UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca hybridizes with Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Get PDFHybridization in wild Anatidae is a regular occurrence, especially in the smaller species of waterfowl (Milstein 1979). Wildfowl are also more prone to hybridize in wild populations than other bird groups, mainly because of the close genetic proximity of species, their mating systems where pair bonds are renewed each year in some species and similarity of courtship displays (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Milstein (1979) found hybridization at Barberspan Nature Reserve, Delareyville, North West Province mainly between native duck species such as Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma, Redbilled Teal Anas erythrorhynncha and Yellowbilled Duck Anas undulata. Hybridization in the wild occur mainly as a consequence of the close relationship between different species such as the Alopochen and Tadorna genera of the subfamily Tadorninae on which this paper reports (del Hoyo et al. 1992)
Jacobin Cuckoo parasitising African Red-eyed Bulbul nest
Get PDF... While atlasing the next pentad along the river, the wind became stronger and it turned cold. I went back in my tracks to revisit the nest to confirm the identification of the species. It was about 09:30. On arrival at the nest site, an African Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans was flushed from the nest. I found a third white egg in the nest
Annotated checklist of the birds of Banhine National Park, Southern Mozambique
Get PDFBanhine National Park, situated in Gaza Province, Mozambique, covers an area of 700 000 ha of near-pristine landscapes. Within the park borders, 11 plant communities have been identified, which can be broadly grouped into five major landscape types, viz. wetland, grassland, Mopane, sandveld and Androstachys landscapes. These landscapes support a wealth of bird species, with 318 species being confirmed in the park to date and many additional species believed to still occur in the park. Of the species recorded to date, 76 are significant range expansions for southern Mozambique, six species were previously subject to confirmation from southern Mozambique, two species have not previously been recorded from southern Mozambique and nine species are considered to be regionally or globally threatened. Of the five landscapes, the wetland boasts by far the greatest diversity and greatest numbers of species, and is probably the most important, and most threatened, landscape in the park
Interactions between African Openbills and Spotted Thick-knees
Get PDFA small number of vagrant African Openbills Anastomus lamelligerus have been present along the Overberg coast, Western Cape, for slightly more than 9 months now. They seem to be quite settled and they are feeding on the abundant supplies of both Garden Snail Helix aspersa and different species of sea snails as well as black mussels Choromytilus meridionalis (pers obs). They are more than 1 500 kilometres southwest of their usual distribution range in southern Africa
First recorded breeding record of feral Common Peacock Pavo cristatus in Africa
Get PDFThe only self-sustaining population of the Common Peafowl Pavo cristatus on the continent of Africa is on Robben Island (33°49'S, 18°22'E), Table Bay, South Africa (Hockey et al. 2005). Brooke and Prins (1986) reported 1968 as the year of introduction, based on a letter from N.H. Pietersen, of the then South African Department of Prisons. It is extremely unlikely that additional birds were taken to the island. We are not aware of any other mention of this species on Robben Island between the date of introduction and the paper by Brooke and Prins (1986). Crawford and Dyer (2000) estimated that the population size in 1999 was about 16 birds; TML estimated that the population in summer 2007/08 was c. 80 birds
Notes on the breeding and breeding success of Crowned Lapwings Vanellus coronatus in the southern suburbs of Bloemfontein
Get PDFThis note reports on data obtained between December 2004 and January 2007. The nests and the breeding success of this species were monitored in two small parks dominated by Themedia spp. grass in the suburban area of Fleurdal, Bloemfontein. Nests were mostly located when the incubating female was seen on or near the nest and thereafter the nests were monitored for the purpose of this study
Observations of a juvenile Greater Doublecollared Sunbird Cinnyris afer
Get PDFOn Sunday 3 October 2010 I observed a single chick leaving one of the nests for the first time (Fig. 1). It flew about 5 m from the nest into a Bottle Brush tree Callistemon subulatus where it perched. This was the only chick to hatch and leave the nest. According to Smith (2005) a clutch normally has two eggs
Growth and development of Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii nestlings
Get PDFThe Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii is a common resident of the open woodlands and semi-arid savannah regions of southern Africa. Although aspects of its breeding biology are well known, much of it remains unknown due to its cavity-nesting behaviour. In 2008, I placed some artificial nest boxes in strategic positions in the Polokwane Nature Reserve (S23°56 E 29°28) in the hope of elucidating some of the unknown aspects of the breeding of cavitynesting species
On the status of Fulvous Duck and Slaty Egret in Mozambique
Get PDF... By the time of the completion of the bird atlas survey of central Mozambique, rumours of the occurrence of Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula in the Zambezi Delta had been heard, but the sources of the rumours could not be traced. The atlas of the birds of central Mozambique (Parker 2005) therefore did not report the presence of the species. Subsequently it has come to my attention that several sightings of single birds were made near Marromeu in the Zambezi River Delta between 2003 and 2005, and some of these are confirmed by photograph
New migration records for the Damara Tern Sterna balaenarum
Get PDFThe Damara Tern Sterna balaenarum is
Africa's smallest breeding tern and is a near-endemic breeder to Namibia (Simmons 2005). It is globally Near-threatened (IUCN 2009) and breeds on the coastal mainland where the cold Benguela Current meets the Namib Desert. All but a small fraction leave south-western Africa for non-breeding grounds on the west African coast (Simmons 2005). Birds leave their respective breeding grounds at the end of the austral summer, latest April, and move northward along the Namibian coast where they coalesce with other post-breeding Damara Terns into larger flocks before migration (Braby et al. 1992). Groups then migrate northward to over-winter in countries such as coastal Gabon, Congo, and even as far as Nigeria (Bourdillon 1944, Elgood et al. 1973, Wallace 1973), Liberia (Borrow and Demey 2001) and Senegal (Brown 1979)