African Broadbill: 2

Methods
Records of African Broadbill in the Soutpansberg, west of Kruger National Park, were located in the literature. Additional data, gathered from birders who had recorded it in this region, were obtained and the following information collated: 1) locality, 2) altitude 3) grid reference, 4) date of recording, 5) identification, and 6) reference/recorder.

Results and discussion
African Broadbill has been found in five quarter-degree squares not recorded in the South African Bird Atlas Project (2229DD Wyllies Poort, 2230CD Thohoyandou, 223ODC Makondo, 2329BB Louis Trichardt, 2330AA Ratombo)[4].

African Broadbill (C. T. Symes)

Range extension
The South African Bird Atlas Project did not record the species in Northern Province, either because of its inconspicuous nature, or its considered status as a vagrant[4] . The records presented here, from five additional quarter-degree squares, suggest it is more common than previously thought. Most records were in early spring and summer, suggesting that it may be seasonal in occurrence although, given that breeding occurs in September-February [4,5,12,17], the records may result from an increase in the birds' activity during this period.

Possible seasonal movements
African Broadbill is an uncommon to fairly common localised resident in south-central Africa [10]. Known from the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe4,17, additional high-altitude records during the breeding season suggest that it moves into the region to nest. It was recorded by Swynnerton in the upper Buzi River basin [3] and, more recently, a pair was recorded at Tsanga River, Nyanga (1,860 m), in December 1998 [20], with three records from the Bvumba Highlands, eastern Zimbabwe (max. altitude 1,911 m)[13]. These records, together with those presented here, are mostly from the breeding season. The female ringed at Levubu on 1 October 1999 was recaptured in the same place on 6 December 1999, when it had a prominent brood patch and another, possibly a male, was heard calling nearby. On 13 November and 5 December 1999, at Ratombo Forest, a male was observed in the same place giving the conspicuous tttttrrrrrrrrrr, call. It may have been holding territory, and was possibly breeding. No evidence exists to suggest that broadbills are migratory [10,11], although some species may be nomadic or perform altitudinal movements in response to food availability and prevailing weather conditions [11]. African Broadbill presence in the Levubu-Louis Trichardt area may be seasonal, with a post-breeding return to the Mozambique lowveld in winter. The vegetation of the Levhuvhu and Mutale rivers is predominantly riverine (pers obs), providing ideal habitat through which local movements could occur. It may, however, be resident, being inconspicuous when not breeding and calling.

Conservation implications
The recent South African IBA (Important Bird Areas) inventory did not record the presence of African Broadbill in the Soutpansberg (SA 003)[1]. Habitat destruction, especially in heavily populated areas, threatens this species and it is considered regionally Vulnerable [11,12]. The region through which the Levhuvhu and Mutale rivers flow, before reaching Kruger National Park, is populated by rural settlements of the former Venda homeland. Slash-and-burn agriculture is practised and there is no control over the clearing of bush and development of farmlands (S Venter pers comm). If this habitat is important as a migratory corridor for broadbills and other species between northern Kruger National Park and the Soutpansberg it requires conservation. Acknowledgements Sarah Venter, Prof. Dries Bester, 'Boesman' Muller, David Pretorius, Dr Jan Crafford, Ed Eastwood and Mike Holford provided additional records of African Broadbill in the region. The Mullers of Levubu are thanked for their hospitality during this study. Dries Joubert granted access to ringing sites on his land. The African Bird Club funded bird-ringing equipment.

References

1. Barnes, K.N. 1998. The Important Bird Areas of Southern Africa. Johannesburg: Birdlife South Africa.
2. Clancey, P.A. (ed.) 1980. SAOS Checklist of Southern African Birds. Johannesburg: Southern African Ornithological Society .
3. Clancey, P .A. 1992. The Birds of Southern Mozambique. Westville: African Bird Book Publishing.
4. Cohen, C. 1997. African Broadbill Smithornis capensis. In Harrison, J.A., Allan, D.G., Underhill, L.G.,Herremans, M., Tree, A.J., Parker, V. and Brown, C.J. (eds.).The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Vo12. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa.
5. Cyrus, D. and Robson, N. 1980. Bird Atlas of Natal. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press.
6. Dean, W.R.J. 1971. Breeding data for the birds of Natal and Zululand. Durban Mus. Nov. 9: 59-91.
7. Geldenhys, C. 1999. Forestwood-DWAF conservation forestry proposal. Unpubl. report.
8. Hahn, N.I994. Tree list of the Soutpansberg. Pretoria: Fantique.
9. Irwin, M.P.S.1981. The Birds of Zimbabwe. Salisbury: Quest.
10. Keith, S., Urban, E.K. and Fry, C.H. (eds.) 1992. The Birds of Africa. Vo1 4. London, UK: Academic Press.
11. Lambert, F.and Woodcock, M.1996.Pittas, broadbills and asities. Halfway House: Russel Friedman Books.
12. Maclean,G.L. 1993.Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund.
13. Manson,A.J.,Manson,C.and Mwadziwana, P.1994. The birds of the Bvumba Highlands. Honeyguide (Suppl. 1) 40: 2-51.
14. Parker, V. 1994. Swaziland Bird At/as 1985-1991. Swaziland: Conservation Trust of Swaziland.
15. Parker, V. 1998. The Atlas of the Birds of Sul do Save, Southern Mozambique. Cape Town: Avian Demography Unit.
16. Penry, H. 1994. Bird Atlas of Botswana. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press.
17. Smithers, R.H.N., Irwin, M.P.S. and Paterson, M.L. 1957. A Checklist of the Birds of Southern Rhodesia. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
18. Tarboton, W.R. Kemp, M.I. and Kemp, A.C. 1987. Birds of the Transvaal. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum.
19. Truswell, J.F.1977.The Geological Evolution of South Africa. Cape Town: Purnell.
20. Williams, J. 1999. High altitude African Broadbills. Honeyguide 45: 23-24.

School of Botany and Zoology, University of Natal, P/Bag XO1, Scottsville,3209, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Supported by the ABC Conservation fund.

Last page update 6th August 2010