Birds of the Karoo
Surveying the birds of the Karoo in 2017 and 2018 was one of the more memorable chapters of my life. The surveys were conducted on a shoestring budget, camping and biking to keep costs down and maximise effort, with long stints away from family. Most took place on private land and we are grateful to Gigi Laidler and SANBI’s BioGaps project for laying the groundwork for the study’s design and for access to farms. Our project’s success was in no small part due to the hospitality of farmers.
Championed by former BirdLife South Africa employee Dale Wright, the survey provided the first population estimates for many Karoo bird species. It used data from point counts and SABAP2 to analyse the density, range and trends of various species in the Nama and Succulent Karoo biomes.
Key findings
- Most bird species in the Karoo showed stable population trends (allowing for natural fluctuations) and are not currently of serious conservation concern. An interesting exception was the Karoo Chat, which showed unexplained declines.
- Red Lark and Sclater’s Lark were identified as regionally Near Threatened on account of their specialised habitat needs and inferred declining populations, due mostly to ‘big development’. These species are not protected in any formally designated conservation areas, although this may change with the new Meerkat National Park.
- The gradual transformation of the Karoo landscape, due primarily to mining and renewable energy developments, poses a significant threat to its birdlife. Several endemic species are negatively affected by bush encroachment, notably of the alien Prosopis species, and bird species are inadequately represented in protected areas.
Recommendations
- Focused conservation efforts are needed, particularly for endemic species like Red Lark and Sclater’s Lark. Informed by comprehensive biodiversity assessments, developers should implement mitigation measures to minimise adverse effects on vulnerable bird populations. Biodiversity offsets will benefit multiple wildlife species.
- Given the large ranges and low densities of many species, traditional conservation approaches such as expanding protected areas may need to be supplemented with strategies for sustainable land use and habitat management. Traditional land-use practices, notably small livestock farming, are compatible with healthy bird populations in the Karoo.
This research improves our understanding of the diversity of birdlife in the Karoo and informs conservation strategies that are essential for preserving this arid-zone ecosystem. For deeper insight into the methodologies and detailed results of this landmark assessment, the full study can be found at birdlife.org.za/media-and-resources/birdlife-south-africas-scientific-publications/#1594806490343-2e252606-4679
The field study was sponsored by Gaynor Rupert. Thanks also go to AFRIT, ESKOM and the Italtile and Ceramic Foundation Trust for supporting my position, which enabled me to analyse the SABAP2 data. The paper will appear in a special issue of Ostrich dedicated to the memory of Richard Dean.
Thanks also go to all SABAP2 participants who have contributed lists from the Karoo; we could not have done this without you. Please consider supporting SABAP2 either through a donation or a full protocol bird list for future insights into South Africa’s bird species.
DR ALAN LEE, SCIENCE & INNOVATION PROGRAMME MANAGER
The Photography Competition returns!
We’re thrilled to announce the return of the BirdLife South Africa Photography Competition, in partnership with Canon. We can’t wait to witness the beauty of South Africa’s diverse birdlife through your lenses once again!
Whether it’s a common garden visitor or a once-in-a-lifetime sighting, grab your camera and showcase the beauty of South Africa’s birdlife and stand a chance to win amazing prizes and feature in African Birdlife magazine and our 2025 calendar – all while contributing to bird conservation.
Don’t miss this chance to shine! Enter now at birdlife.org.za/photography-competition-2024/. For any questions about the competition, don’t hesitate to contact us at photocompetition@birdlife.org.za
Thank you to our generous prize sponsors for supporting this competition and conservation initiative, including Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Canon South Africa, Tintswalo Waterberg, The Royal Portfolio, The Oyster Box, Return Africa, Gardena, Struik Nature and Cape Town Pelagics.
Get the latest issue!
Waterbirds feature strongly in the latest issue of African Birdlife – and why not? They’re bold, fascinating to watch and lend themselves to creative photography, as Greg du Toit demonstrates. Researcher Jess Lund explores the egg-laying arms race, and BirdLife South Africa staff explain the rationale behind taking legal action to protect the African Penguin. There’s a distinct fynbos flavour to the issue too, as Mike Buckham recalls the 2023 Big Year Birding Challenge in Cape Town and Anton Crone explores the intricacies of the Walker Bay Diversity Trail.
Be sure to get your copy now. To find your nearest retail outlet, visit birdlife.org.za/media-and-resources/blsa-african-birdlife/
Fire and birds
Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, including African savannas, but their effects on wildlife can be complex and varied. In September 2021, a massive fire swept through 145 000ha of arid savanna in the Northern Cape. A team of researchers led by BirdLife South Africa and supported financially by Ekapa Minerals seized the opportunity to study how this major disturbance impacted the region’s bird communities.
