GVI Kenya

Category: Birds, Coastal Forest, Shimoni Forest, Spotted Ground Thrush | Date: Oct 13 2009 | By: gvikenya

So on Friday we told you about our southern-banded snake eagle sighting, and on Saturday you heard about our humpback whale.  Well I’m afraid we’re going to keep boasting about our sightings, because they don’t end there!

It was at the end of the week, and a forest team was wearily trudging back to base from a long, hot day of forest research.  We were no more than 30 metres away from the gates, when we heard a rustling in the leaf litter to our left.  We all peered in, and to the utter shock of us all we were staring straight at a spotted ground thrush!  This was one of the most exciting sightings we’ve had in months and months.  And to our utter disbelief and joy – we saw it again today!  We think it was the same one as it was in almost exactly the same spot.

This may not sound that exciting, until we tell you that it is a critically endangered species with very restricted distributions.  It is under serious threat from habitat loss, and Shimoni forest is one of the few places left in the world that it can still be seen.

It is a medium sized (about 8 inches) terrestrial forest thrush that is difficult to observe.  This is mainly due to it being well camouflaged, silent and shy.  It tends to freeze motionless when disturbed or surprised.  It lives mainly in deeply shaded areas with deep leaf litter, where it feeds on seeds, fruits and invertebrates. 

(zimmerman et al, 1999)

This is only the third and fourth sighting we’ve had of this species in almost a year, which when you imagine we are in the forest almost every single day, highlights the rarity of this sighting.  There is action being taken however, consisting mainly of a partnership between Birdlife International and Nature Kenya, plus other organisations in several countries, who are working together to gather data and information about this species.  They are then using this information to produce conservation management strategies to safeguard the future of this wonderful bird.    

Tags: Birdlife International, camouflaged, conservation management plan, countries, critically endangered, data, Forest, freeze, fruits, future, habitat loss, humpback whale, information, invertebrates, leaf litter, motionless, Nature Kenya, observe, organisations, partnership, rare, research, restricted distributions, safeguard, seeds, serious threat, shy, sighting, silent, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, species, Spotted Ground Thrush, strategies, terrestrial

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Category: Birds, Butterflies, Charcoal Burning, Coastal Forest, Colobus, Logging, Primate Research, Shimoni Forest, Small mammals, Spotted Ground Thrush, chameleon | Date: Feb 13 2009 | By: gvikenya

Yesterday we sent three teams in to the forest in an attempt to catch up on delays caused by having to re-cut transect 6, and a shorter week as some our research team prepare to take a long weekend break. 

Tess took ‘team 1′ up to transect 6 to finish off maintenance… re-clearing the paths we use to survey the forest following a combination of natural tree falls and sadly even more ‘unnatural’ tree falls as illegal timber extraction and charcoal burning continue. It is the hottest and hardest work so it was a mixture of relief and pride to hear they finished it. The excitement was reserved something else however - the team recorded another spotted ground thrush, our 2nd in as many weeks of this critically endangered bird species. Critically endangered due to habitat loss, something only too evident in the forest we survey; the presence of such a conservation important species however could provide an invaluable stimulus to raising awareness of the plight of Shimoni’s forests. Alongside the Angolan black and white colobus it represents a ‘flagship’ species - a focus for conservation that would benefit the wider habitat and species assemblage. 

Matt and I joined forces with our two teams to check the small mammal traps… empty… but on the way to transect 4, following our group from the back I noticed something on the ground, inconspicuous enough for the others to have walked by. A new born colobus monkey, sadly lying dead on the ground. A genuine mix of emotions; upsetting for everyone to see such a beautiful, vulnerable creature that didn’t quite make it - a species that we are committed to conserving, and acutely aware that every individual counts when habitat destruction is sending the species in to increasingly rapid decline in Kenya. But the scientist in me was also excited; when you study animals so intently, each day raises new questions, sometimes more than it brings answers. An opportunity to examine a new born so closely is a privilege. Pure white, thin silky fur, the face still pink, the dried skin of the umbilical cord still present. The hands clenched with the characteristic colobus trait of it’s reduced, almost non-existent thumb. Perfectly formed, but lifeless.

