The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland [1 ed.] 9780620682596

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The 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of

BIRDS of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland

Edited by

Martin R Taylor Faansie Peacock Ross M Wanless

Published by BirdLife South Africa Isdell House 17 Hume Road Dunkeld West 2196 Gauteng South Africa www.birdlife.org.za BirdLife South Africa is the country partner of BirdLife International (www.birdlife.org) First published 2015 Copyright © 2015 by BirdLife South Africa Editors: Martin R Taylor, Faansie Peacock and Ross M Wanless Illustrations: Faansie Peacock Map design: Faansie Peacock Layout: Faansie Peacock and Martin R Taylor Front cover: White-headed Vulture Aegypius occipitalis by Albert Froneman Back cover: Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta by Martin R Taylor Printing: Tandym Printers, Cape Town; www.tandym.co.za All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of BirdLife South Africa. The publisher, editors and authors have made their best efforts to prepare this book, and make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents herein. ISBN: 978-0-620-68259-6 Recommended citation format: Book: Taylor MR, Peacock F, Wanless RM (eds). 2015. The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. BirdLife South Africa. Johannesburg, South Africa Species text: Allan DG. 2015. Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus. In: The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Taylor MR, Peacock F, Wanless RM (eds). BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa. pp 58-60.

CONTENTS Assessors and reviewers address list .............................................................................................................. 4 Forewords ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Critically Endangered species .......................................................................................................................... 29 Endangered species .......................................................................................................................................... 71 Vulnerable species ............................................................................................................................................ 183 Near Threatened species ................................................................................................................................. 275 Appendices: Special interest species ......................................................................................................... 397 Appendix A: Index (to special interest species) .................................................................................... 398 Appendix B: Regionally extinct species ................................................................................................ 403 Appendix C: Globally threatened peripheral species ........................................................................... 404 Appendix D: Endemic and near-endemic species ................................................................................ 406 Appendix E: Peripheral species ............................................................................................................. 420 Appendix F: Previously assessed species ............................................................................................ 425 Appendix G: Additional species that merit monitoring ................................................................... 428 References .......................................................................................................................................................... 431 Index ................................................................................................................................................................... 460

ASSESSORS AND REVIEWERS ADDRESS LIST David G Allan, Durban Natural Science Museum, [email protected] Arjun Amar, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Mark D Anderson, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Beatriz E Arroyo, Universidad de Castilla ,[email protected] Phoebe Barnard, South African National Biodiversity Institute, [email protected] Garth R Batchelor, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environmental Affairs, [email protected] Patrick C Benson, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] André J Botha, Endangered Wildlife Trust, [email protected] Meyrick B Bowker, School of Botany and Zoology, University of KwaZulu Natal, [email protected] Mark Brown, School of Botany and Zoology, University of KwaZulu Natal, [email protected] Steve R Boyes, The Wild Bird Trust, [email protected] Brian D Colahan, Department of Economics, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Free State), [email protected] Timothée R Cook, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] John Cooper, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Brent M Coverdale, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, [email protected] Robert JM Crawford, Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, [email protected] Gregory BP Davies, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, [email protected] Richard WJ Dean, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Colleen T Downs, School of Botany and Zoology, University of KwaZulu Natal, [email protected] Malcolm Drummond, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Bruce M Dyer, Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, [email protected] G Derek Engelbrecht, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, University of Limpopo, [email protected] Steven W Evans, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, [email protected] Kate L Henderson, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Alan C Kemp, Naturalists and Nomads, [email protected] Lucy Kemp, Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, [email protected] Joseph I Grosel, Tembele Ecological Services, [email protected] Christina T Hagen, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Douglas M Harebottle, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, [email protected] †Phillip AR Hockey, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town Sally D Hofmeyr, Animal Demography Unit, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Andrew R Jenkins, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] M Genevieve W Jones, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Sonja C Krüger, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, [email protected] Alan K Lee, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Ian T Little, Endangered Wildlife Trust, [email protected] Rael Loon, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Katia Ludynia, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Marte de Ponta Machado, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Christine F Madden, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Etienne D Marais, Indicator Birding, [email protected] David H Maphisa, South African Botanical Institute, [email protected] Athol Marchant, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, [email protected] Bronwyn A Maree, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Graham P McCulloch, University of Oxford, [email protected] Alistair M McInnes, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Shane C McPherson, School of Botany and Zoology, University of KwaZulu Natal, [email protected] Ara Monadjem, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Swaziland, [email protected] Kerryn L Morrison, Endangered Wildlife Trust, [email protected] Francois Mougeot, Universidad de Castilla, [email protected] Megan Murgatroyd, The Black Eagle Project, [email protected] Campbell P Murn, The Hawk Conservancy Trust, [email protected] Rick J Nuttall, National Museum, [email protected] Heinz E Ortmann, Independent ornithologist, [email protected]

