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Overview
Where to Watch Birds in Africa is a field guide designed to help birders and general wildlife enthusiasts organize the most enriching trips possible throughout this great continent. From Morocco to Madagascar, this book presents over 200 bird-watching sites in detail and describes the species endemic to Africa. The traveler will find practical information on climate, transportation, accommodations, health, and safety as well as advice on a number of strategic questions: Where can we see birds that epitomize the continent? Which country supports the best cross-section of species and the most endemics? How many sites must be visited to see most of these birds? How much time do these trips take and when is the best time to go? Featuring over one hundred maps and fifty-one line drawings, this book is not only a guide but also a handy reference.
Following a chapter on how to use the book, there is an introduction to the continent and its birds. The countries, archipelagos, and islands are then dealt with alphabetically. General introductions to each country are followed by site details, which include bird lists; a list of other wildlife present, if applicable; and the latest information on where to look for the best birds. Originally published in 1995. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780691600796 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press |
| Publication date: | 07/14/2014 |
| Series: | Princeton Legacy Library , #330 |
| Edition description: | Kivar binding |
| Pages: | 434 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Where to watch birds in Africa
By Nigel Wheatley
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
Copyright © 1996 Princeton University PressAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-691-02140-9
CHAPTER 1
ALGERIA
INTRODUCTION
Summary
In early 1995 the activities of Islamic fundamentalists persuaded most travellers and many expatriate workers to leave Algeria. If political stability is restored birders may find it surprisingly easy to see this country's major avian attraction, the endemic Algerian Nuthatch.
Size
At 2,381,741 sq km Algeria is Africa's second largest country (after Sudan). It is 18 times larger than England and 3.5 times the size of Texas.
Getting Around
Getting around is not difficult. Getting in is the problem. Once customs have been negotiated, a basic knowledge of French is almost essential since very few people speak English. There are extensive, but often fully booked, internal air and long-distance bus networks. The roads in the north, including those into the mountains, are excellent, although often blocked by snow in winter (Nov–Apr); those in the south, especially those traversing the Sahara, can be tricky without 4WD.
Accommodation and Food
Accommodation in Algeria is cheap, but often difficult to find in summer, and the cheapest, the bathhouses, are for men only. There are plenty of campsites, especially along the Saharan routes in the south. The staple diet seems to be couscous (cracked wheat) with meat or fish, and vegetables.
Health and Safety
Immunisation against hepatitis, typhoid, polio and yellow fever is recommended, as are precautions against malaria.
Contact the Foreign Office for latest details on visiting Algeria.
Climate and Timing
Northern Algeria has a Mediterranean-like climate, but it is much hotter and more humid during the dry summer months, which last from May to October. In the south it is almost always incredibly hot. The northern rainy season lasts from November to April, when deep snow in the mountains usually means many roads become impassable, and sites for Algerian Nuthatches inaccessible. The best time to visit, especially if you want to look for the endemic Algerian Nuthatch, is May to September.
Habitats
The northern mountains, known as the Saharan Tell, run east-west parallel to the Mediterranean coast, and are separated from the narrow Saharan Atlas, to the south, by the wide Hauts Plateau. Oak, cedar and fir forests remain on the slopes of some summits of the Saharan Tell. South of the Saharan Atlas lies the semi-desert of the Grand Erg, and south of here, the Sahara. Together, these vast semi-deserts and deserts make up 75% of the country.
Conservation
Algeria's endemic bird, the Algerian Nuthatch, seems safe as long as the montane forest it inhabits remains intact.
Seven threatened and three near-threatened species occur in Algeria.
Bird Families
Two families are particularly well represented in Algeria: sandgrouse and larks.
Bird Species
By 1981, 382 species had been recorded in Algeria, over 70 fewer than in Morocco, and only 30 more than Tunisia. Non-endemic specialities and spectacular species include White-headed Duck, Marbled Teal, Houbara Bustard, Marmora's Warbler, and Red-billed Firefinch, here at its only locality within the Western Palearctic.
Endemics and Near-endemics
The sole endemic, Algerian Nuthatch, which was only discovered in 1975, is confined to montane forest in northeast Algeria. Near-endemics include Levaillant's Woodpecker, Moussier's Redstart and Tristram's Warbler.
Access
Algeria's star avian attraction, the endemic Algerian Nuthatch, was discovered in 1975 at Djebel Babor (2004 m (6575 ft)), an eight-hour, 225-km drive (car-hire available in Algiers) east from Algiers via Bejaia. From Bejaia head southeast via Kherrata towards Setif, and turn east 12 km south of Kherrata (46 km north of Sétif), just south of the village of Tizi-n'bechar After the tarmac ends take the first gravel track left to the top of Djebel Babor where the nuthatch occurs in the remaining 13 sq km of cedar forest, especially around the summit. There are thought to be approximately 80 pairs here. The best time to visit is May to September since the track may be blocked by deep snow between November and April. Barbary Partridge and Levaillant's Woodpecker also occur here.
