Birds
are well known and widespread in Zambia. Birds like any other organism will
coexist with other organisms. However, if an area holds endemic or rare birds
it is most likely that a comparable collection of other organisms exists in
that particular habitat. This makes birds to be providers of scientific baseline
data.
Worldwide important bird areas IBA are founded
on the internationally agreed categories based on the ornithological criterion.
A brief description of these is as bellow.
GLOBALLY
THREATENED SPECIES
Under
this category an area or site is selected to be an important bird area because
it holds significant number of a globally threatened species of global
conservation concern.
RESTRICTED-
RANGE SPECIES
Areas
or sites identified under this category belong to places where two or more
species of birds have a restricted home range (an area where an organism is
able to carry out all its activities for survival and reproduction)
BIOME- RESTRICTED
ASSEMLAGES
A
biome can be explained as a major regional ecological community comprised of a
distinctive animal and plant life. Hence biome restricted sites holds an
important component of a group of species whose distributions are largely/
wholly restricted to one biome. However, biome endemics are species whose
entire (global) breeding distribution is restricted within the biome.
GLOBALLY IMPORTANT CONGREGATIONS
This
category is applicable to species that are thought to be vulnerable at population
levels, to the destruction or degradation of sites by virtue of their
congregatory behavior at any stage of their life- cycle.
Based
on these criteria all important bird areas in Zambia are described. We shall
begin with the Copperbelt province until we go around the country discussing
the know bird areas.
IMANDA
Imanda
is an important bird area in Zambia located in Mpongwe district of the
Copperbelt provinces of Zambia.it is positioned between 13°29’S and 27°56’E
with about an area covering 1000ha.
The
site is not protected any firm or organization, if any protection is existing
currently then job well done to the concerned parties. This makes the site
vulnerable to exploitation which may result in altering the ecological set up
the site consequently affecting the bird life as well as other species.
Imanda
bird area is categorized under the category biome restricted species.
This
site is about 25km west of Mpongwe and south of St. Anthony’s mission. The site
is partly surrounded by a large dambo and small villages characterized by
cultivation activities. There is a forest at the site which is characterized with
moist evergreen trees. The other patch is of Imanda bird area is the north-east
of the Bilima River which poorly developed.
Birds
It
is well known for Margaret’s batis which is fairly distributed and common at
this site. (More on Batis birds on know
your birds). Other species found here are: Lady Ross’ Turaco, Cinnamon
Dove, Eastern Least Horney guide, Olive Woodpecker, purple-throated
cuckoo-shrike, Bocages Robin, Evergreen forest warbler. Other species include
the Hawk Eagle, and crowned eagle.
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The
picture shows a mature male Batis
margaritae
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Now
if this site covering such a beautiful area with a variety of the species and
many more species yet to be documented is not protected, the site will be
degraded due to unsustainable usage of the natural resources that exist in this
area. Such unsustainable harvesting of resources may include poaching, firewood
collection, charcoal burning as well as encroachment which will come along with
additional human activities such as agricultural practices which will affect
negatively the ecosystem of this area.
How
wonderful it will be if this area/ site
is protected/conserved from destruction
so that every Zambian and tourists can walk into this beautiful bird site and
watch these creatures and many other things at any time of the day and in the
future. This starts with us and the legacy can be passed on unto the future
generations. YES YOU CAN AND I CAN, TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS.
Let’s
unite our knowledge of conservation and lead by example. Colleagues from the
Forestry department, wildlife scientist and other parties with the interest of
conservation at heart lets spear head it and conserve nature.
If
you can visit this place this will be beautiful thing, and we would like to
lean of what would be your experience and suggestions about how the site can be
improved. “WILDLIFE AND US, WE COEXIST.”
If
you know of any place where a spectacular congregation of Birds other species
are, do something before that area is ignorantly destroyed. Let us sensitize
our people about conservation in a way that they can understand and appreciate
nature. Check out for more bird areas of Zambia in the next article as we go to
Chingola for another IBA.
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