5. DILLON RIl'L

und GORMAN M. BON

Systematic Notes on a

, Collection of Birds

from Kenya

SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY NUMBER 111
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S. DILLON RIPLEY

Secretary

Institution
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO

ZOOLOGY

NUMBER 111

s. Dillon Ripky Systematic Notes on a

and Gorman M. Bond /^ -I-I • r TI# 1

Collection 01 rSirds

from Kenya

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS

CITY OF WASHINGTON
ABSTRACT

Ripley, S. Dillon, and Gorman M. Bond. Systematic Notes on a Collection of Birds

from Kenya. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 111, 21 pages, 1 map.

1971.—Large collections of birds made by A. D. Forbes-Watson in Kenya for the

Smithsonian Institution from 1964 to 1966 contain many specimens that provide new

information on the avifauna of that country. The populations of Ciccaba woodfordi

and Pogoniulus bilineatus in the Sokoke Forest and Francolinus jacksoni in the Cherangani Mountains are believed to be distinct from neighboring races and are described

as new subspecies in the text. Four species, previously unrecorded, from Kenya are

listed. These are Caprimulgus pectoralis, Neocossyphus poensis, Nectarinia chloropygia, and Nectarinia bouvieri. Two species and one species that were thought, until

recently, to have been extirpated or known only from the type are represented in

the collection by Turdus fischeri fischeri, Platysteira concreta graueri, and Ploceus

golandi. Taxonomic comments, including readjustments, revisions, and extensions of

ranges are given for eight species and thirty subspecies. Birds recorded from two

isolated forests of special interest, the Sokoke and Kakamega, are listed. The effects

of human exploitation on the avifauna of these forests are given by A. D. ForbesWatson in an appendix.

Official publication date is handstamped in a limited number of initial copies and is recorded

in the Institution's annual report, Smithsonian Year.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 1971

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington. D.C. 20402 - Price 35 cents (paper cover)

Stock Number 4700-0163
S. Dillon Ripky

and Gorman M. Bond

Systematic Notes on a

Collection of Birds

from Kenya

Introduction

During the period November 1964 to February 1966,

over 2,700 specimens of birds were collected in Kenya

by A. D. Forbes-Watson for the Smithsonian Institution. Among the localities visited in the eastern coastal

lowlands were the Sokoke Forest, Kilifi, and Mida

Creek. A number of localities southwest of Mombasa

were also visited. These include Gazi, Ukundu, the

Shimba Hills, and the Muhaka, Buda, and Gogoni

forests. In central and western Kenya collections were

made in or near the Cherangani Mountains, Mount

Elgon, and the western lowland forest at Kakamega.

Smaller collections were made at Naivasha, Kitale,

and the Taita Hills.

In view of our present knowledge of Kenya birds,

a list of specimens from each of these localities would

merely duplicate earlier data (Friedmann 1930, 1937;

van Someren 1922, 1932; and Jackson 1938). On the

other hand, lists of birds obtained from two isolated

forests, the Sokoke and Kakamega, are of special

interest because these localities are now being rapidly

destroyed.

In addition to these lists, extended accounts are

given for species which our studies have shown to be

of taxonomic or distributional importance. These

studies were based primarily on the specimens obtained by Forbes-Watson for the Smithsonian Institution in 1964-1966, which included material from

both the Sokoke and Kakamega forests, as well as

from several of the localities mentioned in the first

paragraph.

Dr. Dale A. Zimmerman has undertaken an ecologically oriented study of the two forests and will

S. Dillon Ripley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. Gorman

M. Bond, Research Assistant, the Secretary's Research Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560.

soon publish his results. Therefore, we have restricted

our comments to matters of systematic and distributional importance.

The nomenclature used in this paper follows, in

general, that of White (1960-1965). The sequence

of families follows that of Mack worth-Praed and

Grant (1952-1955).

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the authorities of the Los

Angeles County Museum, the American Museum of

Natural History, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Yale Peabody Museum for the loan of

comparative material while this study was in progress.

We would also like to acknowledge with gratitude

the assistance of the following individuals who have

been extremely helpful to us in a number of ways:

Mrs. B. P. Hall, British Museum (Natural History) ;

Mr. C. W. Benson, Cambridge; Dr. Herbert Friedmann, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; Mr. R. Meyer de Schauensee, Academy of

Natural Sciences of Philadelphia; Dr. Dean Amadon,

Dr. Charles T. Collins, and Mr. G. Stuart Keith,

American Museum of Natural History; Dr. Raymond

A. Paynter, Jr., Museum of Comparative Zoology;

Dr. Dale A. Zimmerman, Western New Mexico University, Silver City; Mr. Gerd Heinrich, Dryden,

Maine; and Mr. A. D. Forbes-Watson, The National

Museum, Nairobi, Kenya.

The Sokoke Forest

The Sokoke Forest is one of the larger of the lowaltitude forests scattered along the east coast of Africa

from Mozambique northward to Kenya. It lies about

35 miles north of Mombasa. This forest is composed

1
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

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Some of the more important localities (open circles) from which A. D. Forbes-Watson collected

specimens in Kenya for the Smithsonian Institution from 1964 to 1966.

of two vegetational types: a relatively dry Brachystegia woodland, which occurs on white sandy soils

nearest the coast and a moist closed-canopy evergreen "jungle" type, which replaces the Brachystegia

on heavier red soils farther inland.

The Sokoke Forest is of special interest because it

is one of the many areas of lowland forest that is

undergoing significant changes in composition because of fires, lumbering, and agricultural practices.

These changes will unquestionably affect the variety

and abundance of some species of birds. In the short

span of five years, all of the areas in the Sokoke

Forest in which Forbes-Watson collected for the

Smithsonian Institution in 1964-1966 have now been

deforested.

In view of the rapid destruction of this unique

habitat, we are presenting in the following pages a

list of birds known to inhabit the Sokoke Forest, in

order to provide a useful basis for comparison in any

future inventories of the bird life of this area. The list

is based on the following material and sources:

1. Specmiens collected by Forbes-Watson for the

Smithsonian Institution in 1964-1966. These are

designated in the lists by the initials USNM.

2. A list of Sokoke Forest birds in the collection of

the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History collected on an expedition to that forest in

January and February 1968, sponsored and led

by Dr. Purvis L. Martin. The list, kindly furnished

to us by Dr. Herbert Friedmann, also contains a

few Sokoke specimens obtained by that museum

from other sources. In the combined list, species

which are represented only in the collection of

the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History are

designated by the initials LACM.

Specimen records from the works of V.G.L. van

Someren (1922, 1932). Although not directly

comparable with the previously mentioned two

lists in terms of species presence or absence, due

to the vagaries of collecting and to the fact that

van Someren was concerned with the avifauna

of a much larger area (Kenya, Tanzania, and

Uganda), his list is, nevertheless, interesting in

that it provides a sample of the bird population

that existed in the Sokoke Forest almost half a

century ago. The names of these birds are preceded by an asterisk in the lists. Most of these

birds were either collected by Forbes-Watson in

1964-1966 for the Smithsonian Institution or

have been recorded by him since that time. A few

species that were recorded by van Someren, however, have not been reported upon in recent
NUMBER 1 1 1 3

years. These are designated by the initials VS in

the lists.

4. Species collected or observed by Forbes-Watson

subsequent to the Smithsonian expedition. Since

we have not examined these specimens, only

species names are listed with the notation FW.

The Sokoke Forest populations of Ciccaba woodfordi and Pogoniulus bilineatus are considered to be

distinct from neighboring races and are described as

new subspecies in this paper. Based on specimens obtained by Forbes-Watson, the range of Caprimulgus

pectoralis is extended northward from Tanzania

along the coast to the Sokoke. Data are given for

two birds, Turdus fischeri fischeri and Ploceus golandi,

which have only recently been rediscovered in the

Sokoke Forest.

A List of Birds Recorded in the Sokoke Forest

Ardea melanocephala Vigors and Children FW

Ardea purpurea Linnaeus FW

Egretta alba (Linnaeus) FW

Polyboroides radiatus (Scopoli) FW

Terathopius ecaudatus (Daudin) FW

Circaetus fasciolatus Kaup USNM

Accipiter melanoleucus Smith FW

Accipiter tachiro sparsimfasciatus (Reichenow)

USNM

Accipiter minullus tropicalis Reichenow USNM

Kaupifalco monogrammicus (Temminck) USNM

Stephanoaetus coronatus (Linnaeus) FW

Hieraaetus spilogaster (Bonaparte) FW

Aquila wahlbergi Sundevall FW

Milvus migrans (Boddaert) FW

Pernis apivorus (Linnaeus) LACM

Elanus caeruleus (Desfontaines) FW

Falco peregrinus Tunstall FW

Francolinus sephaena rovuma Gray FW

Coturnix delegorguei Delegorgue FW

Gutter a pucherani (Hartlaub) USNM

Streptopelia semitorquata (Riippell) FW

Streptopelia decipiens elegans (Zedlitz) LACM

Streptopelia capicola tropica (Reichenow) USNM

Turtur tympanistria (Temminck) USNM

Turtur chalcospilos zambesiensis Roberts USNM

Treron australis wakefieldi (Sharpe) USNM

Clamator jacobinus pica (Hemprich and Ehrenberg)

USNM

Clamator jacobinus serratus (Sparrman) LACM

Clamator levaillantii (Swainson) USNM

Cuculus canorus canorus Linnaeus USNM

Cuculus poliocephalus poliocephalus Latham

USNM

Pachycoccyx audeberti validus (Reichenow)

LACM

Chrysococcyx klaas (Stephens) FW

Chrysococcyx caprius (Boddaert) LACM

Ceuthmochares aereus australis Sharpe USNM

*Centropus toulou grillii Hartlaub VS

Centropus superciliosus superciliosus Hemprich and

Ehrenberg USNM

*Tauraco fischeri fischeri (Reichenow) USNM

Poicephalus cryptoxanthus (Peters) USNM

Eurystomus glaucurus suahelicus Neumann USNM

Coracias caudata lorti Shelley FW

Ceyx picta natalensis (Smith) USNM

Halcyon senegaloides Smith USNM

Halcyon chelicuti chelicuti (Stanley) USNM

Halcyon albiventris orientalis Peters USNM

Halcyon leucocephala (Miiller) FW

Merops apiaster Linnaeus FW

Merops superciliosus Linnaeus FW

Merops nubicus nubicus Gmelin USNM

Merops albicollis Vieillot USNM

Merops pusillus Miiller FW

Tockus alboterninatus suahelicus (Neumann)

LACM

Bycanistes bucinator (Temminck) LACM

Bycanistes brevis Friedmann FW

Phoeniculus purpureus marwitzi (Reichenow)

USNM

Phoeniculus cyanomelas schalowi (Newmann)

LACM

Otus ireneae Ripley USNM

Otus scops nivosus Twomey and Keith USNM

Bubo lacteus (Temminck) USNM

Ciccaba woodfordi sokokensis (new subspecies described on page 12).

