Surviving the Suburbs
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WHY SUCCULENT FLOWERS SEJ by A
Cape sugarbird WHY SUCCULENT FLOWERS SEJ by A. V. Milewski energy, water and nutrients which are The Field Guide to Trees of not retrieved by the plant, because the Southern Africa by Van Wyk & Van very purpose of fruit-pulp is to be Wyk (Struik 1997) shows the flowers removed from the plant once it is and fruits of trees and tall shrubs in ripe. The more resources the plant the south-western Cape. Of eighty spends on flowers, the less generous it species (excluding conifers) with is likely to be with fruit-pulp. Plants fleshy fruits eaten by birds, 91 % have may be generally faced with a choice small, dull flowers which easily of dispersing pollen or seeds, but not escape the notice of the human both, by avian flight. observer. Members of up to thirty-nine The division between bird-polli genera in twenty-five families conform nated and bird-sown plants is clear in in having fly-pollinated flowers and the south-western Cape, which has a bird-sown seeds in the south-western climate with winter rainfall and Cape. Eight percent (e.g. Glllysanthe summer drought similar to the maides, Grewia, Solanum) resemble lowers and fTllits vary greatly in Mediterranean Basin. Proteas charac many species of cultivated fruits size and how much food they teristic of this area produce large (e.g. apples, plums, raspberries) in Foffer polli nators. The smallest blooms pollinated by sunbirds and having colourful petals attracting flowers are dull greenish, and attract sugarbirds. Olives (Oleaceae) produce medium-size insects such as bees and pollinators no larger than small flies. -
Apparent Absorption Efficiencies of Nectar Sugars in the Cape Sugarbird, with a Comparison of Methods
106 Apparent Absorption Ef®ciencies of Nectar Sugars in the Cape Sugarbird, with a Comparison of Methods Susan Jackson1,* was artifactual, and we do not recommend use of this method. Susan W. Nicolson1 Apparent absorption ef®ciencies calculated with method 2 un- Ben-Erik van Wyk2 derestimated true absorption ef®ciency, because refractometry 1Zoology Department, University of Cape Town, measures nonsugar solutes, but this error is biologically sig- Rondebosch 7700, South Africa; 2Botany Department, Rand ni®cant only when ef®ciencies are low. Afrikaans University, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa Accepted by G.K.S. 8/15/97 Introduction Nectarivorous birds consume dilute solutions of sucrose, fruc- ABSTRACT tose, and glucose and apparently assimilate these sugars very Nectarivore sugar preferences and nectar composition in the ef®ciently. Absorption ef®ciencies (AE) of 97%±99.5% for the Cape Floristic Kingdom (southern Africa) differ from trends three sugars have been measured in three families of specialized reported for analogous systems in America and Europe in that nectarivores: American hummingbirds (Hainsworth 1974; Kar- sugarbirds and sunbirds show no aversion to sucrose, which asov et al. 1986; MartõB nez del Rio et al. 1988; MartõB nez del Rio is the dominant nectar sugar in many of their food plants. To 1990b), Australian honeyeaters (Collins and Morellini 1979; elucidate the physiological bases (if any) of nectarivore sugar Collins et al. 1980), and African sunbirds (Lotz and Nicolson preferences, we determined apparent sugar absorption ef®- 1996). Of the above studies, two (MartõB nez del Rio 1990b; Lotz ciencies in a passerine endemic to this region, the Cape sugar- and Nicolson 1996) reported data for all three sugars, whereas bird Promerops cafer. -
South Africa: Magoebaskloof and Kruger National Park Custom Tour Trip Report
SOUTH AFRICA: MAGOEBASKLOOF AND KRUGER NATIONAL PARK CUSTOM TOUR TRIP REPORT 24 February – 2 March 2019 By Jason Boyce This Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl showed nicely one late afternoon, puffing up his throat and neck when calling www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | TRIP REPORT South Africa: Magoebaskloof and Kruger National Park February 2019 Overview It’s common knowledge that South Africa has very much to offer as a birding destination, and the memory of this trip echoes those sentiments. With an itinerary set in one of South Africa’s premier birding provinces, the Limpopo Province, we were getting ready for a birding extravaganza. The forests of Magoebaskloof would be our first stop, spending a day and a half in the area and targeting forest special after forest special as well as tricky range-restricted species such as Short-clawed Lark and Gurney’s Sugarbird. Afterwards we would descend the eastern escarpment and head into Kruger National Park, where we would make our way to the northern sections. These included Punda Maria, Pafuri, and the Makuleke Concession – a mouthwatering birding itinerary that was sure to deliver. A pair of Woodland Kingfishers in the fever tree forest along the Limpopo River Detailed Report Day 1, 24th February 2019 – Transfer to Magoebaskloof We set out from Johannesburg after breakfast on a clear Sunday morning. The drive to Polokwane took us just over three hours. A number of birds along the way started our trip list; these included Hadada Ibis, Yellow-billed Kite, Southern Black Flycatcher, Village Weaver, and a few brilliant European Bee-eaters. -
