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

Nº	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