Seeking Sassi’s Greenbul and Chestnut Owlet in Uganda’s Semuliki National Park
Lost since the 1960's, local biologists are undertaking an ambitious survey to refind these species
The Bird Conservation Fund is seeking $5,000 and and teaming up with the American Bird Conservancy’s Search for Lost Birds Team to support a project by the Uganda Bird Guides Club, Uganda Wildlife Authority, eBird Uganda and Sunbird Hill. The project focuses on finding two lost species in Uganda’s Semuliki National Park. Although both species, the Sassi’s Greenbul (Phyllastrephus lorenzi) and Chestnut Owlet (Glaucidium castaneum) have been previously recorded from Semliki Forest in the late 1960s, they have no confirmed sightings in recent years. The project's core aim is to address this knowledge gap by conducting focused searches using a team of researchers and local bird guides.
The project's key strategies include field surveys, mist-netting, and acoustic monitoring over a period of 30 days. The activities will involve hiring cars, covering fuel and accommodation for a research team, and providing training for the local bird guides. The project's outcome will not only help rediscover these species but also raise awareness and provide data for future conservation actions.