Caprimulgus pectoralis fervidus Sharpe USNM

Caprimulgus fraenatus Salvadori LACM

Caprimulgus inornatus Heuglin USNM

Caprimulgus fossii fossii Hartlaub LACM

Colius striatus mombassicus van Someren USNM

*Apaloderma narina littorale van Someren USNM

Lybius torquatus irroratus (Cabanis) USNM

Buccanodon olivaceum olivaceum Shelley USNM

Pogoniulus simplex (Fischer and Reichenow) FW
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Pogoniulus bilineatus pallidus (new subspecies described on page 13).

*Indicator variegatus Lesson USNM

Indicator indicator Sparrman USNM

Indicator minor minor Stephens USNM

Prodotiscus zambesiae reichenowi Madarasz LACM

Prodotiscus regulus Sundevall LACM

Campethera abingoni mombassica (Fischer and

Reichenow) USNM

Campethera cailliautii cailliautii (Malherbe) USNM

Dendropicos fuscescens hemprichii (Ehrenberg)

USNM

Thripias namaquus namaquus (Lichtenstein) USNM

Apus berliozi bensoni Brooke USNM

Apus affinis (Gray) FW

Cypsiurus parvus myochrous Reichenow LACM

Chaetura ussheri Sharpe FW

Chaetura boehmi Schalow LACM

Pitta angolensis longipennis Reichenow USNM

*Mirafra rufocinnamomea fischeri Reichenow VS

*Anthus sokokensis van Someren USNM

Tmetothylacus tenellus (Cabanis) USNM

Turdoides squamulatus (Shelley) FW

Turdoides rubiginosus (Riippell) FW

Pycnonotus barbatus dodsoni Sharpe USNM

Andropadus importunus subataris Reichenow USNM

Andropadus virens zombensis Shelley LACM

Chlorocichla flaviventris mombasae Shelley USNM

Phyllastrephus strepitans (Reichenow) USNM

*Phyllastrephus terrestris suahelicus Reichenow USNM

Phyllastrephus fischeri fischeri (Reichenow) USNM

Phyllastrephus debilis rabai Hartert and van Someren USNM

Nicator chloris gularis Hartlaub and Finsch USNM

Muscicapa striata neumanni Poche USNM

Muscicapa caerulescens cinereola Finsch and Hartlaub USNM

Bradornis pallidus subalaris Sharpe USNM

Batis capensis mixta (Shelley) USNM

Batis soror Reichenow USNM

*Erythrocercus holochlorus Erlanger USNM

*Trochocercus cyanomelas bivittatus Reichenow

USNM

Terpsiphone viridis ferreti (Guerin) USNM

*Terpsiphone viridis plumbeiceps Reichenow VS

Monticola saxatilis (Linnaeus) LACM

Cercotrichas quadrivirgata quadrivirgata (Reichenow) USNM

*Sheppardia gunningi sokokensis (van Someren)

USNM

Cossypha natalensis intensa Mearns USNM

Cossypha heuglini intermedia (Cabanis) LACM

Neocossyphus rufus rufus (Fischer and Reichenow)

USNM

Luscinia luscinia (Linnaeus) LACM

Turdus tephronotus Cabanis FW

Turdus fischeri fischeri Hellmayr USNM

Cisticola chiniana (Smith) FW

Prinia subflava (Gmelin) FW

Apalis melanocephala melanocephala (Fischer and

Reichenow) USNM

Camaroptera brachyura erlangeri Reichenow USNM

Hirundo rustic a rustica Linnaeus USNM

Hirundo aethiopica aethiopica Blanford LACM

Hirindo senegalensis monteiri Hartlaub LACM

Hirundo abyssinica unitatis Sclater and Praed LACM

Psalidoprocne pristoptera holomelaena (Sundevall)

USNM

Campephaga phoenicea fiava Vieillot USNM

Dicrurus adsimilis adsimilis (Bechstein) USNM

Prionops retzii graculina Cabanis USNM

Prionops scopifrons kirki (Sclater) USNM

Dryoscopus cubla affinis (Gray) USNM

Tchagra australis minor (Reichenow) LACM

Tchagra senegata senegala (Linnaeus) USNM

Laniarius ferrugineus sublacteus (Cassin) USNM

Malaconotus sulfureopectus similis Smith LACM

*Malaconotus viridis nigricauda (Clarke) FW

Lanius collurio collurio Linnaeus USNM

Lanius collurio phoenicuroides (Schalow) USNM

Lanius collaris Linnaeus FW

Oriolus oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus) USNM

Oriolus auratus notatus Peters USNM

Oriolus larvatus rolleti Salvadori USNM

Corvus albus Miiller FW

Lamprotornis corruscus corruscus Nordmann USNM

Lamprotornis chalybaeus sycobius Hartlaub LACM

*Cinnyricinclus leucogaster verreauxi (Bocage)

USNM

Spreo superbus (Ruppell) LACM
NUMBER 1 1 1

*Anthreptes reichenowi yokanae Hartert USNM

Anthreptes pallidigaster Sclater and Moreau USNM

Anthreptes collaris elachior Mearns USNM

Nectarinia olivacea changamwensis (Mearns) USNM

Nectarinia amethystina kalckreuthi (Cabanis) USNM

Nectarinia senegalensis gutturalis (Linnaeus) LACM

Nectarinia bifasciata microrhyncha (Shelley) LACM

Nectarinia notata chalcomelas (Reichenow) LACM

Nectarinia veroxii fischeri (Reichenow) USNM

Serinus mozambicus mozambicus (Miiller) LACM

Serinus astrogularis (Smith) FW

Ambylospiza albifrons unicolor (Fischer and Reichenow) USNM

Ploceus subaureus aureoflavus Smith LACM

Ploceus bojeri (Cabanis) LACM

*Ploceus castaneiceps (Sharpe) VS

Ploceus cucullatus nigriceps (Layard) USNM

Ploceus golandi (Clarke) USNM

Ploceus bicolor kersteni Finsch and Hartlaub USNM

Ploceus ocularis Smith FW

Quelea quelea aethiopica (Sundevall) USNM

*Euplectes albonotatus eques (Hartlaub) VS

Euplectes nigroventris Cassin FW

Vidua macroura (Pallas) USNM

Hypargos niveoguttatus macrospilotus Mearns USNM

Hypargos nitidula chubbi (Ogilvie-Grant) USNM

Pytelia afra (Gmelin) LACM

Estrilda astrild (Linnaeus) FW

Estrilda bengala (Linnaeus) FW

Lonchura bicolor nigriceps (Cassin) USNM

Lonchura cucullata scutata (Heuglin) USNM

The Kakamega Forest

The Kakamega Forest is an evergreen forest of intermediate altitude (5,000 feet), located in western

Kenya. It is the most easterly point of the West

African-Congo type forest with western affinities not

only in the plant kingdom but with birds, mammals,

and insects. Human population pressure in this area

is severe, and the changes in the composition of this

unique forest could have a serious impact on our

future understanding of the ecological problems

which still remain to be solved regarding the birds

of Kenya and perhaps even Africa as a whole.

Comments on the present status of the Kakamega

Forest are presented in the appendix.

Forbes-Watson obtained 159 species in the Kakamega Forest, including Platysteira concreta graueri,

previously thought to have been extirpated, and

three species which are recorded for the first time

in Kenya. These are Neocossyphus poensis, Nectarinia bouvieri, and Nectarinia chloropygia.

Van Someren (1922, 1932) lists a number of birds

from "Kakamegoes" and the town of Kakamega, but

only three from the Kakamega Forest itself. These

are Campephaga phoenicea, Linurgus olivaceus, and

Sarothrura rufa. All but the latter species were collected by Forbes-Watson in 1965.

The following list of Kakamega birds is based

on Forbes-Watson's specimens (identified to subspecies) in the Smithsonian collections, as well as

species observed or collected by him subsequently.

These are designated by the initials USNM and FW

respectively.

