Birds

Back to Monitoring Population Size & Trend

Malilangwe is home to an exceptional diversity of birdlife, with over 330 species recorded across the reserve; among these are 60 species of raptors, including 11 species of owl. Our long-term research and monitoring of Malilangwe’s birds, described below, has provided valuable insights into population trends, habitat use, and emerging conservation threats, enabling targeted management interventions to safeguard avian biodiversity.

Research & Monitoring

An understanding of Malilangwe’s bird populations was first formed in 1995, when surveys of the Malilangwe Range recorded an exceptionally high density of 38 raptor species in the sandstone hills, representing one of the highest known concentrations of raptors globally. This research work was expanded to encompass the entire reserve in 2002, with follow-up studies conducted in 2003, 2005, and 2006 to monitor population status and trends, forming the basis for our raptor knowledge at Malilangwe.

In the late 1990s, as part of a PhD study conducted at Malilangwe, researcher James Dale investigated the Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea), the world’s most abundant bird species. His research examined the function of the species’ ornamental breeding plumage and concluded that it most likely facilitates individual recognition among competing males within densely populated nesting colonies. Building on this work, the Malilangwe team has systematically mapped the size and distribution of quelea breeding colonies through GIS mapping, creating a long-term spatial database of colony locations and extent on the Malilangwe reserve.

In our current research, we are investigating how woodland structure influences bird populations. Through a comparative study between Malilangwe and neighbouring Gonarezhou National Park, researchers are assessing the impact of elephant-driven habitat modification on avian diversity. Gonarezhou supports a higher elephant density than Malilangwe, which has resulted in damage to the Park’s woodlands. Preliminary fence-line comparisons have provided strong evidence that the diversity of bird species there is dwindling due to this habitat loss, highlighting the importance of intact woodland habitats for maintaining bird diversity. These findings are currently being prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, which we hope will be available by the end of 2027.

Interventions

Our research and monitoring efforts have provided valuable insights into the factors influencing avian livelihoods, enabling our team to identify emerging threats and implement targeted conservation interventions.

One of the most significant threats identified has been poisoning. During Zimbabwe’s economic crisis (2006–2008), large numbers of doves were poisoned in communal lands surrounding the reserve for sale as bushmeat. Our monitoring revealed substantial secondary impacts on scavenging raptors, particularly Tawny Eagles and Bateleurs, which fed on the poisoned birds. Between 2006 and 2011, five Bateleurs and twelve Tawny Eagles were confirmed poisoning victims. These findings highlighted the need for intervention, prompting Malilangwe’s security team to work closely with traditional leaders and local communities to raise awareness of the issue. This engagement successfully halted the practice and reduced a major source of mortality for local raptor populations.

Similarly, in July 2012, a poisoning incident in neighbouring Gonarezhou National Park resulted in the deaths of 197 vultures that fed on a poisoned elephant carcass. Many of the affected vultures regularly nested within Malilangwe, and population monitoring subsequently recorded a marked decline in active nests. Recognising the continued risk that mass poisoning of other species posed to vulture populations, Gonarezhou Conservation Trust and Malilangwe commissioned a position paper in 2014 to evaluate mitigation strategies and guide future conservation efforts.

Malilangwe’s research has also informed proactive approaches to reducing human-wildlife conflict. Through our study and monitoring of Red-billed Quelea populations, we have identified and mapped breeding colonies across the reserve. This knowledge has enabled the development of a sustainable management strategy that benefits both local communities and wildlife. Because quelea can cause significant damage to surrounding cereal crops, Malilangwe permits communities to harvest chicks from breeding colonies during the nesting season. This provides a valuable source of protein while helping to reduce crop losses and potential conflict with farmers.