African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus breeding in Benin— the only colony known at present in West Africa? Robert J. Dowsett and Franco is e Dowsett-Lemaire Une colonie nicheuse de Bec-ouvert africain Anastomus lamelligerus au Benin—la seule connue actuellement en Afrique de l’Ouest? Une colonie nicheuse de Bec-ouvert africain Anastomus lamelligerus a ete decouverte sur la cote du Benin en 2015. II s’agit apparemment de la seule colonie connue actuellement en Afrique occidentale, d'une espece consideree comme vulnerable dans la region. O n 7 October 2015 we visited a site in We visited the colony again on 31 October, south-western Benin where local people when the accompanying photographs were taken informed us there were breeding and roosting (Figs. 1-2). Of five nests directly visible from waterbirds. This is a small island of mangrove the Avlo shore, one still contained eggs (brooded (Avicennia germinans) in the Mono River, just continuously), three had small to medium-sized a few km west of the estuary at Bouche du chicks and one had four nearly-fledged young. Roy; it is at 06°17’N 01°53’E, near Avlo Chicks were continuously sheltered by one primary school. The island is c.280 x 90 m standing adult, and it was impossible to count and supports, in addition to nests of African them except in one nest (where there was only Openbills Anastomus lamelligerus, substantial one chick). In the two hours of observation, just numbers of breeding Long-tailed Cormorants two of the five adults present at those nests were Microcarbo africanus and Cattle Egrets Bubulcus relieved by their mate; during the same period ibis, as well as smaller numbers of Intermediate at least 12 adults came to relieve their mates at Egrets Ardea intermedia, Black Egrets Egretta nests hidden in the centre of the island. This ardesiaca and Western Reef Egrets E. gularis. suggests that the total number of nests could be Our guide told us that the colony had been at least 25-30. In addition to food regurgitated established a few years earlier, but that this was by the adults, one was seen carrying a mollusc and the first time he had seen the storks there. another a large red crab. Figures 1-2. Adult African Openbills Anastomus lamelligerus with nestlings of different ages at a mixed-species colony near Avlo, Benin, 31 October 2015 (Robert J. Dowsett) Bec-ouverts africains Anastomus lamelligerus adultes avec jeunes d ages differents dans une colonie mixte pres de Avlo, Benin, 31 octobre 2015 (Robert J. Dowsett) 210 - Bull ABC Vol 23 No 2 (2016) African Openbill breeding in Benin: Dowsett & Dowsett-Lemaire The conservation status of this species is on the island in the evening, is a spectacular sight. considered to be Least Concern globally (BirdLife Encouraged by this potential, local people decided International 2015), but in West Africa there is to give protection status to the island in 2011, considerable cause for concern. Breeding colonies assisted by the NGO Eco-Benin, and a deity have not been recorded in the Inner Niger delta, (voodoo) was placed on the island. Since then, previously the only regular area, since the 1980s protection has been effective and nesting attempts (Wymenga et al. 2002, Zwarts et al. 2009; J. van successful; previously, roosting and nesting birds der Kamp & L. Zwarts in litt. to R. Demey 2016). were disturbed and hunted at various sites in The last nests reported there were 36 in February the area. 1987 at Dentaka, Mali (r.l5012’N 04°llW), Acknowledgements where they were susceptible to disturbance by goat herders collecting wood (Skinner et al. 1987). For helpful comments on the submitted manuscript, we There has only ever been one record in northern thank Ron Demey, Jan van der Kamp and Leo Zwarts. Nigeria, reported by Elgood et al. (1994) as Well References grown young in nest’ in January in the Potiskum BirdLife International 2015. Species factsheet: area; more accurately, there were nearly-fledged Anastomus lamelligerus. www.birdlife.org (accessed young on several nests within a mixed-species on 24 December 2015). heronry near Maburtata (ll047’N 10°43’E), on Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R. J. 2014. The 1 January 1960 (Elgood et al. 1973). Further east Birds of Ghana. An Atlas and Handbook. Liege: there were just two small colonies of a dozen pairs Tauraco Press. at the mare d’Agan, Chad (13°32’N 22°12’E), on 7 Elgood, J. H., Fry, C. FI. & Dowsett, R. J. 1973. September 1964 (Salvan 1967). Recent instability African migrants in Nigeria. Ibis 115: 1-45, 375- in the Lake Chad basin as a result of Boko Haram 411. terrorists augers ill for any surviving population Elgood, J. H., Heigham, J. B., Moore, A. M., Nason, there. There has apparently been no previous A. M., Sharland, R. E. & Skinner, N. J. 1994. The evidence of breeding in coastal West Africa: the Birds of Nigeria. BOU Check-list no. 4. Second only claim seems to have been that of Field (1978) edn. Tring: British Ornithologists’ Union. who considered that it nested in Sierra Leone, but Field, G. D. 1978. Status of Ciconiiformes in Sierra admitted he did not know where. Leone. Bull. Niger. Orn. Soc. 14: 42-46. Birds are now found in West Africa, other Salvan, J. 1967. Contribution a 1-etude des oiseaux du than as vagrants, in just a very few areas (e.g. Tchad [part 1]. Oiseau & R.F.O. 37: 255-284. Skinner, J., Wallace, J. P., Altenburg, W. & Fofana, Ghana: Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 2014: 222). B. 1987. The status of heron colonies in the Inner In recent years there have been sightings during Niger Delta, Mali. Malimbus 9: 65-82. most months in coastal Togo and southern Benin, Wymenga, E., Kone, B., van der Kamp, J. & Zwarts, occasionally as many as 100+ together: r.100 were L. (eds.) 2002. Delta Interieur du Niger. Ecologie et seen on 25 October 2009 and c.200 on 14 March Gestion Durable des Ressources Naturelles. Sevare: 2010 in the Plaine du So in south-eastern Benin Wetlands International. [Bull. ABC 17: 240), while at least 245 passed in Zwarts, L., Bijlsma, R. G., van der Kamp, J. & groups along the Zio River north of Lome, Togo, Wymenga, E. 2009. Living on the Edge: Wetlands on 18 October 2009 {Bull. ABC 17: 251). It is to and Birds in a Changing Sahel. Zeist: KNNV be hoped that if there are any other extant colonies Publishing. in West Africa that they will be documented Le Pouget, Sumene 30440, France. E-mail: Dowsett@ and protection measures implemented. The Avlo aol. com Island features in a package offered to eco-tourists visiting the estuary of the Mono River, as the roost Received 13 January 2016; revision accepted 16 in particular, with thousands of birds converging February 2016. Bull ABC Vol 23 No 2 (2016)-211 African Openbill breeding in Benin: Dowsett & Dowsett-Lemaire