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Effects of Afforestation and Clearfelling on birds and small Mammals at Grootvadersbosch, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: A.J. Armstrong --- Department of Nature Conservation, Republic of South Africa H.J. van Hensbergen --- Department of Nature Conservation, Republic of South AfricaResults from a short-term study of birds and small mammals in pine plantations, regenerating clear-felled sites and indigenous forest and fynbos habitats at Grootvadersbosch, southern Cape, indicate that the pine faunal assemblages are pauperised in relation to those of the... -
Are Pine Plantations “Inhospitable Seas” around Remnant Native Habitat within South-western Cape Forestry Areas?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Forestry Journal • Authors: A.J. Armstrong --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa H.J. van Hensbergen --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa D.F. Scott --- Jonkershoek Forestry Research Centre, South Africa S.J. Milton --- , South AfricaSome areas of forestry estates, including unplantable ones, may be zoned and managed for nature conservation. This paper is an analysis of the results of studies of plants, birds and small mammals at Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, to determine whether pine plantations... -
EFFECT OF CATTLE DIP CONTAINING TOXAPHENE ON THE FAUNA OF A SOUTH AFRICAN RIVER
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Limnological Society of Southern Africa • Authors: P.M. Brooks --- , South Africa B.D. Gardner --- , South AfricaIn August 1978 the Hluhluwe River, which runs through the Hluhluwe Game Reserve (Natal, South Africa), was polluted by toxaphene from a cattle dip tank. Faunal surveys were conducted to determine the impact of the insecticide on the fish and... -
PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BIOTIC RESPONSES TO DECREASING WATER DEPTH IN A HIGHVELD PAN FOLLOWING WET AND DRY SUMMERS
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences • Authors: KH Rogers --- Department of Botany, WN Ellery --- Department of Botany, NL Winternitz --- Department of Botany, R Dohmeier --- Department of Botany,The classification of highveld pans by Geldenhuys (1982) emphasized the spatial diversity of morphology, vegetation and fauna. However, since the characteristics of individual pans also change seasonally and over longer term wet/dry cycles, he called for more detailed limnological studies... -
Use of a small, intermittently-open estuary by waterbirds: a case study of the East Kleinemonde Estuary, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: AI Terörde --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, South Africa JK Turpie --- , South AfricaLittle is known of the use and importance of South African small, intermittently-open estuaries to waterbirds. Waterbird activities were monitored in a section of the East Kleinemonde Estuary on the south-east coast of South Africa from June 2004 to May... -
Sunbirds hover at flowers of Salvia and Lycium
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Petra Wester --- Department of Botany and Zoology, South AfricaSunbirds usually perch when visiting flowers for nectar and only rarely hover. Except for three studies of sunbirds visiting introduced plants in South Africa and India as well as a native plant in Cameroon, there have been no quantitative studies... -
Trends in waterbird diversity at Banzi, Shokwe and Nyamithi pans, Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Madel Whittington --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa Gerard Malan --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa MichaelD Panagos --- Department of Nature Conservation, South AfricaOur understanding of the timeous changes to pan-associated bird diversity is very important for the conservation of these wetlands. At Ndumo Game Reserve, a Ramsar site located in northern KwaZulu-Natal, seasonal (from March 2005 to January 2006 at Nyamithi Pan)... -
Association between avian assemblages and mountain bushveld communities along a single mountain slope in the Usuthu Gorge, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Gerard Malan --- Department of Nature Conservation, South Africa RionE Lerm --- Department of Nature Conservation, South AfricaThe study investigated the bird species diversity associated with vegetation communities found on a single mountain slope in the Usuthu Gorge Community Conservation Area, northern KwaZulu-Natal. Thirteen sample sites were surveyed on a monthly basis for 12 months. Over this... -
Distribution, breeding phenology and time budget of Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea during the annual cycle in the Hauts Plateaux, north-east Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Mouloud Boulkhssaïm --- Department of Biology, Algeria Abdallah Ouldjaoui --- Department of Biology, Algeria AhmedH Alfarhan --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity, Saudi Arabia Boudjéma Samraoui --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity, Saudi ArabiaBetween September 2003 and July 2006, the reproductive biology and time budget of the Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea was studied in the wetland complex of Oum el Bouaghi, north-east Algeria. Our results indicate a marked post-breeding dispersal of the Ruddy... -
A review of Jouanin's Petrel records in the eastern Indian Ocean
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: PeterG Ryan --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, South Africa Barrie Rose --- , South Africa Michael Carter --- , Australia RohanH Clarke --- School of Biological Sciences, AustraliaJouanin's Petrel Bulweria fallax mainly occurs in the western Indian Ocean. Prior to our study there were only two records from east of 82° E. We show that small numbers of Jouanin's Petrels are regular visitors to the eastern Indian... -
Diurnal patterns of mass gain in tropical granivores suggest avoidance of high midday temperatures during foraging, rather than the starvation–predation risk trade-off
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Shiiwua Manu --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Will Cresswell --- School of Biology, UKDiurnal patterns of body mass gain in small temperate birds are of theoretical interest because they are largely a consequence of the starvation vs predation risk trade-off. In tropical birds, diurnal variation in body mass may also be influenced by... -
Status and breeding ecology of the Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus in Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria AhmedH Alfarhan --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity, Saudi Arabia Boudjéma Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, AlgeriaThe status of the Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus in Algeria and its breeding ecology in North Africa are reported for the first time. Nest site selection and breeding parameters were studied at two contrasting sites in north-east Algeria: Boussedra, an... -
Vocal mimicry by sunbirds and the first record of mimicry by Dusky Sunbird Cinnyris fuscus
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Michael SL Mills --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, NigeriaVocal mimicry is rarely observed among members of the Nectariniidae (sunbirds), with the only African species known to do so regularly being Socotra Sunbird Chalcomitra balfouri. Here I document and describe for the first time vocal mimicry by Dusky Sunbird... -
Living on the bare edge: fitness consequences for Cape Gannets Morus capensis at Bird Island, Algoa Bay
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: David Green --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology, South Africa Pierre Pistorius --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology, South AfricaAvian breeding colonies often suffer high levels of predation along their margins. Nest predation is a major fitness concern for parents and therefore nests inside of the colony edge might be at a premium. This was tested through studying the... -
