SESAW: Survival Estimates in Southern African Weavers, Aug 2009 - Dec 2012

Introduction

A new study has been launched to ring weavers in a way to maximise data for geographic variation in survival rates. Weavers are fairly easy to catch in large numbers, making them ideal candidates for large-scale studies. Species that could work well include Southern Red Bishops and Southern Masked Weavers. The key is to ring at sites where weavers are often recaptured. Ringers are able to contribute to this project in their normal ringing sessions.

Aims

To measure geographic variability in survival rates of weavers in southern Africa over 3.5 years (2009-2012).

Quick summary

Summary of totals (more results below) 14 March 2013
Species Ringed Recaptured Rate
Cape Weaver 1245 151 12.1
Village Weaver 361 27 7.5
Southern Masked Weaver 5063 449 8.9
Spectacled Weaver 55 14 25.5
Lesser Masked Weaver 19 0 0.0
Yellow Weaver 19 6 31.6
Brown-throated Weaver 3 1 33.3
Red-billed Quelea 142 0 0.0
Red-headed Quelea 10 0 0.0
Southern Red Bishop 3373 572 17.0
Thick-billed Weaver 195 6 3.1
Yellow Bishop 90 16 17.8
  10485 1226 11.7

Methods

Ringers are encouraged to take part in this project. Please follow these guidelines:

Benefits for ringers who take part

You will be contributing valuable data!
You will be acknowledged in papers published and on the project web
There will be some prizes (categories still to be determined)
An attempt will be made to raise funds to reimburse ringers for rings used

To register for this project

Email Dieter Oschadleus with the following:
Your name & ringer's number (include other ringers if working in a team)
Site name and coordinates (1 or more sites, but within 5km of each other)
Weaver species that you expect to ring (50-100 or more per year) and retrap in sufficient numbers

Sites that have been registered

(as at 1 Feb 2010)
Ringer Site Prov Species Frequency
Alan Brooks, George Viljoen Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens GP SMW Monthly
Alan Brooks, George Viljoen Kloofzicht Lodge GP SMW, RbQ,RB Monthly
Alan Brooks Roodekopjes near Brits NW SMW, SbW every 2 months
Alan Brooks Featherbrooke Estate GP SMW Monthly
Arnold van der Westhuizen Aliwal Golf Course & Islands Spa EC RB, RbQ Monthly
Arnold van der Westhuizen Betjeskraal Dam (Rouxville District) FS SMW,RB,RbQ Monthly
Dawie Bishop's Glen, BFN FS SMW,RB,RbQ Monthly
Dirk, Karen & Stefan van Stuyvenberg Moreletakloof GP SMW,RB,CW Quarterly
Garth Aiston Northern Sewage Works KZ SbW,SpW,YW,TbW,RB Monthly
Garth Aiston iPhithi Nature Reserve KZ SbW Monthly
Grant Egen Ruimsig Athletic Stadium GP SMW,RB Monthly
Grant Egen Honeydew View GP SMW,RB Monthly
Jo Johnson, Margaret McCall & Lee Silks Rocher Pan WC CW,SMW,RB Oct & April
Karen Dixon, Alan Brooks Kingfisher Nature Reserve KZ SMW,RB Monthly
Lee Silks Rocklands WC CW,SMW,RB [YrW] Monthly
Margaret McCall Goedeontmoeting WC CW,SMW,RB Monthly
Margaret McCall Groot Fisantekraal WC CW,SMW,RB Monthly
Margaret McCall Vierlanden reserve WC CW,SMW,RB Monthly
Margaret McCall Durbanville home WC CW,SMW,RB Monthly
Neil Thomson, Maren Thomson & Gudrun Middendorff Rykvoet Street Klein Windhoek na SMW,RB Monthly
Pat Cochran, others Montgomery Park East Johannesburg GP SMW,RB,TbW Monthly
Pat Cochran Wakkerstroom Amersfoort Bridge MP CW,SMW,RbQ,RB 6 weeks
Peter Dearlove Dundee garden KZ SMW Monthly
Rina Pretorius, Sylva Francis, Colin Williams, Nelda Williams Newcastle sewage plant KZ SMW,RB c 6 weeks
Zephne & Herman Bernitz Greenside MP SMW,RB 6-8 weeks
Zephne & Herman Bernitz Rondebosch farm, Middelburg MP CW,SMW,RB 6-8 weeks
Species abbrev: CW = Cape Weaver, RB = Southern Red Bishop, RbQ = Red-billed Quelea, SbW = Village Weaver, SMW = Southern Masked Weaver SpW = Spectacled Weaver TbW = Thick-billed Weaver YW = Yellow Weaver

