The Aquatic Warbler in the spotlight of Senegalese authorities

On the vigil of the annual international Ramsar water bird census, which is conducted regularly in the Djoudj National Park in Senegal a very special ringing mission was executed.

On the 14.01.2013 at eight o’clock in the morning two Aquatic Warblers were caught and ringed in the sector of Tiguet. The sector is situated in the north – outside of the Djoudj National Park border, but it belongs to the inundation zone of the Park which is managed by the National Park authority. Since 2007 when the wintering grounds of the Djoudj area were discovered by the AWCT, Aquatic Warblers are regularly wintering and moulting there, which is proven by more than 200 ringing captures since 2007 and several ring controls after 1-2 years.

As it is normally not easy to defend the protection of a “little brown” bird, which in its wintering grounds can hardly be seen or heard, there was a chance for the first time to ring and to handle wintering Aquatic Warblers and thereby underline the importance of the Djoudj National Park area as an essential habitat of this endangered species in the presence of the Senegalese authorities as the Minister of environment and nature conservation (Haïdar el Ali), the Director of the Senegalese National Parks (Colonel Souleye Ndiaye), the French Ambassador (Nicola Normand) and the Conservator of the Djoudj National Park (Colonel Ibrahima Diop).

From left: C. Tegetmeyer, Colonel Ibrahima Diop, Colonel Soulaye Ndiaye, Haïdar el Ali, Nicola Normand

For more information contact<br> Cosima Tegetmeyer<br> cosima.tegetmeyer@uni-greifswald.de