Komodo and its Dragons by Adam Riley

(This article first appeared on Focusing On Wildlife)

‘Komodo’ is a familiar word to most people and almost everyone has heard of the infamous Komodo Dragons, yet few people seem to know much about Komodo Island itself and the stories behind its most famous inhabitants. This arid 390km² island is one of the smaller islands making up an Indonesian chain known as the Lesser Sundas. This archipelago lies to the east of the Greater Sundas (also known as Sundaland), the latter comprising of the Malay Peninsula and the massive islands as Sumatra, Java and Borneo and the smaller Bali. Just to the east of Bali is a deepwater channel that separates Bali from the next small island, Lombok. Despite the width of this Lombok Strait measuring a mere 35km, it is actually a rather significant feature as it separates the Greater and Lesser Sundas and forms part of a major zoogeographical division known as Wallace’s Line. Please bear with me as I explain the relevance of this fact.

 

A map of Indonesia showing Wallace’s Line in blue. To the west lie islands harboring Asiatic fauna and to the east is Wallacea harboring a mixed Asiatic and Australasian fauna. Lydekker’s Line in green is the eastern boundary of Wallacea. Komodo is one of the small islands between Sumbawa and Flores in the Lesser Sunda Island chain.

 Going back in time to the years 1854-62, a British explorer and natural history collector by the name of Alfred Russel Wallace traveled through a then little known area which he termed ‘The Malay Archipelago,’ and in 1869 published a book by that title which became one of the most popular and influential accounts of scientific exploration written during the 19th century. Besides being the first Westerner to describe living birds-of-paradise in the wild, Wallace discovered more than a thousand new species of birds and other life forms. Since he was collecting as a commercial activity and therefore spending significant time in the region to amass large volumes of specimens (an incredible 125,000!), he had the time and material to reflect upon differences between individuals of species, as well as changes in the diversity of fauna between the numerous islands he explored. The first led him to independently propose natural selection as the driving force of evolution. During 1858 he wrote up this theory whilst still in Indonesia and mailed his ideas to the then already esteemed Charles Darwin who found himself in a rather tough predicament; Wallace has just hit upon the very idea that Darwin has spent the past two decades researching with the intention of publishing. End result was that Darwin rushed a short paper that was delivered to the Linnean Society of London jointly with Wallace’s ideas on evolution. Darwin, being the more well known of the duo at the time ended up being immortalized as the father of the Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection. This was further entrenched by Darwin’s publication the following year of his famous book: ‘On the Origin of Species.’ Some authors have gone as far as claiming that Darwin stole Wallace’s ideas and took all the credit and glory, but Wallace at no stage showed any bitterness at being relegated to the back seat and in fact he became a staunch supporter of Darwin.

Sunset over the land of the dragons – the view from western Flores over Labuan Bajo Bay and across to Komodo and Rinca Islands. Image by Adam Riley

Wallace also hit upon the concept of zoogeographical boundaries and has been bestowed the title of “father of biogeography”. He noticed that to the west of the Lombok Strait, the fauna of the Greater Sundas was almost purely Asiatic in origin (typical species including apes, rhinos, cats, woodpeckers, barbets etc), yet to the east of this channel, the fauna had a strong Australasian element (typical species including marsupial mammals, cockatoos, honeyeaters, megapodes etc). Wallace therefore proposed a theoretical line, that is now named in his honor as Wallace’s Line. This line continued northwards from the Lombok Strait to another channel that separates Borneo from Sulawesi and here again this rule held true. The region to the east of the line is not purely Australasian, but a strong mix of Asiatic and Australasian fauna. Further eastwards, another clear line can be drawn that divides these islands of mixed fauna and those of almost pure Australasian origin. This is now known as Lydekker’s Line. Subsequent research has proven that these lines correlate to continental plates, the islands west of Wallace’s Line being attached via the Sunda Shelf to continental Asia and those to the east of Lydekker’s Line to the Sahul Plate that connects New Guinea to continental Australia. The islands that lie between these two lines form a combined 347,000km² landmass now called Wallacea. They are not strongly linked to any continental shelves and their fauna, as mentioned, is a fascinating mix of Asiatic and Australasian origin.

Only day visits are allowed to Komodo Island and all tourists arrive by boat, either on live-aboards or on day trips out of Labuan Bajo on Flores. A view of the jetty and rugged savannas of Komodo Island  by Felicity Riley.

