From 19-26 September 2004 eight delegates from four African countries participated in the first AFRING waterbird ringing course which was held at the A Rocha Bird Observatory and Field Study Centre near Watamu, on the central Kenyan coast.

Funded by AEWA, with partial funding from the Highlands Ringing Group in Scotland, the course forms part of phase one of the workplan for the project "Coordination of waterbird ringing schemes in Africa" which is listed as priority No. 20 under AEWA's International Implementation Priorities 2000-2004.

The course focussed on East Africa, as the ringing scheme in the region is relatively well established providing a useful platform from which to launch waterbird ringing initiatives in Africa. Waders formed the primary focus of the course due mainly to the occurrence of good numbers of migratory and resident wader populations at the two wetland sites (Mida Creek and Lake Chem-Chem) that were used for ringing during the course. This nevertheless provided the delegates with excellent opportunities to learn about wader catching, ageing and sexing techniques. The project's main focus is to develop an African waterbird ringing scheme (AFRING), with emphasis on migratory species of waterbirds, particularly within Africa.

To achieve this, the project aims to kick-start waterbird ringing in Africa and through holding waterbird ringing training courses plans to build up local expertise to sustain waterbird ringing into the future. The next course is planned for Ghana in 2005, which will be hosted by the Ghana Ringing Scheme and the Centre for African Wetlands. This will have West African focus, but hopefully with some representation from East Africa. For a photo summary and breakdown of the species caught during the course click here http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/safring/kenya2004.htm.