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Malachite Stinbird Ringing in the Free State

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Malachite Stinbird Ringing in the Free State MALACHITE STINBIRD RINGING IN THE FREE STATE D H de Swardt Department of Omitholog,t, National Museum, P O Box 266, Btoemfontein 9300 lntroduction during the sunmer. The above recapture was Previous ongoing studies on Malachite Sun- the fust evidence of any seasonal mbvements bnds Nectarinia famosa and other nectar- between Bloemfontein and the eastern Free ivores have been based rn ihe Eastern and State, and a Malachite Sunbird ringing pro- Western Cape Provinces, and also in Zimba- grarnme was therefore irutiated during 1990 bwe (Craig & Simon l99l ; Fraser e/ al. 1989', (De Swardt 1993a). This is the tust time that Tree 1991). In the Eastern Transvaal, I have an investigation on sunbird movements has concentrated marnly on Gumey's Sugarbrds been undertaken in this region. This article Promerops gurneyi, but have also caught reports on results obtained during the past five about 220 Malachite Sunbirds there (De years of ringrng Malachrte Sunbirds atvarious Swardt 1989; unpubl. data). localities in the Free State. My interest rr Malachite Sunbirds ur the Free Study sites State was fust prompted by the recapture of a Malachite Sunbirds have been captured at sev- bird (origrnally ringed by Dr Roy Earle in eral sites in the Free State. Caphrre sessions Bloemfontein) at Kirklington, Ficksburg, w'ere concentrated in the Bloemfontein area, during 1990 (Moffet 1990), and secondly by at farms near Excelsior and Ficksbure and also their association dunng the wurter months with in the eastern Free State (Figure l)l Several Bloemfonteur and by their subsequent absence prospective sites have been investigated dur- Wonderhoek, WINBURG GGNP. a Kiff Botanical Gdns Besterskrlk a a BLOEMFONTEIN LADYBRAND LESOTHO ILIPPOLIS a Figure l. Malachite Sunbird nngtng sites in the Free State Safring News 24 l5 1995 ing the past two years and ritrgng at some of The Besterskrik site, near the Korannaberg these will comrnence from 1995. These sites range (Excelsior distnct), is probably the best urclude stands of Aloe feroxrnthe Zastron and example of an isolated "island" of nectar Aliwal North distriits and hillsides with resource for Malachrte Sunbirds. The north- A. broomii near Philippolis. Preliminary westem aspect ofthe hill is covered by a stand results indicate that these birds are lishter in of A. spectabllis, the only known population body mass than the other Free State popula- ofthis aloe rnthe Free State (De Swardt 1993b). tions (unpubl. data). The main sunbird food These aloes have a short flowenng penod plants (and their flowenng seasons) will be ffom mrd July to early September and dunng discussed briefly. peak flowering rn early August Malachite Sur- birds are abundant at the site (see discussion). In Bloemfontein (mainly at the Botanical Gardens), sunbrds were capnlred in clumps The other sites are in the eastem Free State at of Leonotis leonunts befween ADril and Mav Wonderhoek, Golden Gate National Park when these were in flower. Later, fiom June (GGNP), Qwaqwa National Park (adjacent unnl August, the hillside areas of the Gardens to GGNP) and Sterkfonteindam Nature are covered with l. granidentata blooms. Reserve near Harrismith. In these areas sun- Private gardens with ,4. arborescens and birds are captured tn Protea roupelliae and Kniphofia spp. rn the suburbs of Bioemfonteirr mxed P roupe ll iaeiP. cafra woodland during also attract sunbirds during this penod. the November-March flowering penod (see Tabie l). The farm Kirklington, near Ficksburg, was vrsrted twice a year. Ringrng was carried out Rrngrng sites were visited in successive years mainly during June-July when clumps of A. ar- to obtain recapture, moult and biome8ic data. borescens are in flower in the cardens and The birds were also colour-rinsed for indivi- later dunng September-October on-the koppies dual recogrution and visual searih for free fly- and hillsides when.4. saDonaria is in bloom. ing coloui-ringed birds was made at each sitl. Table l. Numbers of Malachite Srurbirds ringed in the Free State and main flowering species ofeach site. Rrngrng sites Flowerurg species Malachite Sunbird Botanical Gardens, Bloemfontein Leonotis leonurus 88 Oliewenlus, Bloemfontein Leonotis leonurus 4 Besterskrik. Excelsior Aloe spectabilis z5 Kirklingfon, Ficksburg (2 sites) A. arborescens JI A. saponaria Watsonta spp. Platbergdrift , Ladybrand A. saponaria J Winburg A. arborescens -T Wonderhoek, Golden Gate N P Protea roupelliae J P. cafro Qwaqwa National Park, Kestell (3 sites) P. roupelliae 144 Sterkfonteindam Nature Reserve. P. roupelliae t< Harrismith (2 sites) Tolals 328 Safring News 24 l6 1995 Results of I 57,5 km nearly equals the record obtained Between May 1990 and Febmary 1995,328 for Malachite Sunbirds in the southwestern Malachite Sunbirds were rineed in the Free State Cape (Fraser et al. 1989). Despite my ringrng (Table I ). Of these, 92 (28%\ were captured in effort (92 at Bloemfontein and 37 at