The Lesser Sundas form an integral part of Wallacea, and Komodo is just one of the minor Lesser Sunda islands. It is wedged between the much larger islands of Sumbawa and Flores, all of volcanic origin. Komodo has only a single village (growing from only 30 villagers in 1928 to approximately 2,000 residents now) that is of a rather recent origin, the settlement said to have been founded by convicts who were exiled to this remote and rather arid and foreboding island. Stories of fire-spitting dragons exceeding 7m (23ft) in length had been circulating for some time, yet despite sailing alongside Komodo Wallace did not land on the island and missed out on discovering the world’s largest lizard. Only in 1910 did an official of the Dutch Colonial Administration in Flores, Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, mount an expedition of armed soldiers to investigate this fearsome beast. After a few days they managed to kill a Komodo Dragon and introduced this species to the western world. In 1912 the Director of the Zoological Museum in Java, Peter Ouwens, also visited Komodo and collected more specimens and formally described the species as Varanus komodoensis. Such interest was generated by this greatest of all lizards that by 1915 the Dutch government was worried about the conservation of the Komodo Dragon and issued a regulation for their protection.

A Komodo Dragon lumbers forwards. Notice the massive claws used for gripping prey. Image by Adam Riley

Two theories exist as to the reasons for such a huge lizard evolving; the traditional thinking was that the Komodo Dragon was an example of island gigantism, a biological phenomenon whereby island forms tend to evolve into larger taxa (and conversely continental forms become smaller). However recent evidence indicates that the Komodo Dragon is an ancient relict of giant lizards that evolved in Australia but became extinct with other megafauna during the Pleistocene era. Contrary to popular belief, the Komodo Dragon does not only exist on its namesake Komodo Island (which hosts an estimated population of 1,000 animals) but is also found on the nearby smaller islands of Rinca (1,000), Gili Desami (100) and Gili Motang (also 100) as well as western Flores (up to 2,000.) They have recently become extinct on Padar, probably due to extreme hunting pressure on their main prey species. The smaller islands, together totaling 603km² of land, have since 1980 been protected within Komodo National Park, a World Heritage Site. Two reserves have also recently been declared on Flores to protect the dragons. The dragons inhabit grasslands, open savanna, beaches and low elevation monsoon and mangrove forests on these dry islands.

 

Komodo Dragons constantly flick their enormous tongues which are an essential aid for detecting prey and carrion. Their tongues have both smelling and tasting stimulii. Image by Adam Riley

Measuring up to 3.13m (10ft 3in) and tipping the scales at an average of up to 90kg (198lbs) with a record weight of a wild individual a remarkable 166 kilograms (370lbs), (although this probably included an undigested meal), the Komodo Dragon is the super predator within its distribution. Any creature they can overcome and kill falls within their dietary range; from invertebrates and birds, fellow Komodo Dragons, right up to mammals as large as Water Buffalo and even Humans. The bulk of their diet consists of large mammals that have been introduced to the these islands, notably Timor Deer, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo as well as goats and even feral horses. This obviously begs the question of what their diet comprised before humans introduced these large mammals and some biologist believe that the dragons chief prey item was an extinct species of pygmy elephant!

 

Timor Deer are abundant on Komodo Island and are the main prey of the Komodo Dragons. Image by Adam Riley.

Wild Boar also occur in good numbers,  the dragons are able to swallow them whole! Image by Adam Riley.

Komodo Dragons are exceptional amongst reptiles for their group co-operative hunting methods. Ambush is their chief method of attack and they lunge for the throat or underside of their prey, and they can knock down large mammals with their tails. They also feed extensively on carrion and their sense of smell allows them to detect a dead or dying animal up to 9.5km (5.9mi) away! For subduing such large prey, it’s not their massive claws or 60 frequently replaced, serrated teeth (that can measure up to 2.5cm (1in) in length), but their saliva that is critical. They secrete copious amounts of this liquid that is frequently blood-tinged, due to their teeth being almost completely covered by gingival tissue that is naturally lacerated during feeding. This creates an ideal culture for the over 60 strains of frightfully virulent bacteria that have been found to thrive in Komodo Dragons’ mouths. It still remains a mystery that the dragons themselves are unaffected by these bacteria. Furthermore, it has been found that Komodo Dragons have two venom glands in their lower jaw containing toxins that inhibit blood clotting, lower blood pressure, cause muscle paralysis and hypothermia, leading to loss of consciousness in envenomated prey. It is assumed that the combination of their virulent saliva and venom will immobilize any prey item that escapes the initial attack.

