Page 116 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

2.2.3.8 Seabirds breeding at Southern Coastal Mines, southwest

Namibia

Author: Liezl Maritz
Abstract:
From 2017–2021, three species of seabird bred at eight mining ponds in the southern portion of the Tasau//Khaeb (Sperrgebeit) National
Park in southwest Namibia: White-breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) and Hartlaub’s Gull
(Chroicocephalus hartlaubii). This chapter collates estimates of numbers of each species breeding annually at the different localities.
Introduction:
Mining operations for diamonds along the south-western Namibian coastline, within the Tasau//Khaeb (Sperrgebeit) National Park, have
created multiple coastal seawater ponds that form resting, feeding and breeding habitat for waterbirds in an otherwise arid environment
that lies north of the Orange River, which forms the border between Namibia and South Africa (Maritz 2020). Three species of seabirds
have bred at eight of these ponds: White-breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) and Hartlaub’s
Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii). Additionally, Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) and African Sacred Ibis
(Threskiornis aethiopicus) bred at one of the ponds. The locations of these ponds are shown in Figure 1.
This chapter collates estimates of numbers of each species breeding at the different ponds from observations that commenced in July
2017 and continued into 2021. For localities visited on multiple occasions annually, the highest number of pairs recorded at any one time
is shown for each year. The eight localities used for breeding are listed from north to south. Ponds N84, N70, N49 and S2 were often
used for breeding. Ponds N83, N47, S4 and S3 were used less frequently.

26°

20°
LÜderitz

27° NAMIBIA
SPERRGEBIET

NAMIBIA
25°

28°
LÜderitz N84
N83
N70
Orange River N49
N47
Oranjemund S4 S3 Oranjemund
S2
30° 15° 16° 17°

SOUTH AFRICA

35°

15° 20° 25° 30°
Figure 1. The Southern Coastal Mines license area (shaded green) and the mining ponds used by seabirds and other waterbirds for
breeding in it. The borders of the Tsau //Khaeb National Park (formerly Sperrgebiet) National Park, Namibia, are also shown

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