Page 217 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

2.2.4.9 Coastal breeding sites of seabirds between Gericke’s Punt and
Arch Rock

Authors: RM Randall, BM Randall, CG Hauvette, M Witteveen, RJM Crawford, and AB Makhado
Abstract:
Four species of seabird have bred at ten localities in an eastern section of South Africa’s Western Cape between Gericke’s Punt and Arch
Rock: Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), White-breasted Cormorant (P. lucidus), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) and Caspian
Tern (Hydroprogne caspia). The sites are briefly described and information on numbers breeding collated.
Introduction:
Four species of seabird have bred along the coast of South Africa’s Western Cape Province between Gericke’s Punt and Arch Rock. They
are Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), White-breasted Cormorant (P. lucidus), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) and Caspian Tern
(Hydroprogne caspia). All four species breed both west and east of this section of coast. White-breasted Cormorants and Caspian Terns
additionally breed at inland localities in southern Africa (Hockey et al. 2005).

Breeding has taken place at ten localities, which are shown breeding occurred at a locality but the numbers were not
in Figure 1 and briefly described below. For each locality, ascertained. A short summary of methods used to obtain
records of breeding by the different species were collated the estimates of numbers breeding is given in the chapter
for all years having information. ‘√’ signifies that ‘Introduction to Seabird Breeding Localities’.

Gericke’s Punt and adjacent cliffs Conservation status: Protected in GRNP.
Authors: RM Randall and BM Randall Species breeding: Cape Cormorant, White-breasted
Coordinates: 34.03618 S; 22.76554 E Cormorant, Kelp Gull
Description: A coastal promontory and adjacent mainland Numbers breeding: The maximum numbers (pairs)
cliffs in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route recorded per year for the different species are shown on
National Park (GRNP). the following table

White-breasted
Year Cape Cormorant Kelp Gull Source
Cormorant
1978 1 Crawford et al. (1982)
1982 0 15 0 Boshoff and Riekert (1982)
1983 0 44 0 Boshoff and Riekert (1982)
1995 1 12 4 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
1996 1 6 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
1997 0 10 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
1998 0 15 0 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
1999 1 22 1 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2000 6 34 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2001 0 43 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2002 0 √ √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2003 0 26 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2004 0 20 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2005 0 √ √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2006 0 40 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2007 0 43 6 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2008 4 37 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2009 0 36 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2011 0 2 0 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2012 0 0 √ Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2013 0 11 0 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2014 0 0 4 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2016 1 0 0 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2017 0 7 7 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)
2018 0 0 0 Randall RM, Randall BM (unpubl.)

Notes: The most prominent feature is the headland known They also often roost on Gericke’s Punt itself but rarely
as Gericke’s Punt with cliffs extending westwards. The site breed there, probably on account of human disturbance.
consists of poorly consolidated aeolian deposits arising The earliest record of seabirds breeding at the site dates
from a wave-cut platform and subject to erosion by the sea. from 1982 when 15 pairs of White-breasted Cormorants
Seabirds breed and roost mainly on ledges along the cliffs. were recorded (Boshoff and Riekert 1982). The species

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