To attend a ringing event, see Calendar.
Note: Number ringed to date (SAFRING) refers to the total number of ringing records for the species in southern Africa, from 1948 to now. If the value is less than 75, then on average of less than 1 individual has been ringed per year.
List – of all “special moments” blogs, or scroll in iframe below.
Indian Peafowl, 9/06/2023, Vondeling
The attendees worked hard to catch this peafowl! We put large mesh nets near the grove of oak trees where a large number of peafowl roost each night. These birds are completely feral, feeding in the nearby vineyards during the day and breeding in the area. They have been here many years, according to the owners, and are not fed.
In the morning the birds flew out from the roost trees, most flying well over the nest. One bird managed to duck under a net, even though it reached the ground. We then decided to try at night, when the peafowl walk slowly up to the trees. A group walked right up to the nets and then around them. We ran towards them and two birds flew into the nets in an attempt to flee to the vineyard. One got out of the nets, I grabbed the other. And so the first wild caught peafowl was ringed with a SAFRING ring (several rehabilitated birds have been ringed too).
Fact sheet:
Number ringed to date (SAFRING): 8
Longevity: n/a
Bronze Mannikin, 31/05/2023, Rondebosch
The Bronze Mannikin does not naturally occur in the Western Cape. Several years ago, someone released a group in Rondebosch, Cape Town, and these birds established a feral population. They were soon established in Kirstenbosch and now extend throughout the southern suburbs of Cape Town. None have been ringed in Cape Town (although many thousands in its natural range) until I decided to start targeting them., They regularly visit bird feeders in gardens, so can be caught without too much difficulty.
Bronze Mannikins have an extended moult season, sometimes showing irregular moult. However, nothing is known about the feral population in Cape Town, hence the start of a ringing project on this population.
Ten were caught and ringed with a SAFRING ring on the first session in Les Underhill’s garden. More have been caught in other gardens since.
Fact sheet:
Number ringed to date (SAFRING): 22557
Longevity: 3y 8m 10d
Spike-heeled Lark, 7/02/2023, Vanrhynsdorp
Spike-heeled Lark
Larks often live in open areas, meaning that mist nets are fairly visible and easily avoided. However, placing nets along fence lines may help increase the catch slightly, as birds fly to perch on the fence.
Ringing in the open karoo with many nets, we caught two on this particular day. Ground living birds often have relatively long claws – these two birds had claws of 12.3 and 12.4 mm (suspected female and male, respectively).
Fact sheet:
Number ringed to date (SAFRING): 323
Longevity: 5y 6m 14d
Stories from previous years coming soon:
30/10/2022 359 Barn Owl
04/09/2022 278 Double-banded Courser
01/12/2021 485 Grey-backed Sparrow-lark
01/12/2021 619 Rufous-eared Warbler
02/11/2021 362 Wood Owl
25/01/2020 404 European Bee-eater
24/01/2020 653 Namaqua Warbler
18/10/2019 647 Croaking Cisticola
17/08/2019 53 Greater Frigatebird
15/08/2019 295 Sooty Tern
31/07/2019 436 Red-fronted Tinker Barbet
27/02/2019 463 Large-billed Lark
08/08/2018 656 Bluegrey Flycatcher [Ashy]
08/08/2018 447 Golden-tailed Woodpecker