2015 March - Birdlife Botswana

BOTSWANA’S NEW
OFFICIAL NATIONAL SYMBOLS
BirdLife Botswana had long
advocated for Botswana to
officially name a national bird.
On May 12, 2014 that finally
happened when the Kori Bustard,
Ardeotis kori, was
named
Botswana’s
National
Bird.
Although several other birds have
been thought to be Botswana’s
national bird, none of these had
ever been officially named as
such. The internet and various
publications have listed half a
dozen
different
birds
as
Botswana’s national bird, with the Lilac-breasted Roller and the Cattle
Egret being the ones most
often claimed to be.
However, Botswana never
had officially designated a
national bird until May
2014. The other new
national symbols named
at the same time as the
Kori Bustard were the
Morula as the National
Tree,
Motshikiri
(Thatching grass) as the National Grass and Sengaparile (Devil’s Claw) as
the National Flower/plant. The new national tree, grass and flower/plant
reflect the traditional uses of these
plants for food, roofing for houses and
medicine. No national mammal was
named but the Zebra occurs on the Coat
of Arms developed in 1966 and is
without doubt considered the national
animal/mammal symbol of Botswana by
the government and the people.
Most nations have a variety of
national symbols that include animals,
plants and other things that occur in the
natural environment. Nations select and
name their various national symbols as a
means of uniting their people by creating visual, verbal or other
representations that reflect the people, their values, goals or history. A
country’s symbols have special meaning for the country and its people and
these symbols become part of their cultural heritage. Examples of national
symbols include a flag, coat of arms, national colours and a national
anthem. Most countries also name a
national bird, a mammal, a tree and a
flower that also represent the country.
It is always interesting to learn why
certain choices were made. In the United
States, for example, the national bird and
the national animal/mammal are one in the
same – the Bald Eagle (a Fish Eagle that is
not bald!). Many considered the Bald Eagle, as an eagle, to be a noble bird
and worthy of being the national bird but Benjamin Franklin proposed the
Wild Turkey as a more “respectable” bird for a national bird because he
considered the Bald Eagle to be a “bird of bad moral character” that stole
food from other birds and therefore was too lazy to fish for itself. Franklin
thought the Bald Eagle “does not get his living honestly”. He also
considered the Bald Eagle to be a “rank coward” because sometimes small
birds could mob it and chase it away. Franklin said the Bald Eagle should
not be the “Representative of our Country “ (USA).
Well, the Bald Eagle won this contest!
In the USA the 50 states also have lists of their state symbols. Some,
like my home state of California with 29 state
symbols, sort of go overboard. The Grizzly bear
is the state animal and also is prominent on
the state flag. You might have heard of the
state bird, the California Valley Quail and the
state flower, the California Poppy.
The purpose of this article is to learn more about the Kori Bustard,
Botswana’s new National Bird. In the proposal for the new national
symbols the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism stated that the
Kori Bustard had been chosen as one of the new national symbols after a
series of consultations at kgotla meetings around the country. Long ago in
Botswana the Kori Bustard was designated a “royal bird” with its meat
considered to be for chiefs only and so it has been of cultural importance
for a long time. It is still considered a special bird for those who know it
well in the Kalahari and it has the world record of being the heaviest bird
that is able to fly. Its name kgori in Setswana is incorporated into its
scientific name Ardeotis kori.
The male Kori Bustard is huge (up to 22 kg recorded) and as mentioned
above, is the heaviest bird in the world that can fly. That doesn’t mean
that it particularly likes to fly as it spends most of its time on the ground,
but it can fly when it tries to escape danger. The Kori Bustard can be found
in most habitats except in forests and densely wooded areas. Researchers
consider they are not found in those areas because they need space to be
able to run for some distance before they become airborne when
attempting to fly.
The Kori Bustard found in Botswana and other Southern African
countries is one of six species of bustards within the genus Ardeotis found
in Africa. Other large-bodied bustard species range as far as India and one
species is even found in Australia.
The Kori Bustard is mostly grey and brown in colour with some black
and white coloured patterns. Both males and females have a blackish crest
that extends beyond the back of the head. The male’s crest is longer and
darker
than
the
female’s.
