The song of presumed Prigogine’s Nightjar Caprimulgus prigoginei and its possible occurrence in Lower Guinea FmngoiseDowsett-Lemaire A propos du chant du presume Engoulevent de Prigogine Caprimulgusprigoginei et de sa presence enBasse Guinee. Un chantinconnud’engouleventforestier Caprimulgussp. enregistre dans le massifde 1’Itombwe (Congo-Kinshasa) et au Congo-Brazzaville appartientprobablement a l’Engoulevent de Prigogine C.prigoginei. Lasilhouette etla taille des oiseauxvus au crepuscule correspondent a ce qu’on connait de l’unique specimen de cette espece recolte dans Pltombwe. L’espece a ete rencontree plusieurs fois au nord du Congo-Brazzaville, au sud-est du Cameroun et probablement aussi au nord-est du Gabon. Le chant ressemble superficiellement a celui de l’Engoulevent a queue blanche C. natalensis mais s’en distingue par la structure des notes et la tonalite les cris sontcourts et rapeux. Cetengouleventprefere les forets avoute ouverte, de type ; semi-sempervirente a basse altitude, ou de type sempervirente en montagne. II est certainement le plus rare des trois engoulevents forestiers d’Afrique Centrale. Summary.An unknown songofaforest nightjar Caprimulgussp. recorded in the Itombwe mas- sif(Congo-Kinshasa) and in Congo-Brazzaville is probably ofPrigogine’s Nightjar C.prigoginei. The shape and size ofbirds seen at dusk correspond to what is known from the single specimen of this species collected in Itombwe. The species was encountered several times in northern Congo-Brazzaville, in south-east Cameroon and probably also in north-east Gabon. The song superficially resembles that ofSwamp Nightjar C. natalensis but differs in the structure ofthe notes and the timbre; the calls are short and harsh. This nightjar prefers forest with a broken canopy. It is undoubtedly the rarest ofthe three forest nightjars in CentralAfrica. n his recent reviewof‘lost’, obscure and poorly Observations in Lower Guinea I known African bird species, Butchart (2007) I first came across this mysterious nightjar in briefly drew attention to the fact that Prigogine’s Odzala National Park (Congo-Brazzaville), when or Itombwe Nightjar Caprimulgusprigoginei had I heard it only once, just before dawn on 3 April possibly been encountered in several locations 1994. The bird was singing in forest immediately in Central Africa, far from the type locality of in front of our bedroom, at 05.00 hrs: it gave a the single specimen in existence, a female col- few bursts ofsong, with a series oftchoc notes, at lected in Itombwe in eastern Congo-Kinshasa in a rate ofabout five per second, as written in my 1955 (Louette 1990). These observations are all notebook. R. J. Dowsett and I were resident in based on the distinctive song of a small nightjar Odzala NP for over a year, and as I never heard heard in several places in Congo-Brazzaville and it again, this was presumably a wanderer looking adjacent Cameroon, seen at dusk a few times and for a new territory. The identity of the nightjar tape-recorded byme in Nouabale-Ndoki National was not determined, and I later neglected to Park (NP) in April 1996 and May 1997. By a mention it in publications concerning Odzala strange coincidence, T. Butynski tape-recorded (Dowsett-Lemaire 1997a, 2001, Dowsett-Lemaire an identical song in the Itombwe forest in April & Dowsett 1998b). The song was reminiscent of 1996 (near Kilumbi Camp, at 03°52’S 28°56’E, that of Swamp Nightjar C. natalensis a savanna , to the south-east of the type locality). Butchart’s speciesofextensivedrygrassland, dambosorother note has prompted me to publish a more detailed wet grassland, which happened to be very com- description ofthis song supported by sonograms, mon in the savannas of Odzala, but the timbre together with notes on behaviour and habitat in was noticeably different. The forest where it sang Lower Guinea. brieflywasmostlyevergreenandpartiallyswampy, with