Vegetation composition and structure influences bird species community assemblages in the highland agricultural landscape of Nyandarua, Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: P Kariuki Ndang'ang'a --- BirdLife International – Africa Partnership Secretariat, Kenya John BM Njoroge --- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya Mwangi Githiru --- Ornithology Section, KenyaWe examined the effects of vegetation composition and structure on bird species diversity and richness of foraging guilds in the highland agricultural landscape of Nyandarua, Kenya. Bird point counts and vegetation surveys were undertaken during four sampling periods. Linear mixed... -
The sociality of nesting in Rüppell's Weaver Ploceus galbula and the Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius in an Ethiopian acacia woodland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: David C Lahti --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USARüppell's Weaver Ploceus galbula and the Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius nest prominently in the Awash National Park, Ethiopia. In both species the sociality or degree of aggregation of their nesting is varied. Rüppell's Weaver can nest singly or in... -
Habitat use pattern of three species of egrets in a small coastal lagoon in Ghana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Francis Gbogbo --- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, Ghana Gideon Kwarteng Acheampong --- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, Ghana John-Mark Yaw Atiemo --- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, Ghana Quist Elorm Crepindale --- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, GhanaThe foraging and pattern of habitat use of Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis, Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Great Egret Egretta alba were studied in Sakumo II Lagoon in Ghana to determine the extent of utilisation of non-fish resources by... -
Conserving Surface-nesting Seabirds at the Prince Edward Islands: The Roles of Research, Monitoring and Legislation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: R. J. M. Crawford J. CooperSouth Africa's subantarctic Prince Edward Islands support substantial proportions of the global populations of a number of surface-nesting seabirds. Populations of most of these have decreased at the islands since the 1980s and 12 of 16 species are regarded as... -
Counts of Surface-nesting Seabirds Breeding at Prince Edward Island, Summer 2001/02
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: P. G. Ryan J. Cooper B. M. Dyer L. G. Underhill R. J. M. Crawford M. N. BesterThe first midsummer survey of surface-nesting seabirds at Prince Edward Island was conducted during December 2001. It was also the first census for most species since the early 1980s. Despite concerns about the impacts of longline fishing mortality on various... -
Accounting for food requirements of seabirds in fisheries management – the case of the South African purse-seine fishery
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: R. J. M. CrawfordIn South Africa, four of the seabirds that feed mainly on sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus have an unfavourable conservation status or a small population: African penguin Spheniscus demersus, Cape gannet Morus capensis, Cape cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis and... -
Oiled and injured African penguins Spheniscus demersus and other seabirds admitted for rehabilitation in the Western Cape, South Africa, 2001 and 2002
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: NJ Parsons LG UnderhillFollowing the Treasure oil spill incident in 2000 in which 19 000 African penguins Spheniscus demersus were oiled, there were no large spills in either 2001 or 2002. In spite of this, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of... -
Wintering seabirds in West Africa: foraging hotspots off Western Sahara and Mauritania driven by upwelling and fisheries
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: CJ Camphuysen J van der MeerCold-water upwelling supports abundant and diverse faunas. Upwelling off Mauritania has been highlighted as being important for seabirds, but very few systematic offshore surveys have been conducted in that region. Mauritanian waters are increasingly targeted by commercial fisheries along the... -
Seabirds in the diet of Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus at three mainland breeding colonies in Namibia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: S Mecenero SP Kirkman J-P RouxPredation by Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus on seabirds has previously been attributed to a few individuals, mainly males. Scat samples were collected at three mainland breeding colonies of seals in Namibia to determine the extent of seabird predation... -
Birds and conservation significance of the Namib Desert's least known coastal wetlands: Baia and Ilha dos Tigres, Angola
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: RE Simmons A Sakko J Paterson A NzuziThe Ilha dos Tigres of Angola is the only sandy island off the coast of the 2 000km-long Namib Desert and it remains the least known coastal wetland on a desert coast rich in shorebirds. Two surveys of the Baia... -
A review of the ecology and management of temporarily open/closed estuaries in South Africa, with particular emphasis on river flow and mouth state as primary drivers of these systems
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: AK Whitfield --- , South Africa GC Bate --- Department of Botany, South Africa JB Adams --- Department of Botany, South Africa PD Cowley --- , South Africa PW Froneman --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa PT Gama --- Department of Botany, South Africa NA Strydom --- Department of Zoology, South Africa S Taljaard --- , South Africa AK Theron --- , South Africa JK Turpie --- , South Africa L van Niekerk --- , South Africa TH Wooldridge --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaResearch in South African temporarily open/closed estuaries that includes studies on the hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics, macronutrients, microalgae, macrophytes, zoobenthos, hyperbenthos, zooplankton, ichthyoplankton, fishes and birds is used as a basis to review the ecology and management of this estuary type... -
St Helena Bay (southern Benguela) then and now: muted climate signals, large human impact
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: L Hutchings --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa A Jarre --- Marine Research (MA-RE) Institute, South Africa T Lamont --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa M van den Berg --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa SP Kirkman --- Department of Environmental Affairs, South AfricaThe development of suitable reference states for ecosystem-based management requires documentation of changes in structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, including assessment of the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down processes as drivers of change. We used monitoring data available... -
Human impact on lake ecosystems: the case of Lake Naivasha, Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: GeorgeE Otiang'a-Owiti Ignatius Abiya OsweLake Naivasha is a wetland of national and international importance. However, it is under constant anthropogenic pressures, which include the quest for socioeconomic development within the lake ecosystem itself as well as other activities within the catchment. The lake is... -
Seabird bycatch in the pelagic longline fishery off southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: SL Petersen --- , South Africa MB Honig --- , South Africa PG Ryan --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, South Africa LG Underhill --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, South AfricaThe waters around South Africa provide rich foraging opportunities for pelagic seabirds. They also support a pelagic longline fleet targeting tunas Thunnus spp. and swordfish Xiphias gladius, which set a total of 41.5 million (average 5.2 million per year) and... -
