Events and News BirdLife South Africa

BirdLife South Africa is looking to recruit a Birds and Agrochemicals Project Manager

BirdLife South Africa is looking to recruit a qualified, dedicated innovative and dynamic Birds and Agrochemicals Project Manager. The Birds and Agrochemicals Project Manager will assist with a longterm research and conservation project aimed at understanding and mitigating the impact of agricultural pesticides on birds within South Africa’s agricultural landscapes. The candidate will spearhead a strategic review of the literature and policies linked to the governance and usage of agrochemicals in the South African food production industry. The incumbent will also establish and carry out field-based research with support from a Masters student (whom they will co-supervise) to further investigate which bird species are utilising the various agricultural landscapes and quantify this usage in relation to risk of exposure to agrochemicals. The incumbent will be expected to engage and build relevant relationships within the agricultural, governmental and conservation sectors to affect increased awareness about the threats and opportunities facing birds in agricultural landscapes and develop an implementation strategy to mitigate the risk of agrochemical exposure on birds within South Africa.

Send your interesting sightings, rare bird photos or just great pics of birds seen while you are out and about birding. Send in any contributions following the guidelines and deadline dates on page 2.

Birds in Focus

The Saga of the Henpecked Twinspot

At about 11h15 on the 3 April 2023 I heard a Pinkthroated Twinspot calling from behind our lodge on Kube Yini Private Game Reserve. I looked and there was the local male bird hopping down the road and I went to have a look. We found the male busy collecting small Crested Guineafowl feathers, obviously to go and line his nest with ...

...he gave us some lovely views as he continued (unsuccessfully) to pick up even more feathers...

… he was an ambitious fellow and quickly had four downybased feathers in his beak...

.. and kept on dropping one as he tried to pick up more .....

... even when he managed the “quartet” again he still wanted more...

... eventually he was down to two feathers only ....

... but still he carried on trying ...

... three again ...

… Oh, dear, dropped one again ...

... oh well, just have to hope the missus will be satisfied with three ...

.. and finally after 7 minutes of picking up feathers he went up into the trees and darted off with his trophies.

Text and photos

Ian MacDonald