DOCSLIB.ORG

University of Cape Town

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
University of Cape Town The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University Ecological and evolutionary processes in two southern African endemic birds Ângela M. Ribeiro Town Cape Dissertation presentedof for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Zoology University of Cape Town University Cape Town, August 2011 DECLARATION I, Ângela Maria Oliveira Ribeiro, hereby declare that: i) the work presented in this thesis is my own and, ii) neither the substance nor any part of this thesis has been submitted or is to be submitted for a degree at this or other University. Town Cape of Cape Town, August 2011. University Town I chased lions, I climbed mountains, I dove deep. I rambled the jungle, I lived in a tank, I flu with strings,Cape I had private clouds and self-sunrises. I was a silent cold blue wind and a blooming springof flower. In my world, in my scene, within me, I recreated myself. Now, in the mighty silence of my dreams, in my scene, within me, I see your smile. UniversityI can swim, I can dance; we can fly with no fears, with no strings, until the end. And I still love. To the memory of Manuel Paço e Brito CONTENTS Preface i Acknowledgements ii Abstract iii Chapter Summary iv Chapter One 1 Introduction Two 11 Microsatellites in the Karoo Scrub-Robin, Cercotrichas coryphaeusTown: isolation and characterization of 13 autosomal and two sex-linked loci. Three 16 Microgeographic socio-genetic structure of an AfricanCape cooperative breeding passerine revealed: integrating behavioural and genetic data Four of 33 A tight balance between natural selection and gene flow in a southern African arid-zone endemic bird Five 57 Dynamics of a range expansion: placing adaptation in the context of the colonization of a new habitat Six University 80 Eco-geographical context of morphological and genetic divergence in a forest-dwelling Scrub- Robin of southeast Africa Seven 99 Conclusion References v Postface vi PREFACE Sleepwalk typewriter Oftentimes I find my memories sleepwalking to the imagination, where all the ephemerally disoriented memories unhappen in the same scene: a naked Baobab at the peaceful rhythm of the Indian Ocean waves; the mossy scent of the forest after a heavy rain with an eagerly roaring waterfall; the dazzling warm rays of a sunrise closely watched by beautiful Orion; the Townhollow sound of electric fences in the same tone of the cheerful carillon; a colourfully dressed woman carrying a tin of water, empress of the cool summer fog; the tart-sweet ripped guavas nurtured by the salty ocean smell; the shadow of blooming oaks over the wavy fiery red dunes; the beloved persons I lost for never in the same smile with the friends I gained for ever. All unhappening until the blue, red andCape green decide to sum up in the sky, and then shatter into the earth painting the most gorgeous and peaceful sunset one can witness. Memories; they all temporarily return to ‘happened’. I find myself whenof I imagine this beautiful journey. Imagine. University i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Completing my degree would not have been possible without the generosity of many people. It is a great pleasure to thank everyone, who have inspired, assisted and guided me in multiple ways. Foremost, I want to thank Rauri Bowie, my advisor. Rauri, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a member of your lab, at UC Berkeley. I appreciated the freedom you gave me to find my way. I am grateful for your affability, patience, support and guidance throughout this journey. My most sincere and endless thank you! Penn Lloyd, my academic supervisor during the first two years of the programme, your help in the field was precious. I will never forget your hospitality when I first arrived in South Africa – thank you! Phil Hockey, I am grateful for your willingness to act as myTown academic supervisor and your thoughtful comments when revising my chapters – thanks so much! Ricardo Lopes, thanks for your support during the process of writing and submitting the FCT grant application and for joining me in the field. Cape I acknowledge the Fundação para a Ciênciaof e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) and the Department of Science and Technology and National Research