Bird Ringers strike gold

White Elephant (Bird) Ringing Group has been active since 2004 and to date has ringed nearly 2,500 birds of 127 species. In November 2024, 22 ringers and helpers from 4 countries gathered at the Bush Camp and Umkhaya Cottage. They set out each morning for different parts of Pongola Game Reserve South to erect their mist nets. Over a period of 3 weeks, 35 Red-backed Shrikes were caught, ringed, measured and released back to the wild. The bird later found in Egypt, was ringed by Ezra Shirwell from the UK.

Lyndon Roberts (lead ringer) commented as follows:  “This exciting long-distance recovery of one our ringed birds matches with the classic pattern of ‘loop migration’ known to be exhibited by this species. The route south (which peaks in August and September tends to be concentrated over the Mediterranean, especially the Greek mainland and islands. Northward migration, on the other hand, is usually well to the east, bypassing the Mediterranean altogether.”

In former times the Red-backed Shrike Lanuis collurio was known in the UK (where unfortunately it is now largely absent), as ‘the butcher bird’ owing to its habit of impaling prey on thorns, until ready to eat it. Although shrikes do sometimes take small songbirds, their usual prey consists of insects and small vertebrates.

The Ringing Group will be returning to White Elephant on 13 November (2025) for 4 weeks. Guests will be welcome to join a ringing session by arrangement. Please just speak to one of the staff if you are interested. This is a unique opportunity to see birds close-up, get some supervised hands-on experience and learn about the scientific and conservation value of bird ringing.

To learn more about bird ringing in southern Africa, please go to the Safring website at: https://safring.ringing.africa/