The Komodo Dragon’s saliva is both copious and remarkably virulent. Image by Adam Riley

Animals up to the size of goats are swallowed whole, this process being aided by the dragon’s loosely articulated jaws, flexible skull and expandable stomach. Nevertheless this can be a slow process despite the saliva lubricating the meal and Komodo Dragons have been observed to ram carcasses against trees (sometimes even knocking trees down in the process) to force large prey items down their throats! A small tube under their tongue is connected to their lungs allowing them to breath during this process. Chunks are torn off animals too large to swallow whole. The dragons can consume up to 80% of their body weight in a single sitting and can survive on just a dozen meals in a year! The largest male dragons assert their dominance and feed first, while the smaller individuals follow in hierarchy. Smaller males show their submission with submissive body language and loud steam train-like hisses, while dragons of similar size do resort to physical combat, the loser fleeing if he is not killed and eaten by the victor!

A Komodo Dragon in the process of regurgitating unwanted portions of its previous meal, this is commonly practiced by these animals. Image by Adam Riley

A younger Komodo Dragon – these smaller individuals can be very aggressive and are extremely fast moving, essential for catching prey as well as avoiding their cannibalistic elders.  Image by Adam Riley

Komodo Dragons have a breeding season, with mating taking place between May and August and egg-laying in September. Males fight each other for access to females, and also need to wrestle and immobilize the antagonistic females during coitus. They however do form pair bonds which is very unusual amongst reptiles. About 20 eggs are usually laid in Orange-footed Scrubfowl mounds or self excavated burrows and are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April when insects are most plentiful. Young dragons become arboreal to avoid their cannibalistic seniors and are extremely wary. Maturity is achieved after 8-9 years and their lifespan can reach 50 years. Komodo Dragons are known to perform parthenogenesis, meaning that females can lay fertile eggs that produce male offspring without any contact with males of the species. This adaptation can allow a single female to colonize an island, hatch male offspring with which it can later reproduce to produce offspring of both sexes.

Komodo Dragons gather around the staff kitchen at the park headquarters where they are attracted by the the odors of meals in preparation. Image by Adam Riley

Komodo Dragons are unpredictable and can suddenly become aggressive. When visiting Komodo Island it is mandatory to be accompanied by a park ranger who is armed with a forked stick. With this instrument, they push any threatening dragons away by wedging the stick on the dragon’s neck. It is generally the smaller and faster subadults and females that are most dangerous. During our visit, our guide showed us scars on his knee where a young dragon had bitten him whilst he had let down his guard during a nap! A dragon bite is extremely painful and usually results in weeks of hospitalization to fight infection.

The author on Komodo Island accompanied by a park ranger – notice the forked stick which is carried at all times to deter any Komodo Dragon attacks. Image by Felicity Riley

Komodo is home to far more than these incredible lizards; 32 mammal species, 128 birds and 37 reptile species are known from Komodo National Park. Native mammals occurring on Komodo Island include the Asian Palm Civet and several bat and rodent species, most specially the little known and highly localized Rinca Rat. Birds are prolific, and a birder is well rewarded by an early morning visit to Komodo Island. During our morning’s exploration we had numerous superb birding experiences, and highlights included Green Junglefowl, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, the Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo, large numbers of Green Imperial-Pigeon, the lovely Barred Dove, Little Cuckoo-Dove, Island Collared-Dove, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Brahminy Kite (nesting), Pacific Koel, Edible-nest Swiftlet, Black-naped Oriole, Black-naped Monarch (particularly common), Wallacean Drongo, Collared Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Australian Golden Whistler, Olive-backed Sunbird, Black-fronted Flowerpecker, Lemon-bellied White-eye, Black-faced Munia and Helmeted Friarbird. This list of birds reflects the mixed nature of the avifauna of these Wallacean Islands – for example the scrubfowl, cockatoo, whistler and friarbird being of Australasian origin; the junglefowl, coucal, sunbird and oriole of Asiatic origin and the kingfisher, white-eye, cuckoo-dove and imperial-pigeon being widespread island colonists.

The Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo is Komodo’s key bird and is nowhere as easily found as on this island. Cockatoo’s belong to a bird family with strong Australasian roots. Image by Adam Riley

Another species from an Australasian family, the Orange-footed Scrubfowl or Megapode. These birds lay their eggs in mounds of vegetation and Komodo Dragons often use their abandoned mounds as their own nesting sites. Image by Adam Riley

The Wallacean Drongo is an attractive endemic to Wallacea and commonly encountered on Komodo Island. Image by Adam Riley

The beautiful Black-naped Oriole is an Asiatic species that is also readily encountered on Komodo Island. Image by Adam Riley

More than 1,000 species of fish (including numerous brilliantly colorful reef fish), 260 species of coral and 70 species of sponges, as well as Dugong, 14 cetacean species and nesting turtles are known from the waters of the national park. Snorkeling off the stunning and aptly named Pink Beach on Komodo Island was one of our best coral reef experiences in Indonesia.

Komodo Island is without a doubt one of the world’s must visit locations for wildlife enthusiasts and birders.

The lovely Barred Dove is an Indonesian endemic occurring on Komodo Island. Image by Adam Riley.

The Bee-eaters of Africa by Adam Riley

(This blog first appeared on 10000birds.com)

The wonderful family Meropidae contains 27 dazzling species, of which Africa is endowed with no less than 20 species, the balance occurring across Asia and with one as far afield as Australia. These charismatic, colorful and finely formed birds are favorites amongst birders from experts to novices, and lie within the group of birds whose beauty even non-birders really appreciate.

In Africa, our bee-eaters occur from the southern tip of the continent right through to the far north, occupying an incredible range of habitats and niches, from the interior of the deepest rainforests of the Congo to the arid steppes of the Sahel. We have both resident and migratory species, and this post will briefly discuss each of the 20 species of African bee-eaters. Besides being colorful and energetic, another plus of these lovely birds is that they are relatively easy to track down. I have been fortunate enough to have observed all 20 species in Africa, and it is not beyond the means of any birder who makes several visits to Africa to achieve the same goal. My personal record is 8 species in a morning along the Nile in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park.

Northern & Southern Carmine Bee-eater

A flock of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters near a colony along the Zambezi River in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip by Adam Riley

Arguably Africa’s most decadent bee-eaters, they used to be considered a single species but are now split, the principal physical difference being the green versus red throat of the Northern form. These bee-eaters nest in colonies, usually in holes in the steep banks of rivers. These colonies can consist of thousands of individuals (over 10,000 birds at some colonies!) forming one of the world’s greatest bird spectacles. Nothing is quite as exciting as seeing hundreds of these brilliant crimson birds filling a tree like Christmas ornaments or taking off in a massive, coordinated flock of hundreds of red arrows, all emitting their cheerful throaty calls.

Southern Carmine Bee-eater flock by Adam Riley

They forage over grasslands and Acacia savanna, and are well known for the ingenious use of ‘beaters’ to chase up grasshoppers, dragonflies and other prey species. These beaters usually take the form of grazing herds of game and domestic animals, and large flocks of carmine bee-eaters may gather overhead. They also use various creatures as convenient mobile perches from which to swoop off, snatching insects flushed by their ride.

Northern Carmine Bee-eater riding an Arabian Bustard by Markus Lilje / Rockjumper Birding Tours

Northern Carmine Bee-eaters in particular are masters of this trait, and rides range from elephants, donkeys and goats to Kori and Arabian Bustards, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills and a variety of other larger birds and mammals. Carmine bee-eaters occur throughout most of Subsaharan Africa, and many populations migrate widely post breeding. Excellent places for finding Southern Carmines include Shakawe in the panhandle of Botswana’s Okavango Swamps and along the Zambezi in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip (a particularly large colony exists near Kalizo Lodge). The Northern Carmine is readily seen in Ghana’s Mole National Park, Ethiopia’s Rift Valley and in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park.

Northern Carmine Bee-eater – notice the green throat by Adam Riley

Southern Carmine Bee-eater – notice the red throat by Adam Riley

Rosy Bee-eater

Rosy Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This beauty is one of the world’s lesser known bee-eaters, due to its range being restricted to infrequently visited parts of Central and West Africa. These bee-eaters also breed in fantastically sized colonies (some estimated to number over 50,000 birds) along rivers, but instead of choosing steep, sandy banks, Rosy Bee-eaters excavate their nest holes on wide, sandy, flat river islands and banks (in Gabon they nest in association with the mythical African River Martins, forming even more massive bird colonies!). After breeding they also disperse over the rainforests and savannas of West and Central Africa, where they hunt for aerial insects. The best locations for finding this beautiful bird is over Kakum National Park in Ghana (non-breeding) and Loango National Park in Gabon for breeding birds.