Foundation (NRF, South Africa) for providing funding to conduct my research. I am grateful to the Animal Ethics Committee at the University of Cape Town for approving my research program. And for granting the research and collecting permits I thank: SAFRING, the South African National Parks; Northern Cape Department of Nature and Environmental Conservation; Free State Department of Tourism, Environment and Economic Affairs; Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture, EnvironmentUniversity and Tourism; and, the Department of Environment and Tourism Department of Namibia. Hugh Chittenden, Mark Brown, Dawie de Swardt, Joseline and Trevor Smit, Adrian Craig, Niel MacGregor, Rod and Cathy Molteno, Larry King, Ronnelle and Stoffel Visagie, Sharon Louw, David Pretorius and, Pieter Strauss: thank you for being fantastic hosts, helping with logistics in the field and for sharing your knowledge about the region, wildlife and particularly Scrub-Robins. I thank David Willard, Gary Voelker and Tom Gnoske (Field Museum, Chicago, USA), Dawie de Swardt (National Museum at Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa), Joseph Heymans, Kobie Raijmakers, Craig Symes, and Peter Nupen, for providing biological samples. ii Andrew, the mesmerizing; Jay, the adorable; Roberta, the heartfelt; José, the amusing; Ricardo, the epicurean; Aninha, the generous; Jérôme, the ‘mais oui’ jocular: to all of you my utmost, deep and sincere gratitude. Thanks for your endless help and support, for the company, for your thoughtful insights, for discussing and reading so carefully my manuscripts, for the heavy doses of optimism and mostly, for the memorable and marvellous moments together. I very much appreciated your friendship, kindness and generosity throughout this intense journey. I love you all very much dear friends! Jérôme, Hanneline and Graeme, my field-office-labmates, I had a terrific time with you in the field! It was “baie, baie lekker!” Thanks very much for running for Scrub-Robins. Sandra, Marta, Buckley, Knud, Jon, Fujita, Mitzy, Kristal, Tânia, Michael, Luca, Potiphar, Sampath, Callan, Michael, Rowena: thanks for the wonderful times together! I was officially a Ph.D student at the University of Cape Town inTown South Africa. However, I spent most of my time at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley. Berkeley had/has an intriguing simultaneous duality, which makes it unique and unforgettable: innovative and traditional, friendly and aloof, inspiring and disheartening, fulfilling and overwhelming, challenging and monotonous. Being a student in Berkeley was such a rewardingCape experience: scientifically and personally! I acknowledge Craig Moritz, the director of the ofMuseum, for allowing me to be part of the MVZ community. I extend my gratitude to everyone in the MVZ for welcoming and hosting me during these last four years – thanks very much! All the Bowie’s lab members are thanked for tirelessly listen to, discussing and reading my ideias. Cristina e Sara, obrigada por fazerem da distância geografica que nos separou um mero até logo. Encheu-me o coração cada uma das mensagens/presentes que me enviaram. Obrigada pela partilha! Avó Maria e Ermelinda,University embora a barreira tecnlogica tenha exacerbado a distância física, cada conversa foi fonte de alegria e felicidade. A vossa valentia foi e será sempre inspiradora e motivo de orgulho. Obrigada! Mãe e pai, obrigada pela constante presença, pelo apoio infinito. Sem a vossa generosidade e amor nada seria possível. Adoro-vos! Obrigada, Thank you, Dankie, Gracias, Merci! August, 2011 ii ABSTRACT Understanding the continuous process of divergence that leads to the formation of species requires the simultaneous think about ecology, evolution and its intertwining relationship. In this dissertation, I propose a population-level framework that integrates ecology and population genetics to rethink the mechanisms that promote divergence. To accomplish that I studied two southern African endemic Cercotrichas scrub-robins: C. coryphaeus and C. signata. Despite its phylogenetic proximity the two study species occupy the two ends of the habitat spectrum available in southern Africa: semi-arid Karoo vs. Forest. First, I combined behavioural ecology with individual-basedTown genetic data in the Karoo scrub- robin examined the role of social relationships