Faansie Peacock, Pavo Publishing, [email protected] Darren M Pietersen, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, [email protected] Dewald du Plessis, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Matt D Pretorius, Endangered Wildlife Trust, [email protected] Ernst F Retief, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Lucia M Rodrigues, Western Cape Black Eagle Project, [email protected] Lorien Pichegru, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Peter G Ryan, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Kabelo J Senyatso, BirdLife Botswana, [email protected] Jessica M Shaw, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Kevin A Shaw, Scientific Services, CapeNature, [email protected] Richard B Sherley, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, [email protected] Robert E Simmons, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, [email protected] Hanneline A Smit-Robinson, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Tanya Smith, Endangered Wildlife Trust, [email protected] Claire N Spottiswoode, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, [email protected] Dawie de Swardt, National Museum, [email protected] Craig T Symes, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, [email protected] Martin R Taylor, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] P Barry Taylor, School of Botany and Zoology, University of KwaZulu Natal, [email protected] Ricky H Taylor, University of KwaZulu-Natal, [email protected] Nick T Theron, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Warwick Tarboton, Independent ornithologist, [email protected] Lauren J Waller, CapeNature, [email protected] Ross M Wanless, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] Phillip A Whittington, East London Museum, [email protected] Craig Whittington-Jones, Gauteng Directorate of Nature Conservation, [email protected] Kerri Wolter, VulPro, [email protected] Dale Wright, BirdLife South Africa, [email protected] † deceased

FOREWORD: SANBI As we in Africa try to maximise the persistence of species through the next centuries of the long-forewarned Sixth Extinction, it is increasingly important to have books such as The 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland at our sides. Red Data Books, like citizen-science species atlases, are crucial tools for conservation planning, policy and management. This latest, impressive revision of the 2000 Red Data assessment, by BirdLife South Africa with support from Eskom and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), is an essential tool to guide future conservation action, funding, and awareness. The statistics are stark: birds in southern Africa are not doing well. Patterns apparent between this book and the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 (SABAP2), plainly show that ranges of many species are fragmenting and shifting with climate- and land-use change, while populations and ranges of some species are plummeting. Comparisons of the conservation status of southern Africa’s avifauna over 40 years (1976, 1984, 2000, and now 2015) are not straightforward, due to changes in assessment process and baselines. But the salient comparisons are the rise in numbers of Critically Endangered and Endangered birds during that time. As we know from earlier analyses, the bad news is not randomly distributed among birds, but disproportionately affects birds of prey (especially vultures), seabirds and waterbirds. The happier news is that many (but not all) common species remain common, and some countries are investing good efforts into preventing the establishment of newly emerging invasive birds. Global change is a complex and relentless force. BirdLife South Africa’s Martin Taylor and his team have in this book held up a clear hand lens to a world which many of us sensed, but did not have the means to quantify. The South African National Biodiversity Institute is indeed very proud to support publication of this landmark reference book.

Dr Tanya Abrahamse Chief Executive Officer South African National Biodiversity Institute 8 October 2015

FOREWORD: ESKOM Eskom’s commitment to provide sustainable electricity solutions to grow the economy and improve the quality of life of the people in South Africa includes the understanding that natural resources and the health of ecosystems are finite and their protection needs to be an integral part of our business. Eskom has had a long relationship with birds given the impact that our infrastructure and development can have on many species and we continue to seek opportunities to make a material contribution to the body of scientific knowledge focused at the preservation and conservation of our most threatened species. Sponsorship of the Eskom Red Data book brings together Eskom’s policy of positively influencing South African conservation planning at a national level. The first version of the Red Data book proved to be an invaluable guide and reference in validating environmental impact assessments for development projects including the Ingula pumped storage scheme which would potentially impact on Critically Endangered bird species. However, Eskom, in partnership with Birdlife South Africa and Middelpunt Wetland Trust, were able to find solutions which allowed development to continue and provided for increased conservation of South Africa’s most threatened habitats and their bird communities. It is therefore fitting that The 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland was produced in partnership with BirdLife South Africa. This publication, which measures different levels of threat faced by the region’s bird species, is an essential document for environmental planners, practitioners, conservation bodies and interested and affected parties in ensuring that the needs of threatened bird species are recognised and that appropriate steps are taken to conserve them and their habitat. Eskom is particularly proud to be associated with BirdLife South Africa and the production of this important new publication.