Seabird bycatch in the demersal longline fishery off southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: SL Petersen --- , South Africa MB Honig --- , South Africa PG Ryan --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, South Africa LG Underhill --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, South Africa M Goren --- , South AfricaThis study assesses seabird bycatch in the demersal longline hake (Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus) fishery in the southern Benguela region. Observers collected seabird bycatch data from 2 412 sets (14 million hooks) in the South African fishery, accounting for... -
Congruent, decreasing trends of gentoo penguins and Crozet shags at sub-Antarctic Marion Island suggest food limitation through common environmental forcing
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: RJM Crawford --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa BM Dyer --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa L Upfold --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa AB Makhado --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South AfricaNumbers of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua and Crozet shags Phalacrocorax [atriceps] melanogenis breeding annually at Marion Island, one of South Africa's Prince Edward Islands in the South-West Indian Ocean, were strongly correlated over 19 split-years from 1994/1995 to 2012/2013. Both... -
Primary wing-moult and site fidelity in South African mousebirds (Coliidae)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Adrian JFK Craig --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Bo T Bonnevie --- Information Technology Division, South Africa Patrick E Hulley --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa George D Underhill --- ,Based on large samples of birds mist-netted in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, moult of the primary remiges in both Speckled Mousebirds Colius striatus and Red-faced Mousebirds Urocolius indicus occurred throughout the year with no regional or seasonal... -
Winners and losers – responses to recent environmental change by South African seabirds that compete with purse-seine fisheries for food
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Robert JM Crawford --- Branch Oceans and Coasts, South Africa Azwianewi B Makhado --- Branch Oceans and Coasts, South Africa Lauren J Waller --- CapeNature, South Africa Philip A Whittington --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaThere were recent changes in the distributions of the main prey of four seabirds off South Africa, with sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus shifting from South Africa's north-west coast towards the south-east. This contributed to numbers of African... -
Lumbering the gauntlet: Cape Gannet fledglings killed by African Penguins
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Alistair M McInnes --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, South Africa Nicolas Suarez --- Centro Nacional Patagonico (CONICET), Argentina Gavin M Rishworth --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Africa David B Green --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Africa Pierre A Pistorius --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South Africa Lorien Pichegru --- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Zoology, South AfricaThis account presents the first known observations of Cape Gannet Morus capensis fledgling mortalities as a result of aggressive nest defence behaviour by African Penguins Spheniscus demersus. Observations were conducted in 2013 on Bird Island, Algoa Bay, South Africa –... -
Seed removal by ants, birds and rodents in a woodland savanna habitat in Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Alicia V. Linzey --- Department of Biology, U.S.A. Kimberly A. Washok --- Department of Biology, U.S.A.Seed removal from bait stations was studied in miombo habitat in western Zimbabwe. Previous studies of seed predation in southern Africa have largely been conducted in desert ecosystems. However, this woodland-savanna habitat is more mesic and has relatively predictable rainfall... -
Grassland bird response to vegetation structural heterogeneity and clearing of invasive bramble
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Chevonne Reynolds --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Craig T. Symes --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaSpatial and temporal patterns of disturbance and the subsequent heterogeneity are critical in maintaining biodiversity within grassland ecosystems. Grassland birds have evolved within this ‘shifting mosaic’ to become reliant on specific habitat characteristics maintained under varying levels of both natural... -
Interference competition between sunbirds and carpenter bees for the nectar of Hypoestes aristata
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Robert Tropek --- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic Michael Bartoš --- University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic Eliška Padyšáková --- University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic Štěpán Janeček --- Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech RepublicInterference competition for nectar sources has been repeatedly described between hummingbirds and various insects, but rarely recorded in other nectari-vorous birds. We observed aggressive behaviour by African sunbirds (Cinnyris reichenowi and Cinnyris bouvieri) defending the nectar plant Hypoestes aristata against... -
Phenology, nest-site selection and breeding success of a North African colony of the yellow-legged gull, Larus michahellis
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Afef Baaloudj --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides University of Guelma, Algeria Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides University of Guelma, Algeria Ahmed H. Alfarhan --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity King Saud University, Saudi Arabia Boudjéma Samraoui --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity King Saud University, Saudi ArabiaGulls are good biological models to investigate anthropogenic changes affecting the environment. We studied the breeding ecology of a monospecific colony of yellow–legged gulls, Larus michahellis on the Algerian island of Srigina, during three consecutive years (2009–2011) and attempted to... -
Aspects of the ecology and morphology of the protea seedeater, Crithagra leucopterus, a little-known Fynbos endemic
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Alan T.K. Lee --- Climate Change Adaptation Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa Phoebe Barnard --- Climate Change Adaptation Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, South AfricaThe protea seedeater, Crithagra leucopterus, is one of six passerine birds endemic to the Fynbos Biome, South Africa. It is the least known of these, and there is very little information on breeding and habitat use. Through nest observations and... -
Population metrics for fynbos birds, South Africa: densities, and detection and capture rates from a Mediterranean-type ecosystem
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Alan TK Lee --- Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa Phoebe Barnard --- Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa Philip AR Hockey --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaEstimates of bird numbers through quantification of density and range sizes are necessary for decisions regarding conservation status, yet counts of birds are often confounded by uncertainty of detection. The status of the endemic birds of the Fynbos biome is... -
Fluctuations in bird numbers on sewage treatment ponds in an arid environment, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: W Richard J Dean --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Suzanne J Milton --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Hugh P Forsyth --- , South Africa Dorrien R Tissiman --- , South AfricaRegular twice-monthly counts of birds associated with water at the Prince Albert sewage disposal facility recorded 69 species, of which 16 species (23.5%) were waterbirds (ducks, Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata and Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis) and 21 species were shorebirds... -
A novel methodology for the rapid assessment of waterbird vulnerability to disturbance
