Priorities for bird conservation in Lesotho, southern Africa

Biological Conservation 1992, 61, 159-169

Priorities for bird conservation in Lesotho, southern Africa

P. E. Osborne & B. J. Tigar c/o Nature Conservation Bureau Ltd, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire, UK, RGI4 5SJ

(Received 25 October 1990; revised version received 26 July 199 l; accepted 6 September 199 l)

Recent fieldwork and a literature review suggest that Lesotho has 285 confirmed and extant bird species. A further 15 species known before 1940 probably no longer occur. Population changes this century are suspected for 68 species--36 have declined and 32 have increased. One hundred and eighty-two species have populations below 1000 birds or are of international importance. Of these, 82 species probably breed in Lesotho and 12 more are visitors of conservation importance in southern Africa. It is suggested that these 94 species should be the basis for the country's bird conservation policies. Changes to wildlife legislation, improved conservation education and encouragement of amateur birdwatchers are suggested as initial conservation measures. Beyond this, much research and monitoring will be needed to save Lesotho's wildlife.

INTRODUCTION

Lesotho is a small, independent mountainous country in southern Africa, entirely surrounded by South Africa. It is classed by the United Nations as one of the world's poorest countries and is recognised as having acute nature conservation problems (Stephenson, 1988). The lack of resources has meant that very little work has been carried out on establishing which animals occur in the country and on setting priorities for conservation. Although ornithology is an advanced science in South Africa with excellent texts on southern African birds (e.g. Maclean, 1985), little has been written on Lesotho's birds. The first checklist for the country did not appear until the 1960s (Jacot-Guillarmod, 1963) and is now outdated. Fhe valuable revisions by Bonde (1981, 1984) :eceived little enthusiasm from publishers and are only to be found in a few libraries. The assessments of bird conservation needs in southern ~,frica by Siegfried et al. (1976) and Brooke (1984) attempted to include Lesotho but were hampered by lack of information. Furthermore, because of their broad coverage, such regional assessments

Biological Conservation 0006-3207/92/$05.00 © 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England. Printed in Great Britain

159

may obscure national conservation priorities. We believe that however small a country may be, it has responsibilities at the national level as well as regionally and internationally. The same view is well-exemplified by Great Britain where much bird conservation concentrates on species which are rare nationally but more common within the rest of Europe. To date, there has been no review of bird conservation needs in Lesotho.

The aims of this paper are to indicate the present state of knowledge on Lesotho's birds and to make a first attempt at establishing bird conservation priorities. The data are drawn from field surveys conducted since 1986 and from a review of the literature. These have enabled Lesotho's birds to be grouped into three lists: 285 species whose occurrence during the last 50 years is confirmed; 15 species known over 50 years ago but not recorded since; and 78 species which have been suggested as occurring but for which good evidence is lacking. The 300 species of known occurrence form the main subject of this paper. However, it is likely that some of the 78 doubtful species do actually occur in the country although most of these would be very rare vagrants and are of little relevance to conservation. The exceptions are three species which may be breeding residents and, if so, are very rare in Lesotho, namely the

160 P. E. Osborne, B. J. Tigar

spikeheeled lark Chersomanes albofasciata, black- eyed bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus and shorttailed pipit Anthus brachyurus. The last species is re- garded as rare in southern Africa (Brooke, 1984). Also among the doubtful species and classed as rare or indeterminate in the South African Red Data Book (Brooke, 1984) are the dwarf bittern Ixobrychus sturmii, woollynecked stork Ciconia episcopus, baillon's crake Porzana pusilla and whitewinged flufftail Sarothrura ayresi. Owing to their scarcity or possible breeding status, all seven species should be searched for in Lesotho and, if found, appropriate conservation measures taken. These species are not considered further in this paper.

STUDY AREA

Lesotho lies between 28 ° and 31 ° South, and 27 ° and 30 ° East, covering about 30344 km 2 within the Drakensberg Mountains biogeographic province (IUCN, 1978). Altitude ranges from 1388 m in the west to 3482 m at Thabana-Ntlenyana near Lesotho's eastern border with Natal, South Africa. About one-quarter of the country lies below 1600 m (the 'lowlands') and is mostly cultivated with maize and sorghum. The remaining land, par- ticularly above 2000 m, comprises grasslands and dwarf scrub or macchia of the Afro-alpine region (Killick, 1978a) and is mostly grazed by sheep and goats with some cattle and horses. The climate is temperate and seasonal with altitude playing a large role in determining local conditions. In the lowlands, mean daily temperatures are 24°C in January and 8°C in June and July, but with a possible daily variation of some 15°C (Ambrose, 1983a). At the highest weather station (above 3000 m), the most extreme temperatures recorded were 31°C in January 1972 and -20°C in June 1967 (Killick, 1978b) but even daily mean temperatures may be below freezing in June and July (Ambrose, 1983a). Lesotho lies in the summer rainfall region, receiving over three-quarters of its annual rain from October to March. Mean annual rainfall is from around 700-800 mm in the lowlands to over 1300 mm on higher ground (Killick, 1978b, Ambrose, 1983a).

