Congo Peacock Afropavo congensis and Shoebill balaeniceps rex

2 Pages·1995·1.1 MB·

by  John H Fanshawe

CongoPeacockAfropauocowgews/'sphotographedinZaire(NorbertRottcher/AlanRoot)
PaondnCongoAfropavocongensisphotographieauZaire(NorbertRottcher/AlanRoot)
42-BullABC Vol2No 1 Photospot
Photospot: Congo Peacock Afropavo congensis
byJohn H. Fanshawe
Forbirdersintentonseeingareally ChapinencounteredahunternearIturi ofinsectsandfruits.Theyareapparently
difficultspecies,CongoPeacockgets whohadapeacockfeatherinhishat! fondofforagingbelowfruitingtrees.
closetothetopofthelist.Itispossibly Clearly,thebirdwaswellknownto Apartfromforestclearance,themain
reasonablywidespreadindeepequatorial peoplelocallyandpresumablyremained threattothepeacockisprobablyhunting
rainforestineasternandcentralZaire,but so,butitwasnotuntil1936thatChapin (formerlyincludingforzoos).Let’shope
thatdoesnotmakeitanyeasiertofind! foundtwomountedspecimensina thatthegrowinginterestintheirsurvival,
AlanRoot’srediscoveryofthismagical cabinetattheBrusselsMuseum.Ironi- whichincludesnewsurveysbeing
andelusivebirdhadallthemakingsofa cally,theyhadbeencollectedjustayear undertakenbyDieudonneUpokiand
film-plotwithflightsinalightplane, afterhisAkavubiencounter,buthad JohnHartofTheWildlifeConservation
clearingremoteairstripsandlong languishedmisidentifiedasBluePeacock SocietyintheHautZaireregion,brings
hazardousmotorcyclejourneys.Then, Pavocristatusfortheintervening20 goodnewsofthepeacockpopulations
deepinwonderfulforest,themomentwe years. thatmuststillremainatlargeinsomeof
alllongfor,thesightofarare,beautiful, CongoPeacockshavebeenkeptin CentralAfrica’smostbeguilingforests.®
bewitchingbird,areallythrillingclimax captivitysincetheearly1940s,andthe
tsoeatrhcehtaalne.dYtehteAmlaalne’sbidredschreipstpiootnteodf,the YfiorsrtkbiZrodoslotgaikceanloSvoecriseetaysiwne1n9t49t.oTthheeirNew AMcaknnyotwhlanekdsgteomAelnatnsRootforpermission
scuttlingaway,headlow,givesaninkling behaviourisnotwell-known,buttheyare topublishthesephotographsandtothe
ofthedifficultiesthatsurroundfinding clearlyforest-floordwellers,onlymoving authorsoftheAfricanBirdRedDataBook
thisshy,secretivebird,eveninideal intotreestoroost,oriftheyarechasedby (ThreatenedbirdsofAfricaandrelated
habitat. huntersandtheirdogs.Smallgroupsof islands),NigelCollarandSimonStuart,
Theoriginalscientificdiscoveryof twoorthreebirdsappeartolivetogether fromwhichmuchoftheinformation
CongoPeacockwasnolessextraordinary. andwandertheforest,oftencovering abovehasbeengleaned.
Thefirstevidencecamein1913whenJP longdistances,grubbingupavarieddiet 14BensonStreet,CambridgeCB43QJ,
UK.
Photospot: Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
byJohn H. Fanshawe
Shoebillmaybeeasiertofindthan Swamp.‘Yes’saidI,andhandedoverthe extensivewetlandsoftheMoyowosi
CongoPeacockAfropavocongensis, photographasKenya’sfirstauthentic SwampcomplexinCentralTanzaniafor
buttheyoungbirdthatfrequentedthe recordofthespecies.Theleg-pullwasto example:Ihopeso. ®
MaasaiMarainKenyaforseveralmonths havebeenrevealedlaterthatdaybut,
References
latelastyearendedalongandattimes withamorethanusuallyconviviallunch
eFcocremntarnicyhyueanrts,fopretohpelsepehcaidesasinsKuemneydat1h.is Sinwtaemrvpe’nisnlgi,ppitewdafsornmoatl.lAynidntsooth‘eYaKleanya 1. ALewBiis,rdA.ADtl.asanodfPKoenmyear.oy,RotDt.er1d9a8m9:.
remarkablebirdwouldbefoundinthe recordastheonlylocalityforthisspecies. Balkema.
KppaheponytyroaugnsrsashptoharntedasskooeffnLtfahrekoeYmaVtlihcaetSoariwiraac2mo.npTfhoiernnm,tehade StIhtnaetomwKsepfnioryriamtasBlwrloeyuwrelerdmineosovesdhoitou.ubMltedcahoamcvupellpalaie.sn/s”3t.o 2. sBarnwidtatmodnpi,viePnr.sWLi.etsy1t9e7or8f.nbKSieerandsysoan.aolfIibtiays,1p2da0ep:ny4sr5iu0ts-y
asmuch.OntothelistwentShoebill!It dowiththecomingsandgoingsofthe 466.
wasnottostay,however,for,with Kenyalist,but,nowthattheMusiara 3. Parker, I.S.C. 1984. Shoebill Balaeni-
inimitablesangfroid,thesighting’s Marshhasyieldedthatmagicalbird,we ceps rex: a deletion from the Kenya
originator,IanParker,kindlyputthe cansimplyenjoythehistoryofarecord avifauna.Scopus8:79.
recordstraight.Insuchstyle,moreover, madegood. 14BensonStreet,CambridgeCB43QJ,
thathedeservescitinghere:“...during DavidCottridge’sfinepicturewas UK.
aerialsurveyworkalongtheAlbertNile takeninNovember,butthesub-adult
inUganda,Iandacolleaguephoto- ShoebillfirstappearedintheMaraon
graphedaShoebill. Afterreturningto September19lastyear.Itstayedfortwo
Nairobi,wewereaskedbyForbes- monthsbeforemovingfurthereastto DavidCottridge'sphotographofthe
Watson[AlecF-W,thenCuratorofBirds Amboseli,whereitwaslastseenon ShoebillintheMaasaiMara,takenin
attheNationalMuseums]ifwehad December15.Perhapsithasnowfound November1994,appearsontheback
examinedthegroundsabouttheYala itswaytoarealShoebillsite,the coverofthisbulletin
Photospot BullABCVol2No 1-43