Birdlife Botswana Newsletter FAMILIAR CHAT · Familiar Chat September 2015 3 3 diet.The evolution...

Familiar ChatN e w s l e t t e r o f B i r d L i f e B o t s w a n a June 2015

BirdLife Shop extends it’s Range…!!The BirdLife Shop has gone country-‐wide! The Gaborone shop inthe Kgale Mall has been joined by outlets in Kasane (at the AudiCentre) and in Francistown (Ngwao Boswa Museum); more will beopening soon in other parts of the country!Mary Webb (Retail Manager) has sourced many new products, withparticular emphasis on BirdLife Boswana branded items.

Definitely worth a look.

We have increased our range of reference books to suit every taste and level of proficiency. We also have a range of books covering specific areas eg Chobe, the Delta, and covering animals and their signs eg 'Scatalogue'. Also lots of books to start children on a life long interest in natural history.

Every single bird in Southern Africa features in photographic form in this magnificent 2 volume celebration of our avifauna. A free e-‐book is included with every purchase. Browsing through takes your breath away with the exceptional and different photographs.

The Winter MigrantsBodywarmersWinter fleeces

Fleece lined sweaters Beanies

Fingerless glovesLimited range of BEAUTIFUL 100% merino wool

jerseys from Camphill.

Ideal for the range of temperatures on a winter day in Botswana!!

Buy NOW to ensure your choice of size and colour!

Birdlife Botswana Newsletter

FAMILIAR CHAT Quarterly

Newsletter of Birdlife Botswana

September 2015

Spring has sprung! Welcome to the Spring edition of the Familiar Chat.

The first YBK has been spotted and we have been blessed with the first rains (fingers crossed we will have much more). Spring has most definitely arrived!

Thanks to Janet Woods

You will see that we have a new look to match the new season. Janet Woods has handed over the editing role to Catherine Piper, who is also serving as the membership secretary.

We would like to thank Janet for all her hard work over the past two years. Not only has she edited the magazine she has also written a number of articles. Her effort and hard work is much appreciated.

Anne Dayton took the two photos of the Yellow-billed Hornbill. Anne, who is an experienced potter, made the bird feeders especially for small birds. She obviously did not tell the hornbills they were too

big for it!

Chit Chat

Monthly walks

We organize a monthly walk, which takes place on the first Sunday of every month. We meet at Molapo Crossing in Gaborone at 6.30am in the summer and 8.30am in the winter. We will send you a reminder the week before with some details about where

we are going. Beginners most welcome!

It’s mine, all mine!

Don’t forget to visit our shops

Gaborone shop is next door to Cafe Dijo at Kgale Spar complex, the one in Kasane is in the Audi Centre and in Francistown it is in

the Ngwato Boswa Museum.

Our website is: www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw/blb_shop.html

Familiar Chat September 2015

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Training in Tanzania

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Tropical Biology Association (TBA) is a small non-government organisation with a big impact. The TBA builds the capacity of conservation scientists and institutions in tropical regions to manage and safeguard biodiversity, for the long term. They do this by providing tailor-made training and ongoing follow-up support.

They work in partnership with conservation institutes and member organisations in more than 60 countries. Their network includes leading universities, research departments, government agencies

Randall recently completed a training course with the Tropical Biology Association

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and non-governmental organisations.

Established in 1993, the TBA is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee (with no share capital). They have offices in Cambridge (UK) and Nairobi (Kenya).

A unique opportunity to kick-start careers in conservation, the practical, one-month courses for graduates bridge the gap between university study and field-based research. Expert teachers use the forests and savanna as outside

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classrooms to teach tropical ecology and conservation to promising young environmentalists.

An outstanding feature of every course is the deliberate mix of participants from the host region and the rest of the world, generating friendships and invaluable professional contacts that last a lifetime.

By running the courses in collaboration with African conservation and research institutions, they ensure to cover priority topics that are relevant.

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Mr. Randall Tseleng (Environmental Education Coordinator, BirdLife Botswana) recently completed the Amani 2015 field course that brought together participants from 18 countries.

The month long course covered current concepts and techniques in ecology conservation biology, experimental design and sampling methods.

By Randall Tseleng

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This was delivered through a series of lectures, seminars, practical analysis and an independent two-week research project.


