The A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI)

About APLORI

Mission:
Our mission is to advance conservation efforts while fostering impactful biological research in West Africa by building capacity and forging collaborative partnerships that drive positive conservation outcomes.

Vision:
Our vision is to nurture a future where thriving wildlife and ecosystems across West Africa coexist in harmony with local communities sustained through conservation efforts founded on science and shared knowledge.

Overview:
The A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) is the foremost ornithological research institute in West Africa situated in Laminga, Jos-East LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria. It is dedicated to ornithological research and capacity building in West Africa. The Institute was set up in 2002 by the Leventis Conservation Foundation Nigeria, which remains the Institute’s principal source of funding.

APLORI runs a one-year master’s degree programme in Conservation Biology. Our MSc programme was established in 2002 to raise at most ten West-African conservation biologists yearly, all on scholarship provided by our endowment from the Leventis Conservation Foundation Nigeria. Although our degree is granted through the University of Jos, we are autonomous and answer directly to the Vice-Chancellor of the University. Our degree is European standard with teaching from invited international academics, exams set and run by staff of the University of St Andrews, and external examiners from international universities such as Edinburgh, Ghent, Groningen, Glasgow and Oxford. Though lectures are held in the institute located in Laminga, Jos-East LGA, Plateau State, we have a field station in WEPPA Farm, Agenebode, Edo State which gives option for research in a derived savanna with agricultural footprints.

Our MSc programme is an intensive 6-month course work and a 6-month individual research project. Our teaching is carried out by a team of academics who come from all over the world coordinated and supported by teaching fellows based at APLORI and the University of St Andrews. Typically, an academic will come for a couple of weeks to teach a module at APLORI, and then the academic serves as a supervisor for one of the students during their research project. This gives a diverse and high level of teaching for the students as well as establishing strong international links for our graduates. Though the focal point is to resolve conservation issues in the African context, our extensive education system has continued to place our students in pivotal positions across the world. Many of our graduates end up in PhD programmes in international universities as a consequence.

Our curriculum consists of the principles of ecology and conservation biology with an underlying core of quantitative methods. In particular, we teach scientific thinking, experimental design, and statistical analysis (using R Statistical Software) so that our students learn to be proper conservation scientists. We particularly emphasise field skills and teach a range of practical conservation skills from survey techniques to bird ringing. While the students are exposed to a plethora of disciplines, we also ensure the development of oral and written communication skills.

At APLORI, research is carried out by research staff and collaborators from other institutes. These include research associates funded, or partly funded, by the Institute and post-docs from APLORI or that are externally funded. There are also PhD students, some funded by APLORI, but most funded externally, and of course, the Masters’ students that train by carrying out research projects as part of their dissertations. There are usually one or two international researchers on site, perhaps carrying out fieldwork using APLORI as a convenient base in the African savannah biome, or actively collaborating with our research staff on diverse projects such as avian influenza, migrant bird declines, biodiversity conservation or even nest building behaviour in weavers.

APLORI is directed by Associate Professor Adams A. Chaskda. Adams gained his PhD in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and has been active in ornithological research for the past 18 years.

APLORI’s capacity building work has been made possible because of the vision and commitment of our benefactor, Dr. A. P. Leventis and the Leventis Conservation Foundation Nigeria; and through the support of several vital partners and collaborators including the University of Jos; the Nigerian Conservation Foundation; the Laminga Community; Leventis Foundation Nigeria; BirdLife International – Cambridge and Nairobi; University of St Andrews, UK; University of Cape Coast, Ghana, just to mention a few. Our citizen science efforts have also enjoyed great support from several collaborators and partners including: The FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South Africa; the Biodiversity Development Institute (BDI), South Africa; Skandinav Konsult, Sweden; Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland; BirdLife Sweden; BirdLife – The Netherlands, the British Trust for Ornithology; the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds RSPB and many more.

PROJECTS

The Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (NiBAP)
NiBAP was launched in December 2015 and seeks to map the distribution of Nigeria’s birds and describe their natural history with the help of volunteer members of the public (YOU). This distribution information can therefore be used to take real action for birds and biodiversity conservation in Nigeria! Nigeria has been divided into small grid squares called pentads. Each pentad is about 9 x 9 Km2 and volunteers visit a pentad to record and submit records of birds seen and/or heard within the pentad. There are 11,088 pentads in Nigeria and you can keep track which pentads have been surveyed here: Nigerian Bird Atlas. Volunteering for the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project is a fun and exciting experience as you get to join a community of young, keen and enthusiastic nature and bird watchers. In Nigeria, this community is organised into several Bird Clubs which are located in various parts of the country. Joining a bird club puts you in touch with other bird watchers and club members get to learn from each other and also motivate and encourage each other along this exciting journey of mapping Nigeria’s birds

