Work to save bird takes wing
Time is running out for SA’S most threatened endemic bird species
It might be South Africa’s most threatened endemic bird species but conservation measures to save the enigmatic Botha’s lark from extinction have started. The rare species has a “tiny, tiny distribution” and is restricted to the country’s grasslands, according to Hanneline Smit-robinson, who is the head of conservation at Birdlife South Africa.
“It’s likely also [to be] Africa’s most threatened bird species,” she told a national satellite event for the inaugural World Species Congress last week. The webinar was hosted by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute.
The decline of the small species, characterised by its heavily darkstreaked upperparts, has been swift and alarming.
“Time is running out and this has really caught us unawares,” said Smit-robinson, referring to soonto-be-published research, which has revealed there are only an estimated 340 individual birds remaining in the wild.
In 2015, there were 2500 of the birds, compared with about 20000 a decade before.
“We have a 90% decline in population numbers and an incredible decline in reporting rates, which means that the Botha’s lark will be globally listed as critically endangered at the end of this year,” Smitrobinson said.
Among the main threats imperilling the high-altitude grassland and pastureland species is “potentially climate change as the grasslands are getting warmer and warmer”.
The shift from sheep to cattle grazing, which is a “big change in terms of the grazing regime”, is another.
Soy and maize monoculture in grasslands — one of the least protected ecosystems in the country — has fragmented the birds’ habitat over the past 20 years.
Conservation organisations are doing all they can, she said, with a Botha’s lark specialist working group formed in 2021.
It is represented by Birdlife South Africa; the EWT; the universities of Kwazulu-natal, Limpopo, Cape Town and Free State; and Birdlife International.
The working group seeks to find innovative and sustainable solutions for conserving the Botha’s lark and its habitat and is working with affected landowners and communities throughout its range.
“We’re trying to put someone in place to engage with landowners regarding these grazing regimes, looking at sustainable land use practices, and also declaring more protected environments, and that’s being done in collaboration with the EWT,” Smit-robinson said.
“We continue our scientific research and monitoring on the ground, putting up camera traps and acoustic devices and raising awareness — and raising a lot of money to undertake this project.”
An environmental education and awareness project has been initiated in Daggakraal, in Mpumalanga, which lies within the distribution range of the species. The species, regularly seen in Daggakraal until at least two years ago, has now disappeared from the area.
“We believe that, working with the community, we can bring back this bird to this site,” she said. “We are reaching out to more than 2 000 learners, specifically in this Daggakraal area, through our environmental education project.”
As a conservation success story, Smit-robinson cited the recovery of another endemic grassland species, the southern bald ibis, which is classified as vulnerable under the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List criteria but will be downlisted to nearthreatened later this year.
The species, restricted in range to north-eastern South Africa, Lesotho and eswatini, requires safe cliffs for breeding.
In 1941, there were only 2 000 of these birds left in South Africa, mainly because of hunting.
“Through the work of Birdlife South Africa’s predecessor, and also citizen science and other conservation organisations, we’ve been able to raise awareness about the threats to this species and also do artificial breeding sites for this species.”
The population has stabilised and has now increased to 10000 individual birds.
The major historical threats facing this species included hunting, disturbance at breeding colonies and the loss of its grassland foraging habitat.
According to Birdlife South Africa, the recognition of these threats during the last century saw the implementation of a national conservation strategy, which included a ban on hunting. A widespread programme was initiated to closely monitor the ibis populations and minimise disturbances at breeding sites.
Some threats remain and “we will have to keep a watchful eye”.
“We’re also doing a lot of work through protecting that habitat, through important biodiversity areas and biodiversity stewardship work,” added Smit-robinson.