17th Annual Parrot Count- Report on the 2014 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day. Colleen T. Downs* School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa. Email: [email protected] *Cape Parrot Working Group Chairperson. Background The Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) is the only parrot species endemic to South Africa and is currently one of South Africa’s Endangered birds. Skead (1971) highlighted that the numbers of Cape Parrots had declined since the early 1900s, particularly in the 1950’s. In 1989 Boshoff estimated less than a 1000 in the wild. So this raised questions: were these declines real and how many Cape parrots were there in the wild? Standard bird counting techniques are unsuitable for Cape Parrots as they are nomadic feeders with unpredictable movements. Parrots’ cryptic colouration combined with dense forest habitats often make them difficult to locate once perched but their loud harsh calls whilst in-flight make their presence known. They are most active during the first few hours after dawn and before sunset, (although during misty conditions these periods can be extended), when they leave and return to their roosts in forest patches. These characteristics allow for a ‘total count’ of the parrots. Consequently the Cape Parrot Big Birding Day (CPBBD) was initiated in 1998, and has been held annually since as part of the conservation effort of the Cape Parrot Working Group. The aim is to determine their occurrence and obtain an accurate population estimate of the Cape Parrot. Over the recent years less than 1600 have been counted in the wild (Downs et al. 2014). Factors contributing to the parrots decline vary in their effects and extent at different locations and include: the loss or change in the quality of their preferred forest habitat; food and/or nest-site shortages; illegal poaching for the pet trade; disease (especially psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV)); avian predators; and accelerated climate change. The Cape Parrot, a forest specialist, is now mainly restricted to patches in a mosaic of afromontane southern mistbelt forests from Hogsback in the Eastern Cape through to the Balgowan and Karkloof areas of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN); with a disjunct population in the Magoeboeskloof region of Limpopo Province. Though they are seen feeding on fruit in Protea patches, gardens, orchards or coastal forests at certain 1 times of the year. Absence of parrots in some forest patches during certain periods are not local extinctions, but are likely due to the absence of food, as the fruiting of their preferred yellowwoods may be sporadic and absent in some years. © CT Downs Figure 1. Juvenile Cape Parrots feeding on pecan nuts near Creighton, KwaZulu- Natal in May 2014. CPBBD 2014 South Africa celebrated twenty years of democracy in 2014 with an election close to the time that CPBBD is usually held, consequently it was pushed further into May. The CPBBD is generally extended over the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning of the following day. One reason for this is that often the weather is poor on one of the days. This allows an afternoon and a morning estimate. The higher of these for each province is then used to give the maximum number counted. The areas of South Africa covered by the count included the Eastern Cape, KZN and Limpopo Provinces. This year at least 253 volunteers were posted at 96 localities in the three provinces. Some localities had Cape Parrots feeding in flocks at Pecan Nut Trees (Carya illinoinensis, Figure 1). Despite the poor weather on one of the days in some of the areas, at least 1133 parrots were seen during the afternoon count while 1148 were seen the following morning. The maximum number of Cape Parrots counted (see above) was 477 in KZN, 491 in the former Transkei, 308 in the former Eastern Cape and 35 in Limpopo Province. This suggests that there were at least 1311 in the wild on the CPBBD in 2014 which is similar to the maximum count of 1356 in 2013 when weather also had an impact. Consequently both years are 2 likely an underestimate. Furthermore, having the census day later in the year seems to have had an impact as well. On the Sunday the parrots were observed at 61% of localities while on the Saturday at 57% of localities. The localities where no parrots were observed are ones where the birds have been seen previously so need to be covered although for observers nil counts are often very negative. Of interest were how many juvenile flocks of Cape Parrots were observed in parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (Figure 2). Two localities also reported Cape Parrots nesting. This shows that there is some recruitment. Also there was a report of Cape Parrots feeding on bugweed (Solanum mauritianum) near Umtata which has not been previously documented. Several observers commented on how Pied (Corvus albus) and Cape/Black Crows (C. capensis) were disturbing the Cape Parrots. © CT