Breeding ecology of the African Spoonbill Platalea alba in the Free State,South Africa

Kopij, G. 1997. Breeding ecology of the African Spoonbill Platalea alba in the Free State, South Africa. Ostrich 68 (2–4): 77–79.

The breeding ecology of the African Spoonbill is surprisingly little known. In the Free State, the number of nesting African Spoonbills appears to have declined; 120 nests in 11 colonies were located in 1972–1973, compared to 32 nests in four colonies in 1993–1996 (though this later survey may have missed a few small colonies). In 1976–1977, a colony with 15 active spoonbill nests was monitored for an entire breeding season. Mean clutch size was 2.6 (n = 15); 56% of eggs hatched; 91% of hatched eggs resulted in fledglings; and chicks fledged from 53% of nests. The main food of spoonbill chicks was frogs, mainly Rana angolensis and Xenopus laevis, and aquatic invertebrates.     

Fusarium ananatum sp. nov. in the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex from pineapples with fruit rot in South Africa

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is native to South America and widely planted as a fruit crop in the tropics and sub-tropics. This plant is susceptible to a number of fungal diseases of which the most severe is fusariosis. The disease is caused by Fusarium guttiforme and occurs only in South and Central America. The occurrence of a similar disease on pineapples in South Africa has prompted a re-evaluation of the Fusarium sp. associated with pineapple fruit rot. Phylogenetic relationships of isolates from pineapples collected in Brazil and South Africa were assessed based on sequence data for the translation elongation factor-1-α, histone H3 and β-tubulin gene regions. Analyses showed that the South African isolates represent a species distinct from Brazilian isolates. The South African isolates are characterised by a concentration of aerial mycelium at the centres of the colonies, different to the Brazilian isolates that have an even distribution of aerial mycelium. Both phylogenetic and morphological data show that the disease on pineapple in South Africa is caused by a new Fusarium species described here as F. ananatum sp. nov.     

BREEDING OF SACRED IBIS THRESKIORNIS AETHIOPICA AT LAKE SHALA, ETHIOPIA

Data are based on more than 200 h of observation at Ethiopia's Lake Shala from 1966 to 1972. Except for differences in size of bill, there are no useful field characters separating male and female Sacred Ibis. The breeding plumage is described; vivid blood-red colour underneath the wings and the ornamental plumes are especially obvious when nesting commences. Physical and biological features of Lake Shala, Ethiopia, and its nesting islands are described; the species of birds nesting on the Shala islands are given. Ibises nest at Shah from March to August; no nesting has been recorded from September to February during the last months of the ‘big’ rains through the main dry season. Nesting normally begins in the ‘small’ rains (between 14 March-24 April), although instances were recorded as early as 1 March and as late as 20 August. The ibises normally nest once per year, although it is possible that occasionally a second nesting may occur after an unsuccessful first attempt. The ibises at Shala nest in discrete groups; several nesting groups may form on any or all of the islands; the number of groups attempting to nest varied from year to year. Nesting activity begins when males arrive and establish pairing territories, usually in a small tree but sometimes on the ground. When females and other males arrive at the pairing territories, pair formation ensues. At this time males perform forward threat, modified forward threat, pursuit flight, supplanting attack and modified snap displays, while both sexes perform stretch and bow displays. Once established, the pair abandons the pairing territory and moves to the nesting area, usually near but always distinct from the pairing territory, and establishes a nest-site territory. Most members of the nesting group move to the nesting area on the same day. Copulation then takes place, and is followed by collection of nest material, usually by the male. Nests are built close together. The average area of 10 nests measured was 0.09 m². Nests are usually less than 20 cm thick and are made of many small branches and sticks. The average clutch in 34 nests was 2.24 eggs; the average size of 34 eggs was 63.4×43.5 mm. Incubation probably begins when the clutch is complete. Both sexes incubate, and the incubation period probably lasts 28–29 days. The development of the young is described. The young leave the nest-site territory when 14–21 days old. Although they are capable of some flight when 35–40 days old, the young do not leave the colony until they are 44–48 days old. In the colony, both parents care for the young. Usually only one parent at a time is with the young. The parents recognize their own young and are usually recognized by them. The behavioural interactions between young and parents are described. Fledging success in 1968 was 1.06 young per pair. The number of pairs successfully rearing young varied annually from none to 81%, on average over six years (1966–70, 1972) 35%. Predation at the breeding colonies is minimal. The food of one one-month old chick consisted of beetle larvae, lepidopteran larvae and beetles. Feeding areas, although undetermined, must be widespread. Inter-specific competition between Sacred Ibis and other nesting birds at Shala is discussed. Among possible factors stimulating nesting at Shala one, fairly heavy rainfall, seems to be especially important. It is also suggested that especially heavy rain-storms cause ibises to abandon the colonies, and result in poor breeding success.     