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diet.The evolution of the colourful male is mainly a result of sexual selection by females, for whom brighter colour means

healthier bird.

6) Interestingly, only 8% of bird species demonstrate female only care, whilst 81% show bi-parental care. Males often lose exotic plumage after mating as it may make them a target for predators. Drab female plumage has been driven by natural selection as they may need to be camouflaged whilst nesting. Very few species have male only care, one of which is the African Jacana. The

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1) Living things want their genes passed down to the next generation. A balanced population needs individuals to leave behind only one replacement. For a population to grow and become stronger, the healthiest individuals must leave behind more offspring than the weakest.

Eg. European Robins (Erithacus rubecula) have an average lifecycle of only 1.2 years. Two adults might produce 10 chicks in a season. Those two adults and eight of their offspring will probably not survive to breed the next year. A survival rate of only 13%! There is a big difference

between average life expectancy

and maximum life expectancy – the oldest known robin lived 8.5 years and obviously had seriously ‘fit’ genes, he probably left behind more offspring than most.

2) Generally, the male has to prove himself to the female. She has relatively few ova in which her genetic future rests. Males produce millions of sperm and may mate with several females to produce many broods each

10 Interesting Facts

Choosing a Mate By Janet Woods

Cape Glossy Starling – male and female are similar

(Photographer Ian N White)

Southern Pied Babbler – male and female are similar

(Photographer Ian N White)

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season. Males have to compete for access to the female’s ova.

3) Many grouse species Eg.The

Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), from North America, have a “get together” during the breeding season (known as a ‘lek’) where they choose mates. The females compare the males - and one male may receive 80% of mating opportunities! There is evidence that females allow themselves to be influenced by the choice of other females. Peer pressure!

4) An exotic physical trait in a male may be an indicator of other advantages. Eg. The female

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) prefers to mate with males with longer tail feathers. Longer tailed males carry fewer parasitic mites. Chicks with fewer parasites will be healthier and more likely to survive.

5) Sexual dichromatism is when the male and female are different colours. Males with brighter coloured plumage are preferred by females. Brighter plumage might simply indicate a healthier


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c/ (Colourful feathers) http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/bird_lifespan.htm

+ http://www.livescience.com/10606-bird-species-females-pretty.html

+ birding.about.com/od/birdbehaviour

+ http://www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw/bom_african_jacana.html

+ http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/studying/starlingstudy

Continued

F a m i l i a r F u n

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September hosted International Vulture Awareness day, so here’s seven surprising facts about vultures:

1. Highest flyers The highest bird flight ever recorded was by a Ruppell's vulture which impacted an aircraft at 37,000 ft over the Ivory Coast in 1973. This is well above the height of Everest (29,029 ft).

2. Africa's biggest appetites It is estimated that vultures consume anywhere up to 64% of dead grazing mammals.

3. Borders are not boundaries

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One Ruppell's vulture was recently recorded travelling north from its nest in Tanzania, across Kenya to a region in Sudan and Ethiopia.

4. Powerful pee Turkey vultures urinate on their legs, scientists suspect the acid present in the urine could act as a way of sterilising the birds legs after standing in rotting flesh to feed.

5. Powerful expansion Cape vultures in South Africa were tracked following power lines and pylons to cover a straight-line distance of 1000km. The journey far outstripped the known range of

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the birds.

6. Varied diet Not all vultures have a carrion-only diet. The lappet-faced vulture has been observed eating live flamingo chicks.

7. Strong stomachs

Vultures are well known for their incredibly strong stomach acid which can destroy bacteria, including cholera and anthrax, that would prove deadly to many other species.

Modified from http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/25961517

Paradise Flycatchers – male and female very different

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female Jacana is chosen by the males!

That leaves 10% of bird species which live co-operatively as a family, they work together to raise chicks which may or may not be relatives. In this environment, where not all females get to breed, competition for reproductive opportunities, other resources, or higher social status may be as intense between females as it is among males. Therefore, females might need the same type of exaggerated traits as males to compete with each other. In the 45 species of Starling in Africa, there are relatively few differences in plumage or size.

7) Birds need to recognize characteristic plumage to attract a mate from the same species.

8) Birds in the same territory are not so aggressive to males from a different species as they are not in competition with them.

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9) Increased testosterone levels (caused by increased daylength) causes dominant male White-browed Sparrow Weavers to develop an attractive ‘solo’ song, different from that of subordinate and female birds. However, increased testosterone does not cause dominance..

