A griffon vulture flies over the sky after released into nature after taken care of Celal Acar Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center at Uludag National Park in Bursa, Turkiye on January 04, 2024. The griffon vulture, which was in danger of extinction and was found injured and exhausted, was released into its natural habitat after treatment. (Photo by Semih Sahin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
There are 147 bird species categorised as threatened or near-threatened in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, according to the revised Red Data Book of Birds (RDB-online) launched by BirdLife.
The figure is up from 132 species from the previous data book of birds of the region published in 2015. Most notably, 39 species were uplisted, indicating a worsening in their conservation status, while only eight species have been downlisted, reflecting positive conservation outcomes.
“In short, the consequences of human activities can be seen on the region’s bird populations, with a wide range of threats ranging from loss of habitat to deliberate persecution,” said the non-profit avian conservation organisation.
The RDB-online, marks a “pivotal moment” for regional bird conservation as it offers a comprehensive, freely accessible online resource revealing the conservation status of the region’s birds.
Over three years, more than 137 ornithologists, conservationists and citizen scientists collaborated on 193 detailed reports to quantify the risk of extinction for the region’s birds.
This extends to an additional 70 endemic and near-endemic species still considered to be at a lower risk of extinction, such as the Cape sugarbird and orange-breasted sunbird.
The RDB-online provides insights into the conservation threats faced by the region’s birds, as well as the effect of counter-measures put in place to protect them. “The findings are alarming, yet hopeful, and provide crucial insights into threats and clear pathways for conservation action,” said BirdLife South Africa.
Iconic birds like the lappet-faced vulture, which has been severely affected by mass poisonings, loss of nesting resources and interactions with energy infrastructure — threats shared by all the vulture species — are now classified as critically endangered.
Habitat loss and changes in agricultural practices have driven Botha’s lark to a similar fate, underscoring urgent conservation needs in high-altitude grassland habitats.
Conversely, dedicated conservation efforts have enabled species like the Cape vulture, wattled crane and southern bald ibis to improve, “demonstrating the powerful impact of targeted interventions and dedicated conservation work”.
The Red Data Book is more than just a conservation resource, said BirdLife South Africa chief executive Mark Anderson.
“It’s an essential toolkit for guiding government policy, conservation strategies and critical environmental decisions. In crises such as the recent mass vulture poisonings, immediate access to reliable, updated scientific information can determine the effectiveness of responses and long-term recovery plans,” he said.
The red-listing process also identifies knowledge gaps, guiding research efforts. This means that some species have been downlisted not only because of direct conservation interventions but thanks to significantly improved knowledge from recent research.
“For example, the elusive white-winged flufftail has benefited from an enhanced understanding of its ecology, distribution and previously unknown breeding sites, leading to a revision of its threat status from critically endangered to endangered as we have a better understanding of the species’ population size,” Anderson said.
As a wetland specialist, the white-winged flufftail is still under threat, as are many other wetland bird species detailed in the RDB-online. This group of birds has seen the largest declines over the last decade because of drought, worsened by climate change, increased water extraction and deteriorating water conditions.
The worrying increase in threatened species, particularly waterbirds entering higher threat categories, reflects the declining health of vital wetlands and freshwater ecosystems, noted Hanneline Smit-Robinson, the head of conservation at BirdLife South Africa and one of the RDB-online editors.
“However, our successes show clearly that strategic, informed conservation actions yield tangible results. This resource directs us precisely where we need to act next,” Smit-Robinson said.
The online book uniquely integrates extensive citizen science contributions from projects such as the Southern African Bird Atlas Project, coordinated waterbird counts and coordinated avifaunal roadcounts, which collectively provided millions of records critical to monitoring population trends and detecting declines. These projects are hosted at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town, with data contributed by dedicated citizen scientists.
The value of citizen scientists’ contributions cannot be overstated, said Sanjo Rose, the RDB-online editor and previous Bird Atlas Project co-ordinator. “Their meticulous observations have become the backbone of our regional assessments, enabling accurate monitoring, state-of-the-art trend analyses and swift identification of species at risk.”
Regionally versus globally distinct extinction risks are exemplified by the African penguin, recently uplisted to critically endangered worldwide but assessed as endangered regionally following detailed recommendations from a recent scientific study.
This regional assessment reflects that, despite alarming global declines, dedicated conservation efforts within South Africa, including recent closures to purse seine fishing around six key breeding islands and the successful establishment of a new colony at De Hoop Nature Reserve, have “demonstrated real potential” for reversing local population declines.
“While we follow IUCN [International Union for Conservation of Nature] criteria rigorously, our assessments reflect local realities. Sometimes there are higher regional threats compared to global listing populations, but sometimes conservation success stories too,” said Alan Lee, the science and innovation programme manager at BirdLife South Africa and the lead editor.
“In the case of the African penguin, the difference in categories means we predict the species will go extinct in Namibia before the population in South Africa. The extinction horizon is still within our lifetime.”
BirdLife South Africa said it continues to champion targeted initiatives crucial for seabird conservation, such as the albatross task force, which has significantly reduced seabird bycatch through innovative fisheries mitigation measures. This threat was highlighted in the previous Red Data Book from 2015.
Now, invasive species have been identified as a major threat to island seabirds. The ambitious Mouse-Free Marion Project aims to eradicate introduced, invasive mice from Marion Island, directly protecting millions of seabirds, including globally important populations of albatrosses threatened by predation.
Mice on the island are killing both nestling and adult wandering albatrosses. Nineteen of the 29 bird species on Marion Island will become locally extinct if invasive mice are not eradicated.
Behind every threatened bird species listed in the RDB-online lie powerful stories of decline, resilience and hope, said Shamiso Banda, the RDB-online editor. “Our book captures these narratives, showcasing the extraordinary conservation journeys and efforts underway across the region.
“By highlighting these individual stories, we hope to inspire action and awareness, reminding us that it is not too late to change the trajectory for many of these incredible birds.
“We are so grateful to everyone who made the RDB-online happen, from scientists to photographers.”
The findings from the RDB-online will directly influence decisions such as the establishment and expansion of protected areas, renewable energy development planning and critical habitat management.