464 | The African Fish Eagle is Namibia's Bird of the Year 2017

CONSERVATION

Photo by Stefan Rust

Without water there would be no life. Water is a precious, indispensable resource for man. And who does not know better than the inhabitants of Namibia, this country that is considered to be the driest country South of the Sahara.

As a representative for all wetland inhabitants, BirdsConTour has chosen the African Fish Eagle as Bird of the Year 2017 in Namibia. It is intended to promote the conservation of the threatened habitat of wetlands and to raise awareness among the general public of the needs of wetland-dwelling animals. Wetland inhabitants are indispensable elements of species diversity. We Namibians should do everything to protect them, to stabilize their populations or to increase them.

Photo by Stefan Rust

Description:

The adult African Fish Eagle is unmistakable. Characteristic is the strikingly white head, the short white tail and the wide dark wings. Their dark claws, beaks and eyes are responsible for their being known as ancient fish eagles.

Origin of name:

Its Latin term Haliaeetus vocifer translated directly means noisy (vocifer) sea eagle (haliaeetus).

Measurements:

The African Fish Eagle is a large bird, with the female, at 3.2-3.6 kg, is 10-15% larger than the male. Females have a broader white chest and wingspans of 2.4 m, the body length is 63-75 cm.

Behaviour:

Couples are very territorial. When groups of this kind are seen, it is mostly parents with their offspring, or young birds, who have not yet established their own territories.

Food:

At the top of the menu on our bird of the year is mainly fish. But it also feeds on carrion and it may catch a variety of small animals. He usually hunts from a perch, gliding towards a surface-swimming fish, grabbing him and returning to a perch.

Habitat:

The African Fish Eagle is mostly at home at larger bodies of fresh water, but also coastal lagoons and estuaries.

Status and Threats:

A serious threat to this species, classified as vulnerable because of its surprisingly small population of fewer than 600 birds, is over-fishing by humans. This drives away birds from otherwise suitable rivers. But degradation of the water quality and the surrounding environment through the use of pesticides and destruction of large trees continues to be a threat.

Actions:

To increase the numbers of this bird of the year and many other animals that depend on suitable wetland areas, prevention of over-fishing, establishment of river-based conservancies, protection of large riverine trees and strict control of pesticide use shall be implemented and adhered to.

Get involved:

Birthday calendars in aid of wetland conservation.

BirdsConTour offers the opportunity to buy this amazing birthday calendar and support wetland conservation with every purchase.

Buy a Birds of Namibia Birthday Calendar for you or as a gift from BirdsConTour for only N$190.-. (excluding shipping costs) by ordering via birdscontour@iway.na or +264 (0) 81 129 8415 / +264 (0) 81 230 7506 and know that a percentage of the proceeds is helping support wetland conservation in Namibia.

Our Birds of Namibia Birthday Calendar Sale is raising much needed funds. If the BirdsConTour logo is on the calendar you know that N$10.-. of the purchase will help protect wetlands.

Since 2013, BirdsConTour chooses the Bird of the Year in Namibia.

2013 Common Ostrich

Photo by Stefan Rust

2014 Kori Bustard

Photo by Birgit Leicher

2015 House Sparrow

Photo by Birgit Leicher

2016 Lappet-faced Vulture

Photo by Birgit Leicher

2017 African Fish Eagle

Photo by Birgit Leicher

463 | All-in-one Bird Feeder Station by BirdsConTour

CONSERVATION

At BirdsConTour we have the so-called all-in-one Birdie Snacks Bar for the birds in your garden.

Constructed to hang or stand it allows you to position this easy to maintain bird feeding station exactly where you want it in your garden. This all-in-one Birdie Snacks Bar holds a water tray and nine food trays for all different kinds of bird food, including one for nest material and one for seedlings, so your garden birds get everything they need from one central point.

Our all-in-one Birdie Snacks Bar allows for quick and easy food replacement through a unique concept, the BirdsConTour Birdie Snacks Bar Refill Pack, that can be ordered from BirdsConTour, plus delivered and on request we refill your station/s.

