Introduction

The Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (affectionately known as the Fitztitute) is located at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where it is housed within the Zoology Department. Situated at the tip of Africa, the Fitztitute is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the vast untapped biological resources of the continent. Members of the department are committed to developing a greater understanding of these, through the training of scientists and the pursuit of primary research, from evolutionary ecology to conservation biology. The Institute is also home to the Niven Library, which holds what is probably Africa's most comprehensive Ornithology collection and reprints of the Institute's vast publication record.

The Institute was recently identified as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation.