OPPORTUNISTIC BREEDING BY THE REDBILLED QUELEA IN EASTERN KENYA

The demography and breeding patterns of the Redbilled Quelea in easter n Kenya are described with respect to abnormally high rainfall in Tsav o-East National Park during late 1984 and early 1985. The prolonged br eeding that occurred, together with the early sexual maturation of you ng queleas and their entry into the breeding population, underlined th e opportunistic nature of quelea migration and breeding strategies. Op portunism may be considered to be the most adaptive breeding strategy for queleas generally, but may be more conspicuous in East Africa than in some other parts of Africa because of more complex rainfall patter ns.