METHODS

The species lists and estimates of abundance were compiled from fieldwork and a review of the

literature (Osborne & Tigar, 1990). Distributional data were collected by the authors and volunteers from 1 July 1986 to 31 January 1989 using a quarter-degree grid (about 24 km x 27-5 km) of 62 squares, as employed for the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (Harrison, 1987). A species list was compiled per square per month by each ob- server working independently. Where practicable, observers attempted to maximise their species lists by visiting as many habitats as possible within a square. Owing to the skewed distribution of observers and the inaccessibility of some upland areas, seven squares received no visits at all. For the remaining 55 squares, 504 species lists were collected (an average of 9.2 per square), naming 222 species of certain identity. The total number of records collected in quarter-degree squares was 10528, an average of 20.9 species per list.

Overall bird distributions were predicted from these data using logistic modelling (Osborne & Tigar, 1992). This technique calculated a prob- ability of occurrence for each species in each grid square and allowed objective distribution maps to be compiled despite uneven survey coverage.

The survey data were used to make first estimates of the population size for each species in the following way. A limited number of line transects was carried out to produce approximate density estimates for some species (results in Osborne & Tigar, 1990). These were used to fix points along a scale of abundance for all species by multiplying the density by the area of the country occupied. The latter was calculated from both the total squares where the species was recorded and from the predicted distribution derived from logistic modelling. Once these points had been fixed for species encountered on transects, estimates were made for other species by reference to these values. There were two sources to help make this process more objective. First, immediately following an intensive period of fieldwork in January 1989, all species were ranked in abundance classes based on our experience in the field. Secondly, for groups of species occupying similar habitats and of similar conspicuousness, the number of survey records was used as a measure of relative abundance.

This procedure could not be applied to many waterbirds nor to raptors since they were not cen- sused on the transects, except along rivers. Water- birds and waders were therefore estimated from direct counts at water-bodies and extrapolated to cover all suitable areas. This is simpler in Lesotho than it might be elsewhere because there are so

Bird conservation in Lesotho 161

few bodies of standing water. For raptors, published estimates of densities elsewhere in Africa were used to fix reference points.

Population estimates were assigned to logarith- mic classes which in most cases encompassed the likely degree of error around the estimate. The classes used were: 1-10; 10-100; 100-1000; 1000- 10000; 10000-100000; 100000-1000000; and 1000000-10000000. In all cases the estimates are numbers of birds and not pairs.

For species not encountered during the field surveys but for which there is good evidence of their occurrence in Lesotho, estimates of abundance were taken from comments in the literature. By definition, the majority of these species occurred in very low numbers and were vagrants. Changes in status were also judged by comparison with statements in the literature and the biases inherent in doing this should be borne in mind. The original references and accounts for individual species are given in Osborne and Tigar (1990).

An overall analysis of species abundance and conservation priorities is made here by drawing together information for individual species in tabular form. The English names of birds are those of Maclean (1985) and scientific names :~ollow Maclean (1985) and Clancey et al. (1987). Where scientific names are not given in the text, they are listed in Appendices I, 2 and 3.

RESULTS

Lesotho has 285 confirmed and extant bird species as listed in Appendices 1 and 2. For all these birds, there is good evidence for their occurrence within the last 50 years. A further 15 species were known in Lesotho prior to 1940 but have not been recorded since (Appendix 3). Including these species, changes in status during this century are suspected for 68 species based on statements in r.he literature (extant species in Table 1, others in A, ppendix 3). This does not imply that the popu- !ations of the other species have remained un- changed, but rather that there is insufficient information. Among the 68 suspected changes, 21 species have probably declined, 15 no longer occur, while 32 species have increased this century.