Results Sep 2009 - 2012

Cape Weaver
Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
31 Rocklands 189 25 13.2  
32 Groot Fisantekraal 113 26 23.0  
28 Goedeontmoeting 419 43 10.3  
35 Durbanville home 118 39 33.1  
38 Vierlanden reserve 39 0 0.0  
48 Wakkerstroom Amersfoort Bridge 11 0 0.0  
25 Rocher Pan Nature Reserve 257 9 3.5  
6 Moreletakloof 44 9 20.5  
94 Uitkamp Wetland, Durbanville 2 0 0.0  
92 Clara Anna Fontein 14 0 0.0  
99 Durbanville Nature Garden 35 0 0.0  
81 Doordekraal Dam 4 0 0.0  
Total   1245 151 12.1  

Village Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
21 iPhithi Nature Reserve 6 1 16.7  
22 Northern Sewage Works 221 22 10.0  
74 Umhlanga Ponds 9 0 0.0  
55 Roodekopjes 125 4 3.2  
Total   361 27 7.5  

Spectacled Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
60 Northern Sewage Works 19 6 31.6  
72 Umhlanga Ponds 36 8 22.2  
Total   55 14 25.5  

Lesser Masked Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
73 Umhlanga Ponds 8 0 0.0  
102 Rooiberg 10 0 0.0  
86 Northern Sewage Works 1 0 0.0  
Total   19 0 0.0  

Yellow Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
60 Northern Sewage Works 19 6 31.6  
75 Umhlanga Ponds 54 17 31.5  
Total   19 6 31.6  

Brown-throated Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
76 Umhlanga Ponds 3 1 33.3  
Total   3 1 33.3  

Southern Masked Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
16 Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens 59 8 13.6  
11 Kloofzicht Lodge 45 6 13.3  
64 Featherbrooke Estate 13 1 7.7  
17 Dundee garden 48 0 0.0  
1 Rykvoet Street Klein Windhoek 331 129 39.0 walk-in trap
9 Greenside 15 0 0.0  
29 Goedeontmoeting 208 21 10.1  
33 Groot Fisantekraal 38 6 15.8  
36 Durbanville home 49 12 24.5  
39 Vierlanden reserve 66 11 16.7  
41 Betjeskraal Dam, Rouxville 13 0 0.0  
45 Islands Spa, Aliwal North 22 0 0.0  
46 Montgomery Park East & W 584 49 8.4  
49 Wakkerstroom Amersfoort Bridge 32 0 0.0  
7 Moreletakloof 632 55 8.7  
14 Kingfisher N.R. 1342 56 4.2  
26 Rocher Pan Nature Reserve 69 4 5.8  
54 Roodekopjes 140 27 19.3  
56 Rocklands 131 23 17.6  
66 Honeydew View 2 0 0.0  
82 Doordekraal Dam 12 1 8.3  
87 Durbanville Nature Garden 47 0 0.0  
95 Uitkamp Wetland, Durbanville 7 0 0.0  
93 Clara Anna Fontein 2 0 0.0  
103 Rooiberg 6 0 0.0  
104 Southdowns 90 0 0.0  
44 Ruimsig Stadium 1060 40 3.8  
Total   5063 449 8.9  

Red-billed Quelea

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
42 Betjeskraal Dam, Rouxville 4 0 0.0  
23 Islands Spa, Aliwal North 18 0 0.0  
69 Roodekopjes 12 0 0.0  
100 Umhlanga Ponds 22 0 0.0  
105 Southdowns 63 0 0.0  
50 Wakkerstroom Amersfoort Bridge 23 0 0.0  
Total   142 0 0.0  

Red-headed Quelea

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
77 Umhlanga Ponds 10 0 0.0  
Total   10 0 0.0  

Southern Red Bishop

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
2 Rykvoet Street Klein Windhoek 822 394 47.9 walk-in trap
10 Greenside 8 0 0.0  
13 Kloofzicht Lodge 55 4 7.3  
30 Goedeontmoeting 587 36 6.1  
34 Groot Fisantekraal 109 6 5.5  
37 Durbanville home 5 0 0.0  
40 Vierlanden reserve 130 8 6.2  
43 Betjeskraal Dam, Rouxville 3 0 0.0  
24 Islands Spa, Aliwal North 78 0 0.0  
51 Wakkerstroom Amersfoort Bridge 6 0 0.0  
52 Ruimsig Stadium 469 38 8.1  
8 Moreletakloof 181 22 12.2  
15 Kingfisher N.R. 169 21 12.4  
27 Rocher Pan Nature Reserve 26 0 0.0  
57 Rocklands 383 9 2.3  
62 Northern Sewage Works 16 0 0.0  
67 Honeydew View 57 1 1.8  
78 Umhlanga Ponds 2 0 0.0  
96 Uitkamp Wetland, Durbanville 7 1 14.3  
83 Doordekraal Dam 15 1 6.7  
106 Southdowns 129 0 0.0  
47 Montgomery Park East & W 116 31 26.7  
Total   3373 572 17.0  