A List of Birds Recorded in the Kakamega Forest

Pelecanus rufescens Gmelin FW

Ardea melanocephala Vigors and Children FW

Scopus umbretta Gmelin FW

Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus) FW

Ciconia abdimii Lichtenstein FW

Leptoptilos crumeniferus (Lesson) FW

Bostrychia hagedash (Latham) FW

Neophron monachus (Temminck) FW

Circus macrourus (Gmelin) USNM

Polyboroides radiatus (Scopoli) FW

Terathopius ecaudatus (Daudin) FW

Circaetus cinerascens Miiller FW

Accipiter melanoleucus melanoleucus Smith USNM

Accipiter tachiro sparsimfasciatus (Reichenow)

USNM

Accipiter badius (Gmelin) FW

Accipiter minullus (Daudin) FW

Kaupifalco monogrammicus (Temminck) FW

Buteo rufofuscus (Forster) FW

Buteo buteo (Linnaeus) FW

Buteo oreophilus Hartert and Neumann FW

Lophaetus occipitalis (Daudin) FW

Stephanoaetus coronatus (Linnaeus) FW

Hieraaetus spilogaster (Bonaparte) FW
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Hieraaetus dubius (Smith) FW

Aquila wahlbergi Sundevall FW

Milvus migrans (Boddaert) FW

Pernis apivorus (Linnaeus) FW

Aviceda cuculoides Swainson FW

Macheirhamphus alcinus Bonaparte FW

Falco cuvieri Smith FW

Falco subbuteo Linnaeus FW

Falco ardosiaceus Bonnaterre and Vieillot FW

Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus FW

Francolinus squamatus Cassin FW

Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus) FW

Coturnix delegorguei Delegorgue FW

Guttera edouardi (Hartlaub) FW

Sarothrura rufa (Vieillot) VS

Sarothrura elegans (Smith) USNM

Sarothrura pulchra (Gray) FW

Balearica pavonina regulorum (Bennet) FW

Tringa glareola Linnaeus FW

Tringa ochropus Linnaeus FW

Tringa hypoleucos Linnaeus FW

Columba arquatrix Temminck FW

Columba delegorguei Delegorgue USNM

Streptopelia semitorquata (Riippell) FW

Streptopelia capicola (Sundevall) FW

Turtur tympanistria (Temminck) USNM

Turtur afer (Linneaus) USNM

Aplopelia larvata (Temminck) FW

Treron australis calva (Temminck) FW

Clamator levaillantii (Swainson) USNM

Cuculus solitarius solitarius Stephens USNM

Cuculus clamosus Latham FW

Chrysococcyx klaas (Stephens) USNM

Chrysococcyx caprius (Boddaert) FW

Chrysococcyx cupreus cupreus (Shaw) USNM

Ceuthmochares aereus aereus sg australis USNM

Centropus toulou grillii Hartlaub USNM

Centropus monachus monachus 5g fischeri USNM

Centropus superciliosus Hemprich and Ehrenberg

FW

Tauraco schutti emini Reichenow USNM

Musophaga rossae Gould FW

Corythaeola cristata (Vieillot) FW

Poicephalus meyeri (Cretzschmar) FW

Psittacus erithacus Linnaeus FW

Eurystomus glaucurus (Miiller) FW

Ceryle maxima (Pallas) FW

Ceyx picta (Boddaert) FW

Halcyon senegalensis (Linnaeus) FW

Halcyon chelicuti (Stanley) FW

Merops apiaster Linnaeus FW

Merops superciliosus Linnaeus FW

Merops albicollis Vieillot FW

Merops pusillus meridionalis (Sharpe) USNM

Merops lafresnayii oreobates (Sharpe) USNM

Merops muelleri muelleri (Cassin) USNM

Tockus alboterminatus (Buttikofer) FW

Bycanistes subcylindricus subquadratus Cabanis

USNM

Phoeniculus bollei jacksoni (Sharpe) USNM

Tyto capensis (Smith) FW

Otus leucotis (Temminck) FW

Bubo lacteus (Temminck) FW

Glaucidium perlatum (Vieillot) FW

Glaucidium tephronotum elgonense Granvik USNM

Ciccaba woodfordi (Smith) FW

Caprimulgus europaeus europaeus Linnaeus USNM

Caprimulgus natalensis natalensis Smith USNM

Colius striatus kiwuensis Reichenow USNM

Apaloderma narina (Stephens) FW

Apaloderma vittatum (Shelley) USNM

Lybius hirsutus (Swainson) FW

Gymnobucco bonapartei cinereiceps Sharpe USNM

Buccanodon duchaillui duchaillui (Cassin) USNM

Pogoniulus bilineatus jacksoni (Sharpe) USNM

Trachyphonus purpuratus elgonensis Sharpe USNM

Indicator variegatus Lesson USNM

Indicator indicator (Sparrman) FW

Indicator minor minor Stephens USNM

Indicator conirostris conirostris (Cassin) USNM

Indicator exilis pachyrhynchus (Heuglin) USNM

Indicator pumilio Chapin FW

Prodotiscus insignis (Cassin) USNM

Campethera caroli (Malherbe) USNM

Campethera nivosa herberti (Alexander) USNM

Campethera tullbergi taeniolaema Reichenow and

Neumann USNM

Dendropicos lafresnayi lepidus (Cabanis and Heine)

USNM

Mesopicos goertae (Miiller) FW

Mesopicos xantholophus (Hargitt) USNM

Apus aequatorialis (von Miiller) FW

A pus apus (Linnaeus) FW

Apus barbatus (Sclater) FW

Apus myioptilus (Salvadori) USNM

Apus caffer (Lichtenstein) FW

Apus affinis (Gray) FW

Chaetura sabini Gray USNM
NUMBER 1 1 1

Smithornis capensis meinertzhageni van Someren

USNM

Mirafra africana Smith FW

Motacilla fiava Linnaeus FW

Motacilla cinerea cinerea Tunstall USNM

Motacilla clara Sharpe FW

Motacilla alba vidua Sundevall FW

Anthus novaeseelandiae (Gmelin) FW

Anthus leucophrys zenkeri Sg goodsoni USNM

Anthus trivialis trivialis Linnaeus USNM

Macronyx croceus (Vieillot) FW

Macronyx ameliae de Tarragon FW

Alcippe abyssinica (Riippell) FW

Trichastoma poliothorax (Reichenow) USNM

Trichastoma fulvescens ugandae (van Someren)

USNM

Trichastoma pyrrhoptera pyrrhoptera (Reichenow

and Neumann) USNM

Trichastoma ruftpennis rufipennis Sharpe USNM

Trichastoma albipectus (Reichenow) USNM

Pycnonotus barbatus tricolor (Hartlaub) USNM

Andropadus curvirostris curvirostris Cassin USNM

Andropadus gracilis ugandae van Someren USNM

Andropadus ansorgei kavirondensis (van Someren)

USNM

Andropadus gracilirostris congensis ^ percivali

USNM

Andropadus virens holochlorus (van Someren)

USNM

Andropadus latirostris eugenius Reichenow USNM

Andropadus montanus kakamegae (Sharpe) USNM

Baeopogon indicator indicator (J. and E. Verreaux)

USNM

Chlorocichla laetissima laetissima (Sharpe) USNM

Phyllastrephus baumanni hypochloris (Jackson)

USNM

Phyllastrephus fischeri cabanisi (Sharpe) USNM

Bleda syndactyla woosnami Ogilvie-Grant USNM

Muscicapa adusta murina sg marsabit USNM

Muscicapa lendu lendu ig itombwensis USNM

Muscicapa caerulescens brevicauda Ogilvie-Grant

USNM

Ficedula hypoleuca hypoleuca (Pallas) USNM

Melaenornis chocolatina fischeri (Reichenow)

USNM

Hyliota australis slateni Sassi USNM

Megabyas flammulata aequatorialis Jackson USNM

Batis molitor (Hahn and Kuster) FW

Platysteira cyanea (Miiller) FW

Platysteira peltata Sundevall FW

Platysteira blissetti jamesoni (Sharpe) USNM

Platysteira concreta graueri (Hartert) USNM

Trochocercus longicauda teresitus (Antinori)

USNM

Trochocercus nigromitratus (Reichenow) USNM

Trochocercus albonotatus albonotatus Sharpe

USNM

Terpsiphone rufiventer emini Reichenow USNM

Terpsiphone viridis ferreti (Guerin) USNM

Saxicola torquata axillaris (Shelley) USNM

Myrmecocichla aethiops Cabanis FW

Alethe poliocephala carruthersi Ogilvie-Grant

USNM

Sheppardia aequatorialis aequatorialis (Jackson)

USNM

Cossypha polioptera Reichenow FW

Cossypha caffra (Linnaeus) FW

Cossypha cyanocampter barteloti Shelley USNM

Cossypha niveicapilla (Lafresnaye) FW

Neocossyphus poensis praepectoralis Jackson USNM

Turdus pelios Bonaparte FW

Schoenicola platyura alexinae (Heuglin) USNM

Chloropeta natalensis Smith FW

Sphenoeacus mentalis (Fraser) FW

Sylvia borin (Boddaert) FW

Sylvia atricapilla dammholzi Stresemann USNM

Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus (Linnaeus) USNM

Phylloscopus trochilus acredula (Linnaeus) USNM

Phylloscopus collybita abietinus (Nilsson) USNM

Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein) USNM

Phylloscopus umbrovirens (Riippell) FW

Phylloscopus budongoensis (Seth-Smith) USNM

Cisticola erythrops sylvia Reichenow USNM

Cisticola lateralis (Fraser) FW

Cisticola hunteri chubbi Sharpe USNM

Cisticola chiniana (Smith) FW

Cisticola galactotes (Temminck) FW

Cisticola robusta (Riippell) FW

Cisticola natalensis (Smith) FW

Prinia subflava melanorhyncha (Jardine and Fraser)

USNM

Prinia leucopogon reichenowi (Hartlaub) USNM

Prinia bairdii melanops (Reichenow and Neumann)

USNM

Apalis pulchra pulchra Sharpe USNM

Apalis jacksoni Sharpe FW

Apalis cinerea (Sharpe) FW

Apalis rufogularis nigrescens (Jackson) USNM
8 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Bathmocercus cerviventris vulpinus Reichenow

