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Zambian Ornithological Society Research
Zambian Barbets
Zambian barbets (Lybius chaplini) are endemic to Zambia and occur within a limited range around the periphery of the Kafue Flats. Their population
size had never been assessed before, and what was known of their ecology was purely anecdotal. Thus their red listing status was
tenuous. With support from the RSPB, the African Bird Club, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Centre for Excellence at the
Percy FitzPatrick Institute of Ornithology at the University of Cape Town, a series of surveys were conducted across Zambia to
determine the red listing status of the species. In 2009, the species was upgraded from Near Threatened to Vulnerable on the IUCN
Red List. Research on the ecology of the species is still ongoing at Nkanga River Conservation Area in Choma, Southern Province.
Read the technical report of the survey for further details.
Shoebills
Shoebills (Balaeniceps rex) are a globally threatened species. The population is undergoing a continuing decline due to hunting,
nesting disturbance and burning of its habitat. The main site for shoebills in Zambia is the Bangweulu Swamps, and although a few
aerial surveys had been done in the past, the population size for the swamp has never been estimated and areas of suitable habitat have
not been identified. We therefore conducted an aerial survey of shoebills in July 2006 in the Bangweulu Swamps, in an attempt to produce
a population estimate for the swamps and to identify areas of suitable habitat using analyses of satellite imagery.
This survey was financed by Wetlands International through a Small Grant Fund provided by the Secretariat of the African Eurasian
Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).
Read our technical report for details. Further analyses of the data were
done using satellite imagery, and this will be published in the journal Ostrich in early 2010.
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