BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS AND RESPONSES TO HUMAN DISTURBANCES OF WILD SOMALI OSTRICHES (Struthiomolybdophanes) IN SAMBURU, KENYA.

Abstract

Somali ostrich has suffered a drastic decline in its population and range mainly due to hunting over the years for meat, skin and feathers. Urgent conservation measures should therefore be taken to reverse this trend particularly in their current population stronghold, the Samburu landscape. In this range, the magnitude and consequences of human disturbance on the ostrich has not been established. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the behavioural patterns and assess the impacts of human disturbance to the bird. Focal animal sampling was used to establish ostrich"s behavioural activity budget while the magnitude of human disturbance was assessed by determining and comparing flight initiation distances in the protected and partially protected areas. Somali ostrich spent most of their diurnal time in feeding and moving, and are more sensitive to human disturbance in the protected areas than they are in the partially protected areas. The results of this study imply that the ratite does not differ in behavioural patterns from other extant ostrich species and human disturbance is not posing a significant threat to its survival within Samburu landscape. Further studies are recommended for better understanding of the conservation status of the newly published species.

TIME-OF-DAY BUT NOT SEASONALITY INFLUENCES FEEDING AND DIURNAL TIME ACTIVITY BUDGET OF ADULT RED-CAPPED LARK (Calandrella cinerea).

“…Results for the Red-capped Lark were similar to those reported for the White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensi) where there was no significant difference in feeding rates between seasons (Asokan & Mohamed, 2010). The findings however differed with those on the African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) studied in Lake Ziway (Ethiopia) (Moges & Balakrishnan, 2014) and the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) in Samburu, Kenya (Mutiga et al, 2016) that showed that feeding significantly varied between seasons. This was also revealed in Greater Rheas in South eastern Brazil where timebudgets were influenced by seasonality (Azevedo et al, 2010).…”

“…Although time allocated to movement (walking) would be expected to reduce during the wet /breeding season due to increased availability of insect food (Mutiga et al, 2016), the mean rates for walking in the Red-capped Lark did not vary significantly between the seasons. This was supported by findings of a study on the wild Somali ostrich (struthio molybdophanes) in Samburu, Kenya (Mutiga et al, 2016) where there was no significant difference in time allocated to movement between seasons. Lack of significant differences in mean rates for walking for the Red-capped Lark could likely result from lack of significant differences in insect prey abundance during the two seasons such that availability of insect food is similar.…”

“…Scanning was also a key activity in the time-budget of the Red-capped Lark and was allocated a significant proportion of the diurnal time budget. For ground foragers such as the Red-capped Lark, there is often a high predation risk (Fedy & Stutchbury, 2005), hence the need to remain vigilant in the Red-capped Lark was likely to be a response to predation risk that made it necessary for birds to scan for predators while feeding (Mutiga et al, 2016). Li et al (2013) in a study on wintering Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) in Yancheng Nature Reserve also confirmed the importance of scanning in birds found in the grasslands.…”

EFFECTS OF SEASON, SEX AND TIME OF DAY ON OSTRICH BREEDER (Struthio camelus) BEHAVIOR

“…Understanding the behavior of ostriches is a useful tool for improving production, welfare and health, as has been reported in other poultry species. Previous studies reported observations of ostrich behaviors in the wild (Mutiga et al, 2016) or in captivity (Kennou Sebei and Bergaoui, 2009;Amado et al, 2011;Ahmed and Salih 2012). In our study ostriches spent more time with digestive and locomotor behaviors in all investigated behaviors.…”

Conserving the evolutionary history of birds

“…For example, the critically endangered white‐eyed river martin has not been observed since 1978, and the New Caledonian nightjar ( Eurostopodus exul ) and Bachman's warbler ( Vermivora bachmanii ) are listed as possibly extinct (BirdLife International, 2023a). The stronghold of the vulnerable Somali ostrich ( Struthio molybdophanes ) is Samburu National Reserve, Kenya (Mutiga et al., 2016). Although this reserve is an IBA, it is not triggered by the Somali ostrich because the species was recognized after the IBA was last assessed in 2001 (BirdLife International, 2023a, 2023b).…”