This study aims to determine the meristic and morphometric characteristics of the flying catfish in Manado Bay. It is hoped that it will be useful in the optimal management process based on characteristics, and become reference material for policymakers, practitioners, and the public so that they are more concerned about the preservation of flying catfish, and serve as a basis for managing flying fish resources. Data for flying fish are taken from the Fish Auction Place (TPI), fishing boat landing sites, and several markets in Manado City. Measurement of morphometric and meristic data was carried out directly at the sampling location, including observations of fish fins and scales. Morphometric data analysis is presented in the total length frequency distribution graph. The relationship between two certain morphometric characters is determined by the formula: regression Y = a + b X and the correlation value is r to see the closeness of the relationship between the two characters. The relationship between the two calculated characters is presented in graphical form. The morphometric value of the blue swallow is obtained, namely the Y axis which is the same as FL with a value of 5.297, and the X axis which is the same as TL with a value of 0.887. Keywords: morphometrics, meristic, flying fish, Manado Bay Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui karakter meristik dan morfometrik ikan layang di Teluk Manado. Diharapkan bermanfaat dalam proses pengelolaan secara optimal berdasarkan karakteristik, dan menjadi bahan referensi bagi pengambil kebijakan, praktisi, dan masyarakat agar lebih peduli dalam pelestarian ikan layang, serta dijadikan sebagai dasar dalam pengelolaan sumber daya ikan layang. Data ikan layang diambil dari Tempat Pelelangan Ikan (TPI), tempat pendaratan perahu nelayan, dan beberapa pasar di Kota Manado. Pengukuran data morfometrik dan meristik dilakukan secara langsung di lokasi pengambilan sampel, termasuk pengamatan sirip dan sisik ikan. Analisis data morfometrik disajikan dalam grafik sebaran frekuensi panjang total. Hubungan antara dua karakter morfomterik tertentu ditentukan dengan rumus : regresi Y = a + b X dan nilai korelasinya yakni r untuk melihat keeratan hubungan kedua karakter. Hubungan kedua karakter yang dihitung akan disajikan dalam bentuk grafik. morfometrik ikan layang biru diperoleh nilai yaitu sumbu Y yang sama dengan FL dengan nilai 5.297, dan sumbu X yang sama dengan TL dengan nilai 0.887. Kata kunci: morfometrik, meristik, ikan layang, Teluk Manado

Introduction Pharyngocutaneous fistulas (PCF) are the most common surgical complication after laryngectomy (LE). Although there is no official recommendation in this regard, an esophagography (EG) or a methylene blue swallow test (MBS) is usually performed postoperatively to detect PCF prior to oral nutrition intake. In this study, we analyzed the diagnostic value of both methods for the detection of occult PCF after LE.

