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BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA AT WORK left New signboards provided by Atmei Con- struction help to raise awareness about Taita Falcons. The core team surveying the Mpuma- langa/Limpopo escarpment comprised (from left to right) Andrew Jenkins, Anthony van Zyl, Lucia Rodrigues, Hanneline Smit-Robinson, Linda van den Heever and Lance Robinson. left, below Augur Buzzards were seen patrol- ling the skies above the Batoka Gorge. pairs that failed to breed in 2013, and only two territories featured actively breeding pairs, with a total of five chicks raised to near-fledging age. While it is probably pre- mature to start panicking about the long- term survival of this population – we could numbers just be seeing a short-term fluctuation in numbers coincident with temporary OF TAITA FALCONS changes in local conditions – nonetheless, ANTHONY VAN ZYL (2) these numbers are cause for concern. of the current absence of Taita Falcons, the Coupled with the apparent absence of Batoka Gorge system remains a significant Taita Falcons at Victoria Falls, the continu- location for cliff-nesting raptors and storks ing downward slide of the South African plummet and should be afforded the highest avail- population has given us pause for thought. able levels of environmental protection. Is the plight of South Africa’s rarest breed- ing falcon even more dire than we had arly December 2013 found the team originally thought, or is the species natu- In its capacity as a BirdLife South Africa Species Guardian, the South African Taita Falcon Survey Team had a busy back on the Mpumalanga/Limpopo rally prone to colonising an area and then year in 2013. In addition to its routine monitoring of Taita Falcons on South Africa’s eastern escarpment – and operat- escarpment to conduct our seventh fading away in response to changes in some ing with the generous financial support of the falcon’s BirdLife International Species Champion, Palabora Copper – the Eannual survey of the Taita Falcon popula- as-yet-unknown environmental variable? team travelled as far afield as the Victoria Falls. tion in South Africa. We were keen to see Either way, our recent findings suggest that how the birds were faring after an indiffer- the need to learn more about the nature of ince Leslie Brown discovered Taita this research tapered off in the new millen- from BirdLife South Africa and Lance Rob- ent couple of years that had hinted at a slow the Taita Falcon, its global status and the Falcons nesting just below the Vic- nium: the last, and only partial, survey of inson from Witwatersrand Bird Club con- decline in the numbers of occupied territ- factors controlling its strangely patchy dis- toria Falls in the 1950s, the Batoka the Batoka Taitas was conducted by ZFC vened at The Gorges to begin the search. ANDREW JENKINS ories and actively breeding pairs. tribution is even more urgent. SGorge has become a Mecca for birders members in 2006. The results of the last few We were joined by Innocent Magunje from to return to the gorge in 2014 to search Our efforts went off more or less with- SOUTH AFRICAN TaITA FaLCON and biologists hoping to see and study this ZFC surveys suggested a sharp decrease in BirdLife Zimbabwe and Darryl Tirran from again, this time later in the year when the out a hitch. The field team comprised old SURVEY TEAM elusive species. The gorge system, carved the number of Taita Falcons resident and EcoLynx Safaris. birds should be breeding – all indications hands Anthony van Zyl, Lucia Rodrigues by the mighty Zambezi River for up to breeding along this celebrated section of Over the next week we scoured the are that Batoka is no longer a stronghold and Andrew Jenkins, assisted by Hanne- 50 kilometres downstream of the falls, was the Zambezi – from up to six known and length of the gorge system from the falls to for this species. At this stage we can only line Smit-Robinson, Lance Robinson and he Taita Falcon will be uplisted to Critically visited in the 1960s by personnel from the active pairs to as few as only one or two. the Chisuma River confluence, usually with speculate why. The declining quality of the Linda van den Heever from BirdLife South TEndangered in South Africa this year. If Peregrine Fund in the USA, who sowed the The need to resurvey Batoka became an ur- two observers spending five to six hours river water and its knock-on effects on in- Africa. Although we had some weather is- you wish to make a donation to BirdLife South seeds of a Taita Falcon survey and moni- gent priority. at each of about 15 strategically selected sect abundance and hence populations of sues – this was probably the wettest of the Africa and the South African Taita Falcon Survey toring initiative. Thanks to the efforts of the Early in 2013, Imvelo Safari Lodges asked observation points. In this 25-kilometre martins, swallows and swifts (thought