February Newsletter 2024
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E-Newsletter 2024
The last Secretarybird in Gauteng?
The grasslands of Gauteng are probably one of the most threatened habitats in the entire country. The economic heart of South Africa continues to develop at breakneck speed and the last natural pieces of the Highveld are quickly disappearing. This was illustrated recently when Egoli returned to the City of Gold. This male Secretarybird, tracked since 2021 and one of the four remaining individuals still being monitored by the BirdLife South Africa Secretarybird Project as part of a long-term movement study, is usually found along the Vaal River near Sasolburg in the Free State. But in late December 2023 he flew north and stopped in a small patch of grass between Soweto and Randfontein. There, amid mine dumps and old gold shafts, this lone strider wandered across an area of just under 10km².
On New Year’s Day, however, he tried something new. He went first north and then north-east, heading across the Jukskei River and all the way to the N4 highway in Atteridgeville. But, it seems, Pretoria wasn’t really to his liking and he turned around, heading to The Cradle Nature Reserve for a brief overnight visit before returning to the small patch of grass next to the mines and remaining there. Beyond the wonder of a Secretarybird taking a day trip to see Pretoria, there is the fact to consider that, despite travelling almost 200km across the least developed parts of Gauteng, Egoli still found no suitable habitat! Could he be the last Secretarybird in the province?
If you do see a Secretarybird – not just in Gauteng but anywhere in the country – please log the encounter on the BirdLasser app or report it to info@birdlife.org.za
CASSIE CARSTENS, SECRETARYBIRD PROJECT MANAGER
Call of the Wild exclusive!
Are you listening carefully?
To describe an African sunset without ever seeing one is virtually impossible. How does one encapsulate the majesty of a herd of elephants or the still alertness of a lion drinking at a waterhole? So much of the safari experience is visual because of the vivid imagery of the African bush. However, it’s not often that we think about what this experience would be like for someone who cannot see.
Call of the Wild, a documentary designed for both able-sighted and visually impaired audience members, explores this very notion by pairing Anika, a visually impaired child with a knack for bird calls, with an extraordinary innovation in bush safari experiences engineered by soundscape specialists Derek and Sarah Solomon. Renowned ornithologist and bird guide Dr Daniel Danckwerts provides the narration.
From the intricacies of what we hear in the bush to the way in which sounds can bring blind people closer to nature than was ever thought possible, sound in all its profundity is unpacked. Come eavesdrop on the wild as Anika ventures on her first sound safari and explores nature’s expanse through sound alone – truly experiencing the ‘call of the wild’.
BirdLife South Africa and The Big Productions invite you to an exclusive screening of Call of the Wild.
Date: 14 March 2024
Time: 18h30–20h00
Venue: Country Club Johannesburg, Woodmead
Cost: R90 pp
Tickets can be purchased at birdlife.org.za/support-us/events/call-of-the-wild/
BIRDIE: putting waterbird data to work
BirdLife South Africa is excited to be part of the innovative BIRDIE Project (BiodIveRsity Data pIpelinE), a ground-breaking endeavour that aims to improve our understanding and protection of South Africa’s vital wetlands and their birdlife. Representing an important advance in conservation efforts, the project leverages citizen science data to fuel informed decision making and policy development.
BIRDIE is designed to bridge the gap between the wealth of biodiversity data collected by dedicated citizen scientists and its application in conserving precious freshwater ecosystems. Sourcing data from comprehensive citizen science databases, including the Coordinated Waterbird Counts (CWAC) and the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2), BIRDIE employs sophisticated statistical models to analyse and synthesise information about bird distribution and abundance at wetland sites across the country. It does not replace these projects, but uses the data collected to help inform decision making.
South Africa’s freshwater ecosystems are globally significant and offer extensive benefits to humans and to plant and animal species. Yet they are among the most endangered ecosystems, with 88% of their area under threat and a mere 2% receiving protection. The BIRDIE Project addresses the urgent need for a coherent data-to-decision pipeline that can transform raw biodiversity data into actionable insights for conservation policy and management. It has already been useful for RAMSAR and AEWA reporting, as well as for regional Red Listing.
The heart of BIRDIE lies in its accessible online dashboard, which provides stakeholders with up-to-date indicators that are essential for effective wetland and waterbird conservation. This platform facilitates the integration of bird data with other critical environmental factors, such as water quality, to support a wide range of decisions from rehabilitation and management to reporting and legal protection.
