17 Feb 2018
The White-winged Flufftail
(Critically Endangered) has just been confirmed to be breeding in South Africa
– not only Ethiopia as previously thought – thanks to a discovery by BirdLife
South Africa’s hidden camera traps. This sheds new light on the bird’s
conservation.
By Jessica Law
Everything we thought we knew
about the White-winged Flufftail Sarothrura ayresi has been shaken up by recent footage
captured by camera trap technology. At Middelpunt Wetland in South Africa, a
site previously thought to cater only to non-breeding visiting Flufftails,
strange photos were recorded. They depicted intriguing wing-flapping behavior,
with both males and females displaying their white wing feathers. Could it be
that something more than feeding was going on? It seemed almost too good to be
true. But later, the ultimate proof appeared – the unmistakable image of a
rotund, speckled juvenile scuttling through the undergrowth. This new knowledge
changes everything.
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