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News The following largely unconfirmed records from the Bulletin of the African Bird Club and are for information only. The following records are from the Lower Chari area, near Lake Chad, in January 2006. A Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides was seen hunting Red-billed Queleas Quelea quelea, with Montagu’s Circus pygargus and Pallid Harriers C. macrourus, on 15th; there is only one other, old record from Chad (Grote, H. 1928. J. Orn. 76: 739–783). Breeding records of Black-headed Lapwing Vanellus tectus include copulation on 14th, a pair with a fledgling on 27th, and seven nests containing eggs (two with two eggs, five with three) on 17th, 27th and 30th. Less than 10% of the birds were breeding. These data confirm that breeding commences locally in December at the latest, and not in March, as stated in The Birds of Africa. Although this species is generally reported to be monogamous, the majority of birds were not in pairs but in trios, a phenomenon not mentioned in the literature for any lapwing. Only seven European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur were recorded, at c.12°45’N 14°55’E, on 30th, which confirms the relative rarity of wintering individuals north of 12°N. Approximately 40 years ago European Turtle Dove and Black-billed Wood Dove T. abyssinicus were considered common in the N’Djaména area, which is no longer the case, whereas the previously uncommon Laughing Dove S. senegalensis is now conspicuously commoner than the previous two species. Two groups of Wattled Starlings Creatophora cinerea, totalling over 100 birds, were seen foraging on dry mud around water holes on 13–14th, at 12°24’N 15°00’E and c.10 km to the south; these appear to constitute the first records of this species for Chad. A birding trip to Zakouma National Park, in the south-east of this little-visited country, produced c.130 bird species. Ostrich Struthio camelus was found to be still relatively common and Black Crowned Crane Balearica pavonina was abundant. Other species recorded included Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (common), Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs, a group of Fulvous Babblers Turdoides fulva near Tinga Camp (this location would represent a southern range extension), and Neumann's Starling Onychognathus neumanni near Ibir. Four Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula were seen on the Logone floodplain on 23 January 2001; there are few records of this species in Chad. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina appeared to be very common at the same site. Last page update 4th July 2007 |
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