BDInsight – November 2023
Ringing News Bird ringing remains one of the most important research methods for discovering some of the most important basic information about each species. Co...
Tag: Citizen Science
The Biodiversity and Development Institute (BDI) believes that citizen science is far more than citizens collecting data for scientific purposes. The BDI grasps that participation in projects impacts the participants. The experience of interacting with biodiversity is uplifting, adding value to life. So participation in a citizen science project is a form of ecosystem service. It adds value to life. It might be a non-monetary value, but it can be life changing. The BDI believes that participation in projects can and should lead to civic awareness (“this habitat is being lost, what can I do about it”), and from there to democracy.
BDInsight – September 2023
Welcome to the September 2023 edition of the BDInsight. We have plenty of news to share and plenty of exciting events coming up. Read on to find out more…...
Bird ringing at Botuin: summary 2020 to 2023
This blog is a summary of bird ringing at Botuin, Vanrhynsdrop. Over our first three bird ringing visits to Botuin, we have caught 748 birds of 57 species! Botu...
Cueta trivirgata
View the above photo record (by Zenobia van Dyk) in LacewingMAP here. Myrmeleontidae (Antlions) Cueta trivirgata (Gerstaecker, 1885) Identificati...
Citizen Science & Birding in the Karoo
“Oh, it’s a glossy starling!” The car comes to a stop on the side of the highway. The passengers grab their binoculars and cameras and hop out of the vehicle, d...
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Identification Common Waxbills are small greyish-brown birds. This species is not sexually dimorphic; males females look the same. Overall, the Common Waxbill i...
Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens)
The Cape White-eye is a very small, fast-moving bird. Males and females look alike but show geographic variation. This term means that one species can look diff...
Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura)
Identification The Pin-tailed Whydah is a small sexually dimorphic species. Males and females differ dramatically when breeding, and appear similar outside of t...
Cape Weaver (Ploceus capensis)
Identification The Cape Weaver is a medium-sized, brightly coloured bird. Males and females look similar but are not quite alike. Males also differ slightly in ...
Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus)
Identification The Southern Masked Weaver is a medium-sized, brightly coloured bird. Males and females look similar outside of the breeding season but are easil...