Sarothrura elegans
Records: 4
Drafted by: Faansie Peacock
Draft Text Last Updated: 14 June 2005
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Distribution: 3 Birds were recorded (one bird was recorded by two observers) – one from Mkhombo NR on 30 December 2002 (L. Botha & G. Scheepers); one from Marievale BS on 4 January 2004 (L. Steen); and one from a suburban garden in Sinoville on 12 December 2004 (L. Heyns). Their presence is usually only revealed by the mournful hooting call of males, given at night or in misty, overcast or drizzly weather. This call might be confused with that of the Small Buttonquail, but the Flufftail’s notes are at higher pitch and longer.
Gaps in Knowledge: Breeding status, population and movements are all unclear at the moment. A priority at this stage would be to confirm the presence of females, taking care not to confuse these with juvenile males (that are prone to vagrancy). Any courtship behaviour, nest building or breeding activities should be reported. Another important question to answer is if the birds are present in the winter months.
Habitat: Buff-spotted Flufftails are normally associated with coastal and afromontane forests, with the nearest records to the study region coming from the escarpment in Mpumalanga. In the study region this species is most frequently reported from suburban gardens, where it inhabits shady, quiet, overgrown areas with plenty of low cover and a soft substrate for foraging. They have also been recorded from Celtis africana riverine woodland in the Moreleta Kloof (pers. obs). Unlike most other Flufftails, this species is not dependant on water, although it may occur in close proximity to forested streams. The records from both Mkhombo and Marievale are intriguing as there is very little (if any) suitable habitat there. If these records are valid, they probably represent vagrant birds.
Status and movements: All records were in mid summer. It is speculated that birds in the study region are altitudinal migrants, spending the non-breeding season at lower altitudes. However, due to the ease with which silent birds can be overlooked, the possibility that they do winter in the study region can not be eliminated. Birds in the Moreleta Kloof showed a level of site fidelity, calling from the same area for two consecutive years (pers. obs). The fact that two males were hooting in response to each other’s calls, in the breeding season, indicates that they were probably territorial. There is even a distinct possibility that breeding occurs in the study region.
Population: Annual, but rare visitor. Probably greatly under-reported due to secretivness and dense habitat. With the development of lush, well-vegetated, watered gardens, this species can probably be expected to increase its numbers in the future. Increased colonization might eventually lead to the establishment of a breeding population. The population in the study region is possibly >10 birds in some years.
Conservation: Not threatened. The alarming extent of alien plant invasion in the study region is beneficial to the spread of forest-loving species, including the Buff-spotted Flufftail.