Djibouti
Birding Tour to the Day Forest National Park (la Forêt du Day)
21-22 April 2017
The subtly beautiful Female (l) and Male (r) Somali Starlings, Onychognathus blythii, commonly encountered in Day Forest
La Forêt du Day
For the first weekend of my short-term assignment to the Republic of Djibouti, I made arrangements
to travel by road the 166kms from the capital, Djibouti Ville, to the Day Forest (pronounced ‘Die’) in
north-central Djibouti. The primary purpose of the visit was to connect with country’s only endemic
bird, the Djibouti Francolin, Pternistis ochropectus, listed as Critically Endangered and confined to
two highly localized populations in small areas of montane habitat in the Forêt du Day and the Mabla
Mountains at 700-1800m.* According to some surveys, the Francolin may number no more than
approx. 600 pairs (?).
La Forêt du Day is Djibouti’s oldest national park (1939), covering 3.2 square km of mountain forest
at 1500m. The forest has been severely affected by an extensive die-back of vegetation with more
than 70% of the ancient juniper and hardwood forest having disappeared over the past thirty years.
A walk through the national park leaves one with an eerie sensation; the skeletal and gnarled
remains of trees are omnipresent throughout most parts of the forest. In some places, Strangler Figs
have taken root and have started to cover the dead trees. The fruiting figs are a magnet for many
species in the area and should be sort out in order to maximize avian sightings.
*Redman, Stevenson and Fanshawe: Birds of the Horn of Africa, Princeton, 2009
Approaching the Mountains of the Forêt du Day from the coast road near Tadjoura – a steep climb on an unsealed road that
requires a 4WD
The reasons for the die-off are not clearly understood; according to some sources, it is attributed
simply to prolonged drought conditions throughout the Horn of Africa. It may also be associated
with longer-term changes in climate patterns. There is research indicating evidence of infection by
an aggressive plant virus which has taken advantage of the weakened drought condition of the trees.
Whatever, the reason, one has the sense of a very special place in peril and with potentially
disastrous consequences for the endemic francolin and other localized resident montane species.
Friday, 21 April
We departed Djibouti Ville at 08:00 and traveled the main Route National 1 west towards Al-Sabieh.
The highway is much used by Ethiopian road trains connecting the port facilities to land-locked Addis
Ababa. Along the way, the remains of countless gruesome road accidents litter the sides of the
roadways. After 30 minutes, the road divides with RN 9 continuing north and east to the coastal
towns of Tadjoura and further afield to Obock. En route, we took a short detour to visit the Lac
’Assal, the lowest point on the African continent and the second lowest lake in the world (after the
Dead Sea) at 150m below sea level. The lake is super saline and an industry to mine salt from the
shores is underway, financed by Chinese investors. The surrounding landscape is volcanic of
relatively recent origin; gigantic lava fields devoid of vegetation are the prominent geographical
feature.
View of my driver, Abdi, standing on Lac Assal – 50% of the lake is dried salt pan
Along the route, we periodically stopped at dry watercourses with scattered Acacia trees to check
out the birdlife. Species seen were: (those in bold type are lifers)
1. Common (Somali) Bulbul, Pycnonotus b. somaliensis – (Endemic Dj, NEt, NWSo) the whitevented and white-necked local subspecies of Common Bulbul; found just about all habitats:
2.
3.
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5.
Rock Dove, Columba livia – very common around settlements
House Crow, Corvus splendens – Introduced and very common around settlements
Blackstart, Cercomela melanura – common in the lower levels of acacia shrubs
Upcher’s Warbler, Hippolais languida – one example of this very pale palearctic migratory
warbler seen in an acacia tree
6. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus – common hawking insects around Djibouti Ville
7. African Collared Dove, Streptopelia roseogrisea – common around towns
8. Laughing Dove, Streptopelia senegalensis – common in bushland
9. Speckled Pigeon, Columba guinea – common in desert areas; including the inhospitable
inferno of salt pans near Lac Assal
10. Red-backed Shrike, Lanius collurio – at least a dozen migrants seen in copses of acacia trees
11. Little Swift, Apus affinis – relatively common
12. Namaqua Dove, Oena capensis – a group of 10+ birds outside the township of Day
13. Rüppell’s Weaver, Ploceus galbula – noisy colonies seen at various sites; highly gregarious;
most groups actively nest-building and courting:
Rüppell’s Weaver, Ploceus galbula, a male at nest and colonial nesting – Rüppell’s nests on a defoliated Acacia
14. Blue-naped Mousebird, Urocolius macrourus – a pair seen atop an acacia tree
15. Northern Crombec, Sylvietta brachyura – two seen hunting insects in denser foliage
16. White-crowned Wheatear, Oenanthe leucopyga – two seen sitting on boulders by the
roadside
17. Desert Lark, Ammomanes deserti – seen infrequently flying off into the desert (6+)
18. Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus – the only vulture species observed; pairs seen at
various locations; appears to be quite common at garbage dumps (30+ seen over two days)
Egyptian Vulture – the only vulture species seen on the trip and commonly found in desert habitat
19. Nile Valley Sunbird, Hedydipna metallica -a male/female pair observed feeding close to wild
mimosa shrubs. The birds were quite curious and confiding allowing close-up views:
20. Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Eremopterix nigriceps – one bird seen at a roadside stall
(while we were repairing a tyre puncture!)