Breeding season influxes and the behaviour of adult male samango monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis albogularis)

Troops comprising a high density population of samango monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis) in Natal province, South Africa, experienced an influx of adult males during the breeding season. Observation of one troop revealed that these males competed with one another and with two resident males for access to receptive females. Although both sexes initiated copulation, attempts to do so were more often successful if female-initiated. Males did not interact with non-receptive females and there were no recorded attempts at infanticide. Male-male interactions were agonistic in the presence of receptive females and neutral at other times. No ritualized displays of dominance and subordinance were seen. The significance of these observations for male reproductive strategies is discussed.     

First report of a hatched,hand‐reared,and released African oystercatcher

The African oystercatcher Haematopus moquini is a near‐threatened wader that is endemic to southern Africa. In the past, the species suffered a drastic decrease in nesting success due to human disturbance. We present the case report of an African oystercatcher that was hatched, hand‐reared, and released in the Western Cape, South Africa. African oystercatchers are semi‐altricial birds that tend to be highly sensitive to stress; as a result, strategies to minimize stress and the employment of surrogate parents and pre‐release acclimatization are important to ensure post‐release survival of hand‐reared chicks. Considering the lack of literature on the incubation and hand‐rearing of oystercatchers, this case report provides a basis for the development of hand‐rearing techniques that might be useful for the protection of this and other threatened wader species.     

Characteristics of Peregrine and Lanner Falcon nesting habitats in South Africa

Jenkins, A.R. 2000. Choracteristics of Peregrine and Lanner Falcon nesting habitots in South Africa. Ostrich 71 (3&4): 416-424. Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus, and Lanner Falcon, F. biarmicus, nesting habitats in South Africa are described in terms of nest ledge, nest cliff and scree slope parameters, ond the environmental context of each site. Data were collected in a tropical study area where Peregrines and Lannen occurred in sympatry, from an allopatric south temperate Peregrine population, and opportunistically for bath species from other sites throughout the country. Elevation, ledge size, cliff size ond vegetation structure accounted for about 80%of the variation in falcon nesting habitots between species and between populations within species. Peregrines used larger nest ledges on higher, more elevated cliffs than Lanners, overlooking mare open, structurally complex Vegetation. Temperate Peregrines used smaller ledges on lower cliffs, overlooking vegetation that provided less refuge for overflying prey than subtropical pairs. Temperote Peregrines selected nest sites to minimize the negative effects of spring roinfall. Tropical Peregrines may have selected sites to maximize hunting and provisioning efficiency.     

Pachycrocuta (hyaenids) from the Pliocene of east Africa

Hyaenas belonging to the genusPachycrocuta were the largest hyaenas known. They had a wide distribution in the Plio-Pleistocene, having been found throughout Eurasia and in South Africa. The genus has been reported several times from east Africa, but these finds have been poorly documented. I here describe newly identified specimens ofPachycrocuta from the Turkana Basin, Kenya. It is concluded that although there are certain differences between east and South African specimens, these are of a nature that can be explained by individual variation, and therefore all African specimens are assigned to the Eurasian speciesPachycrocuta brevirostris. The migration patterns of the species are discussed and although these are still equivocal, I speculate that the species originated in Asia and migrated from there to Africa ca. 3.5 Ma and to Europe ca. 1.6 Ma.     

Species cohesion despite extreme inbreeding in a social spider

Colonial social spiders experience extreme inbreeding and highly restricted gene flow between colonies; processes that question the genetic cohesion of geographically separated populations and which could imply multiple origins from predecessors with limited gene flow. We analysed species cohesion and the potential for long-distance dispersal in the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola by studying colony structure in eastern South Africa and the cohesion between this population and Namibian populations previously published. Data from both areas were (re)analysed for historic demographic parameters. Eastern South African S. dumicola were closely related to an east Namibian lineage, showing cohesion of S. dumicola relative to its sister species. Colony structure was similar in both areas with mostly monomorphic colonies, but haplotype diversity was much reduced in eastern South Africa. Here, the population structure indicated recent population expansion. By contrast, Namibia constitutes an old population, possibly the geographic origin of the species. Both the comparison of the eastern South African and Namibian lineages and the distribution within eastern South Africa show the potential for long-distance dispersal in few generations via colony propagation.     

ASPECTS OF THE BREEDING BIOLOGY OF HERRING GULLS LARUS ARGENTATUS IN URBAN COLONIES

Herring Gulls nesting on rooftops in South Shields and Sunderland were observed during 1974–76. These colonies, then around 200 pairs in each town, have expanded rapidly despite culls. Ringing results identified the Forth area as an important source of recruits, and also suggested that females are more likely to breed away from their natal area than males. It is clear from the high breeding success that these towns provide favourable alternatives to more typical breeding sites. The gulls in the towns nest at low densities, other than on flat roofs. Their breeding success, averaging 1.2–1.6 chicks per pair, was higher than that recorded at more typical colonies, and on structurally isolated rooftop sites was almost double that on flat roofs. This high success is attributed to the absence of cannibalism in these small colonies and the lack of territorial aggression at the structurally isolated sites.     

