Ringing activity in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, spanned 30 years, with three sites active concurrently over a 14-year period, and three sites over a 6-year period. In total, in the course of 714 ringing days, in all months, we handled 1 207 Amethyst Sunbirds, 708 Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, 707 Greater Double-collared Sunbirds, 381 Grey Sunbirds, 121 Malachite Sunbirds and 140 Collared Sunbirds. Although individuals of all six species were recaptured more than five years after ringing, and despite evidence of the seasonal passage of sunbirds at two sites near the Indian Ocean coast, no birds were recaptured away from the original ringing site. The extent of seasonal movement by these species remains unclear. All species have a complete post-breeding moult, with a period of eclipse plumage in males of the Malachite Sunbird and Southern Double-collared Sunbird. Primary wing-moult in adult Greater and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds extends over three months beginning in December. Inland populations of adult Amethyst Sunbirds and Malachite Sunbirds start primary moult in April. Moult apparently proceeds more rapidly in Malachite Sunbirds (70 days to completion) than in Amethyst Sunbirds (125 days), but the Malachite Sunbird is the only species that frequently displays interrupted/suspended moult in this region. Adult Amethyst Sunbirds in the coastal population evidently start moulting earlier, in late February, with a similar duration to completion as inland birds. Juvenile Amethyst Sunbirds start to moult some two months later than adults in each region and they may complete moult more quickly. Collared Sunbirds appear to have the most protracted moult, extending over five months from November, but estimates of moult parameters for this species and the Grey Sunbird (three months from December) are based on small samples.

The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is a pelagic seabird that breeds on Subantarctic islands and is considered a rare vagrant in South Africa. From 2001 to 2017, six King Penguins were rescued along the South African coast and admitted into rehabilitation centers. These and previous records of King Penguins were obtained near the country’s major ports, which suggests that some of these birds may have been ship-assisted. One of the King Penguins evaluated in this study died shortly after being admitted to the rehabilitation center due to extensive hemorrhage caused by a long-line fishing hook, and another had a beak wound consistent with fishing hook injury. Three King Penguins were infected with the tick-borne protozoan Babesia peircei and two died as a result of babesiosis. One King Penguin was diagnosed with an infection by Rickettsia-like organisms. Pox-like lesions, presumably mosquito-borne, developed on the eyelid skin of one penguin. Additionally, one of two King Penguins permanently captive in Cape Town during the same period also presented a lethal case of spirochetosis, which was possibly tick-borne. These novel records of vector-borne pathogens in King Penguins highlight the risk of seabird rehabilitation centers to serve as potential sources of pathogens to vagrant species, while also illustrating the opportunities that these centers provide for pathogen research and surveillance.

A total of 9 304 birds representing 29 families, 55 genera and 78 species were captured at 10 sites within the Greater Cape Town area. Forty-one avian haemosporidian parasites from three genera were present in 20 avian families, with 1 978 (21.2%) individuals infected with one or more parasite species. Leucocytozoon spp. (12.6% of infected birds) exhibited the highest infection rate, followed by Haemoproteus spp. (9.6%) and Plasmodium spp. (0.6%). Prevalence of infection varied from 4.5% at Patryskraal to 28.0% at Tygerberg Nature Reserve. Columbidae had the highest infection rate by Haemoproteus spp. Ploceidae and Sylviidae were infected by all three haemosporidian genera, with Ploceidae the most heavily infected, with six species of avian haemosporidia. All study sites had similar seasonal patterns with two peaks. The first peak coincided with the end of the rainy season in August or September, and the second during January and February, when population sizes peaked on account of seasonal breeding and the presence of large numbers of immature birds susceptible to infection. The prevalence of infections had two seasonal lows, without a complete winter interruption, with the first low occurring in late autumn/early winter. The second low, known as 'spring relapse', resulted from acute primary parasitaemia, which follows a peak in haemosporidian infection. Seasonal prevalence patterns as recorded throughout the year in this study are typical of medium latitudes with mild climates and warm seasons. Avian haemosporidian parasites are classified according to the avian families or subfamilies that they infect; this is also taken as the maximum level of specificity for the practice of avian haemosporidian taxonomy. Description of a new species is based upon morphology of gametocyte development in the peripheral blood of the avian host. This does not distinguish between morphologically identical gametocytes from different avian host families, nor is species or family level a valid taxonomic character. Thus, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon spp. encountered in this study are considered to be relegated to synonymy with previously described, morphologically similar valid species in avian hosts of other families following the taxonomic path of Valkiunas, thereby eliminating duplication of species.