There is a
white stripe above the
yellow eye and the chin,
throat and neck area
are whitish with some
fine dark barring. There
is a black collar at the
base of the back part of
the neck. The feathers
on the neck are loose
and the male can turn
these feathers upward
when displaying, making
his neck look much
bigger than it is. The head is large and the beak long and straight. The legs
are long and yellowish in colour. There is a great difference in size
between the Kori Bustard male and female, with the male being 20 – 30%
bigger and up to 50% heavier. During the breeding season a male will
display in his regularly used site (or sites) called a lek. The displays are
impressive and elaborate. The male inflates his neck and puffs out the
loose neck feathers in front and as the feathers turn upwards on the neck
area, it looks like a large white balloon. He then strides around with his
head held back with the crest extended, tail held up and fanned over his
back and wings pointed down at an angle. He gives low-pitched booming
sounds as he strides around. Females come to the leks to choose what
supposedly they think is the biggest and best male to mate with. The male
mates with many females but does not share any of the duties of
incubation or raising the chicks.
After mating the female leaves the lek and finds a nesting place.
Kalahari open grassy areas near clumps of bushes or trees are thought to
be favoured for nesting sites. Nests are not constructed but a depression in
the sand is used or perhaps just a
scrape or two will also create space
for the single egg that is usually laid.
In years with good rains the
likelihood of two eggs being laid
increases. Those who have looked for
them say these nests are very
difficult to find. The eggs are earth
coloured with blotches of brown,
grey and pale purple and weigh
almost 150 g each. The female
incubates
the
egg/s
for
approximately 25 days, seldom
leaving the nest. Within hours after
hatching chicks can follow the
mother. She brings soft food to the
chick/s but after a few weeks they find their own food when they are with
her. Kori Bustards are considered omnivores as they eat a variety of food
including all kinds of insects, small snakes and lizards, bird eggs and
nestling chicks, mice, carrion, grasses, seeds, berries, melons, roots,
flowers and other plant parts. They are very fond of Acacia gum that leaks
from trees and this is the base for their Afrikaans name of “Gompou”,
meaning a large peacock-like bird that likes to eat tree gum. Kori Bustards
do at times follow game for the insects and other food items they might
disturb. Also birds such as Carmine Bee-eaters may ride on Kori Bustards as
Cattle Egrets do on cows to be able to see and catch what is disturbed as
the Koris or the cows walk through the grass.
Chicks grow quickly and fledge when they are a little over a month old
but they cannot really fly well until they are almost four months old. They
stay with their mother for at least a year before they finally leave. Given
the low juvenile: adult ratio of Kori Bustards in the wild it appears as if very
few chicks survive to the three to four years it takes them to become fully
mature. Kori Bustards may live as long as twenty five or more years.
However, they can live much longer in captivity because in the wild they
are preyed upon by lions and other large cats, large eagles, pythons and
humans.
The Kori Bustard is a rather scarce bird and is under threat from loss of
habitat, illegal hunting and capturing and collision with overhead power
lines. As Botswana’s new National Bird, it is important to learn more about
it and protect it as much as possible so it can also be enjoyed and
appreciated by future generations. Celebrate the new National Bird!
Doreen McColaugh
Sources consulted for this article are:
BirdLife Botswana. Birds of Conservation Concern
FACTSHEET –
Kori Bustard
Ginn, P.J., W.G. McIlleron and P. le S. Milstein. 1989. The Complete Book of Southern African Birds. Struik
Publishers, Cape Town.
Hancock, Pete. KORI BUSTARD – SYMBOL OF THE KALAHARI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kori_bustard
http://wikipedia.statesymbolsusa.org/CaliforniaStateSymbols
http://wikipedia.org/wild/Wild_turkey
Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism. Proposal for new national symbols
Newman, Kenneth. 1989. Birds of Botswana. Southern Book Publishers. Cape Town.
Senyatso, Kabelo. Personal communication – with thanks.
Perceptions of Shape
Birds will flee if a hawk silhouette is displayed overhead.