Ms Deidre Herbst Environmental Manager Eskom Holdings Soc Ltd 4 October 2015

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Assessing the conservation status of the bird species of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland requires a significant amount of cooperation and input from stakeholders across the bird conservation and scientific spectrum. We are grateful to the Red Data Book steering committee whose members provided valuable advice at the initial stages of the project. Phoebe Barnard of the South African National Biodiversity Institute chaired this committee which included Les Underhill of the Animal Demography Unit of the University of Cape Town, Mark Anderson and Hanneline Smit-Robinson of BirdLife South Africa, Harriet Davies-Mostert of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Ian Jameson and Kishaylin Chetty of Eskom, and Arjun Amar of the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town. Phoebe Barnard in particular is thanked for her support and guidance. Rene Navarro of the Animal Demography Unit designed the initial conservation assessment system and analysed data collected under the auspices of the several citizen science projects run by the Animal Demography Unit of the University of Cape Town. While it is not possible to individually thank the many citizen scientists who have given freely of their time to collect this data, we thank and acknowledge this enthusiastic network of people. Substantial use was made of published literature, compiled over the decades by dedicated scientists across the region, resulting in a comprehensive baseline database of information on threatened species. We acknowledge their

contribution which formed the basis upon which the species assessments were built. Margaret Koopman as well as Phelisa Hans of the Patrick Niven Library assisted the project to access this knowledge base through literature searches and deserve a special mention for their contribution. A number of assessors and reviewers contributed their time to the project through the attendance of species group meetings or the compilation and review of different species accounts and are thanked accordingly. In particular Rob Crawford, who provided input into a number of marine species, as well as Andrew Jenkins and Robert Simmons, who were in particular extremely helpful with providing assistance with the raptors as a group, require thanks. Alan Kemp reviewed several accounts and provided input at several stages of the development of the draft while David Allan provided advice and guidance. BirdLife South Africa as an organisation and its CEO, Mark Anderson, have been particularly supportive of this project while Stuart Butchart and Andy Symes of BirdLife International provided valuable advice to the project team. None of this would have been possible without the financial backing of the principal funders, Eskom and the South African National Biodiversity Institute, to whom we are exceptionally grateful and who are thanked accordingly. Lastly but most importantly we would like to thank our families for the support received during the compilation of this publication.

INTRODUCTION The 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland is an updated and peer-reviewed conservation status assessment of all the bird species occurring in South Africa including the Prince Edward Islands, Lesotho, and Swaziland. The project was undertaken by BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), in collaboration with the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape Town, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Since the last publication of the regional red list in 2000 (Barnes 2000a), ecosystems and habitats in the region have been classified and assigned their own threat levels. That habitat-classification process has painted a rather disheartening picture, with many habitats under significant threat or in a bad state of fragmentation and/or degradation. The Grassland Biome has been extensively modified by afforestation and agriculture, marine ecosystems are in trouble through pollution events and overfishing, and our rivers and estuaries are showing sign of severe strain due to impacts caused by damming and overuse. All terrestrial habitats in the region are becoming increasingly fragmented and all are degraded to varying degrees. Given the widespread degradation and destruction of our natural resources, resources upon which our indigenous bird species are dependent, it was imperative that the extinction risks faced by the region’s bird species were assessed, as there was a high likelihood that birds would have been significantly affected by habitat transformation. Unfortunately, conservation interventions often only take place only once a species’ extinction risk has been determined and quantified. Up to date threatened species information is therefore critical, and with the previous assessment being over fifteen years old, it was essential that the revision of the region’s bird species be undertaken as a matter of urgency. The purpose of this publication is to provide a quantified measure of the extinction threat faced by birds in the region. It is our hope that the information contained in this publication will be widely used in land-use and conservation planning, management of marine, terrestrial, and freshwater environments, and development-driven and strategic environmental impact assessments throughout the region. The three main objectives of publishing this assessment were as follows: • Evaluate the national, regional and international significance of species identified as having a threatened status within the region.

• Effective dissemination and integration of this information with a broad cross-section of decisionmaking and decision-influencing bodies. • To inform the global Red Data List assessment (coordinated by BirdLife International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; IUCN) of the status of southern Africa’s bird species. Most importantly, this regional assessment will be a vehicle for the compilation, synthesis and dissemination of a wealth of species-related data that would otherwise remain scattered in the literature and essentially inaccessible to decision makers. The publication systematically records the reasons for a change in category between assessments, distinguishing changes as a result of genuine improvement or deterioration in status from those as a result of improved knowledge (e.g. of population sizes) or taxonomy (e.g. newly split species) (Rodrigues et al. 2006). Updated material will enrich existing databases and make significant contributions to environmental decisions on biomes, ecosystems and management decisions being undertaken within the region. Reviewing the conservation status of bird species is exceptionally important not only for birds but for other less well known taxa. Birds are appropriate indicators of ecosystem health because they are comparatively popular and well studied (Canterbury et al. 2000) while the availability of significant long-term datasets in South Africa has made birds a good choice as the basis for a biodiversity early-warning system for environmental change impacts (de Villiers 2009). Furthermore, threatened bird species are biodiversity ‘attention-grabbers’ and ‘legal levers’, and in many cases provide us with inspiration; they are the marketing tools to halt biological impoverishment. COMPILATION OF THE BOOK The geographical region A list of threatened species is essentially a political document, and as such, the smallest unit that made biogeographic sense was chosen, namely the region encompassing South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. In addition, there are strong scientific and conservation links between these countries and, most importantly, this is the geographical unit in previous publications (Siegfried et al. 1976a, Brooke 1984, Barnes 2000a), so its retention facilitates valid historical comparison.