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Kate JH England --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Colin Jackson --- A Rocha Kenya, Mwamba Bird Observatory and Field Study Centre, Kenya Philip AR Hockey --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaA methodology for rapidly assessing the vulnerability of waterbirds to disturbance was tested at Sabaki estuary, Kenya. Three variables were employed to measure the responses of 15 species: (1) bird density, (2) minimum distance of birds from a stationary disturbance... -
Factors affecting nesting success in the Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus at Lake Tonga, north-east Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Sarra Cheriet --- Department of Ecology, FSNV-STR, Algeria Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Ahmed H Alfarhan --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity, Saudi Arabia Boudjéma Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, AlgeriaThe breeding ecology of the Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus was investigated over four consecutive years (2009-2012) at Lake Tonga, north-east Algeria. In all four years, the egg-laying period was relatively short, spanning two months (end of March to end of... -
Bird diversity in the savanna habitats of Akagera National Park, Rwanda, in the post-war recovery period
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Callixte Gatali --- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Sweden Kjell Wallin --- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, SwedenThe biodiversity of Akagera National Park (ANP), Rwanda, has reportedly been declining since 1990 due to conflict and war in the country between 1990 and 1994. In this paper, we describe bird diversity in the post-war recovery period. We used... -
Seed removal by ants, birds and rodents in a woodland savanna habitat in Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Alicia V. Linzey --- Department of Biology, U.S.A. Kimberly A. Washok --- Department of Biology, U.S.A.Seed removal from bait stations was studied in miombo habitat in western Zimbabwe. Previous studies of seed predation in southern Africa have largely been conducted in desert ecosystems. However, this woodland-savanna habitat is more mesic and has relatively predictable rainfall... -
The effect of bill structure on seed selection by granivorous birds
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Helena De Nagy Koves Hrabar --- School of Botany and Zoology, South Africa Mike Perrin [AN0001]The effect of bill structure on seed preference and handling time in granivorous birds was determined for a long, slender dove bill, a conical finch bill, and a hooked parrot bill using diamond doves (Geopelia cuneata), Java sparrows (Padda oryzivora)... -
Assessing the value of wetlands to waterbirds: exploring a population-based index at flyway and regional levels
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Doug M Harebottle --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Les G Underhill --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaTraditionally, species richness, species diversity, total count, biomass, energy consumption and the Ramsar ‘1% threshold’ have been used to assess the importance of wetlands for waterbirds. Designation of wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites) based on waterbirds has focused on... -
Seasonal variation in diversity and abundance of understorey birds in Bunduki Forest Reserve, Tanzania: evaluating the conservation value of a plantation forest
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Chacha Werema --- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, Tanzania Kim M Howell --- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, TanzaniaPlantation forests generally support lower bird diversity than natural forests. However, in some instances the plantations have been found to provide suitable habitat for a number of bird species. In the Eastern Arc Mountains, there is limited knowledge how understorey... -
Spatial metrics effect of forest fragmentation on forest bird abundance and site occupancy probability: the influence of patch size and isolation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Robert B Modest --- Department of Wildlife Management, Tanzania Shombe N Hassan --- Department of Wildlife Management, Tanzania Alfan A Rija --- Department of Wildlife Management, TanzaniaThe persistence of species taxa within fragmented habitats is dependent on the source–sink metapopulation processes, and forest patch size and isolation are key factors. Unveiling species–patch area and/or species–patch isolation relationships may help provide crucial information for species and landscape... -
Wintering waterbird assemblages in the central part of the Gulf of Gabès in southern Tunisia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Foued Hamza --- Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Tunisia Abdessalem Hammouda --- Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Tunisia Slaheddine Selmi --- Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, TunisiaAlthough the Gulf of Gabès is recognised as an Important Bird Area, several aspects of the ecology of waterbirds inhabiting this area still need to be investigated. We observed how waterbird foraging guilds varied among habitats. In total, 49 species... -
Effects of ethanol on fruit selection by frugivorous birds
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Manqoba M Zungu --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Colleen T Downs --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaEthanol is a natural by-product of the fermentation process of fruit sugars. Its production started with the advent of fleshy fruits, which suggests a long-term association between ethanol and frugivores. Consequently, one suggestion is that because frugivores could use its... -
Seasonal population dynamics and energy consumption by waterbirds in a small temperate estuary
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Jeffrey W Hean --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Adrian JFK Craig --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Nicole B Richoux --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South AfricaSimple measures of population dynamics and energy consumption can provide baseline information on the role of consumers in food webs, particularly for cryptic or highly-mobile species of waterbirds. We provide estimates of the seasonal population dynamics and energy consumption of... -
Status of birds of prey in Guinea-Bissau: first assessment based on road surveys
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Mohamed Henriques --- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Portugal Miguel Lecoq --- BirdLife International, Senegal Hamilton Monteiro --- Coastal Planning Office, Guinea-Bissau Aissa Regalla --- Instituto da Biodiversidade e Áreas Protegidas (IBAP), Guinea-Bissau José P Granadeiro --- Centro de estudos do ambiente e do mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal Paulo Catry --- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), PortugalSeveral studies have reported marked declines in populations of birds of prey across the African continent, including West Africa. However, there are still regions of which virtually nothing is known, as is the case for Guinea-Bissau. Because birds of prey... -
Birds as major predators of fishes in the East Kleinemonde Estuary
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Paul D Cowley --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South Africa Anja I Terörde --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South Africa Alan K Whitfield --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South AfricaThis study provides a quantitative account of fish predation by piscivorous birds in the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary and represents the first global attempt to simultaneously relate such consumption to production by a fish community in the same estuary... -