21. Masked Shrike, Lanius nubicus – four migrant individuals seen over two days (both adult and
juvenile)
Masked Shrike, one of four migrating birds seen around the park
We arrived at the very pleasant Campement de la Forêt du Day at 13:30. This privately-owned ecolodge features 20 traditional huts costing Djibouti Francs 8000 per individual per day with full board
(1 US$ = DJF 177 at a fixed rate of exchange). The village is exceptional in enjoying free electricity
and water supply, owing to the fact that the Djibouti President maintains a holiday lodge near the
National Park entrance. The lodge itself is situated close to an escarpment with panoramic views of
the surrounding valleys and the Golfe de Tadjoura.
Comfortable hut accommodation is available at the camp with full board at a very reasonable US$15 per night
In the gardens of the campement, we saw:
22. Fan-tailed Raven, Corvus rhipidurus – extremely common around Day Village – dozens flying
and noisily squabbling over the campsite at all hours.
23. Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka – two females and one juvenile male were seen while
walking in the surrounding hills
24. Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica – common throughout
25. Shining Sunbird, Cinnyris habessinicus – a very cheeky and confiding pair that seemed to
own the garden and were fascinated with their reflections in the mirrors of our Landcruiser:
A Shining Sunbird pair were prominent residents in the garden of the campement
After a hearty lunch of spaghetti and grilled chicken, I secured a local guide (DJF 5000 for the
afternoon) and we headed off into the National Park. First stop was to the ruins of a house that was
once reserved for the relaxation of former French colonial governors of the Territoire des Affars et
Issas. The view into the valley with accompanying cooling breezes was exceptionally fine, stretching
out south to the Golfe de Tadjoura and the Red Sea:
In the greatly denuded forests close to the governor’s mansion, were:
26. Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis – only one of this migrant seen
27.
28.
29.
30.
Common Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus – presumably the palearctic migrant; one seen in flight
Common Swift, Apus apus – dozens wheeling at considerable height
Common Bustard, Buteo buteo – one juvenile sitting motionless in the apex of a tree
Bonelli’s Eagle, Hieraatus fasciatus – I was surprised by the number of birds in the area; at
least half a dozen seen. (More on this species in the Francolin entry below…)
31. Somali Starling, Onychoganthus blythii – (Endemic to Horn of Africa) - a striking bird; the
female with white head and the glossy black male. Several noisy pairs seen; ground feeding:
Somali Starling (f) above, collecting nesting material on the ground and male (below)
32. Falco sp. – Probably Peregrine, Falco peregrinus; possibly, Barbary, Falco pelegrinoides
33. Abyssinian White-eye, Zosterops abyssinicus – common in the canopy of leafy trees; most
often a native wild olive
34. Hemprich’s Hornbill, Tockus hemprichii – one individual was located inside the park by
voice. Interestingly, the bird had a prominent yellow cheek patch that is not illustrated in the
guide book. A pair later seen at much lower altitude at the village of Dittilou had the plainer
brown and white coloration which is more faithful to the guidebook illustration (photos):
35. Long-legged Buzzard, Buteo rufinus – one solitary bird seen; listed as an uncommon
palearctic migrant to Djibouti
With the sun setting at 18:00, and no sign of the Francolin, we returned to the camp for an early
dinner of rice and mutton skewers. During the night, the churring of several nightjars could be
discerned around the camp.
Saturday, 22 April
I awoke very early to the sound of an audible double clap that could be likened to the slapping of a
rubber innertube on the ground. In the crepuscule, I could make out that the source of the racket
was a pair of nightjars (white wing patches clearly visible) flying repeatedly around the camp in a
circular flight pattern. Given the distribution range, I assumed these to be the sole resident breeder,
Nubian Nightjar, Caprimulgus nubicus - also but note from the Redman, Stevenson and Fanshawe
Fieldguide that they usually occur to 900m (we were at 1500m). The only other possibilities,
according to recorded distribution, were the migrant European Nightjar (right time of year); or Plain
Nightjar, Caprimulgus inornatus. (vagrant). I will have to reserve judgement….(any guidance
gratefully sought to my personal email: [email protected])
I set out with a new guide, Abdou, to try again to find the target Djibouti Francolin inside the NP just
after dawn. Close to the former governor’s residence, we quickly heard the cacophony of the
Francolin calling, but were unable to locate a single bird.
