OBSERVATIONS ON THE BREEDING OF THE GREATER FLAMINGO PHOENICOPTERUS RUBER LINNAEUS IN THE BREDASDORP DISTRICT,SOUTH AFRICA

Clark, R. A. 1979. Seasonal levels of body fat, protein, ash and moisture in the Sacred Ibis. Ostrich 50:129-133.

Sacred Ibises Threskiornis aethiopicus in Pretoria, Transvaal, were analyzed for body composition throughout the year. Body fat levels in adults and immatures were approximately 7% of feather-free empty body mass in the winter. Just prior to breeding the levels of fat were approximately 12% in adults and 6% in immatures. Lowest levels were recorded for adults and immatures in January (3,5%). In contrast to fat, levels of moisture, protein and ash did not appear to vary significantly between seasons.     

THE BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE GREAT WHITE PELICAN PELECANUS ONOCROTALUS ROSEUS AT LAKE SHALA, ETHIOPIA

Pelecanus onocrotalus roseus is known to breed more or less regularly in Africa at Lake Shala, Ethiopia; Lake Rukwa, Tanzania; St. Lucia Bay, Natal; Abou Tougour, Chad; Kapsikis, Northern Cameroons; and Wase Rock, Nigeria; and has been observed or reported breeding at Mweru Marsh, Zambia; Lake Ngami, Botswana; Seal and Dyers Islands, South Africa; and Lake Natron, Tanzania. The Shala colony, after Lake Rukwa's, is the largest known breeding colony in Africa and is probably of crucial importance to the species in Africa. For successful breeding regular colonies of P. onocrotalus must have an assured supply offish and an inaccessible breeding site. These conditions are met at the Lake Shala colony. Assuming that a Great White Pelican consumes about 10% of body weight or about 900-1,200 g per day, the Lake Shala breeding colony with 7,500-12,000 pairs would consume about 3,140-5,040 tonnes in the breeding seasons. The partially unsuccessful breeding of perhaps 10,000 pairs at Lake Natron in 1962 is described. Failure was attributed to sudden failure of the food supply. Breeding of the Great White Pelican on Lake Shala takes place throughout the year although there is a peak of numbers breeding from December to the end of March, which is in the dry season. Observations recorded in this paper cover two full breeding seasons, 1965-6 and 1966-7. Although during the peak period of breeding the flock at Shala is made up of 2,500-5,000 pairs, this mass is composed of smaller units, each made up of 300-1,200 pairs, laying more or less together with little overlap from one group to the next. Three changes occur in the plumage of the Great White Pelican towards the onset of the breeding season: (a) the development of a knob or swelling on the forehead at the base of the beak with associated expanses of brightly-coloured bare skin, pinkish yellow in males and bright orange in females; (b) the development of a crest; and (c) the development of a yellowish band across the chest or larger areas of darker brown in the plumage. Four distinct colour-types of breeding plumage were observed: the dark-brown type, the brown-breasted type, the yellow-banded type, and the type with scarcely any suggestion of a breast patch. No correlation was found between plumage type and sex, size, length of bill or any other obvious physical feature. Group display and individual displays of the adults are described. There appears to be no special pre-copulation display. Elaborate nests are not prepared; the male collects the nesting material, and both sexes build the nest. Nests are small, 35–60 cm in diameter (averaging 46-4 cm), and close together (364 nests averaged 1–55/m²). Average clutch-size is 1–88. Incubation begins with the first egg; both sexes incubate; the incubation period is probably about 38 days. The fledging period is 65–70 days, of which about the first 28–30 days are spent in the nesting area. After that the young form into groups or “pods”. The development of the young is described. When it is very small it is fed by either parent several times each day. When the young is 30–35 days or older, it is probably fed less than once per day. The bright red nail-like tip of the adult's upper mandible serves to direct the begging movements of the young chick, and it probably holds the liquid food on which the chick feeds. It is suggested that pod formation of young both in the middle of the day and at night possibly helps to avoid extremes of temperature, either of heat or cold. Parents recognise their own chicks; and young pelicans, at a later stage, recognise their parents. Indiscriminate feeding of young does not occur in P. o. roseus. Adults often are quiescent but not asleep at night. Activity is stimulated by the earliest light, and most pelicans begin leaving the island by 09.30-10.00 hrs. Most departures and arrivals take place from about 10.00 to 16.00 hrs. The distance from which food is brought to the colony is not known for certain, but most birds probably fly to and from Lake Abiata. It is not known where the young go once they leave the colony; most do not fly to the obvious place, Lake Abiata. Although difficult to determine, we suggest that the breeding success of the pelicans is on the average less than one young per nest. Egyptian Vultures were the most important predators at the colony, but all forms of predation together accounted for less than 10% of the nesting losses. The timing of breeding in relation to food supply, climatic factors and inaccessibility of the breeding site is discussed. Inaccessibility appears to override seasonal factors, but in permanently inaccessible sites the peak of breeding is in the dry season. It is suggested that the Great White Pelican nests in discrete breeding units within the main colony to minimise the effect of predation.     

