Ornithologists are still beginning to understand the movements of secretary birds.
Dr Doug Harebottle, ornithologist of the Sol Plaatje University (SPU) and chair of the Gariep Bird Club, is dedicated to learning more about the survival and trends of this enigmatic species.
Secretary birds, iconic terrestrial raptors of the savannah, can often be seen across the Northern Cape landscapes of the Kalahari and the Karoo. Their bright red-orange facial skin and protruding head feathers make for a striking combination; one easily recognised by birders and non-birders alike.
Although they are an iconic species, their numbers in South Africa have dwindled over the past few decades. Due mainly to habitat loss, excessive burning regimes, disturbance of breeding sites, powerline collisions and secondary poisoning, their numbers have declined by 74%. It is estimated that only about 5 000 mature birds are still traversing grasslands, preying on snakes and other reptiles. As a result, the species has been classified as endangered.
On 22 January I had the privilege of ringing two juveniles from a nest located on the farm Mowbray about 45 km north-east of Kathu. Secretary birds usually breed during the summer months, using the tops of medium-sized thorn trees for their large oval-shaped nests. They usually lay two eggs, but three-egg clutches have been recorded.
The nest on Mowbray was first noticed by Adré Oliver and his mother, Ansie, on 7 November 2021 while photographing a kori bustard, arguably the largest flying bird native to Africa.
Three eggs were confirmed and photographed on 14 November. This was the first time secretary birds were recorded breeding on the farm.
Follow-up visits were made on 20 November and 5 December, and on 12 December the first sign of life was noticed in the nest. On 24 December two chicks were seen with the female on the nest, and were again photographed on 3 January.
Ansie was then contacted by Laetitia Steynberg of BirdLife Northern Gauteng, involved in BirdLife South Africa’s secretary bird conservation project (SCP). This project aims to trace active secretary bird nests across South Africa with the purpose of fitting tracking devices to pre-fledging juveniles in order to learn more about their survival and dispersal.
Ansie’s photographs on 16 January revealed the chicks were fully feathered and ready to be ringed.
Getting to the juveniles in the nest required a bakkie, a ladder and a little bit of nerve. With the ladder securely anchored in the back of the bakkie, it was leaned against the nesting tree up to the height of the nest. Each chick was then gently removed from the nest and brought down to the vehicles for ringing.
The young birds were extremely docile, aiding the ringing process. Each bird was fitted with a stainless steel ring of the South African Bird Ringing Unit (Safring) bearing a unique number. Additional body and weight measurements were also taken to collect extra information.
To honour the landowners, the youngsters were named “Mowbray” and “Manitoba”, the latter of which is the name of a family farm in the Free State. While no tracking devices were available at the time to fit to these two birds, it is hoped that the metal rings will provide some information about their travels.
Anyone with information about a nest in the Northern Cape can send email to dm.harebottle@gmail.com or gariepbirdclub@gmail.com, or send a WhatsApp message to 082-736-3087. The more nests are monitored and the more juveniles are fitted with tracking devices, the more data can be gathered to protect and conserve one of South Africa’s most iconic grassland species.
- Safring, based at the University of Cape Town (UCT), coordinates all bird-ringing activities and data within Southern Africa.