to surveys to date and we spent more time Team’s research efforts to determine the well- Zimbabwe Falconers Club (ZFC) and staff the SA Taita Falcon Survey Team to spend surveyed section we located five Peregrine be important prey for Taitas in this habitat) than we would have liked waiting for the being and status of the Taita Falcon in southern at the Bulawayo Museum in the 1970s and some time at the The Gorges, a lodge situ- Falcon pairs (two of which were actively are one possible driver; another is distur- cloud to lift – we managed to visit all nine Africa, go to http://birdlifesouthafrica.given- ’80s, the initiative flourished, bearing its ated at the edge of the Batoka Gorge about breeding) and two Lanner Falcon, six Au- bance by adventure tourism and helicopter known Taita territories and determine the gain.org and click on ‘Projects’, ‘Taita Falcon’ most significant fruit under the guidance 20 kilo metres downstream from the Victo- gur Buzzard and four Verreauxs’ Eagle traffic in the gorges. We have, however, no status of each. and ‘Donations’. For alternative ways to make a and driving energy of the late Ron Hartley. ria Falls. In return for free accommodation, pairs, as well as six Black Stork sites. Hard empirical evidence for either. The results were not encouraging. Two donation, contact Linda van den Heever linda. Sadly, changing circumstances in Zim- our task would be to survey the local raptor as we looked, and despite including all the Although we failed to locate our target, of the sites appeared to be permanently va- [email protected] or +27 (0)11 789 1122. babwe, coupled with Ron’s death in 2005, population and, in particular, to clarify the Taita Falcon breeding cliffs in the gorge we enjoyed our time at The Gorges enor- cant, three held only single birds, two held meant that the intensity and frequency of current status of the Taita Falcon in the area. system identified over the past five decades, mously and can recommend it to anyone We didn’t hesitate; in late July Andrew Jen- we had no sightings of our target species. looking to experience this spectacular above Andrew Jenkins searches the Batoka kins, Anthony van Zyl and Lucia Rodrigues While we don’t want to read too much landscape and its wildlife from luxurious cliffs from The Gorges lodge. from Cape Town, Hanneline Smit-Robinson into this initial result – and are anxious comfort. We can also confirm that in spite 62 AFRICAN BIRDLIFE JULY/AUGUST 2014 BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA 63 OUT & ABOUT WITH BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA NEW IN OSTRICH strich is the scientific journal of Bird- a protocol for the post-mortem examina- OLife South Africa and the leading or- tion of flamingos under field conditions. nithological journal in Africa. It publishes This issue also features several articles that peer-reviewed papers on all aspects of were presented at the 13th Pan-African ornithology on the continent and its asso- Ornithological Congress in Tanzania in ciated islands and marine habitats. Three 2012. One of these is a plenary lecture issues are produced annually. by Anthony Sinclair and co-authors on The cover has been updated, as it was the responses of the Serengeti avifauna to looking rather old-fashioned, and the long-term changes in the environment, photograph on it will change every year. and in particular how climate change in- The cover image for 2014, taken by Ingo teracts with other disturbances to alter the BUY A Waschkies, shows a Lesser Flamingo at functioning of this tropical ecosystem. TAITA FALCON Lake Nakuru in Kenya. Fittingly, one of Two other papers deal with how the SCULPTURE the papers in the year’s first issue defines expansion of electrical infrastructure in ou can contribute to the Taita Falcon southern Africa poses risks to the region’s Ymonitoring and research initiatives in birdlife. The first discusses the threat of southern Africa, undertaken by the SA Taita wind farm development in Lesotho to Falcon Survey Team, BirdLife Species Guard- Bearded and Cape vultures, while the sec- ian for this species, through the purchase of a ond estimates the ‘scavenger and search’ limited edition Taita Falcon bronze sculpture, bias for collision fatality surveys of large valued at R18 000. birds on power lines in the Karoo, where fun walk his year BirdLife South Africa, in bustards in particular face significant Special offer! Price: R14 900 (incl. VAT) AT STRANDFONTEIN, partnership with the City of Cape mortality from collisions with power lines. This is your opportunity to purchase an ori- Town and the Cape Bird Club, Another two papers deal with Crowned ginal Bruce Clements’ bronze sculpture, and CAPE TOWN Thosted the second annual False Bay Eco- Eagle diets and habitat selection, one from the proceeds of the sale will go directly to the logy Park Fun Walk in April.

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