By buying our Birdie Snacks Bar and Refill Packs you support welfare and conservation because it is not only the people in need which are involved who appreciate your purchase, now having a purpose in life and an income; the wild garden birdlife benefits from these products too.

Supporting our product is your good deed for the day!

465 | Birthday calendars in aid of wetland conservation

CONSERVATION

BirdsConTour offers the opportunity to buy this amazing birthday calendar and support wetland conservation with every purchase.

Buy a Birds of Namibia Birthday Calendar for you or as a gift from BirdsConTour for only N$190.-. (excluding shipping costs) by ordering via birdscontour@iway.na or +264 (0) 81 129 8415 / +264 (0) 81 230 7506 and know that a percentage of the proceeds is helping support wetland conservation in Namibia.

Our Birds of Namibia Birthday Calendar  Sale is raising much needed funds. If the BirdsConTour logo is on the calendar you know that N$10.-. of the purchase will help protect wetlands.

African Fish Eagle (bird of the year 2017) in a wetland habitat

Photo by Birgit Leicher

461 | Orumbonde books kindly supports bird conservation

CONSERVATION

Mr. Wolfram Hartmann from Orumbonde Books

Antiquarian, historian and master bookworm, Wolfram Hartmann from Orumbonde Books situated next to the Arta & Crafts Centre in Windhoek, Namibia, recently discovered the joy of bird watching as a relaxing pastime for himself. In this regard he obtained a bird feeder from BirdsConTour to attract wild birds to his garden. In an effort to motivate other citizens to do the same, he kindly offered to display an All-in-one Bird Feeder from BirdsConTour in front of his book store.

All-in-one Bird Feeder from BirdsConTour 

If you too are a bird lover and are also interested in luring birds into your garden or supporting the existing garden birds, you can visit Orumbonde Books and have a look at the feeder. You can submit your orders at Wolfram.

462 | European Honey Buzzard in Namibia

CONSERVATION & TOURISM

Photos by Mrs. Birgit Leicher

Female barred European Honey Buzzard Wespenbussard / Pernis apivores

The private nature reserve of the Kempinski Estates, situated 20 km south of Windhoek (Namibia) in the Auas Mountains, currently hosts a palate for bird and animal lovers. Since around the beginning of December this year, residents regularly observe a raptor in the splendid nature surrounding their houses. When Mrs. Birgit Leicher reported this sighting and sent her photos to BirdsConTour, this bird of prey could be identified as a non-breeding Palearctic migrating European Honey Buzzard, which is classified as uncommon to rare in Africa. Mrs. Gudrun Middendorff from the Namibian Birdclub confirmed the photos as the European Honey Buzzard.

This species shows an interesting nutritional behavior. As the species name already testifies, they mainly feed on wasps, but also on other insects such as termites. Different hunting methods are used. They snatch wasp nests from trees or from under the house roofs. Insects are also caught in flight or on the ground. They even go so far that they dig up wasp nests from out of 40 cm depths from the ground with their powerful claws. They are protected against the dangerous insect stings thanks to thick head feathers and thick scales on their legs.

Because this species keeps the wasp populations in check, it is alwa a welcome guest.

460 | The bird-friendly, sustainable Christmas tree in a pot

CONSERVATION

Every year, around 25 million pines are cut in Germany alone. Why not stop and take a sustainable Christmas tree in the pot?

In Germany about 15,000 hectares of conifers are bred. They have to grow ten years before they can be sold. The artificial manure, the transport and the disposal costs a lot of money, work and environmental pollution. It is easier and, above all, sustainable. 

A fir in the pot from the garden can be used as a Christmas tree every year. And after Christmas, such a plant in the garden provides nesting place for your garden birds.

In cold countries like Germany it is important to keep the tree not directly next to the heating over the Christmas season. At the latest after one week, the plant should return to the open. Then you will have up to 15 years of fun on your tree.

But whoever wants a tree in a pot of appropriate large size, he buys a tree of the desired size, and then plants it into the garden.

