Page 135 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

2.2.4.2 Seabirds breeding coastally in South Africa between the
Northern Cape and Cape Columbine

Authors: L Upfold, Y Chesselet, JL Visagie, MJ Wheeler, RJM Crawford, BM Dyer, M Masotla, and AB Makhado

Abstract:
Eleven seabird species have bred at 21 localities in the coastal region of the northern portion of South Africa’s Western Cape, from its
border with the Northern Cape to Cape Columbine. They are: African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Cape Gannet (Morus capensis),
Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), Bank Cormorant (P. neglectus), White-breasted Cormorant (P. lucidus), Crowned Cormorant
(Microcarbo coronatus), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), Hartlaub’s Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii), Grey-headed Gull (C. cirrocephalus),
Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) and Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia). The region includes Penguin Island at Lambert’s Bay,
which hosts one of only six colonies of Cape Gannet but where the colonies of African Penguin and Bank Cormorant became extinct in
2006 and 1999, respectively. Losses of these species and decreases in numbers of Cape Cormorants at the island coincided with a shift
to the southeast in the distributions of their main prey and followed linking of the island to the mainland and its colonisation by Cape Fur
Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). Several estuarine saltworks in the region provided important breeding habitat for gulls and terns.

Introduction:
Eleven seabird species have bred at 21 localities in the coastal region of the northern portion of South Africa’s Western Cape, from its
border with the Northern Cape to Cape Columbine. They are: African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Cape Gannet (Morus capensis),
Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), Bank Cormorant (P. neglectus), White-breasted Cormorant (P. lucidus), Crowned Cormorant
(Microcarbo coronatus), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), Hartlaub’s Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii), Grey-headed Gull (C. cirrocepha-
lus), Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) and Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia). The locations of the breeding sites are shown in
Figure 1 and briefly described below.
For each locality, records of breeding by the different species were collated for all years having information. When multiple counts were
obtained for a species in a given year, the maximum was shown on the relevant table. ‘√’ signifies that breeding occurred at a locality but
the numbers were not ascertained; ‘?’ that breeding may have taken place. A short summary of methods used to obtain the estimates of
numbers breeding is given in the chapter ‘Introduction to Seabird Breeding Localities’.
Four globally Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) were identified for the region: the Olifants River Estuary, Penguin Island at
Lambert’s Bay, Verlorenvlei and the Lower Berg River Wetlands (Barnes 1998, Marnewick et al. 2015). Large numbers of seabirds have
bred at Lambert’s Bay and at saltpans in the Lower Berg River. The Olifants River Estuary, Verlorenvlei and Lower Berg River provided
important habitat for some seabirds as well as other waterbirds (Barnes 1998).
Sources of information for species and numbers breeding: The estimates of numbers of seabirds breeding at the 20 localities
were from the following sources: African Penguin (Frost et al. 1976, Shelton et al. 1984, Crawford et al. 1995, 2011, 2013a, Sherley et al.
2020); Cape Gannet (Jarvis and Cram 1971, Crawford et al. 1983, 2007a, Sherley et al. 2019); Cape Cormorant (Jarvis and Cram 1971,
Cooper et al.1982, Crawford et al. 2007b, 2016); Bank Cormorant (Cooper 1981, Crawford et al. 1999, 2008); White-breasted Cormorant
(Brooke et al. 1982, Crawford et al. 2013b); Crowned Cormorant (Crawford et al. 1982b, 2012); Kelp Gull (Crawford et al. 1982a, 2009,
Whittington et al. 2016); Hartlaub’s Gull (Williams et al. 1990, Crawford and Underhill 2003); Grey-headed Gull (Brooke et al. 1999,
McInnes and Allan 2011); Greater Crested Tern (Cooper et al. 1990, Crawford 2009) and Caspian Tern (Cooper et al. 1992). These
observations were updated by unpublished records of CapeNature (CN) and South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the
Environment (DFFE).
Stack 1 km south of Cliff Point Conservation status: Elephant Rock Nature Reserve was
Coordinates: 31.6053 S, 18.1228 E established as a Provincial Nature Reserve in terms of
Description: A rounded stack south of Cliff Point that is Section 6 of the Nature Conservation Ordinance (Ordi-
close inshore. nance 19 of 1974) on 9 March 1988 and proclaimed as
Conservation status: It is not protected but is within a such by Proclamation No. 23/1988 in the Provincial Ga-
restricted-access zone. zette of 18 March 1988. It is administered by the Western
Species and numbers breeding: Cape, White-breasted Cape Nature Conservation Board (CN).
and Crowned cormorants bred at the stack. Numbers of Species and numbers breeding: Cape, White-breasted
pairs to have done so in different years are shown on the and Crowned cormorants bred at Elephant Rock. Numbers
following table.
of pairs to have done in different years so are shown on the
White- following table.
Cape Crowned
Year breasted
Cormorant Cormorant
Cormorant White-
Crowned
Cape
1980 124 1 Year Cormorant breasted Cormorant
2012 30 6 15 Cormorant
1979 67 7
Elephant Rock 1980 32 3
Coordinates: 31.6443 S, 18.1443 E 1984 1
Description: A large rock off the coast about 7 km north of
the mouth of the Olifants River. 1992 49 1 13
Seabird guano was collected at Elephant Rock in 32 2011 27 4
years between 1897 and 1934, the total quantity removed 2012 12 4
from the island in that time being 868 metric tons (Tom
et al. 2024).

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