Appeal for new Bird Observatory in the Karoo
- Worth Wild Africa
- Oct 21
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 24
WWA UK has launched an exciting appeal to raise $2500 to help equip the first International Bird Observatory to be established in South Africa.
The Bird Observatory is the first of a network of South African bird observatories, building and exchanging data understanding, supporting and protecting the birds that reside in and pass through the conservancy and South Africa as a nation.
The aim of the Bird Observatory is to undertake standardised monitoring and census work of local birds and migration patterns, as well as breeding. The Bird Observatory is also developing practical protocols which can be used as a template for other potential locations to aspire to. These follow the accreditation guidelines and standards set out by the Bird Observatories Council (BOC). The Observatory has a full-time Warden and will also accommodate visiting ringers, researchers and visitors.
The new Bird Observatory is located at the Karoo Research Centre, a collaboration between the Khoisan Karoo Conservancy and the Biodiversity and Development Institute (BDI). In contrast to atlas projects such as the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) and the butterfly atlas (LepiMAP) which focus on patterns at a broad scale, the objective for the Karoo Research Centre is fine-scale biodiversity monitoring.
The Karoo Research Centre is based at New Holme, the main accommodation lodge in the conservancy, located in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province between Hanover and Colesberg, just 8 km off the N1.
WWA is raising funds to support the Bird Observatory with essential equipment, including scales, pliers, ringing pliers, bird bags, mist nets, wing rulers, binoculars, trail cameras and more. Our goal is US$ 2,500. Will you play a part in helping us to equip this important research centre?
More info:
WWA UK thanks these talented photographers for permission to use their photos for our appeal:
Adam Riley, Adriaan van Zyl, Dawie de Swardt, Mik Peach and Pat Lynwood
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