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Durban by Richard Graham Campbell Boon Submitted in Partial Fulfilment

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Durban by Richard Graham Campbell Boon Submitted in Partial Fulfilment AN AVIFAUNAL STUDY OF PIGEON VALLEY PARK AS A BIOGEOGRAPHIC ISLAND IN AN URBAN AREA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE NATAL ROBIN ( Cossypha natalensis smith) by Richard Graham Campbell Boon Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in the Department of Biology University of Natal 1992 Durban 1992 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A sincere thank you is due to the following people: Professor J.C. Poynton, for supervising this project. Mr Geoff Nichols, to whom I owe much of my interest and knowledge of natural history. Dr D.N. Johnson and Mr S.E. Piper, who shared their ringing knowledge and expertise. The Director of the Durban Parks Department, for allowing me to use Pigeon Valley Park as a study area. Mr E. Callanan, Mr B. Ross and Mr J. Sneddon of the Durban City Engineers' Department, for all the maps and orthophotos, which were so kindly produced on request. The a9curacy of the territorial mapping would not have been possible without the bravery of Greg Busse, who was exposed to hordes of ravenous mosquitoes, in order to plot the reference points. Mr C. Dalzell of Durban Botanic Gardens, for collating and producing rainfall figures so promptly. Those who supplied garden lists, historical lists and or their knowledge: Dr A. Berruti, Dr H. A. Campbell, Dr P. A. Clancey, Mr K. Cooper, Mr R. Cowgill, Dr A.T. Forbes, Mr J. Gourley, Mr J. Marais, Miss E. Reynolds, Miss D.R. Roberts. Mrs J. Rennie, for sharing her typing expertise. Wilma Barnard and my parents, who provided the much needed and appreciated support, which made everything possible. ABSTRACT Pigeon Valley Park, on Durban's Berea Ridge, is an approximately 10-ha remnant of coastal forest, which is totally surrounded by suburban housing and roads. As such it is ideal as a study area for investigating the applicability of the MacArthur-Wilson Theory of Island Biogeography (1963,1967) and Diamond's (1975) geometric reserve-design principles to fragmented Coastal Forests in Durban. This study began in January 1989 and the results are reported as at October 1992. Field notes from as far back as 1981 were used to augment the findings of the current work. Research focused on the forest-dwelling, Natal Robin Cossypha natalensis, and territory mapping showed that the reserve supports up to 53 individuals during the breeding season. An annotated checklist and its comparison to historical and regional checklists revealed where localised extinctions may have occurred, and thus identifies a set of coastal forest species which are susceptible to habitat fragmentation. Work on two potential dispersal corridors for bird.movement into and out of the valley' showed that the reserve is not yet fully isolated to most species which are currently present. On the other hand, there are some forest species which have isolated populations at Pigeon Valley Park, as well as others which do not seem able to establish and maintain viable populations. iii A set of 'indicator', forest bird species which are susceptible to habitat fragmentation, is defined. Practical management suggestions with the aim of increasing the long-term viability of the area as an avifaunal preserve, are presented. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Acknowledgements i Abstract............................•...... 11 Table of contents iv List of Tables Vll List of Figures ix List of Plates xi 1. INTRODUCTION ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 2. STUDY AREA AND STUDY SPECIES ••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 2 . 1. Introduction 6 2.2. Choice of study area 6 2 • 3. Description of study area 9 2.3.1. Land-use pattern 9 2 . 3 . 2. Climate 12 2.3.3. Vegetation · 13 2.4. Choice of study species 14 3. STATUS OF THE NATAL ROBIN AT PIGEON VALLEY PARK ••• l? 3 . 1. Introduction 17 3 . 2. Census method 18 3.3. Ringing 24 3.4. Results and discussion 25 3.4.1. Censusing difficulties 25 3.4.2. Population size of Natal Robins ·at PVP ....•.....•.•.......••.••..•..• 28 3.4.3. Minimum viable populations and minimum critical areas 30 3.4.4. Density compensation 33 3.4.5. Breeding 34 3.4.6. Predation 36 3.4.7. Development of the young 37 3.4.8. Moult 37 3.4.9. Unseasonal singing 38 ·3.4.10. Postbreeding dispersal 38 3.4.11. Imitation 40 3.4.12. Food 41 v 3.4.13. Ringing results 41 4. STATUS OF SPECIES RECORDED AT PIGEON VALLEY PARK ••• 45 4 . 1. Introduction 45 4 . 2. Method 45 4.3. Results and discussion 48 4.3.1. status of species occurring at Pigeon Valley Park 48 4.3.2. Endemic species 50 4.3.3. Red Data species 50 4.3.4. Breeding species 50 4.3.5. Evidence for a dynamic equilibrium 50 4.3.6. Environmental catastrophes 53 4.3.7. species richness and the edge effect.55 5. DISPERSAL OF SPECIES THROUGHOUT THE STUDY AREA ••••• 57 5 . 1. Introduction 57 5 . 2. Methods 62 5.2.1. Dispersal corridors ~ 62 5 • 2 • 2. Gardens 66 5.2.3. Shepstone Nature Reserve 67 5.3. Results and discussion 69 5.3.1. Dispersal corridors 69 5.3.1.1. Pigeon ValleyjBulwer Park Corridor 69 5.3.1.2. Pigeon ValleyjShepstone Nature Reserve Corridor 73 5 . 