Historical biogeography of Androcymbium Willd. (Colchicaceae) in Africa: evidence from cpDNA RFLPs

The cpDNA restriction variation in 39 populations representing a geographical sampling of 18 species of Androcymbium in southwestern and northern Africa was examined to assess the historical biogeography of the genus. The cpDNA phylogeny indicates that the disjunction between South and North Africa is best explained by the dispersal of southern African ancestors into North Africa. Divergence time estimates suggest that the geographic range of the genus may have extended considerably north (perhaps to Tanzania and Kenya) prior to the global desiccation of Africa in the Miocene. Further expansion of the genus northward was probably stalled until climatic changes in the late Miocene brought about the gradual replacement of a subtropical woodland savanna with the arid landscape that gave rise to the Sahara. Aridification of the northern quarter of the continent provided the ecological conditions for fostering the expansion of Androcymbium along the Mediterranean fringe (probably east to west) and its introduction into the Canary Islands. Unlike their South African congeners, the northern species have experienced expansions, fragmentations, and local extinctions in response to the severe climatic shifts in this area during the Pliocene-Pleistocene. According to our divergence time estimates, the arid track may have already existed as a continuous area connecting southern and northern Africa in the late Miocene.     

The genus Urera (Urticaceae) in eastern tropical Africa

The species of Urera Gaud. occurring in eastern tropical Africa are revised. Three species are recognized: U. cameroonensis Wedd., occurring from Uganda to the South African Republic (Natal), U. sansibarica Engl., restricted to the coastal zone of Kenya and Tanzania, and U. hypselodendron (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Wedd., occurring in montane forest from Ethiopia to Malawi. The original material of U. hypselodendron var. flamigniana Hauman (nom. inval.) and var. platyrrhachis Hauman (nom. inval.) is excluded from U. hypselodendron; the same applies to the other material of U. hypselodendron cited from central Zaire in Flore du Congo belge. Distribution maps of the eastern African species are provided. Also included is a preliminary study and discussion of the generic subdivision of Urera , with special reference to the species of this revision.     

Honey bee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera capensis/A. m. scutellata</Emphasis> hybrid) nesting behavior in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

Little is known about the natural history of wild honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The goal of this research was to examine nest site characteristics of honey bee (A. m. capensis/A. m. scutellata hybrid) colonies sampled from a variety of habitats (nature reserves, livestock farms, and an urban setting) in the Eastern Cape. We also determined how nest site location related to various colony strength parameters. In general, colonies not nesting in ground cavities tended to nest in locations >6 m high when nesting in cliffs and buildings and >2 m high when nesting in trees. Colonies typically nested in cavities whose entrances faced a southeasterly direction and were ~40 L in volume. We sampled a subset of colonies to determine the relationship between nest type and the following colony strength parameters: total area of comb in the colony, the volume of stored honey, pollen, and brood, adult bee population, the weight per adult bee, and the bee/nest cavity volume ratio. In general, colonies nesting in cliffs tended to be stronger than those nesting in the ground or trees. Our findings provide new insights into the nesting biology of honey bees in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, perhaps leading to the formation of conservation recommendations for honey bees in this region.     

Agonistic display and spacing in the black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus

Black-headed gulls nesting on islands in a marsh habitat had a higher breeding success than those nesting on the periphery of the colony. Island birds maintained close inter-nest distances whereas peripheral nests were spaced further apart as predation of eggs increased. These changes in spacing corresponded with changes in the response distances of agonistic displays. There was no change during incubation for island birds but peripheral birds displayed to intruders at much greater distances than during pair formation. Island birds were more likely to attack and display more frequently to intruders than peripheral birds. However, in one season the peripheral birds were more aggressive during pair formation because of an increase in intrusions by unpaired females.     

A revision of the genus Linum in southern Africa

Fourteen native species of Linum are recognized in southern Africa, all of which belong to sect. Linopsis. Four are commonly accepted species; four were described more than a century ago but have not been recognized in recent treatments; six are newly described. Thirteen species are endemic; one ranges as far north as Angola and Tanzania. Among the new species two are heterostylous, the first described for the genus from this region.
The section Linopsis ranges broadly from the Mediterranean region to southern Africa and to both North and South America. The occurrence in the Mediterranean region of species exhibiting such features as heterostyly and chromosome numbers of 2n = 18 or 20, the only diploids known in the section, seems to indicate that in that region are to be found the most primitive species of the section. The close similarity between species of southern Africa and a number of South American and North American species appears to place the southern African species in an intermediate evolutionary position with respect to the Old and New World species of the section.     

