Threatened species

There are a number of globally and nationally threatened bird species in southern Africa. 

Download the threatened bird species list here

The list contains the red data status of the threatened bird species in South Africa and also indicates their endemic and migratory status.

Read more about BirdLife International's Preventing Extinctions Programme below.

Secretarybird

Threatened species newsflashes

SA Taita Falcon Survey Team: BirdLife South Africa Species Guardian

An interview with Andrew Jenkins about the Taita Falcon, reproduced with kind permission from African Raptors.  Click here

BirdLife International Preventing Extinctions Programme

Read more below or download the Preventing Extinctions Information Document.

In response to the rapidly increasing threat of bird extinctions, BirdLife International (114 partners across the globe) has launched the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme (PEP). Two important communities form the heart of the programme. These are the Species Guardians and Species Champions.

BirdLife Species Guardians are individuals or organisations that take responsibility for the conservation action whereas BirdLife Species Champions are companies, organizations, or individuals who support financially the prevention of extinction of a globally threatened bird species. The programme is designed to focus attention, and money, at the sharp end of conservation: to save the critically threatened species.

PEP builds on the success several BirdLife Partners have already enjoyed bringing endangered species back from the brink of extinction. Aligned with the four focal areas of BirdLife International, PEP protects globally threatened species from extinction, delivers site and habitat conservation and engages with and empowers people.

Species Champions

By becoming a BirdLife Species Champion, a donor will be making a direct contribution to help prevent extinctions! The full donor contribution is used in PEP - the largest percentage is allocated to the conservation of the threatened species, and a smaller percentage to BirdLife International and the local BirdLife Partner (BirdLife South Africa in South Africa), with these funds allowing the PEP to explore more champions for other similarly globally threatened species. But it takes lots of money to effect meaningful change, so a R50 donation doesn’t qualify one for status of Species Champion! That said, online donations to the programme can be of virtually any amount.

Successful conservation projects are rarely short term undertakings. Therefore, PEP projects cannot be launched for one year and abandoned in the next; we therefore encourage donors to commit to the project for three to five years.  In return for a three year funding commitment (or one year commitment of equivalent financial value that will cover the project for a minimum of three years), the donor will be recognised and acknowledged as the Species Champion by BirdLife South Africa (and BirdLife International) for the time period.

If donations to conservation require some form of reciprocal benefit, especially for corporate donors, the PEP provides these. Every Species Champion is licensed to use two logos – the BirdLife Species Champion logo as well as the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme logo. The benefits thus include reputation through association, publicity opportunities and access to new customers. On the BirdLife International website new champs enjoy “top billing” for as long as they are the newest signing.  Second, champs are advertised and promoted on banners and posters at national and international events. High profile coverage is further provided in the internationally published World Birdwatch and Rare Bird Yearbook. However, the largest trade-off for any species champ should be in the trade-off to conservation and the prevention of extinction of a single species.

BirdLife South Africa is proud to have one Species Champion, the Charl van der Merwe Trust, who supports the conservation of African Penguin.

Species Guardians

Species Guardians are individuals or organisations who take on a set of responsibilities for a particular threatened bird species in a defined geographical area, usually a particular country. Their primary role is to take and/or stimulate conservation action for the species in question. They should also monitor the status of the species.

Species Guardians’ activities include most of the following examples:

• Implement priority actions for the species, in particular those identified and listed in BirdLife’s species factsheets
• Monitor trends in the species’ status through tracking observations, active research, publications, quantifying intensity of threats etc.
• Develop a working Species Action Plan, if one does not yet exist, outlining the priority actions and projects required.
• Facilitate and monitor the implementation of priority actions by other individuals or organisations involved in conserving the species; and identify new priorities for action.
• Liaise and communicate in an open and collaborative manner with all individuals and organisations involved in carrying out research and implementing action for the species.
• Carry out or support fundraising through the BirdLife network organisation.
• Advocate for appropriate conservation measures to relevant authorities and institutions.
• Report these data to BirdLife South Africa (and BirdLife International) each year, and review and update the Birdlife species factsheet, including reporting on the actions implemented, their effect and new priority actions needed.

Guardians may use the Species Guardians logo, and may call themselves BirdLife South Africa Species Guardian for [Species Name].

BirdLife South Africa will develop a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Guardian. (Such a MoA is not necessary where BirdLife South Africa takes on the role of Guardian).
It is hoped that Species Guardians will take on the role as part of a longer term commitment. Appointments will be reviewed on an annual basis, covering progress, success, communication, support etc., from the perspective of both the Species Guardian and BirdLife South Africa.

(It will often be the case that a Species Guardian receives support from many different
sources and agencies, and their role as the BirdLife Species Guardian will be broader than that deriving from their role in specific projects funded by a particular agency).

For more information, please contact Dr Hanneline Smit at BirdLife South Africa on 011 789 1122 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Below are the species conservation projects that BirdLife South Africa is involved with. Click on the links below to go to the project pages for more detailed information.