birdlife south of the Year 2014 at work

international award for seabird conservationist

onservationists make a career choice based on the passion they have for nature and the environ- ment.C It can be a thankless job as they of- ten work in harsh conditions, put in many hours of overtime and operate with mini- mal resources. They rarely receive recog- nition for the work they do, but most are more than satisfied by seeing their hard work pay dividends in the field. In December 2013 all this changed for Bronwyn Maree, leader of the South Afri- can team of the acclaimed Albatross Task Force (ATF). She received the news that she has been selected as one of the winners of the Future for Nature Award 2014 (after be- ing shortlisted in the top 10 for 2013). This international award carries considerable prestige, and Bronwyn was chosen from a total of 126 applicants from 58 countries. In addition to the inter-

ROSS WANLESS national recognition threats this award brings for the ATF’s work with al- above Bronwyn Maree of the Albatross Task to the tristan albatross batrosses, €50 000 will Force. Her conservation work has received be granted to Bronwyn international recognition. n the January/February 2014 issue during winter and through the years its to that is the threat to young and adult to be used for a project of African Birdlife we announced the population there was literally eaten away to at sea: tuna longlining. These fishing of her choice. left The statutes presented to Future for Nature Tristan Albatross as the BirdLife South nothing. vessels set thousands of hooks every day, Through the pres- award winners. IAfrica Bird of the Year, and mentioned that A few pairs survive to breed at Inacces- some of which accidentally catch seabirds. entation of this award, it is listed as Crit­ically Endangered. sible Island but, on average, less than one With a breeding population of less than the Future for Nature The award ceremony takes place in the This is a formal conservation threat sta- chick fledges from there each year. And so 2 500 pairs, it doesn’t require many acci- Foundation supports Netherlands in April 2014. There Bronwyn tus categorisation, and is one of the reasons Gough Island, which never supported a dental deaths for longline fishing to cause young, talented and learning support, mentoring and financial will present the work of BirdLife South Af- for this species being chosen as the Bird of human settlement, became the stronghold real problems for the Tristan Albatross. A ambitious conservationists who are com- assistance. It spotlights those individuals rica’s Albatross Task Force to a large audi- the Year. Critically Endangered is one step and effectively the only breeding location number of studies have arrived at the con- mitted to protecting endangered species. who can impart their passion for nature ence, receive the €50 000 cheque and do away from Extinct in the Wild, which for for the species. Being restricted to breeding clusion that approximately 250 Tristan Al- The award encourages individuals to be- conservation to other young people, and various media interviews. This award will albatrosses, which cannot survive in cap- on one small island is inherently risky for batrosses are killed by longliners each year. come conservation leaders and it facili- simultaneously it encourages the awardees go a long way towards ensuring the future tivity, means total extinction. The species any species, but most people assumed that This compounds the impacts of the mice, tates access to an international network of to continue their outstanding efforts in of albatrosses. was once abundant, but it has always been albatrosses breeding at Gough were safe as and the species is decreasing alarmingly dedicated conservationists who can offer protecting endangered species. Visit www.futurefornature.org restricted to breeding at the Tristan archi- the island has no ‘real’ predators of alba- quickly. These factors, combined with the pelago in the central South Atlantic Ocean. trosses, only introduced mice. However, in fact that this albatross’s small population is Early settlers on Tristan da Cunha found 2003, video evidence was obtained showing effectively restricted to a single island, has follow us on facebook, tweet us on twitter the bird to be an excellent source of food that mice can have an enormous impact by resulted in it being categorised as Critically nibbling hundreds of albatross chicks to Endangered. Like our Facebook page: BirdLife Tweet us on Twitter To subscribe to our e-newsletter, The alien house mouse is a major threat to Tristan death every year. In the next issue we’ll discuss some of the www.facebook.com/pages/Birdlife-South-Africa/112371882122716 @Ruffled_feather go to www.birdingroutes.co.za/ Albatross chicks, nibbling the vulnerable youngsters The pairs at Gough produce too few work that is being done, or planned, to save Join our Facebook group: BirdLife South Africa forms/newsletter.html or e-mail www.facebook.com/groups/106516523414/ [email protected] to death. chicks to sustain the population. Added this amazing bird from extinction.