Urbanization, Climate and Ecological Stress Indicators in an Endemic Nectarivore, the Cape Sugarbird
Urbanization, climate and ecological stress indicators in an endemic nectarivore, the Cape Sugarbird B. Mackay, A. T. K. Lee, P. Barnard, A. P. Møller & M. Brown Journal of Ornithology ISSN 2193-7192 J Ornithol DOI 10.1007/s10336-017-1460-9 1 23 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V.. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be self- archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com”. 1 23 Author's personal copy J Ornithol DOI 10.1007/s10336-017-1460-9 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Urbanization, climate and ecological stress indicators in an endemic nectarivore, the Cape Sugarbird 1 1,2 1,2 3 4,5 B. Mackay • A. T. K. Lee • P. Barnard • A. P. Møller • M. Brown Received: 10 February 2016 / Revised: 6 October 2016 / Accepted: 21 April 2017 Ó Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2017 Abstract Stress, as a temporary defense mechanism urban settlements had higher levels of fluctuating asym- against specific stimuli, can place a bird in a state in which metry and fault bars in feathers. -
NEST-SITE SELECTION in the CAPE SUGARBIRD We Dedicate
NEST-SITE SELECTION IN THE CAPE SUGARBIRD A. E. BURGER, W. R. SlEGFRIED & P. G. H. FROST Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town We dedicate this paper to the memory of the late Dr G. J. Broekhuysen, our former mentor and friend, who did more than any other person in laying the foundations for an eco-ethologica1 approach in scientific studies ofthe avifauna of the south-western Cape region ofSouth Mrica. ABSTRACT Cape sugarbirds, P,ome,ops cafe" preferred certain protea bushes as nest-sites. These bushes were characterized by relatively large leaves and dense foliage. Nests were usually placed in the central parts of bushes Nest-sites were shielded from the cold night sky, and were associated with relatively favourable air temperatures and protection from wind in a season of unfavourable weather. Data on microclimate of nest-sites, together with those on heat loss from an incubating sugarbird, were interpreted in relation to nest-site selection as adaptive behaviour promoting breeding success through conservation of energy. Sugarbirds nesting relatively high off the ground and in dense vegetation were considered to be decreasing the risk of exposure to predators. ) 0 1 0 2 d INTRODUCTION e t a d ( r Food availability, and shelter from predators and adverse weather are ultimate factors in habitat e h s selection in bird species (Baker 1938; Hilden 1965). Nest-site selection is not a random procedure, i l b and nest building will commence only when the summation of the heterogeneous stimuli of the u P micro-habitat exceeds the threshold for releasing nesting behaviour. -
Attempting to See One Member of Each of the World's Bird Families Has
Attempting to see one member of each of the world’s bird families has become an increasingly popular pursuit among birders. Given that we share that aim, the two of us got together and designed what we believe is the most efficient strategy to pursue this goal. Editor’s note: Generally, the scientific names for families (e.g., Vireonidae) are capital- ized, while the English names for families (e.g., vireos) are not. In this article, however, the English names of families are capitalized for ease of recognition. The ampersand (&) is used only within the name of a family (e.g., Guans, Chachalacas, & Curassows). 8 Birder’s Guide to Listing & Taxonomy | October 2016 Sam Keith Woods Ecuador Quito, [email protected] Barnes Hualien, Taiwan [email protected] here are 234 extant bird families recognized by the eBird/ Clements checklist (2015, version 2015), which is the offi- T cial taxonomy for world lists submitted to ABA’s Listing Cen- tral. The other major taxonomic authority, the IOC World Bird List (version 5.1, 2015), lists 238 families (for differences, see Appendix 1 in the expanded online edition). While these totals may appear daunting, increasing numbers of birders are managing to see them all. In reality, save for the considerable time and money required, finding a single member of each family is mostly straightforward. In general, where family totals or family names are mentioned below, we use the eBird/Clements taxonomy unless otherwise stated. Family Feuds: How do world regions compare? In descending order, the number of bird families supported by con- tinental region are: Asia (125 Clements/124 IOC), Africa (122 Clem- ents/126 IOC), Australasia (110 Clements/112 IOC), North America (103 Clements/IOC), South America (93 Clements/94 IOC), Europe (73 Clements/74 IOC ), and Antarctica (7 Clements/IOC). -
