Fantastic chamaleons from Madagscar

These tiny little creatures are found recently in Madagscar, really neat!

Read the whole story at AfriCam

February Gaps 2012

Visit one of these squares and make notes of what you see and hear! Make an effort for the birds of Tanzania! Send your records to tzbirdatlas@yahoo.co.uk

BirdLife welcomes passing of law to secure transboundary ecosystems in East Africa

Fri, Feb 3, 2012 Africa, News Posts, Top Posts The Serengeti National Park is home to one of the last world’s last great mammal migration (amanderson2/flickr) The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has passed a crucial law that could transform how transboundary ecosystems and resources in East Africa are managed. EALA is the legislative arm of the East African Community, a regional block bringing together five countries, namely, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Hon. Dr. George Nangale, the former Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Tourism at EALA, and who moved the bill in 2008 was delighted to see it enacted. “I am glad to see this landmark bill go through, many thanks for the support from all stakeholders,” he said. The new law is considered critical since it establishes a mechanism for addressing developments of a transboundary nature that affect shared ecosystems. Among other things, it establishes a Commission that will supervise and monitor the implementation of policies on the management of such resorces. It emphasises the need for Environmental Impact Assessment of projects with impacts of a transboundary nature, with the Commission playing a key role in the approval process.

“This is a welcome development. East African countries now have a good chance to collaborate and share information on development projects of a transboundary nature. It will no longer be business as usual” Said Mr. Deo Gamassa, the new CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (BirdLife in Tanzania). The new regional legal framework is set to benefit transboundary ecosystems like Lake Natron and Serengeti National Park which, in the recent past, have drawn global attention as a result of proposed large scale development projects. At Lake Natron, the National Development Corporation proposed to build a $ 450 million soda ash plant to produce half a million tonnes of industrial sodium bicarbonate per year. However, concerned groups raised concerns, citing the sensitivity of Lake Natron as the only regular breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in Eastern Africa. Three quarters of the global population of the pink birds are hatched at Lake Natron -read more. The Transboundary Ecosystems Management Bill 2010 was passed on 31 January 2012 at EALA’s Third meeting of the Fifth Session taking place in Kampala, Uganda.

Mystery bird sounds of Tanzania

Hope someone out there can help ID some of the species I've recorded in Tanzania.This one from Mazimbu area in Morogoro town.



And this is recorded in the foothills of Usambara Stein

New viper snake species found in Tanzania!

The newly discovered snake, named Matilda's horned viper, has been described in the journal Zootaxa.
The exact location of the new species is being kept a secret, because it could be of interest to the illegal pet trade.
Campaign group the Wildlife Conservation Society said the snake's habitat, estimated at only a several square km, is already severely degraded from logging and charcoal manufacture.
See the whole story at BBC

Birding in Tanzania?

Bring with you a checklist containing 1105 species found in this magnificent birding location!
You find it here as PDF

Roughwing, Kilimanjaro South Photo: Stein Ø. Nilsen

Levant Sparrowhawk - observed in Ngorongoro,Tanzania

The 22nd November 2011 me and my family was heading for Ndutu lodge via the Ngorongoro crater. Due to heavy rain the days before the road conditions were so and so, and we were quite alone in the crater. Doing our way over the bottom of the crater we stopped for a lone elephant bull, and there to the left of us we observed a slimlooking young hawk perched in a thorn bush. 6-7 quick photos and the bird was gone, no views of the front and just knowing this was something we never saw before.

On our return to Northern Norway a quick look at the photos I was still uncertain of the ID and sent 2 photos to Ron Eggert tanzaniabirds.com and he sent it further to africanraptors and Rob Davies.
They concluded this is a fine young Levant Sparrowhawk A. brevipes. Thanks to Ron and Rob for the help with checking this out!

Checking Britton 1980 I soon found out this is a mega finding for Tanzania, 1-one historic record in W Tanzania only, and only four for Kenya! Only a handful records for Tanzania the last years (one Jan 2010, Neil and Liz Baker) and East-Africa makes this a very nice bird to see.
Observers: Stein Ø. Nilsen, Tone Malm and Stine Malm Nilsen
See all the photos at tromsofoto.net 
Copyright: Stein Ø. Nilsen 2011