African waterbird ringing training course

Checking mist nets in Kenya

The African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) is one of the major agreements under the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species that aims to conserve migratory waterbirds in the African-Eurasian flyway region. AEWA identified the need to improve coordination between ringing schemes within Africa and provided funding to establish the African Waterbird Ringing Scheme (AFRING).

One of the primary concerns regarding ringing generally in Africa is that of a lack of suitably qualified ringers. Training is therefore critical in developing a strong ringing base which is needed to generate a larger ringing output. Sustaining ringing programmes in Africa in the long term will ultimately lie in the hands of African ringers and associated regional ringing schemes, and although resources are limited, building individual capacity through training courses can only assist in providing a starting point.

In September 2004 the first AFRING waterbird ringing training course was held in East Africa at the A Rocha Bird Observatory and Field Study Centre on the north Kenyan coast. The course was based on the Ringing Scheme of eastern Africa (RSeA), which has the twin aims of maintaining high standards of ethics, data collection and public acceptance in the practice of bird trapping and ringing, and of facilitating and encouraging more East Africans to become involved in and contribute to bird conservation in the region.

Eight delegates from four African countries participated in this first training course. It involved both theoretical and practical sessions, with emphasis being placed on practical training. Lectures and discussions took place daily and dealt with aspects such as the ethics and responsibilities of being a ringer, catching techniques, mapping, data recording and the use of data.

Practical sessions were carried out in the field and consisted of mist-netting at two wetland sites, Mida Creek (a tidal, mangrove-lined inlet) and Lake Chemchem (an inland, freshwater lake). Here the trainees were shown how to extract birds from nets and how to ring, measure and age birds and record moult. Passerine mist-netting was also done around the field study centre to provide delegates with extra opportunities in handling birds and gaining additional experience in ringing, and recording biometrics and moult. A Rocha Kenya has been ringing birds at the Mida Creek site since 1998 and continues to be involved both with ringing and the training of ringers.

Recording a wader's biometrics in Kenya

A total of 239 waders of 15 species were caught during the four sessions at both sites. At Mida Creek, 209 birds of 13 species were caught. All species were Palaearctic migrants and were dominated by Curlew Sand-piper (Calidris ferruginea) (20%), Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultia) (19%), Little Stint (Calidris minuta) (17%) and Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) (16%). The one session at Lake Chemchem produced 30 birds, four Palaearctic species and one resident species. Dominant species included Little Stint (67%) and Curlew Sandpiper (17%). Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) and Kittlitz’s Plover (Charadrius pecuarius) were the only additional wader species caught at the lake.

The design and implementation of the course was shown to provide effective training for the delegates, and although the course focussed on waders, examples from other species groups as well as general ringing principles and guidelines were emphasised.

An AFRING ringers’ network was subsequently established which will ensure constant communication between trainees and AFRING. This network is planned to be extended to other stakeholders and interested parties in the future.

Project leader: Colin Jackson. For further information contact kenya@arocha.org

Partners: African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement, Avian Demography Unit of University of Cape Town, National Museums of Kenya, Nature Kenya, AFRING