56 african birdlife march/april 2014 birdlife south africa 57 birdlife south africa at work

r Graham Martin, an ornithologist his all makes sense when we con- eyes if we are to solve the problem of birds at the University of Birmingham, sider that birds’ vision has evolved flying into things. This challenge will be- UK, studies the sensory worlds of to detect movement, predators and come increasingly important as our energy can’t you see birds.D His work has helped shed some light Tother members of their flock, to spot prey or demands grow and we move towards us- on why some birds are vulnerable to collid- foraging areas and for manipulating items ing more renewable energy sources, such as ing with man-made structures, and hope- close to the head (for example, food, feed- wind energy. Seemingly obvious solutions, fully his research will help pave the way to ing chicks and building nests). Except for such as magnifying the visibility of wind tur- where you’re going finding solutions to this problem. birds living in forested areas, there is little bines, are unlikely to be the answer, at least To begin to understand the issue, we need evolutionary driver for the development of not for all species. Martin suggests that we to appreciate that birds do not see in the same acute frontal vision when the path ahead might need to consider measures that warn Birds have a surprising tendency to fly into wind turbines and other man-made objects. ? way we do. Vision is influenced by the struc- was historically free of obstacles. birds in advance to expect obstacles ahead, It is often assumed that birds are killed by the fast-moving turbine blades, but a surprising num- ture of the eyes, the eyes’ location in the skull Then there is the problem of perception. or we could consider distracting or diverting ber are killed by colliding with the static turbine tower. Birds also fly into communication masts, and how the information is processed (visual Sometimes, even when there is nothing birds from their flight path by creating more powerlines, fences and even buildings. Some species, for example Denham’s Bustard and the perception). There is an enormous amount wrong with our vision, we ‘see’ certain objects, attractive foraging areas away from the risk. Blue Crane, are so bad at detecting and avoiding obstacles such as powerlines that their mortal- of visual information about the surround- but don’t register them, particularly if our at- We need to learn to think and see like birds. ity rates as a result of collisions are the cause of much concern among conservationists. ing environment that an organism must col- tention is diverted to other tasks and the ob- It is clear that finding solutions will require lect and process. Assimilating one kind of ject in question is unexpected. Wind turbines, novel approaches that are likely to be effective Birds are often noted for their sharp vision, so it comes as somewhat of a surprise that they fly information often means that the ability to powerlines and other man-made objects that only for specific species or groups of species. into large structures which are often quite obvious to humans. Understanding the reason for this gather a different type of visual data is com- intrude into birds’ airspace are certainly new In the short term the best strategy remains to is an important conservation issue. promised. As a result, there is a large amount and unexpected features of the landscape. place structures away from those areas where of variation in the vision not only among dif- Lastly, Martin argues that it may be impos- they pose a significant risk to birds. ferent groups of organisms, but also between sible for many bird species, particularly those SAMANTHA RALSTON species