The estimated population size-classes of the 285 extant bird species are summarised in Table 2. These were assigned from limited quantitative data (e.g. line transects, direct counts) and more subjective

Table 1. Changes in status of birds in Lesotho during the last 50 years and previously this century

Species 1900-1940 1940 onwards

Reed cormorant + Cattle egret + + Yellowbilled stork _9 Bald ibis _9 Hadeda ibis + African spoonbill + Whitefaced duck + Yellowbilled duck Redbilled teal _ _9 Bearded vulture _9 _9 Cape vulture -- -- Black eagle Redbreasted sparrowhawk + African marsh harrier Peregrine falcon _9 Swainson's francolin + Harlequin quail _9 Kurr ichane buttonquail Blue korhaan + ? Black korhaan + + ? Blacksmith plover + + ? Wood sandpiper Curlew sandpiper + ? Ruff Namaqua sandgrouse - - Redeyed dove + + Namaqua dove _9 Redchested cuckoo + ? Jacobin cuckoo + ? + ? Barn owl Grass owl Marsh owl Spotted eagle owl _9 Little swift + ? Speckled mousebird + ? + Redfaced mousebird + + ? Pied barbet + + ? Rufousnaped lark + Thickbilled lark + Whitethroated swallow + ? Greater striped swallow + + Redeyed bulbul + + Olive thrush + ? Cape reed warbler + ? Paradise flycatcher + Pied starling + ? Redwinged starling + House sparrow + Longtailed widow _9 Orangebreasted waxbill 9 Blackthroated canary + Cape canary + Yellow canary +

? indicates that change is suspected but uncertain; + an increase and - a decrease in numbers.

judgements, and are the best that can be achieved from present knowledge. The table includes visitors as well as residents, which in part explains the high number of poorly represented species.

Of primary concern to national conservation

162 P. E. Osborne,

Table 2. Abundance classes assigned to the 285 confirmed and extant bird species recorded in Lesotho since 1940

Category No. of birds No. of species

Very rare 1-10 90 Rare 10-100 51 Scarce 100-1000 35 Uncommon 1000-10 000 48 Common 10 000-100 000 40 Very common 100 000-1 000 000 19 Abundant 1 000 000-10 000 000 2

Table 3. Numbers of species according to abundance class and status in Lesotho

Abundance Resident Non-resident category

Breeding Breeding Non-breeding

Very rare 12 (5) 5 (2) 73 Rare 27 (7) 2 (0) 22 Scarce 25 (18) 5 (5) 5 Special 5 (5) 1 (1) 0

Totals 69 (35) 13 (8) 100

Numbers in brackets are for confirmed breeding (others are confirmed plus suspected).

must be the least c o m m o n species and we have chosen to consider in more detail the 176 species with estimated populations of fewer than 1000 birds (classes scarce, rare and very rare in Table 2). However, this discriminates against species which, a l though not scarce in Lesotho, are of regional or international importance. There are four clear cand ida tes - -ba ld ibis, cape vulture, mounta in pipit and Drakensberg s i sk in- - fo r which Lesotho probably holds over 10% of the world 's populat ions. The same may also be true for two others (rock pipit and orangebreasted rockjumper) , a l though informat ion is lacking. All six species are southern African endemics and are referred to here as the special category.

The 176 species that are scarce or rarer may be grouped according to residence and breeding status (Appendix 1). In many cases, breeding has yet to be confirmed and residence may not be known for

B. J. Tigar

certain, as indicated in the table. Including the six species in the special category, sixty-nine species are probable breeding residents and 13 are breeding visitors (Table 3). A m o n g probable non-breeding visitors, 49 species visit the country regularly and a further 51 species only occasionally. However, only 12 of the 100 species visiting Lesotho are ment ioned by Brooke (1984) in the South African Red Data Book and may be considered of conservation impor tance regionally (Table 4).

D I S C U S S I O N

P r i o r i t y s p e c i e s

Of the 285 confirmed bird species in Lesotho, 103 have populat ions in excess of 1000 individuals and are not thought to be threatened at the national, regional or international level. These species require no special conservat ion action at present although general changes in legislation (see below) and routine moni tor ing would be desirable. Among the remaining 182 species, 82 are probable or confirmed breeders (listed in Appendix 1 plus the six species in the special category). Since actions taken within the country may have an impor tant influence on their popula t ion levels, these must be considered priority species. Of the 100 visitors, priority should be given to the 12 species which are rare immediately outside Lesotho, that is, at the regional level (Table 4). Thus we suggest that Lesotho has 94 species on which its bird conservation policies should be centred.

