The Native Birds Of Sudan

The country of Sudan is located is located in Northeastern Africa. With the vast Nile River flowing through it, as well as various tropical forests, desert, coastal outlet along the Red Sea and several National Parks, the country has a wide variety of environments for its native birds species, some of which are endemic. This article will discuss a few of these native bird species' physical characteristics, habitats and ranges, current conservation status and the major threats that they face.

The native birds of Sudan:

Cinnamon Weaver

The Cinnamon Weaver, scientific name Ploceus badius, is a species of bird that is a member of the Ploceidae family of weavers. Adults of this species generally grow to be about 5.5 inches tall and have a black colored head and neck, with a dark chestnut brown colored nape and upper body and yellow colored lower body and tail. This species is usually found in tall grassland areas. This species is endemic to the Sudan region, meaning that it is only found in the countries of Sudan and South Sudan. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Cinnamon Weaver has been listed as a species of least concern since 2004 and currently has a stable population. This species faces no major threats and is found in some protected areas and national parks in Sudan and South Sudan. The only real concern is that the species is starting to be pressured from heavy hunting at the Bandingilo National Park in South Sudan.

Kordofan Lark

The Kordofan Lark, scientific name Mirafra cordofanica, is a species of lark that is a member of the Alaudidae family of larks. This species is quite small, with adults growing to be around 5.5 inches in size. The species has a notable golden colored upper-body, with slight lightly colored dark brown streaks and a white colored belly. This species habitat is located in arid areas where there are red sands and sandy soils that have spread out grasses and shrubs. This species is found in a few different countries across Western and Northeastern Africa. These countries are Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan and South Sudan. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Kordofan Lark has been listed as a species of least concern since 2004, but it currently has a decreasing population. This species faces no major threats and the only real concern is that the population has been declining due to being pressured from increased grazing from farm animals as people move near some of its habitat.

Ostrich

The ostrich, scientific name Struthio camelus, is a species of large flightless bird that is a member of the Struthionidae family of flightless ratite birds. Adult ostriches usually grow to weight between 139 to 230 pounds, although some male ostriches can grow to weight up to 346 pounds. Male ostriches grow to be between 6.88 to 9.18 feet, while females are between 5.57 to 6.56 feet. Males of the species have mostly black feathers, with some white and a white tail with gray or pink skin on their neck and thighs. Females have grey-ish brown and white colored feathers, with pink or grey colored skin. This species is often found in open land like savannahs or the Sahel region in the northern section of Africa, while they inhabit desert or semi-desert area in the south part of Africa. This species is found all across Africa, from as far east as Senegal, as far west as Egypt and all the way south down to South Africa. The species has become regionally extinct in Libya, but has been introduced to Swaziland and Australia, where it is not native too. Australia is the only located outside of Africa where the species is found in the wild. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Kordofan Lark has been listed as a species of least concern since 2014.

What is being done to help the native birds of Sudan?

There are a few things that are being done in Sudan to try and help the native birds of the country. There are a number of different national parks and wildlife reserves in the country, some of which house these bird species. Organizations like the Sudanese Wildlife Society (SWS) have also been working with international organizations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Wildlife Conservation General Authority (WCGA) to try and promote awareness of how to protect these bird species.