4. Gardens 80 5.5. Shepstone Reserve 82 6. FOREST BIRD SPECIES SENSITIVE TO FRAGMENTATION ••••• 85 6. 1. Introduction 85 6 . 2. Methods 86 6.3. Results and discussion 88 6 . 3 . 1. Ind i c.ator s pec i e s. ...................88 6.3.2. 'Keystone' species 91 6.3.3. Red Data species 91 6.3.4. SLOSS debate 92 6.3.5. Sub-regional extinctions 96 7. RECOMMENDATIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 99 7.1. Management proposals 100 vi 8. CONCLUSIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••!!! 8.1. Species richness and composition 111 8.2. Dispersal corridors 111 8.3. Species turnover at PVP 113 8.4. Fragmentation sensitive birds and reserve S 1 Z e . .114 8.5. Applicability of the MacArthur-Wilson Theory and Diamond's geometric reserve­ design principles to fragmented habitats in Durban 116 REFERENCES ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 118 APPENDIX 1 •••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••• 128 APPENDIX 2 •••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••• 150 APPENDIX 3 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 158 APPENDIX 4 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••• 160 vii LIST OF TABLES 2:1 List of species considered for study at PVP, and where applicable the reasons for omitting them 16 3:1 Mapping symbols used to record registrations on the territory map - modified after the symbols proposed by the International Bird Census Committee (1969) 21 3:2 Areas and means for seven Natal Robin territories at PVP, determined by the spot-mapping method 29 3:3 Number of species and individuals ringed and recaptured at PVP, during the period January 1989 - April 1992 42 3:4 Summary of the ringing results at PVP, for the period January 1989 - April 1992 43 4:1 Species checklist for PVP, broken down by status (as per Whitcomb et al., 1981) 49 4:2 Extinctions and co~onisations of breeding species at PVP between 1981 and 1992 51 5:1 Species which were recorded on a number of occasions at Pigeon Valley Park, but not on the Pigeon Valley/ Bulwer Park Corridor, or elsewhere in the study area east of PVP •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 73 5:2 Species recorded on a number of occasions at PVP, but not in the Pigeon.Valley Park/Shepstone Reserve Corridor ·· 78 5:3 Species recorded from six gardens, in and around the study area 81 viii 5:4. Species recorded on six visits to the Shepstone Nature Reserve between June and October 1992 83 6:1. Proposed set of 'indicator species' for measuring the 'completeness' of isolated coastal forest bird commun iti e s ••...........•...........................•• 89 6:2. Red Data species included in the proposed set of 55 indicator species (status as per Brooke, 1984) 92 6:3. The current status of forest and forest-edge bird species and sUbspecies which were first described from specimens collected in the greater Durban area... 97 7:1. Suggested trees for planting at the Shepstone car park * •••••••••• 10,8 ix LIST OF FIGURES 2:1 D'MOSS - Durban Metropolitan Open Space Structure Plan (after Director Parks, Beaches and Recreation Dept., 1989) ····· 7 2:2 Proposed structure of Cato Manor Park (after Director Parks, Beaches and Recreation Dept., 1989) 8 2:3 1:15000 Cadastral map showing the greater study (as delimited by the City of Durban 1:2000 orthophotos,' L37, N37, L39, N39 ) and the positions of gardens discussed in 5.4. (after City Engineers' Dept.) 10 2:4 Land-use pattern in the study area, as at. 1985, by ar~a and percentage of total 11 3:1 section of the census map showing the results of a visit made on 7 October 1991 20 3:2 Mapped territories of Natal Robins at Pigeon Valley Park: 1991 - 1992 Breeding season 27 4.1 Annual rainfall (mm) recorded at Durban Botanic Gardens from 1983 to 1992 54 5:1 1:6000 Cadastral map of a portion of the study area, showing sections A, B, and C of the PVP/Bulwer Park Corridor and the PVP/Shepstone Nature Reserve Corridor (after Durban City Engineers Dept.) 61 5.2 Copy of the article which appeared in Albatross, appealing for garden birdlists 67 5.3 Summary of species statuses on the PVP/Bulwer Park Corridor, categorised as per 5.2.1 70 " x 5.4 Summary of species statuses on the Pigeon Valley Park/Shepstone Nature Reserve Corridor, categorised as per 5. 2 . 1. above 74 xl.' LIST OF PLATES 3:1 Natal Robin habitat at PVP showing the dominant herbaceous undergrowth, Isoglossa woodii, Large-leaved dragon tree, which are favoured nest sites, are visible in the background 35 3:2 Nest of the Natal Robin in the bole of a Thorny elm 35 5:1 section A of the PVP/Bulwer Park corridor­ showing the Jacarandas, the narrow planted island, adjacent gardens, the gap between the island and PVP in the background and the gap between the island and the Manning Road traffic islands~ from which the photograph was taken 59 5:2 section B of the PVP/Bulwer Park Corridor­ showing the central Flamboyant trees, the planted Acacia trees, the unmown grass sward and the information board 59 5:3 Traffic islands on Manning Road as they looked before planting by the Durban Parks Department and Durban Girls' High School 60 5:4 section C of the PVP/Bulwer Park Corridor­ showing Bulwer Park with large specimen trees, mown lawns and the small area which has been underplanted ' 60 5:5 Section A of the PVP/Shepstone N.
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