Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data

Hofmeyr, Sally D; Symes, Craig T; Underhill, Leslie G

Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data

dc.contributor	Michael Brooks	en_ZA
dc.contributor	Rene Navarro	en_ZA
dc.contributor	Donella Young	en_ZA
dc.contributor	Citizen scientists	en_ZA
dc.contributor.author	Hofmeyr, Sally D
dc.contributor.author	Symes, Craig T
dc.contributor.author	Underhill, Leslie G
dc.coverage.spatial	South Africa	en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned	2014-06-19T09:57:07Z
dc.date.available	2014-06-19T09:57:07Z
dc.date.issued	2014-05-09
dc.description.abstract	Data from two long-term citizen science projects were used to examine the status and ecology of a Red List species, the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius (Vulnerable), in South Africa. The first phase of the Southern African Bird Atlas Project operated from 1987 until 1992, and the second phase began in 2007. The Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR) project began in 1993 and by 1998 had expanded to cover much of the south-eastern half of the country. Data submitted up until April 2013 were used. A new method of comparing reporting rates between atlas projects was developed. Changing reporting rates are likely to reflect changes in abundance; in this instance the data suggest that the Secretarybird population decreased across much of South Africa between the two atlas projects, with a widespread important decrease in the Kruger National Park. Habitat data from the CAR project were analysed to gain insight into the ecology of the species. Secretarybirds tended to avoid transformed habitats across much of the area covered by the CAR project. In the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape, which is characterised by heavily transformed fynbos vegetation, at least 50% of Secretarybirds recorded were in transformed environments. This implies that in the Fynbos biome, at least, Secretarybirds have adapted to transformed environments to some degree. However, in the rest of the country it is likely that habitat loss, largely through widespread bush encroachment but also through agriculture, afforestation, and urbanisation, is a major threat to the species. The methods developed here represent a new approach to analysing data from long-term citizen science projects, which can provide important insights into a species’ conservation status and ecology.	en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitation	Hofmeyr, S. D., Symes, C. T., & Underhill, L. G. (2014). Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data. <i>PLoS ONE</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/1019	en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitation	Hofmeyr, Sally D, Craig T Symes, and Leslie G Underhill "Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data." <i>PLoS ONE</i> (2014) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/1019	en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation	Hofmeyr SD, Symes CT, Underhill LG (2014) Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data. PLoS ONE 9(5): e96772. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096772	en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris	TY - Journal Article AU - Hofmeyr, Sally D AU - Symes, Craig T AU - Underhill, Leslie G AB - Data from two long-term citizen science projects were used to examine the status and ecology of a Red List species, the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius (Vulnerable), in South Africa. The first phase of the Southern African Bird Atlas Project operated from 1987 until 1992, and the second phase began in 2007. The Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts (CAR) project began in 1993 and by 1998 had expanded to cover much of the south-eastern half of the country. Data submitted up until April 2013 were used. A new method of comparing reporting rates between atlas projects was developed. Changing reporting rates are likely to reflect changes in abundance; in this instance the data suggest that the Secretarybird population decreased across much of South Africa between the two atlas projects, with a widespread important decrease in the Kruger National Park. Habitat data from the CAR project were analysed to gain insight into the ecology of the species. Secretarybirds tended to avoid transformed habitats across much of the area covered by the CAR project. In the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape, which is characterised by heavily transformed fynbos vegetation, at least 50% of Secretarybirds recorded were in transformed environments. This implies that in the Fynbos biome, at least, Secretarybirds have adapted to transformed environments to some degree. However, in the rest of the country it is likely that habitat loss, largely through widespread bush encroachment but also through agriculture, afforestation, and urbanisation, is a major threat to the species. The methods developed here represent a new approach to analysing data from long-term citizen science projects, which can provide important insights into a species’ conservation status and ecology. DA - 2014-05-09 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - PLoS ONE LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data TI - Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/1019 ER -	en_ZA
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11427/1019
dc.identifier.vancouvercitation	Hofmeyr SD, Symes CT, Underhill LG. Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data. PLoS ONE. 2014; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/1019.	en_ZA
dc.language	eng	en_ZA
dc.publisher	PLoS (Public Library of Science)	en_ZA
dc.publisher.department	Animal Demography Unit (ADU)	en_ZA
dc.publisher.faculty	Faculty of Science	en_ZA
dc.publisher.institution	University of Cape Town
dc.rights	Attribution 3.0 United States	*
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/	*
dc.source	PLoS ONE	en_ZA
dc.title	Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data	en_ZA
dc.type	Journal Article	en_ZA
uct.embed.slideshare	<iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/35300204" width="427" height="356" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px 1px 0; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/SallyHofmeyr/secretarybirds-and-citizen-science-in-south-africa" title="Secretarybirds and Citizen Science in South Africa" target="_blank">Secretarybirds and Citizen Science in South Africa</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/SallyHofmeyr" target="_blank">Sally Hofmeyr</a></strong> </div>
uct.subject.keywords	Avian demography	en_ZA
uct.subject.keywords	Citizen science	en_ZA
uct.subject.keywords	Secretarybirds	en_ZA
uct.subject.keywords	Environmental change	en_ZA
uct.subject.keywords	Bird atlas	en_ZA
uct.type.publication	Research	en_ZA
uct.type.resource	Article	en_ZA