Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) urban nesting and roosting sites

  • Published:
Urban Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) have increased in population size and expanded in range in South Africa possibly as a result of increased use of exotic trees for nesting and roosting in urban areas. We investigated the urban nesting and roosting sites of the Hadeda Ibis by measuring tree height and species used by Hadeda Ibis for nesting and roosting in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We expected Hadeda Ibis nests and roosts to have habitats, like wetlands, to be within 10 km of the roost or nest tree. Hadeda Ibis nest and roost locations were mapped using ArcGIS and available resources (grasslands, wetlands, plantations, other natural water sources) 10 km around each roost and nest tree were determined. Results showed that Hadeda Ibis use exotic trees for nesting and roosting in urban areas more than indigenous trees. This may be because exotic trees are more available in urban environments, particularly those trees that have ornamental value. Hadeda Ibis did not nest and roost closer to expected resources. Although previously associated with wetlands, Hadeda Ibis in urban environments were not close to natural water sources. This can be explained by swimming pools providing accessible drinking water and well watered lawns providing suitable foraging habitat therefore allowing them to roost and nest in this urban habitat.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams CE, Lindsey KJ, Ash SJ (2006) Urban Wildlife Management. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Agee JK (1995) Management of greenbelts and forest remnants in urban forest landscapes. In: Bradley GA (ed) Urban forest landscapes, intergrating multidisciplinary perspectives. University of Washington Press, Seattle, pp. 128–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti M, Marzluff JM, Shulenberger E, Bradley G, Ryan C, Zumbrunnen C (2003) Integrating humans into ecology: opportunities and challenges for studying urban ecosystems. Bioscience 53:1169–1179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alvey AA (2006) Promoting and preserving biodiversity in the urban forest. Urban Forest Urban Green 5:195–201. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2006.09.003

  • Anderies JM, Katti M, Shochat E (2007) Living in the city: resource availability, predation, and bird population dynamics in urban areas. J Theor Biol 247:36–49. doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2007.01.030

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett BM (2014) Model invasions and the development of national concerns over invasive introduced trees: insights from South African history. Biol Invasions 16:499–512. doi:10.1007/s10530-013-0601-1

  • Benton-Short L, Short JR (2008) Cities and nature. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair RB (1996) Land use and avian species diversity along an urban gradient. Ecol Appl 6:506–519. doi:10.2307/2269387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bland RL, Tully J, Greenwood JJD (2004) Birds breeding in British gardens: an underestimated population? Bird Study 51:97–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brubaker DL, Brubaker KL, Thompson BC (2003) Raptor and Chihuahuan raven nesting on decommissioned telephone-line poles in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. J Raptor Res 37:135–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Chace JF, Walsh JJ (2006) Urban effects on native avifauna: a review. Landscape Urban Plan 74:46–69. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2004.08.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain DE, Cannon AR, Toms MP, Leech DI, Hatchwell BJ, Gaston KJ (2009) Avian productivity in urban landscapes: a review and meta-analysis. Ibis 151:1–18. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2008.00899.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coates Palgrave M (ed) (2005) Keith Coates Palgrave trees of Southern Africa, 3 edn. Struik Publishers, Cape Town

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies ZG, Fuller RA, Loram A, Irvine KN, Sims V, Gaston KJ (2009) A national scale inventory of resource provision for biodiversity within domestic gardens. Biol Conserv 142:761–771. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.12.016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis A, Taylor CE, Major RE (2011) Do fire and rainfall drive spatial and temporal population shifts in parrots? A case study using urban parrot populations. Landscape Urban Plan 100:295–301. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.12.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duckworth GD, Altwegg R (2014) Environmental drivers of an urban hadeda ibis population. Ardea 102:21–29. doi:10.5253/078.102.0104

  • Duckworth GD, Altwegg R, Guo D (2010) Soil moisture limits foraging: a possible mechanism for the range dynamics of the hadeda ibis in southern Africa Divers Distrib 16:765–772. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00683.x

  • Duckworth GD, Altwegg R, Harebottle DM (2012) Demography and population ecology of the hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) at its expanding range edge in South Africa. J Ornith 153:421–430. doi:10.1007/s10336-011-0758-2

