AN AVIFAUNAL INVESTIGATION FOR THE PROPOSED SAFARI LODGE NEAR MALELANE GATE, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK Avifaunal Investigation January 2015 Compiled by: Prepared for: Lukas Niemand ( Pr.Sci.Nat ) Malelane safari Resort Investments Pty (Ltd) Pachnoda Consulting CC Suite 192 PO Box 72847 Private Bag X 75 Lynwood Ridge Bryanston, 2021 Pretoria 0040 Avifaunal Evaluation Malelane Safari Lodge EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The information provided in this report forms part of a baseline avifaunal investigation that was obtained from (1) relevant literature, (2) observations obtained during a site investigation (19-21 January 2015) and (3) personal correspondence with avifaunal specialists. The following key considerations were identified and noted: • Various sampling techniques (including bird point counts) were used to evaluate bird richness on the proposed study area; • Six bird habitat types were identified, ranging from dense microphyllous shrubland to riparian woodland. The riparian woodland types were identified with high bird species richness, while the alluvial floodplain habitat along the Crocodile River provided habitat for "specialised" bird species (mainly waterfowl, waders and wading birds); • A total of 190 bird species were confirmed during the investigation on the study area; • The study area supported habitat for many threatened and near-threatened bird species, with 11 species recorded during the investigation; • The study area was represented by three distinct avifaunal communities consisting of (1) a community confined to microphyllous shrubland (2) a community confined to mixed shrubland and open savannoid grassland and (3) a community confined to the riparian woodland and alluvial floodplains of the Crocodile River; • The riparian woodland and alluvial floodplain habitat along the Crocodile River were identified as sensitive habitat based on the following: o The alluvial floodplain and sandbars along the Crocodile River provide ephemeral foraging habitat for wader and wading bird species. In addition, these habitat types contribute towards the regional avifaunal diversity; o The alluvial floodplains provide essential foraging habitat for regionally threatened and near-threatened stork taxa; o The riparian woodland functions as important daily movement corridors for bird species between roosting and foraging habitat, and ensure ecological connectivity; o The riparian woodland provides potential roosting and breeding habitat for the vulnerable Pel's Fishing Owl ( Scotopelia peli ) and vulnerable White-backed Night-heron ( Gorsachius leuconotus ). It also provides potential breeding habitat for the endangered Saddle-billed Stork ( Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis ); and o Areas within the riparian woodland that are composed of dense Grewia bicolor thickets provide ideal wintering habitat for the River Warbler ( Locustella fluviatilis ) and Thrush Nightingale ( Luscinia luscinia ). i January 2015 Avifaunal Evaluation Malelane Safari Lodge • The Pel's Fishing Owl ( S. peli ), African Fish-eagle ( Haliaetus vocifer ) and Saddle-billed Stork ( E. senegalensis ) were breeding/nesting 1.5 km downstream of the proposed lodge development; and • Nesting/breeding of the Pel's Fishing Owl ( S. peli ), African Fish-eagle ( H. vocifer ) and Saddle-billed Stork ( E. senegalensis ) was not confirmed on the proposed study area. A list of potential impacts was provided along with mitigation measures. ii January 2015 Avifaunal Evaluation Malelane Safari Lodge TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ I TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. I LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... II LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... IV LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................ IV DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ................................................................... V 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 TERMS OF REFERENCE .................................................................................. 5 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ........................................................................ 6 2.1 LOCATION ..................................................................................................... 6 2.2 LAND USE , EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPORTANT LANDSCAPE FEATURES 6 2.3 BIOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ........................................................................... 8 2.3.1 Climate ................................................................................................. 8 2.3.2 Geology ................................................................................................ 8 2.3.3 Regional Vegetation Description .......................................................... 9 2.3.4 Mpumalanga Biodiversity Sector Plan (2013) ....................................... 9 3. METHODS AND APPROACH .......................................................................... 10 3.1 LITERATURE REVIEW AND INFORMATION BASE ............................................... 10 3.2 FIELD SURVEYS AND DATA COLLECTION ........................................................ 12 3.3 AVIFAUNA SENSITIVITY ................................................................................ 14 3.4 LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................... 15 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 16 4.1 MACRO -HABITAT TYPES ............................................................................... 16 4.1.1 Closed microphyllous shrubland ......................................................... 17 4.1.2 Mixed closed shrubland ...................................................................... 17 4.1.3 Open savannoid grassland ................................................................. 17 4.1.4 Ficus-Gymnosporia Riparian Woodland ............................................. 18 4.1.5 Garcinia-Gymnosporia Riparian Woodland ......................................... 18 4.1.6 Alluvial floodplain, sandbars and perennial open flowing water .......... 18 4.2 SPECIES RICHNESS AND SUMMARY STATISTICS ............................................. 21 4.2.1 Discrepancies in the SABAP1 database ............................................. 24 4.2.2 Biome-restricted species and Important Bird Areas ............................ 24 4.3 DOMINANCE AND RARITY (LOW ABUNDANCE SPECIES) .................................... 25 4.4 COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPECIES COMPOSITION .................................. 27 4.5 SPECIES DIVERSITY AND RICHNESS MEASURES ............................................. 30 4.6 SPECIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN ......................................................... 31 4.7 SPECIES DESERVING SPECIAL ATTENTION ..................................................... 42 4.7.1 Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) ........................ 42 4.7.2 Pel's Fishing-owl (Scotopelia peli) ...................................................... 45 4.7.3 African Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) ............................................... 49 4.8 AVIFAUNAL SENSITIVITY ............................................................................... 52 4.8.1 Areas of high avifaunal sensitivity ....................................................... 52 i January 2015 Avifaunal Evaluation Malelane Safari Lodge 4.8.2 Areas of medium avifaunal sensitivity ................................................. 53 4.8.3 Areas of low avifaunal sensitivity ........................................................ 53 4.9 POTENTIAL IMPACTS .................................................................................... 55 4.9.1 Overview ............................................................................................ 55 4.9.2 Construction impacts: Loss of habitat and displacement of bird species/assemblages ......................................................................... 56 4.9.3 Increased fragmentation and loss of ecological connectivity ............... 59 4.9.4 Operational impacts: Displacement of bird species ............................ 59 4.9.5 Operational impacts: Outside lighting and potential collision with infrastructure ...................................................................................... 60 4.9.6 Operational impacts: Changes to the local bird community composition ........................................................................................................... 60 5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 64 6. APPENDICES .................................................................................................. 68 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The proposed spatial position of the lodge site and the 'Park and Ride' site. ........................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: The proposed layout of the lodge site. .......................................................