Records from Oursi

Photo © Muhtari Aminu-Kano/BirdLife International

From 18 to 28 November 2008, NATURAMA (BirdLife partner organisation in Burkina Faso) conducted a training course at Oursi, during which 157 species of birds were observed in the savannah and the dunes and at Oursi lake. The list includes many West African species, but also many Palaearctic migrants: Garganey, Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Knot, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, White-winged Black Tern, European Turtle Dove, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Redstart, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Great Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Orphean Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff and Woodchat Shrike. Species observed that breed in western Africa and also include wintering birds from the Palaearctic include Squacco Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Black Kite, Tawny Eagle, Moorhen and Hoopoe.

Meetings at Oursi

Photo © Naturama

In December 2008, a delegation of NATURAMA (BirdLife partner organisation in Burkina Faso) visited the Oursi Museum Hu Beero. The museum, which was opened in November 2006, documents the internationally important medieval remains at Oursi. Also in December, delegations from two other sites of ornithological importance in Burkina, Sourou Valley and Kaboré Tambi National Park, visited Oursi to discuss conservation issues and exchange experience. Both Sourou Valley in the northwest and Kaboré Tambi in the south of the country are BirdLife-identified Important Bird Areas as is Lake Oursi. Just before this meeting, members of the local Oursi group participated in the national planning meeting of NATURAMA for 2009, which took place in the town of Gorom-Gorom, close to Lake Oursi.