The Sounds of Amboseli
By Jay McEntee, Co-Director of BRI’s Remote Acoustics and Imagery Lab
Over several years, BRI field research teams set out to capture the rich avian soundscape of the Amboseli ecosystem. Placing autonomous recording units (ARUs) at strategic points and conducting systematic bird point counts, these teams collected audio data during both the wet and dry seasons. This information documents how the soundscape shifts with the changing environment.
Analysis of the ARU recordings revealed several surprising bird species, even some rarely observed. These findings provide insights into bird movement patterns and seasonal presence, highlighting the dynamic nature of Amboseli’s avian community.
The resulting Amboseli Seasonal Bird Soundscape offers a valuable resource for local land managers, conservation groups, and bird enthusiasts. By visualizing when and where different species are present and vocal, the Soundscape supports targeted protection efforts and fosters greater appreciation of the area’s biodiversity. This collaborative effort enhances understanding of the Amboseli ecosystem, which strengthens ongoing monitoring and conservation initiatives.
Soundscapes and species-specific vocalizations are typically studied by way of spectrographs, visualizations of sounds that show pitch variation over time. The White-browed Scrub-Robin, a prolific songster, is a major contributor to Amboseli’s soundscape. Its oft-repeated whistled melodies contain a complex series of rapidly delivered rising and falling pitches, visible as rising and falling strokes on the spectrograph (at right). The melody, unique to this species, is an unmistakable indication of its presence.
Spectrograph of White-browed Scrub-Robin
To help determine which species are found on the lengthy recordings of the ARU devices, bird sound experts build automated acoustic classifiers.
These classifiers, which use spectrograph images instead of directly processing sound, isolate sounds that experts can then review. For the needle-in-a-haystack problem of finding a species’ calls or songs on a set of recordings, they are a revolutionary approach.
Wilson Ole Kasaine
By Deborah McKew, Editor-in-Chief, BRI Publications
Wilson, by Ed Jenkins
In mid-2024, BRI’s work in East Africa inspired Dave Evers to develop the idea of documenting the many species of birdlife found in Amboseli National Park. The journey from spark of an idea to a published book has taken nearly two years of hard work from the many people involved in the project. At the heart of it all was a man named Wilson.
Wilson Ole Kasaine was born in Kenya in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, an area with a large Maasai population. Wilson, one of 24 children of an esteemed tribal Maasai leader, grew up with reverence and respect for the natural world. He turned his passion for his native wildlife into a 17-year career as a safari guide, winning accolades as a Top 10 Safari Guide in Africa by Condé Nast Travellers and Best Lead Birding Safari Guide by Gamewatchers Safaris.
In early 2022, BRI partnered with CarbonSolve and others to develop carbon projects in African grassland and rangeland habitats where grazing and fire management are dominant activities. Dave Evers, recognizing Wilson’s talent and expertise, recruited him for the newly formed team of local researchers.
“Driven by his own curiosity, Wilson’s insights consistently linked avian behavior to seasonal variation and the movements of other animals across the landscape,” says Evers, BRI’s executive director and chief scientist. “He also broadened our research by providing an understanding of local Maasai knowledge.”
For the past several years, BRI has sent scientists to work alongside the local field crews. “Wilson’s deep knowledge about his homeland’s ecosystem is matched only by the contagious enthusiasm with which he shares it,” says avian ecologist Ed Jenkins, director of BRI’s songbird research program and international research lead. “My favorite thing about him is that he laughs easily and often, a ‘superpower’ that keeps the whole team positive and grounded during our most demanding projects.”
Painting by Shearon Murphy
Dustin Meattey, director of BRI’s waterfowl program, and a member of the Africa field crews, agrees. “Wilson’s passion and enthusiasm for his homeland immediately draw you in. Whether it’s in conversation about the birds of the Amboseli ecosystem, the rich history of Maasai culture, or almost any other topic, his unassuming and affable nature could keep you enthralled for hours.”
When the idea of the avian book became a real project, Dave spent time with Wilson to flesh out the details. The goal was to highlight the birds at risk, but also to weave a story that depicts how the many bird species are an integral part of the entire landscape and important to the ecological success of the area. Armed with a rough outline and a lot of questions, Dave and his partner Kate Taylor met with Wilson in Amboseli National Park.
“What struck me most about Wilson was the breadth and rigor of his knowledge,” says Kate Taylor, BRI’s director of operations. “He not only demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of Amboseli’s bird species, but also a detailed grasp of how each species is woven into a larger ecological story.” Exactly the story Dave wanted to tell.
A Critical Balance: Artist Take Action
By Deborah McKew, Editor-in-Chief, BRI Publications
A unique traveling exhibit is coming to Portland this summer: July 3 – September 14 at the Lewis Gallery, Portland Public Library.
Bateleur by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol
The first time I walked into Adelaide Tyrol Murphy’s art studio, I was greeted in the entryway by a life-sized painting of a ring-tailed lemur; his piercing golden eyes looked straight at me as if he was trying to tell me something very important. That image has stayed with me for a long time.
Adelaide and her colleague Linda Mirabile, Vermont artists who draw inspiration from the natural world, have worked with BRI on a number of projects. Linda focused her graphic design business on clients working on environmental issues. Adelaide, renowned for the large-format backdrops she painted for high-profile events, found joy in illustrating animals and insects for a local nature magazine.