ON THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF THE FEATHER COLOURATION IN THE GREAT WHITE PELICAN PELECANUS ONOCROTALUS ROSEUS IN ETHIOPIA

The yellow or orange-brown colour on the breast feathers and to a lesser extent on other feathers of the Great White Pelican in a breeding colony on an island in Lake Shala, Ethiopia, is due to the presence of ferric oxide.
The feathers most probably become stained when the birds are in the water, and the source of the ferric oxide may be iron–rich silt carried into the lake by the Gidu River.     

BREEDING BEHAVIOUR OF THE GREAT WHITE EGRET

Tomlinson, D. N., S. 1976. Breeding behaviour of the Great White Egret. Ostrich 47:161-178.

The breeding displays of the Great White Egret Egretta alba are discussed but further observations are needed for statistical analysis. In support of Curry-Lindahl (1971). the ethology of the species in combination with other evidence indicates that it is more closely related to the genus Ardea than to Egretta and it is suggested that it be reclassified accordingly. In comparison with other Ardeidae. E. albu chicks are highly tolerant of each other, resulting in an estimaed high fledgling success rate.     

THE BREEDING BEHAVIOUR OF THE LESSER FLAMINGO PHOENICONAIAS MINOR

This paper summarizes what has been learned about the breeding behaviour of the Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor from 1954 to 1969, especially at Lake Magadi, Kenya, in 1962. The only known regular breeding site is on soda mudflats at Lake Natron, Tanzania. Lake Magadi, used in 1962 when Lake Natron was full of water, may only have been used once this century. Breeding has been sporadically reported from other lakes, but reports are usually inadequate and in many cases successful breeding was not proven. At Lake Natron the breeding site is in the middle of the lake which is 70 km long by 24 km wide. Breeding conditions are extremely harsh, mid-day temperatures regularly exceeding 50^oC and reaching 70–75^oC. The advantage of the site lies in its complete freedom from predatory mammals. Details of known breeding, obtained by aerial surveys, are given. Lesser Flamingos do not breed annually, and tend to start in the last quarter, October to December, of any year in which they breed. There is no obvious relation between food supply and this breeding date. The last quarter of the year at Lake Natron tends to be rainy and warm. No really large-scale breeding has been observed since 1962. The methods used for estimating adults and young are given. They have shown good correlation with ground counts at Lake Magadi in 1962. The total population is of the order of three to four million, and the largest known breeding colonies were of 1,100,000 pairs at Lake Magadi in 1962 and 570,000 pairs in 1957 at Lake Natron. From 1953 to 1962 inclusive about 275,000 pairs (1/5 to 1 /6 of the population) bred annually on average, but since 1962 the average number breeding per year has been less, reducing the overall average to perhaps 180,000 pairs. At this rate a pair takes 22–24 years to replace itself. The nuptial display of the Lesser Flamingo resembles in many respects that of the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber. When displaying, Lesser Flamingos congregate in a tightly-packed flock, rapidly moving, in which various ritual movements are performed. Display normally takes place in certain sites far from known breeding grounds, and may be stimulated by conditions of very dense population. Lesser Flamingos build mud-mound nests similar to but smaller than those of the Greater Flamingo. Measurements, weights, and other details are given. The huge 1962 Magadi colony involved the excavation of some 20,000 metric tons of soda mud. One egg is normally laid. Large numbers of birds tend to lay synchronously in particular parts of the colony. The threshold numbers for breeding may be of the order of 5,000 pairs. Both sexes incubate, for about 28–29 days. Incubating birds are liable to desert en masse when disturbed, e.g. by hyenas. 70–90% of eggs hatch, usually about 85%. Larger colonies are more successful than smaller, and birds that lay out of phase with others tend to desert without hatching. The development of the young resembles that of the Greater Flamingo, but the two are distinguishable at an early age by bill structure. At Lake Natron the fledging period is about 70 days, but at Lake Magadi it was about 90 days, probably because the parents had to fly to Lake Natron for food. Adults attend the chicks closely for the first week of life, but thereafter leave them increasingly. Chicks more than one week old gather in herds, which eventually aggregate to huge numbers, 300,000 or more. Both at Lake Natron and Lake Magadi the chicks moved en masse out of the breeding area to gathering grounds in shallow water, where they remained till able to feed themselves and fly. Both sexes feed the young with regurgigated liquid matter, delivered bill to bill with parent and young both facing forward, as in the Greater Flamingo. Feeding details were not closely observed at Lake Magadi as most feeding took place after dark. Breeding success has varied from 5 to 75%, averaging 41 to 43% of eggs laid. The 1962 Magadi colony had 33 to 38% breeding success. Mass moult to flightlessness is described. It may occur before, during, or after the breeding season, or without breeding, and normally only at Lake Natron. It lasts six to eight weeks, perhaps three weeks for an individual, and may be controllable in that it did not occur at Lake Magadi in 1962 when its effects would have been fatal for the colony. Predation by large mammals (from lions to jackals) and birds, especially Egyptian and other Vultures, is described and roughly quantified. Predation from all causes may have resulted in 5% loss at the Magadi colony, but at Lake Natron is probably less. Eight thousand young Lesser Flamingos and 80 Greater Flamingos were ringed at Lake Magadi in 1962. Ringing methods are described. Recoveries have been meagre, the most distant being from the Awash Valley, Ethiopia. No rings have been observed among the adult population in recent years. The most probable explanation of the poor results is ring loss through chemical action of the water.     

