Climate change, habitat loss threaten Kenya's bird populations

In the early hours of an invigorating Thursday morning, the Climate Action team joined dedicated research scientists at the National Museum of Kenya.

Their mission: to participate in a captivating bird-ringing exercise by the zoology department. Bird ringing, a meticulous technique, involves affixing a distinctive metal or plastic ring to a bird's delicate legs, serving as a unique identifier.

This mark delineates the species, age, gender, wing and leg measurements, weight, and the origins of the individual birds.

Before the delicate process of ringing, the ornithologists (scientists who study birds) meticulously set a fine mist net in the forest, allowing it to capture elusive birds that would otherwise evade conventional observation methods. The nets are called mist nets because the fibres are so fine, almost invisible.

The team gently captures individual birds, places identification rings on their legs, and then releases them into the forest. They handle the birds with great care to ensure their safety and well-being while meticulously documenting all the relevant information in the Bird Ringing Data Book for future research and conservation efforts.

"Every individual bird we put a ring on the leg has a unique number that we can use to study its life history. It is a significant number because we use it to monitor and understand the movements of the individual birds when we catch the bird with a ring again," explains Dr Imboma.

Unlike the metal ring with a unique number, Dr Imboma says an individual bird can have different plastic colour codes like red, yellow, or blue. Whatever mark a bird has is enough indicator to understand the bird by referring to information recorded in the Bird Ringing Data Book.

 "To get more data on birds with the metal rings, you have to capture the birds so that you read the rings. But with the colour rings, you can make combinations of a ring on a bird's leg. Then, you look at a bird in the field and note the colour. Then, go back to the book and find out about the bird you spotted," adds Dr Imboma.

In the tranquil forest, we patiently waited for the mist net to trap birds, but our anticipation was interrupted by a gentle drizzle. We soon discovered the birds were reluctant to leave their cosy, warm nests due to the chilly weather.

Eager to learn more, we joined the scientists in observing birds through binoculars, witnessing their graceful movements from afar. Bird watching, a cherished pastime for many, provided us with a beautiful opportunity to admire nature.

Dr. Philista Malaki explained that the cold weather restricted the birds' usual activity, making our observations even more valuable.

"Every time you step out you spend energy and that is why birds make cost-benefit decisions including their reasons for making a move. Normally, there is less food when it is cold because even the insects are not active in their places and have to keep warm," says Dr Malaki.

As the clock struck 10 a.m., the sun's gentle warmth began to spread through the atmosphere, casting a golden glow over the landscape.

High and low, birds soared through the sky, their graceful flight patterns a mesmerising dance against the endless blue. They swooped down to the earth with delicate precision, seeking out tiny, elusive insects hidden from our view.

Amidst this natural orchestra, we were entranced by the melodic songs of the birds as they flaunted their iridescent plumage, flitting from one tree to the next, their carefree movements unaware of the cunning mist net lying in wait.

"The mist net has different pockets at different levels so the birds land in these pockets depending on how they are distributed within the habitat. Sometimes we also catch migratory birds, which are only found in some seasons during the year, especially in Europe when it is winter," explains Dr Malaki.

On a normal day, Dr Malaki and her team catch thirty to fifty birds within the first thirty minutes. However, because of the chilly Thursday morning weather, they lowered their target to between ten and fifteen birds within the same thirty-minute period. Unfortunately, this did not happen, and the net only caught a total of three birds after the mist net lasted a whopping five hours.

"Most birds are reducing because of changes in habitats due to human modifications. As the human population is increasing, there is demand for land especially agricultural land so some of the natural habitats are being opened up for farming and this is the major cause of population declines of birds," Dr Malaki tells Climate Action.

Ornithologists attribute climate change and physical changes in the habitat to affecting the breeding habits of migratory birds, hence the disappearance of some birds.

For example, they say that through bird ringing, they have observed that some species of birds that were captured in the National Museum of Kenya in the 1990s are no longer there.

"The habitat is being destroyed that is why birds are disappearing. Birds are known to be good environmental indicators so if anything is happening negative on the environment they respond very quickly," notes Dr Malaki.

Ornithologists are warning that bird populations are dwindling, with some species already extinct due to poisoning and humans' superstitious beliefs.

"Because of poisoning, African white-backed vulture is critically endangered and we know that vultures clear our environment and help us from getting certain diseases that we could have gotten from those caucuses. Grey-crowned crane is also an endangered bird because people are collecting its eggs to keep in their homes without a license from KWS," she warns.

According to ornithologists, bird ringing plays a crucial role in promoting citizen science by engaging the public in understanding bird migrations, conservation efforts, and the significance of bird tourism.

This practice provides ornithologists with invaluable data that helps them to analyse the dynamics of bird populations and track the effects of changes in their habitats.

The data gathered through bird ringing is instrumental in informing conservation strategies, such as the development of green spaces and preservation areas that are specifically designed to attract and protect diverse and unique bird species.

"Birds don't like exotic trees because exotic trees don't have insects for them to feed on. Indigenous trees and Indigenous habitats have lived long, birds and insects have been adapted to them and that is what increases diversity of species, what we call biodiversity," says Dr Imboma.

The National Museum of Kenya, the pioneering museum in East Africa, proudly hosts a remarkable collection room with over a thousand diverse species of birds. Some of these avian specimens have historical significance, dating back over a hundred years in the region.

These birds were either inadvertently injured or discovered deceased before being carefully transported to the museum. Each specimen is meticulously documented, providing valuable details such as the individual who contributed the bird, its species, date of acquisition, and the specific location where it was found.

"We preserve Kenyan heritage here by removing all the flesh through a scientific process known as taxidermy because flesh attracts insects and if we leave the flesh then the insects will eat everything. This is Kenya's posterity and it has to remain this way forever for generations to come," notes Dr Imboma.

[email protected]