The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) today agreed to measures that, if appropriately implemented by tuna longline fishing vessels, will result in significant reductions in albatross mortality.

South African vultures are in serious trouble, especially the Cape Vulture, which is critically endangered, with only 2900 breeding pairs remaining. Reasons for their decline are varied, but include problems such as pylon injuries, malicious poisonings, muti killings and insufficient food sources.

During the recent JoBerg2C mountain bike race, BirdLife South Africa's 'Fast and Featherless' team and their famous patron raised much needed funds and awareness for bird conservation in South Africa.

The builders departed and the gardening of the small courtyard began. I wanted to bring the garden into the house, so to speak. All shade plants, big and small ferns in our small space but most of all a small bird- bath / pond.

Farmers and farm workers are encouraged to report mortalities of Cranes and show where they occur, so that they can be recorded and some proactive measures can be taken to prevent such incidents in the future (such as marking of power lines with flappers).

Of the 9 856 bird species on Earth, 1 226 are listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Forty of these occur in South Africa and of these 20 are endemic. Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, species are now disappearing from our planet at an alarming rate, and studies have shown that this is mostly driven by human activities.

There is growing concern about the impact that illegal trade in is having on wildlife populations world-wide, while the potential risk posed to indigenous species should these imported alien animals escape, is also cause for concern.

The first Saturday of September every year is observed as International Vulture Awareness day by the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Birds of Prey Programme (EWT-BoPP), its partners and associates including provincial conservation bodies and several other NGOs involved in vulture research and conservation in South Africa.

Owl boxes are being used in various settings from townships to farms. Humans benefit through rodent control, and owls get safe sanctuary and a good food source ' a true win-win arrangement. I lived on a farm once and developed an affinity for owls through that time. So when I heard about owl boxes recently I was drawn to find out more.