in shaping mating patterns and dispersal behaviour and ultimately influence the evolution of dispersal. Second, using the knowledge obtained about the dispersal biology of the Karoo scrub-robin, I tested whether naturalCape selection can counter-balance gene flow and hence promote local adaptation along the aridity gradient that characterizes the range of the species. The results suggested that selective pressures on physiology,of mediated by the mtDNA genome, might facilitate the adaptation to new climatic conditions. Third, prompted by the previous findings, I examined the historical context of a spatial and demographic expansion to understand the role of natural selection in the colonization of a new environment, in the Karoo scrub-robin. Lastly, I evaluated how the eco- geographical context affects the divergence process in the forest-dweller C. signata. University iii CHAPTER SUMMARY The intellectual motivation for this dissertation was shed light on the mechanisms that promote population divergence and can ultimately lead to the formation of species, in an area of the world that is still understudied: the southern African subcontinent. My thesis consists of seven chapters. Chapter one is an introduction to the topics I proposed to address, and chapter seven the general conclusions from the research I developed and described in five interrelated chapters.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • South Africa Mega Birding Tour I 6Th to 30Th January 2018 (25 Days) Trip Report
    South Africa Mega Birding Tour I 6th to 30th January 2018 (25 days) Trip Report Aardvark by Mike Bacon Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Wayne Jones Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to South Africa Trip Report – RBT South Africa - Mega I 2018 2 Tour Summary The beauty of South Africa lies in its richness of habitats, from the coastal forests in the east, through subalpine mountain ranges and the arid Karoo to fynbos in the south. We explored all of these and more during our 25-day adventure across the country. Highlights were many and included Orange River Francolin, thousands of Cape Gannets, multiple Secretarybirds, stunning Knysna Turaco, Ground Woodpecker, Botha’s Lark, Bush Blackcap, Cape Parrot, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Caracal, Oribi and Giant Bullfrog, along with spectacular scenery, great food and excellent accommodation throughout. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Despite havoc-wreaking weather that delayed flights on the other side of the world, everyone managed to arrive (just!) in South Africa for the start of our keenly-awaited tour. We began our 25-day cross-country exploration with a drive along Zaagkuildrift Road. This unassuming stretch of dirt road is well-known in local birding circles and can offer up a wide range of species thanks to its variety of habitats – which include open grassland, acacia woodland, wetlands and a seasonal floodplain. After locating a handsome male Northern Black Korhaan and African Wattled Lapwings, a Northern Black Korhaan by Glen Valentine
    [Show full text]
  • Namaqua Birds
    Bird Checklist for Namaqua National Park (as at March 2006) English (Roberts 7) English (Roberts 6) Old Rob # Global Names SA Names Afrikaans Namaqua 62 Grey Heron Grey Heron Bloureier 1 63 Blackheaded Heron Blackheaded Heron Swartkopreier 1 71 Cattle Egret Cattle Egret Veereier 1 81 Hamerkop Hamerkop Hamerkop 1 91 Sacred Ibis Sacred Ibis Skoorsteenveer 1 94 Hadeda Ibis Hadeda Hadeda 1 102 Egyptian Goose Egyptian Goose Kolgans 1 103 South African Shelduck South African Shelduck Kopereend 1 104 Yellowbilled Duck Yellowbilled Duck Geelbekeend 1 116 Spurwinged Goose Spurwinged Goose Wildemakou 1 127 Blackshouldered Kite Blackshouldered Kite Blouvalk 1 131 Verreaux's Eagle Black Eagle Witkruisarend 1 136 Booted Eagle Booted Eagle Dwergarend 1 140 Martial Eagle Martial Eagle Breëkoparend 1 143 Black-chested Snake Eagle Black-breasted Snake Eagle Swartborsslangarend 1 149 Steppe Buzzard Steppe Buzzard Bruinjakkalsvoël 1 152 Jackal Buzzard Jackal Buzzard Rooiborsjakkalsvoël 1 162 Pale Chanting Goshawk Pale Chanting Goshawk Bleeksingvalk 1 168 Black Harrier Black Harrier Witkruisvleivalk 1 169 African Harrier Hawk Gymnogene Kaalwangvalk 1 172 Lanner Falcon Lanner Falcon Edelvalk 1 181 Rock Kestrel Rock Kestrel Kransvalk 1 182 Greater Kestrel Greater Kestrel Grootrooivalk 1 190 Grey-winged Francolin Greywing Francolin Bergpatrys 1 195 Cape Spurfowl Cape Francolin Kaapse Fisant 1 200 Common Quail Common Quail Afrikaanse Kwartel 1 203 Helmeted Guineafowl Helmeted Guineafowl Gewone Tarentaal 1 232 Ludwig's Bustard Ludwig's Bustard Ludwigse Pou 1
