Bulletin of the EANHS 27(1) 
Namadcrema stream, a tributary of River Sio Its extent is 
about 200 m bv 1 50 m. It is fringed by maize fields and 
there are tattle grazing around it 
Ruma 
We found no Blue Swallows at Ruma The Park itself 
contains extensive grassland, although most of this 
appears not to be seasonally flooded. There was 
ev idence that some grassland was regularly burned. Sand 
Martins Rl part a npano and Bam Swallows Hirundo 
rusnea occurred in good numbers over the grassland 
Grassy areas also occur outside the park boundaries 
and there seems to be less pressure on these areas than 
t n Busia Our survey was too brief to know whether Blue 
Swallows might use these areas. 
With the wet conditions, our bird list for Ruma was 
only 33 species, including the regionally Ncar-lhrcalcncd 
Brown Snake Eagle Great Ins cine reus and the Black 
Cotical Cenlropus grlllll. 
Discussion 
Increased agncullural activity and the setung up of 
a sugarcane factory appears to spell doom to the small 
pockets of grassland on which the Blue Swallow 
depends In Kenya the species lias only been recorded 
in one protected area. Ruma Nauonal Park, where suitable 
habitat remains, but probably only a small proponion of 
the wintering birds occur there 
During our survey we failed lo find the species 
anywhere, even at Mungatsi where it has been recorded 
roosting regularly before Normally ai Itnsi one pair feeds 
within the vicinity of tile roosting site during the day (L 
Lens. pets, conun. ) tad we did not encounter them Either 
the birds failed lo arrive ihis year, w ere unable to find 
sufficient undistuibcd habitat, ot for some other reason 
were feeding and roosting elsewhere 
Swallows move long dislanccs in search of prey 
(T umer & Rose. 19*9). which suggests that a mosaic of 
suitable grasslands could sustain a written ng population 
However, the presence of a suitable toosltng sile may be 
critical If fhc Blue Swallows continue lo use Muttgatst, 
us protection, perhaps by land putchase if no oilter 
option exists, is an urgeni priority Hus site is also home 
to a number of other species that are difficult lo find 
elsewhere in Kenya, such ns the Green Crombec Svlvielta 
vt re ns ID A Turner, pers. conun | ll is already visited by 
many' birduatching groups and lias potential for small- 
scale bird tourism 
Acknnw Icdgc-mcnM 
We are gralcfitl lo Mr D A Turner for much helpful 
information and advice, and lo Mi Abdulla Makbola who 
kindly allowed us to camp in hLS compound This survey 
formed pan of Ihc Important Bird Areas programme in 
Kenya, supported by the Royal Society for the 
Protection of Birds through BirdLife Kenya 
References 
Benmm, L & P Njoroge (cds.) 1 1 996) Birds lo watch in 
East Africa: A preliminary Red Data list Research 
Reports of the Centre for Biodiversity. National 
Museums of Kenya: Ornithology, 23. 
B niton. P.L. (cd.) ( 1980). Birds of East Africa. EANHS, 
Nairobi. 
Dyer. M ( 1 988). Nuptial flight display of the Blue Swallow 
Hirundo atrocaerulea. Nyata 12(1-2): 27-30. 
Collar. NT, M.J Crosby St A J Staticraficld ( 1994) Birds 
to watch 2: The world list of the threatened birds. 
Conservation Scries, no. 4 BirdLife International 
Cambridge 
Fanshawc. J.F. & L.A. Bcnnun(1991| Bird conservation 
in Kenya: crcaling a national strategy Bird 
Conservation International’ 293—3 1 5. 
Keith. S..EK Udinn&CH. Fty(eds.)<1992). TheBlnh 
ofAfnea . Volume IV Academic Press, London 
Lewis. A &D. Pomeroy. A Bird Allas of Kenya. 
A. A. Balkcnia Publishers, Rotterdam 
OS-C (19961 Checklist of the birds of Kenya (third 
edition). Onulliological Sub-committee of the East 
Africa Natural Hisioty Society, Nairobi. 
Turner. A &C Rcscrl'lK9| A handbook to Ihe swallows 
and martins of the uvrtd Christopher Helm, London 
Zimmerman, D.A..D.A Turner* D J Pearson (1996), 
Birds of Kenya and northern Tamania Russel 
Fnedman Books, Halfway House. South Africa. 
Oliver Nasmva and Peter Njoroge, Ornithology Dept 
National Museums of Kenya. P.O. Box 40658. Nairobi, 
Kenya 
WAS SANGO BAY A PLEISTOCENE 
REFUGIUM? 
Sango Bay is In Uganda, on Ibe west coast of Lake 
Victoria, about 1 5 km north of the border with Tanzania 
Between about ' and 30 km inland from the iakcsltore lie 
a senes of Forest Reserves, the largest of which. 
Namalola. extends across ihc border where ii is known 
as Mrnziro forcsi Collectively, these have become known 
as Ihc Sango Bay forests, because early this century, 
ti mber was exported from litem by a narrow-gauge rat Iwny 
leading to a jetty in Sango Bay, from whence it could be 
shipped across Ihc lake 
The most important timber came from three species of 
Podoearpus, Tills is curious, because two of these 
species are montane plants, not usually occurring below 
15(81 m. yet Ihc nlliludc of the Sango Bay forests, which 
urellai aDd seasonally flooded, is only just over 1 100 ra. 
(Monmne as used here refers lo land above 1500 in.) 
Podoearpus ate also interesting for being gymnospemis. 
closely related to jumper However. there is little 
Podoearpus now left in the Sango Bay forests: tltey 
were largely worked out by the 1 940s ( Eggcltng & Dale. 
1951. Howard, 1 991 ). and appear lo regenerate slowly 
During 1994 and 1 995. the authors look pan In a series 
of surveys lo assess lire biodiversity- values of Ibe many 
welland and forcsi habitats in ibe extensive Lake Viciona 
plains from Lake Nabugabo in die nordi to Ihc Tanzanian 
border in Ihc south Plants and birds were studied in 
more than 20 localities, together with other animal groups 
(Fuller el aL. 1995) For convenience, we call this whole 
