Rare migratory bird from Finland spotted by fishermen in Siaya

Local fishermen made the discovery while casting their nets in Lake Victoria near Usalo Beach. 

The bird, believed to be a fish-eating raptor, was unfortunately entangled in their fishing nets and died before they noticed the identification rings fastened to its legs.

Similar to the Western Osprey that made headlines in January 2020, this latest specimen was also fitted with a reference ring. 

The ring bore the mark: Museum Zool, Helsinki Finland, www.ring.ac, C6.U, indicating the bird had been ringed in Finland.

While the Western Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is recognized as a regular winter visitor to Kenya, recoveries of ringed individuals are still extremely rare.

The 2020 discovery prompted calls for greater protection of Lake Victoria’s catchment areas.

At the time, Dr. Patrick Omondi, Director of Research at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), urged the Siaya County Government to enhance conservation efforts, particularly in ecologically significant areas such as the Lake Kanyaboli National Reserve.