Interestingly, the birds only respond if the silhouette is
made to fly forwards, to make it fly backwards changes
the relationship between the head and wings and
therefore the perception of the shape. (Nino Tinbergen 1951)
Shape is also important in the imprinting of chicks on
adults. Ducklings, for example, are not attracted by a
‘duck’ shape, but will imprint on any familiar shape, even
humans. They will not be able to recognize their own
species for breeding. (AK Lorentz 1951) This research won the
Nobel Prize for Physiology in 1973
Fascinating Bird Observations in Maun
The following is part of a report from Ompuseditse Gabanakitso, a safari
guide in the Maun area. He is fortunate to spend his working life observing
wildlife in the bush, he is interested in birds and was ‘recruited’ by BirdLife
Botswana to assist with bird counts, and to make reports on interesting
sightings.
“…..But the amazing part of my birding this time in Maun was the big
migration of Abdim stork and the yellow billed kite. We had ‘millions’ of
these birds in Maun. It was my first time to see this in Maun, especially in
the mophane habitat. There was an unusual worm coming from the
mopane trees - but not phane worm that people eat. It was a very small
worm or caterpillar falling off the mopane tree. It was amazing to see big
groups of storks under these trees, going for these worms. It was funny,
when the worm started coming out, everyone was complaining because it
was the first time we had seen this kind of worm and they were all over in the houses, everywhere - even on your bed!
After maybe 2 weeks of people complaining I
started to see some birds soaring in the sky like
vultures, I checked and found they were storks
and kites. And when I drove to my house through mopane trees - I saw hundreds of
storks and kites, which are unusual in this kind
of habitat!
That was very obvious - even if you are not a
birder. Within a month there were no worms
and the birds were all gone. I am completely
amazed and I don't know where they came
from.
Otherwise no other exciting birds apart from
that.
(Exciting enough for one season! Thanks for telling us – maybe
someone reading this will be able to explain this strange phenomenon.! )
Fund Raising Project at
Westwood School
Projects, in which the participants are involved from the
very beginning, are often the ones which receive the utmost
commitment.
On the 24th of February 2015, the Westwood International
School Environmental Club organized a BIG SALE!
They sold a lot of different sweeties to raise funds to buy paints
for murals to be painted at their school and at Gaborone Game
Reserve. The children were dedicated and all members brought
something to sell at the sale. They worked very hard under
minimal supervision and raised P1000!
By Tania D Monggae and Cahawada Gaotlhobogwe
Do you know of any environmentally based
school or community projects in your area?
Please send details and a photo.
[email protected]
TIME OUT
(solutions on next page)
There are 2 trees in a garden (tree "A" and "B") and on
both of the trees are some birds. The birds of tree A
say to the birds of tree B
“If one of you comes to our tree, then our population
will be double yours.”
Then the birds of tree B tell the birds of tree A “If one
of you comes here, then our population will be equal to
that of yours.
Now answer: How many birds in each tree?
If 8 crows can steal 8 buttons in 8 minutes,
how many buttons can 16 crows steal in 16 minutes?
In the local wood there are a number of trees.
On
these
trees
there
are
a
number
of
birds.
The local game keeper knows that there are as many birds on
each tree as there are trees in the wood. He also knows that
there are between 2000 and 2100 birds in total.
How many trees are there in the wood?
A large fresh water reservoir has two types of drainage system. Small
pipes and large pipes. 6 large pipes, on their own, can drain the
reservoir in 12 hours. 6 small pipes, on their own, can drain the
reservoir in 18 hours. How long will 6 large pipes and 6 small pipes take
to drain the reservoir?
Please don’t forget
to pay your 2015
subscription!
Interested in joining?
www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw
Visit
The BirdLife Shop
Kgale View Shopping Mall, Gabs.
New and different stock
can always be found.
Good News from our Neighbours
“Namibia stands at the threshold of moving, in very
“In Namibian waters alone, it is estimated that more than
short time, from being the worst country in the world
30,000 seabirds are killed every year due to long-line
for seabird bycatch, to the very best”
and trawl fishing, meaning that the boats setting out from
Photo - John Paterson
the fishing port at Walvis Bay are among the most
destructive in the world for accidental seabird bycatch.
However, since 2008, the BirdLife International Albatross
Task Force (ATF) has demonstrated cheap and effective
measures for reducing seabird bycatch from fishing boats.
