Nature net naturekenya.org • November ‘09 Celebrating 100 years Where Furadan Kills all Birds Martin Odino BUNYALA RICE SCHEME is situated near the Kenya-Uganda border, North-West of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya. Like many irrigation schemes, it throbs with bird life whose numbers swell during the migration period. In fact, this area is on the flyway that is used by Palearctic migrants and numerous species are represented: Terns, Herons, Storks, Nightjars, Eagles. But death trails these beautiful creatures all year round and thousands are poisoned every week. Bird meat is a delicacy in Bunyala. The method used to capture the birds is however brutal. It involves the use of the pesticide Furadan, locally available in granular form. The bait used is laced with these granules and laid out where the birds forage in locations in and around the irrigation scheme. The manufacturers claim to have withdrawn this pesticide from the market, but it is evidently widely available. A modification of the baiting involves employing live decoys (most often African Open-billed Stork), alongside the poison-laced baits. Mildly Poisoned storks and sandpipers intoxicated storks are captured and given plenty of water to revive them. These are then kept captive – which involves pulling off their flight feathers and tying their legs together with a loose string to limit their free movement. These decoys are then displayed in an open field (with the poison-laced bait scattered about) to attract similar birds. The poachers then disturb nearby foraging birds so that they take to flight attracting even more attention to the area of the captive decoy. The deceived birds fly in and settle down to feed on the poison-laced bait. Once intoxicated the birds are disoriented and walk in staggering gait. The poachers then batter them with sticks and pack them in sacks and load them on bicycles taking them to homesteads and markets where they will sell them for human consumption. To read more, please visit the blog http://stopwildlifepoisoning.wildlifedirect.org/ or watch a video on the same on our community site naturekenya1000.ning.com for nature • A checklist of the birds of Dakatcha Woodland ( An Important Bird Area) is available at Nature Kenya office for KES 200 • “Some Wild Flowers of the Ngong Hills” Flowers and more on the Ngong Hills, by Joan Wedekind and Angela Sutton – available for KES 900/• The Fourth Edition of the Checklist of the Birds of Kenya, which now lists 1,100 species. can also be purchased at the Nature Kenya office for KES 200/-. Loading their kill NAIROBI ARBORETUM LECTURE “Underutilized plant species - A gold mine to improve our livelihoods, save the environment and decelerate climate change” By Jayne M. Nzesya - a graduate student of the Agriculture & Veterinary Sciences Dept. Uni. of Nairobi Thursday, 29th October, 2009 at the Tree centre (Nairobi Arboretum) from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m Charges:100/= per person, Students Free Enjoy discounts with your membership card! 20% Discount for your child’s playtime and birthday parties at the Children’s World – an indoor entertainment play facility for children aged between 3 to12 years, located at the Adams Arcade above Java House, Ngong Road www.childrensworld.co.ke 10% discount on any cash purchase of books at Simply Books, ABC Place. 5% discount at the Text Book Centre – Kijabe Street and Sarit Centre branches – offer only available until December 2009 Upgrade Upgrade Upgrade to the sponsor member category New Nature Kenya Corporate Members > > Exclamation Marketing > > Africa Partnership in Safaris Many thanks to all our corporate members next page