Reflections on Brilliance:Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colors Trilogy Eileen G'Sell (bio) Blue (1993) A pool, the sky, a woolen scarf, a candy wrapper flapping in the wind, a rhinestone mobile, mottled stained glass, a night-lit road, the stripe on a stray beach ball. A lost song, a last psalm, an adulterous husband and wordless daughter. The first installment of Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colors trilogy—undoubtedly its best—explodes onscreen in a symphony of hue-charged, pathos-rich imagery. As thematically substantive as it is voraciously attuned to aesthetic value, the "blue" in Blue is at once a visual motif and affective register, at stake from the very first shot: the camera below the belly of a speeding Saab, the asphalt a muted beryl. In other scenes, multiple shades of blue swallow us whole: blue rain in a blue sky outside blue walls, where a man in a sodden blue shirt steps out of a heart-achingly empty house. Nearly 30 years after Blue solidified Kieślowski's arthouse stardom, the Polish director's trilogy has been restored to 4K cinematic glory for theatrical release in major U.S. cities. Heralded in 1993 by The Washington Post as a "penetrating, hypnotic meditation on liberty and loss," it was bemoaned by The Guardian for its "simple exercises in stylistic flourish." Where the Times dismissed it as "an aridly intellectual kind of filmmaking thought highly of in Europe," the late Roger Ebert concluded that "European films have a more adult, inward, knowing way of dealing with the emotions, and Hollywood hasn't grown up enough." Today's critical response to the trilogy's reissue seems, by turns, as preternaturally glowing as Juliette Binoche's unpainted face. "This summer's most relevant cinematic universe," proclaims IndieWire's David Ehrlich. "It's hard to think of a recent world-cinema endeavour roughly equivalent to Kieślowski's career-crowning triptych," posits Guy Lodge of The Guardian. That the films of the Three Colors trilogy bask in a chromatic brilliance on par with their titles seems undebatable. But how do they stand up as existential portraits of the human experience? And do they honor women as equally ensnared as men in the fists of fate? As two of the three films follow a female protagonist, and the other features a very memorable female antagonist (played by Julie Delpy), one might expect at least some critical attention to be devoted to the portrayal and development of these [End Page 178] characters onscreen. Instead, the discourse has been dominated by male critics blissfully inattentive to such matters. The dearth of feminist readings feels more than strange, and in need of a colorful corrective—my goal in the subsequent paragraphs. Narratively, Blue orbits the interior experience of Julie (Juliette Binoche), a young widow grappling with the sudden loss of her husband, Patrice (Hugues Quester), and five-year-old daughter, Anna, after their car swerves to avoid a dog and slams into a tree. A musical genius in her own right, Julie methodically rips up the handwritten score for her husband's forthcoming composition, Concert for the Reunification of Europe, a composition that, we slowly infer, she has likely written for him. Much of the film hinges on her ability to reinvest herself both in her artistic talents and the prospect of connection with other humans. "I have just one thing to do," she tells her dementia-addled mother midway through the film. "Nothing. I want no possessions, no memories, no friends, no lovers—they're all traps." In response to her grief, Julie seeks the ultimate freedom, speaking to the liberté in France's liberté, égalité, fraternité credo, to which each film in the trilogy roughly corresponds; more overtly, Blue, White, and Red refer to the consecutive colors of the French flag. Kieślowski admitted that, to some extent, the color titles are arbitrary. "If a different country had provided the finance," the Polish director told film scholar Paul Coates. "Germany, for instance, and I had made it as a German film, then yellow would have taken the place of blue and one would have had 'yellow, red, and black.'" Vraiment? It's...

Th is article aims to review the issues and challenges of history films, which are one of the most problematic fi elds of historical use in the field of popular culture, and explore the direction of Korean history films from the perspective of public history. In this article, among all historical films based on history or subject matter, all historical films that are dealt with at least one of the three elements: real people, real events, and representation of a specific era are broadly referred to history films. Since the 2010s, history films have become a popular genre that has been successful in both box office and criticism. However, history films were highly controversial due to pro-Japanese issues or historical distortions and had a decisive impact on box office success, including “Cheongyeon(Blue Swallow)” in the mid-2000s, “Deokhye Ongju(The Last Princess)”, “Gunhamdo(The Battleship Island)”, and “Naratmal Sami(The King’s Letters)” in the mid-to-late 2010s. In the controversy surrounding these films, the issue is whether history films should not have negative characters as leading roles, how far can they pursue film imagination and entertainment, and whether imaginative fiction inserted in history films can be viewed as a kind of historical interpretation. Through these issues, it is argued that history films are a place where the public’s perception and emotions about history are expressed through criticism and discussion around the film as well as the content, and strategies and attitudes are set in different positions of creators/producers and users/consumers. When recognizing historical films as public history, is the problem of verisimilitude of history films, the problem of re-recognizing the meaning of history films as historical interpreters, the need to recognize that history films are films of the present rather than films of the past, and the ethics of representation in history films. After all, history films indicate history as a probability rather than history of fact. Th e film has an outstanding advantage in recreating and portraying plausible stories that might have been there at the time. It will be a strategy of history films as a public history to capture the various paths that may come to face the truth there.

We update knowledge of the status of seven hirundines in southern Africa, with special focus on Mozambique. Records in Mozambique of the globally threatened Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea have not previously been fully collated, but it is estimated that c.50 pairs breed, or 4–10% of the global breeding population, with key sites at Serra Choa, ‘Penhalonga’ farm near Manica and, probably, around Chimanimani. Further surveys of this species are urgently required to evaluate its status more fully. The first documented record of Pearl-breasted Swallow and details of a recent record of Greater Striped Swallow in Mozambique are presented (both species have been reported previously). The status of White-throated H. albigularis and Red-breasted Swallows Cecropis semirufa, both of which are poorly known in Mozambique, are updated and recent records discussed. The first documented record of Eastern Saw-wing Psalidoprocne orientalis in South Africa and a recent sighting in southern Mozambique are presented. The status of Mascarene Martin Phedina borbonica in southern Africa is also reviewed and details of a record in South Africa presented.