The scientists compared bird survey data from unburnt areas with data from the same locations that had been affected by the fire. They also looked at historical survey data from 2003–2004, nearly two decades previously, to account for any longer-term changes unrelated to this latest burn.
Surprisingly, the total number of bird species detected did not differ significantly between the burnt and unburnt sites, or between the historical and post-fire surveys. However, this stability in species richness masked important differences in which species were present and their densities.
Using a technique called distance sampling, the researchers estimated that overall bird densities were about 50% lower in the burnt areas compared to unburnt control sites. This difference was most pronounced for seed-eating birds like Sociable Weavers and Cape Turtle (Ring-necked) Doves. Several insect-eaters, such as the Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler (Warbler) and Marico Flycatcher, also showed declines in the burnt areas, probably due to reduced shrub cover. Interestingly, a few bird species seemed to benefit from the post-fire conditions. The Fawn-coloured Lark was more common in burnt sites, perhaps due to a preference for the open habitats created by the fire.
The results suggest that while bird communities in this arid savanna are resilient to fire at the overall species-richness level, fires can still have a major impact on the population densities of many species, especially in the first year after burning. The loss of seed-eating birds in particular may reflect reduced grass cover and food resources.
The study highlights that fire management in arid savannas may need to be approached differently from savannas with higher rainfall where fires have long been part of the ecosystem. Maintaining unburnt refuges in the landscape is likely to be important to sustain bird populations after large wildfires. Long-term monitoring will be key to tracking the recovery of these bird communities over time as the vegetation regenerates.
Find out more from the scientific article at The impact of a massive wildfire event on avian species richness and abundance in an arid African savanna ecosystem – ScienceDirect
The authors gratefully acknowledge generous financial support from Ekapa Minerals.
DR DAVID EHLERS SMITH AND DR ALAN LEE, SCIENCE & INNOVATION PROGRAMME; ERNST RETIEF, LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Progress at Ntsikeni Nature Reserve
The Empowering People Programme and Wetland Conservation Project (through the Landscape Conservation Programme) are collaborating to develop opportunities for job creation and biodiversity stewardship to better conserve the habitats and threatened species of Ntsikeni Nature Reserve in southern KwaZulu-Natal. Lack of management resources and community pressure are among the threats the reserve faces, but by developing ecotourism opportunities, restoring habitat and building and maintaining infrastructure over a 10-year period, we intend to overcome the challenges.
The first phase of this multi-year endeavour started in 2022 with a formal proposal, stakeholder engagement and the establishment of partnerships. BirdLife South Africa contracted professional community bird guide Dalu Ngcobo to provide several services in the reserve and he is now stationed at Ntsikeni Lodge, accommodation that is owned and managed by the community and generates revenue for two tribal authorities in the area. The following year the focus was on encouraging tourists to the reserve and lodge, and a web page with the reserve’s bird list was developed for the BirdLife South Africa website. The page also contains information for booking accommodation and Dalu’s guiding services, and a flyer was published and distributed on social media.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Ntsikeni Community Trust are also helping to make improvements at the reserve and lodge. A list of all the repairs needed at the lodge has been sent to supporters who may wish to donate materials or provide expert services to complete some of the tasks. In addition to guiding, Dalu conducts monthly bird monitoring transects and chases community cattle away from the wetland, and more field rangers have been employed. The community has implemented many repairs at the lodge and is helping to restock it, aided by donations received from BirdLife Sani for a brush-cutter and Flitwick Ranch for lounge chairs. Dalu has also been busy locating a new water source and installing piping for a gravity-fed supply (as opposed to pumping with a diesel generator).
Much positive change is happening at Ntsikeni Nature Reserve and we thank our partners for helping to make this happen. Future work will encourage better management and stewardship of community grasslands to act as an incentive to keep cattle out of the reserve. We would be grateful for any support in developing signage and establishing hiking trails in the reserve.
DR KYLE J. LLOYD, WETLAND CONSERVATION PROJECT MANAGER/ROCKJUMPER FELLOW OF WHITE-WINGED FLUFFTAIL CONSERVATION
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The Bateleurs have landed!
Stocks of Bateleur soft toys have arrived at Shop for the Birds! so be sure to get yours before they sell out.
The Bateleur takes centre stage as BirdLife South Africa’s Bird of the Year 2024. Recognised as the Berghaan in Afrikaans, ingqungqulu in isiZulu and ingqanga in isiXhosa, this majestic raptor captivates with its striking appearance and extraordinary aerial manoeuvres. The sight of a Bateleur gracefully navigating the bushveld sky with its distinctive rocking glide is emblematic of our nation and continent.
