The Breeding Status of the Cape Vulture in the Transvaal During 1980—1985

Benson, Patrick; Tarboton, Warwick; Allan, Douglas C.; Dobbs, Joan C.

doi:10.1080/00306525.1990.9634162

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…2) [23], [26]. Marakele NP was visited by a total of seven vultures but the majority (96%) of stationary locations recorded inside the park were from three adult vultures (AG314, AG349, AG355) that frequently roosted on the breeding cliffs.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, although the spatial extent of the core ranges (Fig. 1B) corresponded with areas known to be important foraging grounds for Gyps vultures in southern Africa [23], [24], [26], [48], the core area used by three immature vultures in the Marydale region of the Northern Cape Province (Fig. 3) extended more than 100 km west of the IUCN distribution range for the species [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in several African countries increasing prevalence of anthropogenic mortality factors such as illegal poisoning have led to higher vulture mortality rates and population declines outside compared to inside protected areas [14], [15], [20]. While protected areas often provide safe breeding and roosting sites for vultures [15], [21]–[23], they frequently forage far beyond protected area boundaries, leaving them exposed to numerous threats [20], [24]. The role and effectiveness of protected areas for vulture ecology and conservation remains unclear, therefore, and merits further investigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4,000 breeding pairs) [25]. The largest remaining breeding colonies are located in the north-eastern provinces of South Africa [4], [23], [25], [26], where increasing urbanisation and land use change has caused habitat loss, food shortages and an increasing incidence of negative vulture-power line interactions [17]. We hypothesize that frequent use of transmission line pylons as perching and roosting sites by Cape vultures will influence the extent of their home ranges and the location of their core foraging areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do Power Lines and Protected Areas Present a Catch-22 Situation for Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres)?

Phipps

Wolter²,

Michael

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

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Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres populations have declined across their range due to multiple anthropogenic threats. Their susceptibility to fatal collisions with the expanding power line network and the prevalence of carcasses contaminated with illegal poisons and other threats outside protected areas are thought to be the primary drivers of declines in southern Africa. We used GPS-GSM units to track the movements and delineate the home ranges of five adult (mean ±SD minimum convex polygon area = 121,655±90,845 km2) and four immature (mean ±SD minimum convex polygon area = 492,300±259,427 km2) Cape vultures to investigate the influence of power lines and their use of protected areas. The vultures travelled more than 1,000 km from the capture site and collectively entered five different countries in southern Africa. Their movement patterns and core foraging ranges were closely associated with the spatial distribution of transmission power lines and we present evidence that the construction of power lines has allowed the species to extend its range to areas previously devoid of suitable perches. The distribution of locations of known Cape vulture mortalities caused by interactions with power lines corresponded to the core ranges of the tracked vultures. Although some of the vultures regularly roosted at breeding colonies located inside protected areas the majority of foraging activity took place on unprotected farmland. Their ability to travel vast distances very quickly and the high proportion of time they spend in the vicinity of power lines and outside protected areas make Cape vultures especially vulnerable to negative interactions with the expanding power line network and the full range of threats across the region. Co-ordinated cross-border conservation strategies beyond the protected area network will therefore be necessary to ensure the future survival of threatened vultures in Africa.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Do Power Lines and Protected Areas Present a Catch-22 Situation for Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres)?

Phipps

Wolter²,

Michael

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

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“…Only one visit was made during the first year of the surveys in 2000, and therefore breeding success was not calculated for that year and excluded from analysis. Observation of a nestling with fully developed primary feathers at the end of the breeding season indicated an active nest and confirmed a successful breeding attempt (Postupalsky 1974, Benson et al 1990). Occupation of a nest-site was confirmed if a wellmade tenanted nest was built and/or incubation occurred.…”

Section: Nest Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 68%

Cliff characteristics, neighbour requirements and breeding success of the colonial Cape VultureGyps coprotheres

Pfeiffer

Venter

Downs

2016

Ibis

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The breeding success of endangered colonial nesting species is important for their conservation. Many species of Gyps vultures form large breeding colonies that are the foci of conservation efforts. The Cape Vulture is a globally threatened species that is endemic to southern Africa and has seen a major reduction in its population size (≥ 50% over 48 years). There is evidence that breeding colonies are prone to desertion as a result of human disturbance. Factors that influence the occupancy and breeding success of individual nest‐sites is not fully understood for any African vulture species. We investigated cliff characteristics and neighbour requirements of the Msikaba Cape Vulture colony, a major breeding colony in the southern node of the population in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, together with their nest‐site occupation and breeding success over 13 years. In total, 1767 breeding attempts were recorded. Nest‐sites that had a higher elevation, smaller ledge depth, greater total productivity and were surrounded by conspecifics were more likely to be occupied, although the amount of overhang above the nest was not an important predictor of occupancy. In accordance with occupation, nest‐sites with a smaller ledge depth had higher breeding success; however, nests with a greater overhang were also more successful and height of the nest‐site was not an important predictor of breeding success. The breeding success of a nest‐site in a given year was positively influenced by the number of direct nest neighbours, and nests in the middle of high‐density areas had greater breeding success. This suggests that maintaining a high nest density may be an important consideration if declines of reproducing adults continue. Breeding success declined over the study period, highlighting the effects of a temporal variation or observer bias. Our results identified optimal nest‐site locations (ledge depths of 1 m, at a height of 180 m) and their effects on breeding success. This information can be used for planning reintroduction efforts of the endangered Cape Vulture and for their ongoing conservation.

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A biochemical genetic study of allozyme polymorphism in two natural populations of the cape griffon vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and individuals held in captivity

Wyk¹,

Bank²,

Verdoorn³

1992

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Comparative Bio

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The Breeding Status of the Cape Vulture in the Transvaal During 1980—1985

Cited by 15 publications

References 3 publications

Do Power Lines and Protected Areas Present a Catch-22 Situation for Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres)?

Do Power Lines and Protected Areas Present a Catch-22 Situation for Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres)?

Cliff characteristics, neighbour requirements and breeding success of the colonial Cape VultureGyps coprotheres

A biochemical genetic study of allozyme polymorphism in two natural populations of the cape griffon vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and individuals held in captivity

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