Over a two-year period, 945 adult Cape Weavers Ploceus capensis were mist-netted with a bias towards 632 male and 308 female birds. Blood smears presented avian haemosporidia in 58.79% of males and 61.90% of females, representing five species from three genera: one avian kinetoplastid haemoflagellate Trypanosoma everetti with 0.28% infection rate, Haemoproteus queleae (69.45%), Leucocytozoon bouffardi (23.91%), and Plasmodium species (5.76%). Double infections occurred in 40 birds (11.52%), with females having the greatest number. Differences in infection prevalence between sexes was correlated to time spent being active at the nest, with a marked reduction in female infection due to incubation within a tunnel-shaped nest providing protection from vectors. Commencement of the breeding season coincided with increased parasite prevalence in both sexes, correlating to energy expenditure on reproductive effort, resulting in reduced immunocompetence. Recorded seasonal spring relapse is synchronised with peak breeding season activity, when vector intensity and activity peak due to host population increases, and avian immunodefence systems are possibly compromised due to the stress of the reproductive cycle. No negative impacts were discerned on body mass or condition during this long-term study, which may be presented when parasitemia peaks over a number of days only, thereafter decreasing in intensity.

SUMMARY WHITTINGTON, P.A., MARTIN, A.P., KLAGES, N.T.W. & SCHULTZ, A. 2009. Movements of the Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus vetula to, from and within southern South Africa. Marine Ornithology 37: 139–152. Adult Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus vetula appear to be relatively sedentary, most movements occurring within 30 km of the ringing site. Juvenile birds dispersed rapidly, most movements being of less than 30 km, but some dispersed up to 935 km from the natal site. Adults and juveniles from two south coast colonies exhibited differing patterns and distances of movements and dispersal. Most birds from the Swartkops Estuary colony travelled to the south and west; those from the Keurbooms River colony, Plettenberg Bay, tended to go north and east. On average, dispersing juveniles travelled greater distances than adults did. It is possible that some juvenile birds followed the annual sardine migration towards the coast of KwaZulu–Natal. The Kelp Gull population within the study region appears to be ecologically separate from those found farther west, although a few birds ringed as pulli in the study area were recorded in the southwestern Cape. Movement patterns of Kelp Gulls in New Zealand and Australia are not dissimilar to those recorded in this study. Movements of Kelp Gulls away from the breeding colonies were almost certainly related to the availability and abundance of food. Dispersal among Kelp Gull juveniles allows birds to exploit easily obtainable food sources where competition from adults is less severe.

This investigation was undertaken during January and February 2004, to determine the epidemiological risk of avian malaria infection to seabirds at the proposed marine animal rehabilitation complex, to be sited at Cape Receife. Despite low numbers of mosquitoes trapped, the incidence of avian malaria infections was 87.3% of infected birds. This was extremely high, contrasting strongly with other findings. The reason is unclear, but may be attributed to the presence of Water Lettuce Pista stratiotes modifying the habitat, whereby the incidence of mosquitoes may be abnormally high.

Haematozoan infections cause the death of penguins in captivity, but seldom in the wild. No haematozoa were found in 89 blood smears taken front macaroni penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus or 80 smears from eastern rockhopper penguins E. chrysocome filholi at subantarctic Marion Island between October and November 2001. Discussion centres on the possibility of vector introduction and establishment under conditions of climatic and/or anthropogenic change.