    [Show full text]
  • The Karoo Birds Research and Conservation Project
    The Karoo Birds Research and Conservation Project Final Project Report based on fieldwork conducted through the Karoo south of the Orange River during 2017 and 2018 A BirdLife South Africa conservation project by Alan Lee and Dale Wright. Report by: Alan Lee January 2019 1 Summary The Karoo biome is a vast arid zone environment covering 26% of South Africa, as well as Namibia, and is home to 11 endemic bird species. The Karoo Birds Project was a BirdLife South Africa initiative run from 2017-2018, which aimed to provide a conservation assessment by obtaining data on population size, range and population trends primarily of the Karoo endemic bird species. This report was obtained through a point count and atlasing project across the Karoo region south of the Orange River, South Africa. This was partly run in conjunction with the Karoo BioGaps project. The South African National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) Karoo BioGaps project aimed to gather foundational biodiversity data to support the impact assessments for Shale Gas and other infrastructure development projects in the Karoo basin. During 2017 and 2018 we conducted 2854 point counts across 150 pentads, mostly from end of July to October, largely corresponding to the late winter to early spring period. We found that avian species richness and bird abundance increased eastwards, mostly explained by increasing overall vegetation height, but accompanied by increasing grass cover and decreasing sand cover. In contrast, Karoo endemic bird species richness decreased eastwards, negatively correlated with increasing grass and acacia tree cover. Density and species richness were especially high around water locations and farmhouses, and we found that the presence of many species to be influenced by water, a surprising result for an arid environment.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa Mega Birding III 5Th to 27Th October 2019 (23 Days) Trip Report
    South Africa Mega Birding III 5th to 27th October 2019 (23 days) Trip Report The near-endemic Gorgeous Bushshrike by Daniel Keith Danckwerts Tour leader: Daniel Keith Danckwerts Trip Report – RBT South Africa – Mega Birding III 2019 2 Tour Summary South Africa supports the highest number of endemic species of any African country and is therefore of obvious appeal to birders. This South Africa mega tour covered virtually the entire country in little over a month – amounting to an estimated 10 000km – and targeted every single endemic and near-endemic species! We were successful in finding virtually all of the targets and some of our highlights included a pair of mythical Hottentot Buttonquails, the critically endangered Rudd’s Lark, both Cape, and Drakensburg Rockjumpers, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Pink-throated Twinspot, Southern Tchagra, the scarce Knysna Woodpecker, both Northern and Southern Black Korhaans, and Bush Blackcap. We additionally enjoyed better-than-ever sightings of the tricky Barratt’s Warbler, aptly named Gorgeous Bushshrike, Crested Guineafowl, and Eastern Nicator to just name a few. Any trip to South Africa would be incomplete without mammals and our tally of 60 species included such difficult animals as the Aardvark, Aardwolf, Southern African Hedgehog, Bat-eared Fox, Smith’s Red Rock Hare and both Sable and Roan Antelopes. This really was a trip like no other! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tour in Detail Our first full day of the tour began with a short walk through the gardens of our quaint guesthouse in Johannesburg. Here we enjoyed sightings of the delightful Red-headed Finch, small numbers of Southern Red Bishops including several males that were busy moulting into their summer breeding plumage, the near-endemic Karoo Thrush, Cape White-eye, Grey-headed Gull, Hadada Ibis, Southern Masked Weaver, Speckled Mousebird, African Palm Swift and the Laughing, Ring-necked and Red-eyed Doves.