DJEBEL BABOR
Algerian Nuthatch also occurs in the Guerrouch (Taza NP), Tamentout and Djimla Forests, all of which are in the Petite Kabylie region, within 30 km of each other and Djebel Babor.
The coastal lagoons around the town of El Kala in extreme northeast Algeria form a national park (HQ at Lac Tonga), which supports many waterfowl in winter, including White-headed Duck and Marbled Teal, as well as Long-legged Buzzard, Purple Swamphen and Marmora's Warbler.
A number of people drive south through the desert of Algeria to Niger, via Tamanrasset. Roadside birds along this route include Brown-necked Raven, White-tailed, Black and Mourning Wheatears, Pale Crag-Martin, Tristram's Warbler, Fulvous Chatterer, Bar-tailed and Desert Larks, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Desert Sparrow, Red-billed Firefinch (Tamanrasset), Trumpeter Finch and House Bunting.
A SELECTION OF SPECIES OCCURRING IN ALGERIA
Many of these are only summer visitors and occur either in the northern mountains or the Grand Erg semi-desert belt further south.
White Stork, Bonelli's Eagle, Eleonora's (north coast) and Barbary Falcons, Small Buttonquail, Houbara Bustard, Cream-coloured Courser, Audouin's Gull, Pin-tailed, Spotted, Black-bellied, Crowned and Lichtenstein's (southeast) Sandgrouse, Red-necked and Egyptian Nightjars, Black-crowned Tchagra, Spotless Starling, Moussier's Redstart, Red-rumped Wheatear, Streaked Scrub-Warbler, Thick-billed, Lesser Short-toed, Dupont's and Temminck's Larks, Alpine Accentor, and Crimson-winged Finch (northeast).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Papers
Mise a Jour de L'avifaune Algerienne (A Checklist). Ledant, J-P et al. 1981. Le Gerfaut 71:295–398.
ENDEMICS (1)
Algerian Nuthatch Northeast: Djebel Babor
Near-endemics
Levaillant's Woodpecker, Moussier's Redstart, Tristram's Warbler.
ANGOLA
INTRODUCTION
Angola boasts a fine selection of birds, including plenty of endemics and near-endemics. However, the lengthy civil war devastated the country and it is depressing to think what toll has probably been taken of the habitats and birds in the process. Thirteen threatened and 12 near-threatened species occur in Angola. Gaining entry to this huge country (at 1,246,700 sq km, nearly ten times the size of England and twice the size of Texas) is very difficult and travel inside once there is virtually impossible, although political problems seemed to be at a low ebb in early 1995. This is unfortunate because ornithological surveys carried out before the war revealed an impressively diverse avifauna. A total of 909 species have been recorded in Angola, including 15 endemics and many near-endemics which are otherwise found only in Zaire, Zambia and southern Africa. Of the ten families endemic to mainland Africa, three are not represented in Angola: Shoebill, rockfowl and sugarbirds. Well represented families include bee-eaters, hornbills, barbets, and bushshrikes. Non-endemic specialities and spectacular species include Babbling Starling, White-headed Robin-Chat, Laura's Wood-Warbler, Black-chinned Weaver, and Bocage's Sunbird.
AMBOIM
Remnant forest along the west Angolan escarpment, from Dondo south to Quilengues, used to support some very special species, many of which occur only here.
Angola Endemics
Grey-striped Francolin, Gabela Bushshrike, Angola Helmetshrike, White-fronted Wattle-eye, Gabela Akalat, Pulitzer's Longbill.
Specialities
Monteiro's Bushshrike.
Access
The best forest used to be just north of Gabela, although most of the species listed above have been recorded from Mumbondo, Assango, Conda, Dondo, Amboim, Gabela and Vila Nova do Seles. Monteiro's Bushshrike, recently rediscovered on Mount Kupe, Cameroon, has not been recorded here since 1954.
The endemic Swierstra's Francolin, as well as two little known species, Boulton's Batis and Black-chinned Weaver, occur in the Bailundu Highlands, inland from the Angola escarpment. Remnant forest patches may still be present on Mount Moco1 Mount Soque (accessible from Galanga to the west), and the Mombolo Plateau, but it is more likely that very little forest now remains, having been cleared to provide timber and fuel.
The forest northeast of Duque de Braganca in north Angola is also important for birds such as White-headed Robin-Chat, a species which occurs only in north Angola and south Zaïre.