a fairly closed but uneven canopy, along the Lekenie River. The altitude was c.400 m. 174-BullABCVol16No2(2009) ThesongofpresumedPrigogine’sNightjar:Dowsett-Lemaire Bomassa Camp, in April 1996 (Dowsett-Lemaire 1997b). km 6 The forest there has a naturally open canopy but Caprimulgussp. is nevertheless very dense, with a closed, 20-m tall overstorey; emergents can reach 40 m. The O C. binotatus altitude is c.350 m. One pair seemed to occupy a territoryin thatarea: I heardand taped-recordeda bird thatsangbrieflyat duskon 4April. The next • Glaucidiumcapense _ 10 evening, I searched for it at dusk (18.00 hrs) and astherewas nosound, tapeplaybackwas triedand o elicited a response: a bird sang for a few seconds then came close to me, crossed the narrow track and sang on the other side, perched in a tangle of lianas up atrunkataheightofc.20 m. Italsogave _ a harsh, rolled call that I transcribed in French as 15 rerere (or rek-rek-rek). While it was thus calling, a second bird, presumably the mate, flew across the track then around me at a distance of2 m. It appeared small and stocky, and in the dim light I Fairlyclosed canopy couldnotseeanypalepatchesonthewings ortail. I recorded more of the song on 3 April, a short 20 series ofstaccato notes lasting 4-12 seconds; the bird was then singing in a dense patch ofvegeta- tion at a height ofc.10 m, and no longer showed an interestinplayback. Thebehaviourofthemate coming so close to me might suggest the pairwas somewhatalarmedandpossiblybreeding. Nobird was singing the next evening but I saw a small > 25 nightjar fly over the track. I moved to another camp the next day. o InlateApril-May19971wasbackatNouabale- o Ndoki with R. Dowsett, and the main reason J. for our visitwas to try to catch this nightjar. The 0 tape used for playback was in fact part of the recording obtained by T. Butynski, as there was less reverberation from vegetation on this one. km 31 As described in more detail in Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett (1998a) we searched systematically NdokiCamp for nightjars in the second halfofthe night along Figure 1. LocationofcallingPPrigogine’sNightjar 25 km oftrack, between Bomassa and Ndoki. In Caprimulgus\prigogineiandofBrownNightjar Veles addition to seven BrownNightjars Veles binotatus, binotatusalongthetrackbetween BomassaandNdoki we located three calling Caprimulgus sp., two inNouabale-NdokiNationalPark(maptakenfrom of which were off track, in areas of very dense & Dowsett-Lemaire Dowsett 1997). Marantaceae understorey (one was 6 km from Localisationdes chanteursduprobableEngouleventde Bomassa, the other 10 km: Fig. 1). The third Prigogine Caprimulgusprigogineietdel’Engoulevent was in exactly the same position as in 1996, near aBodmeausxstaacahNesdoVkeliesaubiPnoatractuNsatlieolnoanlgddeeNloaupaisbtaelree-lNiadnotki Ndoki Camp. It was considered the first two (cartetireedeDowsett-Lemaire &Dowsett 1997). birds were inaccessible, and our best chance was to tryto mist-net the territoryholder near Ndoki. The second time I encountered this nightjar Nets were erected in two places close to the main songposts for four nights and displaced after the was in semi-evergreen rain forest in Nouabale- Ndoki NP, a few hundred metres from Ndoki first two nights, between 12 and 18 May. To no ThesongofpresumedPrigoginesNightjar:Dowsett-Lemaire BullABCVol16No2(2009)-175 avail. The bird was considerably more vocal than kHz m n mA in 1996 and its behaviour suggested it had lost 7i i i i i its mate. It sang spontaneously for long periods 0-j 1 at various high points in dense vegetation (esti- B mated at 10-20 m) and also in the lower canopy 7i ofan Autranelia emergent at a height ofc.30 m. i l t i \ i i i Playback of the Itombwe tape prompted it to sing louder and higher rather than come close — C to the tape although it did once, flying nearby * N N and giving some dry rek, rek