Page 220 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Numbers (pairs) of seabirds breeding at Knysna Western Head and Coney Glen, 1969–2022; √ indicates breeding was
confirmed but pairs were not counted
Year Western Head Coney Glen Date Source
White- White-
Cape breasted Kelp Cape breasted Kelp
Cormorant Cormorant Gull Cormorant Cormorant Gull
1969 3 2/11/1969 Brooke et al. (1982)
5/6/1973; Brooke et al. (1982),
1973 √ 11
9/2/1973 Cooper et al. (1982)
1974 √ 1 1/1/1974 Brooke et al. (1982)
1981 29 4/3/1981 Brooke et al. (1982)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2008 282 0 0 0 0 0 30/9/2008
(unpubl.)
Randall RM
2009 28 0 0 97 0 0 16/10/2009
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2010 122 0 0 31 0 0 7/10/2010
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2011 202 0 0 0 0 0 6/10/2011
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2012 421 0 1 0 0 0 12/10/2012
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2013 0 0 0 0 1 0 19/3/2013
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2013 334 0 0 8 0 0 15/8/2013
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2014 376 0 0 0 0 0 25/8/2014
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2015 109 0 0 0 0 0 29/10/2015
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2016 110 0 0 0 0 0 14/9/2016
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2017 16 0 0 0 0 0 3/11/2017
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2018 0 0 0 0 0 0 3/10/2018
(unpubl.)
Randall RM
2019 0 0 0 0 0 0 18/10/2019
(unpubl.)
Randall RM, Randall BM
2020 10 0 0 0 0 0 23/10/2020
(unpubl.)
2022 30 105 19/01/2022 Allan et al. (2023)
Description: Knysna Head is a coastal headland with ad- Cape Cormorants were first recorded breeding at the site
jacent cliffs. Coney Glen is a small, coastal island east of in 2008 when 282 pairs were recorded at Western Head.
the Knysna Estuary. This increased to 421 pairs in 2012, after which there
Conservation status: It is thought that Western Head is was a substantial decline in numbers. There was less
private land and that Coney Glen is unassigned state land. frequent breeding at Coney Glen and the numbers t h e r e
Species breeding: Cape Cormorant, White-breasted w e r e lower than at Western Head. However, 105 pairs
Cormorant, Kelp Gull nested at Coney Glen in January 2022 (Allan et al. 2013).
Notes: The site consists of rock outcrops near sea level The pattern of an initial increase in the numbers breeding
at the entrance to the Knysna estuary and steep mainland at the Knysna sites follows that at Tsitsikamma No 12
cliffs facing out to sea on the western side, as well as (Crawford et al. 2016), as does the subsequent decrease
a small low island on the eastern side of the estuary mouth in later years (Randall et al. 2024). Kelp Gulls bred once at
known as Coney Glen. Western Head.
The earliest record of seabirds breeding at Western
Head was 1969 when three pairs of White-breasted Robberg Peninsula
Cormorants bred there (Brooke et al. 1982). This increased Author: CG Hauvette
to 29 pairs in 1981 (Brooke et al. 1982). After 2008 the Coordinates: 36.10 S; 23.40 E
species was not observed breeding on Western Head Description: Robberg Peninsula is a vegetated rocky
until 30 pairs were seen in 2022 (Allan et al. 2023). White- peninsula on South Africa’s south coast to the west of
breasted Cormorants bred at Coney Glen in 1973, 1974 Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape Province, with steep
and 2013. cliffs on its west and east sides. Its height above sea level

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