Category Archives: Great White Pelican

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

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Tortoise on it's usual slow movements.

Tortoise on it's usual slow movements.

Cape Buffalos on their Natural habitat

Cape Buffalos on their Natural habitat.

A Female adult Roth'schild Giraffe.

A Female adult Rothschild’s Giraffe.

Are you looking for a place to spend your leisure, Educational Nature trip, holiday and Research ? Soysambu Conservancy offers all this due to it’s exciting tourist attraction sites and Resources. The sites includes ; the Delamere nose/Sleeping warrior Crater, Lake Elmenteita with diverse Waterfowls, over 450 Birdlife and over 40 species of Mammals that includes the Semi-Endangered Rothschild’s  Giraffe and the buffalos. Among the Reptiles we have the Cobras, Pythons , and the Leopard Tortoise.
SHARED BY: COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND AWARENESS DEPT.

SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY IS PARTY TO THE WORLD WETLAND DAY

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The World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2011

Theme  of  year : ‘Forests, Water and wetlands’

By Duncan Ouko  and Beatrice Limo.

The Ramsar Convention on wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty  that provides the framework for action and national co-operation  for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of  wetlands .This convention was adopted way back on 2nd February 1971 in Iranian city of Ramsar.The treaty came into force in 1975(the oldest multilateral environmental agreement in the world)This treaty is the only of its kind in the world  dealing with a particular  ecosystem .Kenya  became a party to it in 1990,other member nations cover all geographic areas of the globe.

Government agencies, NGOs, and private sectors have been organizing the celebrations since 1997 on 2nd February to mark the adaption of Ramsar convention including undertaking of actions aimed at raising awareness to the public on wetland values and benefits.

Theme of this year was chosen because this year, 2011 is the UN international year of forests focusing on:

  • Role of forest in wetlands functions,
  • Relationship between forest and wetlands in socio economic development and sustenance,
  • Forested wetland s and the special benefits they offer and biological diversity.

Measures taken by the Kenyan government as a signatory is to ensure wise use of our wetlands including addressing their degradation, encroachment and conflict resolution among users one of the measures has led to the designation of five lakes in Kenya’s   central rift valley as wetlands of international importance, lake Nakuru, Naivasha, Baringo, Bogoria and Elmenteita and ensuring wise use. Lake Elmenteita was recently designated as a wild life Sanctuary.

The national celebration venue was Lake Nakuru National Park commemorating 20 years since the designation of Lake Nakuru as First Kenya’s Wetland of International Importance.

Soysambu Conservancy is protecting a large proportion of the Lake Elementaita, which is one of the Ramsar sites in Kenya and is so privileged to be associated with the celebrations this year and the years to come.

aerial view of Lake Elementaita from Soysambu Conservancy

aerial view of Lake Elementaita from Soysambu Conservancy

Flamingos and Pelicans swimming and wading in Lake Elementaita

Flamingos and Pelicans swimming and wading in Lake Elementaita

Flock of breeding Great White Pelicans in Lake Elementaita

Flock of breeding Great White Pelicans in Lake Elementaita

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Great white pelicans in Soysambu conservancy

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Great White Pelican

Scientific Name: Pelecanus onocrotalus

By Duncan Oduor and Ezekiel Chebii

Soysambu Research Center

World Distribution

Great white pelicans are found in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The ones in Africa stay here throughout the year, but the others fly from Eastern Europe (migrate) to Africa in the winter because they do not like cold weather.

Habitat

Great white pelicans spend a great deal of their time in the water. They usually choose large, freshwater lakes that have reed beds or small islands that can be used as safe places to nest as in lake Elmenteita.

Feeding

They feed mainly on fish, though they sometimes eat crustaceans (shrimp-like creatures). They usually fish in shallow water. They feed on Tilapia grahami in lake Elmenteita.

  • Use pouch to scoop up several litres of water with fish swimming.
  • Lift head up and squeeze pouch to get rid of water.
  • Swallow fish.

They often use teamwork when feeding: a group of 8-12 birds swim into a horseshoe shape to surround the fish, then, all together, they plunge in their beaks and scoop them out.

Predators

Vultures, eagles, jackals, hyenas and lions could eat young pelicans. Adults are sometimes preyed by crocodiles.

SOY87swaraPelicans breeding site in Lake Elementaita

Breeding

Pelicans often breed in large colonies of 40,000 to 50,000 pairs. Nests are usually just a rough pile of twigs on the ground. Two eggs are laid, which both parents keep warm by taking turns to rest them on their feet. After 29-36 days the eggs hatch into bald, helpless chicks which the parents feed from a special liquid that runs down their beaks. The chicks are able to fly when they are 10 – 12 weeks old, but will not be ready to breed themselves until they are aged 3-4 years.

Other important facts

  • Males are larger than females and have larger beaks.
  • The little hook on the end of the beak is used for preening (combing) the feathers to keep them in perfect condition for flying. Special oil keeps them waterproof.
  • Pelicans are light for their size (5 – 9 kg) because of air spaces in the bones and under the skin.

Pelicans lifespan in the wild is 15 -20 years while in captivity they can stay for 60 years.

Facts and Figures About Great White Pelicans
Name Great white pelican
Type of animal Bird
Where found Africa, Europe
Habitat Lakes
Diet Carnivorous
Average length 170 cm
Average weight 9 kg
Average number of young per year 2
Egg incubation 32 days
Maximum lifespan 27 years

Birdlife at Soysambu Conservancy– Lake Elmenteita

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I love nature….who came about by referring to it as Mother Nature? Is there Father Nature juxtaposed?  

Lake Elmenteita is 20 Km South East of Nakuru Town. It gets its water from Kekopey hot springs at the Southern end and two small streams – Mereroni & Kariandusi flowing from the eastern plateau. Siltation of the Lake from soil erosion is high especially now because of subsistence farming on the upper catchment. We do hope that the water off-take from Mereroni stream will not cause the Lake to dry up again once the rains subside; and that, the Mereroni -Mbaruk Water Resource Users Association (MBARUA) will ensure there is enough water inflow from the streams.

There are about 49 waterfowl species recorded including palearctic migrant, of international importance are populations Greater & Lesser Flamingo and the Pied Avocet.

Greater White Pelican – Pelecanus onocrotalus

They are currently in hundreds at Lake Elmenteita.

The adults are mainly white almost identical to the Pink-Backed Pelican which are greyish white.

Breeding is high during the wet season as the water levels of the Lake are high and rocky outcrops (islands) in the eastern sector are flooded to form islets which are ideal for safe nesting.

They often feed in tightly packed groups, submerging heads and necks in unison. The scene is breathtaking for bird lovers as the waves in the Lake make everything astounding.

Grey Crowned Crane – Balearica regulorum gibbericeps

We spotted four (4) of them today at the riparian area but they flew away without a snap-shot….Grrhhhh.

Support erect electric fence

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By supporting Soysambu Conservancy to erect 85 km (53 miles) fence, the benefits will be: protection to wildlife and the habitats; acts as a gene bank, for posterity and minimize Human wildlife Conflict among the neighboring Communities which will improve their living standards. 

Gene Rurka Of S.C.I.F during his visit

Gene Rurka Of S.C.I.F during his visit

So far Soysambu Conservancy through donors has provided clean water to Game Njeru Community, donated Acaricide to Kiungururia Community, provision of desks, chairs stationeries, playing balls and microscopes to Schools, energy saving stoves and completion of the Elmenteita Dispensary.