THE BREEDING OF THE LESSER FLAMINGO IN THE MWERU WANTIPA, NORTHERN RHODESIA.

A hitherto unreported breeding site of the Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor is recorded in the Mweru Wantipa or Mweru Marsh, Northern Rhodesia. The site of the nesting colony, its structure, nest construction and behaviour of the birds is described. The importance of flooding in determining the site of the nesting colony is noted; adverse conditions caused by a rise in the water-level of Lake Mweru Wantipa appear to have completely destroyed the nests. The instability of such environments does not offer much chance of regular and permanent breeding, and may influence local movements on the part of the birds.     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE BREEDING OF THE PINK-BACKED PELICAN PELECANUS RUFESCENS

This paper summarises observations on the breeding behaviour of the Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens at Rakewa, Nyanza Province, Kenya, where the species has bred for at least 200 years. Observations covered most of one breeding season, November 1962 to April 1963. Of at least 250 nests, 35 were closely observed. The community consisted of about 815 pelicans of which about 540 were adults. The death rate is estimated at 13% per annum and the mean life-span at about seven and a half years. The breeding site, in trees above a small swamp, is 15 miles from the favoured feeding ground. The colony is protected by local Luo people. The pelicans feed and roost mainly at the Miriu Delta, 15 miles away, travelling between the two places so high up as to be unseen. They fish in the early morning, visiting the colony to feed young mainly between 09.00 and 13.00 hrs. Once the young are large both parents roost away from the colony at the Delta. The breeding season takes place from August, towards the end of the rains, to March, at the end of the dry season. The birds breed in synchronised groups, the breeding cycle for any group occupying five months. Nuptial display is performed on the nest trees, by single pairs or small groups. Two main displays are described, “pointing” and “bill-clapping”. Mating occurs on the nest, with little preliminary display. Nests are slight stick structures, repaired from year to year, and used by other pelicans if abandoned. The clutch is normally two eggs, occasionally three. Both sexes incubate, with infrequent change-overs, for 33–35 days. The chick is first brick-red, becoming covered with white down. Feathers break through at about 12 days and have covered much of the body by 30 days. At 40 days chicks can recognise their own parent. They fly at 70–75 days. Parents feed chicks by regurgitation, sometimes into the nest. They brood them closely at first, but after 10–12 days leave them much alone. Large chicks thrust the head far into the parental gullet, and injuries result from such feeding struggles. Feeding usually occurs before mid-day, each parent normally delivering two feeds with a rest between. Curious convulsive movements of the young are probably begging displays. Forty-two young hatched in 35 nests, an average of 0.6 chicks/egg laid. The heaviest mortality among young occurred between 10–30 days when 31% of all chicks died. Young which flew were produced at the rate of 0.47/egg hatched, 0.28/egg laid, and 0.57/pair.     

