Saturday Bird walks in Dar Es Salaam

Introduction About Group!!

 
Mackubi Ornithological Safari is the one of the interested bird watching Group  in Dar Es Salaam that conducting a weekly  bird watching  on every Saturday.This group established since 2001 by interested bird watchers from the members of Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania  ( WSCT) which the founder of bird watching  programme in Dar  Es Salaam.

 
 
Birdwatch is  one means of exploring avifaunal diversity through regular visits to selected sites and keeping records of  Identified birds It is  because of this reason the Mackubi Ornithological Safari realized

the need to initiate the   Saturday Bird walks in  order to reise bird

watch understanding  among the different group, starting with people in Dar Es Salaam.

 
Birdwalk Background
Saturday birdwalk is  among the activities by the group in the course of executing its conservation responsibilities. This exercise is conducted on every Saturday except for the first and the last Saturday of  month our
members joining with the Wildlife Conservation of Tanzania (WCST) 
because all our members are the birdwatchers of the Society and it draws people from different sources Teachers, Students, Artists and Farmers.
Saturday bird walk normally is schedule to start at 7:30am and ends up at around 11:30am (the finishing time is fixed as it is subject to the closeness of the sites visited on  particular Saturday). The group heading for bird walk meets at our Office and going to the bird watching site.
The places to be visited includes Mangrove bay  along the Indian coast, Salt Pans, Thicket, Riverine habitats along estuaries and around large lagoons. By use of Binocular and naked eyes members of the birdwalk program identify birds encountered in the site and make a collective list. The practice  enable participants to share bird identification experience as well as establishing the list of bird species dwelling in a particular site.

 

The birdwalk activities kept on improving the fact that is shown by attendance trend. New comers have shown interest in attending the program and understanding identification techniques.
 

How are Saturday Birdwalk Organized ?
 

 Announcements are regularly displayed on group board  also in Schools and in other Arts group to invite interested people to participate. Through the  announcement individuals who own cars are asked to  use their cars. In some Tour Operators whose authorities prefer Foreigners to be collected at their Offices instead of attending  induvidual , Some times we organize transport  and pick the from the place they were.


Most of the individuals come by themselves, the group members contribute little money in order  to provide transport at accompanied at least  one accompanied either guide, Guidebooks, Binoculars  or  Telescope. The group Guide keeps the record of identified birds and the  list of participants.

 
At the end of each visit participants decide on the site to be visited.

 

Site Identified for  Bird walk.

 
    *     Kigamboni. This is  a Coastal strip that has an extension of more
 
than 10km. Along this strip some points are selected Aden’s Farm, Mikokoni

 
Beach, Gezaulole, Mwangaza, Amani Gomvu and Ras Kutani.

 

    *     Kunduchi. This is another site that covered with Salt Ponds.

 
    *    University of Dsm. This site is surrounded with Thicket forest and

 

also on its Ponds.

 
    *     Salender Bridge Bay. Salender estuary and Baobab sacred Point.
 

    *     Sea Cliff Hotel.

 
    *    Goba to Pande Game Reserve.

 
    *    Pugu and Kazimzumbwi Forests.

 
    *    In the all National Parks and Game Reserves.

 
    *     Also we provide Bird Guides special for Bird Itineraries within Parks
and Game Reserves and places.

 

 

 
What is done during the Birdwalk.

With the assistance Group Guide, members of the bird walk
group cooperate in identification of  birds in the selected
site. Since group contains bird watchers with the different
experiences the identification knowledge is shared,  a
practice that enable new members to be acquainted with
identification techniques. During the birdwalk the events  and
conservation experience are share.
On some occasions less experienced bird watchers are given assignments that be will assessed in the  next birdwalk. (E.g.
to  choose 5 birds that someone will be able to perfectly
identify without confusion, find  habitats of a certain bird

 

species etc).

The sites that are regularly visited differ in bird ecological
potential, some habitats are highly interfered by  mans’
activities while others still portray their natural integrity.
The field visits promote continuous discussion among the birdwatchers on
how can the natural status of these site be restored for the  benefit of
humankind. In this activity some birdwalk members get an opportunity to
portray their artistically drawing knowledge.
 
Understanding of Bird Identification.

 
The core task of  birdwalk lies in bird identification  a
subject that needs careful approach and patience. In our
Saturday birdwalk we introduce the Beginners or New comers
with identification techniques. One of the identification
approaches is the use of relative size. A person identifying a
new bird is able to compare it against those she/he already knows.

 
Other aspects in bird identification include Beak Shape,
Color, Habitat, Length,  Color of Leg, Color of Plumage, (body

cover), Behavior ( Flying manner, Feeding, Wading etc) and Bird songs.

Our Future Plan.

 

Efforts are underway to intensive the Saturday Birdwalk program. The plan includes visiting Schools, Arts Group and other Environment Institutional to sensitize them on the need to join birdwalk program and increasing the number of other participants.

 

 

 
Announcement!!

Dear Saturday Birdwatchers.

we delight to see that our Saturday birdwlk activities
continues and that new participants join us. As usual our
meeting place is Mackubi Ornithological Safari (M.O.S). Head

Office at Manzese-Midizini at Kilimahewa Street, at 7:30am.

 

And Returning time is around 11:30am (Birdwatchers with private transport are requested to their transport)
 
Other Activities.

 

Mackubi Ornithological Safari also is providing with other activities

 

like:. Bird Guides, Bird Tour, Wildlife, Field Research Assistant, Traditional Dance, Drama, Cultural Tourism, Music, Hotel Information,Conservation etc.

Affiliation.


Mackubi Ornithological Safari as well as to another group it
has affiliation with other NGOs and Groups within a country as following:.

Tanzania Drama and Actors, Mtanzania Culture and New Generation Arts,

Tanzania Drama and Music Foundation, Makurumla Youth Development Centre,

Matimba Cultural Troupe, Tanzania Artists Fighters Against Drug Abuse

 

Network, (TAFAFADE) and Dar Environment Car

You are Welcome to the Saturday Birdwalk At
 
Mackubi Ornithological

Safaris

 
For Further Informations


Contact with

 

Chief Program Supervisor


Mackubi JR
 
Mackubi Ornithological Safari

P.o.Box 90503,
Kilimahewa Street,
Block No: 454,
Dar Es Salaam,

Tanzania.

E-mail: birdlovingboy@hotmail.com

 

Tel: +255 713 649 207 or +255 713 281 170