10

T H E 2 0 1 5 E S KO M R E D DATA B O O K O F B I R D S

ZIMBABWE

Ghanzi 22° Gobabis

WINDHOEK

Serowe

NAMIBIA

BOTSWANA

01

Selebi Phikwe

Musina

02

Mahalapye

Kang

Mariental

08

GABORONE

03

24

07

06

04

09

19

20

Mahikeng

NORTH 22 WEST

Keetmanshoop

28°

26

27

28

30

32°

34°

Lambert’s Bay 73

71 Saldanha 70 69 68

MASERU

75

FREE STATE

LESOTHO

77

47

Queenstown

56

54

53

Paarl

Sutherland

Worcester

61 63

66

65

18°

Bredasdorp

64 20°

SOUTH AFRICA: LIMPOPO 01. Mapungubwe National Park 02. Blouberg Nature Reserve 03. Polokwane Plateau 04. Woodbush / Magoebaskloof 05. Wolkberg / Serala 06. Waterberg 07. Marakele National Park 08. Thabazimbi/ Northern Turf Thornveld 09. Nylsvley and Nyl River Floodplain SOUTH AFRICA: MPUMALANGA 10. Graskop Grasslands 11. Dullstroom / Steenkampsberg 12. Belfast and Middelpunt Vlei 13. Kaapschehoop 14. Chrissiesmeer and Chrissie Pans 15. Wakkerstroom / Amersfoort region SOUTH AFRICA: GAUTENG 16. Marievale Bird Sanctuary 17. Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve SOUTH AFRICA: NORTH WEST 18. Pilanesberg National Park 19. Kgaswane Nature Reserve, Rustenburg 20. Magaliesberg 21. Potchefstroom 22. Barberspan 23. Bloemhof Dam SOUTH AFRICA: NORTHERN CAPE

Graaff-Reinet

Beaufort West

Oudtshoorn

62

57 59

58

George Plettenberg Bay Mossel Bay Knysna 0 22°

24°

Port Edward

INDIAN OCEAN

Bhisho 55

Grahamstown

EASTERN CAPE

Swellendam

67 Hermanus

WESTERN CAPE

60

52

Port Shepstone

Port St Johns

Cradock

72

46 48

51

Richards Bay

Durban

45

49

Mthatha

St Lucia

39 40 41 36 44 42 Pietermaritzburg 43 37

50

Victoria West

Clanwilliam

38

KWAZULU-NATAL

76

SOUTH AFRICA

Calvinia

Cape Town

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Pongola

34 35

Colesberg

74

MBABANE

SWAZILAND

15

Harrismith

Prieska

29

MAPUTO

33

Kimberley

Springbok

Ermelo 14

16

Welkom

NORTHERN CAPE

Pofadder

13

MPUMALANGA

Bloemfontein Port Nolloth

30°

31 32

Macia

Nelspruit

11 12

GAUTENG

25

Upington

Chokwe

10

PRETORIA

17

23

Kuruman

Ais-Ais

21

Massingir

LIMPOPO

Johannesburg Aus

Phalaborwa

05

18

Zeerust 26°

Louis Trichart

Polokwane

24°

MOZAMBIQUE

East London

Port Alfred Port Elizabeth

Cape St Francis 50

150

250

26°

24. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 25. Kamfers Dam, Kimberley 26. Augrabies Falls National Park 27. Orange River Mouth and Alexander Bay 28. Kleinzee 29. Van Wyksvlei 30. Brandvlei SOUTH AFRICA: FREE STATE 31. Middle Vaal River 32. Vaal Dam 33. Memel and Seekoeivlei 34. Golden Gate National Park 35. Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve SOUTH AFRICA: KWAZULU-NATAL 36. Giant’s Castle Game Reserve 37. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park 38. Cape Vidal 39. Ngoye Forest 40. Entumeni and Dhlinza forests 41. uMlalazi Nature Reserve, Mtunzini 42. Amatikulu Nature Reserve 43. Tugela River Mouth 44. Karkloof 45. Ntsikeni Vlei 46. Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve 47. Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve 48. Umtamvuna Nature Reserve SOUTH AFRICA: EASTERN CAPE 49. Matatiele