within the same group. with high wing loading, to decrease their Birds & Renewable Energy Manager Bearing this in mind, let us compare flight speeds sufficiently to ensure that they the vision of humans and birds. Human can take in enough information about the References eyes are placed at the front of the head and environment ahead, especially when visibil- Martin, G.R., Shaw, J.M. (2010). ‘Bird col- orient forwards. This gives us good depth ity is poor. Birds may simply have to process lisions with power lines: failing to see the perception and we have frontal vision that too much information at high speed to effec- way ahead?’ Biological Conservation, 143: allows us to see detail. There are large ar- tively detect and respond to obstacles. 2695–2702. eas above and to either side of us that we What is obvious to us is not obvious to Martin, G.R. (2011). ‘Understanding bird cannot see or, in the case of our peripheral birds. We need to get past our natural in- collisions with man-made objects: a sensory vision, we see poorly, detecting movement clination to view problems through human ecology approach.’ Ibis, 239–254. rather than detail. In contrast, birds’ eyes are generally positioned on either side of their heads, although the exact position BirdLife South Africa leads the way varies from species to species. Birds’ frontal vision is generally not as good as ours (their espite our opposition to the recently approved wind farm near Letseng-La-Terae in peripheral vision is to the front) as their DLesotho, BirdLife South Africa supports the responsible development of wind energy in ability to see detail in the direction of travel southern Africa. The key word here is ‘responsible’. has been compromised in exchange for su- Through our proactive work with bird specialists, government, renewable energy develop- perior lateral (side) vision. The frontal vi- ers and environmental consultants, BirdLife South Africa is helping to secure a future in sion is usually primed for the detection of which the energy we depend on is both clean and green. BirdLife South Africa helps devel- movement, rather than spatial detail. opers screen potential sites using existing information (including the Avian Wind Farm Sen- Humans usually look in the direction sitivity Map, developed in collaboration with the EWT), preventing investment in unsuitable that they are going. In contrast, many birds sites. We also serve on the Expert Reference Group for the National Strategic Environmental look down or move their heads from side Assessment for Wind and Solar Energy, which will identify suitable areas for wind and solar to down while they fly, rather than facing energy in South Africa. in the direction of travel. This means that BirdLife South Africa promotes the implementation of best practice in impact assess- they may not always be able to see what is ment and monitoring of birds at wind farms through commenting on the assessments, lobbying government and engaging with developers and their environmental consultants. directly ahead of them. As a result there has been a marked improvement in the quality of impact assessments. Birds’ eyes are also usually closer togeth- By holding workshops and promoting the exchange of information and ideas, we are fast er than ours. Most birds have a small area of becoming the main reference point for any issue relating to birds and renewable energy binocular vision in front of the head. This in South Africa. To learn more about what BirdLife South Africa is doing to help ensure this is great for tasks near the bill, but beyond happens, visit www.birdlife.org.za/conservation/terrestrial-bird-conservation/birds-and- this most birds have relatively poor depth renewable-energy perception.

