Vulture Nightmares

Vultures in Nigeria and many other African countries, are facing serious threats from anthropogenic activities. Dealing in parts of vultures based on traditional beliefs is leading in the cause of the decline in the population of the vultures. My recent research across Plateau state, Nigeria, left me with tears at the outcome of the research and my encounter with vulture traders. I came across markets and dealers who display vulture parts at costly prices. What pains me so much, was a juvenile vulture which was captured last year September in the southern part of the state, by a traditional practitioner. He chained the vulture and tied it’s wings, as he fed it once in a day with pieces of meat. The vulture looked pathetic, dejected and abandoned. That was just an instance out of many such instances of vulture persecution. My survey showed that, some people are still eating the vulture meat openly and secretly. We need to protect the already critically endangered species of scavengers. We need them alive that when they are dead in our society. They can safe us so much money, because of their sanitation roles. We should know that, it is our responsibility all to ensure that, these important species of scavengers do not go to extinction in our generation and even many more generations to come. We wouldn’t have defence against our acts if posterity shall question us in future. Be an ambassador in the protection of vultures.

Extinction Vortex

Extinction Vortex

Bradshaw (2008) defined extinction Vortex, as the term used to describe the process that declining population undergo when mutual reinforcement occurs among biotic and abiotic process that drives population size downward to extinction. In the same manner, Gilpin and Soule’ (1986), saw Extinction Vortex as a class of models through which conservation biologists, geneticists and Ecologists can understand the dynamics of, and categorize extinctions in the context of their causes. This is true as it is noticed that, Extinction vortex, is the kind of extinction initiated by other causes, but random environmental fluctuations take over to cause the final extinction regardless of what causes the population to decline in the first place.

 Example, an extinction vortex was observed in jungle-fowl. The extinction vortex began simply enough with an unusually long dry season. The drought takes its toll on the jungle-fowl population, especially the young. By the time monsoon rains began, the population stands at 45: 20 females, 25 males. At this time, peasants encouraged by a government settlement policy cleared a patch of degraded forest land for subsistence agriculture. With them, the peasants bring livestock including chickens, closely related to jungle-fowl, and dogs. The chickens harbor an avian flu, to which they are immuned, which quickly spreads among the jungle fowl population of the nearby forest fragment. The flu decimates the jungle-fowl; at year end 21 remain: 9 females, 12 males. The presence of dogs increased predation of the jungle-fowl to 66% of the adult population every year so after another year the population stands at just 16: 6 females, 10 males. The population dips to 3, and the single remaining adult female is crushed by a tree limb that falls during a thunderstorm. Neither of her three chicks survive without her protection. The two male birds wander the forest looking for the mate they will never find. After the final male jungle-fowl is eaten by a python, the species is extinct from the forest patch. Hence, the extinction of the jungle-fowl was enhanced and completed by the environmental conditions, and that is how extinction vortex occurs. 

 It is believed that, the present ongoing 6th mass extinction of species of organisms, is a clear extinction vortex in display. Anthropogenic factors usually has greater effect on species. This can trigger in other  genetic problems that can further affect the population of the species. Gilpin and Soulé (1986), also identified four types of Extinction Vortex

R Vortex: which is initiated by a disturbance that facilitates a lowering of population size (N) and a corresponding increase in variability (Var(r)). A prime example of this would be the disruption of sex ratios in a population away from the species optimum

D Vortex: The D vortex is initiated when population size (N) decreases and variability (Var(r)) increases such that the spatial distribution (D) of the population is increased.

F Vortex: This is initiated by a decrease in population size (N) which leads to a decrease in individual heterozygosity and increases the rate of genetic drift, resulting in increased degrees of inbreeding depression and an increase in population genetic load, which over time will result in extinction.

A Vortex: this is a result of an increase in genetic drift and corresponding decrease in genetic variance which leads to a decrease in ‘population adaptation” and eventual extinction. Moreso, Frankel and Michael (1981) reiterated that, extinction is the failure of a population to maintain itself through reproduction.

           REFERENCES

Gilpin ME, Soule ME (1986). Minimum Viable Population: Process of species extinction. In M.E Soule. Conservation biology: The science of scarcity and diversity. Sinauer, Sunderland, mass pp. 19-34.

Wikipedia (2016). Extinction vortex. Retrieved from http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/extinction_vortex

Bradshaw C.J.A. (2008). The extinction vortex. Retrieved from https://conservationbytes.com/2008/08/25/the-extinction-vortex/

Rhett B. (2012). The extinction vortex. Retrieved from http://rainforests.mongabay.com/09vortex.htm

Frankel O.H & Michael E. S (1981). Conservation and evolution: Cambridge university press, Cambridge.

The life, Plight and City of a Blue King: Barn Swallow (Hirundu rustica)

Barbara Geiger; an actress who has interest in biodiversity conservation, uses her acting prowess in describing organisms, their life, their plights and the need for their conservation. She used simple and carefully selected words in a poetic display, communicating science in a non-scientific way. She was able to reach numerous people that knew little or nothing about science and yet spurred them in to action toward conserving biodiversity.

