Exploring the Ecology of Karamoja Apalis Uganda

Exploring the Ecology of the Karamoja Apalis in Uganda This bird species is a rare, little-known endemic species of the Cisticolidae family found in East Africa. The last remaining areas of the bird species’ range are in northeastern Uganda, specifically the areas surrounding Mount Moroto, Mount Napak, Kidepo Valley National Park, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, northern Tanzania, and southern Kenya (Nalwanga et al., 2016; Shaw, 2007; and Urban et al., 1997). Acacia drepanolobium, also known as whistling thorn, dominates damp shrublands, which this bird is known to favour.  According to Collar and Stuart (1985) and Van Someren (1921), three specimens of the species were gathered by Van Someren in Mount Kamalinga in the then-Karamoja District of Uganda, where it was first found in 1919.

Exploring the Ecology of the Karamoja Apalis

The warbler, known as the Karamoja Apalis, is essential to preserving the natural equilibrium of its environment. Although its exact population is currently unknown, it is anticipated that the Karamoja Apalis is becoming less common in many of its primary habitats, as a result of a decline in the quantity and quality of its preferred habitat, which is woodland grassland with Vachellia drepanolobium (Nalwanga et al., 2016).

A distinctive white wing-flash and a predominantly grey body are the features of the Karamoja Apalis. Though the species is quite similar to the Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Myioparus plumbeus, another grey-and-white bird with a white tail that occurs in Northern Uganda, it can be easily distinguished from any other species of warbler. With its white tail limited to the outermost feather, the Grey Tit-Flycatcher lacks wing flash. Both sexes of the Karamoja Apalis are similar, in contrast to Fox’s Weaver, which exhibits sexual dimorphism.

Physical Charcteristics and Exploring the Ecology of Karamoja Apalis 

The Karamoja Apalis has brown eyes, black feet, and legs, in addition to a black beak. Ashy grey is the colour of the forehead, crown, nape, mantle, cheeks, and back to the upper tail-covers; deeper grey is the colour of the ear-coverts. From the nares to the area above the eye, the species features a white stripe, and a pre-orbital blackish loral mark. The wings have a characteristic wing flash, consisting of large white-edged outer webs outlined in blackish brown. The thighs and undersides are primarily white.

BirdLife (2017) lists the Karamoja Apalis as vulnerable both worldwide and regionally, but as endangered locally (WCS, 2016). Due to human activities like cultivation, raising cattle, and wood cutting, which have significantly reduced the species’ possible habitat in northeastern Uganda, the species faces serious challenges. Its range now seems to be shrinking as a result of a recent decrease in the distribution of V. drepanolobium, particularly in northeastern Uganda (Nalwanga et al., 2016).

Prior to recently, the Karamoja Apalis was only known to exist in the Karamoja region (Nalwanga et al., 2016); but, according to the Fox’s Weaver Expedition Report (2018), the species has also been found as far south as Magoro, Katakwi. In Magoro, Katakwi, a single Karamoja Apalis was found during the survey to record the rediscovery of the Fox’s Weaver. Similar to the Fox’s Weaver, this species seems to be limited to widely distributed, periodically flooded woodland grasslands in northeastern Uganda that are dominated by Vachellia drepanolobium.

The study’s main objectives were to:

• Determine the Karamoja Apalis’s range of occurrence in northeastern Uganda.

• To record the Karamoja Apalis’ preferred habitat.

AREA OF STUDY AND METHODS

Predominant vegetation

The predominant tree species in the regions where the Karamoja Apalis was observed was the Whistling-thorn Acacia. The species’ favoured Acacia for use as a nesting tree is this one. It has been seen that both species coexist peacefully alongside Whistling-thorn Acacia, preying on ants (Crematogaster mimosae). The predominant herbaceous species was Hyparrhenia rufa, which occasionally coexisted in mixed stands with Megathyrsus maximus, Setaria sphacelate, and Sporobolus pyramidalis.

Area of Study

According to Keith and Fry (2004), the study was conducted between May and August, during the Fox’s Weaver breeding season. An area of roughly 13,000 square kilometres, comprising 14 locations from six districts, was surveyed. The districts of Ngora, Katakwi, Soroti, Kumi, Amuria, and Napak were all included in the study.  The investigation was carried out by four teams made up of Uganda Bird Guides Club volunteers and employees from NatureUganda. As these were thought to have a high probability of the species presence based on prior records, line transects were methodically built in seasonally flooded wooded grassland habitats (Fox’s Weaver Expedition Report, 2018). Wetlands with seasonal flooding, in particular, provided additional possible habitats that were surveyed.

Survey Methods and Exploring the Ecology of the Karamoja Apalis in Uganda

Many factors were noted along each transect: the quantity, gender, and activity of each individual of the two species; the GPS locations of every nesting tree and bird sightings; the number of nests; the characteristics of nesting trees, such as species name and tree height; the predominant vegetation; and the predominant human activity.

Observations and exploration of the ecology of the Karamoja Apalis in Uganda

Out of the six districts studied, four (4) (Soroti, Katakwi, Amuria, and Napak) yielded records for the species of bird. Although there was a suitable whistling thorn habitat where the two species seemed to have been reported, Ngora and Kumi did not record any individuals of the species. Additionally, from the survey, seventeen (17) people were noted. There were five (5) ladies and twelve (12) males among them. Eight bird records total—five in Katakwi, two in Amuria, two in Soroti, and the majority of eight in Napak.

Human Activities and exploring the ecology of the Karamoja Apalis in Uganda

At the Karamoja Apalis sites, 93% of human activity was related to grazing. The Iteso people who reside in the area mostly depend on cattle for their livelihood, and the forested grasslands in the area offer suitable pasture for their animals. Farming and fishing are typically combined with cattle rearing.

Conclusively, beyond just being a bird, exploring the ecology of the Karamoja Apalis in Uganda represents the country’s rich natural heritage and the necessity of environmental preservation. Its continued existence is contingent upon the concerted efforts of people, groups, and communities committed to environmental conservation. The Karamoja Apalis serves as a reminder of the wild beauty of Uganda’s landscapes for those who are fortunate enough to come across it. It is a call to action for the rest of us to support conservation efforts that protect this amazing country’s natural history and avian inhabitants.