Number 6 - December 1999

FROM THE EDITOR

Almost two years have passed since the first issue of Afropavo. Hopefully it has achieved its aim of bringing together people that have an interest in the Congolese avifauna.

Unfortunately this has so far been a one-man-job (with a few noteworthy exceptions). I would have hoped for more input from outside sources, and remain hopeful that this might prove possible in the future. I am convinced that many interesting articles lie dormant out there, so please share them with us.

The mailing-list for Afropavo at the turn of the millennium numbers 48 persons and institutions from 16 different countries on 5 continents.

This issue of Afropavo is two months late in printing. My apologies to those who have been waiting. The reason for the delay was my change of address, and the work involved in this. 

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UPEMBA NATIONAL PARK

Michel Hasson has founded Nouvelles Approches to save the Upemba National Park. The association has the support of Congo's National Park administration (ICCN), but unfortunately this outfit is completely broke. Nouvelles Approches depends on individual donors, mainly small ones. As a result it has already given park rangers medicine, office furniture and useful bicycles.

Park rangers in Upemba National Park with a new bicycle from Nouvelles Approches

Photo: Michel Hasson

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FORMING A “RARE BIRDS COMMITTEE” FOR THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC of CONGO

By Tommy Pedersen

A group of ornithologists dealing with new and rare species found in the Democratic Republic of Congo is forming.

I would like to ask people interested in joining this project, as well as people with comments on the subject, to please contact the author. I am also interested in information on how this is done in other African countries.

Rueppell's Griffon  Gyps rueppellii, one of five records known from the D.R.C.

Lulimbi, SE Lake Edward, April 4^th 1993.

Photo: Tommy Pedersen

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LUKURU WILDLIFE RESEARCH PROJECT

A project currently going on in the D.R.C. is the Lukuru Wildlife Research project. The mission of the LWRP is to conduct scientific research on, conservation of, and educational activities about fauna, primarily the bonobo (Pan paniscus), and flora within the region corresponding to the administrative Zone Dekese, province of Kasai Occidental, Democratic Republic of Congo.

This lies right in the heart of the distribution of the Congo Peacock Afropavo congensis.

More information concerning the LWRP can be found on the internet at this address http://members.aol.com/jat434/index.htm

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FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES:

From Afropavo #3 1998;

The collection reference of the Striped Pipit Anthus lineiventris from south of Lake Kivu on July 1^st 1950 is N°74-44-A-709, collected by the late F.L. Hendricks.

From Afropavo #4 1998;

Regarding Black Tern  Chlidonias niger

The birds collected on the coast at Banana were the first observations from D.R.C.

The record from Tshuapa in 1955 was the first from the interior of Congo, and was mis-labelled as White-winged Tern in Tervuren.

c/o Tommy Pedersen - Smedgaten 33