Distribution and breeding ecology of the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca in Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Assia Djelailia --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Nasser Baaziz --- Department of Animal Biology, Algeria Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Ahmed H Alfarhan --- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Saudi Arabia Boudjéma Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, AlgeriaWe conducted a survey of the distribution of Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca across Algeria and analysed the influence of nest-site characteristics on nesting success at a Ramsar site, Lake Tonga. The species was found to occupy different wetlands (freshwater lakes,... -
Diet and time-activity budget of White-backed Mousebirds Colius colius in south-western South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Carlos Bosque --- Departamento de Biología de Organismos, Venezuela Carlos D Bosque --- Departamento de Arquitectura, Venezuela Penn Lloyd --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST–NRF Centre of Excellence, AustraliaMousebirds (Coliiformes) are unusual in having an exclusively vegetarian diet that includes substantial foliage and by using huddling and sunning to assist thermoregulation. Although previous studies have identified plant species and plant parts consumed by mousebirds, the relative importance of... -
Seasonal habitat requirements of Lemon Dove (Aplopelia larvata) in coastal forest: camera-trap surveys of a reclusive species
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: David A Ehlers Smith --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Yvette C Ehlers Smith --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Colleen T Downs --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaThe modification of natural habitats requires behavioural plasticity, which may be challenging for ‘specialist’ species. Quantifying habitat requirements and behavioural responses of specialists to landscape transformation is thus a priority for baseline data to inform conservation practices. Using camera-trap surveys... -
Habitat variables associated with encounters of Hottentot Buttonquail Turnix hottentottus during flush surveys across the Fynbos biome
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Alan TK Lee --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Dale R Wright --- BirdLife South Africa, South Africa Brian Reeves --- Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, South AfricaThe Hottentot Buttonquail Turnix hottentotus is an endangered terrestrial turnicid and is endemic to the Fynbos biome, South Africa. Due to its secretive nature and apparent rarity almost nothing is known about the species, but its range has been subject... -
Assessment of potential sources of protozoan contamination between two avian feeding guilds in a conservation area
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Adams A Chaskda --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Department of Zoology, Nigeria Georgina S Mwansat --- Entomology and Parasitology Unit, Department of Zoology, Nigeria Danjuma Sani --- Entomology and Parasitology Unit, Department of Zoology, Nigeria Longtong Turshak --- Department of Science Laboratory Technology, NigeriaOccasional screening of food and water quality available to organisms in protected areas could be beneficial to their successful conservation. This is important for areas receiving regular human visitors and exhibiting activities that may be detrimental to ecosystem health. This... -
An updated assessment of the seabird populations breeding at Príncipe and Tinhosas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: An Bollen --- Azuria, Belgium Estrela Matilde --- Fundação Príncipe Trust, Nuno Barros --- Birdland – Birdwatching and Nature, PortugalThe Príncipe Autonomous Region is recognised as a marine biodiversity hotspot, although little is known about the status of its marine fauna. It holds most breeding seabirds of the tropical eastern Atlantic Ocean. Based on anecdotal accounts of increased fishing... -
Ants (Formicidae) as food for birds in southern Africa: opportunism or survival?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: W Richard J Dean --- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South Africa Suzanne J Milton --- South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), South AfricaAnts (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are eaten by a number of bird species in southern Africa. Our database contained 545 species (excluding waterbirds and raptors), of which 179 species have been observed feeding on ants, or had ants in their stomachs. Ants... -
Survival estimates for the greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii in southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: A Payo-Payo --- Group of Ecology and Animal Demography (GEDA), Spain A Sanz-Aguilar --- Group of Ecology and Animal Demography (GEDA), Spain D Gaglio --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa RB Sherley --- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, United Kingdom TR Cook --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa R Altwegg --- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, and African Climate and Development Initiative, South Africa PG Ryan --- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaThe nominate race of the greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii breeds only along the coast of the Benguela region (west coast) of southern Africa, where its population is increasing, in contrast to other species of breeding seabirds in the region... -
Trends and themes in African ornithology
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Colin M Beale --- Department of Biology, UKOrnithology in Africa has a long history. I review trends in the ornithological literature since 1990 within the context of the 14th Pan-African Ornithological Congress. Using full text searches of papers on PubMed® and abstracts from main ornithological journals I... -
Ostrich, Southern Ostrich or Common Ostrich? The ‘eternal vexed question’ of English bird names and name changes in southern Africa through eight editions of Roberts field guides, 1940–2016
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Eckhart J Buchmann --- Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa Colleen T Downs --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaA set of stable simple common bird names helps non-ornithologist birders, who contribute to conservation by visiting protected areas and participating in citizen science projects. Changes in English bird names have caused discomfort in the local birding community, especially those... -
Longevity in some Malagasy rainforest passerines
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Friederike Woog --- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany Narisoa Ramanitra --- Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université d’Antananarivo, Madagascar Andrianarivelosoa Solohery Rasamison --- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, L’Université d’Antananarivo, Madagascar Rasolondraibe Lovahasina Tahiry --- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, L’Université d’Antananarivo, MadagascarData on longevity is a prerequisite to understand the life-history strategies of a species. For Malagasy songbirds no information has been previously published. Therefore, we studied their longevity in a capture–recapture effort in a rainforest in eastern Madagascar (Maromizaha, Andasibe)... -
The breeding ecology of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos at Lake Tonga, north-eastern Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Aicha Fouzari --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Boudjéma Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, AlgeriaThe breeding ecology of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos was investigated at Lake Tonga, north-eastern Algeria, which is at the southern edge of the species’ range in the Western Palearctic. Breeding was mainly carried out in stumps of alder carr (Alnus glutinosa)... -
The presence of artificial water points structures an arid-zone avian community over small spatial scales
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Salamatu Abdu --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Alan TK Lee --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South Africa Susan J Cunningham --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, South AfricaWater plays a key role in avian thermoregulation, especially when environmental temperatures approach or exceed body temperature. Birds living in arid environments need to either be adapted to life with unreliable access to water, or engage in large-scale movements to... -