    [Show full text]
  • Fledgling Survival Increases with Development Time and Adult Survival Across North and South Temperate Zones
    Ibis (2016), 158, 135–143 Fledgling survival increases with development time and adult survival across north and south temperate zones PENN LLOYD1,2* & THOMAS E. MARTIN3 1Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa 2Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd, PO Box 1376, Cleveland, Qld 4163, Australia 3U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA Slow life histories are characterized by high adult survival and few offspring, which are thought to allow increased investment per offspring to increase juvenile survival. Consis- tent with this pattern, south temperate zone birds are commonly longer-lived and have fewer young than north temperate zone species. However, comparative analyses of juve- nile survival, including during the first few weeks of the post-fledging period when most juvenile mortality occurs, are largely lacking. We combined our measurements of fledg- ling survival for eight passerines in South Africa with estimates from published studies of 57 north and south temperate zone songbird species to test three predictions: (1) fledg- ling survival increases with length of development time in the nest; (2) fledgling survival increases with adult survival and reduced brood size controlled for development time; and (3) south temperate zone species, with their higher adult survival and smaller brood sizes, exhibit higher fledgling survival than north temperate zone species controlled for development time. We found that fledgling survival was higher among south temperate zone species and generally increased with development time and adult survival within and between latitudinal regions.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa: the Southwestern Cape & Kruger August 17–September 1, 2018
    SOUTH AFRICA: THE SOUTHWESTERN CAPE & KRUGER AUGUST 17–SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 Leopard LEADER: PATRICK CARDWELL LIST COMPILED BY: PATRICK CARDWELL VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM SOUTH AFRICA: THE SOUTHWESTERN CAPE & KRUGER AUGUST 17–SEPTEMER 1, 2018 By Patrick Cardwell Our tour started in the historical gardens of the Alphen Hotel located in the heart of the Constantia Valley, with vineyards dating back to 1652 with the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck, the first Governor of the Cape. Surrounded by aging oak and poplar trees, this Heritage Site hotel is perfectly situated as a central point within the more rural environs of Cape Town, directly below the towering heights of Table Mountain and close to the internationally acclaimed botanical gardens of Kirstenbosch. DAY 1 A dramatic change in the prevailing weather pattern dictated a ‘switch’ between scheduled days in the itinerary to take advantage of a window of relatively calm sea conditions ahead of a cold front moving in across the Atlantic from the west. Our short drive to the harbor followed the old scenic road through the wine lands and over Constantia Nek to the picturesque and well-wooded valley of Hout (Wood) Bay, so named by the Dutch settlers for the abundance of old growth yellow wood trees that were heavily exploited during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Our skipper was on standby to welcome us on board a stable sport fishing boat with a wraparound gunnel, ideal for all-round pelagic seabird viewing and photographic opportunity in all directions.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa – Cape & Kruger III Trip Report 4Th to 14Th December 2015
    Best of South Africa – Cape & Kruger III Trip Report 4th to 14th December 2015 Lion by Wayne Jones Trip report by tour leader Wayne Jones RBT Trip Report Best of SA – Cape & Kruger III 2015 2 In the first week of the last month of the year, we began our 10-day exploration of South Africa’s most popular destinations, the Western Cape and Kruger National Park. Everyone had arrived the day before, which afforded us an extra morning – an opportunity we couldn’t pass up! After a scrumptious breakfast overlooking False Bay we followed the coast south along the Cape Peninsula until we reached Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (Cape Point). We had hardly entered the park when a splendid male Cape Sugarbird grabbed our attention as he sat feeding on big orange “pincushions” and a male Orange- breasted Sunbird sat nicely for pictures before realising he needed another nectar fix. Cape Siskin and Common Buzzard also gave good views nearby, along with a number of spiky, pitch- coloured Black Girdled Lizards. After turning towards Olifantsbos we happened upon four (Cape) Mountain Zebra right alongside the road. This species is not common in the park so we Mountain Zebra by Wayne Jones were very fortunate to have such excellent views of these beauties. Equally beautiful and scarce were the Blesbok (Bontebok) we found closer to the beach. But back to the birds, which were surprisingly plentiful and easy to see, probably thanks to the lack of strong winds that one is normally blasted away by, in the area! Grey-backed and Levaillant’s Cisticolas, Cape Grassbird, Cape Bulbul, Fiscal Flycatcher, Alpine Swift, Rock Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, White-necked Raven, Karoo Prinia, Malachite Sunbird and Yellow Bishop showed well in the fynbos areas while African Oystercatcher, Greater Crested, Common and Sandwich Terns, Kelp and Hartlaub’s Gulls, Egyptian Goose, White-breasted Cormorant and Sacred Ibis were found along the shoreline.
