{"key":"27f50d75-fe44-4d4f-afd5-4ab2a9b3303a","installationKey":"b75cac4b-10fd-424f-a4f7-7bae2657bf64","publishingOrganizationKey":"5096b03f-bf87-4a80-90f1-2186e9d6b720","doi":"10.15468/hkbe6s","version":"1.3","external":false,"numConstituents":0,"type":"OCCURRENCE","subtype":"OBSERVATION","title":"Avifauna Assessment of Lake Ol Bolossat Ecosystem, Kenya","description":"\n            Birds is an important taxon in several ways among which include being indicators of ecological status of the environment. In understanding the distribution, species richness, and their temporal changes in an environment, we are able to connect any perverse changes in avifaunal species composition and structure to the state of health of an ecosystem. However, the potential of birds as an indicator of the state of health of our environment has not been utilized fully to understand the changes in their habitats, most of which are anthropogenic in nature. Ornithological assessment of Ol’ Bolossat ecosystem counted a total of 779 individual birds comprising 162 species using a combination of point counts, timed-species counts, and opportunistic observations. Modelling using a nonlinear regression procedure showed that L. Ol Bolossat has the potential to provide a habitat for between 200 and 375 bird species if fieldwork is conducted for 100 days. The bird survey recorded 24 bird species of conservation interest, among them three species categorized by IUCN as endangered, two species that are listed by IUCN as vulnerable, one endemic species, 20 Palearctic migrant species, and two species that are classified as Intra-African migrant, one of which is categorized as vulnerable.\n        ","language":"eng","logoUrl":"http://ipt.museums.or.ke/ipt/logo.do?r=birds_olbo","citation":{"text":"Ndithia H, Njoki A, Guchu S (2026). Avifauna Assessment of Lake Ol Bolossat Ecosystem, Kenya. Version 1.3. THE EAST AFRICAN WILDLIFE SOCIETY. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/hkbe6s accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-14.","citationProvidedBySource":false},"contactsCitation":[{"key":7104912,"abbreviatedName":"Ndithia H","firstName":"Henry","lastName":"Ndithia","roles":["ORIGINATOR","METADATA_AUTHOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7104913,"abbreviatedName":"Njoki A","firstName":"Amina","lastName":"Njoki","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]},{"key":7104914,"abbreviatedName":"Guchu S","firstName":"Samuel","lastName":"Guchu","roles":["ORIGINATOR"],"userId":[]}],"lockedForAutoUpdate":false,"createdBy":"5096b03f-bf87-4a80-90f1-2186e9d6b720","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2025-12-11T04:02:52.274+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.295+00:00","contacts":[{"key":7104912,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Henry","lastName":"Ndithia","position":["Senior Research Scientist"],"email":["hndithia@gmail.com"],"phone":["+254 715 974 449"],"homepage":[],"organization":"National Museums of Kenya","address":["Museum Hill Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"40658-00100","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.254+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.254+00:00"},{"key":7104913,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Amina","lastName":"Njoki","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[],"createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.257+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.257+00:00"},{"key":7104914,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Samuel","lastName":"Guchu","position":[],"email":["sam.guchupro@gmail.com"],"phone":["+254 726 006283"],"homepage":[],"organization":"National Museums of Kenya","address":["Museum Hill Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"40658 - 00100","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.258+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.258+00:00"},{"key":7104915,"type":"METADATA_AUTHOR","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Henry","lastName":"Ndithia","position":["Senior Research Scientist"],"email":["hndithia@gmail.com"],"phone":["+254 715 974 449"],"homepage":[],"organization":"National Museums of Kenya","address":["Museum Hill Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"40658-00100","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.260+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.260+00:00"},{"key":7104916,"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Lawrence","lastName":"Monda","position":["ICT Manager"],"email":["lmonda@museums.or.ke"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"National Museums of Kenya","address":["Museum Hill Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"40658 - 00100","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.261+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.261+00:00"},{"key":7104917,"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Esther","lastName":"Mwangi","position":["Researcher"],"email":["ewmwangi@museums.or.ke"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"National Museums of Kenya","address":["Museum Hill Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"40658 - 00100","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.263+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.263+00:00"},{"key":7104918,"type":"PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Jabes","lastName":"Okumu","position":["Programs and Advocacy Manager"],"email":["info@eawildlife.org"],"phone":["+254722202473"],"homepage":[],"organization":"East Africa Wildlife Society (EAWS)","address":["Riara road, off Ngong Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"20110-00200","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.264+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.264+00:00"},{"key":7104919,"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Thuita","lastName":"Thenya","position":["Director"],"email":[],"phone":["+254721471082"],"homepage":[],"organization":"Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi","address":["Off