About a decade ago, the two artists decided to combine their talents toward a unique endeavor. “Linda and I are deeply committed to increasing awareness about the challenges faced by at-risk animals and plants worldwide,” says Adelaide. They turned this commitment into a traveling art exhibit they call A Critical Balance: Artists Take Action. They gathered a group of juried artists who shared their passion and asked them to paint animals that are on the IUCN Red List of threatened or endangered species. The first exhibit, held in Portland in 2019, depicted a variety of endangered animals at life size–a perspective that provokes an emotional interaction between viewer and animal, just like my experience with the lemur. To see a gallery full of animals whose eyes stared out in fear, or defiance, or hope, magnified that emotion tenfold.
In summer 2024, Adelaide and Linda were considering ideas for their next Critical Balance exhibit when BRI’s executive director Dave Evers asked Linda to design a new book we were publishing about our avian work in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
Lesser Flamingo by Susan Bull Riley
As soon as they heard Dave talk about the birds we study in East Africa, they knew they had found the theme of their new show, and now, the upcoming exhibit, A Critical Balance: Birds of Amboseli, debuts at the Lewis Gallery in Portland on July 3.
“A partnership between BRI and A Critical Balance is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the extraordinary birdlife of that region and the serious threats they face. As artists, we were enthralled by the beauty of these birds, both large and small,” says Linda.
A Critical Balance: Birds of Amboseli is a captivating art exhibit that immerses viewers in the vibrant, yet fragile world of the 536 bird species found in Amboseli National Park.
Most of the exhibiting artists had never seen any of these birds in real life, but they all embraced the challenge of this theme. They relied on photographs and videos to find just the right bird in just the right pose. The criteria for inclusion was that the subject be listed as threatened or endangered, and it be painted at life size.
“I chose to paint what some might consider ugly birds—two vultures and a large ungainly crane,” says Linda. “I have learned to appreciate the role that vultures play in their habitat, and now think of them as handsome, even striking. This has been a wonderful opportunity to paint and become familiar with birds that I will most likely never see in person. I fear their possible loss and will mourn those that don’t survive as deeply as I would a friend.”
Martial Eagle by Susan Bull Riley
In addition to painting their chosen birds, artists were asked to provide information about their subjects, including its habitat, behaviors, and threats to its survival. BRI’s avian scientists were helpful with that research, offering personal insights into the unique habits of any of the chosen species. Each of the paintings also includes a link to a video showing the live subject in action. And a special treat is a soundscape of Amboseli that will be piped into the gallery during the opening.
“Science and art are braided together in this exhibition to attract public attention and interest and to help provide stewardship opportunities,” says Adelaide. “By offering a glimpse into their unique beauty, we hope to both delight and inspire viewers, fostering appreciation for the singular nature of these spectacular birds.”
Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries: Birds, Grasslands, and Restoration in Kenya
By Eleanor Eckel, Director of Communications
In southern Kenya, the landscapes surrounding Amboseli National Park support one of the most ecologically rich regions in East Africa. Vast rangelands, seasonal wetlands, and open savannas provide habitat for hundreds of bird species alongside elephants, lions, giraffes, and countless other forms of wildlife. These ecosystems are dynamic and interconnected, and tied to the communities that have lived alongside them for generations.
This landscape is the focus of Birds of Amboseli, a newly released title from Big Dipper Books. The book celebrates the remarkable diversity of birdlife found in the Amboseli region while highlighting the ecological importance of East Africa’s rangelands and the conservation efforts helping sustain them.
Little Bee-easter, by Ed Jenkins.
Amboseli is home to more than 530 bird species, from Secretarybirds and Kori Bustards to vibrant bee-eaters, hornbills, cranes, and raptors. For birders, conservationists, and nature enthusiasts alike, the region offers an opportunity to experience biodiversity at an incredible scale. But the story of Amboseli is about more than wildlife viewing. It is a story about the health of the landscapes surrounding protected areas and the people working to steward them.
Healthy rangelands are essential for both wildlife and pastoralist communities. Across Kenya, however, many rangelands are increasingly facing pressures from drought, climate variability, and land degradation. Restoring these landscapes is critical not only for biodiversity, but also for long-term ecological resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
That work is central to the mission of Soils for the Future Africa (SftFA), a group working with pastoral communities, to enhance grazing and fire management practices, which increases soil carbon storage, a crucial step in strengthening climate resilience. This stored carbon is then used to create carbon credits that can be sold to support these management activities, creating a sustainable funding model that supports land restoration and local livelihoods.
By promoting restoration practices and long-term stewardship, work done by SftFA helps sustain the broader ecosystems that wildlife depend on, including the habitats and migratory landscapes that make Amboseli globally significant for birds and other species. The work also reflects the important role local communities play in conservation, particularly in landscapes where people, livestock, and wildlife have coexisted for generations.
Birds of Amboseli and SftFA tell different parts of the same story. One captures the beauty, diversity, and wonder of these landscapes through science and storytelling. The other represents ongoing efforts to restore and sustain the ecological systems that support them.
Together, they offer a reminder that conservation extends far beyond park boundaries. Protecting biodiversity requires not only research and documentation, but also restoration, collaboration, and long-term investment in healthy ecosystems and communities.
To learn more about Birds of Amboseli, visit Big Dipper Books.
To learn more about Soils for the Future Africa and their work in Kenya, visit SftFA.
Photo Credits: Photos © BRI
