Botha's Lark Project - BirdLife South Africa

What We Do & Why We Do It

Botha’s Lark is South Africa’s most threatened bird, surviving in scattered pockets of high-altitude grassland. Our project focuses on finding and monitoring these remaining populations and building the knowledge needed to secure their future.

Through extensive field surveys we locate birds across their range and track population trends over time. We monitor breeding activity, ring individuals to understand movement and survival, and use camera traps at nests to identify the factors shaping breeding success. By investigating threats, from predation to environmental pressures, we produce practical scientific evidence that can guide conservation action.

We do this because preventing the loss of Botha’s Lark depends on knowing where birds persist and what they need to thrive. Our work delivers the data and insight required to inform decisions that protect this uniquely South African species.

How we do it

Through targeted field surveys across the species’ range, we locate Botha’s Larks and track populations over time, strengthening understanding of their distribution and status. Intensive monitoring of breeding activity reveals the drivers of nesting success and failure, allowing us to identify key threats such as predation and environmental pressures. By ringing individuals, we generate long-term insights into movement, survival, and site fidelity, deepening ecological understanding of the species. Together, these efforts combine fieldwork and applied science to produce actionable knowledge that informs conservation planning and contributes directly to ongoing recovery efforts for one of South Africa’s most threatened birds.

Project Downloads

Further Project Information

Science & Monitoring

We search for Botha’s Lark across its scattered grassland range and track populations over time. Currently, around 20–30 birds are known from two populations. Monitoring includes breeding activity through careful observation and camera traps, tracking nest success (19 nests in 2024/2025 and at least 11 so far in 2025/2026), and ringing birds to study movement, survival, and renesting attempts. These combined efforts provide essential data on population health, breeding outcomes, and threats such as predation, guiding practical, evidence-based conservation actions.
What is the Botha’s Lark Species Action Plan?

The Species Action Plan sets out five key goals: research, stakeholder engagement, education and awareness, policy and advocacy, and collaboration. It provides a framework to coordinate monitoring, research, and targeted interventions, ensuring efforts are strategic, science-based, and focused on measurable outcomes that safeguard the species’ long-term survival.

Download the Botha’s Lark Species Action Plan

The Species Action and Implementation Plan is an expanded version, which goes into finer detail about how the Species Action Plan will be implemented.

Download the Species Action and Implementation Plan
Why is Botha’s Lark important beyond the species itself?

Botha’s Lark is a flagship for South Africa’s high-altitude grasslands, highlighting the value of these overlooked ecosystems. Its sensitivity to habitat change also makes it a “canary in the coal mine”: declines signal wider environmental pressures. By protecting the species, we gain insight into grassland health, which benefits biodiversity, ecosystem services, and sustainable land use.
What have we learned so far?

Ongoing research has improved our understanding of distribution patterns, breeding ecology, and the pressures affecting Botha’s Lark populations. Monitoring has highlighted the variability of nesting success and the importance of local environmental conditions. Each field season strengthens the evidence base needed to refine conservation strategies and ensure actions are grounded in robust scientific knowledge.
Guidance for observing Botha's Lark
- Visitation to regularly occupied and known breeding localities during the documented breeding season (September – November) is strongly discouraged. The welfare of both the species and their habitat remains the highest priority.
- Driving vehicles off-road and/or straying off known footpaths and/or trails while not birding from a vehicle is strongly discouraged, given the species’ tendency to nest in open patches of grassland.
- Birders are to be respectful of private property at all times and should in no manner, shape, or form take it upon themselves to infringe upon the rights of others and/or their private property.
- Should you locate a Botha’s Lark while birding:
  
  Maintain a safe observational distance of no less than 10 (ten) meters from the birds.
  
  If possible, please verify your sighting with a photograph and do not disturb the bird(s), adhering to the recommended observational distance.
  
  Retreat immediately once you have taken a photograph, and do not spend more time than necessary at the sighting.
  
  Please submit a copy of any photograph(s) directly to Matthew Orolowitz, Birding Ecotours Fellow of Grasslands Conservation at BirdLife South Africa, by emailing as soon as possible.
  
  Kindly ensure to include the following important details: GPS location, habitat description, date and time, behaviour (e.g., breeding, feeding, etc.), number of birds, and your contact details.
  
  Ensure that you log your sighting(s) on the BirdLasser App and join the BirdLife South Africa Threatened Species Cause under the “causes” tab.
  
  If you use an alternative application to log your bird sightings, such as eBird, iGoTerra, Bindo, Birda, etc., please ensure that you share the data submitted to these platforms with Matthew Orolowitz.
  
  Refrain from using any form of callback, laser pointers, flush lines, and/or rope dragging.
  
  Nest approaching is strongly discouraged, given the catastrophic consequences such conduct may have on the nest’s success.
  
  These recommended observational guidelines serve as a strong recommendation to all birders and bird guides, and are binding on all BirdLife South Africa trained birding guides, who will not entertain requests to breach them. Please respect and adhere to their instructions.
How can I help?

Make a Donation:

Every contribution helps, no matter the size. Donate to fund critical research, habitat conservation, and community engagement efforts. Click the Donate button in the header, and leave a comment for “Botha’s Lark”

Spread the Word:

Raise awareness about Botha’s Lark and its plight by sharing information on social media, in community groups, and within your network.

Report Sightings:

If you spot Botha’s Lark or similar species, report your sightings through our designated channels (BirdLasser preferably).