USNM

Camaroptera chloronota toroensis (Jackson) USNM

Camaroptera btachyura abessinica sg griseigula

USNM

Eremomela turneri van Someren USNM

Sylvietta leucophrys leucophrys Sharpe USNM

Hylia prasina prasina (Cassin) USNM

Riparia paludicola (Vieillot) FW

Hirundo rustica Linnaeus FW

Hirundo angolensis Bocage FW

Hirundo smithi Leach FW

Hirundo semirufa Sundevall FW

Hirundo senegalensis Linnaeus FW

Hirundo daurica Linnaeus FW

Hirundo abyssinica Guerin FW

Hirundo griseopyga Sundevall FW

Psalidoprocne pristoptera (Riippell) FW

Psalidoprocne albiceps albiceps Sclater USNM

Coxacina caesia (Lichtenstein) FW

Campephaga quiscalina martini Jackson USNM

Campephaga Phoenicia petiti Oustalet USNM

Dicrurus ludwigi sharpei Oustalet USNM

Dicrurus adsimilis coracinus J. and E. Verreaux FW

Dryoscopus gambensis malzacii (Heuglin) USNM

Dryoscopus angolensis nandensis Sharpe USNM

Tchagra minuta (Hartlaub) FW

Tchagra australis emini (Reichenow) USNM

Tchagra senegala (Linnaeus) FW

Laniarius luhderi luhderi Reichenow USNM

Laniarius ferrugineus major (Hartlaub) USNM

Malaconotus bocagei jacksoni (Sharpe) USNM

Lanius mackinnoni Sharpe USNM

I.anius excubitorius Prevost and Des Murs FW

Lanius collaris Linnaeus FW

Parus albiventris Shelley FW

Parus funereus funereus (Verreaux) USNM

Oriolus oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus) USNM

Oriolus auratus Vieillot FW

Oriolus brachyrhynchus lactior Sharpe USNM

Oriolus larvatus percivali Ogilvie-Grant USNM

Corvus albus Miiller FW

Corvus capensis Lichtenstein FW

Poeoptera stuhlmanni stuhlmanni (Reichenow)

USNM

Lamprotornis splendidus (Vieillot) FW

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster (Gmelin) FW

Buphagus erythrorhynchus (Stanley) FW

Zosterops senegalensis stuhlmanni 5~i jacksoni

USNM

Anthreptes rectirostris tephrolaema (Jardine and Fraser) USNM

Anthreptes collaris garguensis Mearns USNM

Nectarinia olivacea ragazzii (Salvadori) USNM

Nectarinia verticalis viridlsplendens (Reichenow)

USNM

Nectarinia rubescens rubescens (Vieillot) USNM

Nectarinia senegalensis lamperti (Reichenow)

USNM

Nectarinia venusta falkensteini (Fischer and Reichenow) USNM

Nectarinia preussi kikuyuensis (Mearns) USNM

Nectarinia chloropygia orphogaster (Reichenow)

USNM

Nectarinia bouvieri (Shelley) USNM

Nectarinia cuprea cuprea (Shaw) USNM

Nectarinia kilimensis kilimensis Shelley USNM

Serinus mozambicus barbatus (Heuglin) USNM

Serinus atrogularis (Smith) FW

Serinus sulphuratus sharpii Neumann USNM

Serinus citrinelloides brittoni Traylor USNM

Serinus burtoni tanganjicae Granvik USNM

Linurgus olivaceus elgonensis van Someren USNM

Amblyospiza albifrons melanota (Heuglin) USNM

Ploceus baglafecht reichenowi (Fischer) USNM

Ploceus xanthops (Hartlaub) FW

Ploceus cucullatus (Miiller) FW

Ploceus nigerrimus nigerrimus Vieillot USNM

Ploceus melanocephalus (Linnaeus) FW

Ploceus jacksoni Shelley FW

Ploceus superciliosus (Shelley) FW

Ploceus bicolor mentalis (Hartlaub) USNM

Ploceus tricolor (Hartlaub) FW

Ploceus ocularis Smith FW

Ploceus nigricollis nigricollis (Vieillot) USNM

Ploceus melanogaster ste phanophorus (Sharpe)

USNM

Ploceus insignis (Sharpe) USNM

Malimbus rubricollis rubricollis (Swainson) USNM

Quelea cardinalis (Hartlaub) FW

Quelea quelea (Linnaeus) FW

Euplectes albonotatus (Cassin) FW

Euplectes ardens suahelica (van Someren) USNM

Euplectes gierowii Cabanis FW

Euplectes hartlaubi humeralis (Sharpe) USNM

Euplectes macrourus macrourus (Gmelin) USNM

Passer griseus griseus (Vieillot) USNM
NUMBER 1 1 1

Vidua macroura (Pallas) USNM

Hypargos nitidula chubbi sg schlegeli USNM

Nigrita canicapilla schistacea Sharpe USNM

Nigrita fusconota fusconota Fraser USNM

Spermophaga ruficapilla ruficapilla (Shelley)

USNM

Estrilda melanotis (Temminck) FW

Estrilda paludicola paludicola Heuglin USNM

Estrilda nonnula Hartlaub FW

Estrilda astrild peasei Shelley USNM

Estrilda bengala (Linnaeus) FW

Lagonosticta senegala ruberrima Reichenow USNM

Lagonosticta rubricata ugandae Salvadori USNM

Lonchura cucullata cucullata (Swainson) USNM

Lonchura bicolor stigmatophora (Reichenow)

USNM

Annotated List of Species

Circaetus fasciolatus Kaup

In 1966, Forbes-Watson obtained six specimens of

the Southern Banded Harrier Eagle in the Sokoke

Forest as follows: one male and two females, 14-19

January and one male and two females, 19-22 July.

This Harrier Eagle occurs in the coastal forests

of eastern Africa from Natal north to Kenya. Mackworth-Praed and Grant (1952) give the wing measurements of this species, based, presumably, on

specimens collected from Natal to Tanzania, as

ranging from 362 to 372 mm. Our specimens measure 345 to 354 mm. These figures reflect a steep

cline in the wing length of this species, considering

its rather limited geographical range in eastern

Africa.

Birds taken in July were in fresh plumage and

were considerably darker both above and below

than worn birds taken in January. Both January

and July females had the ovary slightly enlarged.

Zimmerman and Mumford (1965) record a specimen of the Southern Banded Harrier Eagle, collected

by the former in the Sokoke Forest, 16 August 1963,

as representing the first specimen of this species to be

obtained in Kenya. There is, however, an earlier

specimen in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, taken at Ngatana, Tana River, Kenya, on 13 June 1934, by A.

Loveridge, for which there appears to be no published record.

Francolinus jacksoni patriciae, new subspecies

HOLOTYPE.—USNM 519109. Adult male, Sondhang, central Cherangani Mountains, altitude 10,600

feet, western Kenya. 20 May 1965. Collected by A. D.

Forbes-Watson. Original no. 1483.

DIAGNOSIS.—Similar in general coloration to Francolinus jacksoni jacksoni Ogilvie-Grant, but differs

in having the brown markings on the underparts

paler and reduced to narrow, elongated, tear-shaped

streaks surrounding the central shaft of each feather,

tending toward an oval shape on the upper breast

and becoming more elongated ventrally. The broad

creamy white edgings are wider than the brown

central streaks and occupy an area more than half

the width of the feather from the shaft to the edge.

This is in contrast to the narrow white edgings on

the underparts of F. j . jacksoni, which occupy less

than half the width of the feather. This new subspecies differs further from F. j . jacksoni in having

the top of the head paler and more tawny, less brown,

and in having the gray mantle of the upperparts

paler and more extensive caudally. The lower abdomen and under tail-coverts are grayer, less brownish

than typical jacksoni. The colors of the unfeathered

parts are as follows: iris clear brown, eyelid orange

red, bare patch behind eyes dull yellow, bill dark

red, feet dark orange red, toes dusky, and spurs

blackish.

In addition to the type, which has a wing measurement of 227 mm, two other males, collected on the

same day, have the wing 230 and 233 mm. Each

male has a single pair of spurs ranging in length from

9.5 to 15 mm. The type specimen has an additional

pair of undeveloped spurs, indicated by swollen knobs

on the upper rear of the tarso-metatarsus. Hall

(1963:133) makes the comment that males of jacksoni usually have two spurs, although the upper one

is poorly developed.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED (all in USNM collection).—

F.j. patriciae: Cherangani Mountains, three males

(including type). F.j. jacksoni: Aberdares Mountains,

three males and three females; Mount Kenya, one

female.

RANGE.—Restricted to the central Cherangani

Mountains above 10,000 feet. The nominate race

occurs on Mount Kenya, the Aberdares Mountains,

Mau, and other suitably high areas of central Kenya

in montane forests, bamboo, or grassy slopes, at alti-
10 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

tudes ranging from 7-10,000 feet.

This new subspecies is named in honor of Mrs.

B.P. Hall, of the British Museum (Natural History),

in recognition of her contribution to our knowledge

of speciation in the Francolins.

Sarothrura elegans (Smith)

This species is represented in the Forbes-Watson

collection by a single immature female collected in

the Kakamega Forest on 14 December 1965. As this

appears to be the first specimen in juvenal plumage

obtained by collectors, we give the following description: The upperparts are dark rufous brown, with

occasional feathers of the scapulars having subterminal black bars spotted with tawny. On the secondary coverts, these tawny areas are broader and

give the effect of bars. The primaries are black, with

incomplete bars of pale creamy white on the outer

webs. The tail and under tail coverts are black,

barred with rufous. The breast is gray, suffused with

rufous, there being some faint indication of barring

along the sides. The rest of the underparts are grayish brown, with the center of the lower breast suffused with white and barred dusky. Unfortunately,

the skin about the head and neck was eaten by ants

before the specimen could be prepared.

MEASUREMENTS.—Wing 91, middle toe with claw

28, tarsus 25, and culmen 14 mm.

*Capella gallinago nigripennis (Bonaparte)

Two adult males with testes enlarged were collected

at Kimilili on the southeastern slopes of Mount Elgon on 24 June 1965.