Very little information is available on the threats to Lesotho birds, except for three internationally endangered species where studies have been under- taken (bald ibis, Manry (1985); bearded vulture, Brown (1989); Cape vulture, Piper et al. (in press)). For species where populat ion declines are suspected this century (Table 1) a number of general factors have been suggested including persecution and disturbance (Cape vulture), loss of lowland grass-

Table 4. Non-breeding visitors to Lesotho listed in the South African Red Data Book (Brooke, 1984)

Abundance South African Red Data Book category category

Endangered Vulnerable Rare Indeterminate To monitor

Very rare Wattled crane Bateleur Little bittern Goliath heron Ludwig's bustard Palmnut vulture Black sparrowhawk

Redwinged pratincole Yellowbilled stork Rare Stanley's bustard Lesser flamingo Black harrier


lands (grass owl, barn owl) and loss of wetlands (African marsh harrier, marsh owl). Persecution may still be significant for some species (e.g. Cape vulture, bearded vulture, black eagle (Ambrose, 1983b; Donnay, 1989)) and habitat change contin- ues apace. For instance, Bonde (1984) remarked on the extent and quality for birds of the reedbed at Koro-Koro near Roma 10 years ago, but today it is much reduced in size although exact figures are not available. Information is similarly lacking on the reasons for bird population gains this century although general causes may be suggested. For example, increases may be related to the cre- ation of dams in the lowlands (reed cormorant, whitefaced duck), agricultural change (cattle egret, Swainson's francolin), the planting of trees and woodlots (redbreasted sparrowhawk, redeyed dove) and the erection of buildings and bridges (house sparrow, greater striped swallow). The lack of specific data is a clear obstacle to the formulation of conservation measures and is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Given the limited amount of information currently available and Lesotho's restricted budget, we suggest three courses of action that could be taken in the short term to help bird conser- va t ion -changes to the wildlife legislation; improved conservation education; and encouragement of amateur bird-watchers.

Legislation

Lesotho's wildlife legislation relating to birds has been criticised as 'antiquated and inadequate' (Siegfried, 1970). There are three pieces of legislation currently in force which are of most relevance. The Wild Birds Proclamation No. 43 of 1914 generally prohibits the sale or export of the plumage or skins of any wild bird. Trade in skins does not appear to be a significant problem in Lesotho although cases involving birds of prey are known (Ambrose, 1983b). The Game Preservation Proclamation No. 33 of 1951 specifies which species may be hunted under licence outside a closed sea- son. Thirdly, the Proclamation of Monuments, Relics, Fauna and Flora Legal Notice No. 36 of 1969 sets out a list of protected bird species (re- produced in Ambrose, 1983b). The main difficulty with the last two proclamations is that the species concerned do not relate well to conservation needs. For example, the bald ibis (world population 5000- 8000 birds (Collar & Stuart, 1985)) is classed as a game species and theoretically may be hunted, the

blackheaded heron is fully protected under the 1969 legislation but is not in any way threatened, yet many species of national importance have no legal protection whatever.

The need for change was recognised by McVean (1977), and Passineau (1978) proposed a new Act ('Lesotho National Parks and Conservation Act') to include wildlife legislation, although this has not come to fruition. While it would be improper to suggest how the country should frame its legislation without full consultations, the 83 breeding species and 12 rare visitors listed here (with the exception of the Egyptian goose and spurwinged goose, which can be agricultural pests (Siegfried, 1970)) are clear candidates for full legal protection. That is, the birds, their nests and eggs should be protected at all times against wilful disturbance or destruction. This change could probably be achieved relatively easily because under the His- torical Monuments, Relics, Fauna and Flora Act No. 41 of 1967 the Minister responsible for the protection of wildlife is empowered to designate protected species. It is arguable whether many species could sustain hunting without immigration from surrounding South Africa, so Passineau's (1978) schedule of game animals and those listed under the 1951 Game Preservation Act need some modification. Probably the Egyptian goose, spurwinged goose, yellowbilled duck, African black duck, greywinged francolin, common quail, helmeted guineafowl, redknobbed coot, rock pigeon, redeyed dove, cape turtle dove and laughing dove could be considered game if strict control of licences were practised. One important and over- due change suggested by Passineau (1978) is that all bird species not specified in other schedules should be protected under a schedule of their own. At present in Lesotho, any species not specifically mentioned is simply not protected.

By stressing the need for changes to the legislation we are not suggesting that these alone will protect the rarer birds. Indeed, Lesotho's difficult terrain is very hard to police and wildlife law enforcement is neither cheap nor easy. However, updating the legislation is an important step in recognising conservation priorities and would bring Lesotho more into line with current thinking elsewhere in southern Africa.

Improved conservation education

In reviewing the state of nature conservation in Lesotho, Stephenson (1988) remarked that 'there


is a near total lack of awareness amongst the people of the need for conservation of their wildlife heritage'. Why this should be so is uncertain but one factor may be that the country lacks the larger, showy mammals usually associated with game parks in Africa, thus creating the feeling that there is nothing worthwhile to conserve. There are many cases where improved conservation education could produce benefits for rare birds, for example, in reducing persecution of cape vultures (Donnay, 1989) and owls (Thelejane, 1963-64). However, the teaching of conservation is made difficult by language in that the local Sesotho (southern Sotho) names for birds are often group names. For example, the name 'motintinyane' is used for at least six of the seven cisticolas and two prinias and it is not possible to identify a particu- lar species. A good solution would seem to be the adaptation and extension of Sesotho bird names so that each species could be individually recognised. The Sesotho Language Academy would seem well placed to help here (D. Ambrose, pers. comm.). For rarer birds not named in Sesotho, names often exist in the very closely related languages Setswana or Silozi and could be adopted (D. Ambrose, pers. comm.). For others, the addition of a descriptive word to the existing name would often suffice.