Status of globally threatened birds of Sapo National Park, Liberia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Benedictus Freeman --- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, USA Filibus Danjuma Dami --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, University of Jos, Nigeria Mary Molokwu-Odozi --- Fauna & Flora International, LiberiaSapo National Park was the first established and is the largest national park in Liberia and contains the secondlargest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa. However, little is known about the distribution, population density, and ecology of threatened... -
Plumage colour variations in the
Agapornis genus: a reviewItem type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Henriëtte van der Zwan --- Centre of Human Metabolomics, South Africa Carina Visser --- Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences, South Africa Rencia van der Sluis --- Centre of Human Metabolomics, South AfricaThe genus Agapornis consists of nine small African parrot species that are globally well known as pets, but are also found in their native habitat. Illegal trapping, poaching and habitat destruction are the main threats these birds face in the... -
Impact of shorebird predation on intertidal macroinvertebrates in a key North African Atlantic wintering site: an experimental approach
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: L Joulami --- Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Morocco R El Hamoumi --- Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Morocco Z Daief --- Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Morocco H Bazairi --- Faculty of Sciences, Morocco RJ Lopes --- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBio Laboratório Associado, PortugalShorebirds, as migratory aquatic birds and top predators in intertidal ecosystems, can be affected by global environmental changes and escalations in local impacts on coastal lagoons and estuarine trophic networks. Many shorebirds winter in North African Atlantic coastal sites, most... -
Behavioural analysis of Village Weavers Ploceus cucullatus in an Ethiopian breeding colony during incubation: 1. Females
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Bobby Habig --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USA Khaleda Khan --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USA David C Lahti --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USAWe used video recordings to perform a behavioural analysis of a Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus colony in Awash National Park, Ethiopia. We focused specifically on female behaviour during the pair-formation, egg-laying and early-incubation phases of the nesting cycle. A factor... -
Behavioural analysis of Village Weavers Ploceus cucullatus in an Ethiopian breeding colony during early incubation: 2. Males
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Khaleda Khan --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USA Bobby Habig --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USA David C Lahti --- Department of Biology, Queens College, USAWe observed a colony of Village Weavers Ploceus cucullatus in Ethiopia at the height of the breeding season to assess variation and relationships amongst male behaviours. Individuals spent most of their time on behaviours functioning in acquiring and retaining mates,... -
Ecology, conservation, and phylogenetic position of the Madagascar Jacana Actophilornis albinucha
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Josephine D’Urban Jackson --- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, United Kingdom Sama Zefania --- Institut d’Enseignement Supérieur de Menabe, Madagascar Sebastien Moehy --- Institut d’Enseignement Supérieur de Menabe, Madagascar Andrew J Bamford --- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, United Kingdom Michael W Bruford --- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, United Kingdom Tamás Székely --- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, United KingdomThe Madagascar Jacana Actophilornis albinucha (Jacanidae) is an endemic shorebird found in the threatened wetlands of western Madagascar. This species is presumed to exhibit classical polyandry; however, few data are available to support that assumption. More generally, a lack of... -
A survey of Great-winged Petrels Pterodroma macroptera breeding at sub-Antarctic Marion Island and a revised global population estimate
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ben J Dilley --- , South Africa David W Hedding --- , South Africa Stefan Schoombie --- , South Africa Peter G Ryan --- , South AfricaAlthough burrow-nesting petrels are the most abundant group of seabirds in the Southern Ocean, their global populations are poorly known, because most species breed on remote islands. For example, there are no accurate estimates for Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera populations... -
Resolving nomenclatural ‘confusion’ vis-à-vis Latham’s Francolin (Francolinus/Peliperdix/Afrocolinus lathami) and the ‘Red-tailed’ francolins (Francolinus/Ortygornis/Peliperdix spp.)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Timothy M Crowe --- , South Africa Tshifhiwa G Mandiwana-Neudani --- , South Africa David B Donsker --- , Rauri CK Bowie --- , United States Robin M Little --- , South AfricaWe provide an addendum vis-à-vis Mandiwana-Neudani et al. (2019a) on the taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of ‘true’ francolins: Galliformes, Phasianidae, Phasianinae, Gallini; Francolinus, Ortygornis, Afrocolinus gen. nov., Peliperdix and Scleroptila spp., Mandiwana-Neudani et al. (2019b). Mandiwana-Neudani et al. (2019a) proposed... -
Counting waterbirds on holiday: a snapshot for one Eastern Cape estuary
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: RLG Mullins --- , South Africa AJFK Craig --- , South AfricaOver a ten-year period, each December the same observer counted waterbirds on the same stretch of the Kariega River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The site surveyed is dominated by waders, with variable numbers of other feeding guilds. Piscivorous... -
Rats and prions at Tristan da Cunha Island
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ben J Dilley --- , South Africa Delia Davies --- , South Africa Julian Repetto --- , United Kingdom (South Atlantic Ocean) George Swain --- , United Kingdom (South Atlantic Ocean) Peter G Ryan --- , South AfricaTristan da Cunha is a 96 km2 volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. Black Rats Rattus rattus reached the island from a shipwreck in 1882 and their depredation of seabirds’ eggs and chicks are likely partly responsible for the... -
Occurrence of echinostomatoids (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) in Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea): first insights into the DNA barcodes from Lake Victoria, Tanzania
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Fred Chibwana --- , Tanzania Jestina Katandukila --- , TanzaniaMost migratory aquatic birds are regarded as reservoir hosts for many parasitic diseases, including digenetic trematodes that cause significant losses to farmed fish. However, in Tanzania, studies of birds focus more on their species diversity and patterns of speciation than... -
Avian diversity in Moka, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Christina D Perella --- , United States Jacob R Owens --- , United States Drew T Cronin --- , United StatesBioko Island, Equatorial Guinea is a biodiversity hotspot facing encroaching development, logging, and hunting. Long-term monitoring of the species composition and community structure of birds on Bioko allows for a better understanding of the effects of seasonality, anthropogenic development, and... -
