A rare migratory has flown to Kenya, covering a distance of 6,948 kilometers or 4,317 miles to land in West Imbo in Bondo, Siaya County.
Walter Oloo, a member of the community, spotted the bird known as Osprey on January 20, 2020, and reported to the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) team in Siaya.
The Citizen Digital reports that the bird was caught in a fishing net and seems to have struggled to release itself; It has bruises on the legs but appears healthy despite losing some weight and being dehydrated.
It was delivered to the KWS Veterinary Department on January 23, 2020, and will be stabilized by administering IV fluids and being provided with a proper diet then monitored for a few days before being released back to the wild.
The bird’s origin has been established from a refereeing ring on its leg whose details show that it was ringed in Finland (Museum Zool, Helsinki Finland, M-68528).
KWS Head of Veterinary Services Dr. David Ndeereh said they will share the information with the East Africa Bird Ringing Association to obtain further details on the bird, adds the report by Citizen Digital.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings.
KWS Director Research Dr. Patrick Omondi called on the Siaya County Government to enhance the protection of Lake Victoria catchment areas including Lake Kanyaboli National Reserve as a number of migratory birds have been sighted in these areas in recent surveys.