richard du toit

58 african birdlife march/april 2014 birdlife south africa 59 birdlife south africa at work boldthe beautiful& the Orange-breasted Sunbird

t’s not difficult to see why the Orange- breasted Sunbird Anthobaphes violacea is described as beautiful: the male is the new Imost distinctive and gorgeous of all the sun- bird species in southern Africa. procedures This endemic attracts numerous visitors to South Africa and thus plays a part in supporting not just the multimillion rand for avitourism industry, but also tourism to the rarities country as a whole. It is also vital for biodi- submissions versity functioning as it is the key pollinator Buff-breasted Sandpiper niall perrins of a number of red and long-corolla Erica plant species. he BirdLife South Africa Rarities Rarities form (pdf format) to rarities@bird When multiple records of the same bird(s) Clearly the bird is beautiful in a variety of Committee assesses the validity of life.org.za, an address linked to Linda van den reported in the same area over a similar ways, but why is it also ‘bold’? Field obser- sightings of birds that are rarely seen Heever at BirdLife South Africa. Please note time period are submitted by various ob- vations of flight initiation distances (a bird’s Tin South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (ex- that only completed forms will be considered servers, these are not automatically ac- ‘comfort zone’) show that this is the least skit- cluding other countries in southern Africa), for adjudication and, while the submission of cepted; such records would still need to be tish of all the fynbos endemic bird species. based on descriptions (and photographs photographic records is encouraged, it does accompanied by a completed form (that is, Even unhabituated individuals in remote where possible) as submitted by observers. not replace the completed National Rarities the bird recorded remains a national rarity). areas will allow you to approach to within a male orange-breasted sunbird alan lee BirdLife South Africa and its Rarities form. We undertake to provide e-mail feed- BirdLife South Africa will continue to few metres before they take flight to a safer Although it is mostly associ- difficult to understand why this species Committee acknowledge the delays in the back within three months of the submission maintain an accurate database of the occur- distance. It is also a very curious species, and ated with Erica plant species, hasn’t extended its range. adjudication process of national rarities of a record. rence of national rarities. Rarity reports will it is not uncommon for young birds to come it also feeds from several The answer may lie in a combination of over the past couple of years and we apolo- It is important to submit records of nation- be published annually in Ornithological Ob- almost within touching distance of humans. suitable food and climate. Research pub- widespread proteas and a gise for the frustration experienced by those al rarities, not only for record-keeping pur- servations and on the BirdLife South Africa Perhaps for these two reasons, so far this lished nearly a decade ago suggested that this who had submitted earlier rarity records and poses but also to enable scientific reference to website. year images of the Orange-breasted Sunbird variety of other flower species would soon lose large areas of ap- only recently received feedback. To counter assess the current status of and any changes If you have any queries, e-mail Linda van are the most uploaded of all the six fynbos types, as well as on insects propriate bioclimatic space, and SABAP data this situation, during 2013 it was decided to to the patterns of occurrence and distribu- den Heever [email protected] endemic bird species on the photo-sharing and spiders. Taking all of this show moderate decreases in both its range streamline the process and we are pleased to tion of these taxa. When species become Dr Hanneline Smit-Robinson website Flickr. There is a clear gender bias, into account, it is difficult to and reporting rates between the atlas peri- advise that all outstanding rarity submissions more common this could result in their re- Conservation Manager/Oppenheimer with photographs of males outnumbering understand why this species ods. The Amethyst Sunbird, by comparison, have now been adjudicated. moval from the South African rarities list. Fellow of Conservation those of females by more than 10 to one. hasn’t extended its range is noticeably expanding its range across the The revised rarities submission procedure Ecologically, the Orange-breasted Sun- Western Cape. While there is no immediate which became effective from 1 August 2013 BirdLife South Africa Rarities Committee bird seems to be a fairly resilient species. and can produce more than one clutch in need to panic, we all need to do what we can is published on the rarities webpage on the It can be abundant in certain fynbos habi- a season. Although it is mostly associated to ensure that this energetic mascot of the BirdLife South Africa website, www.birdlife. Chairperson: Trevor Hardaker tats, survive on tiny, unburned fragments with Erica plant species, it also feeds from fynbos will be able to continue working hard org.za/get-involved/bird-monitoring Committee: David Allan, John Graham, David Hoddinott, Etienne Marais, Athol Marchant, after a fire and populations recover fairly several widespread proteas and a variety of for us well into the future. We would like to request atlasers and Faansie Peacock, Adam Riley, Phil Whittington quickly after fires. It breeds when still very other flower types, as well as on insects and Alan Lee, Phoebe Barnard & birders to complete and return the National BirdLife South Africa admin support: Hanneline Smit-Robinson, Linda van den Heever young, has an extended breeding period, spiders. Taking all of this into account, it is Dale Wright

60 african birdlife march/april 2014 birdlife south africa 61 out & about with birdlife south africa