Early morning birding in search of the elusive Francolin over the escarpment near the former French Governor’s residence
As the morning wore on, a troupe of monkeys entered the area and the calling of the francolins
ceased. While searching for the endemic, we saw:
36. Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicurus adsimilis – a group of six birds; creating a ruckus
37. Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava – three birds warming themselves in the morning sun
38. Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Treron waalia – at least a dozen birds flew into a large fruiting
Strangler Fig tree. They were very difficult to see after alighting in the green foliage.
39. Eurasian Hoopoe, Upupa epops – two migrants feeding on the ground
40. Common Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita – very common in small feeding parties.
At 08:00, and feeling more than a little dejected, we returned to the camp for breakfast. At 08:00, I
set out again with Abdou, this time to a different, more distant site on the steep north-eastern slopes
of the escarpment:
41. Djibouti Francolin, Pternistis ochropectus – (Djibouti’s only Endemic) - I finally first saw one
bird in panic flight. We then settled into a vantage point on the cliff edge hoping to repeat
the observation. It soon became clear that we had stumbled onto a carefully choreographed
ambush scenario: below us, three Bonelli’s Eagles (two adult + one juvenile) had staked out a
copse of trees by positioning themselves at equidistant points inside the canopy foliage.
After some time, we saw the three birds pounce simultaneously on something on the
ground; at that moment, one Francolin fled the scene cackling loudly and flying for its life
down the slope. As the three eagles remained (hidden from view) on the ground, it may be a
safe assumption that they had possibly caught another of the francolins for breakfast. In
retrospect, it was one of the better examples of a collective hunting strategy by raptors that I
have ever seen…
Abdou at the point on the escarpment where we finally came across our two Francolins
Triumphant (and relieved), we returned to the camp and I decided on the spur of the moment to
contract Abdou to guide me down to another camp site near the hamlet of Dittilou – some three
hours walk down the valley. We embarked on our impromptu excursion at 10:00am, with a fierce
heat starting to manifest itself as we descended from the high exposed breezes of the escarpment. It
was a long, hard slog, but the good birding lasted into the late morning:
42. Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus – several seen; sometimes in little flocks in the
company of Woods and Chiffchaff
43. Wood Warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix - ? One brighter yellow bird seen. Recorded as a
vagrant to Djibouti, but seemed convincing to me…
44. Brown Woodland Warbler, Phylloscopus umbrovirens – only one pair seen fleetingly in tree
canopy
45. Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata – four of this palearactic migrant seen in two days
46. Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicus fuscescens – common; several individuals seen:
47.
48.
49.
50.
Pale Crag Martin, Ptyonoprogne obsolete – a few wheeling in the air catching insects
Striolated Bunting, Emberiza striolata – a brief view of one bird perched atop a juniper.
Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla – two pairs of this migrant bird seen in dense shrubbery
Violet-backed Starling, Cinnyricinclus leucogaster – appears to be outside the range limit
indicated in Redman’s Field Guide (central Djibouti); but the birds were quite common in the
mid-levels of the National Park:
51. European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster – a huge flock of perhaps 100+ seen flying high
overhead in one large group. The birds appeared to be on active migration(?)
52. Common Redstart, Phoenicurus phoenicurus – one male in breeding plumage observed
53. Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus – quite common
54. Common House Martin, Delichon urbicum – common
55. Tawny Pipit, Anthus campestris – one running along the ground; yellow legs clearly observed
56. Siberian Stonechat, Saxicola t. maura – one seen atop a tree stump; did not give great views
to discern race: but probably variegatus
57. Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius meridionalis – the most common migratory shrike encountered
58. Yellow-rumped Seedeater, Serinus xanthopygius – (Regional Endemic – DJ, ET, ER) – two
solitary individuals observed at close range; seen in open view in dead trees
59. Grassland Pipit, Anthus cinnamomeus annae – we saw several of the paler annae subspecies
at several open country locations
We arrived after a four-hour walk at Dittilou. However, the poor state of the camp and lack of
water dissuaded us from staying an additional night. We returned to the coastal town of
Tadjoura arriving at 18:00 and spent the night at a comfortable hotel on the waterfront. The
return trip to Djibouti Ville was two hours direct the following morning.
Postcards:
My guide, Abdou, in one of the better forested areas of the park; the trees are mostly junipers
Abdou and my driver, Abdi outside the former Governor’s residence
The author taking a break from the steep descent along the trail from the Day Forest to Dittilou
Djibouti, 10 May 2017
[email protected]