10)Weaker male Zebra finches make a special effort with their singing to impress strange females, but not with familiar females – who presumably know of their weaknesses!

Links

+ http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/articles/(article)how_females_choose.html (Grouse)

+ http://www.orn.mpg.de/281512/news_publication_6607393?c=2162 (Testosterone)

+ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-male-birds-more-c/

+ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-male-birds-more-


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We birds are part of nature’s clean-up crew and play an important role in keeping Botswana clean and tidy by consuming dead animal carcasses, discarded food items and other human waste. Our important clean-up crew members include vultures, some carrion-eating eagles and crows, as well as others such as the Marabou stork.

In our environmental clean-up activities we are often assisted in nature by other scavengers (scavengers are animals that eat things that are already dead) such as lions – yes, they scavenge as well as hunt their food - , hyenas and jackals, as well as by various insects such as dung beetles and the smaller bacteria and other varied decomposers.

Even though other birds play an important role in the environmental clean-up crew, in this article we will concentrate on us, vultures, who share our space with you people.

Let us tell you a little more about ourselves.

The Cleaning Crew

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Vultures are birds that are typified by large size, heavy hooked beak, neck wholly or partially devoid of feathers (that is because regular feathers on the neck would get dirty and matted when we stick our heads inside a carcass) and, for a bird of prey we have relatively weak feet not suited to grasping live prey. That is because even though we are known as birds of prey we actually don’t capture live prey and kill it – although some people think we do and punish us for things we really don’t do.

We feed on carrion, soar with ease during much of the day, and bathe in ponds and rivers. Yes, we do like to keep clean!

Normally we are silent birds, but hiss and squeal when squabbling over food, which often happens when many arrive at a “kill” at the same time. Hey, just remember now that something or someone else did the “killing”- we didn’t – and remember we just eat carrion, which means the remains of an animal that got sick and died or was involved in an accident with a car or something like that.

We would like to introduce ourselves.

We are important members of Botswana’s Waste Management

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There are five species of us most commonly found in Botswana, all listed below. First our names are given in the common English form, followed by the scientific name and then the name or names in Setswana. Using these names you can find our photos or drawings in any bird identification book. Look us up! We are:

+ Cape Griffon, Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotyeres) [Lenong lelefatshwa, Diswaane]

+ Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) [Motlhanka-wamanong]

+ Lappetfaced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus) [Kgosiyama, Bibing]

+ Whitebacked Vulture (Gyps africanus) [Lenong leletuba, Kopajammutla]

+ Whiteheaded Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) [Motlhanka-wamanong]

Some birds require very special habitats and so some of our brothers of other vulture species don’t live here in Botswana. But because we


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do have that wonderful power of flight we can often zip across borders (hey, we don’t need a passport) and visit friends and family of our own kind there or maybe see one of those other vulture species that don’t live here, or just find some food there. Depending upon what part of Botswana you might be in, it could be possible to see all five species of us together cleaning up the remains of a carcass.

We have excellent eyesight and while slowly soaring high in the sky we can spot a carcass several kilometres away. Upon spotting a carcass we begin to gather and descend to land, ready to start managing waste. If you look carefully at the gathering you will see that we really are several different species – each with its specialties. If an animal has died from old age, disease, from fighting or for some other reason such as poaching and the carcass is still entire then some of us must wait until our bigger, stronger brothers such as the Lappetfaced Vulture or a Cape Vulture get there to open up the carcass with their very powerful beaks.

Sometimes other birds of prey such as the Tawny Eagle or the Bateleur will also arrive to join the scavenging party. Some of us smaller vulture species have to wait our turn and make do with what the big boys have left us. But we are good at cleaning up every little scrap after they have had their fill. The next time you see a bunch of us cleaning up a carcass, take a little time and see if you can identify who is who. Sometimes you have to be quick because we can clean up a place in an hour or less, leaving just some bones for the Hyenas to chew up. Even the little pieces of bones left by the

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Hyenas are important for us to take to our chicks so they get enough calcium in their diets which will enable them to grow strong bones and be healthy.

Unfortunately our numbers are declining drastically because we can’t find enough food when outside the national parks and reserves because at times the animal carcasses are burned up under old tires or buried.