  • Evans KL, Hatchwell BJ, Parnell M, Gaston KJ (2010) A conceptual framework for the colonisation of urban areas: the blackbird Turdus merula as a case study. Biol Rev 85:643–667. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00121.x

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Francis RA, Chadwick MA (2012) What makes a species synurbic? Appl Geog 32:514–521. doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.06.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garden JG, McAlpine CA, Possingham HP (2010) Multi-scaled habitat considerations for conserving urban biodiversity: native reptiles and small mammals in Brisbane, Australia. Landscape Ecol 25:1013–1028. doi:10.1007/s10980-010-9476-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lososová Z, Chytrý M, Tichý L, Danihelka J, Fajmon K, Hájek O, Kintrovál K, Kühn I, Láníková D, Otýpková Z, Rehorek V (2012) Native and alien floras in urban habitats: a comparison across 32 cities of Central Europe. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 21:545–555 doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00704.x

  • Macdonald IAW, Richardson DM, Powrie FJ (1986) Range expansion of the hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) in southern Africa. S Afr J Zool 21:331–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møller AP (2011) Song post height in relation to predator diversity and urbanization. Ethology 117:529–538. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2011.01899.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møller LA, Skou AMT, Kollmann J (2012) Dispersal limitation at the expanding range margin of an evergreen tree in urban habitats? Urban Forest Urban Green 11:59–64. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2011.10.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paker Y, Yom-Tov Y, Alon-Mozes T, Barnea A (2014) The effect of plant richness and urban garden structure on bird species richness, diversity and community structure. Landscape Urban Plan 122:186–195. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.10.005

  • Raedeke DAM, Raedeke KJ (1995) Wildlife habitat design in urban forest landscapes. In: Bradley GA (ed) Urban forest landscapes, intergrating multidisciplinary perspectives. Univeristy of Washington Press, Seattle, pp. 139–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramalho CE, Hobbs RJ (2012) Time for a change: dynamic urban ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 27:179–188. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2011.10.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reale JA, Blair RB (2005) Nesting success and life-history attributes of bird communities along an urbanization gradient. Urban Habitats 3:1–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutz C (2008) The establishment of an urban bird population. J Anim Ecol 77:1008–1019. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01420.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • SABAP 2 (2014) Animal demography unit, Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town. Accessed from http://sabap2.adu.org.za/

  • Savard J-PL, Clergeau P, Mennechez G (2000) Biodiversity concepts and urban ecosystems. Landscape Urban Plan 48:131–142. doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00037-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider SC, Miller JR (2014) Response of avian communities to invasive vegetation in urban forest fragments. Condor 116:459–471. doi:10.1650/CONDOR-13-009R1.1

  • Singh P, Downs CT (2016) Hadedas in the hood: hadeda ibis activity in suburban neighbourhoods of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Urban Ecosyst. doi:10.1007/s11252-016-0540-6

  • Soldatini C, Albores-Barajas YV, Mainardi D, Monaghan P (2008) Roof nesting by gulls for better or worse? Ital J Zool 75:295–303. doi:10.1080/11250000701884805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sprau P, Roth T, Naguib M, Amrhein V (2012) Communication in the third dimension: song perch height of rivals affects singing response in nightingales. Plos One 7:e32194 Published online. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032194

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vernon CL, Dean WRJ (2005) Hadeda ibis. In: Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ, Ryan PG (eds) Roberts birds of Southern Africa, VII edn. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, pp. 609–610

    Google Scholar 

  • White JG, Antos MJ, Fitzsimons JA, Palmer GC (2005) Non-uniform bird assemblages in urban environments: the influence of streetscape vegetation. Landscape Urban Plan 71:123–135. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2004.02.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilby RL, Perry GLW (2006) Climate change, biodiversity and the urban environment: a critical review based on London, UK. Prog Phys Geogr 30:73–98. doi:10.1191/0309133306pp470ra

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thank you to all persons who responded to newspaper articles and roost requests and the National Research Foundation (ZA) for providing a bursary to P. Singh. Thanks to G. Fuller for equipment to measure tree height. We are grateful for the constructive comments of the reviewers.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa

    Preshnee Singh & Colleen T. Downs

Authors
  1. Preshnee Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Colleen T. Downs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Colleen T. Downs.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Singh, P., Downs, C.T. Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) urban nesting and roosting sites. Urban Ecosyst 19, 1295–1305 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0541-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0541-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation