Habitat-use and range contraction of Swainson’s Spurfowl at the Krugersdorp Game Reserve, Gauteng province, South Africa

Abstract

The long-term effect of vegetation changes on the distribution of terrestrial gamebirds is poorly understood. This paper discusses the driving forces of range contraction and population decline of Swainson’s Spurfowl Pternistis swainsonii  in the 1 400 ha Krugersdorp Game Reserve. Spurfowl sighted, counted and recorded on standard maps offered useful data for statistical comparisons between two periods: 1979–1982 and 2002–2005. The gradual replacement of weeds with grasses in the old vegetable gardens is regarded as the prime population limiting factor of spurfowl. The core areas from where chicks were resourced shrank and, consequently, no young birds were evicted from the population to forage in marginal habitat so their overall range decreased substantially. To ensure a viable population in the reserve, stream and river banks must be protected from erosion and an excessive overgrowth of reeds Phragmites australis and poplar wood. These damp areas provide the soft soil in which this species dig for food, especially during winter.

OSTRICH 2011, 82(1): 43–47