Miombo woodland covers much of the rest of Angola, and Kangandala NP (600 sq km), southeast of Malanje, and the area around N'gola, a village near Caluquembo, support Pale-billed Hornbill, Anchieta's Barbet, Souza's Shrike, Sharp-tailed Glossy-Starling, Spotted Creeper, Piping Cisticola, Red-capped Crombec, Miombo Tit and Miombo Sunbird, whilst the N'gola area also supports Miombo Rock-Thrush, Babbling Starling, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver and Black-eared Seedeater.
A SELECTION OF NON-ENDEMIC SPECIES RECORDED IN ANGOLA
Ostrich, Crowned Cormorant, White-backed Duck, African Pygmygoose, Hartlaub's Duck, Rufous-bellied Heron, White-crested Bittern, Hamerkop, Spot-breasted Ibis, Congo Serpent-Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Secretary-bird, Black and Plumed Guineafowl, Finsch's, Orange River and Hartlaub's Francolins, Red-chested, Chestnut-headed and Streaky-breasted Flufftails, Nkulengu Rail, African Finfoot, Wattled Crane, Ludwig's and Ruppell's Bustards, Lesser Jacana, African Oystercatcher, Grey Pratincole, Forbes' Plover, Damara Tern, African Skimmer, Namaqua, Yellow-throated and Burchell's Sandgrouse, Grey, Brown-necked and Red-fronted Parrots, Black-billed and Great Blue Turacos, Dusky Long-tailed and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Gabon and Coppery-tailed Coucals, Fraser's and Akun Eagle-Owls, Pel's and Vermiculated Fishing-Owls, Bradfield's Swift, Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons, White-bellied, Chocolate-backed and Brown-hooded Kingfishers, Black, Blue-breasted, Black-headed and Rosy Bee-eaters, Racket-tailed and Blue-throated Rollers, Pale-billed Hornbill, Anchieta's, Miombo, Pied and Black-backed Barbets, Rufous-sided Broadbill, African Pitta, Blue Cuckoo-shrike, Souza's and White-tailed Shrikes, Red-eyed Puffback, Grey-green Bushshrike, Angola Batis, Black-necked Wattle-eye, Short-toed and Miombo Rock-Thrushes, Orange Ground-Thrush, Sharp-tailed Glossy-Starling, Babbling Starling, Boehm's Flycatcher, Bocage's Akalat, Grey-winged Robin-Chat, Rufous-tailed Palm-Thrush, Miombo and Kalahari Scrub-Robins, Herero and Karoo Chats, Congo Moorchat, Brazza's Martin, Black-and-rufous and Pearl-breasted Swallows, Cabanis' and Pale-olive Greenbuls, Black-collared Bulbul, Bubbling, Chirping, Slender-tailed, Cloud and Cloud-scraping Cisticolas, Damara Rock-jumper, Black-necked Eremomela, Laura's Wood-Warbler, Thrush and Bare-cheeked Babblers, Angola, Dusky, and Gray's Larks, Woodhouse's Antpecker, Red-faced Crimson-wing, Dusky Twinspot, Brown and Jameson's Firefinches, Black-tailed, Cinderella, Black-headed and Black-cheeked Waxbills, Locustfinch, Fuelleborn's and Grimwood's Longclaws, Bush Pipit, Black-chinned, Bocage's and Bar-winged Weavers, Golden-backed Bishop, Anchieta's, Violet-tailed, Bannerman's, Oustalet's, and Bocage's Sunbirds.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Books and Papers
Ornitologia de Angola. Pinto, A. 1983.
The Avifauna of Angolan Miombo Woodlands. Dean, W. 1988. Tauraco 1:99–104.
ENDEMICS (13)
Grey-striped Francolin
West/central: Amboim
Swierstra's Francolin
West/central: Bailundu Highlands
Red-crested Turaco
West: woodland and savanna
Orange-breasted Bushshrike
Northwest: rainforest
Gabela Bushshrike
West/central: Amboim
Angola Helmetshrike
West/central: Amboim
White-fronted Wattle-eye
West/central: Amboim
Angola Slaty-Flycatcher
West: mountains
Gabela Akalat
West/central: Amboim
Angola Cave-Chat
West: rocky gorges
Hartert's Camaroptera
West: forest
Pulitzer's Longbill
West/central: Amboim
Montane Double-collared Sunbird Central: highlands
(Monteiro's Bushshrike: no records since 1954 from the western escarpment of Angola, but recently (1992) rediscovered on Mount Kupé, Cameroon.)