    [Show full text]
  • Drought in the Succulent Karoo-Increasing the Awareness Of
    CEPF SMALL GRANT FINAL PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT I. BASIC DATA Organization Legal Name: Arid Zone Ecology Forum Project Title (as stated in the grant agreement): Drought in the Succulent Karoo – Increasing the Awareness of Stakeholders Through a Better Understanding of the Physical, Ecological, and Socioeconomic Effects, Interactions, and Responses Implementation Partners for This Project: Project Dates (as stated in the grant agreement): July 1, 2007 – February 28, 2008 (Extended to June 30, 2009) Date of Report (month/year): 06/2009 II. OPENING REMARKS Attached to this document are two reports of workshops held during this project. The first relates to a farmers’ workshop held in Sutherland in September 2007, and the second a Land managers’ workshop held in Noep in May 2009. Also attached are 7 pdf files which were produced thanks to funding from CEPF for the AZEF 2007 meeting which focused on drought in South Africa’s arid zones, with a focus on the Succulent Karoo. These are peer-reviewed papers published in the South African Journal of Science 105 (1/2) Jan/Feb, 2009, and are also publicized on the AZEF website (www.azef.co.za). III. NARRATIVE QUESTIONS 1. What was the initial objective of this project? The project aimed to disseminate scientific research to civil society, through farmers and land manager workshops and publications in the South African Journal of Science and popular press. The AZEF has a long history of helping young scientists to launch their conference-going careers, and to this end, the project aimed to benefit young scientists through the conference experience, the positive young role models and the opportunity to participate in the peer-reviewed publication process.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa's Rare Mammals
    South Africa’s Rare Mammals Naturetrek Tour Report 11 - 23 September 2017 Mountain Wheatear Gemsbok Fighting African Lion Southern White-faced owl Report & Images compiled by Marc Cronje Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report South Africa- The Cape & Kalahari Tour Participants: Gavin Sims and Marc Cronje (leaders) together with 10 Naturetrek clients Summary During the tour the temperature ranged from 5°C to 36°C. We recorded 57 mammal species, 185 species of birds and 13 species of reptiles. The species mentioned in the daily summaries are only some of those seen. A detailed list can be found at the end of the report. Day 1 Monday 11th September The group left London, en route to Johannesburg. Day 2 Tuesday 12th September Langberg, Kimberley. After a short flight from Johannesburg, clients Lois and Peter met with Gavin and Marc at Kimberley Airport and were slightly worried as they seemed to be the only Naturetrek clients on the flight; soon after meeting Gavin and Marc we learnt that the other eight clients had a flight delay and would be coming on a later flight in the afternoon. After a brief cool drink, we headed to Kamfer’s Dam just on the outskirts of Kimberley; here, we were treated to an amazing sighting of thousands upon thousands of Lesser and Greater Flamingos at the dam. The noise they make is almost deafening. Kamfer’s Dam supports a large diversity of water birds and is recognized as a Natural Heritage Site and an Important Bird Area.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa Mega II Trip Report 8Th October to 1St November 2016
    South Africa Mega II Trip Report 8th October to 1st November 2016 Drakensberg Rockjumper by Adam Riley Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Andre Bernon RBT South Africa – Mega II Trip Report 2016 2 Top 10 birds seen on the trip (as voted by the participants) 1. Drakensberg Rockjumper 2. Blue Crane 3. Botha’s Lark 4. Cape Rockjumper 5. African Penguin 6. Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon 7. Pink-throated Twinspot 8. Cape Sugarbird 9. Blue Swallow 10. Spotted Eagle-Owl Tour Summary The southern African sub-region has one of the highest number of endemic and near-endemic bird species on the continent. This, coupled with great infrastructure, makes South Africa a highly rewarding country to explore. Our first day was set to be an arrival day where everyone was met by their Rockjumper tour leader at our accommodation in South Africa’s largest city - Johannesburg. This did not stop us from ticking off a few bird species; these came in the form of Karoo Thrush, Crested Barbet, Cape Robin-Chat, Red- headed Finch, Cape Wagtail, Southern Masked Weaver and Southern Red Bishop. After an introductory chat during our first dinner together, talking about the day planned ahead, we made our way to bed in preparation for an early start the following morning. We managed to leave before sunrise and arrived at our first birding destination north of Pretoria, in the Rust de Winter area, when the temperature was still cool and the sky a bit overcast. This aided us in our birding success as we managed to get great views of some target species reaching their easternmost distribution here.
