Weaver Wednesday 3: range changes in S Africa
(species text)
Red-headed Quelea Quelea erythrops
Red-headed Quelea, Range-change map between SABAP1 (1987-1991) and SABAP2 (2007-current).
Red, orange and yellow = cells with very large, large, and small relative decreases
Blue, dark green and light green = cells with very large, large and small relative increases.
Cells = quarter-degree grid cells; Only cells with at least 4 checklists in both SABAP1&2 shown. All cells had this species recorded in SABAP1 or in SABAP2 or in both (more about interpretation at Biodiversity Observations 7.62: 1-13).
Red-headed Quelea, figure from Birdpix
Range changes in SA
Range change summary
More
4 lists
30 lists
increases
n
%
n
%
Decrease
11
18
10
18
Tiny change
2
4
2
4
Increase
49
79
43
78
Total
62
100
55
100
In South Africa the Red-headed Quelea has many more grid cells with increases in reporting rate than cells showing decreases, between SABAP1 (1987-1991) and SABAP2 (2007-).
The points below match the points on the map above.
Areas with very large increases include:
1. Along the eastern coast of South Africa.
Areas with very large decreases include:
2. The interior edge of its range in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Red-headed Quelea occurs at a low density in southern Africa. During SABAP1 the Red-headed Quelea was not recorded in the Eastern Cape, but there had been many records prior to SABAP1.
Range changes elsewhere
Botswana: new arrival (Tyler 2008a).
Chad: seen near Mongo, unusually far north (Demey 2015b).
