Seabird breeding populantions decrease along the arid coastline of South Africa's Northern Cape province

Numbers of eight seabird species that have bred in coastal areas of South Africa's arid Northern Cape province have all shown substantial decreases since initial estimates of their abundance were made in the latter part of the twentieth century. Likely drivers of these decreases include reduced...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ostrich 2018-10, Vol.89 (4), p.299-305
Main Authors: Crawford, Robert JM, Dyer, Bruce M, Geldenhuys, Louise, Oosthuizen, W Herman, Makhado, Azwianewi B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic birds
Arid regions
Breeding
Breeding sites
Coastal ecology
Coastal zone
conservation
Conservation status
cormorants
Estuaries
Food availability
Food security
gulls
habitat degradation
Habitat loss
Habitats
population decreases
Rivers
Species
terns
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Summary:Numbers of eight seabird species that have bred in coastal areas of South Africa's arid Northern Cape province have all shown substantial decreases since initial estimates of their abundance were made in the latter part of the twentieth century. Likely drivers of these decreases include reduced availability of food and the loss of suitable breeding habitat, including in the Orange River Estuary and at coastal pans and islands, which has resulted from a variety of human alterations, uses and disturbances. The decreases have contributed to a worsening conservation status of several of the seabirds, some of which are endemic to southern Africa. The more adaptable species appear to have partially offset habitat loss by moving to alternative breeding sites. However, substitute habitat is limited and the more numerous species suffered relatively large decreases. In order to conserve remnant populations it will be necessary to prevent further loss of breeding habitat, restore some former habitats and provide suitable, alternative habitat.
ISSN:0030-6525
1727-947X
DOI:10.2989/00306525.2018.1480068