    [Show full text]
  • Scrub Robin Continues to Draw Twitchers
    Bulletin NEWS Thursday August 4 2016 5 Scrub robin continues to draw twitchers KAREN WATKINS confused robin is the third largest twitch ever in southern African Abirding history. Over 735 twitchers have seen the celebrity so far, and counting, some bunk- ing work, others arriving in suits or heels. The rufous-tailed scrub robin was first seen at Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve on Sun- n The spotting of day July 17 by Claremont author Peter a rare bird a Steyn and Constantia doctor André Dem- rufous-tailed scrub blon (“Bird lovers in tizz over confused Robin,” Bulletin July 12). robin,pictured More than two weeks later it continues right,has caused a to be the centre of attention, drawing countrywide twitchers from all over. migration of It’s a fitting celebration for South twitchers to African Rare Bird News (SARBN) eighth Zeekoeivlei. birthday with its first report going out on 31 July 2008. PICTURES:PETER RYAN Trevor Hardaker, who compiles SARBN, is keeping a record of visitors who photos ensued. should head back to its wintering have seen the latest feathered celebrity, Professor Peter Ryan of UCT’s Percy grounds,” he said. saying 594 are from the Western Cape fol- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithol- Asked about diet, he said these birds lowed by 113 from Gauteng. ogy says the rufous-tailed scrub robin is are generalists, taking a mix of inverts and Three twitchers apiece came from most likely a “reverse migrant” – a bird fruits. KwaZulu-Natal and Botswana, and one that gets its heading out by 180 degrees. The first largest twitch goes to a Spot- each from North West, Limpopo and “So instead of heading north from its ted Crake with 1 470 twitchers visiting the Namibia.
    [Show full text]
  • HOST LIST of AVIAN BROOD PARASITES - 2 - CUCULIFORMES - Old World Cuckoos
    Cuckoo hosts - page 1 HOST LIST OF AVIAN BROOD PARASITES - 2 - CUCULIFORMES - Old World cuckoos Peter E. Lowther, Field Museum version 28 Mar 2014 This list remains a working copy; colored text used often as editorial reminder; strike-out gives indication of alternate names. Names prefixed with “&” or “%” usually indicate the host species has successfully reared the brood parasite. Notes following names qualify host status or indicate source for inclusion in list. Important references on all Cuculiformes include Payne 2005 and Erritzøe et al. 2012 (the range maps from Erritzøe et al. 2012 can be accessed at http://www.fullerlab.org/cuckoos/.) Note on taxonomy. Cuckoo taxonomy here follows Payne 2005. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that brood parasitism has evolved in 3 clades within the Cuculiformes with monophyletic groups defined as Cuculinae (including genera Cuculus, Cerococcyx, Chrysococcyx, Cacomantis and Surniculus), Phaenicophaeinae (including nonparasitic genera Phaeniocphaeus and Piaya and the brood parasitic genus Clamator) and Neomorphinae (including parasitic genera Dromococcyx and Tapera and nonparasitic genera Geococcyx, Neomorphus, and Guira) (Aragón et al. 1999). For host species, most English and scientific names come from Sibley and Monroe (1990); taxonomy follows either Sibley and Monroe 1990 or Peterson 2014. Hosts listed at subspecific level indicate that that taxon sometimes considered specifically distinct (see notes in Sibley and Monroe 1990). Clamator Clamator Kaup 1829, Skizzirte Entwicklungs-Geschichte und natüriches System der Europäischen Thierwelt ... , p. 53. Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Clamator coromandus (Linnaeus 1766) Systema Naturae, ed. 12, p. 171. Distribution. – Southern Asia. Host list. – Based on Friedmann 1964; see also Baker 1942, Erritzøe et al.
    [Show full text]