To purchase your Bateleur, go to shop.birdlife.org.za/product/bateleur-2024-soft-toy/
Conservation League on a winning streak
BirdLife South Africa’s Conservation League Donor Programme has launched a brand-new logo. It depicts the Southern Bald Ibis, a species that is an appropriate emblem of successful conservation efforts and a symbol of our shared commitment to conserving South Africa’s birds. We hope this logo will serve as a reminder of the impact of BirdLife South Africa’s – and other organisations’ – dedicated conservation efforts and the crucial importance of continued support from our donors.
You can read more about Conservation League Donors and the conservation story of the Southern Bald Ibis at birdlife.org.za/support-us/conservation-league-donors/
Lucky draw!
To celebrate this special occasion, we are pleased to announce a special lucky draw exclusively for our Conservation League Donors. One lucky donor will win a beautiful ornithologist’s book bag from Melvill & Moon, a company known for its fine craftsmanship and dedication to quality, as well as a copy of the recently released Birds of Greater Southern Africa Field Guide.
All current and newly signed-up Conservation League Donors during May 2024 will automatically qualify for the lucky draw, which is scheduled for Friday, 31 May 2024. The lucky winner will be notified via e-mail.
Thank you to Melvill & Moon for generously donating the book bag.
To become a Conservation League Donor, visit birdlife.org.za/support-us/conservation-league-donors/ or e-mail me at Tarryn.Mckechnie@birdlife.org.za
TARRYN McKECHNIE, PHILANTHROPY OFFICER
The rarest Secretarybirds of all…
I inherited a few things from my parents: my mother gave me the love of birds, and my father a fascination with trees. He also supplied another, more niche, interest called philately: the study of stamps and postal history. Some of my earliest memories are of him collecting stamps along certain themes. Birds featured prominently, as did trees and churches (he was a Dutch Reformed minister, after all!). When he passed, my wife and I received all his albums – lots of them! We gave most to the club he had founded, but we kept the bird stamps and I page through them from time to time.
There’s only a handful of Secretarybird stamps, most from African countries where the bird occurs. Hunting and eating snakes from Burundi, regal portraits courtesy of South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana and Congo (where this iconic species doesn’t exist). My favourite is a close-up of a bird looking to the left, all the way from the Central African Republic. Some of these stamps are as old as I am, and I doubt any more will be produced since postage has gone almost completely digital. However, I intend to hang on to these few stamps, as they are the rarest Secretarybirds of all!
CASSIE CARSTENS, SECRETARYBIRD PROJECT MANAGER
A race against time to save Botha’s Lark
In light of the drastic decline in the Botha’s Lark population, and with great concern for securing its future, BirdLife South Africa’s Dr Hanneline Smit-Robinson, Nandi Thobela, Ernst Retief, Valery Phakoago and Dr David Ehlers Smith joined Kristi Garland, manager of the BirdLife South Africa Wakkerstroom Centre, to engage with landowners and learners in the region from 8 to 11 May 2024.
Kristi, accompanied by Nandi and Valery, visited Country College (Volksrust) and Ethembeni Primary School (Daggakraal – once a stronghold of Botha’s Lark). They met the principals, teachers and learners to discuss the Junior Bird Club programme and the Daggakraal Idstein Botha’s Lark project at each school. Eighty-three books, including field guides and storybooks, were donated to Ethembeni Primary School to enrich its environmental library. The Daggakraal Idstein Botha’s Lark Environmental Education Project focuses on opening the world of Botha’s Lark to the selected schools, Ethembeni Primary and Seme High School. Through support resources, teachers’ workshops and hands-on learner activities, teachers and learners at these schools are beginning to understand the importance of co-existing with nature and protecting valuable sites for the survival of species, namely Botha’s Lark, while increasing both literacy and numeracy levels across the grades.
Meanwhile, Hanneline, Ernst and David, along with Senior Highlands Grassland Field Officer Bradley Gibbons of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, met with Johan Uys, on whose land the last known breeding record of Botha’s Lark was reported. They discussed farming practices, land-use changes and establishing the Hoëveld Protected Environment on landowners’ properties within the distribution of Botha’s Lark. This initiative will also offer protection for other threatened high-altitude grassland species such as Rudd’s Lark, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Wattled, Grey Crowned and Blue cranes, Blue and White-bellied korhaans and Secretarybird.
Hanneline, Ernst and David also met a team conducting bird surveys across the landscape as part of wind farm prospecting and discussed the lack of recent Botha’s Lark sightings. We found time for field work too, following up on recent sightings and assessing the condition of the veld in light of the niche predicted by the habitat suitability models produced by the Science & Innovation Programme. Further to this, camera traps were placed at an artificial waterbody adjacent to the last known breeding site, in the hope of catching Botha’s Lark coming to drink during winter when water is scarce. This is a trial survey to see how effective camera traps may be in capturing the species and helping to quantify the population status; if successful, it will be rolled out across the species’ historical distribution.
