The Importance of the Makuleke Wetlands Ramsar Site as an Important Breeding Locality for Yellow-billed Stork <em>Mycteria ibis</em>.

Abstract

The Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis is considered an Endangered Species in South Africa, with only one regular breeding locality present, situated at the Nsumo Pan in the iSimangaliso Park (Mkhuze section) in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. During the 2017 and 2021 seasons, two separate breeding colonies of this stork were studied within the Makuleke Wetlands Ramsar Site (Site No. 1687), within the Greater Kruger National Park, which appears to be unrecorded as a breeding locality for this species. The total number of immatures counted in Makuleke in May 2017 was 55, with 181 counted in July 2021. This highlights the importance of the Makuleke Wetlands Ramsar Site as a breeding locality of this species within South Africa, even if it is infrequent.