Although White (1965) and most recent authors

treat the African Snipe as a species distinct from its

Palearctic congener, we believe that the proposal set

forth by Meinertzhagen (1951) that nigripennis

should be considered as a race of Gallinago [ — Capella] gallinago is merited. In our view, many—perhaps most—of the Palearctic species which had been

pushed south during the Glacial periods returned

to their old homes after the retreat of the ice. Within some species, however, a residual population may

have become well established in suitable areas of the

* For the use of the generic name Capella, see Wetmore

(1958:125-127).

tropics and remained behind. From such a population

as this, nigripennis presumably evolved. Meinertzhagen comments that regardless of the gap in their

present distributional ranges, both the Palearctic and

African populations originated from the same stock

and should therefore be treated as geographical representatives of the same species.

Geographical Variation in Turtur chalcospilos

(Wagler)

After a careful study of sixty specimens of Turtur

chalcospilos in the collection of the National Museum

of Natural History, including one female from the

Sokoke Forest and another male from the same locality, kindly loaned to us by the Los Angeles County

Museum of Natural History, we have been able to

discern certain trends and patterns in the geographical variation of this species which seem worthy of

putting on record.

In eastern Africa, this species exhibits two clines

in the coloration of the upperparts. One cline occurs along the coast from Somalia to South Africa

and another inland from Ethiopia to Rhodesia. Birds

resident along the coast become generally darker

toward the south. The dark coastal population reaches

its highest expression in southeastern Africa from

Natal to the Cape. This is the area (Eastern Cape

Province) from which Wagler described Columba

chalcospilos and which now delimits the range of

the nominate race. The name zambesiensis Roberts

(Zimbiti, Beira District, Mozambique) has been

resurrected by Lawson (1961) for the slightly paler

birds occurring north of T. c. chalcospilos. The specimens which we have examined from the Sokoke

Forest are closet to zambesiensis in coloration, although the wing measurements are slightly smaller

(male 109, female 103 mm) than the averages of

any of those given by Lawson for his series of zambesiensis, which he lists (in mm) as follows: male

(10) 110.5-114.5 (112.4); female (10) 106.0-113.0

(109.0).

Lawson also mentions a specimen examined by

him from Sokoke, Kenya, which had a small wing

measurement (sex? 106 mm). He suggested that

this might be interpreted as an extension of range

of the short-winged west African race erlangeri

eastward to the Kenya coast. We are inclined to

believe that the short-winged Sokoke birds are a
NUMBER 1 1 1 11

reflection of a size cline in the coastal population

from southeast Africa northward along the coast to

Somalia. Nine specimens which we consider to be

identical to zambesiensis in the coloration of the

upperparts, from coastal Mozambique, Tanzania,

and Kenya, including two from the Sokoke Forest,

have the following wing lengths: male (2) 105, 109

mm; female (7) 100-106 mm.

Two pale sandy specimens from Somalia (T. c.

patetus Peters) have the wing 102 and 104 mm.

Birds taken in the interior of east Africa (including those taken immediately west of the coast) have

the upperparts colored differently than those described above and exhibit a color cline that is the

reverse of that shown by the coastal birds. From the

dark population in Ethiopia, the series becomes progressively paler southward to Rhodesia and SouthWest Africa. This pale population of the semidesertic

regions of southern Africa has been named T. c. volkmanni by Reichenow. The following data illustrate

the difference in wing measurements (in mm) between this form (as given by Lawson) and twentyfour specimens in the collection of the National

Museum of Natural History from interior Ethiopia,

Kenya, and Tanzania. T c. volkmanni (from National Museum of Natural History) : male (13)

108-113 (109.6), female (11) 101-107 (105.5);

T. c. volkmanni (from Lawson) : male (11) 110.5—

117.0 (113.2), female (3) 107-109 (108.3).

These figures indicate a general increase in wing

length toward the south, and in this respect the clinal

gradient is similar to that demonstrated for the

coastal populations of eastern and southern Africa.

In those portions of west Africa where this species

occurs, size and color differences are somewhat parallel to those occurring farther east in the interior of

Africa. Here, the darker and smaller Angolan race

erlangeri (wing 96—105 mm) is replaced immediately

to the south by the western extension of the range

of the larger and paler form volkmanni (wing 107—

117 mm).

Thus we believe that the following generalizations

may be made about the geographic variation of Turtur chalcospilos in Africa. There is a general increase

in wing size from north to south for both interior and

coastal populations. In the color of the upperparts,

there are two clines running in opposite directions:

coastal birds are darkest in the southern part of their

range, while interior birds are darkest in the northern

part. To a certain extent, these color variations may

be correlated with environment following Gloger's

rule. The darkest populations occur in areas of increased humidity: i.e., the mountains of Ethiopia

and the eastern and southern coasts. The palest

birds occur in Somalia and on the periphery of the

southwest African xeric regions. Populations that

occur between these extremes of humidity and aridity are generally intermediate in color.

Although we have presented evidence that the

inland populations reflect both color and size differences that are clinal in nature, the extensive range

over which these birds occur may justify the reinstatement of certain subspecific names that have

been proposed in the past. As mentioned above, the

pale southern population is presently known as volkmanni. For the dark Ethiopian population the name

intensa Mearns, type locality Howash River, Ethiopia, may be used. Birds from east-central Africa,

which are intermediate in color, may be called acanthina Oberholser, type locality, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Although we have examined only two specimens

from Somalia, they suggest to us that T. c. patetus

Peters may be a valid race, as these birds appear to

represent a pale, short-winged population bounded

on the west by the dark, long-winged intensa and

on the south by the dark, short-winged zambesiensis.

The short-winged Angolan form erlangeri should

be retained, as it is demonstrably smaller than its

neighboring races.

Clamator jacobinus pica (Hemprich and Ehrenberg)

White (1965) records this subspecies as breeding

between March and August. A female collected on

9 December 1964, in the Sokoke Forest, had the

ovary enlarged.

Ceyx picta natalensis (Smith)

Two male and three female Pigmy Kingfishers were

collected in the Sokoke Forest on 18-24 July 1965.

These birds were not in breeding condition, so we

are unable to determine whether they are residents

of the Sokoke Forest or migrants from northeastern

Tanzania. If resident, they extend the breeding range

of natalensis northward to the Kenya coast.
12 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Ciccaba woodfordi sokokensis, new subspecies

HOLOTYPE.—Adult male. USNM 519141. Sokoke

Forest, near Kilifi, altitude about 200 feet, coastal

Kenya. 22 July 1965. Collected by A. D. ForbesWatson. Original no. 2043.

DIAGNOSIS.—Similar in size to Ciccaba woodfordi

nigricantior (Sharpe) of central and east Africa,

but paler in coloration both above and below. Compared with nigricantior, plumage coloration and

markings of the Sokoke specimens may be described

as follows: Feathers of the occiput and nape are more

liberally sprinkled with white wedge-shaped markings.

The pale bars of the primaries, secondaries, and tail

tend to be pale Mummy Brown rather than pale

Cinnamon Brown. Feathers of the upperparts are

closest to Mummy Brown rather than Chestnut

Brown, and the tips and bars of the feathers of the

underparts, particularly those of the breast and sides,

are edged and barred with Mummy Brown rather

than with Cinnamon Brown as in nigricantior. (Capitalized color names are from Ridgway, 1912.)

The colors of the unfeathered parts are given on

the label as follows: iris dark brown, bill pale creamy

yellow, feet pale yellow.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED (all in USNM collection).—

C. w. sokokensis: KENYA. Sokoke Forest, 2 males,

2 females. C. w. nigricantior: KENYA. Mount Kenya,

1 male; Tsavo, 1 male; Kiptogot Forest Station,

Mount Elgon, 2 males; Taita Hills, 1 male; Mount

Lololokui, 1 male; Voi, 1 female.

STOMACH CONTENTS.—Fragments of rodents, beetles, and crickets.

WEIGHT.—One female weighed 243 grams.

DISTRIBUTION.—Presently known only from the

Sokoke Forest, coastal Kenya.

Otus ireneae Ripley

Mrs. Morden's Owlet, recently described by the

senior author (Ripley 1966), has previously been

known only from the unique type. Three males recently obtained in the Sokoke Forest by Forbes-Watson and another male collected by Dr. Purvis L.

Martin for the Los Angeles County Museum provide

additional data on this rare owlet.

Two of the specimens collected by Forbes-Watson

are indistinguishable from the type in their tawny

grayish-brown coloration, but the third specimen is

a clear bright rufous, both above and below, and has

the belly and mantle sparsely sprinkled with small

blackish spots.

The stomachs contained mostly fragments of medium-sized saltatorial Orthoptera, e.g., crickets, katydids, and a walkingstick. All of these insects are

arboreal leaf-feeding types likely to occur in vegetation off the ground.

On a tape recording of the call of this owlet,

Forbes-Watson provides the comment that the bird

produces eight "toots" in five seconds, corresponding

in pitch to B flat on the treble cleff.

Individual weights of three males were 46, 50, and

55 grams.

Glaucidium perlatum licua (Lichtenstein)

An adult male, collected at Naivasha, Rift Valley,

altitude 6,400 feet, on 30 November 1965, is considerably paler and more umber above than are other

specimens in the USNM collection and may represent the pale phase alluded to by Friedmann (1930),

who considers this species to be dichromatic. The

wing measured 107 mm.

Glaucidium tephronotum elgonense Granvik

This rare owl has been taken in scattered localities

from Ghana to Mount Elgon. Each population has

been found to be somewhat different from the other,

and new names have been proposed in recognition

of these differences. Although we have not seen the

type of elgonense, a single female from the Kakamega

Forest, collected on 22 March 1965, agrees rather

well with Granvik's (1934) description of his bird

from Mount Elgon, and we are referring our specimen from Kakamega, at least tentatively, to that

subspecies. Measurements of our bird are as follows:

wing 121, tail 85 (worn), culmen 12, and tarsus

25 mm.

This specimen appears to be only the second

known example of Glaucidium tephronotum from

Kenya.

