ARDB update: March 2017

 

  • Contributions to the ARDB were less for March but still steady with 1496 records added raising the data bank tally from 161,634 to 163,130 observations.

Stratton Hatfield and Shiv Kapila along with Jai Kapila provided 40 % of this month’s observations (602) from road surveys in the Kenyan Masai Mara and southern region of Kenya. Andre Botha continued to provide good numbers of observations from road surveys in South Africa and Erik Brohaugh added Hooded Vulture records to the data bank from road survey observations in Senegambia. Our raptor image this month shows a Gabar Goshawk taken by Rob Davies in the Kalahari some time ago; Dirk Heinrich observed a Gabar Goshawk gliding and flapping in Namibia this month and recorded it as an incidental observation using the Android app.

A single observation from Chad was provided by Claire Spottiswoode of a Black or Yellow-billed Kite and incidental observations of various species including Fox Kestrel and Greyish Eagle Owl were added to the data bank for Nigeria by Ara Monadjem.

Director of the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) Jose Tavares (pictured left) provided further records outside of Africa this month including the first record for the ARDB of Cinereous Vultures which were observed in France and Spain. Jose also logged incidental observations of various species on a visit to Mozambique that included Booted Eagle and Black-shouldered Kite.

José Pedro Tavares, a Portuguese national, is a biologist with a life-long vocation and action in the field of nature conservation. Since February 2013, José has built VCF from scratch and aims to develop a sustainable, effective, leading organization that secures the protection of vultures and their habitats. This work involves not only on-the ground conservation projects and activities on vultures, but also, crucially, organizational development and management.

Keep up the good work everyone!

Thank you and best wishes,

ARDB team