Nature Tanzania is collaborating with the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), NABU International Foundation, Partner für Klima und Nature (PKN) and Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA) is implemeneting a Grey Crowned Crane conservation proejct in Kagera wetlands. The project use a community-based approach by engaging communt conservation champions in monitoring of the species, its habitat and raising awareness at the local level. The Grey Crowned Crane (GCC), a magnificent but endangered bird, faces urgent threats. The species was uplisted to Endangered due to factors such as habitat loss and the illegal removal of birds and eggs from the wild. These threats have led to rapid declines over the past three generations (45 years). The Kagera wetlands in Northwestern Tanzania are crucial feeding and breeding grounds for the Tanzanian GCC population outside the protected area network. However, these habitats are threatened by human activities, including rapid habitat loss and wetland degradation. Illegal hunting and trapping, as well as egg and chick collection, further endanger the species.
In 2021, Nature Tanzania, with support from NABU, established a Grey Crowned Crane conservation program in Northwestern Tanzania. In 2022, we partnered with the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA) for transboundary collaboration towards GCC monitoring and conservation. As part of this partnership, 20 community conservation champions have been recruited and leading in GCC monitoring and awareness raising. In collaboration with the community conservation champions, we have successfully implemented the GCC ringing program using the countrycode program. Between March and June 2024, 12 juveniles were successfully ringed in Karagwe and Kyerwa wetlands, a significant milestone in our conservation efforts. The ringed GCC are now being monitored by community conservation champions. This is the first initiative in Tanzania that complements the East Africa transboundary ringing program along the Kagera River (Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda).
Training of 20 Village Natural Resources Committee
In collaboration with Ibanda-Kyerwa National Park, we organized and conducted two training workshops for the Village Natural Resource Committee (VNRC) of Murongo village, Kyerwa district and Chamchuzi village, Karagwe district in November 2024. Both villages are within the transboundary ecosystem of Kagera wetlands shared between Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Murongo is one of the villages bordering Uganda and Rwanda and borders with Ibanda-Kyerwa National Park, while Chamchuzi village borders Rwanda and has a huge wetland important as Grey Crowned Cranes habitat. VNRC members are part of the village government and are responsible for guiding and leading the sustainable use and management of natural resources at the village level.
The training workshop reached 10 VNRC from Murongo village and 10 VNRC from Chamchuzi village. The training workshops also reached Divisional Officers, Ward Executive Officers (WEO), Village Executive Officers (VEO), District Education Coordinators, Ward Agricultural Officers, Community Conservation Champions and eight farmers’ representatives from the two villages. The Outreach Officer from Ibanda-Kyerwa National Park and the Project Officer facilitated the two training workshops. In both villages, most VNRC members had inadequate knowledge about conserving the wetland and the Grey Crowned Cranes. Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC), mainly from hippopotamuses and wild cats, was blamed by most VNRC members as the reason for retaliatory behavior against wildlife, including the GCC. They also reported that GCC is part of HWC as they damage their crops.
Grey Crowned Crane (GCC) breeding monitoring
In Kagera wetlands, GCC breeding normally starts in November, with nest preparation until May, but rarely after May to August because that is the dry season. During the new 2024/2025 GCC breeding season monitoring, we used drone technology to locate and monitor GCC nests, especially inaccessible areas. The drone also helped to reduce disturbances when searching for the GCC nests in the wetlands and the risk associated with using local canoes to locate and monitor GCC nests and the GCC breeding pairs on the nests.
We appreciate our Community Conservation Champions, who are doing their best to locate and monitor GCC nests in the wetlands. Between November and December 2024, 16 nests had been located and monitored. Of the 16 nests, 2 had hatched four GCC chicks. The hatched GCC chicks and juveniles are targeted for ringing/banding. Monitoring is ongoing, and we expect to locate and record more GCC nests in the remaining GCC breeding seasons.
Grey Crowned Crane ringing/banding
In 2024, we started with GCC banding/ringing as part of the East Africa transboundary GCC monitoring program. During the East Africa meeting on Crane banding/ringing held in 2019 in Uganda, East African countries agreed to use color-coded rings to monitor GCC. Usually, GCC chicks and juveniles are targeted for banding/ringing, which is done during the breeding season. With the assistance of local champions and information from farmers and fishermen, once GCC chicks and juveniles are located, usually with their parents, they are chased after, caught and banded/ringed and released. The bands/rings are placed on the left leg of the bird. The country color ring code for Tanzania is Red. When the GCC juveniles become adults, the color rings can be used to identify the countries important to GCC breeding.
Following this meeting, the project organized and conducted GCC banding/ringing in the Kagera wetlands. As of December 2024, the project successfully ringed 14 GCC chicks in Kyerwa and Karagwe districts (see Appendix 1). Of the 14 GCC chicks, 9 were ringed in wetlands within the Kyerwa district and 3 in the Karagwe district. Of the 14 ringed GCC, 12 have fledged, and 2 disappeared, therefore a 85.71% GCC fledgling success. We could not get information on the 2 disappeared ringed chicks, but may have died of natural causes or by people. More follow-up are going on.
Acknowledgement
We appreciate the support from community conservation champions, and local government authorities. Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) provided research clearance and permit. NABU, NABU International Foundation and RWCA are acknowledged for their financial support of our Northwestern GCC conservation program.