Bubo capensis mackinderi Sharpe

An adult female with ovary enlarged, collected on

Mount Elgon, 27 April 1965, agrees in the general

markings of the underparts with a male from Mount
NUMBER 1 1 1 13

Kenya in the USNM collection. The Mount Elgon

bird, however, has a somewhat more rufous wash

across the breast and along the flanks than the Mount

Kenya specimen. This color also pervades the feathering of the toes and under tail coverts, which are

creamy white in the Mount Kenya bird.

The wing length of mackinderi is given by Mackworth-Praed and Grant (1952) as 369 to 410 mm.

Our specimen from Mount Elgon has a somewhat

longer wing (420 mm).

This appears to be the first record for this species

from Mount Elgon.

Caprimulgus pectoralis fervidus Sharpe

A single female with ovaries containing large yolks

was taken in the Sokoke Forest on 26 November

1964. This specimen marks an extension of the

breeding range of this species from Tanzania northeastward to coastal Kenya.

Caprimulgus fossii fossii Hartlaub

Our six birds from Mida Creek, Kilifi, and the Sokoke

Forest, collected in January 1966, are somewhat

different in color from C. f. clarus (Reichenow) of

the Kenya interior. These specimens from coastal

Kenya are indistinguishable from a series of nominate

fossii from Gabon. On geographic grounds, this is

a rather puzzling distributional arrangement and

suggests the possibility that the views expressed by

van Someren (1922) and Grant and MackworthPraed (1937) that clarus and fossii are specifically

distinct may be merited, particularly in view of the

fact that fossii and clarus have different call notes.

Pogoniulus bilineatus (Sundevall)

The Golden-rumped Tinker-Bird ranges widely over

Africa south of the Sahara, and eight subspecies are

presently recognized by White (1965). An examination of our series from the Sokoke Forest indicates

that yet another subspecies may be recognized and

the name we propose to call it is in the heading

below.

Pogoniulus bilineatus pallidus, new subspecies

HOLOTYPE.—Adult male. USNM 519413. Collected on 4 December 1964, by A. D. Forbes-Watson

in the Sokoke Forest, near Kilifi, altitude about 200

feet, coastal Kenya. Original no. 324.

DIAGNOSIS.—Similar to P. b. fischeri (Reichenow)

of eastern Tanzania and southeastern Kenya in size

and general appearance, but differing in having the

white of the throat extending farther downward over

the chest and in having the remainder of the underparts creamy white, suffused with pale yellow. Compared with two specimens of fischeri from the Muhaka Forest and one from Changamwe, which have

yellow superciliary stripes, the Sokoke specimens have

this character colored white. The yellow coloration

on the outer edge of the secondaries, secondary coverts, and tertials is duller, less bright yellow, in

pallidus than in fischeri.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—P. b. pallidus: KENYA.

Sokoke Forest, one male, two females (both with

ovaries enlarged). P. b. fischeri: KENYA. Muhaka

Forest, one male, one female. CHANGAMWE. One

male.

STOMACH CONTENTS.—Insect fragments.

WEIGHT.—Male, 11 grams. Females, 10.2, 11 grams.

DISTRIBUTION-—Presently known only from the

Sokoke Forest, coastal Kenya.

Indicator minor minor Stephens

A large series of Lesser Honey-Guides were collected

by Forbes-Watson from the following localities: One

male, Sokoke Forest, near Kilifi, altitude about 200

feet, 28 November 1964; two males, Gogoni Forest,

near Msambweni, 26, 28 December 1964; one female

(ovary slightly enlarged), Giriama Point, Shimba

Hills, near Kwale, 13 December 1964; one male,

Ngangao Forest, Taita Hills, 21 August 1965; one

male, Karen, near Nairobi, 8 January 1966; one

male and one female (ovary enlarged), 12 June and

4 December 1965, Kakamega Forest Station.

The stomachs contained white wax and insect

fragments, including black ants. One distended stomach contained fine hairlike threads and very fine

insect fragments inbedded in wax. One male from

the Gogoni Forest appears to be somewhat aberrant

in plumage, having the throat finely spotted with

dark olive and the belly faintly barred with dusky

gray.
14 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Indicator conirostris conirostris (Cassin)

Two males, two females, and one juvenile female

were collected in the Kakamega Forest on 6-14 June

1965. The underparts of the young bird are considerably darker and greener than are those of the

adults; otherwise it appears to be in fully adult

plumage although the tail is only partly grown.

Forbes-Watson reports that this bird was taken from

the nest hole of Gymnobucco bonapartei cinereiceps,

where it was being fed by at least seven foster parents. The stomach contained fruit pulp (including

figs) and fragments of green beetles. It had great

deposits of fat on the throat, sides of chest, and

abdomen. The young bird weighed 50 grams. The

adults weighed 30—35 grams.

Dr. Herbert Friedmann informs us (personal communication) that although Indicator conirostris conirostris has been known to parasitize Gymnobucco

bonapartei bonapartei in West Africa, it has not

previously been reported to do so to G. b. cinereiceps.

Pitta angolensis longipennis Reichenow

The African Pitta has not previously been found to

breed in Kenya. It is therefore noteworthy that two

females, collected in the Sokoke Forest on 19 and

25 July 1965, had enlarged ovaries.

Calandrella cinerea longipennis (Eversmann)

One specimen of this Palaearctic migrant was collected on the airstrip at Ukundu on 19 December

1964. The wing measured 99 mm.

Forbes-Watson informs us (personal communication) that this appears to be the second known

specimen from Kenya.

Chlorocichla flaviventris mombasae Shelley

Our series of Yellow-bellied Greenbuls from coastal

Kenya are represented by the following specimens:

One male and five females, Sokoke Forest, 24—29

November 1964; four males and five females, Sokoke

Forest, 1—8 December 1964; three males and one

female, Gogoni Forest, 26-28 December 1964; one

male and two females, Buda Forest, 21 December

1964; one male, Sokoke Forest, 25 July 1965.

Recent authors (Rand 1958, White 1962) have

called the birds from the Kenya coast Chlorocichla

flaviventris centralis, based on Chlorocichla centralis

Reichenow, 1887, with type locality Loeru, Tanzania.

Although we have not seen examples of centralis from

Loeru, we have examined near-topotypical material

from Iringa, Dodoma, and Lake Manyera, east-central Tanzania. Besides the Sokoke specimens, coastal

birds are represented in our series by examples from

Dar-es-Salaam and Pugu Hills, Tanzania. A careful

examination of these specimens reveals that our

specimens from the coast are considerably darker

above (more brownish, less olive) than are specimens

from the interior {centralis), and we recommend

that the name mombasae be applied to the coastal

population from the Sokoke Forest, Kenya, to the

Pugu Hills, Tanzania. By this action, the race centralis is restricted to an area extending from the

foothills of Mount Kenya southward to east-central

Tanzania. Racial allocation of coastal birds north

of the Sokoke Forest (to Jubaland) and south of

the Pugu Hills (to northern Mozambique) remains

to be determined.

Andropadus importunus subalaris Reichenow

The Sombre Greenbul was collected by Forbes-Watson in several localities as follows: Two adult males,

Kilifi, 30 January 1966; two adult females, Kilifi,

25, 26 January 1966; one adult unsexed, Sokoke

Forest, 26 January 1966; three immature males, Kilifi,

25—30 January 1966; one immature female, Kilifi, 27

January 1966.

These birds were compared with four adult specimens of A. i. insularis from Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

The Sokoke and Kilifi birds are decidedly paler, less

bright yellow below than are those from the Tanzanian coast. We believe, therefore, that the name

subalaris (type locality Malindi) should continue to

be used for the birds from the Kenyan coast rather

than lumped with insularis Hartlaub (type locality

Zanzibar) as proposed by White (1962).

The Yellow Eye-ring as a Subspecific Character in

Differentiating the Races of Andropadus importunus

In addition to the four specimens of Andropadus

importunus insularis from Dar-es-Salaam mentioned

in the previous account, six other specimens in the

Yale Peabody Museum collection from Same, Pugu
NUMBER 1 1 1 15

Hills, and the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania, are

supplied with data regarding age and eye color. Birds

marked "imm." have brown irides and a yellow eye

ring. Adults lack the eye rings and have white irides.

From these data, it seems evident that the yellow

eye ring is an age character and not a racial one,

and that this character can no longer be used to

separate A. i. fricki Mearns and A. i. kitungensis

Mearns from the coastal races of Andropadus importunus. It appears then that yellow eye rings are

associated with immaturity in at least four of the

races of Andropadus importunus. These are A. i.

fricki, kitungensis, subalaris, and insularis. We have

seen no material which would allow us to make this

judgment for the more southerly races oleaginus or

hypoxanthus. In series, immature birds of the four

northern races may be separated from adults by their

yellow eye rings, brown irides, pale lower mandibles,

and dark upperparts. Adults have the eye ring absent, white irides, black lower mandibles, and paler

upperparts. As might be expected, immature birds

usually have smaller measurements, and occasionally

exhibit pale buffy tips to the middle secondary coverts. Females of both age groups are occasionally,

but not invariably, darker above than males.

Although we can no longer consider the yellow

eye ring as a useful tool in separating the races of

A. importunus, other criteria suggest that Mearns'

two races may be valid. A. i. kitungensis is at once

separable from the coastal form subalaris by larger

measurements and by its darker and more ochraceous

underparts. The problem is more difficult in separating kitungensis from fricki. The latter is represented

only by the unique type, and the wing measurement

of 87 mm may not reflect the average wing measurement for males of the mountain population, as it is

an immature bird. This leaves the question of color

as the only basis for separation. When compared with

an immature specimen of kitungensis, the type of

fricki is found to be considerably darker above. It

seems, then, that fricki should be maintained, although based on slim evidence, at least until adult

specimens can be obtained to settle the matter once

and for all.

