The BDI hosted a 3 week trip in the Western Cape, mainly ringing, but also to atlas and take photos for the Virtual Museum. The trip was called RAVE (Ringing, Atlasing, Virtual-museuming Expedition). General BDI posts covering this trip are: Days 1-4, Days 5-7, Days 8-11, Days 12- in progress. This post is a summary of the bird ringing part of the trip.
Top species
In the 3 weeks we handled over 1000 birds, of 66 species (including several rehabilitated birds). Southern Red Bishop (180 birds), Cape Sparrow (121) and Lark-like Bunting (100) were the top species caught, largely due to big catches at the Vanrhynsdorp sewage works. Cape Weaver and Southern Masked Weaver were top species at Vondeling, while Common Waxbill and Southern Masked Weaver made up the bulk at Ouberg.
Photo – Lark-like Bunting, one of the top 3 species caught.
Species diversity
The greatest species diversity was at Ouberg (39 species) in spite of slightly less ringing time here, but being the site with the most natural vegetation. This was followed by Vanrhynsdorp (31 species on first trip, plus 4 species later). Vondeling produced 26 species, but remarkably included 6 species not caught elsewhere on this trip – Malachite Kingfisher, African Reed Warbler, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Malachite Sunbird, Yellow Bishop, Cape Canary.
Photo – Lesser Honeyguide, only caught at Ouberg
Photo – Karoo Lark, only caught at Gifberg (Vanrhynsdorp)
Breeding
Many juveniles were caught, not surprisingly, as it was near the end of the breeding season for many species in the Western Cape. This included 4 young Cape Spurfowl which were too small to be ringed. We also ringed nestlings of Common Starling and Speckled Pigeon.
Photo – Nestling Speckled Pigeon
Photo – Juvenile Common Fiscal
Photo – Juvenile Fiscal Flycatcher
Moult
Many birds were already showing wing moult, and weavers were also in active body moult. The male Southern Double-collared Sunbirds were in eclipse, even the yellow pectoral tufts had sheaths (ie feathers growing).
Photo – Male Southern Red Bishop with body moult
Photo – Male Cape Weaver with wing moult
Photo – Male Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Catching methods
Most birds were caught in mistnets. A small number (16) were rehabilitated birds, ready for release – three were ringed at SANCCOB, and the rest were brought to Vondeling for ringing, and release at Babylonstoren. A total of 43 birds were caught in spring traps. Top species were Fiscal Flycatcher (12) and Common Fiscal (9). Familiar Chat, Red-winged Starling and Olive Thrush were only caught by this method (on this trip).
Photo – Red-winged Starling, caught in spring trap
Table – birds caught 27 Nov-17 Dec 2023
VRD = Vanrhynsdorp (includes Botuin, sewage works and Gifberg farm), 27 Nov-3 Dec
Vondeling = Vondeling Wine Estate, 4-9 Dec
Ouberg = Ouberg Private Nature Reserve near Montagu, 10-15 Dec
VRD2 = Vanrhynsdorp on 12-13 Dec and 17-18 Dec
Rehab = rehabilitated birds
Spring = birds caught in spring traps
| Sp no | English | Caught | VRD | Vondeling | Ouberg | VRD2 | Rehab | Spring |
| 97 | Red-billed Teal | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 181 | Cape Spurfowl | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 235 | White-fronted Plover | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 238 | Three-banded Plover | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 242 | Crowned Lapwing | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 311 | Speckled Pigeon | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 314 | Red-eyed Dove | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 316 | Cape Turtle Dove | 4 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 317 | Laughing Dove | 38 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |
| 318 | Namaqua Dove | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 390 | Speckled Mousebird | 3 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 391 | White-backed Mousebird | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |||
| 392 | Red-faced Mousebird | 9 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| 397 | Malachite Kingfisher | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 404 | European Bee-eater | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 418 | Hoopoe | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 432 | Acacia Pied Barbet | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 440 | Greater Honeyguide | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 442 | Lesser Honeyguide | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 461 | Karoo Lark | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 463 | Large-billed Lark | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 493 | Barn Swallow | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 498 | Pearl-breasted Swallow | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 502 | Greater Striped Swallow | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 506 | Rock Martin | 5 | 5 | |||||
| 509 | Brown-throated Martin | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 525 | Southern Grey Tit | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 543 | Cape Bulbul | 34 | 8 | 26 | 1 | |||
| 544 | Red-eyed Bulbul | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||
| 551 | Sombre Greenbul | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 570 | Familiar Chat | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| 581 | Cape Robin-chat | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 583 | Karoo Scrub Robin | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 604 | Lesser Swamp Warbler | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 606 | African Reed Warbler | 14 | 14 | |||||
| 609 | Little Rush Warbler | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 621 | Long-billed Crombec | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 622 | Bar-throated Apalis | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 646 | Levaillant’s Cisticola | 5 | 5 | |||||
| 653 | Namaqua Warbler | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 658 | Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler | 7 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| 665 | Fiscal Flycatcher | 17 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 12 | |
| 686 | Cape Wagtail | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 707 | Common Fiscal | 17 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 733 | Common Starling | 7 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| 745 | Red-winged Starling | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 746 | Pied Starling | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 751 | Malachite Sunbird | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 753 | Orange-breasted Sunbird | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 760 | Southern Double-collared Sunbird | 19 | 10 | 9 | ||||
| 784 | House Sparrow | 25 | 7 | 16 | 2 | |||
| 786 | Cape Sparrow | 121 | 84 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| 799 | Cape Weaver | 89 | 8 | 53 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 803 | Southern Masked Weaver | 87 | 16 | 26 | 45 | 3 | ||
| 805 | Red-billed Quelea | 15 | 4 | 11 | ||||
| 808 | Southern Red Bishop | 180 | 121 | 19 | 40 | |||
| 810 | Yellow Bishop | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 843 | Common Waxbill | 70 | 1 | 68 | 1 | |||
| 857 | Cape Canary | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 865 | White-throated Canary | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 867 | Streaky-headed Canary | 5 | 4 | 1 | ||||
| 871 | Lark-like Bunting | 100 | 73 | 27 | ||||
| 873 | Cape Bunting | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 1105 | Olive Thrush | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1172 | Cape White-eye | 45 | 9 | 4 | 25 | 7 | ||
| 4139 | Karoo Prinia | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | |||
| 4142 | Southern Grey-headed Sparrow | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| TOTALS | 1049 | 410 | 197 | 295 | 131 | 16 | 43 | |
| SPECIES | 66 | 31 | 26 | 39 | 20 | 9 | 13 |
Photo – Male Red-billed Quelea
