Secretarybird in danger?

2010-04-21	Les Underhill
The Secretarybird – the range change maps send the warning lights flashing
The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, published in 2000, states: "A survey is urgently needed to determine the current conservation status of the Secretarybird, particularly regarding its relative density inside and outside conservation areas." In 2000 the Secretarybird was classified as "Near-threatened." In SABAP1, the Secretarybird species text says: "It is sensitive to habitat degradation due to overgrazing, bush encroachment, disturbance and loss of habitat to afforestation and crop cultivation" and "Its conservation status provides cause for concern." A decade later the comparison map between SABAP1 and SABAP2 sends some serious red lights flashing for this charismatic species, one of the icons of Africa. The range change map is mostly RED (where the species seems to have gone missing) and ORANGE (where the species is apparently rarer). Particularly alarming is the RED and ORANGE in the Kruger National Park. Interpretation note: The pentad data for SABAP2 have been amalgamated to quarter degree grid cells for easy comparison with SABAP1. The colours BLUE and GREEN denote quarter degree grid cells (QDGCs) where the species seems to be more abundant than in SABAP1. GREEN indicates that the SABAP2 reporting rate is greater than the SABAP1 reporting rate. BLUE indicates QDGCs where the species was not recorded in SABAP1 but has been recorded in SABAP2. RED and ORANGE indicate QDGCs where the species might be less abundant. ORANGE indicates that the SABAP2 reporting rate is smaller than the SABAP1 reporting rate, and YELLOW indicates that both reporting rates are equal. RED indicates that the species was recorded in SABAP1 but has not been recorded on SABAP2 checklists already received for the QDGC; the RED QDGCs are suggestive that the species might have disappeared from the area. Finally, PINK indicates QDGCs where the species occurred in SABAP1, but for which we do not yet have any SABAP2 data, and where we would dearly love atlasers to go and do fieldwork.