An adult male and an immature female from

Morogoro, Tanzania, in the Yale Peabody collection,

have large measurements and suggest that the race

kitungensis may extend from the south-central interior of Kenya to the northern interior of Tanzania.

The following measurements are given for comparison :

Andropadus importunus fricki (type). Male imm.:

Wing 86; tail 7.5; culmen 15 mm.

Andropadus importunus kitungensis. Male ad. (2,

including type): Wing 93, 95; tail 83, 85; culmen

15, 15.5. Male imm.: Wing 92; tail 83; culmen 14.5.

Female ad.: Wing 87; tail 78.5; culmen 15.5 mm.

Andropodus virens holochlorus (van Someren)

Seven males and two females collected in March,

June, and December 1965, in the Kakamega Forest,

represent an extension of the range of this subspecies

from Uganda into western Kenya.

Muscicapa lendu lendu sg itombwensis

From the Kakamega Forest, Forbes-Watson collected

one male and two females on 18—19 March, and a

female with ovary enlarged on 2 June 1965.

These specimens and one collected by Forbes-Watson in 1963 for the National Museum, Nairobi, are

the first records of this species for Kenya.

We are indebted to Mr. Stuart Keith and Dr.

Charles Vaurie for their following comments on the

four specimens which we sent to them for examination:

Together with Dr. Vaurie I have compared them with the

type of lendu and with a specimen of itombwensis which

Prigogine sent us. With regard to the wing formula they are

almost identical to lendu. As to bill size they are intermediate between lendu and itombwensis. One specimen is quite

close to itombwensis, the bills of the others are a little closer

to lendu. With regard to color, your four birds vary as much

within themselves as do lendu and itombwensis, so we do not

think color is a useful criterion on this species.

Taking the above into consideration, I now think it more

useful to regard lendu and itombwensis as conspecific in

spite of my remarks in the enclosed paper (Keith and

Twomey 1968:542-543).

Muscicapa caerulescens brevicauda Ogilvie-Grant

Four females collected in March and June in the

Kakamega Forest have the small wing (68—72 mm)

and the dark upperparts of brevicauda and apparently represent the Kenyan population west of the

Rift, which is not explicitly stated in White (1963).
16 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Ficedula hypoleuca hypoleuca (Pallas)

A single young male was taken in the Kakamega

Forest on 8 December 1965. This appears to be the

first record for Kenya for this rare straggler from

Europe. The brown coloration of the upperparts

(versus gray), the lack of white bases to the feathers

of the hindneck, and the wing formula (fifth primary longer than the second) separate it from the

allied and hardly distinguishable White Collared

Flycatcher {Ficedula albicollis), in which the reverse

is the case. The bird weighed 12 grams.

Platysteira concreta graueri (Hartert)

White (1963) says: "Recorded from Kakamega in

west Kenya where perhaps now extirpated." The

single female collected by Forbes-Watson in the Kakamega Forest in December 1965 indicates that a

small population, at least, still exists in that area.

Turdus fischeri fischeri Hellmayr

Specimens of this race from the coastal forests of

southeastern Kenya have not been collected since

the original series was taken by Fischer before 1885,

all of which were destroyed in World War II. In

their account of T. f. fischeri, Mackworth-Praed and

Grant (1955) say "probably now extinct." Although

there have been several sight records since 1885, the

status of this race was not confirmed until 1964, when

Twomey collected a specimen in the Sokoke Forest.

Subsequently, Forbes-Watson collected four additional specimens, one in 1965 (now in the USNM

collection) and three others in 1966, which are in

the National Museum, Nairobi. Mr. C. W. Benson

has kindly compared these birds with ten specimens

of T. f. natalicus and T. /. belcheri, and the results

of his findings are incorporated in a recent paper on

east African birds by Keith and Twomey (1968).

Neocossyphus poensis praepectoralis Jackson

This West African species has been recorded as far

east as western Uganda. The following specimens

from the Kakamega Forest represent an extension

of its range into western Kenya, its previous easternmost locality having been the Malabigambo Forest,

Buddu County, Uganda (Friedmann and Williams

1969) : One male, 13 March 1965; two males and

one female, 6—9 June 1965; one female, 12 December

1965.

Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus (Linnaeus)

Phylloscopus trochilus acredula (Linnaeus)

Phylloscopus collybita abietinus (Nilsson)

Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein)

Seven specimens of wintering Phylloscopi from the

Palaearctic regions, representing three species, were

taken in the Kakamega Forest in March and December 1965. With the exception of P. t. trochilus, which

is a common winter visitor throughout east Africa,

the remaining forms are difficult to observe and are

represented by only a few specimens from Kenya. All

stomachs contained insects. The following weights

are recorded. P.t. trochilus: 3 females, 7, 8, 9; P.t.

acredula: 2 females, 7, 8; P. collybita: 1 female, 7;

P. sibilatrix: 1 male, 7 grams.

Phylloscopus budongoensis ( Seth-Smith)

This species has been known from only a few specimens from west Kenya. In 1965, Forbes-Watson

obtained 5 males and 2 females in March, and in

June he obtained 2 males and 1 juvenile bird in the

Kakamega Forest. The young bird has the upperparts

more brownish green that the adults and has the

throat and chest washed with greenish yellow. The

iris is gray, compared with brown as noted for the

older birds.

Weights for both males and females ranged from

7 to 10 grams. The young bird weighed 8 grams.

All stomachs contained insect fragments.

Psalidoprocne pristoptera holomelaena (Sundevall)

Two males and two females collected in the Sokoke

Forest on 1 December 1964 have the small wing

measurements (95—106 mm) of the Mozambique

race holomelaena. Since they are not in breeding

condition, it is impossible to determine whether they

are migrants from the southeastern coast or residents

of the Sokoke Forest.
NUMBER 1 1 1

Nectarinia bouvieri (Shelley)

From the Kakamega Forest, Forbes-Watson collected

seven males and two females in December 1965. The

females had the ovaries enlarged. These specimens

represent an extension of the range of the Orangetufted Sunbird from southern Uganda into western

Kenya.

Nectarinia chloropygia orphogaster (Reichenow)

A male collected on 12 June 1965 and two others

taken 6 and 13 December 1965, in the Kakamega,

are the first examples of the species taken in Kenya.

Ploceus golandi (Clarke)

The type of the Black-headed Weaver described in

1913 from the Sokoke Forest remained unique until

it was rediscovered there in 1955. Further collecting

provided several more specimens in 1958 (Clancey

and Williams 1959). To these records may be added

five males collected by Forbes-Watson between 22

and 25 November 1964. The birds weighed 24-26

grams.

Literature Cited

Carcasson, R.H.

1964. A Preliminary Survey of the Zoogeography of

African Butterflies. East African Wildlife Journal,

2:122-157.

Clancey, P.A., and John G. Williams

1959. On the Unknown Female Dress and Specific Relationships of Ploceus golandi (Clarke). Ibis, 101

(2):247-248.

Friedmann, Herbert

1930. Birds Collected by the Childs Frick Expedition to

Ethiopia and Kenya Colony, Part 1 : Non-Passeres.

United States National Museum Bulletin, 153:

xiii + 516 pages, 22 figures, 83 tables, 12 plates.

1937. Birds Collected by the Childs Frick Expedition to

Ethiopia and Kenya Colony, Part 2: Passeres.

United States National Museum Bulletin, 153:

xii + 506 pages, 30 figures, 80 tables, 14 plates.

Friedmann, Herbert, and John G. Williams

1969. The Birds of the Sango Bay Forests, Masaka District, Uganda. Los Angeles County Museum Contributions to Science, number 162, 48 pages, 1

figure.

Grant, C.H.B., and C.W. Mackworth-Praed

1937. On the Status of Caprimulgus clarus Reichenow,

and the Races of Scotornis climacurus Vieillot in

Eastern Africa. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, 58:18-21.

17

Granvik, Hugo

1934. The Ornithology of North Western Kenya Colony

with Special Regard to the Suk and Turkana Distrikt [sic]. Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique

Africaines, 25(1): 190 pages, 4 plates.

Hall, B.P.

1963. The Francolins, A Study in Speciation. Bulletin of

the British Museum (Natural History). Zoological

Series 10(2): 205 pages, 11 maps.

Hall, B.P., and Moreau, R.E.

1970. An Atlas of Speciation in African Passerine Birds.

xv+ 423 pages, 2 tables, 439 maps. London:

Trustees of the British Musemu (Natural History).

Jackson, Sir Frederick John

1938. The Birds of Kenya Colony and the Uganda Protectorate. Volumes 1-3. 1: xlix + 542 pages, 10

plates, 115 figures; 2:545-1136, 8 plates, 65 figures; 3:1137-1558, 6 plates, 61 figures; 1 map.

London: Gurney and Jackson.

Keith, Stuart, and Arthur Twomey

1968. New Distributional Records of Some East African

Birds. Ibis, 110(4) :537-548.

Lawson, W.J.

1961. The South African Races of the Emerald-spotted

Wood Dove Turtur chalcospilos (Wagler). Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, 81 (5):87 -

90, 1 plate, 1 figure.

Lucas, G.L.

1968. Article "Kenya" in I. and O. Hedberg (Eds.).

Conservation of Vegetation South of the Sahara.

Ada Phytogeographica Suecica, 54:152-163.

Mackworth-Praed, C.W., and C.H.B. Grant

1952. Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa. African Handbook of Birds. Series 1, volume 1. 1:

xxv + 836 pages, 53 plates, 6 figures. London:

Longmans, Green and Company.

1955. Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa. African Handbook of Birds. Series 1, volume 2. 2:

viii+1099 pages, 96 plates, 9 figures. London:

Longmans, Green and Company.

Meinertzhagen, Colonel R.

1951. Some Relationships Between African, Oriental,

and Palaearctic Genera and Species, with a Review of the Genus Monticola. Ibis, 93(3):443-

459.

Moomaw, J. C.

1960. A Study of the Plant Ecology of the Coast Region

of Kenya Colony British East Africa. Nairobi:

Government Printer.