OBSERVATIONS ON THE BREEDING OF THE PIED CROW AND GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Mundy. P. J. & Cook, A. W. 1977. Observations on the breeding of the Pied Crow and Great Spotted Cuckoo in northern Nigeria. Ostrich 48:72-84.

The breeding cycle of the Pied Crow Corvus albus was studied in 1971. The birds bred in the wet season and all of 23 pairs were single-brooded. They appeared to nest territorially, and mostly close to human habitations. Average clutch size was 4.8 eggs and the greenish eggs were either pale and lightly marked, or darker and heavily marked. The average incubation and fledging periods were 181/2 and 38 days respectively. Chicks hatched asynchronously. Five crow nests were found parasitised by the Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius and it appeared that only one hen cuckoo was responsible. The cuckoo apparently did not remove, or even crack, host eggs. One instance of an adult cuckoo feeding a juvenile was seen. In terms of growth increments a cuckoo chick substituted for one-half a crow chick but developed faster and fledged in nearly one-half the time. The cuckoo reduced host breeding success practically to zero apparently by indirect means, which contrasts with its situation in Europe.     

BREEDING BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF THE GREY PHALAROPE PHALAROPUS FULCARIUS IN EAST SIBERIA

Studies were made in 1970 in the Chukotski Peninsula, in 1971 in the delta of the Indigirka river and in 1972 in the delta of the Yana river. Grey Phalaropes inhabit polygonal and tussocky moss-sedge tundra rich in swamps, lakes and (in June) temporary ponds. Population density in favourable habitats may reach 1–2 pairs ha^-1. Data on breeding chronology are presented, and various aggressive and courtship displays described. Most phalaropes seem to keep within a home range, sometimes large, during courtship time, but no defended territories and no forms of territorial behaviour exist. Many birds, both local nesters and wanderers, can feed on any pond. Sexual dimorphism is described. In 1970, three non-breeding cock-plumaged females were taken. Pairs are formed both before arrival and on the nesting grounds. All courtship displays are wholly or mostly initiated by females. In 1971, in the Indigirka delta, all the Grey Phalaropes were paired by 12 June, and stayed in pairs until the end of egg-laying. In 1970, on the northern Chukotsk, phalaropes seemed to form no (or very few) permanent pairs. Throughout June, most birds occurred in mixed flocks constantly moving between lakes or ponds. Copulation seemed to be promiscuous within the local population; polyandry cannot be excluded in some cases. Pairs appeared to be created only for the time of egglaying; probably, the only biological role of pair-formation is to find a male for incubating. Thus, a definite social system is not a species-specific feature; it can vary depending on local and yearly situations, including probably sex ratio. Nests are usually situated in very wet places, sometimes on the water edge. They can be found as little as 3 m apart, but are usually 40–80 m apart, or further. Incubation begins after the second or third egg. After the end of egg-laying, males drive females away from the nests, and pairs break up. Females and non-breeders gather in flocks and move onto the lakes of maritime tundra, and later on to the sea. The composition of the flocks is not constant: they often join together or part. Brooding males feed near their nests, sometimes in groups; not unfrequently they join flocks of females and non-breeders for some time. The normal average clutch-size is c. 4 eggs; when nesting was delayed (in the central Indigirka delta in 1971) the average was 3–61. The loss of nests was great in 1971; numbers of young on 1–3 August was 10 times lower than adult numbers in June.     

NIGHT COUNTS OF HARES AND OTHER ANIMALS IN EAST AFRICA

Night counts of hares and other animals were made on a disused airstrip in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda and on the road between Magadi and Nairobi in Kenya. Lepus crawshayi is the only species of hare which occurs in the Queen Elizabeth Park but L. capensis is also found in Kenya. No regular seasonal fluctuations were found in the number of hares recorded due probably to the continuous breeding of these equatorial species. The number of waterbuck seen in Uganda on moonlit nights was significantly greater than that counted on dark nights. This is not thought to be due to better viewing conditions under a full moon since the phenomenon was not found with other species. The number of hares recorded varied inversely with the number of other mammals present but bore no relationship with the number of birds. It is concluded that night counts can be useful in revealing population trends but not for assessing total numbers or for comparing densities in different areas.