Encouragement of amateurs

While a comprehensive programme of bird population monitoring would be desirable in Lesotho, it is unlikely that funds could be made available f o r this. However , if well coordinated, valuable data could be gathered by amateur birdwatchers and university expeditions from overseas. The suc- cess of the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (Harrison, 1987) has shown the potential for volunteer involvement even in difficult terrain like Lesotho. Recent road-building schemes associated with the Highlands Water Project (Lahmeyer MacDonald Consort ium & Olivier Shand Consor- tium, 1986) have now created easier access to some of the formerly remote and unsurveyed central highland areas. With some guidance towards key subjects such as searching for possible breeding rarities (spikeheeled lark, shorttailed pipit, little bittern), repeat counts at cape vulture and bald ibis colonies (Piper et al., in press; Manry, 1985), or transect counts across the uplands for Drakens- berg siskins and mountain pipits, good baseline data could be gathered at low cost. Lesotho's Pro-

tection and Preservation Commission would seem an obvious coordinating body.

Beyond these initial suggestions for action, Lesotho needs to establish a comprehensive research and monitoring programme for all its wildlife. This will undoubtedly be very expensive and will require help from outside the country. It is clear that much remains unknown about Lesotho's birds, including accurate information on population sizes and breeding status, to revise the first estimates given here. As Stephenson (1988) has stressed, the country faces severe nature conservation problems and an enormous task lies ahead if it is to preserve its wildlife heritage.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The data analysed in this paper were collected with the help of many volunteers in Lesotho. Su Fairman and Jim Cambridge coordinated fieldwork in our absence, the Southern African Bird Atlas Project provided materials and the Lesotho Protection and Preservation Commission gave per- mission for our work. We thank Prof. Les Underhill, James Harrison, Prof. David Ambrose, Dr Bruce Hargreaves and Prof. Robin Meakins for their help. Dr Eric Duffey and an anonymous referee made valuable suggestions on an earlier draft of this paper. Financial support was provided by Dr E. Barrow, the British Ecological Society, the British Ornithologists' Union and the Royal Society, and we thank them for their generosity.

REFERENCES

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Ambrose, D. P. (1983b). Lesotho's Heritage in Jeopardy. Pro- tection and Preservation Commission, Maseru.

Bonde, K. (1981). An Annotated Check-list to the Birds of Lesotho, preliminary first edition. Privately published, Maseru.

Bonde, K. (1984). An Annotated Checklist to the Birds of Lesotho, final first edition, Privately published, Herning.

Brooke, R. K. (1984). Southern African Red Data Book-- Birds. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria.

Brown, C. J. (1989). A study of the bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus in southern Africa (extended abstract). Vulture News, 21, 4-11.

Clancey, P. A., Brooke, R. K., Crowe, T. M. & Mendelsohn, J. M. (1978). SAOS Checklist of Southern African Birds. First Updating Report. SAOS, Johannesburg.

Collar, N. J. & Stuart, S. N. (1985). Threatened Birds of Africa and Related Islands: The ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. ICBP and IUCN, Cambridge.


Donnay, T. J. (1989). Semonkong cape vulture colony takes a plunge. Bokmakierie, 41, 19-22.

Harrison, J. A. (1987). The southern African bird atlas project. S. Afr. J. Sci., 83, 400-I.

[UCN (1978). Categories, Objectives and Criteria for Pro- tected Areas. IUCN, Morges.

Jacot-Guillarrnod, C. (1963). Catalogue of the birds of Basutoland. South African Avifauna Series, No. 8. Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Cape Town.

Killick, D. J. B. (1978a). The Afro-alpine region. In Biogeog- raphy and Ecology of Southern Africa, ed. M. J. A. Werger. Junk, The Hague, pp. 515-60.

Killick, D. J. B. (1978b). Further data on the climate of the alpine vegetation belt of eastern Lesotho. Bothalia, 12, 567-72.

Lahmeyer MacDonald Consortium & Olivier Shand Consor- tium (1986). Lesotho Highlands Water Project Feasibility Study. Ministry of Water, Energy and Mining, Maseru.

Maclean, G. L. (1985). Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.

