UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Diet of the Pririt Batis Batis pririt in the Free State, South Africa
Get PDFThe Pririt Batis Batis pririt forages mainly by foliage- and hover-gleaning insects but it is also known to hawk flying insects (Spottiswoode 2005; Louette 2006). Although the species? diet is described as insectivorous, there is only limited information available on its diet
A blue sunbird: Colour variation as an arid climate adaptation in the Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa
Get PDFWe observed, in a dense succulent thicket, a glossy blue-plumaged bird which we at first thought was a Cape Glossy Starling. We saw that this blue bird was accompanied by a sunbird with dark brown dorsal plumage and a white belly. The blue bird was then seen to be a sunbird as well. No matter which way it turned, clambering through the dense scrub, no green was observed, only a deep, royal blue. The blue bird was identified as a male Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa, with aberrant plumage, and the second bird as a female of the same species. Why was typical metallic green plumage of this species blue? This paper makes suggestions. Birders need to be alert to this colour variation
Sightings at sea: Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea off Durban, South Africa
Get PDFThe origin or intended destination of this bird is unknown and I can only speculate that the bird was seriously blown off course and disorientated whilst undertaking a local movement, or perhaps Speckled Pigeon do make larger movements than we currently understand
Birds ringed and recaptured at Kalkwal, Free State
Get PDFBirds ringed (n=577) and recaptured (54 species) at Kalkwal farm, Free State, between April 1998 and March 2012
Feral population of Common Peacock Pavo cristatus breeding in Bloemfontein, Free State
Get PDFSecond record of breeding of Common Peacock in South Africa
Animal Demography Unit Citizen Science Week, 24 September to 2 October 2016: Cape Union Mart Heritage Hunt
Get PDFThe purpose of the citizen science weeks of the ADU is to increase awareness of, and encourage participation in, the citizen science projects of the ADU. This article summarizes participation in the Cape Union Mart Heritage Hunt, the citizen science week that took place over the period Saturday 24 September through to Sunday 2 October 2016. 3,137 photographic records were added to the ADU Virtual Museum, and the database of the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) grew by 58,773 records
Tip of the iceberg: hybrid Cape Sparrow and Great Sparrow in Namibia
Get PDFIn December 2014 we caught and ringed a male sparrow (ring CV35323) with features both of Cape Sparrow and Great Sparrow on the farm Sphinxblick in Namibia at 2224S 1530E
A celebration of long-term involvement in citizen science: the Animal Demography Unit's Biodiversity Observer awards
Get PDFThe contributions of every citizen scientist to the life of the Animal Demography Unit are celebrated. On 1 December 2016, the ADU had been in existence for 25 years. There is one area in which we have seriously failed. We have never thought to make any special mention of the citizen scientists who have made an especially amazing contribution to our projects. We have a list of at least one hundred people who have been the lifeblood of our projects. Here, we are celebrating the contributions of a subset of this longer list. We are making "Biodiversity Observer" awards to 31 citizen scientists for whom the phrases "long term contribution to projects" and "deep involvement in projects" have been the watchwords
Aspects of the breeding biology of Angola Swallows Hirundo angolensis in Uganda
Get PDFThe dimensions of three nests were measured, and the time activity-budget of a pair of Angola Swallows Hirundo angolensis were monitored at a nest at a convention centre in Uganda. Two adult Angola Swallows tending to three 5?7 day old nestlings spent the majority of their time (76.6?94.8%) away from the nest, presumably foraging. Nestlings were provisioned from 5.2 to 10.0 provisions per nestling per hour. The mean external width and depth of three Angola Swallow nests were 12.0 cm (sd=0.87 cm) and 6.9 cm (sd=0.87 cm) respectively. Compared to Blue Swallows Hirundo atrocaerulea, the pair of Angola Swallows had shorter and more frequent brooding and foraging periods per hour. Consequently these Angola Swallow nestlings were fed more frequently than Blue Swallow nestlings