ANGOLA AND CABINDA (2)
Red-backed Mousebird Throughout: savanna
Loanda Swift
Coast: northwest Angola
Near-endemics (Central, North and East)
Miombo Barbet, Perrin's Bushshrike, Boulton's and Angola Batises, Babbling Starling, Bocage's Akalat, White-headed Robin-Chat, Rufous-tailed Palm-Thrush, Brazza's Martin, Black-and-rufous Swallow, Paleolive Greenbul, Lepe, Bubbling and Slender-tailed Cisticolas, Salvadori's Eremomela, Angola Lark, Grimwood's Longclaw, Black-chinned, Bocage's and Bar-winged Weavers, Golden-backed Bishop, Bocage's Sunbird.
Near-endemics (South)
Crowned Cormorant, Hartlaub's Francolin, Ludwig's and Ruppell's Bustards, African Oystercatcher, Rueppell's Parrot, Rosy-faced Lovebird, White-backed Mousebird, Bradfield's Swift, Monteiro's Hornbill, White-tailed Shrike, Short-toed Rock-Thrush, Pale-winged Starling, Chat Flycatcher, Herero Chat, Mountain Wheatear, Tractrac Chat, Red-headed Cisticola, Damara Rock-jumper, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Bradfield's, Long-billed, Gray's and Stark's Larks, Cinderella Waxbill, Dusky Sunbird, White-throated Canary.
BENIN
Summary
Little is known about this small country, which lies between the Upper Guinea forest to the west and the Lower Guinea forest to the east in the savanna of what is known as the Dahomey Gap. There are few, if any, species here which cannot be seen more easily elsewhere.
Size
At 112,622 sq km, Benin is nearly the same size as England, and one sixth the size of Texas.
Getting Around
Up to the mid 1990s, tourism was not encouraged, but Benin is likely to become more accessible in the future. Apart from along the coast and on the main north-south Malanville–Cotonou route, the roads are bad and there are often numerous road-blocks. The railway system is worse, and the internal air network almost non-existent. However, bush taxis reach almost every habitation, given time.
Accommodation and Food
Camping is illegal and it is compulsory to stay in basic, relatively expensive hotels. Rice is the staple diet away from Cotonou, and beer is widely available.
Health and Safety
Immunisation against cholera, hepatitis, polio, typhoid and yellow fever is recommended, as are precautions against malaria.
Climate and Timing
In the constantly humid south the dry season lasts from December to March (although August can also be dry); in the north it is dry from November to May.
Habitats
The short, lagoon-lined coast gives way to plantations (mainly coffee and oil palm) and intensive farming inland. The south of the country is particularly densely populated, but in the north there is a lot more lightly wooded savanna. In the northwest there is small mountain range known as the Atakora. There is very little lowland rainforest in Benin, the country being part of the Dahomey Gap, where the sub-Saharan savanna reaches the coast between the Upper Guinea forest of Ghana to the west and the Lower Guinea forest of Nigeria to the east.
Conservation
One threatened and two near-threatened species occur in Benin.
Bird Families
Of the ten families endemic to the African mainland six are represented in Benin. Ostrich is a notable absentee.
Bird Species
Only 423 species have been recorded in Benin, one of the lowest totals for a sub-Saharan mainland country, and a reflection of its small size and almost complete lack of lowland rainforest. Non-endemic specialities and spectacular species include Egyptian Plover, Grey Pratincole and Rosy Bee-eater.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Where to watch birds in Africa by Nigel Wheatley. Copyright © 1996 Princeton University Press. Excerpted by permission of PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgementsIntroduction
Introduction to Birding in Africa
Conservation
General Tips
Glossary
Maps
ALGERIA
ANGOLA
BENIN
BOTSWANA
BURKINA FASO
BURUNDI
CAMEROON
CANARY ISLANDS, MADEIRA ISLANDS AND THE AZORES
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
CHAD
OMOROS AND MAYOTTE
CONGO
COTE D'IVOIRE
DJIBOUTI
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
EGYPT
ETHIOPIA (AND ERITREA)
GABON
GAMBIA
GHANA
GUINEA BISSAU
GUINEA CONAKRY
KENYA
LIBERIA
LIBYA
MADAGASCAR
MALAWI
MALI
MAURITANIA
MAURITIUS, REUNION AND RODRIGUEZ
MOROCCO
MOZAMBIQUE
NAMIBIA
NIGER
NIGERIA
RWANDA
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE ISLANDS
SENEGAL
SEYCHELLES
SIERRA LEONE
SOCOTRA ISLAND
SOMALIA
SOUTH AFRICA (INCLUDING LESOTHO AND SWAZILAND)
SUDAN
TANZANIA
TOGO
TUNISIA
UGANDA
ZAYRE
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
ISLANDS AROUND AFRICA
Request
Calendar
Useful Addresses
Useful General Books
Bird Names Which Differ Between Clements and Southern African Field Guides
Index to Species