailed Bristlebill
25
Chlorocichla flaviventris
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
26
Nicator vireo
Yellow-throated Nicator
27
Andropadus latirostris
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
28
Macrosphenus pulitzeri
Pulitzer's Longbill
29
Apalis jacksoni
Black-throated Apalis
30
Apalis rufogularis
Buff-throated Apalis
31
Camaroptera harterti
Hartert's Camaroptera
32
Prinia subflava
Tawny-flanked Prinia
33
Illadopsis fulvescens
Brown Illadopsis
34
Sylvietta virens
Green Crombec
35
Hylia prasina
Green Hylia
36
Hyliota australis
Southern Hyliota
37
Zosterops senegalensis
African Yellow White-eye
38
Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
Violet-backed Starling
39
Turdus pelios
African Thrush
40
Pseudalethe poliocephala
Brown-chested Alethe
41
Stizorhina fraseri
Fraser's Rufous Thrush
42
Muscicapa caerulescens
Ashy Flycatcher
43
Erythropygia leucosticta
Forest Scrub Robin
44
Sheppardia gabela
Gabela Akalat
45
Cossypha natalensis
Red-capped Robin-Chat
46
Hedydipna collaris
Collared Sunbird
47
Cyanomitra verticalis
Green-headed Sunbird
48
Cyanomitra olivacea
Olive Sunbird
49
Cinnyris chloropygius
Olive-bellied Sunbird
50
Cinnyris superbus
Superb Sunbird
51
Ploceus nigricollis
Black-necked Weaver
52
Ploceus bicolor
Dark-backed Weaver
53
Nigrita canicapillus
Grey-headed Nigrita
54
Serinus capistratus
Black-faced Canary

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