Breaking Through The Ranks

Women in birding In southern Africa, birding has historically been dominated by men and a glance at the Top 50 listers in the subregion quickly confirms this. In the USA, there are many women birders, but there too they seem to be poorly represented in the top rankings. Locally, however, a sea change is occurring. Recent years have seen increasing numbers of female birders of all ages participating at big twitches and attending bird fairs. There are also plenty of women who bird simply for the sheer enjoyment of it, where the appreciation of birds and all things birding is more important than garnering another tick. A growing number of women with excellent birding skills are rising through the local listing ranks. Martin Benadie spoke to a few of those who are close to reaching the benchmark of 900 species seen in the subregion. Their achievements will hopefully inspire more women to become front-runners in this field, whether in management positions in birding organisations, in research and conservation or as list leaders.

Introduced Predators - Leave A Trail Of Extinction

Introduced mammals can be devast-ating for birds.

On The Shelf

The Lanner Falcon is a familiar spe-cies to most African birders, although many may not know that it is part of a species complex (Hierofalco) that includes the mighty Arctic Gyrfalcon and the hardy Asian Saker, or that the Lanner itself comprises five confirmed subspecies spread across southern Eur ope and most of Africa.

Top Guns

BIRDS OF PREY have, unsurprisingly, fascinated people throughout the ages.

Barrie Rose 1947 - 2016

On 30 December 2016 southern Africa lost not only its most experienced seabirder, but also a true gentleman.

Taking The Tuna Project To Indonesia

Within the framework of the Common Oceans Tuna Project, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is working with BirdLife South Africa, as the local partner of BirdLife International, to lessen the impact of tuna fisheries on biodiversity.

Blowing Hot & Cold

An often-cited argument against wind energy is that it kills a large number of birds.

Cause For Alarm

As anyone who has played a Pearl-spotted Owlet tape knows, other birds mob owls.

Sightings In The Subregion - Mid-May To Mid-July 2017

Sightings In The Subregion - Mid-May To Mid-July 2017

Moorhen Madness

Moorhen Madness

Shining Light - Hugh Chittenden

Shining Light - Hugh Chittenden

Binocular Review - Leica Noctivid

Binocular Review - Leica Noctivid

Aloes In The Eastern Cape

A dry-season bonanza for nectar-feeding birds

The Evil Of Two Lessers

The two adult Lesser Jacanas circle one another, preparing for battle.

Keeping It Steady

As far as bird photography is concerned, we are very fortunate. Companies such as Sigma and Tamron have recently released lenses that zoom to 600 millimetres, giving photographers more choice when it comes to long lenses. Canon and Nikon, in addition to making their own long lenses, are producing camera bodies with increasingly higher resolution, which also benefits bird photo­ graphers. However, as focal length and resolution increase, so too does the need for a steady platform from which to shoot.

Lily Livery

Allen’s Gallinule

Nectar Quandary

Surviving the suburbs

Zen Goes Local

South Africa is known for its cultural diversity and this is mirrored in the increasing number of requests for variety in garden designs.

Clean-Up Crew

The Lappet-faced Vulture is the no-nonsense foreman of Africa’s vulturine clean-up crew.

To The Edge And Back

FLOCK AT SEA 2017 promises to be the largest ever group of people birding together over a period of several days. Peter Ryan considers what attracts thousands of birders from all corners of South Africa and beyond to gather for the mother of all pelagic birding trips. 

Breakneck Exploits

Drinking techniques of Pink-backed Pelican

Net Gains

The value of ringing

Keeper of Ugandan Time - Woodland Kingfisher

If you’re looking for kingfisher stories in Africa, you will encounter people as well as birds. When I began my search, Derek Pomeroy, emeritus professor at Makerere University in Kampala and also an expert ornithologist, advised me, ‘As written sources are few or non-existent, you have to make do with conversations with hunters, farmers and fishermen.’ Often it’s not the birders who can tell you the story behind a bird, but the people who work in the field or know the local culture. Sometimes different stories about the same bird are told in different African cultures. So in the world of bird myths and folklore, both the bird and the storyteller are important. There is no story that stands alone.

Rare Pale Form of Juvenile - Lesser Spotted Eagle

Pale juvenile forms of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina are rarely documented and to date nowhere mentioned in southern African literature. On a visit to the Kruger National Park in February 2017 we spent a couple of days in an area east of Satara photographing as many different colour forms of this species as possible. Good summer rains resulted in vast breeding flocks of Red-billed Queleas and these migrant raptors were gorging themselves on both nestlings and fledglings.

Shining Light - Samson Mulaudzi

Born and raised in Venda, one of the premier birding destinations in South Africa, it might seem a no-brainer that Samson Mulaudzi would make an aspect of birding his career. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing and it is only through his passion and dedication and his very likeable character that he has become one of the shining lights of birding in the region.

Land of the little Brown Jobs

When one thinks of the Karoo landscape one imagines the dry, dusty interior of South Africa, supposedly devoid of life when compared to other parts of our beautiful country. This could not be further from the truth, as this incredible place is home to not one, but two global biodiversity hotspots, recognised for having remarkably high levels of plant diversity and endemism. The Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo are these hotspots, which we proudly list as part of South Africa’s natural heritage. But it’s not only the plants that warrant attention in this landscape, as the region also hosts many threatened and endemic bird species, as well as a plethora of ‘little brown jobs’ waiting to give even the most experienced birders a run for their money! 

Toyota Driving Bird Conservation

BirdLife South Africa is extremely pleased to have recently received fantastic support from Toyota International and Toyota South Africa in the form of a donation of two brand-new vehicles. In 2016 BirdLife International notified us that we had been selected as one of six BirdLife Partners worldwide to receive a vehicle from Toyota International. A Toyota Hilux bakkie was subsequently delivered to the Western Cape Regional Conservation Programme, which freed up another vehicle in this programme, and the organisation at large, and thus ensured maximum gain from the donation. 

Risky Beachfront Property

Risky Beachfront Property

Mid-Air Turbulence

It is not uncommon to see African Skimmers chasing each other in aerial display, especially during the breeding season when the birds gather in large groups.

Maximising A Small Space

In recent years, many homeowners in South Africa have, for various reasons, down-sized from expansive properties to smaller, more manageable homes in secure complexes.