Yellow Bishop

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
58 Rocklands 47 7 14.9  
71 Goedeontmoeting 17 2 11.8  
79 Vierlanden Reserve 4 0 0.0  
84 Doordekraal Dam 0 1 0.0  
98 Groot Fisantekraal 15 6 40.0  
97 Uitkamp Wetland, Durbanville 6 0 0.0  
80 Durbanville home 1 0 0.0  
Total   90 16 17.8  

Thick-billed Weaver

Spsite Loc Ringed Retrap Rate Notes
53 Moreletakloof 168 4 2.4  
61 Northern Sewage Works 2 1 50.0  
68 Kingfisher N.R. 3 0 0.0  
85 iPhithi Nature Reserve 1 0 0.0  
59 Montgomery Park East 21 1 4.8  
Total   195 6 3.1  

Top recapture rates in different provinces where at least 100 Southern Masked Weavers were ringed in 1 year


The table below shows the top recapture rates for several provinces. Ideally for this project ringers will try to increase the recapture rate instead of only trying to ring as many birds as possible.
Note: these are not automatically registered sites. They are examples of recapture rates that can be achieved.

Coordinates Locality Province Year Ring Retrap Retrap/ring (%)
3341S 1836E Goedeontmoeting Farm, Malmesbury District WC 2001 120 31 25.8
2644S 2749E SW5 Vanderbijlpark GP 2006 102 14 13.7
3002S 2403E Dwaalhoek farm NC 2002 239 27 11.3
2745S 3000E Newcastle sewage plant KZ 2007 112 12 10.7
2234S 1705E Windhoek Grand Center Car Park, Windhoek na 2008 154 13 8.4
2645S 2706E OPM Prozesky Bird Sanctuary, Potchefstroom NW 2007 135 11 8.1
2720S 3008E Amersfoort bridge, Wakkerstroom MP 2001 128 10 7.8
2116S 2731E Francistown Sewerage ponds bw 2002 126 6 4.8
2810S 2818E Bethlehem LNR, Loch Lamond FS 2005 146 6 4.1

Monthly totals of birds ringed

[data will appear once data has been submitted]

Acknowledgements
Ringers

News items relating to this project

Latest news item:

SESAW at 10000 records!

2012-11-09 (292)

Photos: top SESAW species - adult male Southern Masked Weaver, Southern Red Bishop, and Cape Weaver

In just over 3 years SESAW has reached 10000 weavers ringed and over 1000 recaptured. The top three species in terms of birds ringed are Southern Masked Weaver (4941), Southern Red Bishop (3192), and Cape Weaver (1140). The recapture rates for these species is Southern Red Bishop (16.5%), Cape Weaver (12.5%) and Southern Masked Weaver (8.6%). This result is surprising because Cape Weavers move more than Southern Masked Weavers. However, looking at recapture rates for known adult males and females, shows low recapture rates for all three species of both sexes. This could be due to these adults becoming 'net-shy' as they quickly learn to avoid the nets or traps.

The top 10 data contributors over the last 3 years are: Margaret McCall (photo left), Grant Egen, Neil Thomson, Karen Dixon, Lee Silks, Alan Brooks, Pat Cochran, Garth Aiston, Gerrie Jansen van Rensburg, and Karen van Stuyvenberg. Thanks to all participants for your commitment!

About SESAW:

SESAW (Survival Estimates in Southern African Weavers) is a project to study survival rates in weavers as these are often the most caught birds during general ringing. The project started in August 2009 and will run for at least three years before starting to analyse the data. A critical aspect of the project is recording if females have brrod patches or not, and recording males in full or partial breeding plumage - this will allow the analysis of definite adult males and females in addition to a general analysis.

Read more about SESAW here.

All news items relating to this project

The headers below refer to Weaver News items featuring SESAW. Click on a header to see the News item, which includes the full news item. (The number in brackets is the date that the news item appeared on Weaver Watch).


SESAW at 10000 records! (2012-11-09)
SESAW update (2011-12-05)
SESAW - weavers in the balance (2010-07-02)
SESAW: Survival Estimates in Southern African Weavers (2010-02-01)
SESAW: Survival Estimates in Southern African Weavers (2009-10-14)
Weaver survival rates - new project for ringers (2009-08-04)

All Weaver Watch news items