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Koedoe 19: 175-176 (1976) 

TWO NEW BIRD RECORDS FOR THE 
TSITSIKAMA NATIONAL PARKS 

G . A. ROBINSON 
Tsitsikama Coastal National Park 
P. O. Stormsrivier 
6)08 

A comprehensive check-list of the birds that possibly could occur in 
the vicinity of the Parks was published by Skead and Liversidge (1967). 
They refer to 210 bird species but only record 205; three species were 
duplicated in Part 1 (forest habitats) and Part 2 (sea habitats). It would 
appear that two species were omitted from Part 1. However, one of the 
species recently recorded should be included in Part 1 while the other 
belongs to Part 2. 

On 1973.07.03 a Lesser Gallinule Porphyrio alieni, (Roberts number 
209) was observed outside the boathouse at Storms River Mouth. This 
bird was captured , fed to a healthy state and eventually released at 
Nature's Valley. 

Prior to the sighting of this bird the weather had been foul with 
strong south-westerly winds and rough seas and rain. The bird was in a 
poor state of health - weak and undernourished . As this species selects 
marshy reeded areas to hive in and no such area exists in the immediate 
vicinity of Storms River Mouth, it was surmised that the bird had been 
blown in from one of these habitats west of Storms River. Nature's 
Valley, nearly 40 km to the western boundary seemed to be a likely area 
that would attract Gallinules. Identification was made by comparing 
the dimensions of the wing, tarsus, culmen, shield width and tail length 
to those of the Purple, American and Lesser Gallinules as presented 
by McLachlan and Liversidge (1970). These are listed in Table 1. 

More recently on 1975.07.15 another Lesser Gallinule was collected 
at Storms River Mouth. This bird was found shortly after the same ad-
verse weather conditions had prevailed as the first, i.e. stormy south-
westerly winds accompanied by heavy rain. The bird was a juvenile and 
in a weak and hungry condition, and it was therefore assumed that the 
bird probably could not have flown. Because the Storms River was in 
flood during the period of both sightings both birds could have come 
down the river which is marshy and has reeds upstream. 

On the 1973 .07. 10 a sea-bird in poor condition, which later died, 
was found on the beach at Nature's Valley. Professor J. M. Winter-
bottom (pen . comm.), identified the bird as a Blue Petrel Halobaena 
caerlea (Roberts number 20). Its measurements are given in Table 1. 

These two additional records brings the total of birds species for the 
Parks to 207. 

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Table 1 

Comparative measurements of gallinules and blue petrels 

GALLINULES BLUE PETREL 

Measurements Storms River Purple' American Lesser .... Nature's Blue Peu-e!· 
specimen Purple' Valley 

speCimen 

Wing 153mm 225-248 mm 162-181 mm 144-160mm 217mm 205-221 mm 

Tarsus 44mm 70--92 mm 58--jj2 mm 45-56 mm 32mm 39-33 mm 

Cu lmen 37 mm 56--71 mm 38-48 mm 35-40 mm 25mm 25-28 mm 

Shield width Ilmm 18-24 mm - - - -
Tail length 65mm 82-101 mm 64-mm 66--73 mm 104mm 77-91 mm 

r.: Measurements from Roberts 

REFERENCES 

McLACHLAN, G. R. and R. LIVERSIDGE. 1970. Roberts birds of South 
Africa. Cape Town: Trustees of the S.A. Bird Book Fund. 

SKEAD, C.J. and R. LIVERSIDGE. 1967. Birds of the Tsitsikama Forest 
and Coastal National Park, 1966. Koedoe 10:43-62. 

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