I'm an M.Sc. student currently working as a researcher at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. My research areas include ornithology, wildlife movements, hydrology and meteorology at Lewa Conservancy and contingency Landscapes.

With the support of Women in Conservation Technology (Kenya) and Arm, I had the opportunity to expand my research and achieve tremendous outcomes. As part of my graduate research, I have been documenting the foraging behavior of Somali ostrich at Lewa and Borana Wildlife Conservancies, a first study of it's kind for this species. Such studies on foraging strategies are critical to understanding the ecology of a species, and can provide the means to predict possible ecological responses to environmental change. A better understanding of the ostrich behavior will lead to increased knowledge of developing feeding strategies for ostriches.

Project progress and outcomes

The project has currently documented the behaviors associated with the foraging of the Somali ostrich for both wet and dry seasons and in different habitat types. I'm currently working on the manuscript and soon the outcomes of this project will be published in a scientific journal. Thanks to the mentorship I got from the Women in Conservation Technology Program for Kenya.

Other projects and milestones

With the support from Women in Conservation Technology Program and Arm, I have managed to document over 80% of birds of Lewa and Borana Wildlife Conservancies using photo evidence. I have established the first bird checklist of IL Ngwesi Community Conservancy with over 200 bird species. In addition, I partner with natural State Research Centre on acoustic bird monitoring and analysis, and I run a birding club, a platform for knowledge sharing and learning. I monitor the population dynamics and threats facing birds in Northern Kenya with a strong focus on waterfowls and raptors.

The future

Applying the skills and knowledge I've gotten from different platforms such as Women in Technology Program, I look forward to continue with the work of biodiversity conservation in areas of ornithology, application of camera traps in wildlife monitoring and hydro-met. I also look forward to apply more technology in research and monitoring of birds in Northern Kenya.