logo WeaveResearch Unit Weavers of the World
Home Site map Weavers of the World Weaver Watch Weaver Research Unit

Weaver ringing on the Cape Peninsula, 2009

The aim of the ringing was mainly for studying survival and movements of Cape and Southern Masked Weavers on the Cape Peninsula, but all species that were caught were ringed. 40 species were ringed, with a total of 2042 ringed and 415 recaptured and/or resighted. A full species list of captures on the Cape Peninsula is given below, and totals for 2008 are given here. A photo gallery showing bird ringing events in the Cape Town area may be viewed here. To join bird ringing events in Cape Town, check dates on this calendar.
The focus in the second half of 2009 was ringing weaver chicks. Most of the Southern Red Bishops were ringed at Intaka Island, where no ringing was conducted in 2008. There may be a decline in the Yellow Bishop population on the Cape Peninsula.

Species English 2008 2009
    Ringed Recaptured % Recapture Ringed Recaptured % Recapture
799 Cape Weaver 565 117 20.7 625 129 20.6
803 Southern Masked Weaver 167 46 27.5 564 107 19.0
808 Southern Red Bishop       168 21 12.5
810 Yellow Bishop 39 36 92.3 18 4 22.2

Recaptured: includes resighted birds

Species list of captures on the Cape Peninsula, 2009

The top four species ringed were Cape Weaver, Southern Masked Weaver, Southern Red Bishop and Common Waxbill. The highest recapture rate (where at least 10 birds were ringed) was for Levaillant's Cisticola.

Species English Latin Ringed Recaptured
or resighted 		% Recaptured
or resighted
89 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus 0 1  
181 Cape Francolin Francolinus capensis 7   0.0
210 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 0 1  
245 Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus 2   0.0
314 Redeyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata 3   0.0
316 Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola 2   0.0
317 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 5 1 20.0
391 Whitebacked Mousebird Colius colius 1 1 100.0
397 Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata 14 4 28.6
493 European Swallow Hirundo rustica 8   0.0
495 Whitethroated Swallow Hirundo albigularis 13   0.0
509 Brownthroated Martin Riparia paludicola 4   0.0
543 Cape Bulbul Pycnonotus capensis 36 7 19.4
581 Cape Robin Cossypha caffra 14 2 14.3
604 Cape Reed Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris 101 33 32.7
606 African Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus 32 6 18.8
609 African Sedge Warbler Bradypterus baboecala 21 7 33.3
618 Grassbird Sphenoeacus afer 1   0.0
622 Barthroated Apalis Apalis thoracica 1 1 100.0
646 Levaillant's Cisticola Cisticola tinniens 74 36 48.6
651 Karoo Prinia Prinia maculosa 1   0.0
665 Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens 1   0.0
686 Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis 3   0.0
707 Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris 5   0.0
709 Southern Boubou Laniarius ferrugineus 1 1 100.0
722 Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus 1   0.0
733 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris 19 2 10.5
745 Redwinged Starling Onychognathus morio 8   0.0
753 Orangebreasted Sunbird Nectarinia violacea 1   0.0
760 Lesser Doublecollared Sunbird Nectarinia chalybea 15 4 26.7
786 Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus 19 1 5.3
799 Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis 625 129 20.6
803 Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus 564 107 19.0
808 Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix 168 21 12.5
810 Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis 18 4 22.2
843 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild 163 23 14.1
846 Pintailed Whydah Vidua macroura 3   0.0
857 Cape Canary Serinus canicollis 3   0.0
866 Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris 1   0.0
989 House Crow Corvus splendens 1   0.0
1172 Cape White-eye (split) Zosterops capensis (split) 56 13 23.2
4139 Karoo Prinia (split) Prinia maculosa (split) 27 10 37.0
      2042 415 20.3

Movements were less than 2 km for most species except for Cape Weavers which showed extensive movements between the different wetlands. The only long distance movements are those in January - see map here

Acknowledgements
Thanks to the following for helping with ringing during 2009:
Alex Stone, Anne Froehlich, Barry & Sue Schultz, Bruce Smith, Calvin & Damian Gibbs, Carol Milan, Cassy Sheasby, Christian Escher, Colin Jackson, Dalton Gibbs, Daniel Oschadleus, Eric Barnes, Felicity Ellmore, Greg Duckworth, Guillermina Ritacco, Hassan Babiker, Jo Johnson, Karen Sorenson, Lee Silks, Lynne Roscoe, Magazi Thembamani, Margaret McCall, Marja Wren-Sergent, Maya Stauch & KRC staff/students (Ntsikelelo), Mike Laurie, Phoebe Barnard, Rondevlei staff/students (Elmaniek), Sally Hofmeyr, Sanchia Moolman, Sharon Okanga, Tandy Oschadleus, Tiwonge Mzumara, William Wyness


logo Contact: H Dieter Oschadleus, weavers4africa [at] gmail.com
Copyright: Creative Commons License