calls before resum- ing the song from a perch. More recordings were obtained, and some song phrases lasted at least 2-I U three minutes and ten seconds; the tempo was exactly 11 notes in ten seconds. Two ofthe three 0-| I1S 21S calling Caprimulgus sp. were 1.0-1.5 km distant Figure2. SonogramsillustratingthesongsofSwamp from territories occupied by Brown Nightjar, the Nightjar Caprimulgusnatalensis(AfromZambia, third was more isolated (Fig. 1). Part ofthe 1997 inStjernstedt 1986, andB fromsouthernCongo- tape was published by Ranft & Cleere (1998). Brazzaville, recordedbyFD-L) andpresumedPrigogine’s Nightjar Caprimulgusprigoginei(CfromNouabale- Just before (re)visiting Nouabale-Ndoki, in NdokiinCongo-BrazzavillerecordedbyFD-L, and D April 1997, R. J. Dowsett and I had spent 12 from Itombwe, eastern Congo-Kinshasarecordedby days exploring the Lobeke Faunal Reserve (now a T. Butynski). SonogramsproducedonaKayElectric national park) in adjacent south-east Cameroon. Sonagraph7029A, usingwidebandfilter. Of the four nights we spent at Boulou Camp, I Sonogrammesdes chantsdel’Engouleventaqueue came across the mystery nightjar once, on our blanche Caprimulgusnatalensis(AprovenantdeZambie, first night there (21st): one sang c.1.2 km east publieparStjernstedt 1986, etB dusudduCongo- of the camp, rather far away, just before 21.00 Brazzaville, enregistreparFD-L) etdel’Engoulevent hrs. I called it up with the Itombwe tape, and it presumede Prigogine Caprimulgusprigoginei(C provenantdeNouabale-Ndoki, Congo-Brazzaville, caahmeeigmhtucohf 1cl5o-se2r0, sminignindgefnosreovveegret1a5timoin.nuIttesalsaot eCnorneggois-tKrienpsahrasFaD-orLieenttaDl,pernorevgeinsatnretpdaerFTl.tBoumtbywnsekia)u. called (the dry rek, rek), and eventually crossed Sonogrammesproduits avecunspectrographeKay the road, sang on the other side and then much Electric7029A, en bandelarge. further away. There was no sign of this bird on the following three nights, and it was perhaps ofclosed-canopyforest. Neitherofthese two birds (as in Odzala) a local wanderer. It was not found reacted to playback; after the big rains ended in again on a second visit to Boulou on 16-19 April November, many species were just starting to 1999, nor anywhere else in Lobeke in three visits call around Christmas. The altitude of the three (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 2000). The forest records in south-east Cameroon is from 350 m in Lobeke is semi-evergreen with a fairly open (Nki) to 550 m (Lobeke). canopy, much as in Nouabale-Ndoki. One other potential locality for the presumed Duringfurthersurveysinsouth-eastCameroon Prigogine’s Nightjar in Central Africa is M’Passa in December 1997-January 1998 this night- in north-east Gabon, as already mentioned by jar was found at another two localities, in Nki Dowsett-Lemaire in Butchart (2007). That some Reserve and at Kupandaka in the Nki buffer bird(s) sang like Swamp Nightjar but in forest zone (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 1998c). One (where the latter is inherently unlikely) strongly sang very briefly on 26 December at Kupandaka suggests this species instead. This was in April— at dusk, in slightly swampy forest on the edge May 1985, close to the Ivindo River (Brosset & of Kupandaka swamp. Another sang, also rather Erard 1986: 89); unfortunately, no tape-recording briefly, in dryland forest on the edge of Mala was obtained (C. Erard pers. comm.). swamp in Nki on 4 and 6 January. In the latter Overall, the months ofvocal activity span the area, the forest type is transitional between semi- main dryseason (from December) and startofthe evergreen and evergreen rain forest, with pockets rains (in April-May) for the latitude ofNouabale- 176-BullABCVol16No2(2009) ThesongofpresumedPrigoginesNightjar:Dowsett-Lemaire Figure 3. Mapshowing theprobabledistribution ofPrigogine’sNightjar Caprimulgusprigogineibased onobservationsofsinging