MARINE CORMORANTS BREEDING ON THE MAINLAND AT STONY POINT, SOUTHERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
Marine Cormorants Breeding on the Mainland at Stony Point, Southern Cape, South Africa
J. Cooper
Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa
Received 10 February 1988, accepted 7 March 1988
Stony Point (34 22S 18 54E) southern Cape, South Africa has long been used as a mainland roost by marine cormorants (pers. obs.). In 1982 Jackass Penguins Spheniscus demersus commenced breeding at the locality (Broni 1982). Growth in size of the penguin colony (Cooper 1985) and the need for its protection from human disturbance led to the area being fenced in July 1987 (Bally 1987).
Soon after this, cormorants commenced breeding at this locality for the first time. On 31 October and 22 November 1987, I conducted censuses of occupied nests, using binoculars from outside the fence. I counted two nests of the Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus and seven nests of the Crowned Cormorant P. coronatus on both dates. There were 47 occupied nests of the Whitebreasted Cormorant P. carbo in October and 57 nests in November. Adult Cape Cormorants P. capensis were present but showed no signs of breeding on either visit.
These records represent the 47th known colony of the Bank Cormorant, the 43rd of the Crowned Cormorant and the 69th of the marine population of the Whitebreasted Cormorant in southern Africa (Williams 1987 and references therein).
It is certain that the protection of the mainland roost from human disturbance has led to it being used as a breeding locality by the three cormorant species.
References
Bally, R. 1987. Protecting the Betty's Bay penguin colony Afr. Wildlife 41:299.
Broni, S. 1982. First recorded mainland breeding by the Jackass Penguin Spheniscus demersus. Cormorant 10:120.
Cooper, J. 1985. New breeding locality data for southern African seabirds, Jackass Penguin Spheniscus demersus. Cormorant 13:81.
Williams, A.J. 1981. New seabird breeding localities, and an extension of Bank Cormorant range, along the Namib coast of southern Africa. Cormorant 15:98-102.
