We are looking for a research assistant to join our team in our research on the building behaviour of White-browed sparrow weavers in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa.
A Fitz team recently published a paper in the African Journal of Ornithology Ostrich titled ‘Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of ‘true’ francolins: Galliformes, Phasianidae, Phasianinae, Gallini; Francolinus, Ortygornis, Afrocolinus gen. nov., Peliperdix and Scleroptila spp.’ elevating 14 subspecies of francolins to full species status.
International recognition for FitzPatrick Institute Honorary Research Associate, Prof Wendy Foden. - Prof. Foden received the George Rabb Award for Conservation Innovation from the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Red-winged Starling Project is seeking volunteers to help with a supplementary feeding project and chick ringing. This is an excellent opportunity to gain fieldwork experience in the city (UCT Upper Campus) and engage with our (in)famous and fascinating starlings! The work is easy and fun, and you can do as much or little of it as suits you, and at times that fit your schedule. There is a set protocol for the feeding, but training is provided.
The resident population of Red-winged Starlings, Onychognathus morio at the University of Cape Town are often seen scavenging anthropogenic food around students, kiosks and in rubbish bins.
The Black sparrowhawk team has published a paper in the Royal Society journal 'Open Science' showing that birds are at a higher predation risk in dark light conditions.
Rob Little and Rene Navarro recently published a paper on the implications of geographical range changes and resultant sympatry for three Accipiter hawks on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.
Tshifhiwa Mandiwana-Neudani, Rob Little, Tim Crowe and Rauri Bowie recently published a paper in the African journal of ornithology Ostrich titled ‘Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of African spurfowls Galliformes, Phasianidae, Phasianinae, Coturnicini: Pternistis spp.’
Patrick Morant, long-time supporter of the FitzPatrick Institute and former director of SAFRING in the 1970s, died on 30 March.
Applications are invited for a Post-doctoral researcher to undertake research on the drivers of woody encroachment and the impacts on ecological functioning and ecosystem services, through combining broad-scale remotely sensed products, environmental GIS, field, and citizen science bird atlas datasets. The successful applicant will be registered at the University of the Witwatersrand and assume research within the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science (APES) in collaboration with researchers from the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and University of Stellenbosch (and others).
BirdLife South Africa is looking for a well-qualified, experienced and innovative Seabirds Conservation Programme Manager to head the organisation’s Seabird Conservation Programme, implement African Penguin and Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries projects, and to manage the programme’s seabird conservation projects and staff.
Dr Megan Murgatroyd and A/Prof.Arjun Amar together with colleagues from the UK this week published a paper in the journal Nature Communications which has been making considerable media waves.