10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

Image by Adam Riley Of the 115 African species now listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, nearly half occur on the islands surrounding Africa or are non-breeding migrants to Africa. They are not necessarily the rarest species in Africa, in fact some of them still occur in large numbers, but their inclusion in the IUCN Red List is due to rapid population declines over the past 3 breeding generations of these species.

Endangered Species 64

Endangered Species Africa Species 2012 64

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2012

Carmine bee-eaters occur throughout most of Subsaharan Africa, and many populations migrate widely post breeding. These bee-eaters also breed in fantastically sized colonies (some estimated to number over 50,000 birds) along rivers, but instead of choosing steep, sandy banks, Rosy Bee-eaters excavate their nest holes on wide, sandy, flat river islands and banks (in Gabon they nest in association with the mythical African River Martins, forming even more massive bird colonies!).

Africa 83

Africa 2012 Uganda Gabon 83