Manry, D. E. (1985). Distribution, abundance and conservation of the bald ibis Geronticus calvus in southern Africa. Biol. Conserv., 33, 351-62.

McVean, D. N. (1977). Nature Conservation in Lesotho: Report on Current Progress and Forward Planning. IUCN, Morges.

Osborne, P. E. & Tigar, B. J. (1990). The status and distribution of birds in Lesotho. Alexander Library, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford (unpublished report).

Osborne, P. E. & Tigar, B. J. (1992). Interpreting bird atlas data using logistic models: an example from Lesotho, southern Africa. J. Appl. Ecol., 29, 55~2.

Passineau, J. F. (1978). Legislation for nature conservation in Lesotho. Lesotho National Parks Administration Report, No. 1.

Piper, S. E., Mundy, P. J. & Vernon, C. J. (in press). Status of the cape vulture Gyps coprotheres in 1985. Vulture Study Group, Johannesburg, Research Report, No. 1.

Siegfried, W. R. (1970). Wildfowl distribution, conservation and research in southern Africa. Wildfowl, 21, 89-98.

Siegfried, W. R., Frost, P. G. H., Cooper, J. & Kemp, A. C. (1976). Rare and vulnerable birds in South Africa. Biol. Conserv., 10, 83-93.

Stephenson, J. G. (1988). Kingdom of Lesotho Environmental Action Plan. Final Report on the Conservation of the Fauna and Flora and Historical Relics and Monuments Components (Provisional Draft). World Bank, Maseru.

Thelejane, T. S. (1963-64). Some observations on the activities of Brant's or the Basuto gerbille, Tatera brantsi brantsi (A. Smith)--Sotho: Letsoete--in the Roma valley, Basutoland. Lesotho: Basutoland Notes & Records, 4, 24-6.

A P P E N D I X 1

Checklist of the 176 confirmed species recorded in Lesotho since 1940 whose populations number fewer than 1000 birds

Species Present status

Breeding Non-breeding

Resident Non-resident

Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus Dabchick Tachybaptus rufieollis Whitebreasted cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Reed cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus Darter Anhinga melanogaster Grey heron Ardea cinerea Goliath heron Ardea goliath Purple heron Ardea purpurea Great white egret Egretta alba Little egret Egretta garzetta Yellowbilled egret Egretta intermedia Squacco heron Ardeola ralloides Blackcrowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax Little bittern Lvobrychus minutus Black stork Ciconia nigra Abdim's stork Ciconia abdimii Yellowbilled stork Mycteria ibis Sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Glossy ibis Plegadisfalcinellus African spoonbill Platalea alba Lesser flamingo Phoenicopterus minor Whitefaced duck Dendrocygna viduata Fulvous duck Dendrocygna bicolor Whitebacked duck Thalassornis leuconotus Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiacus South African shelduck Tadorna cana Cape teal Anas capensis Hottentot teal Anas hottentota Redbilled teal Anas erythrorhyncha Cape shoveller Anas smithii

S S S R S

R*+ R+ R+

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(continued)


APPENDIX l--contd.


Breeding


Non-breeding

Southern pochard Netta erythrophthalma Knobbilled goose Sarkidiornis melanotos Spurwinged goose Plectropterus gambensis Maccoa duck Oxyura maccoa Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus Black kite Milvus migrans Blackshouldered kite Elanus caeruleus Black eagle Aquila verreauxii Tawny eagle Aquila rapax Blackbreasted snake eagle Circaetus gallicus Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus Palmnut vulture Gypohierax angolensis Redbreasted sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris Little sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus Black sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus Little banded goshawk Accipiter badius African goshawk Accipiter tachiro Gabar goshawk Micronisus gabar Pale chanting goshawk Melierax canorus African marsh harrier Circus ranivorus Pallid harrier Circus macrourus Black harrier Circus maurus Gymnogene Polyboroides typus Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus Lanner falcon Falco biarmicus Hobby falcon Falco subbuteo Eastern redfooted kestrel Falco amurensis Greater kestrel Falco rupicoloides Swainson's francolin Francolinus swainsonii Harlequin quail Coturnix delegorguei Kurrichane buttonquail Turnix sylvatica Wattled crane Grus carunculata Blue crane Anthropoides paradisea Crowned crane Balearica regulorum Corncrake Crex crex Purple gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Stanley's bustard Neotis denhami Ludwig's bustard Neotis ludwigii Blue korhaan Eupodotis caerulescens Black korhaan Eupodotis afra Painted snipe Rostratula benghalensis Ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula Kittlitz's plover Charadrius pecuarius Crowned plover Vanellus coronatus Turnstone Arenaria interpres Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis Greenshank Tringa nebularia Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Little stint Calidris minuta Ruff Philomachus pugnax Ethiopian snipe Gallinago nigripennis Curlew Numenius arquata Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Blackwinged stilt Himantopus himantopus Spotted dikkop Burhinus capensis Redwinged pratincole Glareola pratincola Greyheaded gull Larus cirrocephalus

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Bird conservation in Lesotho

APPENDIX 1--contd.