birds (squares), andthesiteof thesinglespecimen (star). Cartemontrantladistribution probabledel’Engoulevent dePrigogine Caprimulgus prigoginei, baseesurles observationsdechanteurs (carres), etlesitederecoltede l’uniquespecimen (etoile). Ndoki and south-east Cameroon. In Odzala and Discussion M’Passa, the rainfall is bimodal, and the period The tape from the Itombwe was obtained at an March-May coincides with the short rains, fol- altitude of 1,860 m, from open-canopy forest on lowingthehot dryseason ofDecember-February. a hillside cA km from the nearest grassland; the Nightjars are expected to breed in the main dry birdwas notseen (T. Butynski in litt. 1997). The season; the Brown Nightjar captured on 16 May type specimen came from an altitude of 1,280 m 1997 at Ndoki was halfway through primary (Louette 1990). Incidentally, Butchart’s (2007) moult, albeit stillveryvocal. mention of Curry-Lindahl (1960) in reference to the Itombwe specimen is not relevant, as this The voice of presumed Prigogine’s Nightjar paper contains no information on Prigogine’s The first impression ofanyone hearing this bird’s specimen, nor to Bates’s Nightjar C. batesi to songishowsimilaritsoundstothesongofSwamp which Prigogine (1971) had tentatively attrib- Nightjar. Indeed, when I first sent a copy ofmy uted it. The altitude ofthe birds encountered in tape from Congo-Brazzaville to C. Chappuis in Central Africa is of course much lower. If con- 1996, he replied ithadto be Swamp Nightjar. He firmed to refer to Prigogine’s Nightjar, thiswould was convinced otherwise only after I sent him the make it a Guineo-Congolian endemic rather than resultingsonograms. Fig. 2 shows the peculiarities anAfromontane species (Fig. 3). ofthe two songs quite clearly. Theyhave asimilar Comparisons ofthe tapes from Itombwe and temporal pattern, with five notes or slightly more Congo-Brazzavilleshowbeyonddoubtthatweare per second, but the structure ofthe notes is very dealingwiththesamenightjar, andwhatIsawofit different. The tjok tjok tjok of Swamp Nightjar afewtimes does not exclude Prigogine’s Nightjar, show a ‘glissandi’ with a sharp decrease in fre- based on size and silhouette. The size is compa- quencywhereas the notes of?Prigogine’s Nightjar rable to that of Brown Nightjar, but the stocky arerathersquare,withonlyamoderatedecreasein appearance is due to a short tail, and indeed mea- frequency. The resulting timbre is different, with surements of the female specimen of Prigogine’s ?Prigogine’s sounding lower pitched and harder. Nightjar reveal it to be the shortest-tailed nightjar The call notes of the two species are completely inAfrica (Louette 1990).Analternativepossibility different, as those of PPrigogine’s are harsh and is that ofacompletelynewspecies ofnightjar, but rolled, whilst those ofSwamp Nightjar consist of this seems less likely. a very distinctive melodious tremolo (Chappuis The habitat preferred by this nightjar in 2000). Swamp Nightjar is a bird of extensive CentralAfrica is semi-evergreen rain forestwith a grassland, wet or not, and avoids forest (there are broken canopy, and a broken canopy is also char- no records from the Itombwe massif: Prigogine acteristicofforeston slopes ofhills andmassifs (as 1971). Thus anyone hearing a song resembling in the Itombwe). The link between the Itombwe that of Swamp Nightjar but coming from dense and the semi-evergreen forest block around the forest should be on the alert. Congo-Cameroon border is via the northern edge ThesongofpresumedPrigogine’sNightjar:Dowsett-Lemaire BullABCVol16No2(2009)-177 Jackson (2002a, 2002b) classified African nightjars ofthe genus Caprimulgusinto two broad categories, ‘whistlers’ and ‘churrers’, and found an apparent correlation between the ‘whistling’ nightjars and a more pronounced emargination of the ninth primary. Overall, ‘whistling’ nightjars inhabit more densely vegetated environments