Page 80 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Conservation status: Not protected. Donkey Bay
Species and numbers breeding: Coordinates: 22.93 S; 14.42 E
Description: A bay on the west of Pelican Point.
Kelp Gull Conservation status: Not protected.
Year No. of pairs
Source of information: Breeding records from 1977 to
1978 a 15 2009/10 are from Braby (2011). Those from 2010 to 2014

a Crawford et al. (1982a) are unpublished counts of RJ Braby. In 2009/10 Donkey
Bay held a minimum of 8 pairs and in 2014 Horses Graves
Hartlaub’s Gull and Caution Reef together held 167 pairs, so that the
most recent, minimum estimate for the area is 175 pairs.
Year No. of pairs In 2022, these three localities contributed c. 22.5% of the
1983 a 3 overall Damara Tern population (Braby et al. 2024).
1987 a 8
Numbers of Damara Terns breeding at localities between
a Williams et al. (1990) Swakopmund and Walvis Bay

Caspian Tern Horses Caution Dolphin Donkey
Year No. of pairs Year Graves Reef Beach Bay
2004 a 75 No. of pairs
1977 √ √ √
a Simmons (2015a; 75 nest scrapes, including 48 active
nests) 1994/95 120
1997/98 48
2. Damara Tern
2000/01 48
Damara Terns have bred at four sites between Swakopmund
and Walvis Bay. These are described below. 2001/02 59 92
2002/03 122 56
Horses Graves
Coordinates: 22.70 S; 14.55 E 2003/04 89 40 4
Description: The colony covers 2.5 km and is located 4 2004/05 97 60 32
2
km south of Swakopmund and 3 km east of the sea in the
hyper-arid Namib Desert. The terns breed between sand 2005/06 32 13
dunes on gravel plains, which are devoid of vegetation 2006/07 69 92
but have little wind-blown material. By contrast sand
transportation on the adjacent dunes can be high during 2007/08 56 52 8–15
prevailing south-westerly winds (Braby 2011). 2008/09 54 71 8–15
Conservation status: Unauthorised entry is prohibited.
Fences to deter off-road vehicles from driving in the region 2009/10 45 108 8–15
have been erected (Braby 2011). 2010 31 80

Caution Reef 2011 11 120
Coordinates: 22.73 S; 14.53 E 2012 25 50
Description: The main road from Swakopmund to Walvis
Bay runs through the Caution Reef (Patrysberg) Damara 2013 35 100
Tern colony. The area west of the road extends 1 km from 2014 20 147
the sea; the area east of the road spreads up to 600 m from
the road towards high dunes. The habitat is mainly open, References
sparsely vegetated sandy plains. A raised gravel ridge runs
through the centre (Braby 2011). AEWA (Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Conservation status: Unauthorised entry is prohibited. Migratory Waterbirds) 2015. International Multi-species
Fences to deter off-road vehicles from driving in the region Action Plan for the Conservation of Benguela Current
have been erected. (Braby 2011). Upwelling System Coastal Seabirds. AEWA Technical Series
60: 86 pp.
Dolphin Beach Berry HH. 1975. History of the guano platform on Bird Rock, Walvis
Coordinates: 22.83 S; 14.53 E Bay, South West Africa. Bokmakierie 27: 60–64.
Description: Most of the former breeding area on gravel Berry HH, Berry CU. 1975. A checklist and notes on the birds of
Sandvis, South West Africa. Madoqua 9: 5–18.
plains was covered by a housing development that resulted Braby J. 2011. The biology and conservation of the Damara Tern in
in extinction of the colony in 2005/06 (Braby 2011). Namibia. PhD thesis, University of Cape Town, South Africa,
Conservation status: Not protected. 233 pp.

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