Karthala National Park
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Karthala National Park
Mount Karthala or Karthola ( ar, القرطالة ''Al Qirṭālah'') is an active volcano and the highest point of the Comoros at above sea level. It is the southernmost and larger of the two shield volcanoes forming Grande Comore island, the largest island in the nation of Comoros. The Karthala volcano is very active, having erupted more than 20 times since the 19th century. Frequent eruptions have shaped the volcano's 3 km by 4 km summit caldera, but the island has largely escaped broad destruction. Eruptions on April 17, 2005 and May 29, 2006 ended a period of quiet. Volcanic activity April 2005 eruption The eruption, which carried a risk of lava flows and deadly volcanic gas, caused the evacuation of 30,000 residents. The crater was clearly changed by the eruption. A grey field of ash surrounds the crater and the caldera itself seems larger and deeper. The crater lake, which formed after Karthala's last eruption in 1991 and once dominated the caldera, is now go ...
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Ultra Prominent Peak
An ultra-prominent peak, or Ultra for short, is a mountain summit with a topographic prominence of or more; it is also called a P1500. The prominence of a peak is the minimum height of climb to the summit on any route from a higher peak, or from sea level if there is no higher peak. There are approximately 1,524 such peaks on Earth. Some well-known peaks, such as the Matterhorn and Eiger, are not Ultras because they are connected to higher mountains by high cols and therefore do not achieve enough topographic prominence. The term "Ultra" originated with earth scientist Steve Fry, from his studies of the prominence of peaks in Washington (state), Washington in the 1980s. His original term was "ultra major mountain", referring to peaks with at least of prominence. Distribution Currently, 1,518 Ultras have been identified above sea level: 639 in Asia, 356 in North America, 209 in South America, 120 in Europe (including 12 in the Caucasus), 84 in Africa, 69 in Oceania, and 41 in ...
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Heathland
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler and damper climate. Heaths are widespread worldwide but are fast disappearing and considered a rare habitat in Europe. They form extensive and highly diverse communities across Australia in humid and sub-humid areas where fire regimes with recurring burning are required for the maintenance of the heathlands.Specht, R.L. 'Heathlands' in 'Australian Vegetation' R.H. Groves ed. Cambridge University Press 1988 Even more diverse though less widespread heath communities occur in Southern Africa. Extensive heath communities can also be found in the Texas chaparral, New Caledonia, central Chile, and along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to these extensive heath areas, the vegetation type is also found in scattered locations acro ...
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Comoros Thrush
The Comoros thrush (''Turdus bewsheri'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in the Comoros Islands in the south western Indian Ocean. Description The Comoros thrush is a brown bird with olive tinged upperparts, slightly more rufous on the tail and wings. The underparts are whitish except for brown flanks and brown scaling on the breast and belly, central belly and undertail coverts are white. The females are browner than the males but otherwise similar, juveniles are more rufous. The length is 24 cm. Voice The song is a typically thrush-like series of melodious, rich notes which varies between islands. ALarm call is a sharp "''twit''" and there is a soft contact call. Distribution and subspecies There are three recognised subspecies, each endemic to a single island. They are: *''Turdis bewsheri comorensis'' Milne-Edwards & Oustalet, 1885: Grand Comoro. *''Turdis bewsheri moheliensis'' Benson, 1960: Mohéli. *''Turdis bewsheri bewsheri'' E. Newton, 1 ...
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Comoros Olive Pigeon
The Comoros olive pigeon (''Columba pollenii''), also known as the Comoro olive pigeon, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Comoros and Mayotte. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss. Description Easily distinguishable from other pigeon species, the Comoros olive pigeon is the largest bird in the Comoro Islands. It has a dark plumage. Adolescent pigeons have a bright yellow bill, whereas older ones have a dull green or brown bill. The Comoros olive pigeon makes a very deep coo of "guk-ohoooo hoo hooo". Habitat Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and it can be found in Comoros (especially Mount Karthala) and Mayotte, with a higher-density population being observed in the latter. Status Although described as locally common in parts of Grand Comoro, the Comoros olive pigeon is in general a fairly scarce bird with a small total population. The chief threat it faces is the clearance of the forest habitat in which it lives ...
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Comoros Fody
The Comoros fody (''Foudia eminentissima''), also known as the red-headed fody, is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in the Comoros. The taxon ''aldabrana'', was previously often considered a subspecies of the Comoros fody. Previously, the forest fody from Madagascar was considered a subspecies of the Comoros fody. References External links Aldabra fodyanComoros fodyon Weaver WatchRed-headed fody media
on the Internet Bird Collection Foudia, Comoros fody Birds of the Comoros Birds of Mayotte Birds of Seychelles Birds described in 1851, Comoros fody Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Comoros fody Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Ploceidae-stub ...