than ‘churrers’ (where their songs would carry better through densevegetation), and a more pro- nounced emargination ofP9 is considered to give them an advantage at take-off in forested areas (Jackson 2002a). Since Prigogine’s Nightjar has, in all likelihood, a churring song, it is abnormal in having developed this type of song in forest and in having also reduced P9 emargination (as in savanna nightjars). But the square-shaped structure of the tchoc note is sufficiently differ- ent from that ofall savanna churring nightjars (a thin vertical bar, slightly down-curved in Swamp Nightjar) that one may assume it is adapted to a forest environment. Nevertheless, the reason why Prigogine’s Nightjar should have reduced P9 emargination when it lives in the same type of forest as Brown Nightjar (which has the highest percentage of P9 emargination, Jackson 2002a: — 70) remains unexplained or else the hypothesis Figure4. Tall forest in Nki Reserve nearMalabai, where ofJackson and others about the relevance ofthis all three forest nightjarsoccurred: Bates’s Caprimulgus batesi, Brown Velesbinotatusand ?Prigogine’s C. emargination might not be valid. prigoginei(Franchise Dowsett-Lemaire) This mystery nightjar appears to be much the Foretde la reservedeNki presde Malabai, oules trois scarcestofthethreeforestspeciespresentinCongo- engoulevents forestierssecotoyaient : Engouleventde Brazzaville and Cameroon, Bates’s Nightjar being Bates Caprimulgusbatesi, Engouleventadeux taches locallycommoninsometypesofswampforest(e.g. Velesbinotatuset 'Engouleventde Prigogine C.prigoginei in southern Congo-Brazzaville: Dowsett-Lemaire (Fran^oise Dowsett-Lemaire) & Dowsett 1991) whilst Brown Nightjar is less uncommon than ?Prigogine’s in dryland forest of the Guineo-Congolian region, through the (Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett 2008). Two ofthe southern Central African Republic and northern few birds I heard did not settle where they sang Congo-Kinshasa (cf. the vegetation map ofWhite and appeared to be mere wanderers. It seems the 1983). This area remains unsurprisingly very best place to pursue research on this species is the poorly documented. The distribution of Barred track from Bomassa to Ndoki, as it gives at least Owlet Glaucidium capense in Central Africa also a stretch of 23 km (31 km altogether, but the seems to follow the same pattern, from the little vegetation along the first 6 km near Bomassa is weknowofitspresenceand habitatpreferencesfor too secondary). The behaviour of the pair near open-canopv forest in Congo-Brazzaville, south- Ndoki Camp in 1996 (flying low etc.) shows that east Cameroon, the southern Central African it should be possible to mist-net one with tape Republic and eastern Congo-Kinshasa. T he form playback. But a poorly settled bird or an unmated later named albertinum was originally treated as individual is infinitely more difficult to attract at castaneum (Prigogine 1971, 1983) and the geo- close range. We never had a chance to return to graphical limits between the former (high altitude Nouabale-Ndoki, but I would encourage anyone in the Albertine Rift) and the latter (low altitude) with the time and interest to visit the area, one of remain to be investigated. the wildest places left in Central Africa. Another 178-BullABC Vol16No2(2009) ThesongofpresumedPrigogine’sNightjar:Dowsett-Lemaire 1 areaworthyofmoreattentionandvisitedbymany Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R. J. 1998b. Further birders is, ofcourse, the M’Passa forest ofGabon. additions to and deletions from the avifauna of The bestmonthswouldseem to beJanuary-April, Congo-Brazzaville. Malimbus20: 15-32. & as byMay—June breedingmaycome to an end. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. Dowsett, R. J. 1998c. Preliminary surveys of the fauna (in particular Acknowledgements the avifauna) of the reserves of Boumba-Bek and My field work in Odzala (Congo-Brazzaville) was in Nki, south-eastern Cameroon. Report for WWF- part supported by the ECOFAC European project, in Cameroon (available via BirdLife International, Nouabale-Ndoki by BirdLife International (in 1996) Cambridge, UK). & and also through the generosityofMike Fay (in 1997, Dowsett-Lemaire, F. Dowsett, R. J. 2000. Birds thendirectorofthepark), andinsouth-eastCameroon ofthe Lobeke Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, and its byWWF-Cameroon.ThanksareduetoTomButynski regionalimportanceforconservation. BirdConserv. for allowing me to show a sonogram ofhis tape from Intern. 10: 67-87. the Itombwe. I am grateful to Michel Louette for Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R. J. 2008. On the providing one reference, and to Greg Davies for con- ecology ofBrown Nightjar Veles binotatusin West structive comments. and CentralAfrica. Bull. ABC15: 77-81. Jackson, H. D. 2002a. Primaryemarginationasaguide References to Afrotropical nightjar relationships. Ostrich 73: & 69-71. Brosset, A. Erard, C. 1986. Les Oiseauxdes Regions Jackson, H. D. 2002b. Comparison ofvocalbehaviour forestieres du Nord-est du Gabon. Paris: Societe intwoAfrotropicalnightjars: awhistlerandachur- Nationale de Protection de laNature. rer. Ostrich73: 173-174. Butcohabrstc,ureS.a2n0d07p.ooBrilrydskntoowfnindA:fraicarnevibeiwrdofspe‘cloisets’., Louette,M. 1990.AnewspeciesofnightjarfromZaire. Bull.ABC14: 139-157. Ibis 132: 349-353. Chappuis, C. 2000. African Bird Sounds 2: West and Prigogine,A. 1971. Les oiseauxdel’ltombwe etdeson CentralAfricaandNeighbouringAtlanticIslands. 1 hinterland. Vol. 1. Ann. Mus. Afr. Centr., 8°, Sci. CDs. Paris: Societe d’Etudes Ornithologiques de Zool. 185 : 1-298. France & London, UK: BritishLibrary. Prigogine, A. 1985. Statut de quelques chevechettes Curry-Lindahl, K. 1960. Ecological studies in mam- africaines et description d’une nouvelle race de mals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in the eastern Glaucidium scheffleri du Zaire. Gerfaut 75: 131— Belgian Congo, Part II. Ann. Mus. Royal Como Ranft1,39R..&Cleere,N. 1998.ASoundGuidetoNightjars Beige87: 1-250. and Related Nightbirds. CD. Robertsbridge: Pica Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1997a. The avifauna of Odzala Press & London, UK: British Library Sound National Park, northern Congo. Tauraco Res. Rep. Archive. 6: 15-48. Dowsett-Lemaire,F. 1997b.TheavifaunaofNouabale- Stjernstedt, R. 1986. Birdsong ofZambia. Three cas- Ndoki National Park, northern Congo. Tauraco settes. Powys, UK: R. Stjernstedt. Res. Rep. 6: 111-124. White, F. 1983. The Vegetation of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 2001. Congo. In Fishpool, L. D. C. & Evans, M. I. (eds.) Important Bird Le Pouget, 30440 Sumene, France. E-mail: dowsett@ Areas in Africa and Associated Islands. Newbury: aol.com Pisces Publications & Cambridge, UK: BirdLife Received 22 September 2008; revision accepted 18 International. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R. J. 1991. The avi- May2009. faunaofthe Kouiloubasin in Congo. Tauraco Res. Appendix. Gazetteer of localities Rep. 4: 189-239. & Annexe. Liste des localites citees Dowsett-Lemaire, F. Dowsett, R. J. 1997. Further Bouloucamp,Lobeke,Cameroon 02°09'N15°44’E investigations ofthe avifauna ofNouabale-Ndoki Itombwe(specimen),Congo-Kinshasa 03°26’S28°30’E National Park, Congo. Unpubl. Tauraco report Itombwe(tape-recording),Congo-Kinshasa 03°52’S28°56’E forWCS. Kupandaka,Cameroon 02°12’N14°51’E Dowsett-Lemaire,F. &Dowsett,R.J. 1998a.Vocaland Malabai,Nki,Cameroon 02°12’N14°39’E other peculiarities ofBrown Nightjar Caprimulgus M'Passa,Gabon 00°35’N12°50’E Ndokicamp,Nouabale-Ndoki,Congo-Brazzaville 02°12’N16°23’E binotatus. Bull.ABC5: 35-38. Odzala(Mbokocamp),Congo-Brazzaville 00°35’N14°53’E ThesongofpresumedPrigogine’sNightjar:Dowsett-Lemaire BullABCVol16No2(2009)-179