Page 229 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

2.2.4.11 Mainland breeding localities between Tsitsikamma
National Park and Woody Cape

Authors: AP Martin, and PA Whittington

Abstract:
Nine seabird species bred or attempted to breed along the coastline between the eastern boundary of the Tsitsikamma section of the Gar-
den Route National Park and Woody Cape: African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), White-breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus),
Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), Hartlaub’s Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii), Grey-headed Gull (C. cirrocephalus), Greater Crested (Swift)
Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) and Damara Tern (Sternula balaenarum).
The breeding was at 20 localities in the region that included estuaries, coasts, saltpans and dunefields. Numbers breeding at particular
localities were influenced by development, human disturbance and fluctuating water levels in pans, to which species often adapted by
moving to more suitable sites within the region. Hartlaub’s Gulls were first seen in the Port Elizabeth vicinity in 1977 and were first recorded
breeding in the Eastern Cape in 1982. Grey-headed Gulls were considered uncommon near Port Elizabeth until the late 1960s and first
bred in the Eastern Cape in 1979. In 2022, 836 pairs bred in the region, which was > 90% of the population breeding in the Benguela
ecosystem.
Introduction:
Seabirds have bred at 20 localities along South Africa’s south coast between Tsitsikamma National Park and Woody Cape at the east
of Algoa Bay. These include seven sites on the Swartkops River floodplains and estuary. Nine seabird species bred or attempted to
breed on this portion of the mainland: African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), White-breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus), Kelp
Gull (Larus dominicanus), Hartlaub’s Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii), Grey-headed Gull (C. cirrocephalus), Greater Crested (Swift)
Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) and Damara Tern (Sternula balaenarum).
Additionally Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) and Cape Cormorant (P. capensis) have bred at marine islands along the coastline (Crawford
et al. 2009).
The positions of the 20 breeding localities are shown in Figure 1. Records of breeding are collated below with brief descriptions
of localities. The localities are ordered from west to east. ‘√’ signifies breeding occurred 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 Areas (IBAs) were recog- nised for this region (Barnes 1998, Marnewick et al. 2015) as briefly summarised
below.
The Maitland–Gamtoos Coast is a stretch of coastal dunefield 23 km in length and 0.75 km wide that runs from the Gamtoos River
Mouth to the Maitland River mouth and holds up to 10% of the global population of African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini;
Barnes 1998).
The Swartkops River Estuary, Redhouse and Chatty Saltpans lie on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, 15 km north of Port Elizabeth
harbour and are a Global Important Bird Area (Marnewick et al. 2015). The main tributaries of the Swartkops River, the KwaZungu and
Elands rivers drain the coastal mountains and have their confluence north-west of Kariega (Uitenhage). The marine dominated estuary
is permanently open to the sea and is tidal for c. 16 km upstream of the mouth. The upper estuary is narrow and twists its way through
steep banks of muddy sand. It becomes less convoluted and widens slightly between Redhouse Village and Brickfields. Below Brickfields
the banks of the estuary flatten and it widens considerably with large areas of intertidal saltmarsh. In the vicinity of the river mouth there
are extensive mud and sandflats (Barnes 1998, Marnewick et al. 2015). The estuary and mudflats support important numbers of African
Black Oystercatcher and in summer migratory Palearctic shorebirds (Martin and Baird 1987, Barnes 1998, Marnewick et al. 2015). To the
north and south of the middle reaches of the estuary are commercial saltpans that are important for several red data species and support
breeding colonies of seabirds (Martin and Randall 1987, Marnewick et al. 2015).
The Algoa Bay Islands Nature Reserve (now a part of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park) consisted of two groups of three
islands each (St Croix Island group and Bird Island group) that held important proportions of the overall populations of African Penguin
and Cape Gannet and most of South Africa’s Roseate Terns. In winter, the Bird Island group held large numbers of Antarctic Terns
(Sterna vittata; Barnes 1998). These two island groups are dealt with in a separate chapter.
The Alexandria Coastal Belt is a stretch of coastal dunefield c. 58 km long and c. 10 km wide that runs from the Sundays River mouth
to Cannon Rocks and includes the coastal grasslands inland of the dunefield and the Alexandria Forest (Barnes 1998, Marnewick et
al. 2015). The Woody Cape section of the Addo Elephant National Park also includes the Alexandria Forests and patches of grassland
(Marnewick et al. 2015).

2 km east of Huisklip Conservation status: Protected as a nature reserve.
Coordinates: 34.15 S; 24.45 E Species and numbers breeding:
Description: The Huisklip Nature Reserve lies on the Kelp Gull
Tsitsikamma coast to the east of the Tsitsikamma Coastal
National Park. Deep gorges cut through the reserve to a Year No. of pairs
rocky coastline interspersed with sandy beaches. Seawa-
ter sometimes surrounds rocky outcrops (https://www.kou- 1967 a 1
gatourism.com/huisklip-nature-reserve/). It was assumed
that the report of breeding by Kelp Gulls below was for this a Crawford et al. (1982)
reserve.

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