The infant had died probably at the end of the day before. A small gap in the tree canopy directly above suggested it may simply have fallen as its mother leaped between trees but this is obviously conjecture. It was curled in the foetal position so hadn’t died immediately, but likely had died as a result of a fall. We buried it, marked with stones… partly an emotive, collective mark of respect but the scientist still lurks - an complete, clean skeleton of an infant by the end of the rainy season will be of major interest. 

On transect 4 we conducted a bird survey - many were heard and crowned and trumpeter hornbills, green wood hoopoe, plain-backed sunbird and a pair of woodpeckers. Another exciting ’second’ of this expedition was spotted in the leaf-litter by Asha; a bearded pygmy chameleon.  

I took my team on to transect 5, to survey canopy height and coverage; straightforward, slow-paced work, but the panga needed swinging to clear the path of branches and vines, and the heat and humidity were taking their toll on all of us. Back at section 0, we mustered our remaining collective energies for butterfly sweep netting. There wasn’t quite enough energy left in reserve to chase down the few high and fast flying butterflies flitting through the sunny spots until Tom stepped up to the challenge at the end - a beautiful swordtail butterfly. 

And those were the highs and lows, but as with every day in Shimoni’s coastal forest the small, these daily rewards keep us coming back. Until next time… Corti

Tags: angolan black and white colobus, butterfly research, pygmy chameleon, Spotted Ground Thrush

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Category: Birds, Coastal Forest, Community Conservation, Shimoni Forest | Date: Feb 04 2009 | By: gvikenya

Our team of interns gave up their Saturday morning to catch up with some of our forest research work… Sara reports: 

A lovely Saturday in Shimoni was unraveling its mysteries before us…  After a sunny and splashtastic crossing of the Wasini Channel for the weekend we arrived well pleased to be back on the shores of our little coastal village.  The night before had brought with it surprised concerns for the well-being of this community and the precious forest that surrounds it as we had seen the foreboding pinks and whites of forest fires dotting the horizon.  We all know that Shimoni’s coastal forest is a bio-diversity hotspot.  It is home to the enigmatic Angolan black and white colobus monkey, the vulnerable Zanj Elephant Shrew and the endangered and notoriously shy Spotted Ground Thrush.  These are just a few of the wildlife celebrities that call this track of forest home.  On any given day one can easily see Sykes monkeys, yellow baboons, suni, duiker, tortoises, lizards, snakes and so many more exciting animals.  So with a little trepidation in our hearts about what we might find after the fires, and the hopes of doing some maintenance work on our transects… three brave interns stole into the forest to do some work.  And our adventuring spirit was met with incredible rewards – a spotting of a Spotted Ground Thrush!
 

The Spotted Ground Thrush is a recognized endangered species and organizations like Nature Kenya are seeking to promote the protection of habitats for this bird.  Documented sightings of Spotted Ground Thrushes in Shimoni Forest bring us one step closer to conserving this vital ecosystem.

Heading all the way out to our furthest transect, the goal was to help straighten out the tagging system used to lead surveys on a few sections.  While the day was hot and sweaty as is the custom here, there were encouraging sightings of colobus along the way, as well as the challenge of navigating above and below the many trees, vines, branches and coral rag outcroppings.  After navigating through the landscape and swinging a few pangas, the work of the day was done and the girls were homeward bound.  But not before two very important events took place: Sara P’s first sighting of an Elephant Shrew (those wily little long nosed beauties that hop about in the leaf litter and undergrowth); followed by the SPOTTED GROUND THRUSH!!  While there have been two previous sightings in 2008 this was not only the first for 2009 but the first time that multiple people had been able to positively identify the species.  Bigger than many of us expected the bird to be, it was easily identified by the double lines of white spots on its wings as well as a number of other identifying characteristics.  We were graced with several extended moments of the birds elusive presence – first seen, unsurprisingly, on the ground itself (thus the name!), and then hopping from one low branch to another.  A graceful and charming animal that immediately won us over and inspired us to go racing back to the cottage to share our very exciting news with the rest of the team.  The next step is to compile more data about the thrush to be shared with Kenya Wildlife Service and beyond with the aims of protecting both these amazing animals as well as the unique forests that it calls home!

Tags: , Coastal Forest, Shimoni Forest, Spotted Ground Thrush

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