© Sipho Ndebele
We maintain and improve the high-elevation wetlands of South Africa to provide suitable habitat for threatened species and safeguard vital ecosystem services that benefit local and downstream communities. We accomplish this by addressing local and regional threats to water resources using the plight of the White-winged Flufftail as a flagship species for upper catchment conservation.
The White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi) is a globally Critically Endangered bird endemic to Africa. It is one of the rarest and most threatened waterbirds on the continent. South Africa and Ethiopia are the only countries where the bird is known to breed. Populations and distributions have declined due to the destruction and degradation of wetlands. In fact, wetlands, along with rivers and estuaries, are the most threatened and unprotected ecosystems in South Africa. By protecting and promoting healthy wetlands for the White-winged Flufftail, water resources and other species that depend on intact wetlands for their survival are conserved. This involves a multi-pronged approach that addresses management, protection, stewardship, advocacy, and awareness, while also improving our understanding of the White-winged Flufftail to inform conservation. Our approach has demonstrated holistic and meaningful benefits for wildlife and the people who derive ecosystem services from wetlands.
The threatened and elusive White-winged Flufftail requires specialised methods for surveying and mitigating the impacts of development. BirdLife South Africa’s government-endorsed toolkit helps environmental practitioners provide informed recommendations to developers to support a sustainable future.
Wetlands provide irreplaceable ecosystem services but face serious threats from mismanagement. BirdLife South Africa and partners have developed practical, illustrated guidelines to help people steward high-elevation wetlands in southern Africa. The guidelines make complex science accessible, showing how to balance land use with conservation.
Targeted at ages 5-8, the story follows the adventures of a young White-winged Flufftail named Saro and his animal friends as he learns to fly. Along the journey, he encounters threats to the wetland that conservationists are working to remedy. The book includes a glossary to expand on basic wetland concepts.Â
Numerous species have been observed to successfully cross the wildlife-friendly fence without fatalities.
Protected area declarations, such as nature reserves and protected environments, provide a platform for establishing biodiversity stewardship by safeguarding the site from external developments and securing long-term landowner commitment to manage the site for conservation. We are actively expanding the protected area network within the Steenkampsberg Grasslands Key Biodiversity Area.Â
Biodiversity stewardship recognises private and communal landowners as custodians of their land and encourages the sustainable management of natural resources alongside daily land-use activities.
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) consider the White-winged Flufftail as needing the highest level of protection.
The White-winged Flufftail is an engaging and charismatic species that helps people understand and appreciate the threats wetlands face from land-use activities. School and public presentations included practical demonstrations to illustrate wetland ecology and waterbird research.
Surveys using passive monitoring equipment, such as camera traps and acoustic recorders, with accompanying habitat measurements, and collection of vegetation data, provide insight into the ecology of the White-winged Flufftail and other wetland species.