The Blue Swallow is an intra-African migrant that breeds in its fragmented range from South Africa to southern Tanzania, from October to March annually. The birds migrate north and are on their non-breeding range in NE DRC, Uganda, NW Tanzania and W Kenya, from April to September annually. The global Blue Swallow population, estimated at <1 500 pairs, is classified as ‘Vulnerable’, because of its small and declining population. Only the female Blue Swallow incubates the eggs and broods the nestlings for the first nine days after they have hatched from the eggs. The growth rate of Blue Swallow nestlings is reduced by adverse weather conditions characterised by low temperatures (<14 °C), 3–4 consecutive days of fog and intermittent rainfall. In the Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site (25°36′ S, 30°45′ E), food shortages, because of three or more consecutive days of adverse weather conditions resulted in Blue Swallows shifting entirely to self-maintenance by abandoning eggs and nestlings and attempting to breed again when weather conditions improved. The post-fledging survival of the nestlings affected by adverse weather conditions is reduced. The reason is that at the time of fledging the mass of these nestlings was below the mean mass of the adults and because the mass of nestlings developing under good weather conditions is equal to or greater than the mean mass of the adult birds. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Common Fiscal Lanius collaris may be the predator of Blue Swallow eggs and nestlings. Adult longevity and the breeding success of Blue Swallows may have been reduced by adverse weather affecting their entire meta-populations in the small and isolated patches of suitable habitat remaining for the birds. These characteristics of the Blue Swallow meta-populations may be contributing to their continued decline.

Analysis of potentially suitable habitat within migration connections of an intra-African migrant-the Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea)

Background: Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to threaten the survival of many species. One such species is the Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea, a critically endangered grassland specialist bird species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.Objectives: Past research has shown a serious decline in range and abundance of this species, predominantly because of habitat transformation and fragmentation.Method: The influence of land cover on Blue Swallow habitat and foraging home range, in both natural and transformed habitats, was investigated by radio tracking adult birds.Results: Results showed that tracked birds spent over 80% of their forage time over grasslands and wetland habitats, and preferentially used these ecotones as forage zones. This is likely owing to an increase in insect mass and abundance in these habitats and ecotones. There was reduced selection and avoidance of transformed habitats such as agricultural land, and this is a concern as transformed land comprised 71% of the home range with only 29% of grassland and wetland mosaic remaining for the Blue Swallows to breed and forage in, highlighting the importance of ecotones as a key habitat requirement. The results indicate that management plans for the conservation of Blue Swallows must consider protecting and conserving naturalhabitats and maintaining mosaic of grassland and wetland components to maximise ecotones within conserved areas.Conclusion: To this end, the stewardship programme spearheaded by local conservation agencies, which aims to formally conserve privately owned patches of untransformed grassland and other natural habitats, may have a strong impact on the long-term persistence of Blue Swallow populations.

Abstract The globally threatened blue swallowHirundo atrocaerulea, with &lt;1500 pairs remaining, is an intra‐African migrant, breeding in eight countries in East Africa and Southern Africa, with nonbreeding birds in four countries in East Africa. Blue swallows build an open cup‐shaped nest out of mud and straw in an existing hole in the ground. An updated description of a blue swallow's nest site is that it is a hole in the ground, that faces in a region‐specific direction that maximizes reproductive success, with a roof or overhang or vegetation sufficient to keep the rain off the nest and its contents. Blue swallow breeding success was significantly different between KwaZulu‐Natal and Mpumalanga but, within each province, not between natural and artificial nest sites. Based on the number of fledglings per egg, blue swallow breeding success in Mpumalanga was best in north‐ and west‐facing nest sites, and in KwaZulu‐Natal, breeding success was best in north‐ and east‐facing nest sites. Artificial nest sites should continue to be created for blue swallows that are north to west facing in Mpumalanga (and possibly in Swaziland), and north to east facing in KwaZulu‐Natal.