The lack of sightings and scarcity of records seem to confirm our concern that Botha’s Lark warrants the status of Critically Endangered – and strengthen BirdLife South Africa’s resolve to do everything possible to secure a future for the species. This includes appointing a new Threatened Highveld Grassland Project Manager at the Wakkerstroom Education Centre to continue research and monitoring, landowner engagement, environmental education and awareness programmes, and helping to establish the Hoëveld Protected Environment. To find out more about the plight of Botha’s Lark and how you can help, please visit birdlife.org.za/bothas-lark/
DR HANNELINE SMIT-ROBINSON, HEAD OF CONSERVATION; NANDI THOBELA, EMPOWERING PEOPLE PROGRAMME; ERNST RETIEF AND VALERY PHAKOAGO, LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PROGRAMME; KRISTI GARLAND, WAKKERSTROOM EDUCATION CENTRE; DR DAVID EHLERS SMITH, SCIENCE & INNOVATION PROGRAMME
We’re Flocking to Marion AGAIN!
When the MSC Musica departs from Durban on 24 January 2025, she’ll be heading to Marion (and Prince Edward) Island on an unforgettable journey. Will you be aboard?
Following an exclusive booking period reserved for BirdLife South Africa’s generous donors and members, reservations for Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 are now open to the public.
Join more than 1000 eager adventurers (and counting) on this once-in-a-lifetime voyage! Reserve your spot by contacting the MSC Cruises call centre at +27 (0)11 844 6073 or by clicking here.
From witnessing Wandering Albatrosses gliding gracefully by at sunrise to listening enthralled to Peter Harrison MBE’s evening talk about a life watching seabirds, your days will be filled with wonder.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Act fast, as spots are filling up rapidly. Visit birdlife.org.za/flock-to-marion-again-2025/ for more information.
The South African Bird Fair is lekker!
On 24 August 2024 be sure you’re ready for early birding walks, engaging talks by inspiring guest speakers and workshops tailored for kids, novice birders and garden bird enthusiasts. There will also be sessions focusing on identifying those tricky LBJs. Don’t miss the many exhibitors, the annual fundraiser auction and the popular wine-down birding quiz.
Keep your eyes peeled for more updates here, in your inbox and on our social media channels.
First aid for a scorpion sting
Another epic day of birding draws to a close. The sun dips below the horizon and you can’t wait to put your feet up around the fire with a cold drink and record the day’s lifers. You reach down to grab another log to add to the fire and suddenly an excruciating burning pain takes over your finger, your hand and then your entire arm. You have just made the acquaintance of Parabuthus transvaalicus.
What do you do now?
This is a question many birders may not think about, as their gaze is more likely to be on the sky, trees or shrubs rather than on the ground (or in their firewood). But a run-in with the wrong species of scorpion will no doubt put a dampener on the excitement of the birding expedition, and could actually prove deadly. Understanding these enigmatic creatures and being equipped with the knowledge to handle encounters with them is critical.
Enter Essential Scorpion Sting First Response by Jonathan Leeming, southern Africa’s leading authority on spider bites and scorpion stings and how to respond to them. It is a comprehensive guide tailored for nature enthusiasts, campers, adventure travellers – and birders, who are inclined to look up more than down.
The book offers a new and innovative first response framework that is based on the latest science and is easy to understand and put into practice. It answers two very important questions: how can you reduce the chance of being stung by a scorpion; and if you are stung, how can you ensure the best possible outcome?
This book will be of particular value to anyone working, living in or visiting areas where scorpions abound and to medical professionals, veterinarians, field guides and birders. It delves into the intricate world of scorpions, unravelling their behaviour and habitats and the nuances of their venom. From identification to prevention and, most importantly, first-aid response, each page gives invaluable and potentially life-saving insights.
To order your copy, go to https://scorpions.co.za/scorpion-sting-first-response-book/, or or email Jonathan on info@jonathanleeming.com.
Jonathan has also created a free short course using some of the book’s contents. It consists of 10 short modules and a 50-question assessment, and a certificate if you pass. Designed for mobile devices, this short course offers essential understanding for everyone who enjoys the great outdoors. For more information about the short course, visit https://scorpions.co.za/scorpion-sting-first-response-short-course/
Essential Scorpion Sting First Response is a project that has involved top medical professionals in southern Africa. It will change how scorpion stings are treated across the region.
ANDY WASSUNG, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Wanted: an Advocacy Officer
BirdLife South Africa is seeking an Advocacy Officer for its Policy & Advocacy Programme and the requirements include expertise in South African environmental law and policy, experience in EIA processes and a proactive passion for conservation. Responsibilities involve managing casework, drafting responses to development applications, coordinating with stakeholders and supporting policy tracking. Candidates must hold a relevant post-graduate degree, possess in-depth knowledge of environmental law and demonstrate skill in engaging with stakeholders. Please go to birdlife.org.za/who-we-are/vacancies/ for more information.
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