Investigating the influence of the extreme Indian Ocean Dipole on the 2020 influx of Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus in Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Raphaël Nussbaumer --- , Kenya Mathieu Gravey --- , Switzerland Améline Nussbaumer --- , Kenya Colin Jackson --- , KenyaOcean currents have wide-ranging impacts on seabird movement and survival. By extension, the extreme oscillations they are subject to, such as extreme Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events, can also be expected to dramatically influence seabird populations. This study links the... -
Diet of a Maghreb Owl pair Strix mauritanica (Witherby, 1905) in an urban environment (Rabat City, Morocco)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Sidi Imad Cherkaoui --- , Morocco Abdeslam Rihane --- , Morocco Brahim Chergui El Hemiani --- , MoroccoA pair of the Northwest African endemic Maghreb Owl Strix mauritanica (Witherby, 1905) located in a coastal urban environment of the Moroccan capital, Rabat, was monitored for the first time over two consecutive breeding seasons, in 2020 and 2021, respectively... -
Effects of tropical rainforest fragmentation on bird species: a case study from the Bemanevika Protected Area, northwestern Madagascar
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Armand Benjara --- , Madagascar Lily-Arison Rene de Roland --- , Madagascar Marius Rakotondratsima --- , Madagascar Russell Thorstrom --- , United StatesThe effects of forest fragmentation on forest bird species in the Bemanevika Protected Area (PA), northwestern Madagascar, were investigated during two breeding seasons from October 2016 to January 2018. The forest of Bemanevika is composed of large patches of fragmented... -
The ecology of coastal wetland ponds created by diamond mining in southern Namibia. 2. Saltmarsh vegetation
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: L Maritz --- , South Africa D Pillay --- , South Africa GM Branch --- , South AfricaDiamond mining on the southern Namibian coastline has created multiple large coastal ponds of up to 380 000 m2 adjacent to the coastline, as the sea overtops erected seawalls or seeps into excavated areas. These ponds span ages of 1–38... -
Pishing does increase visibility of arboreal passerines in an African savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Eckhart Buchmann --- , South Africa Chevonne Reynolds --- , South AfricaPishing is an imitated alarm call frequently used by birders and ornithologists to attract birds and provide close-up views. However, despite the widespread use of pishing in the field, data on the success of this technique are still scarce. Here... -
Assessments of range-wide distribution of six African storks and their relationships with protected areas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Jonah Gula --- , USA M Clay Green --- , USA Sarah Fritts --- , USA W Richard J Dean --- , South Africa KS Gopi Sundar --- , IndiaSpecies range maps provided by the IUCN and BirdLife International are recognised to sometimes mischaracterise distribution and have resulted in inaccurate status assessments. In this study we assessed distribution trends and relationships with protected area extent for six African storks,... -
The names and naming of gannets comprising the genus Morus (family Sulidae)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Adrian Koopman --- , South AfricaThe gannet species found in the northern hemisphere can be fully identified as the Northern Gannet Morus bassanus in the family Sulidae. This full identity reveals four historical themes which intertwine to produce a number of historical and current names... -
The introduction of the Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar to southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Carl J Vernon --- , South Africa W Richard J Dean --- , South AfricaChukar Partridges Alectoris chukar were released at a few localities in South Africa and Zimbabwe with the aim of establishing viable populations that could contribute to a larger resource available to the ‘wing-shooting’ fraternity. Releases and introductions are poorly documented,... -
Population trends of resident and migrant West African bird species monitored over an 18-year period in central Nigeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Joy Akpanta Ishong --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Joseph K Afrifa --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Soladoye B Iwajomo --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Justus P Deikumah --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Samuel T Ivande --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Will Cresswell --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, NigeriaAlmost no systematic monitoring of bird population trends occurs in West Africa, despite rapid human population increase, habitat change, and climate change, making conservation planning problematic. We monitored bird population trends using constant-effort mist netting, in a newly protected area... -
Natural recolonisation of sub-Antarctic Marion Island by Common Diving Petrels Pelecanoides urinatrix
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Maëlle Connan --- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa Stefan Schoombie --- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa Janine Schoombie --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, South Africa Ben Dilley --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, South Africa Peter G Ryan --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, South AfricaNocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds are notoriously difficult to study and can go unnoticed for years in remote areas. One of these species is the Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix, which has a circumpolar breeding distribution in the Southern Ocean, including at... -
Predation on the eggs of ground-nesting birds by Dasypeltis scabra (Linnaeus, 1758) in the moist highland grasslands of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Michael F. Bates --- , , South Africa Ian T. Little --- , South AfricaWe provide evidence for predation by the Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) on the eggs of three species of ground-nesting birds, namely African Pipit (Anthus cinnamomeus), Cape Longclaw (Macronyx capensis) and Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Although egg-eaters have been recorded as... -
Population size, habitat use and foraging habits of wild Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris in southwestern Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Yihenew Aynalem --- Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia Afework Bekele --- Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia Bezawork Afework Bogale --- Addis Ababa University, EthiopiaThe Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris is a widespread and abundant resident gamebird species in sub-Saharan Africa. It is hunted throughout the region, including in Ethiopia. However, knowledge of the species’ ecology and behaviour in many parts of the country is... -
Long-term trends from Citizen Scientists: 24 years of breeding success data of African Oystercatchers Haematopus moquini in the Garden Route
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: B Arendse --- , South Africa P Dawson --- , South Africa B Mels --- , Ireland M Brown --- University of KwaZulu Natal, South AfricaLong-term data on breeding success in beach-nesting birds in southern Africa are scarce. Citizen science projects have risen to the forefront of large dataset collection efforts globally, with several local projects helping us unpack long-term trends for species in southern... -
Plumage dimorphism and moult patterns of weaverbirds – a review
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: H-Dieter Oschadleus --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Staffan Andersson --- University of Gothenburg, SwedenThe colourful plumages of weaverbirds (family Ploceidae, with 118 species recognised) provide a well-known and in part iconic showcase of sexual selection, with widespread sexual dimorphism (93 species) as well as seasonal dimorphism (62 species). The tremendous diversity in both... -
Using generalised additive models to visualise the annual cycle of primary feather moult patterns