Kirkline- Bloernfontein during the winter months. Most ton), no hrrther movements between these tw:o of the remainder were captured throughout the sites have been recorded. It would seem that year ur the central and eastem Free State. Cap- Malachite Sunbirds only leave a site when its tured birds comprised 201 males (61%), nectar resources are becoming depleted and 83 females (25%) and 44 rursexed individuals. at such times movement probablv occurs to localities where nectar is still aviilable. The The Free State recaptures are summarised in individual ringed at Besterskrik dunng August Table 2. ln addrtion to a srngle control, remps 1991 which was resighted at Kirklington of 20 different birds were obtained mainly at 19 months later, exemplifies the itinerant the Bloemfontein Botanical Gardens, Ktrk- nature of these birds. During an early visit to lington and recently at Qwaqwa National the Besterskrik site on 20 Julv 1992. the aloe Park. Since Malachite Sunbirds are season- flowers were not vet oDen and an absence of ally absent from Bloemfontein, the recaptures sunbrds was not-ed. However, three weeks at the Botanical Gardens suggest some fideiity later when the plants were in full flower, to wintenng site by these itinerant birds. sunbirds were observed to be aburrdant. After the flowering peak from late August to Sep- ln only two Malachite Sunbrds was any sig- tember, sunbirds had already started to nificant movement recorded. A male (AI| disperse and I believe that they moved to 85878) ringed on 6 August 1991 at Besters- forage onAloe granidentata attdA- saponaria krik was resighted at Krrkhnglon, Ficksburg inflorescences in the Exceisior-Ficksburs on 27 February 1993 (see Figure l). This ob- areas during August-October. The sunbirdl servation involved an eastward movement of are therefore opportunistic visitors to these 54 km. Another individual (F20581) ringed isolated aloe populations and other areas, at the Botanical Gardens on 7 May l99l was probably mor.rng .laily between different nectar foturd dead 27 months later in a garden in the resources. At Krrkhneton- the sunbirds are Heuwelsig suburb of Bloemfontein on 19 Au- mostly resident, but pro-babiy switch territories gust 1993, 4 km distant fiom the nngrng site. between the gardens around the farmhouse in winter and the nearby mountairs in summer. Discussion No recaptures were obtained on the hillsides, The observation of Moffet (i990) is at present but only in successive seasons in the farm- the only seasonal movement record between house gardens. Some birds still stay around Bloemfontein and Ficksburg. This movement the gardens until mrd September. Table 2. Recaptures of Malachite Sunbirds. Ringrng sttes Retraps Elapsed montls to recapture Botanical Gardens, Bloemfontein 7 t2, t2, t4,24,24,24,36 Heuwelsig, B loemfontein I 27 (ringed at Botanical Gardens) Kirklin gton, Ficksburg 7 12, 12.13,14,22.24,24 Kirklington, Ficksburg I l9 (ringed at Besterskrik) Sterkfonteindam Nature Reserve I 10 aat Qwaqwa National Park Safring News 24 T7 1995 Lack of recaptwes at a nngrng site despite ( I 994) considers the species to be a seasonal repeated netting sessions suggest that seasonal migrant from the Lesotho highlands to the movements or dispersal are taking place. For eastern parts of the Free State and the Natal exampie, at Homngkloof, Qwaqwa National midlands. This suggestion can only be substan- Park, 17 Malachite Sunbirds were ringed tiated if Malachite Sunbirds are captured and during December 1992. When the site was rLnged rn Lesotho in summer and subsequently asain reusited in March 1993. fwo davs of reciptured or recovered in Free State tocatitiei. in-tense ringng yielded a total of 33 new un- nnsed sunblrds but none ofthe I 7 brds nneed At Lydenburg in the Eastern Transvaal, I was in becember were seen or recapfured. ihe able to get some recaptures of Malachite Sun- Protea site was burnt later during September birds at the Protea clumps during the surtmer 1993 and at a subsequent visit dunng Nov- months, but they were absent during wrnter ember fewer rndividnals were capnred, although at these sites (unpubl. data). Although there several free flying birds were observed. Far is an influ of Gumey's Sugarbirds into Lyden- fewer inflorescences were available for the burg town in winter, no similar influx of sunbrds. A year later, during December 1994, sunbrds to the town area has been observed l6 sunbirds were caught in one day but there (De Swardt 1989). The findings of ttus study were no retraps and one wonders where the show how little we know about Malachite other 50 or more sunbirds had gone! Sunbird movements. Although results from my proJect are as yet very few, a paftem is However, the Park was visited again during emerglng in the Free State. I hope this article February i995 in an effort to obtain recap- prompts other ringers (especially in the Free tures. Many more inflorescences were avail- State, Gauteng, Eastern Transvaal and Kwa- able and a record of 57 Maiachite Sunbrds Zulu-Natal) to do some Malachite Sunbird were captured within four days.
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