BLZ & Conservation
Ringing
Bird Ringing in Zimbabwe
Bird Ringing in Zimbabwe is up and running again after a few years in the doldrums. To kick start ringing in Zimbabwe again, a ringing course was held at Lake Chivero in January 2010. Since then the Harare ringing group has had about 70 ringing sessions at a number of different places. In 2010 over 900 birds were handled and about 20 trainees attended at least a few of the bird ringing sessions. Interesting places visited over the last 18 months were probably two ringing trip to Seldomseen in the Bvumba Mountains where ringing has been undertaken since the 1970's, the course in January and the trips in the Marondera area. Ringing is held in Bulawayo with prior arrangement with Dr. Mundy and a number of ringing sessions have been undertaken.All the Zimbabwe Bird Ringers make returns to Afring which is based at the University of Cape Town. All the records are computerized and the ringing scheme is administered from there. Once there are a few more 'A' grade, qualified bird ringers, the real work will start and we will start monitoring 'Measured Effort Sites' and studying a number of species???
There have been many interesting highlights, including the handling of many fascinating birds.? Among the birds we have been privileged to handle are Corn Crake, Common Whitethroat, Thrush Nightingale, Garden Warbler, Square-tailed Nightjar Natal Spurfowl, Ovambo and Little Sparrowhawk, Swynnerton's Robin, White-starred Robin, Orange Ground-thrush, Olive Thrush, Olive Bush-shrike and Red-faced Crimsonwing among many others.
During the visit to Seldomseen, Bvumba in 2011, the following birds were controlled. It was very interesting to see how long these birds can live.
Controls: Birds retrapped on 19-20 June 2010 that were originally ringed at Seldom Seen
| Birds retrapped | Date retrapped | Date first ringed | Ring no. |
| White-starred Robin | 6/19/2010 | 4/24/2004 | AF13424 |
| Kurrichane Thrush | 6/20/2010 | 9/8/1998 | 465252 |
| Stripe-cheeked Greenbul | 6/20/2010 | 9/11/1993 | BD1087 |
| Yellow-streaked Greenbul | 6/19/2010 |
4/6/1996 | BD21522 |
| White-browed Robin-chat | 6/19/2010 |
11/3/1998 | BD21594 |
| Orange Ground-thrush | 6/21/2010 | 9/11/2001 | BD55444 |
| Orange Ground-thrush | 6/20/2010 | 12/10/2003 | BD68998 |
| White-browed Robin-chat | 6/19/2010 | Data not recd | F08698 |
| Olive Sunbird | 6/19/2010 | 4/23/2004 | GA28327 |
| Yellow-streaked Greenbul | 6/19/2010 | 3/21/97 | BD21550 |
| Total: 10 |
If anyone is interested in learning about Bird Ringing or just coming along to observe please contact BLZ.