500 km 28°

30°

32°

50. Rhodes / Naude’s Nek 51. Ugie / Maclear 52. Mkambati Nature Reserve 53. Mbotyi River 54. Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 55. Kei River Mouth 56. Amatole Forests / Mountains 57. Swartkops River Estuary 58. Cape Recife 59. Tsitsikamma SOUTH AFRICA: WESTERN CAPE 60. Karoo National Park 61. Langeberg 62. Wilderness Lakes 63. De Hoop Nature Reserve 64. De Mond / Heuningnes River Estuary 65. Cape Agulhas 66. Dyer Island 67. Hottentots Hollands Mountains 68. Robben Island 69. Dassen Island 70. West Coast National Park 71. Lower Berg River Wetlands, Velddrif 72. Cederberg 73. Bird Island, Lambert’s Bay 74. Olifants River Estuary LESOTHO 75. Mohale Dam 76. Katse Dam 77. Sehlabathebe National Park

11

INTRODUCTION

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Kalahari Gemsbok National Park)

Kosi Bay

Ndumo Game Reserve

Kruger National Park

SOUTPANSBERG

Border of former ‘Transvaal’ province indicated by grey dashed line

MOZAMBIQUE

E

Limpopo River

Tembe Elephant Park Sileza

F

BUSHVELD

LOWVELD

Pongolapoort Dam Jozini

G

HIGHVELD

Mkuze

KALAHARI

SPERRGEBIET

MAPUTALAND GRIQUALAND WEST

uMkhuze Game Reserve

ZULULAND

E LESOTHO HIGHLANDS

BUSHMANLAND NAMAQUALAND WEST COAST Berg River Estuary

Dassen Island

5

DRAKENSBERG

Great Escarpment indicated by dashed line

D

A

Saldanha

INDIAN OCEAN Nhlabane

Empangeni Richards Bay

OVERBERG & AGULHAS PLAIN

10 km

St Lucia

WILD COAST HluhluweImfolozi Game Reserve

SOUTH COAST

C

0

Lake St Lucia

GARDEN ROUTE

B

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

EAST COAST

LITTLE KAROO FYNBOS/CAPE FOLD MOUNTAINS

Muzi Pan

Mtubatuba

‘TRANSKEI’ & PONDOLAND

A

Nsumo Pan Hluhluwe

MIDLANDS

EAST GRIQUALAND

GRASSY KAROO

NAMA/GREAT KAROO

SUCCULENT KAROO

Lake Sibayi

Mbazwana

0

B

Robben Island

25

50 km

D

Addo Elephant National Park

Bloubergstrand Bellville

Malgas Island

Langebaan

Marcus Island Jutten Island

Table Mountain National Park

Sundays River Mouth

Coega Mitchell’s Plain

Meeuw Island Schaapen Island Vondeling Island

Woody Cape

Jahleel Island

Seal Island

Stag Island

Cape Peninsula

Swartkops River Mouth

FALSE BAY

Bird Island

Port Elizabeth

C

Franskraal

Alexandria Dunefield

St Croix Island Brenton Rock

Strand

Muizenberg

Langebaan Lagoon (West Coast National Park)

Dyer Island

Colchester Stellenbosch

CAPE TOWN

Seal Island

ALGOA BAY Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Pearly Beach Cape Point

Geyser Rock

Cape Recife

Betty’s Bay

Buffeljags 0

10

20 km

0

10

20 km

0

10

20 km

FIGURE 1. Main ‘ecoregions’ of South Africa, and informal regional names. Zones of particular importance to bird conservation are shown in the inset maps: A) The series of small islands in and around Saldanha Bay, most of which are protected as part of the West Coast National Park, support important breeding populations of seabirds, including one of only three Cape Gannet colonies, as well as large numbers of non-threatened seabirds such as Kelp Gull, Hartlaub’s Gull and Swift Tern. B) Robben Island, in addition to its value from a cultural heritage perspective, supports thousands of breeding seabirds, while offshore rock outcrops and a few mainland sites hold small colonies of cormorants and penguins. The mainland African Penguin colony at Boulders, on the western shores of False Bay, is a popular tourist attraction. Mountain wilderness areas on the Cape Peninsula still support species such as Striped Flufftail and Hottentot Buttonquail, while urban greenbelts in the greater Cape Town area hold Knysna Warbler. C) Dyer Island is an important seabird breeding refuge, and one of the few sites where Leach’s Storm Petrel breeds within the southern hemisphere. The island also supports an African Penguin colony, and small numbers of Roseate Terns. D) Algoa Bay (also known as Nelson Mandela Bay) is becoming increasingly important for bird conservation with apparent eastward shifts of fish and seabird populations, e.g. St Croix Island currently houses the single biggest colony of the rapidly dwindling African Penguin, while Bird Island now holds the world’s largest Cape Gannet colony; the latter is the only site in the region where significant numbers of Roseate Terns breed, while the dune fields on the mainland support a few pairs of the Critically Endangered Damara Tern. E) Northern KwaZulu-Natal, with its rich system of coastline, estuaries, lakes, rivers and floodplains, holds important breeding colonies of large waterbirds. The area is home to several restricted terrestrial species such as Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Swamp Nightjar, African Broadbill, Neergaard’s Sunbird, Rosy-throated Longclaw and Lemon-breasted Canary.