In A.P. Leventist Ornithological Research institute, Jos, Plateau state, nigeria where she was a guest presenter, her play was on Barn swallow. The bird whose scientific name she pronounced with passion and emphasis during her play that was supported by power point pictures only, is the most widespread species of swallows in the world.  It morphologically has blue upper parts, a rufous colour around its throat and underparts and a forked tail with curved pointed wings.

Barn swallows historically originated from Africa, but migrated up North to America and other parts of Europe, just as is the case in the evolution of man. They use geo-magnetic field with the help of an inbuilt geo-locators. They have sensors which help in detecting the earth’s magnetic fields, hence they migrate from Africa to America and back to Africa without much location problems.  The birds can hear infra-sound just as they can see ultra-lights that makes their vision more magnificent.Some of the birds during their migration, use land marks like valleys, Rivers etc to trace their routes.

Barn swallows are monogamous throughout their life, but extra pair copulation is not lacked among them. Pairs migrate separately, and wait for each other’s return. Mostly, the males clean old nests, and the female join him in building the nest with clay. They feed the young ones together instinctively.

These birds which migrate from the South to the North, return to the South (Africa) mostly in two directions. Some follow western route and pass through West Africa. they try to avoid moving deeply in to sahara desert. Others, use the Eastern route and move down to South Africa. Some millions of them spread in South Africa, but in West Africa, a place called, ‘’the swallow’s city,’’ was named after them. The city is found in Ebakkan (Boje) in Cross River state of Nigeria. Myriads of them return to Africa and settled in that place. At dusk, they return to the city with tall elephant grasses, shrubs and few trees, and they roost on the grasses. At dawn, they all fly to different directions in search of food.

Barn swallows have ecological problems; they are caught in places like Egypt and some parts of Africa for food. Conservationists like Barbara, were able to convince many people to abandon eating the birds. Wind also can blow them off their coast during migration, and some end up dying in the desert with other  different birds. They are bio-indicators of chemical contamination; they are quick to die when they ingest insects that contain insecticides. Hence, joining hands to conserve the birds, is the best thing people need to do; Hirundu rustica, deserves to live among us or around us.

Needless or Needful? Answering the Question of Foraging and Vigilance in the Survival of Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu within Amurum Forest reserve, Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria

Birds generally play significant roles in maintaining balance within the ecosystem. Finches are often used in studying evolution and in tracing possibilities of speciation. Many finches were studied in captivity, and so much is needed to be done on studying birds within the natural environment. What do they do to survive in the natural environment? This question need answers. Red-Cheeked cordon-bleu are beautiful finches with blue and rufous colours, with the males having unmistakable red colour around their cheeks. These birds have silently suffered from threat related problems within their environment, and only few studies mentioned it, as studying animals’ behavior and relating it to the threats emanating from the environment is a herculean task faced by ecologists.

Some birds move in a flock or associate with other flocks of different species. Why is it so? Animals in the wild environment needs to feed and avoid been fed upon by their predator. They tend to move in flocks to have high advantage over their predators. When birds are in flock, they can easily detect predators than when they are alone. When they are in flock, they have many eyes and many ears to sight or hear the predators coming. They usually raise their heads up to scan for predators. Though it is true that being in flocks help them in anti-predatory vigilance, but their vigilance rate, tend to reduce when they are in flocks too. 

 A brief study was carried in Amurum Forest Reserve in Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria. The study aimed at finding out if flock size affects vigilance in the birds. It also aimed at determining whether vigilance differ between sexes in the Red-cheeked cordon-bleu. Why this research was necessary, was to use the vigilance in determining the extent of threats faced by the birds in the natural environment and what the birds do to feed and avoid being fed upon by their predators. Different flocks of Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu were observed using binocular; a focal sampling was carried. Head-downs was used as an index of none—vigilance, while head-ups was used as an index of vigilance. Number of heads-up were counted per minute in each flock for three days. The outcome of the study showed that, there is relationship between flock size of Red-cheeked Cordon bleu and their vigilance. The result also showed that, males are more vigilant than the females while in the natural environment. What could this outcome means in the ecology of these beautiful birds and the threats they faced in the environment? When the birds are in lower number within a flock, their vigilance seem to increase for fear of predators that prey upon them while foraging. The vigilance rate tend to reduce with increasing number of individuals of same species or different associating species because of many eyes advantage with portray the truth that, the higher the flock size, the more easy is the detectability of predators. The study has the highest number of head-up (vigilance) of thirty five, and lower vigilance of seven.

 Flock size of twenty four, had estimated vigilance of seven while flock size of two, had the estimated vigilance of thirty nine. This indicates that, the more the flock size of the birds, the more their vigilance reduces, and the fewer they are in the flock, the more their vigilance against predators increased. The males in their protective behavior, tend to have high vigilance than the females. Vigilance, is a necessity for the survival of birds and other wild animals. The more vigilant a bird is, can be used in determining the extent of threat face by the bird within the environment. Most of the threats can either be natural or anthropogenic. In relation to the outcome of the study, we want to suggest that, planting of more trees and shrubs will help in increasing the security of birds generally, in the reserve and anywhere in a forests. Most birds need cover to hide from predators, and to avoid heat stress that can affect their physiology.

Brief study carried by:

Williams Michael Manja

And

Ibrahim Josiah kalaks