Thor's Cape Parrot Site

REPORT ON THE CAPE PARROT BIG BIRDING DAY 2000.

Colleen T. Downs

School of Botany & Zoology, University of Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa. Email: downs@nu.ac.za

The Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus is South Africa’s only endemic parrot and it is regarded as endangered as there are likely less than 500 in the wild. Several factors have caused the rapid decline of the species. These include forest degradation, food and nest-site shortages, little recruitment, removal of birds from the wild for the caged bird trade, and disease (the beak and feather virus). Although restricted to afromontane forest patches in the Eastern Cape (from Fort Beaufort) north to southern KwaZulu-Natal (Karkloof), the birds are highly mobile moving between yellowwood forest patches, visiting orchards and occasionally forest near the coast (Mboyti to Port St. Johns). Flock size varies: singletons, pairs or groups of 5-6 birds are usually observed. However, at localised food sites flock size may increase to 20-70 birds caused by aggregation and giving a false impression of abundance.

Accurate estimates of population size are difficult as standard bird census techniques are inappropriate because the birds are not predictable in their occurrence at particular forests. Consequently, a Cape Parrot Big Birding day was initiated 4 years ago and is held annually. This requires the involvement of volunteer observers including birders, landowners, farmers, students and other interested people. The forests, where Cape Parrots have been observed in the past ten years, are monitored from dispersed observation points. In addition, local orchards where birds occasionally visit are monitored. Time of day, numbers of birds seen, and their movements are recorded. When analysed the results are scrutinized to avoid any repeated counting of the same birds. Other bird and mammal species observed are also recorded.

This year it was decided to split the observations over the afternoon of one day and the morning of the following to facilitate maximum involvement of volunteer observers.

Compared with the dismal weather of 1999, most areas experienced excellent weather this year except for an afternoon thunder storm in the Stutterheim area.

The Cape Parrot population numbers observed during the 1998 and 2000 censusses are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Numbers of Cape Parrots counted on the Cape Parrot Big Birding Day 1998-2000.

Year	Total in the AM	Total in the PM
1998 1999 2000	348 282 395*	179 237 396*

*provisional as there are a few outstanding data sheets, however it is expected that numbers will not increase by more than 40.

Implications

The 1998-2000 censusses (Table 1) revealed that Cape Parrot population numbers are low compared with the previous estimates made by Skead (1964), who estimated 600 birds in the Eastern Cape, and Boshoff (1989) who estimated as many as 1000 birds. Currently these are optimistic figures.

During the censusses, most sightings of Cape Parrots were made of birds flying to or from forest patches and roosting sites. Information collected prior and subsequent to the 2000 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day (pers. comm.) suggest that there are about 175 Cape Parrots in the Fort Fordyce – Stutterheim area with a large flock of about 70 birds that move into pecan nut orchards. In the Umtata – Port St. Johns area there are about 60 birds. In the Weza-Creighton-Bulwer area there are about 170 birds. In the Boston-Dargle-Balgowan area there are 16-20 birds and in the Karkloof only about 5 remaining. This suggests a total of about 370 Cape Parrots, which is similar to the number counted on the census day.

Cape Parrots form isolated subpopulations in these areas which are the important nuclei for the surviving population. Forest in these areas must be highlighted as focal conservation areas. In particular the Gxalingele Forest in the Creighton-Riverside area, which has many large yellowwoods (Podocarpus spp.), needs special attention as 51 birds were observed roosting there, leaving in the morning early, and splitting into smaller flocks to visit nearby forest patches.

Observations prior and subsequent to the census day suggest that there was a shortage of food in the forests this summer and autumn as the Cape Parrots aggregated to feed on fruit (usually pecan nuts) outside of forest. Furthermore, the parrots were observed visiting sites where they have not been seen for the past 5 years. It is speculated that the unusually high summer rainfall caused the fruit of the Podocarpus spp. to fall, although it usually remains on the trees for extended periods, whereas other preferred fruiting trees of Cape Parrots eg. Celtis africana produced little fruit (pers. obs.).

The Cape Parrot Birding Day is an example of a combined conservation effort incorporating birders, landowners, farmers, students and the general public. In particular, the Creighton-Donnybrook community under the leadership of Malcolm Gemmel is exemplary in its efforts. It had observers at all forest patches in the area in radio contact with one another so that not only numbers of Cape Parrots but also directions of the parrots movements were confirmed.

Future considerations

Little is known about the density, demography, movements and roosting sites of Cape Parrots in the Eastern Cape- KwaZulu-Natal areas, except that their numbers are very low. The information obtained during the censusses makes a valuable contribution to knowledge. It is hoped, that as in previous years, participants will volunteer for the 2001 Cape Parrot Big Birding Day to be held on the afternoon of Saturday 12 May and the morning of Sunday 13 May.

Acknowledgments

Mazda Wildlife are thanked for their vehicle support. All those who have participated in Cape Parrot Days are thanked, especially the local organisers.

Contact Persons for Cape Parrot Big Birding Day 2001

Karkloof: Mark Brown 033-2605661

Nottingham Rd/ Balgowan: Dr. Colleen T. Downs

Dargle/ Boston: Ms. Sandy Laurens 033-9970654

Bulwer area: Mr. Russell Hill 0336-320053

Donnybrook- Creighton: Mr. Malcolm Gemmel 039-8331029/1129

Weza: Graham Acheson 039-6812126

Kokstad: Mr. Pat Lowry (KZNNCS) 039-7273844

Umtata: Mr. Don Kemp 0833100664, Dale Forbes (033-260-5127)

King Williamstown, Alice, Hogsback: Ms. Gertie Griffith 0431-352195, Cheryl & Peter Mather-Pike 043-7403566

Stutterheim: Mr. Cameron McMaster 043-6832796

Wild Coast: Charles Battle 047-5641220

Northern Province: Craig Symes 083 426 8000

References

BOSHOFF, A. 1988. The status and conservation of the nominate race of the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus r. robustus (Gmelin)) in southern Africa. Unpublished report, Eastern Cape Nature and Environmental Conservation, Grahamstown.

SKEAD, C.J. 1964. The overland flights and the feeding habits of the Cape Parrot, Poicephalus robustus (Gmelin) in the eastern Cape Province. Ostrich 35: 202-223.