BirdLife South Africa

The mission of BirdLife South Africa is to promote the enjoyment, conservation, study and understanding of wild birds and their habitats.

Nomenclature History

1905-1929: South African Ornithologists' Union
1930-1975: South African Ornithological Society
1976-1996: Southern African Ornithological Society
1996- present: BirdLife South Africa

BirdLife South Africa's aims are to:

Prevent the extinction of any bird species
Maintain and where possible improve the conservation status of all bird species
Conserve and where appropriate improve and enlarge sites and habitats that are important for birds
Help, through birds, to conserve biodiversity and to improve the quality of people's lives
Integrate bird conservation into sustaining people's livelihoods.

There are many reasons why we should conserve birds, including:

Birds are an important component part of the world's biodiversity, providing important ecosystem services
The bird watching industry is a growing economic force.
Societies value birds for economic, cultural, ethical and spiritual reasons. In parts of Africa a special relationship exists between birds and local cultures. Birds have inspired artists, and bird images are frequently used to adorn everyday objects like coins, bank notes and postage stamps. Birds are increasingly becoming key elements in revenue generating eco-tourism.
Birds are indicators of the state of the environment. In general, places that are rich in bird species are also rich in other forms of biodiversity. Their presence indicates a healthy environment.
BirdLife South Africa's four conservation goals:

The organisation focuses its effort around conservation goals for:

species
sites
habitats
people

BirdLife South Africa Position Statements

BirdLife South Africa has developed a number of position statements to assist staff, bird clubs, council members and indeed all members, to align themselves with the organisation’s viewpoints on a range of important matters.

BirdLife South Africa Chief Executive Officer's Reports

Annual Report for 2010
March 2011
June 2011
September 2011

Gill Memorial Medal Award

This is BirdLife South Africa's most prestigious acknowledgement and is awarded for outstanding lifetime contributions to ornithology (the study of birds) in southern Africa. The Gill Memorial Medal Award is presented at the BirdLife South Africa Annual General Meeting.

Call for nominations 2012. Read more