One successful example is the use, in South Africa, of bird
scaring lines, which prevent birds becoming entangled.
The Namibian fishing fleet was quick to implement ATF
recommendations, even before they became mandatory.
The production of bird scaring lines has created jobs for
women in Walvis Bay.
Albatrosses are the most highly threatened group of birds
on earth. 15 out of 22 species are threatened, largely because
of irresponsible fishing.
The ATF is an initiative led by the UK’s RSPB.
www.birdlife.org/africa
Shaun Hurrell (17 March 2015)
Phew!
So glad I’m
a late bird!
(The solutions 7 and 5, 32 crows, 45 trees, 7hr 12 mins))
Map showing
Namibia’s Atlantic Coast
CALL
for
PHOTOS
AEWA 20th Anniversary
coffee table book
The African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) is
celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
To this end the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is planning to produce a
high-end coffee table book featuring some of the waterbird species
for which the Agreement has undertaken initiatives. The concept for
the book is to source high quality photographs, which ideally have
not been published before, from the extensive AEWA network and
wider birding community. We hope to source as many images as
possible free of charge and will, in exchange, include short profiles of
all contributing photographers in the book together with a portrait
photo as well as a website link to the photographer’s website (if
applicable). Contributing photographers will also receive a copy of
the book for free.
. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please
contact Ms. Dunia Sforzin at the AEWA Secretariat (email:
[email protected]) as soon as possible. If you already have
photographs which you would like to suggest for the book, please
send them directly to Dunia. If you have any further questions, please
do not hesitate to contact us. We are looking forward to
collaborating with you on this project!
We are looking for pictures of the following species (between 4 and
6 pictures of each) taken in the WILD
Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus);Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus);Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis); Taiga Bean Goose (Anser f. fabalis);Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii);White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala);Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis);Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca);Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa);Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia);Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita);Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius);White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi); Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex);Slaty Egret (Egretta vinaceigula);Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor);Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum);African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus);Damara Tern (Sternula balaenarum);Cape Gannet (Morus capensis);Bank Cormorant (Phalacrocorax neglectus);Crowned Cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus);Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis);African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini).
Pictures should be JPG files at 300dpi, have as high resolution as
possible and the color space should be Adobe RGB
For each photo please provide the name of the species, the location
where the image has been taken as well as the month and year when it
has been taken. Please feel free to forward this call for images to other
photographers/colleagues within your various working groups and
networks. Your photographs will not be published in the book or used
for any other purpose without your express prior consent.
I WANT BOTSWANA’S VULTURES ALIVE,
NOT DEAD
BirdLife Camp - Nnywane Dam, Lobatse (March 2015)
This is what a full
dam looks like…..
COMPLIMENTS OF THE NEW SEASON NATURE LOVERS! 
The vulture population in Botswana can no longer be counted in millions, as
before, but can almost be counted on your fingertips.
Our campsite from a nearby
hilltop. Thanks to Mark Bing
for allowing us to stay on his
farm.
You may be wondering what you could do to save them?
Modern day explorers
waded through thigh high
grass whilst placing their
feet very carefully among
the remains of the stone
walls
 You could volunteer with NGOs that are taking part in advocacy work
to spread awareness about vultures. Spreading awareness about the
issue and educating farmers about the ill effects that some agrochemicals have on vultures will reduce the use of human chemicals
preparations in animals.
 If you like bird watching, you can join BirdLife Botswana; the
organization is involved in reporting vulture sightings and you can
assist them to find vultures in your area. Once you've spotted one or
more vultures, you can record observations on their behaviour and
send them in to us.
 If you have no time or inclination to volunteer, you could donate
money towards vulture conservation. The cost of producing
education materials are high and your donation would be welcome.
Your contribution will make a difference towards saving these highly
endangered species from extinction.
 Report any suspected poisoning events and the person you suspect
to have done so.
So what are you waiting for... get up and do your bit!
I LOVE VULTURES! (by Tsogo Dudu Bethel )
We didn’t see many birds, but
this was a beautiful cabbage
tree. (Cussonia paniculata). At
the edge of its natural range
and threatened by frequent
grass fires.
The remains of a village last
occupied in 1750, originally
by the Bakgwatlheng, who
were then driven out by the
Bangwaketse.