Alan Lee
Tasked with identifying threats to the endemic birds of the Fynbos nearly 10 years ago, this project brings together the research mostly undertaken by Krista Oswald on the vulnerable Cape Rockjumper. We document from start to finish why this species is vulnerable to climate change.
There is often scepticism regarding how or why a species is vulnerable to climate change, especially if the core population range is well protected. Here we show the many, sometimes surprising, ways that climate change directly and indirectly can threaten an organism.
My work on Fynbos birds started in 2012 with a postdoc with the FitzPatrick Institute. One of the most fascinating of the birds restricted to this unique biome is the Cape Rockjumper, which I realised was vulnerable to climate change since its range was so well mapped by climate (specifically mean annual temperature <15 degrees). Krista Oswald then undertook her PhD at Blue Hill Nature Reserve, which I manage. I have spent many hours following and trapping these birds, while Krista has done most of the academic writing. I hope this page serves to highlight how climate change is threatening this unique biome through the many ways a species can be affected.
University of Cape Town
We found that nests had better survival at lower temperatures, with snake predation (our main source of predation) increasing in higher temperatures.
This publication reviews the population status (size and trends) for the six passerine mountain fynbos endemic bird species.
Note in this early publication that Rockjumpers do not alarm call to the presence of one of their major predators of 2020 - boomslang
The boomslang is known as a bird-eating snake that hunts from trees: here documented eating rockjumper chicks
Current and past research being collected by Dr N Oswald on Cape Rockjumpers and other things