Onetouch 4.0 Scanned Documents
5^' PROMEROPS AS A THRUSH, AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EVOLUTION OF NECTARIVORY IN BIRDS STORRS L, OLSON' & PETER L. AMES^ 'National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A. ^Harza Engineering Company, 150 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, U.S.A. Received September 1984 SUMMARY OLSON, S. L. & AMES, P. L. 1984. Promerops as a thrush and its implications for the evolution of nectar- ivory in birds. Ostrich 56:213-218 The familial relationships of the South African sugarbirds {Promerops) have never been firmly established, although an alliance with the Meliphagidae or the Sturnidae has been suggested on rather equivocal grounds. The syrinx in Promerops is now shown to have the derived "turdine thumb" configuration that is characteristic of the true Old Worid flycatchers and the thrushes (Muscicapini auct. and Turdinae), to which group Promerops should now be moved. Promerops shows that the highly specialized morphology and behaviour associated with nectarivory can evolve in a "saltational" manner, leaving no intermediate forms and few clues to the identity of the ancestral taxon. Nectarivorous feeding adaptations are a very poor indication of relationships. The closest relatives of other nectarivorous groups of birds are probably best sought among taxa that lack morphological specializations for nectar feeding. INTRODUCTION adapted], and nothing else in Africa is really like them." To those familiar with the South African Cape Sibley & Ahlquist (1974) have outlined the taxo- and Gurney's -
Population Diversity and Relatedness in Sugarbirds
A peer-reviewed version of this preprint was published in PeerJ on 13 June 2018. View the peer-reviewed version (peerj.com/articles/5000), which is the preferred citable publication unless you specifically need to cite this preprint. Haworth ES, Cunningham MJ, Calf Tjorve KM. 2018. Population diversity and relatedness in Sugarbirds (Promeropidae: Promerops spp.) PeerJ 6:e5000 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5000 Population diversity and relatedness in Sugarbirds (Promeropidae: Promerops spp.) Evan S Haworth 1 , Michael J Cunningham Corresp., 1 , Kathleen M. Calf Tjorve 2 1 Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa 2 Applied Ecology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway Corresponding Author: Michael J Cunningham Email address: [email protected] Sugarbirds are a family of two socially-monogamous passerine species endemic to southern Africa. Cape and Gurney’s Sugarbird (Promerops cafer and P. gurneyi) differ in abundance, dispersion across their range and in the degree of sexual dimorphism in tail length, factors that affect breeding systems and potentially genetic diversity. According to recent data, P. gurneyi are in decline and revision of the species’ IUCN conservation status to a threatened category may be warranted. It is therefore necessary to understand genetic diversity and risk of inbreeding in this species. We used six polymorphic microsatellite markers and one mitochondrial gene (ND2) to compare genetic diversity in P. cafer from Cape Town and P. gurneyi from Golden Gate Highlands National Park, sites at the core of each species distribution. We describe novel universal avian primers which amplify the entire ND2 coding sequence across a broad range of bird orders. -
SOUTH AFRICA BIRDING and WILDLIFE SAFARI Featuring the Kruger National Park, Escarpment and Highlands 1-10 October 2022
In conjunction with Presents: SOUTH AFRICA BIRDING AND WILDLIFE SAFARI Featuring the Kruger National Park, Escarpment and highlands 1-10 October 2022 Lilac-breasted Roller abounds in the Kruger National Park www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | ITINERARY South Africa Birding and Wildlife Join the Tucson Audubon Society in South Africa! We spend 10 days in one of South Africa’s richest areas for birds, mammals and other wildlife, in one of the world’s most famous game parks, the Kruger National Park. This massive park covers a vast area and is teaming with Africa’s big (and small) mammals (including African Elephant, Giraffe, Burchell’s Zebra, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and all the others). The great thing for birders, though, is that its full of easy to see, spectacular-looking species, such as several species each of roller, bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, vulture, owl, stork, etc. The park is full of birds of prey including the spectacular, colorful Bateleur, and there’s also a good chance of finding Secretarybird, Kori Bustard (the world’s heaviest flying bird), Southern Ground Hornbill (along with a plethora of other hornbill species), etc. Lion, and with luck Leopard and Cheetah should be encountered on this tour We don’t spend all our time in the Kruger National Park. To the west of this famed game park, rises the Great Escarpment, which boast quite a good number of very localized species, such as Gurney’s Sugarbird, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Knysna Turaco, Orange Ground-thrush and numerous others. Ascending this escarpment onto the high-altitude plateau that covers a large proportion of South Africa, should reward us with a new suite of bird species. -
