The water birds on Lake Fitri (Chad) were counted in early February by the DFAP, with the support of the Tour du Valat and the OFB
The lake Fitri is a Ramsar site covering more than 195,000 hectares, and currently the third most important wintering area for Palearctic and Afro-tropical waterbirds in the Sahel. Therefore, the assessment of the wintering population is an important step in the monitoring and sustainable management of waterbirds and their habitats.
In the early morning of the 2nd of February, the DFAP-OFB-TDV team, formed by Abakar Saleh Wachoum, Pierre Defos du Rau and Julien Birard, prepares to fly over Lake Fitri to conduct a sample count of the waterbirds. This aerial survey is made possible thanks to the support of African Parks, which is providing the aeroplane, essential for counting such a vast wetland. Innovation for this session: cameras are attached to the wing strut by Alexandre Delplanque (University of Liège – Gembloux): they will be used to test the feasibility of identifying and counting birds by imagery.
Organised as part of the RESSOURCE+ project, coordinated by the FAO and co-financed by the EU and the FFEM, this survey will make it possible, among other things, to update waterbird population sizes and assess the sustainability of wildlife capture for food.