irdLife South Africa believes that it is im- Birds of Nylsvley portant that the general public is aware of BIRDING BIG DAY 2013 the Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas he 29th BirdLife South Africa Bird- The following teams were the top three A Quick Guide B(IBA) Programme and also where the IBAs are ing Big Day took place on Saturday, finishers in their respective categories: situated in South Africa. During the past year 23 November 2013. Nearly 130 teams Open a range of useful regional IBA brochures were Ttook part in this fun day, with both beginners Collision Coursers: 315 species widely distributed; these can also be downloaded and competitive twitchers alike participating. Zonke iNyoni: 311 species from www.birdlife.org.za/conservation/important- This is an important event on BirdLife Mpumalanga Alethes: 298 species bird-areas South Africa’s calendar, not only to raise In line with this, BirdLife South Africa recent- funds for the organisation’s important Family ly contributed financially to the development of bird-conservation work, but also to create Gauteng Ruffs: 197 species Birds of Nylsvley: A Quick Guide. This follows awareness about birds and to collect data Fochville Flycatchers: 160 species Birds of Wakkerstroom: A Quick Guide, which for SABAP2 and MyBirdPatch. More than Manyeleti Maniacs: 138 species BirdLife South Africa funded in 2009. The R60 000 was raised in sponsorship and do- guides form part of a series developed by well- nations during the 2013 event, and BirdLife Community known authors Warwick and Philip Tarboton. South Africa thanks teams and individuals Hopeless Hopefuls: 216 species The Nyslvley guide features 232 of the for their generosity and participation. Dodos: 204 species bird species most likely to be seen at Nyls­ The full results are available on www. Hectorspruit Birders: 140 species vley Nature Reserve, which forms part of birdlife.org.za/events/birding-big-day the Nyl Floodplain IBA. It can be bought for Nikki McCartney, Garden R65 cash at Nylsvley Nature Reserve’s recep- Events & Market- Da’sie Voëls: 125 species tion, or ordered from Marion Mengell (friends ing Manager, Southern Twits: 104 species [email protected]) for R75 (including post-

[email protected] Insomniacs: 94 species southern red bishop marietjie froneman age and packaging).

amantha Schroder was recently appointed as BirdLife South Africa’s Verlorenvlei Pro- welcome tected Areas Project Manager, a position which has been generously funded by WWF- Support Edward Snell & Co. LTD SA and Nedbank’s Green Trust. brands because we support birding. Go birding with Visit www.esnell.co.za SSamantha began her career in conservation while still a teenager, by volunteering for a number of different conservation organisations. She completed a National Diploma in Na- ture Conservation in 2003 and recently a B Tech at the Cape Peninsula University of Tech- nology. Samantha’s previous work experience has included time with South African National Parks in the Agulhas Plains region and, more recently, working for the Greater Cederberg Fire Protection Association. Through this, she has learned to engage with farmers in the Verlorenvlei Project Area, something that will no doubt stand her in good stead as she takes Join BirdLife South Africa today! on this exciting and challenging position. Support BirdLife South Africa and help conserve South Africa’s magnificent birdlife. You will receive 6 issues of African Birdlife magazine, 12 e-newsletters, a membership card and bumper sticker and, very importantly, you will contribute to the conservation of South Africa’s birds and their habitats. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY thank you Please tick the appropriate box for a one-year membership (South African residents only; please contact BirdLife South Africa for international membership fees). irdLife South Africa is grateful to Standard  R410 Youth, Student or Senior Citizen  R290 Carl Zeiss South Africa, an interna- Group Membership  R410 conservation League  R2 500 tional leader in the field of optics, for Bits generous sponsorship of six Conquest personal DETAILS PAYMENT DETAILS HT and two Victory HD 10x42 binoculars, TITLE first NAME SURNAME  Visa/Master  Diners  Amex plus a spotting scope, for the IBA and Con- Address servation divisions. Name of cardholder ______We would like to thank Daniel Sims (MD of Zeiss) and Craig Smith POSTAL CODE Card Number     Tel. CELL. (Marketing Manager) for Expiry Date  /  CVC No  their unwavering support E-MAIL of BirdLife South Africa’s Direct Payment: work to protect birds and First National Bank, Randburg, Acc No. 62067506281, their habitats. SIGNATURE DATE Branch Code 254005. (Please use initials and surname as reference.) AB 03/14

BirdLife South Africa • P.O. Box 515, Randburg 2125 • Tel. (011) 789 1122 • Fax. (011) 789 5188 • [email protected] • www.birdlife.org.za 62 african birdlife