And did you know that some medicines given to sick cows that later die can poison us when we eat them. Also some farmers poison carcasses to try and kill other scavengers like hyenas and lions that might kill their livestock, but that also kills us. And now poachers are poisoning carcasses of animals they kill, for example elephants or rhinos where only the tusks or horns are removed, so we, when we fly down to eat the carcasses they have been poisoned so we die so don’t alert Wildlife authorities to where the poaching is taking place. Up to 200 of us have been poisoned at one carcass!

Sometimes our nesting places are

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disturbed by humans and we have no peace and can’t raise our chicks properly. Another problem is that because of our excellent eyesight and other attributes, some traditional healers and other people try to capture and kills us so our body parts can be sold to people for them to be able to “see into the future” and win the lottery or something like that. Now if that were really true those that kill us for that reason would surely keep our body parts to make themselves rich by winning the lottery instead of selling the parts to other people. They just make money by fooling people!

At times we also accidently fly into – or land on – the big overhead power lines and of course get electrocuted. Sometimes wind machines used to generate electricity are installed where some vultures are commonly found and can cause the death of many if they are caught in the blades of the wind generators. All these negative activities have really reduced the numbers of our special environmental clean-up crew which also decreases national biodiversity.

The variety of things made and used by humans continues to grow by leaps and bounds. After using them you humans often discard them indiscriminately. Many of these things are made of metal, plastic or wood that we, of course, cannot clean up. So, you humans are going to do your part too if Botswana is ever to have a clean environment again.

Some of us are now on endangered

lists, so please help us survive so we can continue to help you in waste management.

By Doreen McColaugh

This is the first in a series of five articles about vultures in

support of our “I want Botswana vultures ALIVE

not DEAD” campaign.

The aim is to educate the public about the need to

understand and appreciate the role vultures play in our

environment.

BLB educational materials on vultures are available to

schools.

Continued


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How to Draw Cartoon Vultures in Easy Steps

International Vulture Awareness Day was held on 6 September 2015 as part of and Birdlife Botswana’s

“I want vulture ALIVE, not DEAD”

The MTB race was held Otse, one of the two breeding sites for vultures in Botswana.

The race was part of Birdlife Botswana’s “I want vulture ALIVE, not DEAD” campaign.

International Vulture Awareness Day, which is held annually on the first Saturday in September aims to publicise the conservation of vultures to a wider audience and highlight the important work being carried out by the world’s vulture conservationists.

Birdlife Botswana was part of over 120 organisations that participated this year.

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Step 1

Start off the cartoon vulture by drawing an oval for the face. Lightly draw guidelines around the oval (as if you were wrapping the line around a ball). This will help place the facial features. Draw an oval for the right eye and part of one of the left eye (so you just see a letter ‘j’ shape).

Step 2

Now draw a kidney bean-like shape for the body.

Step 3

Draw a teardrop like shape for the wings (you only see part of the back one).

Step 4

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Lightly draw 2 ovals for the neck and then erase the inside of it so you only see the outline. Then draw the beak (an oval with a letter ‘v’ at the far left of it) Draw a fruit loop like shape around the neck (an bubble letter ‘o’ shape).

Step 5

Draw 2 circles for the thighs. Draw 3 bubble letter ‘c’ like shapes for the claws. Draw 2 parallel lines for the branch the bird is sitting on.

Step 6

Now add features and some other details like a letter ‘p’ for the nostril, and little hairs sticking out of the neck. Notice that the eye is only a capital letter ‘A’ like shape within the oval….not too hard to draw if you can picture things as letters. Draw a capital letter ‘T’ for the smirk on the beak.

http://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/stepbystepdrawinglessons/2011/01/how-to-draw-cartoon-vultures-in-easy-steps-drawing-tutorial/


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The Killing

Illegal killing of birds in the Mediterranean

Appeal by Birdlife International

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Birdlife International has conducted a comprehensive new scientific study in 26 countries throughout the Mediterranean region which has discovered that despite legal protection, illegal bird killing is taking place at quite extraordinary and unsustainable levels. More than 25 million birds are being illegally killed here every year. In some countries such as Cyprus, Egypt and Lebanon,

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more than two million birds are illegally trapped or shot annually. Three individual blackspots have been identified – the Famagusta area in Cyprus, the Manzala area in Egypt and the Akkar area in Lebanon – where, staggeringly, more than half a million birds are being illegally slaughtered each year.