The Center for Species Survival Nigeria (CSSN)
Established in 2023 through a strategic partnership between APLORI and the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission, the Center for Species Survival Nigeria addresses the pressing need for regional knowledge and conservation of Nigerian birds and biodiversity by building local capacity and supporting the full species conservation cycle – from assessment to planning and action. Leveraging APLORI’s 20+ year legacy of advancing ornithology and training over 160 conservation biologists in West Africa, the Jos-based Center focuses on identifying research gaps and assessing the protection status of Key Biodiversity Areas as a basis for protecting threatened, endemic species and developing a National Red List. Through collaborations with various stakeholders to implement tailored conservation strategies, capacity building to empower local conservation efforts, and projects aligned with the IUCN framework that foster species- and habitat-level protection, the Center aims to significantly impact the conservation and sustainable management of Nigeria’s unique biodiversity.

The APLORI Bird Ringing (APBRING) Scheme
The APLORI Bird Ringing Scheme (APBRING) oversees and coordinates ringing activities across Nigeria under the guidance of the South African Bird Ringing Scheme (SAFRING), with the goals to promote quality research, ensure high ringing standards, and maintain a national database – over 47,000 ringing records have been amassed to date. Specific data collected on species, age, sex, biometrics, location, date, and breeding condition of ringed individuals, along with multiple recapture events, enables various scientific studies on bird movements and population dynamics. While metal rings are the conventional marking method, information from other techniques like color rings, data loggers, and satellite tracking are also archived by APRING. With more data continuing to accrue through coordinated ringing projects and training workshops, APRING encourages collaborative analyses to answer key ecological questions on Nigerian birds.

Amurum Avian and Vegetation Monitoring Scheme
In an effort to monitor avian populations and vegetation dynamics within Nigeria’s Amurum Forest Reserve, three long-term monitoring programmes have been established – a weekly line transect survey to estimate diversity and population trends of resident, intra-African migrant, and Palearctic migrant bird species across habitat types like savannah and gallery forest; a weekly point count survey at 40 randomly selected points from August to May to determine species richness, abundance, density, population trends, and phenology of those three bird groups; and a vegetation survey involving permanent plots and phenology transects to produce a checklist of plant species and determine their relative abundance. Data collection includes recording species, numbers, activities, distances, and coordinates, alongside vegetation and weather parameters, which is then analyzed to detect ecological trends over time and space. Overall, these coordinated monitoring efforts aim to continuously update Amurum’s avian database and comprehensively document its flora for conservation purposes.

Nocturnal Avian Ecology Monitoring Scheme
There has been an increasing recognition of nocturnal activities as an integral part of the life history of many bird species. However, studying nocturnal species could be challenging because they are cryptic, secretive and active at a time when accessibility to field may be challenging. This has resulted to most bird studies being restricted to diurnal species with inclusion of nocturnal species in the survey being as a result of dusk, predawn or incidental observations. Thus, the nocturnal avian ecology intends to bridge the knowledge gap in nocturnal avian species particularly in relation to distribution, seasonality, migration, climate vegetation structure and ethno-ornithology. Presently, it runs a Passive Acoustic Monitoring scheme in several legacy Key Biodiversity Areas in the different ecological Zone in Nigeria. This is to provide understanding to the spatio-temporal distribution pattern of birds as well as provide insights into the behaviour of these bird species. This has the benefits of influencing proper management decisions, policies and conservation objectives on bird species.

The West African Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases (WAC-EID)
The West African Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases (WAC-EID) is a research collaboration regulated by the University of Texas Medical Branch. It comprises three partner countries – Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Senegal – with the goal of sampling animal populations to determine potential zoonotic pathogens that could spill over into human populations. The aim is to then put necessary safeguards in place to prevent transmission. Under the Nigerian arm of WAC-EID, the A.P Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) is one of four institutional partners, alongside the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom, and the Department of Zoology at the University of Jos. The APLORI bird and bat research group within WAC-EID is led by Principal Investigator Prof. Filibus Dami and Coordinators Dr. Adams Chaskda and Dr. Taye Adeyanju, with several other APLORI researchers participating. This group has commenced data collection in Gindiri, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. Additionally, a biosafety training hosted by the Nigerian WAC-EID country office at JUTH was undertaken to prepare participants for their research activities.

CONTACTS

Panshak Solomon Kumdet
panshak [AT] aplori.org
+234 803 057 3601

SOCIAL MEDIA

Website: https://www.aplori.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aplori/mycompany/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/aplori.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aplori_org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplori_org/