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Rebecca R Irons --- University of Cape Town, South Africa Alan TK Lee --- University of Cape Town, South Africa Robert L Thomson --- University of Cape Town, South Africa Birgit Erni --- University of Cape Town, South AfricaMoult is a vital but energy-demanding event in a bird's phenological cycle. Primary moult is the shedding of old feathers and the regeneration of new flight feathers to maintain efficient functioning of these critical structures. Life history events, such as... -
Counting Common Starlings: is Sturnus vulgaris invasive in rural South Africa?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Adrian JFK Craig --- Rhodes University, South Africa Shelley Edwards --- Rhodes University, South AfricaThe numbers of Common Starlings Sturnus vulgaris and indigenous starling species, as well as a subset of other common birds, were recorded from October 2006 to January 2020 at 72 point-count sites along four routes (two urban and two rural)... -
Difference in acoustic responses to urbanisation in two African passerines
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Dickson Anobie Matthew --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), Nigeria Samuel Tertse Ivande --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), Nigeria Ulf Ottosson --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), Nigeria Samuel Temidayo Osinubi --- University of Cape Town, South AfricaModification of ecosystems as a consequence of urbanisation alters natural habitat structures and soundscapes, creating constraints for vocal communication in animals. Birds are able to adjust their vocalisation to the prevailing acoustic features of their habitat. As such, their sounds... -
Winter storms: a potential threat to African oystercatchers Haematopus moquini
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: LG Underhill --- University of Cape Town, South AfricaSubstantial effort has gone into identifying threats to the African oystercatcher Haematopus moquini, a species of seabird native to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. Winter storms represent a possible further threat owing to the potential to... -
Anton Reichenow and the birds of Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Adrian JFK Craig --- Rhodes University, South AfricaThe first handbook of the birds of Africa was completed in 1905 by Anton Reichenow (1847–1941). Based in the Berlin museum for almost 50 years, he described 152 African taxa that are still recognised as valid species today, and was... -
Population status of the range-restricted Red Lark Calendulauda burra in a conservation area stronghold
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ryno Kemp --- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South Africa Robin Colyn --- BirdLife South Africa, Science and Innovation Programme, South Africa Marc T Freeman --- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South Africa Andrew E McKechnie --- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, South AfricaMany desert birds are vulnerable to anthropogenic global warming and landscape transformation, particularly in the case of range-restricted species. We quantified suitable habitat and the current population of Red Larks Calendulauda burra (family Alaudidae), a range-restricted southern African species, in... -
Breeding ecology of the Madagascar Grebe Tachybaptus pelzelnii in Bemanevika Protected Area in the northern highlands of Madagascar
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Delphin Rasolonjatovo --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Lily-Arison Rene De Roland --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Tolojanahary Andriamalala --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Marius Rakotondratsima --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Séraphin Fabrice --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Stéphanie Razakaratrimo --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Yverlin ZM Pruvot --- The Peregrine Fund Madagascar Project, Madagascar Russell Thorstrom --- The Peregrine Fund, United StatesWe studied the breeding ecology of the endangered Madagascar Grebe Tachybaptus pelzelnii (family Podicipedidae) at Bemanevika Protected Area, during two consecutive years (October 2020–September 2022). Two breeding units were observed: pairs and trios made up of one male and two... -
A baseline survey of coastal birds in the Greater Bazaruto region, Mozambique
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Peter G Ryan --- University of Cape Town, South Africa Cliff Dorse --- , South Africa Dave Gilroy --- , Mozambique James Hogg --- , United Kingdom Albert McLean --- , South Africa Christine Read --- , South Africa Evan Trotzuk --- African Parks Mozambique, Mozambique Gary Allport --- The David Attenborough Building, United KingdomWe report the numbers of coastal birds in the Greater Bazaruto Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), Mozambique. In November–December 2023, we counted waterbirds foraging on tidal flats and at roost sites in the San Sebastian (São Sebastião) Peninsula, Bazaruto... -
Spring migration phenology of trans-Saharan migratory birds at a southern Tunisian oasis
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Fatma Belani --- University of Gabès, Tunisia José Javier Cuervo --- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spain Marina García-del Río --- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spain Abdessalem Hammouda --- University of Gabès, Tunisia Ivan Maggini --- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria Slaheddine Selmi --- University of Gabès, TunisiaNorth African date palm oases are regarded as important stopover sites for trans-Saharan migratory birds after their Sahara crossing during spring migration. However, little is known about the timing of migration through these areas. In this study, we investigated the... -
Surveys of Sooty Falcons Falco concolor wintering in Madagascar in 2023 and 2024
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Gilbert Razafimanjato --- , Madagascar Michael J McGrady --- International Avian Research, Austria Radoniaina Razafiherison --- , Madagascar Heritiana J Randriamanantena --- , Madagascar Marius PH Rakotondratsima --- , Madagascar Idéaly J Dinafitiavana --- , Madagascar Russell Thorstrom --- World Center for Birds of Prey, United States Lily-Arison Rene de Roland --- , MadagascarMadagascar is the non-breeding-season destination for a significant proportion of the global population of the migratory and Vulnerable Sooty Falcon Falco concolor. Here, we report on surveys of wintering birds in Madagascar, conducted in 2023 and 2024 over a total... -
Sublethal agrochemical residues in South African birds, 1969–2024
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Lorinda A Hart --- BirdLife South Africa, South Africa Linda van den Heever --- BirdLife South Africa, South Africa Jan-Dieter Ludwigs --- , GermanyAvian species serve as a barometer of ecosystem health and have been used to determine the presence of chemicals in the South African environment. We conducted a literature review to determine which sublethal agrochemical active ingredient residues have been tested... -
Wintering grounds under protection: population stability and conservation of migrating waders at Europa Island, western Indian Ocean
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Florinah Razafimandimby --- Université de La Réunion, France Maxime Amy --- TAAF (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises), France Matthieu Le Corre --- Université de La Réunion, FranceThe tropical western Indian Ocean islands are at the southern limit of the East Africa–West Asia Flyway, but their importance for wintering and conservation of Palearctic waders remains poorly understood. Europa Island, a remote coralline island in the southern Mozambique... -
Aggressive interactions by invasive Common Mynas Acridotheres tristis with urban birds in Pretoria, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Robyn Nelson --- University of Pretoria, South Africa Michael J Somers --- University of Pretoria, South AfricaWe conducted transect surveys in urban Pretoria, South Africa, to document interspecific interactions involving the invasive Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and coexisting species. During 90 standardised transect surveys across three suburban sites from April to August 2022 (outside the main...