12

T H E 2 0 1 5 E S KO M R E D DATA B O O K O F B I R D S

Limpopo River

Gonarezhou Nwanedi

Ship Rock

MOZAMBIQUE GAZA

Pafuri popo River LimTshipise

Gonarezhou

Mphaphuli

Punda MariaPafuri

Mphaphuli Thohoyandou

SOUTHERN OCEAN

SOUTH AFRICA LIMPOPO

High Bluff Parque Nacional do Limpopo

Giyani

Shingwedzi

Parque Nacional do Limpopo

Mopani Groot- Kruger National Park Letaba (northern half)

Cape Davis

Lou-se-kop

Modjadji &Ndzalama Manombe Hans Tzaneen Mopani Merensky GrootSelati Letaba Letaba Woodbush Phalaborwa Massingir Ndzalama Wolkberg Makalali (Serala) Tzaneen Olifants Selati Letaba Adjacent Private Woodbush Phalaborwa Nature Reserves Massingir Wolkberg (Timbavati, Klaserie, Makutsi Makalali (Serala) Kapama etc.) Olifants Satara Karongwe Hoedspruit Adjacent Private Orpen Nature Reserves Blyde River (Timbavati, Klaserie, (Motlatse) Makutsi Kapama etc.) Canyon Satara Karongwe Hoedspruit Ohrigstad Bosbokrand Orpen Mala Mala Blyde Springs River Crystal (Motlatse) Sabi Canyon Sand Mount Ohrigstad Ohrigstad Dam Sheba Hazyview Bosbokrand Mala Mala Skukuza Crystal Springs Sabie Sabi Kruger National Lydenburg Sand Park Lower Mount (southern half) Ohrigstad Dam Sabie Sheba Hazyview Sterkspruit Skukuza Krokodilpoort Sabie Nelspruit Kruger National Park Lydenburg MPUMALANGA Lower (southern half) Sabie Mjejane Kaapschehoop Sterkspruit Krokodilpoort Barberton Komatipoort Nelspruit 100 km 0 10 20 30 40 50

Tweeling

King Storm Petrel Penguin Bay Bay Goney Plain

46°50’ Triegaardt Bay

Platkop McCall Kop

Golden Gate Penguin Hoedberg Beach

McNish Bay South Cape

Kruger National Park (northern half)

Albatross Valley

Cave Bay

46°40

Shingwedzi

Thohoyandou

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Kent Crater

Punda Maria

Ross Rocks

Boggel

Moederen-kind

MOZAMBIQUE GAZA

Tshipise

Hope Stream

Vaalkop

G

Nwanedi

SOUTH Modjadji & AFRICA Manombe LIMPOPO Hans Merensky Giyani

FG

Blue Petrel Bay Sealer’s Beach Duiker’s Point

Furseal Bay

Research Base Macaroni Bay

Jan Smuts Peak

Kaalkoppie

Archway Bay East Cape

MARION ISLAND

State President Swart Peak

Bullard Beach Killerwhale Cove Cape Crozier 47°00’

Vrystaat Point

Sealer’s Cave Goodhope Bay Rook’s Bay

Kildalkey Bay

Crawford Bay Watertunnel Stream

Cape Hooker

Santa Rosa Valley

47°10’

0

2.5

5.0

10

20 km

MPUMALANGA

37°40’

Mjejane

Kaapschehoop Barberton 2 Barberton 100 km

FIGURE 2. The 19 500 km Kruger National Park, straddling 0 10 20 30 40 50 Naamacha the border between Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces,Inhaca and Songimvelo MAPUTO Island Pigg’s other protected areas of the Lowveld and Escarpment regions. Peak Mbuluzi Komatipoort