Moreau, R.E.

1966. The Bird Faunas of Africa and Its Islands. viii +

424 pages, 65 figures, 40 tables. New York:Academic Press.

Rand, Austin L.

1958. Notes on African Bulbuls. Family Pycnonotidae;

Class Aves. Fieldiana.Zoology, 35(6) : 145-220.

Ridgway, Robert

1912. Color Standards and Color Nomenclature. 53

plates. Washington: Privately printed.
18 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

Ripley, S. Dillon

1966. A Notable Owlet from Kenya. Ibis, 108 (1): 136-

137, 1 plate,

van Someren, V.G.L.

1922. Notes on the Birds of East Africa. Novitates Zoologicae, 29: 246 pages, 6 plates.

1932. Birds of Kenya and Uganda, Being Addenda and

Corrigenda to My Previous Papers in "Novitates

Zoologicae," xxix, 1922. Novitates Zoologicae, 37:

252-380, plates 3 and 4.

Wetmore, Alexander

1958. The Brissonian Name for the Snipe. Ibis, 100(1) :

125-127.

White, C.M.N.

1960- A Check List of the Ethiopian Muscicapidae (Syl1962. viinae). Parts 1-3. Occasional Papers of the National Museums of Southern Rhodesia, number

24B: 399-738.

1961. A Revised Check List of African Broadbills, Pittas,

Larks, Swallows, Wagtails and Pipits, iv+84 pages.

Lusaka [Zambia]:The Government Printer.

1962. A Revised Check List of African Shrikes, Orioles,

Drongos, Starlings, Crows, Waxwings, CuckooShrikes, Bulbuls, Accentors, Thrushes and Babblers. iv+176 pages. Lusaka:The Government

Printer.

1963. A Revised Check List of African Flycatchers, Tits,

Tree Creepers, Sunbirds, White-eyes, Honey Eaters, Buntings,, Finches, WeaVers and Waxbills. vi +

218 pages. Lusaka:The Government Printer.

1965. A Revised Check List of African Non-Passerine

Birds, v+299 pages. Lusaka: The Government

Printer.

Zimmerman, Dale A., and Russel E. Mumford

1965. First Specimens of Three Species of Birds from

Kenya. Auk 82(2) :282-283, 1 figure.
Appendix

The Status of the Sokoke and Kakamega Forests, Kenya

A.D. Forbes-Watson, Curator of Ornithology

National Museum, Nairobi, Kenya.

From the zoological point of view, the Sokoke and

Kakamega forests are undoubtedly the most important in Kenya at the present time. Unfortunately,

both are being reduced at an alarming rate, and

unless something drastic is done very soon, Kenya

may lose two of her greatest scientific assets.

Zoogeographic Importance

The Sokoke Forest is the northernmost block of the

eastern coastal forests which extend southward to

South Africa, but it is slightly different faunistically

from the rest of these forests. The Kakamega Forest

is the only remaining patch in Kenya of what was

presumably a greater extent of West African type

lowland forest. Thus, the Sokoke Forest is probably

unique, whereas the Kakamega Forest is only unique

so far as Kenya is concerned. Destruction of other

forests in Kenya, however deplorable, would not exterminate a particular type of forest with its associated fauna, as they would survive elsewhere, but

destruction of the Sokoke and Kakamega forests

would be a total and irrevocable loss to the country.

Although far less separated from the nearest similar forests than is Kakamega, the Sokoke Forest (also

called the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest) has a fauna far

more distinct than might be suspected. There are two

endemic species of birds (the recently discovered owl

Otus ireneae and the weaver Ploceus golandi) and

two of mammals (the elephant shrew Rhynchocyon

chrysophygus and the antelope Cephalophus adersi).

Although the avifauna is impoverished when compared with western forests, there is a tenuous link

with them (Carcasson 1964: 136, Moreau 1966:

166-168), which makes it a particularly rewarding

locality for the study of zoogeographic relationships

and the past history of Africa. Both the endemic

birds are thought to have their nearest relatives in

the western forests, and have been tentatively treated

as members of the same superspecies, with Otus

icterorhynchus and Ploceus weynsi respectively (Ripley 1966, Hall and Moreau 1970: Map 334).

The Kakamega Forest is generally considered to

be the easternmost outlier of the great equatorial lowland forest belt which stretches almost right across

Africa (Carcasson 1964: 136, Lucas 1968: 158).

The affinities of the forest birds lie with the West

African lowland avifauna, and many are found nowhere else in Kenya. Although now a small isolated

relict, its connection with similar forests to the west

must have been very recent, as there is no endemism

recognized in birds, even at the subspecific level.

Three species (a turaco Corythaeola cristata, a beeeater Merops muelleri, and a flycatcher Platysteira

concreta) were once considered to have endemic

races, but these are no longer generally recognized

as differing from the Uganda forms.

Exploitation

In the past, fairly extensive logging for commercial

timbers was practiced in Kakamega. This has now

virtually stopped—besides, the logging had relatively

little effect on the forest. The Forest Department is

now deforesting parts of the indigenous areas, which

will be made into softwood plantations for the proposed pulpmill to be established not far away at

Broderick Falls. Indigenous commercial hardwoods

are also being planted, but as cultivated plantations,

so that much of the natural forest is being lost.

19
20 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY

The danger lies in the future, when much of the

area might still be "forested," but solely with plantations. Similarly, timber exploitation in the Sokoke

Forest has now ceased, apparently because the two

indigenous species of commercial importance—Brachylaena hutchinsii and Manilkara sansibariensis—are

now not present in sufficient numbers to be an economic proposition (Moomaw 1960: 28; K. Hansen

and R.B. Faden, personal communication). As in

Kakamega, this commercial logging has had little

effect on the forest as a whole. Again, however, the

Forest Department is cutting out natural forest and

replacing it with softwood (conifer) plantations. A

further drain on the indigenous forest is the gathering of firewood for the requirements of the forest

station. In 1970 I encountered woodcutting gangs

at least five miles from the station, who said that

they had already collected all the dead wood nearer

at hand. The effects on the fauna are incalculable,

especially on insects, but also on such hole-nesting

birds as barbets (Capitonidae) and woodpeckers

(Picidae), which utilize dead trees.

Population Pressures

Human population pressures on the periphery of both

forests have been very heavy in the past, and the

forest edges now generally abut onto cultivation very

abruptly, with no intermediate zone—this is particularly noticeable at Kakamega. Without this natural

buffer, the risk of fire damage to the forest near the

edge is obvious. The Kakamega Forest has undoubtedly been much reduced by man, but probably not

nearly to such an extent as has Sokoke. About half

of the Sokoke Forest has been destroyed by man in

the last ten years. This is because the Forest Department never protected the southern portion, as it was

privately owned. After Independence, squatters

moved into this part of the untouched forest, which

had never been "improved" by the owners, and

cleared it for the planting of maize and cashews, but

with the poor soil and lack of water they can only

expect a subminimal subsistence on the former and

a hypothetical return on the latter. All the areas in

which I collected in the Sokoke for the Smithsonian

in 1964—1966 are now no longer forest, but desolate

areas of sandy soil and straggly crops.

Forest Department Policy

On the other hand, both forests are protected within

their present limits by the Forest Department. As has

been seen, however, this is a dubious protection as the

Forest Department policy seems to consider forests

on their "economic" merits alone, which means that

their natural assets have to be related in terms of

hard cash. Despite the Department's avowed intention to preserve forest areas, it seems immaterial

whether they are plantations or the natural primeval

forest. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, the

former seems to take precedence. In the case of the

Sokoke, even this protection may be removed if the

idea of settling landless Africans there materializes

(apparently this has already been suggested). This

unique habitat would then be surely doomed.

Future Protection

What, then, can be done to preserve these two areas?

Both were discussed at a symposium on conservation

of vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara in Uppsala in September 1966, the proceedings of which

were edited by I. and O. Hedberg (for Kenya, see

Lucas 1968). Both were included in "proposed areas

for protection by National Park status."

Lucas says of the Kakamega Forest: "The population pressure in this region is particularly severe

but the need for this remarkable forest to be conserved in its entirety so that it may remain a viable

unit is of prime importance for the future understanding of plant populations in Kenya and even

Africa as a whole." It was suggested that the recently created Marine Park at Watamu might be an

ideal base from which to include the natural vegetation of the Sokoke Forest under National Park

protection. The forest is basically of two kinds: "a

lowland evergreen dry forest, dominated by Cynometra webberi, Manilkara sulcata and Brachylaena hutchinsii" (Lucas 1968: 157) on the reddish

Magarini sand of the Pliocene, and Brachystegia/

Afzelia woodland on the white sand of the Pleistocene. Lucas would also like to include the "poor and

rather patchy rain forest dominated by Sterculia and

Chlorophora" adjacent to the nearby Mida Creek,

and also to include the mangrove swamps bordering

Mida Creek.

Dr. Kai Curry-Lindahl, the well-known conserva-
NUMBER 1 1 1

tionist, tells me that both forests must have strict

total protection, preferably and ideally as national

parks. If this status is unobtainable for the whole of

each area, then at least a central part should be made

a national park, with a surrounding area of reserve,

followed by a peripheral area controlled by the Forest

Department. A botanical survey should be instigated

to ensure that adequate areas of the habitat in each

are fully protected. He is doing all in his power to

encourage the Kenya government to legislate for the

complete protection of both localities.

Although much depleted, there is still sufficient

forest left in both areas to ensure the survival of the

21

habitat and the associated fauna—there are no

known extinctions in either area as yet. It must be

repeated, however, that unless something is done very

soon both areas may be lost completely.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank R.B. Faden for botanical information, and Dr. Kai Curry-Lindahl for discussions

on the future of these forests. I am grateful to the

national museums in Nairobi and Washington for

the opportunities to study these forests.

US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1971 437-339 13

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