167


Breeding


Non-breeding

Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus Whitewinged tern Chlidonias leucopterus Namaqua sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua Rameron pigeon Columba arquatrix Namaqua dove Oena capensis Burchell's coucal Centropus superciliosus Barn owl Tyto alba Grass owl Tyto capensis Marsh owl Asio capensis Scops owl Otus senegalensis Cape eagle owl Bubo capensis Spotted eagle owl Bubo africanus European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Freckled nightjar Caprimulgus tristigma Mozambique nightjar Caprimulgusfossii European swift Apus apus Whiterumped swift Apus caffer Whitebacked mousebird Colius colius Redfaced mousebird Urocolius indicus Pied kingfisher Ceryle rudis Malachite kingfisher Alcedo cristata European bee-eater Merops apiaster European roller Coracias garrulus Lilacbreasted roller Coracias caudata Hoopoe Upupa epops Blackcollared barbet Lybius torquatus Pied barbet Tricholaema leucomelas Greater honeyguide Indicator indicator Lesser honeyguide Indicator minor Sharpbilled honeyguide Prodotiscus regulus Cardinal woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens Redthroated wryneck Jynx ruficollis Pinkbilled lark Spizocorys conirostris Chestnutbacked finchlark Eremopterix leucotis Greybacked finchlark Eremopterix verticalis Pearlbreasted swallow Hirundo dimidiata Redbreasted swallow Hirundo semirufa South African cliff swallow Hirundo spilodera Sand martin Riparia riparia Forktailed drongo Dicrurus adsimilis European golden oriole Oriolus oriolus Blackheaded oriole Oriolus larvatus Capped wheatear Oenanthe pileata Buffstreaked chat Oenanthe bifasciata Karoo chat Cercomela schlegelii Mocking chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris Anteating chat Myrmecocichlaformicivora Karoo robin Erythropygia coryphaeus Titbabbler Parisoma subcaeruleum Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Cape reed warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris African sedge warbler Bradypterus baboecala Longbilled crombec Sylvietta rufescens Yellowbellied eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis Grassbird Sphenoeacus afer Tawnyflanked prinia Prinia subflava Blackchested prinia Priniaflavicans Rufouseared warbler Malcorus pectoralis Spotted flycatcher Muscicapa striata Dusky flycatcher Muscicapa adusta

VR*+ S VR*+ R+ VR* R*+

VR+ S+

S+ R+ S

S

S

VR R+ R*+

S*+

R*+ R+

S

VR

VR*

R+

VR VR VR

VR

VR VR VR S

VR

VR VR VR

VR

VR

VR R+ VR

VR VR VR VR VR VR VR VR

VR R

VR

VR

VR R VR S VR

(continued)


APPENDIX 1--contd.


Breeding


Non-breeding

Fiscal flycatcher Sigelus silens Cape batis Batis capensis Chinspot batis Batis molitor Pririt batis Batis pririt Paradise flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis African pied wagtail Motacilla aguimp Plainbacked pipit Anthus leucophrys Buffy pipit Anthus vaalensis Yellowbreasted pipit Hemimacronyx chloris Lesser grey shrike Lanius minor Redbacked shrike Lanius collurio European starling Sturnus vulgaris Wattled starling Creatophora cinerea Plumcoloured starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Glossy starling Lamprotornis nitens Whitebrowed sparrowweaver Plocepasser mahali Spottedbacked weaver Ploceus cucullatus Redbilled quelea Quelea quelea Redbilled firefinch Lagonosticta senegala Swee waxbill Estrilda melanotis Orangebreasted waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus Steelblue widowfinch Vidua chalybeata Yelloweye canary Serinus mozambicus Bully canary Serinus sulphuratus Whitethroated canary Serinus albogularis Larklike bunting Emberiza impetuani

R

VR* VR*+ R*+

S+ R* R+

VR*+ R*+ R*+

R*+

VR*

VR+

VR

VR VR

VR R VR VR VR

R

VR VR R

Species are classified as: VR, very rare (1-10 birds); R, rare (10-100 birds); or S, scarce (100-1000 birds) according to their present residence and breeding status. *, residence status is not known for certain; +, breeding has not been confirmed but is suspected.

