Stanford Bird Club helps CapeNature count over 12,000 waterbirds at De Hoop Vlei
With the help of six members from the Stanford Bird Club, 12,233 waterbirds belonging to 41 species were counted on De Hoop Vlei this month. Of these, 70% were Red-knobbed Coot and 11% were Egyptian Geese. Two threatened species, the Great White Pelican and Caspian Tern were recorded – both are classified as Vulnerable on the South African Red List. Greater Flamingos, classified as Near Threatened, were also observed. The February 2024 count adds another point to the long-term data series for the De Hoop Vlei, which stretches back to 1992. Monitoring of the waterbirds at the vlei forms part of South Africa’s commitment to two international conventions, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). At 18 km long and with an average width of 0.5 km, completing the count in a single day is a challenge, but his achievement is testimony to the volunteer team’s commitment and birding expertise.
Ninety-eight Great White Pelicans were counted by the team. Photographer: Evan Shaw
The De Hoop Vlei CWAC team, comprising Stanford Bird Club members and CapeNature staff.
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