White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 222528736

Saving Africa’s rarest waterbird – White-winged Flufftail and wetland conservation

Vision: Maintain and improve the quality and quantity of healthy high-elevation wetlands in South Africa to provide suitable habitat for threatened species, like the White-winged Flufftail, and safeguard vital ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural) that benefit local and downstream communities.

Mission: Address local and regional threats to water resources by using the plight of the Critically Endangered White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi) as a flagship species of upper catchment wetland conservation. This involves a multi-pronged approach that addresses wetland management, rehabilitation, protection, stewardship, policy and advocacy, and awareness, while also improving our understanding of White-winged Flufftail and wetland ecology to inform conservation.

Scope: Including, but not limited to, the high-elevation wetlands along the Eastern Escarpment of South Africa within the mesic Grassland Biome (above 1 400 m.a.s.l., above 700 mm per annum). Biodiversity stewardship is focused in the Steenkampsberg, northern Mpumalanga Province, and Ntsikeni Nature Reserve, southern KwaZulu-Natal Province with ad hoc support provided to stakeholders and colleagues between these sites. Support is also offered to other BirdLife International Partners in sub-Saharan Africa where needed.

Project documents

• A flyer advertising the Best Practice Guidelines for High-Elevation Wetland and Peatland Management in Southern Africa (the full document is too large to upload).
• Middelpunt Nature Reserve Management Plan approved by the government.
• National Wetlands Indaba
• SACNASP Candidate Mentorship Phase (CMP) Programme Final Report
• Biodiversity-Climate Nexus for Wetland Management
• Certificate for completing a 5-day workshop in wetland introduction and delineation offered by the Centre for Wetland Research and Training to aid development of the best practice guidelines.
• A progress report on the wildlife-friendly fence designed and installed at Middelpunt Wetland to help control grazing and incorporate into wetland management guidelines following an evaluation study.
• Middelpunt Nature Reserve Ramsar Certificate
• Certificate for completing a 7-day workshop in wetland legislation and rehabilitation offered by the Centre for Wetland Research and Training to aid development of the best practice guidelines for hig




Project 222528736 location - South Africa, Africa