APPENDIX 2

Checklist of the 109 confirmed species recorded in Lesotho since 1940 that are neither nationally very rare, rare or scarce

Blackheaded heron Ardea melanocephala Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis Hamerkop Scopus umbretta White stork Ciconia ciconia Bald ibis Geronticus calvus* Hadeda ibis Bostrychia hagedash Yellowbilled duck Anas undulata African black duck Anas sparsa Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres* Steppe buzzard Buteo buteo Jackal buzzard Buteo rufofuscus Rock kestrel Falco tinnunculus Lesser kestrel Falco naumanni Greywing francolin Francolinus africanus Common quail Coturnix coturnix Helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris Redknobbed coot Fulica cristata Threebanded plover Charadrius tricollaris Blacksmith plover Vanellus armatus Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Feral pigeon Columba livia Rock pigeon Columba guinea Redeyed dove Streptopelia semitorquata

Cape turtle dove Streptopelia capicola Laughing dove Streptopelia senegalensis Redchested cuckoo Cuculus solitarius Jacobin cuckoo Clamator jacobinus Diederik cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius Black swift Apus barbatus Horus swift Apus horus Little swift Apus affinis Alpine swift Apus melba Speckled mousebird Colius striatus Giant kingfisher Ceryle maxima Ground woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus Rufousnaped lark Mirafra africana Clapper lark Mirafra apiata Longbilled lark Certhilauda curvirostris Redcapped lark Calandrella cinerea Thickbilled lark Galerida magnirostris European swallow Hirundo rustica Whitethroated swallow Hirundo albigularis Greater striped swallow Hirundo cucullata African rock martin Hirundo fuligula House martin Delichon urbica Brownthroated martin Riparia paludicola

Bird conservation in Lesotho

APPENDIX 2--contd.

169

Banded martin Riparia cincta Black crow Corvus capensis Pied crow Corvus albus Whitenecked raven Corvus albicollis Southern grey tit Parus afer Redeyed bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans Olive thrush Turdus olivaceus Cape rock thrush Monticola rupestris Sentinel rock thrush Monticola explorator Mountain chat Oenanthe monticola Familiar chat Cercomelafamiliaris Sicklewinged chat Cercomela sinuata Stonechat Saxicola torquata Cape robin Cossypha caffra Orangebreasted rockjumper Chaetops aurantius* Layard's titbabbler Parisoma layardi African marsh warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus Barratt's warbler Bradypterus barratti Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Fantailed cisticola Cisticola juncidis Desert cisticola Cisticola aridula Cloud cisticota Cisticola textrix Ayres' cisticola Cisticola ayresii Wailing cisticola Cisticola lais Levaillant's cisticola Cisticola tinniens Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla Spotted prinia Prinia maculosa Fairy flycatcher Stenostira scita Cape wagtail Motacilla capensis Grassveld pipit Anthus cinnamomeus Mountain pipit Anthus hoeschi* Longbilled pipit Anthus similis

Rock pipit Anthus crenatus* Orangethroated longclaw Macronyx capensis Fiscal shrike Lanius collaris Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus Pied starling Spreo bicolor Redwinged starling Onychognathus morio Malachite sunbird Nectarinia famosa Cape white-eye Zosterops pallidus House sparrow Passer domesticus Cape sparrow Passer melanurus Greyheaded sparrow Passer griseus Cape weaver Ploceus capensis Masked weaver Ploceus velatus Red bishop Euplectes orix Golden bishop Euplectes afer Yellowrumped widow Euplectes capensis Redcollared widow Euplectes ardens Longtailed widow Euplectes progne Common waxbill Estrilda astrild Quail finch Ortygospiza atricollis Redheaded finch Amadina erythrocephala Pintailed whydah Vidua macroura Blackthroated canary Serinus atrogularis Cape canary Serinus canicollis Drakensberg siskin Serinus symonsi* Blackheaded canary Serinus alario Yellow canary Serinusflaviventris Streakyheaded canary Serinus gularis Goldenbreasted bunting Emberizaflaviventris Cape bunting Emberiza capensis Rock bunting Emberiza tahapisi

Note that this list includes six species of international importance (marked *) referred to in the text as the special category.

A P P E N D I X 3

Species that occurred in Lesotho prior to 1940 but for which more recent records are lacking

Ostrich Struthio camelus Bittern Botaurus stellaris Pygmy goose Nettapus auritus Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus African rail Rallus caerulescens African crake Crex egregia Spotted crake Porzana porzana Lesser gallinule Porphyrula alleni

Lesser moorhen Gallinula angulata Burchell's courser Cursorius rufus Temminck's courser Cursorius temminckii Blackwinged pratincole Glareola nordmanni Great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius Giant eagle owl Bubo lacteus Narina trogon Apaloderma narina

Documents

Priorities for bird conservation in Lesotho, southern Africa