Maputo Nyonyane Bay Mlawula Barberton Inhaca Naamacha Ngwenya Hlane MAPUTO Island Songimvelo MBABANE Pigg’s Mlilwane Peak Mbuluzi Mazimyame Maputo Carolina Manzini Ermelo Nyonyane Malolotja Bay Mlawula MOZAMMkhaya Ngwenya Amsterdam HlaneBIQUE MBABANE Big Bend Mlilwane Ngwempisi MPUMALANGA Mazimyame Manzini Ermelo Piet Retief SWAZILAND MOZAMMkhaya Nhlangano Amsterdam BIQUE Big Bend KWAZULUWakkerstroom Ngwempisi Carolina

Malolotja

MPUMALANGA

0

25

NATAL

Piet Retief 100 km

Ithala SWAZILAND Nhlangano

Pongola

25

F

KWAZULUNATAL

Wakkerstroom 0

Jozini

100 km

Ithala Pongola

Jozini

G F

FIGURE 3. The 17 363 km2 country of Swaziland spans a gradient between the Drakensberg in the west (>1 000 m) and subtropical Lowveld (250-500 m) in the east. The Mozambique border is marked by the Lebombo Mountains.

37°50’

38°00’

FIGURE 4. South Africa’s Subantarctic Prince Edward Island group consists of the larger Marion Island (290 km2) and the smaller and near-pristine Prince Edward Island itself (44 km2). The islands lie in the southern Indian Ocean, approximately 2 300 km south-east of Cape Town. Marion Island rises to 1 230 m, the central mountainous interior forming a permanent ice-plateau, while Prince Edward Island rises to 672 m. Lying only 250 km north of the Antarctic Polar Front, the islands’ climate is extreme, with regular frontal systems resulting in an average rainfall of 2 580 mm per year, and frequent gale force winds. Annual average minimum and maximum temperatures are -5°C and 19°C respectively. The islands’ barren landscape, harsh climate and recent geological history result in a simple, relatively impoverish vegetation structure and community. The Prince Edward Islands supports 28 species of breeding seabirds, and perhaps as many as 2.5 million breeding pairs of seabirds and 8 million seabirds in total (Barnes 2000a), including substantial populations of several globally and regionally threatened species. Island bird communities are inherently vulnerable to rapid extinction events (e.g. through invasive species, disease or catastrophes).

INTRODUCTION Throughout the book, reference is made to birds breeding at South Africa’s Subantarctic territories. These are known collectively as the Prince Edward Islands and comprise two islands (see map, left), one of which, confusingly, is Prince Edward Island and the other is Marion Island. We followed a standard grammatical convention, and readers are advised to pay attention to pluralisation: ‘Islands’ refers to both islands collectively; ‘Island’ refers to one individual island. The regional approach The 2000 Red Data Book utilised the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, which focused on measuring the global extinction risk of species. In other words, the assessment was completed at a global level and not a regional level. However, almost all conservation decisions, advocacy and actions are undertaken at national or sub-national levels. A balanced approach is needed, between globally relevant, integrated and overarching issues and one that identifies and focuses priorities for research, monitoring and conservation actions at a regional and implementable scale (Avery et al. 1995). Recognising this problem, the IUCN published the Guidelines for the Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional Levels in 2003 (IUCN 2012). The word regional indicates any sub-global, geographically defined area such as a continent, country, state or province (IUCN 2012). All the rules and definitions in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Version 3.1 (IUCN 2012) apply at regional levels unless stated. Similarly, the guidelines for using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (Standards and Petitions Subcommittee of the IUCN SSC Red List Programme Committee 2003) as well as the IUCN Guidelines for Reintroductions (IUCN 1998) also apply at a regional level. The IUCN regional process assesses the populations of a taxon using data from within the region only, based on the global categories and criteria. The preliminary classification is then adjusted by considering the effect that any conspecific populations outside the region have on the likelihood of regional extinction because they represent an ‘insurance policy’ where immigration may prevent local extinctions (Eaton et al. 2005). Criteria and categories The IUCN Red List uses quantitative criteria based on population size, rate of decline, and area of distribution to assign species to one of seven categories of relative extinction risk, ranging from ‘Regionally Extinct’ to ‘Least Concern’ (Bubb et al. 2009). There are three principal categories for species at high risk of extinction: Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. Species are assigned to a category if they meet the appropriate quantitative threshold for at least one of the five criteria (Table 1.1). All the rules and definitions in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Version 3.1 (IUCN 2012) for regional use have been applied here. Direction of current population trend was coded as increasing, stable, fluctuating, decreasing or unknown. Taxonomic conventions and primary data sources For the purposes of this review we followed the naming and taxonomic approach of BirdLife South Africa. The principal source of species data was Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa

13 VIIth edition (Hockey et al. 2005) as well as The 2000 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Barnes 2000a). Species factsheets provided by BirdLife International as well as the Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) were used extensively, as were peer-reviewed papers and unpublished technical reports. Species distribution data were primarily sourced from the ADU of the University of Cape Town with distribution maps being a combination of those in The atlas of southern African birds (SABAP1; Harrison et al. 1997a,b), the ongoing SABAP2, and expert opinion. Data were also drawn from a number of long-running bird monitoring programmes managed by the ADU, including the Birds in Reserve Project (BIRP) the Coordinated Waterbird Counts (CWAC), Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcount (CAR) as well as the South African Bird Ringing Unit (SAFRING). Species accounts and maps Species accounts were completed by an assessor selected based upon previous experience with the taxon in question and reviewed, where possible, by a minimum of two people. In order to ensure inter-assessor equality in species adjudications, all classifications were based strictly on IUCN criteria, which are summarised in tabular format for each species. Species accounts are presented in their respective threat categories in decreasing levels of severity, i.e. Critically Endangered (p. 29), then Endangered (p. 71), then Vulnerable (p. 183) and lastly Near Threatened (p. 275). In the current dynamic landscape of avian classification, we opted to arrange species alphabetically by family name (e.g. Albatross, Wandering) instead of taxonomically, within each chapter. Page headers provide a convenient way to navigate. Species accounts are introduced by a tabular summary of the current and previous regional and global status of the species, with codes corresponding to the criteria set out at the beginning of each chapter. Species accounts are concluded with a discussion of conservation actions already in place and those proposed for the future and a box listing research priorities, pertinent questions and knowledge gaps. It is hoped that this will stimulate and steer further research, either at the professional or post-graduate level. Baseline distribution maps were drawn primarily from SABAP1 and SABAP2 data, but were augmented by inclusion of unpublished records and information from specialised surveys, geolocator or satellite-tracking data, peer-reviewed papers, remote sensing data, vegetation and altitude maps and various other sources. As SABAP2 is ongoing, a cut-off date had to be implemented; therefore, maps may not include atlas data after mid-2015. The scale of each map differs depending on the geographical range of the species in question; small inset maps of southern Africa at the bottom right of each map give an indication of the area under consideration. STAGE 1: INITIAL SCREENING CRITERIA The IUCN regional guidelines stress a precautionary rather than evidentiary approach (Eaton et al. 2005), which we followed in developing the initial screening criteria (Figure 5). Wherever possible, we erred on the side of caution concerning inclusion of taxa in the assessment. The initial

14

T H E 2 0 1 5 E S KO M R E D DATA B O O K O F B I R D S

pool of species included all taxa that have been recorded within the political boundaries of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland over the past 20 years. This included South Africa’s Prince Edward Islands as well as territorial waters extending a distance of 200 nautical miles offshore. We included migratory birds which spend the austral winter in the region.

1

INITIAL SPECIES POOL All species recorded within the political boundaries of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland over the past 20 years, including South Africa’s Prince Edward Islands as well as territorial waters out to 200 nautical miles

from initial species pool, all species in classes 2-5 were automatically included for regional assessment:

2 4

Species assessed in the 2000 Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland

Species endemic to South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho

3

Seabirds breeding on Prince Edward Islands or occurring in 200 nm exclusive economic zone

5

Species with a global IUCN Red List category of CR, EN, VU, NT or DD

of remaining species, assess regional : global range

6

Species with >5% of global EoO occurring within the region were provisionally INCLUDED

8

Species with a >30% decrease in AoO between SABAP1 and SABAP2 INCLUDED

7

Species with 50% >30%

A1. Population reduction observed, estimated, inferred, or suspected in the past where the causes of the reduction are clearly reversible AND understood AND ceased based on and specifying any of the following: (a) direct observation; (b) an index of abundance appropriate to the taxon; (c) a decline in area of occupancy (AoO), extent of occurrence (EoO) and/or habitat quality; (d) actual or potential levels of exploitation; (e) effects of introduced taxa, hybridisation, pathogens, pollutants, competitors or parasites. A2. Population reduction observed, estimated, inferred, or suspected in the past where the causes of reduction may not have ceased OR may not be understood OR may not be reversible, based on any of (a) to (e) under A1. A3. Population reduction projected or suspected to be met in the future (up to a maximum of 100 years) based on any of (b) to (e) under A1. A4. An observed, estimated, inferred, projected or suspected population reduction (up to a maximum of 100 years) where the time period must include both the past and the future, and where the causes of reduction may not have ceased OR may not be understood OR may not be reversible, based on any of (a) to (e) under A1. B. GEOGRAPHIC RANGE in the form of either B1 (Extent of Occurrence) OR B2 (Area of Occupancy) B1. Extent of Occurrence B2. Area of Occupancy