Surveys of Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus and Other Waterbirds on the Kasenda Cluster of Crater Lakes in Western Uganda

Abstract

The african subspecies of the Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus infuscatus is limited to scattered populations in eastern and southern Africa. To evaluate their status in the Kasenda cluster of crater lakes in western Uganda in 2000, we visited 28 crater lakes, which include the only known sites for the species in Uganda. At each lake, we counted all waterbirds and recorded data on forest conditions of the crater walls and fishing activities. Deforestation of crater rims was severe; more than half of the craters had lost at least three quarters of their forest cover. Gill net fishing was observed at six of the lakes. Great Crested Grebes were observed at only one lake, although records from the 1990s document them on four other crater lakes in the area. These records include breeding on Lake Kyerabwato, inside Kibale National Park, in 1998. Given the small size of this isolated population, the future of great crested grebes in Uganda is highly uncertain. We recorded 30 waterbird species on these lakes; in addition to Great Crested Grebes, other species of conservation interest included White-Backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus and Giant Kingfisher Ceryle maxima.