Black-headed Bee-eater

The cryptic and elusive Black-headed Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This beautiful bee-eater is also one of the species that has been seen by very few birders, occupying an even narrower West and Central African range than the previous species. Furthermore, they are far more secretive, quietly perching on forest edges (where their predominantly green plumage makes them tough to spot), usually solitary or in small family groups and inconspicuously making short sallies to catch bees and other prey. The most reliable and accessible site for this bird is also Loango National Park in Gabon.

Blue-headed and Blue-moustached Bee-eater

Blue-moustached Bee-eater by Adam Riley

Another pair of species that until very recently were considered conspecific, these ravishingly beautiful bee-eaters are also inconspicuous forest dwellers, most often found in mid-levels of the interior of tropical rainforests where their dark coloration makes them very tough spots. The former occurs from Kakamega Forest in Kenya westwards to Cameroon and the latter from Cameroon westwards to Sierra Leone. The most obvious differences are the short tail streamers of Blue-moustached and the paler forehead of Blue-headed. The best places to see these birds are the aforementioned Kakamega Forest for Blue-headed, and Ghana’s Atewa Forest or Cameroon’s Korup National Park for Blue-moustached.

Blue-headed Bee-eater by Adam Riley

Black Bee-eater

An adult and juvenile Black Bee-eater by Adam Riley

Another species that could well contest the title of Africa’s most beautiful bee-eater, this stunner is more easily found than the previous two species as it has a wider range across Africa’s rainforest zone, is generally more common and also sits out more prominently on forest edge perches. From these high vantage points, they swoop out to catch passing butterflies and other invertebrates. Excellent sites for seeing this beauty include Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla National Park in Uganda and Ghana’s Kakum National Park.

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater by Adam Riley

We must leave Africa’s primeval rainforests to find this dry savanna species. Usually preferring arid zones, they occur across a large swathe of Subsaharan Africa, from western South Africa across to East Africa and westwards along the Sahel zone (the dry woodlands south of the Sahara) to Senegal. They are usually found in small family groups perched atop bushes or short trees, from whence they sally out to catch their prey. Excellent sites include Namibia’s Etosha National Park and Ethiopia’s Awash National Park.

Little Bee-eater

 Little Bee-eater by Adam Riley

One of Africa’s most common and widespread species, this aptly named beauty is fond of savannas and grasslands, especially where palms are present. They occur throughout Subsaharan Africa but avoid the deserts and rainforests. Little Bee-eaters are commonly found in all of Africa’s famous big game parks and have even taken to residing in golf courses, where they nest in holes excavated in the bunkers.

Blue-breasted Bee-eater

 “Central African” Blue-breasted Bee-eater by Adam Riley

The rather different “Abyssinian” Blue-breasted Bee-eater by Adam Riley

A roosting family of “Abyssinian” Blue-breasted Bee-eaters by Matthew Matthiessen

Two forms of this bee-eater are known and I consider it quite ridiculous that they are still considered the same species. The typical form is a smaller bee-eater with a green forehead that prefers to live in and around swamps and rank grasslands of Central Africa. The second form is a larger, more colorful bee-eater with a blue forehead that inhabits forest edges and moist woodlands of the Ethiopian highlands. The former can easily be seen in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park and the latter on the forested edges of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley lakes.

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This lovely bird is probably more closely related to the Ethiopian form of Blue-breasted Bee-eater than the Ethiopian bird is related to its sister subspecies.  It occurs in similar montane forest edges but further south, with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania forming the bulk of its range. Excellent locations for finding this bird include Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla National Park and the forests cloaking Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater.

Red-throated and White-fronted Bee-eater

White-fronted Bee-eater by Adam Riley

These sister species forms a north/south assemblage of stunning birds, much in the same way as the Northern & Southern Carmine Bee-eaters. In fact they regularly share nesting colonies with their twinned carmine form (Red-throated with Northern Carmine and White-fronted with Southern Carmine).

A mixed colony of White-fronted and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters by Adam Riley

Both these species are closely allied to the rivers along which they nest and they are not often found far from their chosen watercourses. Excellent sites include Ghana’s Mole National Park and Uganda’s Murchison Falls National park for Red-throated, and Kruger National Park and the Okavango Swamps for White-fronted.