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Comoros Blue Pigeon
The Comoros blue pigeon (''Alectroenas sganzini'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Comoros and the coralline Seychelles. It is rated as a species of near threatened on the  International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species. Description The Comoros blue pigeon measures about in length. The male weighs from , and the female weighs about . It has a silvery gray head, neck, and upper breast. The neck feathers are silvery white in colour, and are very long and deeply partitioned. The beak is greenish or yellowish grey, and has a pale yellow or greenish white tip. It has black lower underparts. The lower part of the breast is shiny violet-blue, and the belly and flanks are more greenish blue in colour. Distribution and habitat The Comoros blue pigeon is endemic to the Comoros and the coralline Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropica ...
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BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding important sites for birds, maintaining and restoring key bird habitats, and empowering conservationists worldwide. It has a membership of more than 2.5 million people across 116 country partner organizations, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Wild Bird Society of Japan, the National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy. BirdLife International has identified 13,000 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas and is the official International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List authority for birds. As of 2015, BirdLife International has established that 1,375 bird species (13% of the total) are threatened with extinction ( critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable). BirdLife International p ...
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Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International. There are over 13,000 IBAs worldwide. These sites are small enough to be entirely conserved and differ in their character, habitat or ornithological importance from the surrounding habitat. In the United States the Program is administered by the National Audubon Society. Often IBAs form part of a country's existing protected area network, and so are protected under national legislation. Legal recognition and protection of IBAs that are not within existing protected areas varies within different countries. Some countries have a National IBA Conservation Strategy, whereas in others protection is completely lacking. History In 1985, following a specific request from the European Economic Community, Birdlife International ...
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Karthala White-eye
The Karthala white-eye (''Zosterops mouroniensis''), also known as the Mount Karthala white-eye, Grand Comore white-eye, or Comoro white-eye, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. As suggested by its name, it is endemic to '' Philippia'' heath woodland growing on Mount Karthala on the island of Grand Comore in the Comoros. Mount Karthala is an active volcano and future eruptions pose a serious threat to the Karthala white-eye. The bird is further threatened by human-induced habitat loss. The bird is approximately 13 cm long with olive upperparts and yellow-green underparts. It has a white ring around the eye. Its diet consists of fruits and insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...s. References External linksBirdLife Species Factsheet Karthala ...
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Karthala Scops Owl
The Karthala scops owl (''Otus pauliani''), also known as the Grand Comoro scops owl or Comoro scops owl, is a small scops owl endemic to the island of Grande Comore in the Comoro Islands. Taxonomy The Karthala scops owl was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Madagascar scops owl (''Otus rutilus''), but with the other Comoro Islands scops owls, it is now regarded as a separate species. Description The Karthala scops owl lacks ear-tufts and comes in two colour forms, a light morph and a dark morph. The light morph is dark greyish-brown on the upperparts with fine barring and pale spots along the scapulars. The underparts are reddish-buff with a dense pattern of fine barring on the flight feathers and tail. The dark morph is overall dark chocolate brown but no specimen of a dark morph individual has been taken. It measures approximately in length and the wingspan is . Voice Its call is a whistled "toot", which is given repeatedly with one second intervals. Distributi ...
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Humblot's Flycatcher
Humblot's flycatcher (''Humblotia flavirostris'') or the Grand Comoro flycatcher, is a small passerine bird belonging to the Old World flycatcher family. It is the only member of its genus. Humblot's flycatcher is endemic to the island of Grand Comoro in the Comoros where it inhabits forest on the slopes of Mount Karthala. The scientific name commemorates the French naturalist Léon Humblot. Description The upperparts are grey-brown while the underparts are pale with dark streaks. It has a dark crown with pale streaks and the bill and feet are yellow-orange. The bird is 14 cm long. It is often silent but has a soft trilling call. It differs from ''Muscicapa'' and other flycatchers in having plumage with a very soft and fluffy texture, and by having distinctive feathers on the crown that are a modification that represents the beginnings of the formation of a crest. Ecology Humblot's flycatcher feeds on insects which it catches by making short flights from a perch low in ...
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Grand Comoro Drongo
The Grand Comoro drongo (''Dicrurus fuscipennis'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Comoros. The bird is glossy black with some matte brown contrasts and a forked tail. It is approximately 24 cm long and has a black bill and legs. It feeds on fruit and large insects such as cockroaches, grasshoppers, beetles and mantes. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, pastureland, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss. References Grand Comoro drongo Endemic birds of the Comoros Grande Comore Grand Comoro drongo The Grand Comoro drongo (''Dicrurus fuscipennis'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Comoros. The bird is glossy black with some matte brown contrasts and a forked tail. It is approximately 24 cm long and ha ... Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Dicruridae-stub ...
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