Kapenguria Road, 14 kms. to the Northwest of Nairobi"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"29053 - 00625","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.265+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.265+00:00"},{"key":7104920,"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Henry","lastName":"Ndithia","position":["Senior Research Scientist"],"email":["hndithia@gmail.com"],"phone":["+254 715 974 449"],"homepage":[],"organization":"National Museums of Kenya","address":["Museum Hill Road"],"city":"Nairobi","province":"Nairobi","country":"KE","postalCode":"40658-00100","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.266+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.266+00:00"}],"endpoints":[{"key":1312622,"type":"DWC_ARCHIVE","url":"http://ipt.museums.or.ke/ipt/archive.do?r=birds_olbo","createdBy":"5096b03f-bf87-4a80-90f1-2186e9d6b720","modifiedBy":"5096b03f-bf87-4a80-90f1-2186e9d6b720","created":"2026-08-12T06:25:46.520+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:25:46.520+00:00","machineTags":[]},{"key":1312621,"type":"EML","url":"http://ipt.museums.or.ke/ipt/eml.do?r=birds_olbo","createdBy":"5096b03f-bf87-4a80-90f1-2186e9d6b720","modifiedBy":"5096b03f-bf87-4a80-90f1-2186e9d6b720","created":"2026-08-12T06:25:46.455+00:00","modified":"2026-08-12T06:25:46.455+00:00","machineTags":[]}],"machineTags":[{"key":33143196,"namespace":"crawler.gbif.org","name":"crawl_attempt","value":"41","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-10-12T02:42:45.321+00:00"}],"tags":[],"identifiers":[{"key":460740,"type":"UUID","identifier":"27f50d75-fe44-4d4f-afd5-4ab2a9b3303a","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2025-12-11T04:21:18.578+00:00","primary":false},{"key":460739,"type":"URL","identifier":"http://ipt.museums.or.ke/ipt/resource?r=birds_olbo","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2025-12-11T04:03:53.411+00:00","primary":false}],"comments":[],"bibliographicCitations":[{"text":"Bennun, L., Dranzoa, C., Pomeroy, D. 1996. The forest birds of Kenya and Uganda. Journal of East African Natural History, 85: 23 – 48","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Bennun, L. A., and E. M. Waiyaki. 1993. Using timed species counts to compare avifaunas in the Mau forests, south-west Kenya. Page 366. Proceedings of the VIII Pan African Ornithological Congress.","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"East Africa Natural History Society (EANHS). 2019. Checklist of the birds of Kenya, 5th ed., EANHS, Nairobi","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"eGuide to Birds of East Africa, . Christopher Helm, London","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Davies, G., editor. 2002. African Forest Diversity: a field survey manual for vertebrates. Earthwatch Europe, Oxford, UK.","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Gaidet, N., H. Fritz, S. Messad, S. Mutake, and S. Le Bel. 2005. Measuring species diversity while counting large mammals: comparison of methods using species accumulation curves. African Journal of Ecology 43:56-63","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Githiru, M., Musila, W., Kanga, E.M., Malonza, P.K., and Warui, C. 2008.  Maasai Mau Forest Biodiversity Assessment Technical Report. Kenya Forests Working Group, Nairobi","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"IUCN RedList database https://www.iucnredlist.org/en","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Moreno, C. E., and G. Halffter. 2000. Assessing the completeness of bat biodiversity inventories using species accumulation curves. Journal of Applied Ecology 37:149-158.","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Soberón, J., and J. Llorente. 1993. The use of species accumulation functions for the prediction of species richness. Conservation Biology 7:480-488.","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Stevenson, T., and Fanshawe, J. 2002. Field guide to the Birds of East Africa. Christopher Helm, London","citationProvidedBySource":false},{"text":"Willott, S. J. 2001. Species accumulation curves and the measure of sampling effort. Journal of Applied Ecology 38:484-486","citationProvidedBySource":false}],"curatorialUnits":[],"taxonomicCoverages":[{"description":"Bird species occurrence data encompasses all birds observed and recorded in the study area, which were identified to species level. Scientific names were updated according to the Checklist of the birds of Kenya 5th edition (EANHS 2019).","coverages":[{"scientificName":"Aves","commonName":"Birds","rank":{"verbatim":"class","interpreted":"CLASS"}}]}],"geographicCoverages":[{"description":"This study was conducted in Lake Ol Bolossat, located in Nyandarua County, Central Kenya, about 195km North of Nairobi, at approximately latitude 0º 09’ S and longitude 36º 26’ E at an elevation of 2300m a.s.l. It measures approximately 43 sq. km. (Krhoda, 1992) of which open water covers about 4 Sq. km (NEMA, 2007).","boundingBox":{"minLatitude":-0.205,"maxLatitude":0.157,"minLongitude":36.291,"maxLongitude":36.496,"globalCoverage":false}}],"temporalCoverages":[{"@type":"range","start":"2023-11-16T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2023-11-21T00:00:00.000+00:00"}],"keywordCollections":[{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Ecosystems","Diversity","Observation","Birds","Occurrence","Lake Ol' Bolossat"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["Observation"]}],"project":{"title":"Unlocking Biodiversity Data to facilitate Designation of Lake Ol’ Bolossat as the 7th Ramsar Site in Kenya","identifier":"Grant No.70014","contacts":[{"type":"PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR","primary":false,"userId":[],"firstName":"Jabes","lastName":"Okumu","position":[],"email":[],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"address":[]}],"funding":"JRS Biodiversity Foundation \nhttps://jrsbiodiversity.org/grants/eastafricanwildlife/","awards":[],"studyAreaDescription":"Lake Ol Bolossat is located in Nyandarua County, Central Kenya at an altitude of 2300m a.s.l. It measures approximately 43.3 sq. km. (Krhoda, 1992) with open water covering about 4 Sq. km (NEMA, 2007). The lake lies on a flat plain northwest of the Aberdare Range, North Kinangop Plateau at the base of the Satima, bordered by Ndaragwa, Ol’ Kalou and Ol’ Joro Orok Divisions. The lake and its catchment is part of the Ewaso Ng’iro basin, provide a variety of important ecosystems including open waters, floating swamps and marshes, savannah and riverine forests and feeder springs (Lake Ol’ Bolossat Management Plan, 2008). The graben in which the lake lies is bounded by weak faulting on the west, developing increasingly to the south, and on the east by the Satima Escarpment running south from Thomson’s Falls, where it takes the place of the Laikipia and Chui-Lolderodo Escarpments as the eastern most scarp of the Rift Valley. \nThe natural vegetation of the basin is grassland, Acacia, forest, cedar forest with thin undergrowth, reeds, swamp grass, Themeda-Pennisetum grasses and floating macrophytes (Wamiti et al., 2008). There are few indigenous tree species, with the dominant ones being Juniperus procera, Cussonia spicata, Euphorbia candelabrum, Acacia tortilis and Croton megalocarpus. The swamp vegetation includes Cyperus immensus, Cyperus rigidifolia, Cirsium vulgare, Phalaria arudinacea, Cyperus papyrus and Cyperus latifolia (Wamiti et al., 2008).","designDescription":"Two systematic methods were used to sample and census birds: Timed-species counts (TSCs) and point counts (PCs). These methods aimed to build a comprehensive bird species list for the site, and to compare avian communities across different habitat types. The methods also aimed to establish baseline data on abundances for longterm monitoring. This baseline data can be used in the future to detect changes in avifaunal composition over time and to compare whether significant shifts occur. In addition, bird data were captured using opportunistic observation and mist netting (capture-mark-measure-release).","relatedProjects":[],"abstract":"Running from 2023 to 2026, the project aims to generate biodiversity data to inform conservation and management interventions and guide policy decisions within the L. Ol Bolossat ecosystem. It also seeks to provide data to facilitate the designation of the lake as Kenya's 7th Ramsar site. It integrates indigenous knowledge and open data sharing, enhancing stakeholders’ capacity to manage the ecosystem effectively.\nSpecifically, the project aims to: \ni.\tEstablish the ecological characteristics of L. Ol Bolossat watershed\nii.\tCatalyze citizen participation and capacity in biodiversity research and monitoring for improved management of the lake; and\niii.\tInfluence policy and scientific and inclusive decision-making for improved biodiversity conservation and management of Lake Ol Bolossat.\nIt is implemented by the East African Wildlife Society (EAWLS) in partnership with the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies at the University of Nairobi (WMI-UON) and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI). The project works closely with various stakeholders within the Lake Ol’ Bolossat ecosystem, including government agencies, local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs), county governments, and local communities."},"samplingDescription":{"studyExtent":"The occurrence data of the sampling area is for the study which was carried out by the researchers from the National Museums of Kenya.","sampling":"The occurrence data of birds was collected in November, 2023 in different habitats from the six sampling sites within the Lake Ol Bolossat basin ecosystems. Transects were established in each sampling sites, whereby data of birds observed was captured and recorded in a field notebook. The GPS coordinates of each sampled area was captured.","qualityControl":"Bird occurrence data was reviewed by researchers to assess the quality of the information collected from the study area. Common and scientific names were screened against the booklet “checklist of the birds of Kenya, 5th edition” (EANHS 2019), and the possibility of occurrence of bird species in this site was verified using the distribution maps available in the “field guide to the Birds of East Africa” (Stevenson and Fanshawe 2002). Birds are never collected; they are observed in the field, and where applicable, captured using mist nets, marked, biometric taken and released back to the wild.","methodSteps":["Birds were identified in the field, and confirmed back in the office using three primary literature. Two of these included the checklist of the birds of Kenya, 5th edition” (EANHS 2019) and the field guide to the Birds of East Africa (Stevenson and Fanshawe 2002). In addition, bird heard calling/singing were identified using the digital guide called eGuide to Birds of East Africa which contains the various calls of all the birds occurring in Kenya and East Africa. Threatened birds of Kenya were identified as being so using the IUCN RedList database (https://www.iucnredlist.org/en). Endemic birds and bird migratory status was assessed based on the checklist of the birds of Kenya, 5th edition” (EANHS 2019)"]},"countryCoverage":[],"collections":[],"dataDescriptions":[],"dataLanguage":"eng","pubDate":"2026-08-12T00:00:00.000+00:00","maintenanceUpdateFrequency":"UNKNOWN","maintenanceDescription":"","license":"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode","dwca":{"coreType":"http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Occurrence","extensions":[],"modified":"2026-08-12T06:26:47.190+00:00"},"approximateCounts":{"occurrenceCount":156}}