SAVING THE BLACK HARRIER The Kromme Enviro-Trust is on a mission to save these endangered birds. Written by Maggie Langlands.
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he Black Harrier, or Witkruisvleivalk, is found mainly in the Western Cape and in the Kouga region. We are fortunate indeed to have Black Harrier in our area. But unfortunately, it is the most endangered of the raptor species: there are estimated to be only 1300 remaining individuals globally. Compare this to a rhino population of around five and a half thousand, and you immediately realise this bird’s danger. It is the world’s most range-restricted raptor, endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia.
The biggest threat to the harrier is habitat loss due to agriculture, urbanisation, and invasion of its habitat by alien 12
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Dwindling population. The experts estimate a reduction of 2.3% in Black Harrier population numbers every year. In the Overberg, for example, only about 60 pairs remain from a population estimated at 1500 pairs in the 1800s. If nothing is done, this species will go extinct in 75 years. Posioning through rodenticides These birds rely on pristine, unfragmented patches of vegetation of the Cape Floral Kingdom, so conservation of this vegetation type is critical. The biggest threat to the harrier is habitat loss due to agriculture, urbanisation, and invasion of its habitat by alien vegetation. Other threats are wind turbine collisions and poisoning through rodenticides. The