Populations of 40 different migratory passerines that

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were once more abundant in Europe are declining and some are now in free-fall. Many have already disappeared from much of their former range. European Turtle–doves have declined by 30% throughout Europe since the millennium and in some countries by as much as 90% in the same period.

Yet more than one million are still illegally killed each

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year. Our birds are begging for a safer flyway. Help us stop the illegal slaughter, to restore nature’s natural rhythm and let migrating birds fly freely once more.

To tackle these threats, our direct conservation efforts need to be stepped up at the blackspots identified, coupled with effective and well-coordinated local, national and regional advocacy.

Birdlife International are

lookingfor donations for this vital work so that we can win the battle to protect migrating birds so they can fly freely once more, travel to and from their breeding grounds unhindered, and restore

the balance of nature as it was always meant to be.

See the link below if you are willing to donate :

https://www.justgiving.com/Fight-for-the-Flyway

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Osprey incredible...

Incredible photography. Nevermind the bird!

This is an incredible clip submitted by Rika Franken. Such a graceful bird and efficient hunter! http://www.youtube.com/embed/nA3LtXnNIto?feature=player_embedded

There are three sequences in this one video. The First sequence the osprey catches half a dozen fish in one strike. In the second the bird plunges his talons into deep water to grab the prey. In the final one the osprey captures a large fish that looks as if it weighs more than he does, then 'streamlines' the fish for

less wind resistance in

flight! Hard to believe but the osprey picks up 5-6 fish in one strike, and a flounder in three feet of water, then make off with what looks like a steelhead over 5 lb.

Have you ever seen a bird shake off water like a dog? You wouldn't want to get in its way when its eyes are locked and his talons are loaded. Amazing!

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Billboards or trees?

By Rika Franken

If you were asked –what would you choose?

I’d choose the latter of course.

A large old shepherd’s tree was destroyed and a large number of

trees were cleared—roots and all –so we

may have a clear view on to yet another massive advertising bill board which was actually an official road side resting site shade tree for passing motorists.

Do we really want all these massive billboards everywhere?

Are we forced to accept them?

What do we gain from them?

Although I accept the ones that inform the public about important issues concerning our general well-being as a society.

In some areas it’s a veritable billboard forest (replacing the real ones?) bombarding us non-stop with what we must buy, eat or do.

The majority block the view, distract drivers (worst are the flashing kind) and of course destroy large areas of bushes/trees.

For Beginners

For any beginners out there why don’t you check out The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. www.birds.cornell.edu.

They are a world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds, aiming to advance the understanding of nature and to engage people of all ages in learning about birds and protecting the planet. Which is, of course, very much what we aim to do at Birdlife Botswana.

The website has a great page ‘All about birds’ which although has an American bias there are some great tips on improving your bird ID skills, making your garden more bird friendly and detailing the different types of bird feeders.

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Rika Franken submitted this opinion piece and although it does not relate

directly to birds we felt it was thought-provoking and does indirectly affect our

birding population.

The UK’s Guardian newspaper published an article about how some

cities around the world are reconsidering the number and size of billboards. Cities such as São Paulo

and Chennai have banned or replaced billboards with art. In 2007, the mayor of São Paulo called billboards “visual pollution” and undertook to ‘unbrand’

the city by implementing the Clean City Law. Since then many cities have

followed.

It is well worth reading the full article. http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/aug/11/can-cities-kick-ads-

BirdLife Botswana, P O Box 26691, Game City, Gaborone, BOTSWANA

Tel: +267-3190540

Fax: +267-3190540;

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BirdLifeBotswana

Twitter @KgoriBustard

Want to Contribute?

We are always looking for contributions to the Familiar Chat whether it is articles, photos or drawings. If you would like to

contribute please get in touch with Catherine. Her email address [email protected].


Nature Chobe We hope you received the update from Harold about the exciting developments in Kasane and the Nature Chobe Project. Watch this space for regular updates

and progress on the project particularly when building gets underway.

If you are interested in donating cash or kind please do get in touch. This project will contribute significantly to our educational and conservation

efforts in northern Botswana.

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Birdlife Botswana Newsletter FAMILIAR CHAT · Familiar Chat September 2015 3 3 diet.The evolution...

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