116 J. T. WEEKES : BIRDS OF SOUTHERN SUDAN IBIS, 90

THE NESTING HABITS OF SOME SOUTHERN SUDAN BIRDS.

By J. T. WEEKES.

Received on 24 June 1946.

From June 1943 until March 1946 I collected material and observed the habits of birds of the Equatorial Province of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Notes on the following speciea. have been selected for publication as little seems previously to have been written about the nesting habits of these birds. As far as possible parent birds were obtained at the nest in order to make

certain of identification. Specimens indicated by an asterisk were sent to the British Museum (Natural History) for confirmation.

Most of the records are from the Boma Plateau, Nagichot and Torit. The Boma Plateau (altitude about 2500-4500 feet) is.40 miles from the Abyssinian frontier, and about 130 ri les north west of the junction of thc frontiers of Kenya, Abyssinia and the Sudan. It b mountainous and rocky, and in the valleys there are strips of thick forest. The main breeding s e w n here is during the rains from May to September, though a few families, notably Bgypiida, Falconidae and sometimes Meropidm breed in the dry season.

Nagichot is in the Didinga mountains, about 40 miles north of the junction of the frontiers of Kenya and Uganda. It is a station at an altitude of approximately 7000 feet, and is in rolling, wooded country with narrow stretches of thick forest. The breeding season here appears approximately the same as that of the Boma Plateau.

Torit is a station at about 2500 feet, and lies 70 miles north-east ot Juba, the capital of the province. It is well-wooded flat country and is in some places swampy. Kapoeta, altitude 2500 feet, ic a station in flat thorn-country midway between Torit and Boma.

I should add that I have never possessed an accurate means of measuring the size of eggs. The figuses given in the text were obtained by putting the egg on a ruler between two razor-blades, and therefore must be considered approximate.

BUTBO AUOURALIS Salvad. A nest was found on 22 February 1944 at Boma (4500 feet). It was situated 30 feet

up in the fork of a tree on an open and rocky mountain side, but there was a thick strip of forest starting about 30 yards from the nesting tree. The nest, which was shallow, but strong, was made of sticks lined with dried grass, wool and dead leaves. The two eggs were only slightly incubated. One was 8 uniform dirty white, and the

1948 J. T. WEEKES : BIRDS OF SOUTHERN SUDAN 117

other had a few dull brown longitudinal streaks at the larger end. Both birds were present at the nest, and the female was sitting.

TURTUR ABYSSINICUS DELICATULA (Sharpe). A very common bird in Equatorial Province in flat, well-wooded country. Its call

could be reproduced by blowing into the neck of a bottle, and is monotonously repeated. Nests of the usual dove type have been found at Torit between 28 June and

25 September. They were usually fairly well concealed in a bush or thorn from 4 to 10 feet from the ground. Eggs two, creamy white, 2 4 ~ 17 mm. The eggs of this bird were also found in a scrape in ddbris thrown up by a stream, with no nest at all.

ARGYA RUBIGINOSA RUBIGINOSA (Riipp.). A nest was found at Kapoeta on 1 August, well concealed in a thick tangle about a

The nest was tidy and cup-shaped, The three

foot from the ground on the banks of a stream. made of coarse grass stems and lined with rootlets and a little fine grass. fresh eggs, 22 x 16 mm., were clear blue.

MELOCICHLA MENTALIS AMAUROURA (Pelz.). This is a common bird at Boma where two similar nests were found on 25 April

and 9 May. They were well concealed on the ground in thick short tussocks of grass. The nests were tidy and cup-shaped, made of coarse grass and lined with a fine fibre. The three eggs, 22 x 16 mm., were white, so thickly mottled with reddish as almost to obscure the ground-colour at the larger end. Size 22 x 16 mm.

*CORACINA CBSIA PURA (Sharpe). Common at Nagichot, where it keeps to the high forest trees and seldom comes

down. It makes a high-pitched mewing sound, which is rather feeble for the size of the bird.

