Sightings of Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus in the Tsiribihina Delta, west-central Madagascar

2009·1.1 MB·

by  Felix Razafindrajao

Acknowledgements Hayman,P.,Marchant,J.&Prater,T. 1986.Shorebirds:
Thanks to Trevor Hardaker for supplying southern An Identification Guide to the Waders ofthe World.
African records of Great Knot and to Callan Cohen Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
forcomments. Hockey, P.A. R., Dean, W. R.J. & Ryan, P. G. (eds.)
2005. Roberts' Birds ofSouthern Africa. Seventh
References edn. Cape Town: Trustees of the John Voelcker
Aspinall, S.J. 1994.Awinteringorpassagepopulation Bird BookFund.
ofGreat Knot Calidris tenuirostris in the Arabian Lister, S. M. 1981. LeGrandMaubeche Calidristenui-
Gulf? WaderStudy GroupBull. 72: 43—47. rostrisnouveaupourl’ouestduPalearctique.Alauda
Cohen, C. & Winter, D. 2003. Great Knot Calidris 49: 227-228.
GreeBtnue,lnlu.iMr.Aos,BtrCMisc:1G0ar:an1de2yw0,-1rMe2.c1,o.rdNefwotrosnu,b-SS.ah&araUntdAefyr,icaJ.. STUorSuoApt.ihcEAa-flrmiaBciialr;:diajnengnd,[email protected],c,oEmvBalnosutboenr,grIisLe607240411,,
D. 1994. Counts ofshorebirds at Barr al Hikman
and Ghubbat al Hashish, Oman, winter 1989-90. Received 24 March 2009; revision accepted 29 April
WaderStudy Group Bull. 72: 39-43. 2009.
Sightings of Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus in the
Tsiribihina Delta, west-central Madagascar
FelixRazafindrajao
Observations du Goeland dominicain Larus dominicanus dans le delta du Tsiribihina, au
centre-ouest de Madagascar. Lors des denombrements d’oiseaux d’eau dans le delta du fleuve
Tsiribihina, cinqGoelands dominicainsLarusdominicanusonteteobserves en mars 2006, quatre
en juillet 2006 et cinq en mars 2007. Auparavant, cette espece n’avait ete observee aMadagascar
quedans les zones humides coheres entreToliara, 430 kmausuddu deltaduTsiribihina, etFort
Dauphin (Tolagnaro).
D
uring waterbird population surveys in the individuals and I am familiar with Kelp Gull at
Tsiribihina Delta, west-central Madagascar, Fort Dauphin. The species is easy to distinguish
in 2006-07, several Kelp Gulls Larusdominicanus from Grey-headed Gull L. cirrocephalus the only
,
were observed by the Madagascar Teal Project other gull regularly found at Madagascar’s wet-
team ofthe Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust lands, because ofits larger size, black back, white
Madagascar Programme. Two were at Soarano head and throat, and yellow bill. Lesser Black-
(19°38’S 44°23’E) on 19 March 2006, three backed Gull L. fuscus has not been recorded in
at Ambozaka (19°37’S 44°23’E) on 21 March Madagascar but, with sightings in East Africa
&
2006 and —two in the same place on 20 and 27 and Seychelles (Skerrett etal. 2001, Stevenson
July 2006 when there were an—other two at Fanshawe 2002), could possibly occur. None of
Namangoa Bay (19°52’S 44°27’E) and five on the birds reported had the yellow legs character-
16 March 2007. All of the birds were on sandy istic ofLesser Black-backed Gull, and Kelp Gull
m
islets, c.200-400 offshore, and are apparently seems more likelyin this area.
the first observations for this area. Kelp Gull is widespread in the Southern
Kelp Gull is characterised by its white head, Hemisphere, inAfrica, SouthAmerica,Australasia
neck, throat and tail, and black back and wings, and on many islands in the Southern Ocean
&
with the exception ofthe white primary tips. The (Higgins Davies 1996). In Madagascar it is
bill and legs are olive, and the orbital ring is red. representedbytherecentlydescribedendemicsub-
These features were clearly observed on all ofthe speciesmelisandae whichisrestrictedtosouth-west
,
FirstrecordofGreatKnotforNamibia:Engel BullABCVol16No2(2009)-221
coastal areas between Toliara and Fort Dauphin people for their assistance. Rivo Rabarisoa ofASITY
&
(Morris Hawkins 1998), with one observation Madagascar provided the latest information from the
from between Manakara and Maroansetra on the MangokyDelta.
east coast (Langrand 1995). Although waterbirds
had been surveyed in the Tsiribihina Delta previ- References
&
ously, Kelp Gull had never been observed there Higgins, P. J. Davies, S. J. J. F. (eds.) 1996.
(Safford 1993, Projet ZICOMA unpubl. reports). Handbook ofAustralia, NewZealandandAntarctic
Regular bird monitoring at the Mangoky Delta, Birds. Vol. 3. Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress.
between Toliara and the Tsiribihina, has not pro- Langrand, O. 1995. Guidedes OiseauxdeMadagascar.
Mdaudcaegdasacnayr,siignhtliinttg.s2e0i0t8h)e.r (TRh.usR,abtahreirseoaa,ppAeSaIrTtYo MorrPiasr,isP:.D&elHaacwhkaiunxse,tFN.ie1s9tl9e8.. BirdsofMadagascar:A
Photographic Guide. Robertsbridge: Pica Press.
be no published records north ofToliara.
The sightings reported here increase the Safford, R. J. 1993. The Madagascar Teal: a prelimi-
nary survey from Antsalova to Morondava. Dodo
known range ofKelp Gull in Madagascar by 430
29: 95-102.
km to the north. Itis recommendedthatobservers Skerrett, A., Bullock, I. & Disley, T. 2001. Birds of
look out for this species on suitable stretches of Seychelles. London, UK: Christopher Helm.
Madagascar’s west coast. Stevenson, T. & Fanshawe, J. 2002. Field Guide to
the Birds ofEastAfrica. London, UK: T. & A. D.
Acknowledgements
Poyser.
I thank the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
MadagascarProgrammeanditsdirectorsJoannaDurbin BP8511,DurrellWildlifeConservationTrustMadagascar
and Richard Lewis for availing me the opportunity to Programme, LotIIY49JAmpasanimalo, Antananarivo
undertake the Menabe coastal wetland waterbirds sur- 101, Madagascar. E-mail: [email protected]/
@
vey. I amgratefultoGlynYoungforhishelp inwriting Felix,razafindrajao durrell.org
and submitting this paper, and Roger Safford for his Received 17 June 2008; revision accepted 12 June
comments and corrections. I also thank all ofthe local 2009.
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222-BullABCVol16No2(2009) Kelp Gullin the TsiribihinaDelta, west-centralMadagascar:Razafindrajao