The success of the BIRDIE Project stems from a collaborative effort led by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and supported by the FitzPatrick Institute, the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Sol Plaatje University and international partners. This initiative has flourished thanks to generous funding from the JRS Biodiversity Foundation and the expertise of numerous individuals and institutions dedicated to conserving South Africa’s unique biodiversity. And at its core are the birders contributing to CWAC and SABAP2.
How can I contribute to BIRDIE?
By supporting and taking part in CWAC and SABAP2, as the data from these citizen science projects feed into BIRDIE. Ensuring that they continue – and continue to improve – helps the development of BIRDIE. There are many wetland sites that are not monitored each year and birders are desperately needed to do so. A full list of sites can be found on the CWAC website cwac.birdmap.africa/
Together, we can make a difference for waterbirds and the wetlands they call home. To find out more, visit birdie.sanbi.org.za/
DR ALAN LEE, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION PROGRAMME MANAGER
Penguin pin
African Penguin populations have crashed by more than 90% and there is a very real danger that South Africa’s west coast will lose its penguins by 2035. This dramatic decline is due to a shortage of the penguins’ anchovy and sardine prey – a shortage that is linked to competition with fisheries and to climate change. Expanding maritime industries and heavy predation pressure have added to the threats faced by this Endangered species.
BirdLife South Africa is doing all it can to help these charismatic birds by advocating for fishing closures around the few remaining breeding colonies and by pioneering the establishment of new penguin colonies on the south coast.
By purchasing this pin badge, you can help to turn around the penguin’s slide toward extinction. The pin badges have just been released and are available now from Shop for the Birds! (shop.birdlife.org.za) at R100 per badge.
CHRISTINA HAGEN, PAMELA ISDELL FELLOW OF PENGUIN CONSERVATION
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Restoring estuarine habitats
As BirdLife South Africa’s new West Coast Estuaries Conservation Officer, I was very glad of the opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view, and take aerial photographs, of the Berg River and Verlorenvlei estuaries, which are the focus of a new project to restore and safeguard vulnerable estuarine habitats. These include key ‘blue carbon’ habitats, which capture large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store them in aquatic environments.
My work will include trialling measures for restoring and protecting habitats such as reed and sedge marshes and intertidal flats, as well as blue carbon salt marshes, the largest extent of which is found at the Berg River estuary. With project manager Dr Giselle Murison, I recently joined researchers from the botany department of Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in monitoring soil and water at the Verlorenvlei estuary, which gave us insight into the status of the estuary and the environmental issues it is facing. The monitoring forms part of an NMU study investigating the acidic state of the Verlorenvlei’s main water body, as well as harmful algal blooms that may be forming in the system. This is just one of several NMU studies on the health of the Verlorenvlei system currently under way and we look forward to building our collaboration with NMU as part of this project.
PHILIPP GRUNDLINGH, WEST COAST ESTUARIES CONSERVATION OFFICER
Bashing and birding in the Lesotho Mountains
An ‘atlas bash’ involves volunteer citizen scientists, and specifically existing atlasers for SABAP2 who are knowledgeable about the region’s birds and SABAP2 atlasing protocols. They visit a region of interest over a specified period to atlas the pentads in that region. Pentads can be allocated to the atlasers to ensure that all the required pentads are sufficiently atlased over the period.
In 2023 nine birders participated in the first Lesotho atlas bash, coordinated by BirdLife South Africa and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA). The purpose of the bash was to obtain species distribution data for the Polihali catchment of the Lesotho Highlands Water project. The data were collected using SABAP2 protocols and point data were recorded using the BirdLasser mobile app. During the bash, 2601 records for 135 species were logged on 46 full and ad-hoc protocol atlas cards. Species sighted included the Southern Bald Ibis, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Drakensberg Siskin, Secretarybird, Black Stork and Bearded Vulture.
The BirdLife South Africa and LHDA partnership is hosting another atlas bash in March 2024 and experienced atlasers are invited to participate, at their own cost, in the region of Mokhotlong in the north of Lesotho. Even with the valuable data collected in 2023, there are still several pentads with no atlas cards. These will now be regarded as priority pentads. Ideally, all pentads should have at least four atlas cards, but very few pentads in Lesotho have reached this target.