CAPE TOWN and PELAGIC PRE-TRIP Featuring the Cape Peninsula, Fynbos Endemics, Southern Right Whales, the Karoo and More 24 September – October 1, 2022
1 | ITINERARY Cape pre-trip In conjunction with Presents: SOUTH AFRICA: CAPE TOWN AND PELAGIC PRE-TRIP Featuring the Cape Peninsula, fynbos endemics, Southern Right Whales, the Karoo and more 24 September – October 1, 2022 African Penguin can be seen near Simonstown on this tour 2 | ITINERARY Cape pre-trip Pre-trip: Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula, the West Coast National Park and the Karoo The Western Cape ranks as the most important endemic bird area on the entire African continent! It is truly essential because of its sheer number of endemics. Pelagic trips off Cape Town also rank as amongst the finest in the world with at least four albatross species, several petrels including the stunning Pintado, penguins, shearwaters and many more on the rich trawling grounds near where two oceans, Indian and Atlantic, meet. The Cape is also a spectacularly scenic area, with rugged Cape Fold Mountains that plunge down to the sea, white sand beaches, sea cliffs on the Cape Peninsula, and beautiful vineyards. Southern Right Whales close inshore plus a lot of other mammals, sometimes spectacular carpets of flowers and the most plant-diverse biome on earth are further major attractions that are easily seen and appreciated. Our tour is eight days long, with a major focus of locating almost all the endemics of this province, spending time in each strategic ecosystem – the fynbos, Namaqualand, Karoo and temperate forest. We will amass an impressive list including many pelagic and other seabirds, and as always, an amazing overall experience. Cape Rockjumper 3 | ITINERARY Cape pre-trip Itinerary (8 days/7 nights) Day 1. -
CAVERN BIRD LIST Using Roberts 7 Names and Sequence
Pvt Bag X1626 Bergville 3350 Tel: +27 36 438 6270 E-mail: [email protected] URL: www.cavern.co.za Welcome to birders’ paradise. The Cavern boasts over 200 species, many of them easily found because all the Drakensberg habitats are accessible within walking distance. The adventure begins within the rambling, mainly indigenous gardens. They merge into Afromontane forest on one side, thornveld on another, ponds and streams in between. Grassland, Protea woodland and rock outcrops dominate the nearest hill. High above, sheer kranses complete the picture. Which birds are the stars of the show? There are lots of endemics – species found only in South Africa – Gurney’s Sugarbird, Bush Blackcap, Fairy Flycatcher – as well as rarites like Half- collared Kingfsher and Bearded Vulture. CAVERN BIRD LIST using Roberts 7 names and sequence ⃣ Coqui Francolin ⃣ Southern Ground-Hornbill ⃣ Grey-winged Francolin ⃣ African Hoopoe ⃣ Red-winged Francolin ⃣ Green Wood-Hoopoe ⃣ Red-necked Spurfowl ⃣ Half-collared Kingfisher ⃣ Swainson’s Spurfowl ⃣ Malachite Kingfisher ⃣ Common Quail ⃣ Grey-headed Kingfisher ⃣ Helmeted Guineafowl ⃣ Brown-hooded Kingfisher ⃣ Egyptian Goose ⃣ Giant Kingfisher ⃣ Spur-winged Goose ⃣ Pied Kingfisher ⃣ African Black Duck ⃣ White-fronted Bee-eater ⃣ Yellow-billed Duck ⃣ Speckled Mousebird ⃣ Greater Honeyguide ⃣ Jacobin Cuckoo ⃣ Lesser Honeyguide ⃣ Red-chested Cuckoo ⃣ Brown-backed Honeybird ⃣ Black Cuckoo ⃣ Red-throated Wryneck ⃣ Klaas's Cuckoo ⃣ Golden-tailed Woodpecker ⃣ Diderick Cuckoo ⃣ Ground Woodpecker ⃣ Alpine Swift ⃣ Cardinal -
Responses of Nectar-Feeding Birds to Floral Resources at Multiple Spatial Scales B
Responses of nectar-feeding birds to floral resources at multiple spatial scales B. Schmid, H. Nottebrock, K. Esler, J. Pagel, A. Pauw, K. Böhning-Gaese, F. Schurr, M. Schleuning To cite this version: B. Schmid, H. Nottebrock, K. Esler, J. Pagel, A. Pauw, et al.. Responses of nectar-feeding birds to floral resources at multiple spatial scales. Ecography, 2016, 39 (7), pp.619-629. 10.1111/ecog.01621. hal-03082498 HAL Id: hal-03082498 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03082498 Submitted on 18 Dec 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Ecography 39: 619–629, 2016 doi: 10.1111/ecog.01621 © 2015 The Authors. Ecography © 2015 Nordic Society Oikos Subject Editor: Paulo Guimaraes Jr. Editor-in-Chief: Miguel Araújo. Accepted 16 July 2015 Responses of nectar-feeding birds to floral resources at multiple spatial scales B. Schmid, H. Nottebrock, K. J. Esler, J. Pagel, A. Pauw, K. Böhning-Gaese, F. M. Schurr and M. Schleuning B. Schmid ([email protected]), K. Böhning-Gaese and M. Schleuning, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) and Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, DE-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.