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Bateleurs Usually Cruise at Great Speed at Low Level and Are Among the First Raptors to Detect Carrion (Including Small Poisoned Bait)

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Bateleurs Usually Cruise at Great Speed at Low Level and Are Among the First Raptors to Detect Carrion (Including Small Poisoned Bait) 202 Accipitridae: vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, buzzards and harriers recoveries of young birds indicate short movements of 77 and 54 km within South Africa (SAFRING). Breeding: Egglaying in South Africa and Zimbabwe begins in summer, mainly January–March, coincident with the main rains (Steyn 1982b; Tarboton & Allan 1984; Watson 1986). The wide spread of atlas records was due largely to the protracted nesting cycle. Where they occur, tall Acacia spp. and Diospyros mespiliformis trees along watercourses are preferred breeding sites (Watson 1988). Interspecific relationships: Foraging Bateleurs usually cruise at great speed at low level and are among the first raptors to detect carrion (including small poisoned bait). Juveniles also scavenge at carcasses of large game, where they are generally subordinate to all other scavengers (Steyn 1982b). This eagle is frequently subject to piracy by Tawny Eagles Aquila rapax and Whiteheaded Vultures Trigonoceps occipitalis (Mundy et al. 1992). The former may rob them of up to 18% of their prey (Watson & Watson 1987). Historical distribution and conservation: Within his- torical times it has undergone a severe range contraction and population decrease (Tree 1978a; Boshoff & Vernon 1980a; Tarboton & Allan 1984; Hustler 1985b). In South Africa it now breeds only in the Kruger and Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks and nearby conservation areas, and in north- ern KwaZulu-Natal (Cyrus & Robson 1980; Watson 1986; Tarboton et al. 1987b; Herholdt & De Villiers 1991). Histor- ically it occurred widely, as far south as the southern Cape Province (Boshoff et al. 1983). Having probably once num- bered 2500 pairs (Steyn 1982b), the current breeding popu- lation in South Africa is estimated at 600 pairs in the Trans- Bateleur vaal (Tarboton & Allan 1984) and 22 pairs in the Cape Prov- Berghaan ince (Herholdt & De Villiers 1991). There is virtually unanimous agreement that this ‘vulner- Terathopius ecaudatus able’ Red Data species (Brooke 1984b) has decreased owing to indiscriminate poisoning by livestock farmers (Watson The Bateleur is a widespread resident eagle found in most of 1986). Bateleurs exist in substantial numbers only in regions sub-Saharan Africa (Brown et al. 1982). In southern Africa, with tribal livestock-farming communities, i.e. in large parts it is found in northeastern Namibia, throughout Botswana, and of Botswana and northeastern Namibia. A few large-scale Zimbabwe (except the northeastern plateau), in the extreme commercial farmers are responsible for most deaths (Davies northern and eastern parts of South Africa, and in eastern 1988; Brown 1991a); identifying and re-educating them could Swaziland. Areas of high reporting rates were closely asso- help alleviate the poisoning problem. On their own, pesticides ciated with large conservation areas, such as the Kruger, in eggs and habitat destruction are unlikely to have reduced Etosha, Hwange, Moremi, Chobe and Central Kalahari parks. the range of the Bateleur (De Kock & Watson 1985; Watson Outside protected areas in South Africa it is almost entirely 1986). absent as a breeding species. R.E. Simmons Its aerial habits make it conspicuous. Adults may be con- fused with adult Jackal Buzzards Buteo rufofuscus by novices. Habitat: It occurs in a wide variety of woodland types, from Recorded in 1615 grid cells, 35.6% open, semi-arid Kalahari to well-developed, relatively mesic Total number of records: 13 243 miombo. Mean reporting rate for range: 39.8% Movements: Immature birds are nomadic, which may account for seasonal fluctuations in reporting rates. Breeding birds may also become less conspicuous during the nesting period (midsummer to early winter). Non-adult birds increase Reporting rates for vegetation types in winter in the Kalahari Gemsbok Park (Herholdt & De % 04080 Villiers 1991) and in summer in the Kruger National Park (Watson 1990). Pre- and post-rains’ concentrations also occur Okavango 65.9 in the Zambezi Valley (A.J. Tree pers. comm.), and a few Mopane 55.0 hundred birds concentrate each year during the late wet and Northern Kalahari 49.5 early dry season in the Khwai–Savuti region (1923B, 1824C) Arid Woodland 28.5 of northern Botswana (M. Herremans pers. comm.). Some of Southern Kalahari 18.4 these concentrations of nonbreeding birds are regular every Miombo 10.6 season, others coincide with incidental food gluts, but they all Central Kalahari 7.4 are most likely in response to a sudden increase in food Moist Woodland 3.7 availability (Watson 1990). Hence large-scale wandering of East Coast Littoral 3.2 non-adult Bateleurs occurs throughout the region, and wildlife E Zimbabwe Highlands 2.8 areas periodically attract important numbers. Two ringing Namibian Escarpment 2.2 Accipitridae: vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, buzzards and harriers 203 14˚ BATELEUR 5 1 18˚ 22˚ 2 6 26˚ 3 7 30˚ Reporting rate (%) > 49.9 30.8 — 49.9 2.0 — 30.7 < 2.0 34˚ 4 8 18˚ 22˚ 26˚ 14˚ 30˚ 10˚ 34˚ 60 40 40 1 5 20 20 60 40 40 2 6 20 20 60 40 40 3 7 20 20 60 40 Occurrence reporting rate (%) Breeding reporting rate (%) 40 4 8 20 20 J ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ Models of seasonality for Zones. Number of records (top to bottom, left to right): Occurrence: 1149, 472, 107, 0, 2613, 2832, 723, 0; Breeding: 14, 6, 3, 0, 22, 46, 29, 0..
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