April & August. 1999 
7 
References 
Bcnnun. L A and P Njorogc (1996). Birds to watch 
m East Africa a preliminary Red Data list Research 
report 23. Centre for Biodiversity, National 
Museums of Kenya Nairobi. Kenya 
Bcnnun. L A and P. Njorogc (in prep) A Directory 
of Important Bird Areas in Kenya 
Brightwell. R . R D Dransfield, and B.G. Williams 
( 1992). Factors affecting seasonal dispersal of the 
tsetse flies Glossina pallidipes and G. longipennis 
(Diptcr* Glossmidae) at Nguruman. south-west 
Kenya Bull Eniomol. Res 82 167-182 
Bnghtwell. R . R D Dransfield. P Stevenson and B 
Williams (1997) Changes over twelve years in 
populations of Glossina pallidipes and G 
longipennis (Diptera: Glossmidae) subject to varying 
trapping pressure at Nguruman. south west Kenya. 
Bull Eniomol. Res 87 349-370 
Burnham, W.A . D.F Whitacreand J.P. Penny (1992) 
The Maya Project: use of raptors as tools for 
conserve ion and ecological monitoring of hiological 
diversity In Raptor Conservation Today B.U 
Meyburg and R D. Chancellor (F.DS ) World 
Working Group on Birds of Prev. Berlin. Germany 
Pp. 257-264 
Chuttcr. F M ( 1994). The rapid biological assessment 
of stream and river quality by means of 
macroinvencbrate communities in South Africa. In 
Classification of Rivers and Environmental Health 
Indicators Proceedings of a joint South African/ 
Australian workshop. Cape Town, February 7-14. 
M .C. Uys(Ed.). Water Research Commission report 
no. TT 63/94, South Africa Pp. 217-224 
Newton, I (1979) Population ecology of raptors T 
and A D Rjyser. London. U.K. 
Rcichholf, J (1974) Artcnrcichium. Haufigkeil und 
Diversitat dcr Grcifvogcl in cimgcn Gebietcu yon 
Sudamerika. J Om 115 381-397 
Resh. V H and J.K Jackson ( 1993). Rapid assessment 
approaches to biomonitoring using benthic 
mac roin vertebrates. In Freshwater Biomonitoring 
and Benthic Macroinvertebrates. D M. Rosenberg 
and V H Resh (Eds.) Chapman and Hall. New Yhrk 
Pp. 195-233. 
Thiollay. J M. ( 1992). A world review of tropical forest 
raptors. Current trends, research objectives and 
conservation strategy In Raptor Consenvtion Tbday. 
B.U Meyburg and R D Chancellor. Eds. World 
Working Group on Birds of Prey. Berlin, Germany 
Pp. 231-239 
Turley, C.W. (1989) Evaluation of raptor survey 
techniques In Maya Project. Progress Report II, 
W.A Burnham. J P. Jenny and C W Ibrlcy, Eds 
The ftrregrinc Fund, Inc., Boise. Idaho Pp. 21- 
32. 
Virani. M.Z and R.T. Watson (in prep ) Raptors in 
the east African tropics and western Indian Ocean 
Islands State of ecological knowledge and 
conservation status. 
Watson, R T. 1991. Using birds of prey as an 
environmental conservation tool: The Peregrine 
Fund's World Programme Environmental 
Consenvtion 18(2): 269-270. 
Whitacre, D.F and C.W Turley (1990), Further 
comparisons of tropical forest raptor census 
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D.F. Whitacre, W.A. Burnham and J P Jenny. Eds. 
The Peregrine Fund. Inc., Boise. Idaho Pp 71-92 
CONSERVATION OF KENYA'S MOST RARE 
AND UNIQUE GALLERY FOREST 
While entering into the Tana River Gallery Forest, one 
cannot help but notice what a beauty and a different 
environment exists from the adjacent areas. One minute 
you are in a very dry bushland and in the next a cool 
magnificent forest From December 1998 to April 1999, 
I have visited Tana River 3 times for two weeks each 
under the auspices of Tana River GEF Primate 
Monitoring Project as a Research Assistant In every 
visit I have failed understand the subtlety m ecological 
difference in such a short distance and am always startled 
by the settings of the gallery forest The gallery forest 
is patchily distributed, comprises of 71 forest patches 
which vary in size (Butynski and Mwangi, 1995) 
The Tana River Red Colobus Colobus badius 
rufomtl rains and Tana River Crested Mangabey 
Cercocebus galentus galentus arc endemic to the 
gallery forest along the flood plain of the lower Tana 
River in eastern Kenya These arc two of Kenya's rarest 
mammals in this complex, unique and rare habitat m 
eastern Africa Both subspecies ate listed as 
endangered" in 1UCN Red Data Book (Lee et al , 
1988) The gallery forest is also home to Zanzibar 
Galago Galago zanzibariciis, listed as “vulnerable ' in 
Red Data Book. Hina Sykes's monkey Cercopilhecus 
miti) albotorquatus, a subspecies endemic to the region 
(Kingdon. 1971) Other primates include vervet monkeys 
Cercopilhecus aethiops pygerythrus. yellow baboons 
Phpio cymxephalus cynocephalus, Garnett's galago 
Oiotemur garnetiii. and Senegal galago Galago 
senegalensls. In addition Tana River holds a number of 
globally threatened, regionally threatened and range 
restricted birds. Globally threatened birds include 
Southern Banded Snake -Eagle, Fisher’s Turaco (range 
restricted). East Coast Akalat. White Winged Apalis 
(range-restricted), Tana River Cisticola (range- 
restricted). Basra Reed Warbler and Plain backed 
Sunbird Regionally threatened birds include African 
Fmfoot, African Darter. Saddle-billed Stork, Ayres's 
Hawk Eagle, Pel's Fishing Owl, Violet Wbod-hoopoc. 
Scaly Babbler, Little Yellow Flycatcher, and Uluguru 
Violet-backed Sunbird occurring in the nearby bushes 
(Bcnnun & Njoroge, in press) At least 61 plants arc 
globally or nationally rare. The Tana River poplar 
Populus ilicifolta is endemic to northern Ewaso Ngiro. 
Tana and Athi /Sabaki rivers. 