A nest found on 14 August 1944 at Nagichot was situated in the forked branch of a tall tree, about 30 feet from the ground. The nest was a flattish structure, small for the size of the bird, and made almost entirely of grey moss with R little lichen on the outside. The two fresh eggs were dull blue, blotched and spotted with olive- brown, with a few superimposed blotches of brown.

PSALIWPROCNE ALBICBPS P. L. Sclater. Very common at Nagichot during thc summer months. A nest containing two

unfeathered young was found there on 7 September 1943, in a hole in a steep bank about 12 feet high. The hole was about an inch wide and 18 inches long, and led into a round chamber containing a nest made of strong fibre and unlined.

SPOROPIPES FRONTALIS (Daud.). Nests were found at Torit on 13 September 1941 and 20 and 22 December 1945.

They were situated between 6 and 20 feet up in the branch of an acacia, and made roughly and untidily of dried grass lined with finer material and with a few grass heads. The hole was in the side and the nest not pendant. The eggs, 17-18 x 12 nun., were pale grey, thickly mottled with darker.

*HETERHYPHANTE~ MPLANOQASTER STEPHANOPHORUS Sharpe. Seen in large numbers feeding on a fruiting tree in Talanga forest near Katire on

A nest in the forest at Nagichot on 19 August 1944 was about 10 feet from the It was oval, with the hole

25 January 1946.

ground, hanging at the end of a branch and unconcealed.

118 J. T. WEEKES : BIRDS OF SOUTHERN SUDAN IBIS, 90

in the bottom and a ledge inside to prevent the eggs falling out, made of dry grass and lined with finer material. The two eggs, 21 x 15 mm., were slightly incubated and were white minutely spotted all over with pinkish brown. Size 21 x 15 mm. The female was incubating at the time.

*OTHYPHANTES EMINI (Hart].). Local at Nagichot and slightly social.

Four clutches were found, of two types as follows :- (1) On 7 and 9 July at Nagichot (6500 feet) in somewhat marshy country on thc

banks of a stream. They were situated at the tip of a long palm frond about 15 feet from the ground. They were oval, spoutless and slightly flattened underneath, and they were thickly built of dried grass blades and lined with grass heads. The hole was underneath and slightly to one side, and there was an internal ledge to keep the eggs from falling out. The clutches of two fresh eggs, 23 16 mm., were blue, blotched and spotted with blackish brown, especially towards the larger end, and clouded with a little greyish brown.

(2) Nests also found at Nagichot on 9 July, at 6 and 12 feet from the ground, were slung between and underneath two palm fronds. The nests were similar to those of the first type, but the clutches of two and three eggs were white, blotched all over with reddish brown, with a few spots of the same eolour and one or two undermarkings of a paler shade. The eggs measured 23 x 15 mm., and were more oval than those of the other type.

It has a chattering song, quite attractivc and musical, and frequents wide clearings and marshy country.

Both birds appeared to incubate. In August two more pairs were observed building in another locality about three

The nests were about 30 feet from the ground and suspcndcd at the miles away. ends of branches.

*LAGONOSTICA RUFOPICTA LATERITIA Heugl. A very common bird at Boma, both on the Plateau and bclow in the plains. I t is

usually seen in flocks with other small birds, but in August, September and October it tends to pair off.

A nest was taken at Boma (3500 feet) on 22 September 1945. It was well concealed about two feet up in tall grass, and woven to three grass stems. It was domed, rather frail, and made of fine grass, scantily lined with feathery grass heads. The four hard-set eggs were pure white.

The song is a musical twittering.

Size 14 x 11 mm.

ESTRILDA PALUDICOLA PALUDICOLA Heugl. The commonest waxbill at Boma, seen at all times of the year in large Hocks. A

It was It was fairly

Woven into the top was The holes of both nests, which opened

Five pure white and fresh eggs were measured, A clutch of ten hard-set eggs was found on 27 August in a similar

domcd nest with a hole in the side was found at Boma on 30 July 1945. situated on the ground at the roots of tall grass, and very difficult to find. strongly built of fine grass heads without other lining. another nest almost similar, though frailer. on to the same side, were large. 12.5 x 10 mm. nest and site.