Sandgrouse Success

The first few days of September 2009 saw a Great Challenge between Man and Bird, more specifically Joan Faiola, Karen Dixon, Barbi Forsyth (all members of Wits Bird Club) and myself versus the beautiful Yellow-throated Sandgrouse.

The Team

l - r Stuart Groom, Joan Faiola, Barbi Forsyth, Karen Dixon

Courtesy of Barbi Forsyth

The Target


The Great Challenge

In 1989/90, Sheila Blane of Wits Birds Club conducted a study of the Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, which was eventually published in Ostrich. All we know of the species is contained in this study, and although Warwick Tarboton ringed 6 birds in the 89/90 period, these records never made it onto the SAFRING data base. With this in mind, Joan contacted me a couple of weeks earlier with her suggestion to attempt to ring some sandgrouse at the Sun City site. What made this tricky was that we had no idea what would work on the Sandgrouse, so this would be a definite learning curve for us.

We had everything we needed:

Our Experienced Ringer - Karen Dixon
Our Observant Observers - Joan and Barbi
Our “Muscle” - Me
Our Bird Food - Chick Chick No. 1

Now all we needed were some willing Sandgrouse.

The Great Challenge began.

1st September 2009

Today saw the team setting up traps around the stream and in the surrounding grassy areas the birds were known to “graze” through. The Sandgrouse turned out to be very skittish near the traps, and avoided them completely. A slight rearrangement of traps took place for the afternoon’s attempt, but with no success.

Sandgrouse 1 The Team 0

2nd September 2009

Our Challenge was put on hold for the morning so that we could attend a meeting with Mr Ralph Makanya of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, the person responsible for the land under the Bafokeng’s control. We outlined our plans and intended activities, and were given permission to set up mist nets on tribal land. We left the meeting eager to get going that afternoon.

Whilst trapping the previous day, numerous Sandgrouse were seen to land at a spot roughly 70m further up the stream. Nets were set up at this site, and the wait began. The Sandgrouse gave us a hard time again, with all of them landing anywhere but at our targeted site. After calling it a day, the nets were taken down and packed away, and within 5 minutes of this, Double-banded Sandgrouse were landing and pecking away at the seed laid out by us, right where the nets were moments before.

Sandgrouse 2 The Team 0

3rd September 2009

This was our last chance to succeed, as Joan, Karen and Barbi were heading home later in the morning. We were at the site at 05:45, and immediately started stringing nets around the original site. While still setting up the first net, we narrowly missed bagging ourselves a few Double-banded Sandgrouse who somehow just managed to miss the nets. Once the nets were up, the wait began again. First bird to test the nets for us was a male White-browed Scrub-Robin, who was ringed and released. The first Sandgrouse started flying past just after 08:00, but none were keen on getting caught. They mostly seemed to be landing at the other site further up the stream. Barbi and I broke away to this site in the hope of making sure the Sandgrouse choose somewhere else to land, preferably in amongst the nets. Time steadily ticked past, until a great shout arose from Karen, she had one. What??!! Could it be true??!! The excitement was palpable as we all rushed back to the vehicle. With shaking hands, we all squeezed into Barbi’s Landrover. There was no way we were letting this one get away!

Courtesy of Karen Dixon

After a few deep breaths to calm the nerves, Karen carefully started recording all the necessary measurements on a beautiful male Yellow-throated Sandgrouse:

Ring: PA09626

Time: 08:30

Mass: 424g

Tail: 95mm
Tarsus: 36.1mm
Head: 49.8mm
Culmen: 18.0mm
Wing: 225mm (minimum chord *)

(* Minimum Wing Chord means that the wing was relaxed and not stretched along the rule. This is often necessary for larger birds.)

After capturing all the necessary information, and some quick photo opportunities, the male was released.

Sandgrouse 2 The Team 1

Courtesy of Joan Faiola

While watching the male fly off, I had a “gut-feel” moment and headed back to the nets to check up, and couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw another Sandgrouse caught in a different net. The sprint was on, and soon, I had the second male in hand. Wow, what a feeling!

After the shock of our double success wore off, Karen again started the meticulous measuring process:

Ring: 693480
Time: 08:46
Mass: 359g

Tail: 90mm

Tarsus: 30.9mm

Head: 50.6mm
Culmen: 15.7mm

Wing: 222mm (minimum chord)

Courtesy of Joan Faiola

Once Karen was done, we spent a moment allowing this amazing moment to settle in, before sending the male on his way.

Sandgrouse 2 The Team 2

Courtesy of Joan Faiola

However, the Sandgrouse were not finished with us yet. Barbi’s shout reached us with word of yet another Sandgrouse caught in the net. Again, the sprint was on, but sadly, as I reached the net, the male managed to extricate himself with a few twists and turns and hastily flew off. So close, yet so far!!

Final Score:

Sandgrouse 2.5 The Team 2.5

I must say a massive well done to the team for pulling this amazing feat off, it was a job well done!! And congratulations on being the first to add this charismatic species to the SAFRING data base!