Bird habitats in East Africa under threat as pressure on land rises

Growing up in Kenya’s Rift Valley, little Edna Ratemo was always mesmerised by the nearby scenic Lake Nakuru, whose shores were carpeted in the vivid pink of the Lesser flamingos.

“The sight was breathtaking. The waters would subside, marking the low season; then when the waters returned, you would see millions of flamingos,” she reminisces.

Several years down the line, many things have changed. “The well defined high and low seasons are long gone. The lake’s water levels have been falling and the flamingo numbers have decreased drastically,” she says.

Nakuru town has also changed. Its population has been increasing steadily over the years and putting a strain on the areas’ resources.

For example, more buildings have been erected, and farms are now close to the Lake, polluting it with raw sewage and harsh chemicals that affect the Lesser flamingos adversely.

Ratemo’s is not a lone cry. Environmentalists across East Africa are concerned about the rapid destruction of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) or habitats that are of immense value to the region.

The conservation monitoring co-ordinator of Nature Kenya, Fred Barasa, notes that birds act as environmental watchdogs.

“When they disappear from an area, it shows there is a problem with that ecosystem that could endanger the lives of other animals, plants and human beings,’’ says Barasa.

He notes that of great concern are unprotected IBAs, which are at risk as pressure on land in East African countries increases.

East Africa’s economy is largely driven by environmental resources, mainly in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Therefore, failure to avert the destruction of IBAs spells doom for the region’s development agenda, and the future of its citizens.

Lake Natron in Tanzania is another threatened wetland IBA. Studies have shown that three-quarters of the world’s Lesser flamingos live in East Africa, and they all depend on the Lake as a significant breeding site.

Therefore, conservation organisations worry that plans by the Tanzanian government to construct a road the Serengeti Highway close to the lake, could interfere with its ecology. It could also revive plans to build a soda ash plant at the Lake, which would adversely affect the flamingos.

The 2011 Report on the IBA Status and Trends in Uganda shows that the Lutembe Bay Wetland on the shores of Lake Victoria is the most affected in the country.

The population of migratory birds (specifically the Gull-Billed Tern) has been decreasing over the past five years. This may be attributed to habitat changes such as cultivation, real estate development and agro-chemicals pollution from surrounding flower industries.

The report recommends strict regulations to minimise these threats. Lutembe Bay is important to surrounding communities as a source of fish for food and income, raw materials for local crafts and building, as well as water for domestic use.

It also contains three globally threatened species — Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek and Shoebill. Located on the northern shoreline of Lake Victoria, it supports the breeding and survival of fish stocks in it.

Human population encroachment, logging and deforestation remain major threats to forest IBAs.

Among the most endangered birds are the Sokoke Scops owl, which is endemic to the Arabuko Sokoke forest in coastal Kenya, and the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania.

A 2010 study by Peregrine Fund in conjunction with the National Museums of Kenya and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, estimated that the population of the endangered owls declined by 22.5 per cent over a 16-year period. There are currently about 800 pairs, down from 1,025 in the 1990s.

Dr Munir Virani, Africa and South Asia programmes director of the Peregrine Fund, notes that human encroachment on the forest has led to unsustainable and often illegal extraction of trees (especially the Brachylaena huillensis) for wood carving and firewood.

Since the trees are suspected to be the owls’ preference for nests, this destruction may interfere with their breeding and lead to their eventual decline.

The Arabuko Sokoke forest is also under threat from titanium mining, while gold mining is adversely affecting the East Usambara Mountain forests in Tanzania.

All is not lost, though. Communities around the forests are now being incorporated into a long term conservation strategy to preserve the forest’s biodiversity. Savannah IBAs that often have long dry spells throughout the year are also hazardous.

According to the 2010 Uganda IBA report, the Murchison Falls and Lake Mburo National Parks continued to experience extensive fires.

Birds threatened in these areas include the Yellow-throated Long claw, Nubian Woodpecker and Brown Parrot. It also indicated that fires in Ugandan IBAs are also a challenge.

In Kenya, the Aberdare Cisticola birds are affected by fires possibly started by illegal honey gatherers that often burn large areas of the Aberdare mooreland. Fires started by pastoralists to control ticks in dry seasons destroy suitable habitats for the Jackson’s Widow birds.

A veterinary drug known as Diclofenac endangers all vulture species in East Africa. The worst crisis was witnessed in 2004 on Kenya’s Kapiti plains where nearly 200 vultures died after feeding on carcasses of animals treated with Diclofenac.

Paul Ndang’ang’a, the Africa species manager at Birdlife International notes that since vultures feed on carcasses, they clean the environment and protect human beings from associated health complications. “This is why we need to protect them,’’ says Ndang’ang’a.

He cites the example of the Asian crisis where populations of three vulture species — Slender-billed, Indian and White-rumped— fell by more than 95 per cent in the 1990s. As they did, feral dogs and rats (both carriers of the deadly rabies) increased, taking the vultures roles of scavenging while causing havoc to communities.

In 2004, scientists from the Peregrine Fund discovered that Diclofenac was the cause of the deaths. The drug often appeals to ranchers or animal keepers as it is inexpensive in treating fever and reducing pain in livestock.

When members of the herd die, their carcasses are routinely dumped in the open where vultures feed on them. Scientists have noted that a single meal from an animal treated with Diclofenac contains enough of the drug to kill a vulture by causing renal failure.

The three Asian vultures that once numbered in tens of millions are now classified as critically endangered.

Illegal hunting, poaching and trapping of birds have been reported in various IBAs. Bird Life International has in the past raised the alarm over the killing of birds mostly by Furadan poison in the Kenyan Bunyala, and Ugandan Doho Rice Schemes.

East African governments are being urged to restrict the domestic use of such cheap poisons in form of pesticides.

The Birdlife International Regional Project Officer, Thandiwe Chikomo, says that more funds should be allocated for the conservation of protected areas to forestall further destruction of IBAs.

She notes that continuous research and monitoring of different bird species and their habitats is important to guide conservation and livelihood interventions. She also adds that advocacy on these matters need to be heightened.

Meanwhile, even though Ratemo knows some of the damage to her favourite Lake may be irreversible, she hopes that East Africans will learn to appreciate the environment more and conserve what is left of it for future generations.