Large and conspicuous birds offer the opportunity to monitor their populations by means of relatively simple techniques. One of these techniques is the "road count", in which observations are made from vehicles covering fixed routes.

CAR has spread rapidly to most provinces and now monitors over 20 species of large terrestrial birds (cranes, bustards, korhaans, storks, Secretarybird and Bald Ibis) along 340 fixed routes covering 19 000 km. Fourteen of these species appear in the Red Data Book. Twice a year, in midsummer (the last Saturday in January) and midwinter, (the last Saturday in July) roadcounts are carried out using this standardised method. A standardised method allows one to make comparisons between counts. Even though we do not attempt to count the entire population of a species, the area covered is so large that CAR is statistically capable of demonstrating trends in population size. The project also reveals details of habitat use and the relationship of populations to the agricultural practices of an area.

For more information on CAR and how to get involved, please visit http://car.adu.org.za/ or contact the CAR Project manager Donella Young at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it