rsg_book_2013

BirdsSuccess of projectHighly Successful Successful Partially Successful FailureReason(s) for success/failure: The social behavior of oxpeckers (communal roosting, helpers at the nest)prompted the decision that a release group contain at least 20 birds (althoughafter three deaths, 19 were freed at Shangani). All the birds were captured atthe same site during a short period, in the hope that the birds were from thesame social group(s). The release site was near the centre of a large ranch that contained numerouswild ungulates, as well as cattle that were dipped with green-label (low toxicity)acaricides. Hence the release ranch was big enough to sustain an oxpeckerpopulation, even though some birds may have died after moving toneighbouring ranches, some of which were still using purple-label acaricides.Nonetheless, the primary goal - of establishing a self-sustaining population inan area from which the species had disappeared - was achieved.ReferencesCouto, J. T. (1994) Operation oxpecker. The Farmer, December 1, 64 (48): 10 -11.Couto, J. T., Honywill, J. & Mundy, P. J. (2000) An evaluation of the exercise totranslocate red-billed oxpeckers in Zimbabwe. Honeyguide 46: 114 - 124.Dunham, K. M., Robertson, E. F. & Swanepoel, C. M. (2003) Population declineof tsessebe antelope (Damaliscus lunatus lunatus) on a mixed cattle and wildliferanch in Zimbabwe. Biological Conservation 113: 111 - 124.Mundy, P. J. (1992) Notes on oxpeckers. Honeyguide 28: 108 - 112.Weeks, P. (2000) Red-billed oxpeckers: vampires or tick birds? BehaviouralEcology 11: 154 - 160.94