Red-throated Bee-eater by Adam Riley

Somali Bee-eater

Somali Bee-eater by Cuan Rush

This is the plainest member of its striking family, and is also the one that is often a hole in most birder’s lists as it occurs in rather remote areas of East Africa’s driest savanna. The most accessible site is Samburu/Buffalo Springs in Kenya, but the bulk of its range is in remote and dangerous zones of south-eastern Ethiopia and Somalia. Somali Bee-eater occurs uncommonly within its range, perching inconspicuously on the edge of low bushes in arid savannas.

White-throated Bee-eater

White-throated Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This attractive bee-eater has a rather unusual preference for vastly different habitat zones according to the seasons. White-throated Bee-eaters breed in the driest savanna and arid steppes of the Sahel, just south of the Sahara, yet migrate to Africa’s great rainforests once they have nested. They are also notorious vagrants regularly showing up far out of their normal ranges across Southern Africa and even into the Middle East. They are a twitcher’s nightmare as almost all these out of range sightings are ephemeral, the birds moving off within hours allowing only the initial observer the pleasure of watching them! Good sites for seeing this species includes Ghana’s Kakum National Park and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla National Park.

Boehm’s Bee-eater

Boehm’s Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This is another of the more difficult bee-eaters, not because it is rare but rather that its range is restricted to less visited parts of the continent, notably southern Tanzania, Malawi and north-eastern Zambia. It’s a lovely species of moist woodland, and easily found in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve and Malawi’s Liwonde National Park.

Little Green Bee-eater

 Little Green Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This is one of the world’s most widespread bee-eaters, occurring from Senegal in the west to Vietnam in the east, but with its range restricted to a fairly narrow latitudinal belt across Africa and Asia. Numerous subspecies exist within this long range, and birds vary from a light green coloration to an off blue. Their preferred habitat is dry woodlands and scrublands. In Africa, they are most easily seen along Egypt’s Nile Valley.

  Little Green Bee-eater by Adam Riley

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This species also boasts a range spanning two continents, Africa and Asia. Two populations exist, the westernmost breeds in the western Sahara (e.g. Morocco and Algeria) and migrates to tropical West Africa. The eastern form breeds as far away as Kazakhstan, through India and the Middle East into Egypt’s Nile Valley, and migrates southwards to East and South Africa. Their preferred breeding habitat is semi-desert, yet they spend their winters foraging in noisy flocks over tropical wetlands. Excellent sites for seeing Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters include the St Lucia Wetlands in South Africa and Murchison Falls in Uganda.

Madagascar Bee-eater

Madagascar Bee-eater by Adam Riley

Rather similar to Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, this species also has a rather unusual range. Two subspecies exist, the nominate breeds across Madagascar, the Comoros Islands and isolated parts of East Africa, whilst a more range restricted second form breeds in a narrow belt along the Cunene River which forms the border between Angola and Namibia. They prefer open areas, especially around wetlands. Excellent sites include Ampijoroa in Madagascar and Murchison Falls in Uganda.

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater by Adam Riley

This lovely species, also known as Golden Bee-eater (a name I far prefer) is our 20^th and final species of African bee-eater. As its name indicates, it breeds in Europe, with good numbers still nesting on the Iberian Peninsula and into eastern Europe, as well as further westwards right across to China. They also nest in north Africa, and the entire population winters in Africa. Furthermore, some populations have recently started nesting in South Africa and Namibia. This species prefers warm, open countryside and their cheerful calls are often the best indication of the presence. European Bee-eaters can be found through-out Africa at the right time of year. Kruger National Park in South Africa and Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda are particularly good sites.

Green Tinkerbird rediscovered in Mozambique!

For anyone with an interest in African birds and birding, the following should be of immense interest…

 

Green Tinkerbird by Hugh Chittenden

After extensive searching, Greg Davies & Hugh Chittenden have rediscovered an isolated population of Green Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus simplex) in Mozambique, 55 years after the original (and only) southern African specimen was collected! This species occurs very sparsely in E Africa and disjunctly in Malawi and southern Mozambique, where it is only known from a single specimen collected in 1958! Previously thought to be extinct due to lowland forest exploitation and fragmentation, no less than 8 pairs (territories) were located over just 2 days this January in an unexpected habitat. As if this wasn’t enough, Hugh also managed to obtain several excellent images of the birds (in fact, the first ever published photos of this species!), which he has very generously allowed us to share. Well done Greg and Hugh on what is truly a monumental achievement!

(For further details on this amazing discovery, click on the following link: http://www.rarebirds.co.za/rarebirds/54_green_tinkerbird.htm)