A virtual Flock (BirdLife South Africa’s Annual General Meeting) was held on 29 May 2021 and included an enormously successful Learn About Birds (LAB) conference.
Gill Memorial Medal
During the AGM, BirdLife South Africa’s most prestigious award was presented to David Allan.
The Gill Memorial Medal is awarded for outstanding lifetime contributions to ornithology in southern Africa and the list of recipients includes a very renowned group of southern Africa’s distinguished ornithologists.
David Allan, ornithologist at the Durban Natural Science Museum, is the most recent recipient, with BirdLife South Africa recognising his contributions over four decades.
BirdLife South Africa also announced the naming of its head office library after Saul Sithole.
One of the unsung heroes of ornithology in southern Africa was recognized when BirdLife South Africa commemorated Saul Sithole for his significant contributions to ornithology.
Shining a light on this unsung hero of South Africa’s ornithology history, BirdLife South Africa named the organisation’s library after Mr Sithole. Described as the “forgotten scientist”, Saul Sithole (1908-1997) made a massive contribution to the field of anthropology and ornithology for more than 60 years. This included work he did for South Africa’s renowned ornithologist Austin Roberts.