Characteristics of snags and forest structure in southern mistbelt forests of the Amatole region,South Africa

Standing dead trees (or snags) are an important component of forest ecosystems, especially for tree cavity‐nesting vertebrate species, but their prevalence in South African forests remains under studied. Consequently, we investigated forest structure, and the presence and abundance of snags in six southern mistbelt forests in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. These forests have had varying levels of timber extraction over the past 150 years or more. We found snags were relatively rare in all six forests (<4.3% of trees sampled). Mean diameter at breast height (dbh) of snags ranged from 52 to 82 cm across the forests, with smaller snags in Kologha Forest and larger snags in Tyume Forest. A bimodal distribution of snag successional stages was found, with frequencies peaking at early and late stages, and few in the intermediate stages. Tree species diversity in the forests was relatively low (twelve–nineteen species across forests; only 28 species in total). There was no significant difference in dbh of trees between forests, with most occurring in the 20–29‐cm dbh size class. Future studies are required to identify trees that most likely support suitable cavities for tree cavity‐nesting bird species, and to determine cavity‐nester assemblage requirements in southern African forests.     

Trichinella britovi etiological agent of sylvatic trichinellosis in the Republic of Guinea (West Africa) and a re-evaluation of geographical distribution for encapsulated species in Africa

In West Africa, Trichinella infection was documented in humans and animals from Senegal in the 1960s, and the biological characters of one isolate showed a lower infectivity to domestic pigs and rodents when compared with that of a Trichinella spiralis pig isolate from Europe. To identify the Trichinella species present in West Africa, a survey was conducted in a total of 160 wild animals in the Republic of Guinea. Three Viverridae, one true civet (Viverra civetta) and two African palm civets (Nandinia binotata) from the Fouta Djallon Massif, Pilimini Subprefecture, were found positive by artificial digestion of muscle samples. Trichinella larvae from these three viverrids were identified as Trichinella britovi and no difference was detected in three examined sequences from these African isolates and the reference strain of T. britovi from Europe, indicating common ancestry, an historically continuous geographic distribution, and recent isolation for African and European populations. The detection of T. britovi in West Africa modifies our knowledge about the distribution of encapsulated species of Trichinella in Africa. Thus, Trichinella nelsoni is now considered to have a distribution limited to the Eastern part of the Afrotropical region from Kenya to South Africa. This provides a plausible explanation for the presence of Trichinella T8 in Namibia and South Africa, and further suggests that T. britovi could be the Trichinella species circulating among wild animals of Northern Africa.     

FIELD STUDIES OF THE AFRICAN CRAKE CREX EGREGIA IN ZAMBIA AND KENYA

Taylor, P. B. 1985. Field studies of the African Crake Crex egregia in Zambia and Kenya. Ostrich 56: 170–185.

Field observations were made of a breeding population of African Crake Crex egregia at Ndola, Zambia from 1975 to 1980 and of a nonbreeding population at Mombasa, Kenya in 1981. Both populations are migratory and the Kenyan birds are thought to breed in southern Africa. Habitat requirements, migrations and patterns of occurrence are described. Population estimates give the density of breeding birds as 1 bird/2,6ha and of nonbreeding birds as 1 bird/1,99-2,73 ha. Local movements are evident at Mombasa. The crakes are thought to be territorial in both the breeding and nonbreeding seasons and the pair bond is sustained or formed during the nonbreeding season. Habits and behaviour are described, including courtship, copulation, aggression, feeding, roosting and vocalizations. Breeding, moult and predation are briefly discussed.     

BREEDING OF THE INDIAN WHITEBACKED VULTURE AT JODHPUR

Vulture populations have declined globally as well as regionally within Africa. Little is known about the status of the African White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus in Kenya, but ongoing studies indicate that its population has declined over the last two decades. A total of 32 African White-backed Vulture nests were monitored in the Masai Mara National Reserve over a five-year period between 2003 and 2007. Mean nesting success was 59%, which is comparable to that of populations from southern Africa. Nearest neighbour distances were significantly closer in wooded habitats (‘trees and shrubs savanna’) than in more open grassland habitats (‘open low shrubs’). Based on nearest neighbour distances, the estimated total breeding population within the Masai Mara National Reserve is 1 106 pairs, a figure that may be an overestimate and requires ground-truthing. Collecting baseline data on numbers of breeding pairs and regular nest monitoring are essential in order to assess the impact of various threats to vultures in Kenya, which include growing threats (elephant-mediated habitat disturbance and fire) as well as emerging threats (such as poisoning with the carbamate-based pesticide Furadan?).