Try GOLD - Free
Floating Wetlands
African Birdlife
|March/April 2018
Small steps can make a big difference
-
The term ‘floating wetlands’ may conjure up an image of large expanses of dense papyrus reeds with perhaps a Shoebill lurking within. The floating wetlands I’m talking about, however, are different, somewhat smaller and popping up on farm dams in the Western Cape.
In 2015 BirdLife South Africa and NCC Environmental Services, with funding from the Table Mountain Fund, initiated a pilot project to develop mechanisms for improving waterbird habitat on farm dams. After spending a lot of time traversing the back roads of the region we noticed that these dams often appeared sterile, providing very little refuge for birds. Would it be possible, we wondered, to turn these isolated artificial waterbodies into havens of biodiversity?
This story is from the March/April 2018 edition of African Birdlife.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM African Birdlife
African Birdlife
stories begin at EYE LEVEL
ALTHOUGH I HAVE been taking photographs since 1998, it wasn't until 2019 that my hobby evolved into a serious pursuit. That's when I began to see photography not just as a means of capturing a moment, but as a form of art - something that can stir emotion, spark wonder and tell a deeper story.
1 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
ALBERT the Wandering Albatross
Ahoy, shipmates, grab a pew and let me spin my yarn.
3 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
I'll be back...
Southern African populations of oxpeckers were hit by triple hammer blows during the late 19th century and much of the 20th.
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
BINDO and SABAP2
A match made in data science
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
PREDATORS of the pan
As regular visitors to Mabuasehube in the Botswanan sector of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, we have often seen vulture feathers lying in the area of the waterhole at Mpayathutlwa Pan and have frequently observed a pair of black-backed jackals in the vicinity.
1 min
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Jacana & the egg thief
While on a photo expedition in the Richtersveld National Park with my brother Peter, we were watching one particular African Jacana on the Gariep River.
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
A STRIPE FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE?
Uncovering the adaptive complexities of falcons' malar stripes
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
grassland GLADIATORS
The Secretarybird is a highly soughtafter species for most birders on their first visit to Africa. It looks so strange, like a cross between a stork and an eagle. Even though it is widespread, occurring in almost any suitable habitat (grassland, open savanna and Karoo shrubland), it's generally uncommon.
1 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
SECRETS SKY
Jessica Wilmot is the driving force behind BirdLife South Africa's Flyway and Migrants Project, working across borders to safeguard some of the planet's most threatened species and habitats. Supporting BirdLife International's East Atlantic Flyway Initiative, Jessica is at the heart of efforts to keep our skies alive with birds, particularly the enigmatic European Roller, which is her current focus and passion.
6 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Southern SIGHTINGS
Autumn is generally known to be quieter in terms of rarities across southern Africa, but the review period still had a few surprises for us, including a new species for the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
3 mins
July/August 2025
Translate
Change font size