For warmer countries like Namibia it is recommended to buy for example a Dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus/Zylinderputzer) at the nursery and plant it in a pot. With such a plant, you catch two flies at a stroke. In the garden the attractive red flowers attract and feed a variety of different bird species and at Christmas time you have a wonderful Christmas tree in your home.

Dwarf Bottlebrush Christmas tree in a pot

With such a Christmas tree you not only give your family but also your garden birds a blessed and sustainable Christmas.

459 | Chinese predation - African penguins face a new threat

CONSERVATION & TOURISM

Dubious Chinese-owned companies want to capture Namibian penguins, dolphins, and killer whales for Asian aquarium and zoo trade.

African penguin / Photo by Dr. J. Kemper

Up till now the demand for animal parts, such as rhino horn, to be used in traditional Chinese medicine, spurred poaching in Namibia and too often this traffic lead to China. And as if this were not sad enough, there is now growing demand for especially live marine wildlife, to fill China's exploding theme park industry. Although the practice of capturing wild animals for captivity is viewed worldwide as illegal and in contravention of international conventions, China has currently 39 marine parks, from massive facilities to tiny tanks in shopping malls and another 14 are under construction. This leads to a worrying high demand for live cetacean species.

Since late September 2016, the Namibian Fisheries Ministry is considering a proposal by Welwitschia Aquatic and Wildlife Scientific Research (registered in Namibia but owned by a Chinese businessman) in partnership with Beijing Ruier Animal Breeding and Promoting Co. (Chinese company), requesting the capture and export of endangered 10 orcas (killer whales),  500 - 1000 Cape fur seals, 50 - 100 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, 50 - 100 common bottlenose dolphins, various sharks and 300 - 500 African penguins to China.

These companies have offered N$ 30 million for the deal, however, all these species are registered as protected species by the Namibia Marine Resources Act and several of these species, such as orcas and African penguins, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making it illegal for any entity to capture and export them.

The proposed "harvest" of many of the listed species, motivated by the false statement that Namibian waters are stocked with "abundant marine lives", could wipe out Namibia's populations of these animals, since for example fewer than 100 common bottlenose dolphins inhabit Namibian waters, but the Chinese list a request to capture up to 100 a year.

Even the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the jackass penguin and the only penguin species that breeds in Africa, confined to Namibian and South African waters, is an endangered species.

The African penguin has experienced rapid population declines in the past. Roughly 4 million African penguins still existed in 1810. Exploitation for food, fuel to supply ship boilers and for fat reduced their numbers down to about 1.5 million in 1910. The rapid population decline of the penguin to some 50 000 between 1910 and 2010 is largely attributed to overexploitation of eggs, habitat loss of nesting sites through the extraction of guano deposits, oil spillage and competition with commercial fishing for food resources.

Oil covered penguin Photo by Dr. Kemper

Today the global population roams around 50 000 from which 5500 breeding pairs live in Namibian waters.

Given an annual rate of decline of about 2% per year, there is considerable concern about the long-term viability of African penguins in the wild.

Apparently this catastrophic collapse in numbers is not yet worrying enough, since already before any authorization for the capture request is granted, the new threat, the "Chinese predation", lurks in the form of the Russian whaling vessel, Ryazanovka, in Namibia's main harbor Walvisbay since August this year. This vessel is manned by a Chinese crew but even more disturbing is the fact that the Ryazanovka is known to have been involved in the controversial capture of orcas in the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Russia some years ago.

What causes frustration and heavy criticism locally and globally is the fact that the Namibian Fisheries Ministry is dragging their heels on this issue instead of just not to consider this proposal, which in any case has a lack of scientific relevance.

Herewith BirdsConTour and its readers worldwide urge that in the interest of responsible resource management, Namibia's penguins and other affected wildlife and the country, the application be denied.

The grant of a permit for this request would have a devastating effect - not only for the captured animals but potentially for the Namibian marine ecosystem and for the Namibian tourism branch as well.