All this week I will be posting a series of blogs from John Bowler, normally based in Tiree as a Conservation Officer, telling us about his trip to Sierra Leone to learn more about the emerald starling – a critically endangered species that the RSPB has committed to help along the road to recovery. So, over to John…
The emerald starling (Coccycolius iris for those with their science hats on) is a beautiful but poorly known bird, endemic to West Africa. It is currently listed as Data Deficient by Birdlife International, which means we believe it is faring badly, but a lack of knowledge on its ecology, movements and population size currently hampers an accurate assessment of its status. It is therefore a high priority for research.
Apparently restricted to just a few locations in lightly wooded habitats in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Cote D’ Ivôire, this starling has been traded in large numbers in the past. It would make an excellent 'flagship' species for the forest-savannah habitat mosaic on which it and so many other species are dependent, as well as rural village communities.
Emerald starling (John Bowler)
Via the RSPB International department, Dr Sama Monde (Director of the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone - CSSL) invited me and my Freeland Ecologist wife Janet to conduct surveys of emerald starlings in areas where it has been previously recorded. So on the 26 of February 2012 off we went.
After the freezing fog in London, landing at Lungi Airport is a major shock to the system. The tropical heat hits us like a wall, as do the mass of helpful airport workers and taxi drivers touting for business. A wide river mouth separates the airport from the capital Freetown, and the taxi-boat crossings are not for the faint-hearted. Our boat rocks wildly on its moorings as we scramble aboard in a stiff breeze and the 40 minute crossing is both bumpy and wet. We arrive at dusk in the suburb of Aberdeen where our driver Edwin is waiting. Hire cars come with drivers as the roads are often in poor condition and Freetown traffic is unbelievably lawless – if one side of a dual carriageway is busy then we switch to use the other – regardless of oncoming traffic! Edwin steers us safely to our hotel for the night and we fall asleep to a loud chorus of frogs emanating from the adjacent shrubbery, which in the light proves to hide a shanty-filled ditch, home to dozens of people.
The following morning we meet with the very helpful staff from CSSL to sort out logistics, and are introduced to recent Biology graduate James Sesay who is to accompany us on the survey trip as Technical Assistant. Despite frequent power cuts and internet failures, Eddie Aruna nimbly sorts out the paperwork for us, while we stock up on supplies in Freetown’s supermarkets for 15 days on the road up-country.
CSSL offices in Freetown (John Bowler)
Read more tomorrow…
More great work by the RSPB, it is so important. Good luck to all involved and to the Emerald Starling. Hope you find more than expected. I will be following the blogs.