– ISSN 2219-0341 –
Biodiversity Observations
http://bo.adu.org.za
An electronic journal published by the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town
The scope of Biodiversity Observations consists of papers describing observations about biodiversity in general, including animals, plants, algae and fungi. This includes observations of behaviour, breeding and flowering patterns, distributions and range extensions, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and colouration/plumage variations. Biotic interactions such as pollination, fruit dispersal, herbivory and predation fall within the scope, as well as the use of indigenous and exotic species by humans. Observations of naturalised plants and animals will also be considered. Biodiversity Observations will also publish a variety of other interesting or relevant biodiversity material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist bibliographies, book reviews and any other appropriate material. Further details and guidelines to authors are on this website.
Lead Editor: Arnold van der Westhuizen – Paper Editor: Les G Underhill
ALTITUDINAL MIGRATION IN SOUTH-EASTERN AFRICA
Terence B Oatley
Recommended citation format:
Oatley TB 2017. Altitudinal migration in south-eastern Africa. Biodiversity Observations 8.49: 1–21
URL: http://bo.adu.org.za/content.php?id=344 Published online: 29 October 2017
Biodiversity Observations 8.49: 1–21 1
– ISSN 2219-0341 –
MIGRATION
ALTITUDINAL MIGRATION IN SOUTH-EASTERN AFRICA
Terrence B Oatley
Deceased Editorial introduction
This manuscript was written by Terry Oatley, and was never published.
A copy was found in the Animal Demography Unit, in the files of papers assembled by James Harrison, coordinator of the First Southern African Bird Atlas Project, but it was not cited in the published atlas (Harrison et al. 1997). The paper has been scanned and is presented as found. It is in portrait format, in contrast to the landscape format used in every other paper published in Biodiversity Observations.
Terry Oatley must have written this paper in the mid-1970s, towards the end of the period during which he was a member of the staff of the then Natal Parks Board (1957–1979), where he held the position of ornithologist. The last-published paper in the references is dated 1972.
It seems that this paper was never published, and it is not known what occasion prompted it to be written, or why it never saw the light of day.
It was written as an essay; it has no tables and no figures. It contains insights and ideas which were not published in any of his later writings;
for example, they are not the Robins of Africa (Oatley & Arnott 1998) and this manuscript was not cited in that book.
Terry Oatley passed away in July 2016; one of his great passions in life was sharing an understanding of biodiversity with a broad public, and not only scientists, as pointed by his daughter in her obituary to her father (Freeman 2017). It therefore seems appropriate that this
paper should give him another opportunity to enrich our understanding of altitudinal migration, a topic which has been largely neglected by ornithologist globally (Boyle 2017). Four decades after it was written, this paper still makes an interesting and valuable contribution to this topic.
References
Boyle AW 2017. Altitudinal bird migration in North America. Auk:
Ornithological Advances 134: 443–465.
Freeman J 2016. Of robins and Rachmaninov: a tribute to Terry Oatley. Ostrich 87: 289–292.
Harrison JA, Allan DG, Underhill LG, Herremans M, Tree AJ, Parker V, Brown CJ (eds). 1997. The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg. Two volumes: Volume 1: Non- passerines; Volume 2: Passerines.
Oatley TB, Arnott G 1998. Robins of Africa. Acorn Books and Russel Friedman Books, Halfway House, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Les G Underhill
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