Downs Figure 2. A flock of juvenile Cape Parrots near Creighton, KwaZulu-Natal in May 2014. The annual CPBBD also highlights the importance of South Africa’s Afromontane/- temperate indigenous forest patches. In particular, other endangered forest species or those found in the neighbouring grasslands, including Samango Monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), and Southern Ground Hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) are recorded too. Interestingly several people reported Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), African Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) and Martial Eagle (Polemaetus 3 bellicosus) at various localities. Sadly several observers reported illegal logging and/ or hunting of wildlife while doing their CPBBD observations. As in past years, there were numerous communities involved in the CPBBD. This highlights the importance of the CPBBD day in developing interest, knowledge and hopefully conservation awareness. It is an excellent way that citizens can contribute to science. Several school groups assisted observers in many of the rural areas. Some scholars from Sonyongwana, Newtonville and Ginyane schools near Creighton even camped out and assisted with observations. The observers in the Langeni / Matiwane Region area had a get together and produced their 10th very detailed report for their area (Mandla Mavalanji, Alfred Mbiyo, Bertus Bouwer and Helen Dalton, Indwe Security field rangers and Starlight Security are thanked, Figure 3). We are most grateful to all those who participated in the CPBBD, particularly the co-ordinators (Appendix 1) and those volunteers who have participated for many years. We continue to be extremely grateful for the effort, enthusiasm and continued support of the co-ordinators. We are also grateful for the contribution of Border Bird Club, DAFF, DEAT, Rance Timbers, Sappi and Mondi foresters, Indwe Security, and Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife officials (particularly those from Coleford Nature Reserve), and the Armours who host the University of KwaZulu-Natal students near Ingeli. Figure 3. Some of the CPBBD observers in the Langeni / Matiwane Region area including Indwe and Starlight Security field rangers. Cape Parrot Day 2015 please diarise 18 and 19th April 2015 4 A new A1 poster highlighting aspects of the Cape Parrot are available from Prof CT Downs. Please contact her +27-332605127 or +27-829202026; email [email protected] for copies. 5 Appendix 1. Grateful thanks is extended to the co-ordinators of the Cape Parrot Big Birding Day 2014. Area Name Tel Email Overall co-ordinator Colleen Downs 033 260 5127; [email protected] 0829202026 Karkloof John and Jenny Robinson 033-5029090/ [email protected] 082-4433805 Midlands Sally Cummings 033 330 7175 [email protected] conservancies: 072 119 4253 Dargle/ Nottingham Rd/ Balgowan Byrne Valley Malcolm Anderson 033 2122744 [email protected] 082 5723455 Boston Barbara & Glyn Bullock 033 997 1783; [email protected] 0843049842; 0843529864 Bulwer Russell Hill 0741267274 [email protected] 082 9239649 Creighton/Donnybro Malcolm Gemmell 039 8331029 [email protected] ok 082 7895000 Ngeli Colleen Downs See above Mpur/Glengarry Andy Ruffle 039 695 0829; [email protected] 0728933794 Alfred Nzo Region, Dean Ricketts 0824325104 [email protected] namely: Ntsiswa, Gomo, Bulembu, Tonti, Amanzinyama and Xhama Forest Mthatha Gary Harvey 083 452 0883; [email protected] Langeni / Matiwane Bertus Bouwer 043-740 2993 (w) [email protected] / [email protected] Ngcobo 082 856 3982; [email protected] 043-726 0513 (w) Hogsback Graham Russell 045 9621084 [email protected] 0823746583 Stutterheim Neill Harvey 043-6832384 [email protected] Donald Kemp 073 4272 119, [email protected] 043-683 1661 Wild Coast (Port St Kathryn Costello 047 5641240 [email protected] Johns) Mbotyi Wendy Ayliffe 039-2537200/01 [email protected] Taz Moola KWT/Alice Gertie Griffith 043 7352195 [email protected] Peter Mather-Pike 043 7403566 [email protected] 0829248514 Limpopo Province David Letsoalo 0835684678 [email protected] See Appendix 2 for some of these areas. 6 Appendix 2. Main areas covered by coordinators on the Cape Parrot Big Birding Day. 7 Appendix 3. Selected references on Cape Parrots. Boshoff AF. 1989. What is happening to the parrots of southern Africa? Quagga 27: 7-10. Downs CT. 2005a. Abundance of the Endangered Cape Parrot, Poicephalus robustus, in South Africa: implications for its survival. African Zoology 40: 15-24. Downs CT. 2005b. Artificial nest boxes and wild Cape Parrots Poicephalus robustus: persistence pays off. Ostrich 76: 222-224. Downs CT. 2011. 14th Annual Parrot Count- Report on the 2011 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day. Unpublished Report. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal. Downs CT. 2012. 15th Annual Parrot Count- Report on the 2012 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day. Unpublished Report. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal.