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Red-billed Quelea range records in the Western Cape, 2009-2010

More web pages about the quelea:
Identification of the Red-billed Quelea
Influx of the Red-billed Quelea
Red-billed Quelea breeding near Worcester

The Red-billed Quelea (hereafter quelea) has not occurred in the Western Cape historically, but in recent years has started expanding its range into this province. There is a single record of a flock of quelea at Zeekoievlei in 1946. The next record is from the Karoo NP in 1986. There was a large influx in April-May 2007. In April 2009 the first breeding colony was found in the winter rainfall region. This means that the quelea will now probably become well established in this area.

Paper published using earlier records of quelea in the W Cape:
Oschadleus HD, 2009. An irruption of Red-billed Quelea in the Western Cape province, South Africa. Ostrich 80:193-196
See news items at date 2009-12-13

Report sightings To continue monitoring this species, please send all sightings in the Western Cape to Dieter.Oschadleus - email below, tel 021-650-2421 (W).

Details to send:
Date - of seeing quelea
Number - approximate number of birds seen
Locality name - include detailed location (eg farm name with distance and direction from nearest town) or the address
Coordinates - if you have a GPS or map. Make sure that you record the format in degrees, minutes and seconds in the WGS 84 format. Otherwise ensure that your locality details are detailed enough that I can determine the coordinates from a map.
Identity - how you identified the quelea
Notes - activity of the birds (eg feeding, roosting), other notes. If nests are found please send additional notes on this.


H.D. Oschadleus
Adult male Red-billed Quelea

Records will be added to the table below. They will be marked as confirmed if all details were provided, and identity of the quelea was confirmed.

2010 Records (2009 records - see below)

Id Date Number Locality Coordinates Reporter Notes Confirmed
27 23 May 2010 one Misverstand farm, c 13 km SE of Piketberg 33 01 27S, 18 46 32E Johan vd Westhuizen one bird seen in large flock of Southern Red Bishop on fence between road & adjacent wheat field yes, whitish underparts with the bright red bills & red legs
26 22 May 2010 6 quelea ringed Moerasrivier, George 33 59.198S, 22 21.556E Andrew Marshall roosting with weavers yes

2009 Records

Id Date Number Locality Coordinates Reporter Notes Confirmed
1 6 April 2009 few 100 Nuwerus farm 3340S 1934E Erna Rabie roosting in reeds yes
2 9 April 2009 few 100 Nuwerus farm 3340S 1934E Charl Oettle roosting in reeds yes
3 12? April 2009 1? De Vlei reserve, some 72 km from Ceres on the road to Calvinia   Richard Moffat    
4 28 March 2009 some in a flock Swaartjiesbaai (Kuifkopvisvanger) farm, near Velddrif -32.81, 18.20 Melissa Demaio, Linda, Beverley   yes
5 18 April 2009 few 100 Draaivlei dam reeds where the stream enters the dam -33.81, 19.44 Charl Oettle roosting in reeds yes
6 20 April 2009 10, incl male Red Stone Hills at Buffelskloof farm, 14km east of Calitzdorp, 6km north of R62 -33.51, 21.87 Hermanus Bird Club, Barbara Palmer feeding and flitting about in a hedge and on the ground yes, male seen
7 20-21 April 2009 few 100 Nuwerus farm 3340S 1934E DO, MF, Erna Rabie old breeding colony, 116 quelea ringed yes
8 18 April 2009 1 adult male Karoo National Park, close to the main buildings 3215S 2230E Elaine Beyers feeding? yes, photograph
Swartland records from 2008:
9a 16 May 2008 5 -10 birds with Southern Red Bishops and Cape Weavers Geeldam farm waterway, c16 km NE of Moorreesburg 3302S 1845E Johan van der Westhuizen Perched & feeding near border of wheatfield yes
9b 16 May 2008 15 - 20 birds with Southern Red Bishops and Cape Weavers Along road to farm Misverstand near Misverstand Dam in Berg River; c20 km NE of Moorreesburg 3301S 1847E Johan van der Westhuizen Perched & feeding in wheatfield yes
9c 30 May 2008 12 - 15 birds with Cape Weavers and Southern Red Bishops Near old bridge over Berg River (Moorreesburg to Piketberg road), on farm Nuwedrift; c23 km N of Moorreesburg 3258S 1844E Johan van der Westhuizen Perched & flying in reeds yes
9d 30 May 2008 4 birds with c 20 Southern Red Bishops At a waterway with reeds on farm De Guns c29 km N of Moorreesburg 3257S 1842E Johan van der Westhuizen Sitting on a fence near road & reeds yes
9e 31 May 2008 3 Adults with some Southern Red Bishops & Cape Weavers On farm Middelburg along waterway with reeds, 18 km N of Moorreesburg & 2.5 km NE of Koringberg 3300S 1841E Johan van der Westhuizen Fed on grass along the waterway yes
9f 6 June 2008 8 Queleas with Southern Red Bishops Along road to Bridgetown on farm Watervlei, 12 km NE of Moorreesburg 3307S 1847E Johan van der Westhuizen Fed on ground near wheatfield yes
9g 6 June 2008 About 20 Queleas with Southern Red Bishops and Cape Weavers On farm Bridgetown c 17 km NE of Moorreesburg 3306S 1849E Johan van der Westhuizen Fed on ground on a wheat stubble land yes
9h 7 June 2008 3 with Southern Red Bishops, Cape Sparrows & Cape Weavers On farm Visserskraal on road from Moorreesburg to Pampoenkraal c12 km NW of Moorreesburg 3303S 1837E Johan van der Westhuizen Sitting on and flying between reeds yes
9i 7 June 2008 2 On farm Klein Pampoenkraal on road from Moorreesburg to Pampoenkraal c17 km NW of Moorreesburg 3301S 1835E Johan van der Westhuizen Sitting on the fence yes
9j 14 June 2008 2 with Cape Weavers, Cape sparrows & Southern Red Bishop On farm Bokuile, at bridge over Kromrivier, 8.5 km SE of Piketberg on road from Piketberg to Porterville 3256S 1850E Johan van der Westhuizen Fed on grasses along a wheatfield near reeds yes
9k 17 June 2008 8 -10 with Cape Weavers & Southern Red Bishops On farm Hooggeleë at waterway on road from Moorreesburg to Koringberg; c13.5 km N of Moorreesburg, 4 km SE of Koringberg 3302S 1840E Johan van der Westhuizen Sitting near wheatfields yes
Back to 2009:
10 3 May 2009 7 Queleas in 3 flocks of Southern Red Bishops Along road to Bridgetown on farm Watervlei, 12 km NE of Moorreesburg 3307S 1847E - 3306S 1847E Johan van der Westhuizen Fed on grasses and weeds along the road yes, male seen
11 4 May 2009 few below dam wall, some flocks in Nuy R Nuwerus farm 3340S 1934E Erna Rabie none in breeding site yes
12 24-25 April 2009 one Vygebooms Kraal farm, c 35 km SE of VanWyksdorp 3353S 2135E Maarten Ottervanger coming to some seed put out for weavers yes
13 7 May 2009 3 flocks below dam wall, flew to Nuy R Nuwerus farm 3340S 1934E Erna Rabie none in breeding site yes
14 25 July 2009 about 30 birds R317 3407.2S 2005.5E John Carter being watched by a Black Sparrowhawk [yes]
15 25 July 2009 few birds R317 2km S of 3407.2S 2005.5E John Carter   [yes]
16 recent (13 August 2009) flock of 100 farm in Elim area 3435S 1945E~ via John Bowman   [yes]
17 10 May 2009 flock of 30-50 birds N2 about 3 kms east of Riviersonderend 3409S 1956E Amanda & Richard Younge Hayes flying up to bushes & utility lines, and then flying down to feed yes, photos
18 1 May 2009 about 100 - 200 farm Vyevlei, about 6 km E of Prince Albert 3315S 2204E Japie Claassen   yes
19 end June 2009 about 10 Stillbay, 7 kms up the Goukou R 3418S 2122E Louise   yes
20 25 Oct 2009 1 male with nesting Red Bishops Farm Leeuwenboschfontein, south of Touws River 3334S 1959E Melissa Demaio possibly more quelea, around a little farm dam yes
21 23 Sep 2008 small flock northern end of Potgieterspoort 3329S 2157E~ Duncan and Inès Cooke seen yes
22 21 Oct 2009 huge flock (200+) SE of Calitzdorp along road towards Calitzdorp Spa 3334S 2144E~ Duncan and Inès Cooke at an ostrich feeder yes
23 ~22 Dec 2009 seen Vierfontein farm, c150kms from Beaufort West 3210S 2330E Mike Buckham seen yes
24 2 Aug 2008 few hundred birds Vierfontein farm, c150kms from Beaufort West 3210 58 S 2330 53 E Stefan Theron roosting yes
25 31 Dec 2009 2 males (breeding plumage), 1 female, 2 juveniles Heidelberg, reeds in Duivenhoks River at Main Rd 34 05.592S 20 57.911E Mark Harrington roosting with large numbers of Barn Swallows yes



logo Contact: H Dieter Oschadleus, weavers4africa [at] gmail.com
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