SABAP2 aims to map the distribution and relative abundance of birds in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Zambia. To gather data, citizen scientist volunteers select a geographical ‘pentad’ on a map and record all the bird species seen within a set time frame, in the order of species seen. This information is uploaded to the SABAP2 database and is used for research and analysis by several agencies, including SANBI and BirdLife South Africa, as well as academics and students at various universities.
South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini are home to numerous endemic and/or threatened species. BirdLife South Africa is currently reviewing the status of these threatened species, and accurate records of sightings of threatened and endemic species within South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini are crucial for estimating population sizes accurately. SABAP2 assists with the development of distribution maps and indicates the true presence and absence of species if pentads have been sufficiently atlased. Currently, SABAP2 coverage in Lesotho is very sparse and atlasing is mostly completed around major tourism establishments and the roads leading to them (sabap2.birdmap.africa/coverage/country/lesotho).
Any keen birders who are interested in participating in the Lesotho atlas bash in March are encouraged to contact me at carina.pienaar@birdlife.org.za to confirm the number of participants for the weekend.
CARINA PIENAAR, INGULA AND GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION PROJECT MANAGER
Birding with BirdLife South Africa and Ecotraining
BirdLife South Africa has again partnered with our friends at Ecotraining to offer birders an exclusive opportunity to spend a long weekend at one of South Africa’s most exciting birding destinations.
We have previously run successful trips to the Makuleke Concession in the Pafuri region of Kruger National Park – a true birder’s paradise. Now we are extending our offering to include Limpokwena, a camp at the confluence of the Limpopo and Mogalakwena rivers on the border with Botswana.
The dates available are:
Limpokwena
29 February–3 March 2024
Makuleke
11–14 April
20–23 June
18–21 July
7–10 November
28 November–1 December
5–8 December
All the trips are fully catered and include guided activities. The cost per person sharing is R6523 – a rate that is exclusive to BirdLife South Africa and unbeatable for these destinations.
Both destinations offer incredible birding and wildlife viewing, being set in unfenced big game areas. Limpokwena is open to the Tuli Block and big game animals, including elephants and lions, move freely in and out. The diversity of habitats – riparian forest, arid thornveld, mopane veld and rocky outcrops – ensure that the birdlife is equally spectacular. Two of the special birds in the area are Pel’s Fishing Owl and Boulder Chat. Makuleke is situated in the very popular northern Kruger National Park where Racket-tailed Roller, Three-banded Courser and Pel’s Fishing Owl are all possibilities.
Spaces are limited and, as these trips typically sell out, we suggest you don’t delay. All bookings contribute directly to BirdLife South Africa’s work to conserve the country’s birds and their habitats.
For enquiries and bookings, please contact Meagan at assistant@ecotraining.co.za or on 013752 2532.
ANDREW DE BLOCQ, AVITOURISM PROJECT MANAGER
Bird of the Year 2024 greets visitors to Isdell House
BirdLife South Africa is extremely grateful to artist Anton de Wet for donating his beautiful oil painting of a Bateleur, the Bird of the Year for 2024. It now hangs proudly in the foyer of the organisation’s Johannesburg headquarters, Isdell House, greeting staff and visitors every day.
Anton fell in love with birds at the age of six, when his dad built a large aviary in their backyard. Growing up in and near game parks in northern KwaZulu-Natal, he was privileged to spend many hours in the bush observing his favourite animals – birds. This has helped him to understand their anatomy and over time has also developed within him a deep appreciation for creation. Only recently though, at the age of 40, Anton started painting in oils for the first time. He donates 20% of all his proceeds to BirdLife South Africa, and we are immensely grateful.
When asked by BirdLife South Africa CEO, Mark Anderson, to consider painting the 2024 Bird of the Year, Anton grabbed his brushes and started painting his first Bateleur and donated it for our reception area at Isdell House. He now specialises in painting southern African birds and offers his work for sale at reasonable prices in support of bird conservation.
Anton’s oil paintings of birds can be seen on Instagram @antondewet_bird_artist or his website antondewetart.com. Please consider purchasing or commissioning one, knowing that proceeds go towards protecting South Africa’s birds.
ANDY WASSUNG, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
You can access previous entries from 2023/4 using the buttons below
July 2023
August 2023
September 2023
October 2023
November 2023
December 2023
January 2024
February 2024
March 2024
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