Two surveys of Blue Swallows were conducted in the southern Tanzanian highland grasslands in order to determine the habitat preferences and estimate the size of this subpopulation. During the 2008/09 and 2012 surveys, a total distance of 3 635 km was travelled in search of Blue Swallows (at an altitude of above 1 400 m above sea level). Blue Swallows showed no preference for any altitude range above 1 400 m. The Blue Swallows showed a preference for natural pastures and for rural villages interspersed with crops and natural pasture. The buildings in the rural villages provide the nesting sites and, in close proximity, the crops, natural pastures, livestock and their dung possibly provide the food source for the aerial arthropods on which the Blue Swallows feed. In total, 151 Blue Swallows were recorded consisting of 62 males, 68 females and 21 unsexed individuals at 62 localities. These data along with environmental variables were used to construct an ecological niche model for the Blue Swallow. It was estimated that a mean of 12 791 km2 of suitable habitat was available for Blue Swallows. The 151 Blue Swallows recorded within the maximum perpendicular distance of 262 m on either side of the survey route resulted in a subpopulation estimate of 1 014 (338 to 507 pairs) Blue Swallows in the southern Tanzanian highland grasslands (12 791 km2). Mean densities were 0.023 to 0.035 pairs km − 2. A density of 0.13 pairs km − 2 recorded on a cattle farm consisting primarily of grasslands and wetlands was similar to the density of pairs found on sites in South Africa and Swaziland of compara- ble size and with matching characteristics to this site in Tanzania. Based on this new information the global Blue Swallow population estimate is updated to between 1 169 and 1 338 pairs.

The global Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea was classified as Vulnerable in 2010 on account of its small and rapidly declining population estimated at less than 1 500 pairs. We undertook this study to gain a better understanding of the current status and threats facing this migratory species. Three previously unknown areas that might be part of the species' non-breeding range were identified in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Within its breeding range we identified three previously unknown areas of potentially suitable habitat, one in Tanzania and two in Malawi, which require further exploration. Population viability assessment predicted that the Blue Swallow population will decline by 8% in 10 years. The overall probability of extinction of the species in the wild is 3%. Minimum viable population size analysis suggests that a goal for the long-term conservation of the Blue Swallow should be to mitigate current threats that are driving declines such that the population increases to a minimum of 3 600 individuals. This should consist of at least 900 individuals in each of the four clusters identified, along with a minimum of 500 individuals in at least one of the meta-populations per cluster. The four clusters are located in (1) the southeasten Democratic Republic of the Congo, (2) highlands of southern Tanzania and northern Malawi, (3) eastern highlands of Zimbabwe and (4) South Africa and Swaziland. The current proportions of the Blue Swallow population in strictly protected and unprotected areas on their breeding grounds are 53% and 47%, respectively, whereas on their non-breeding grounds the corresponding percentages are 25% and 75%, respectively. Our reassessment of the Blue Swallow's risk of extinction indicates that it continues to qualify as Vulnerable according to the IUCN/SSC criteria C2a(i).

Blue Swallows Hirundo atrocaerulea are Critically Endangered within South Africa. They nest in natural underground holes in mist-belt grasslands. Temperature dataloggers were used to record ground cavity nest (Tn) and ambient temperature (Ta) for one artificial and 11 natural Blue Swallow nests. Mean ground cavity Tn was significantly different to mean Ta. Tn ranged from 17.0 ± 0.1 °C to 28.5 ± 0.3 °C and varied less than Ta (14.0 ± 0.2 to 47.7 ± 0.4 °C). Mean ground cavity Tn averaged 3.3 ± 0.9 °C warmer than mean Ta for 58% of nests, and mean Ta averaged 2.6 ± 0.5 °C warmer than mean ground cavity Tn for 42% of nests. There was no significant difference in mean ground cavity Tn for the aardvark-excavated holes (22.7 ± 1.6 °C) and sinkholes (21.5 ± 1.2 °C). Blue Swallows also nest in man-made holes, potentially a way to increase nesting sites. Mean aardvark-excavated Tn (19.2 ± 0.1 °C) was significantly warmer than mean artificial cavity Tn (18.5 ± 0.2 °C). Further investigation of breeding success of Blue Swallows in relation to Tn, incubation strategies and predation risk needs to be addressed in future studies for a better understanding of their reproductive ecology.

Spatial and temporal patterns of disturbance and the subsequent heterogeneity are critical in maintaining biodiversity within grassland ecosystems. Grassland birds have evolved within this ‘shifting mosaic’ to become reliant on specific habitat characteristics maintained under varying levels of both natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Unfortunately, grasslands in South Africa have been extensively transformed and remain poorly conserved, threatening grassland avifauna. Mistbelt grassland is a threatened vegetation type endemic to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, of which only 0.3% is formally protected. This study investigated seasonal and patch type heterogeneity in a Mistbelt grassland avian community by determining avian community structure and composition in four patch types, i.e. i) untransformed open grassland, ii) burnt grassland, iii) bramble-invaded and, iv) bramble-cleared grassland, during winter and summer. Avian assemblages were significantly different between the different patch types for each season. The bramble patch type negatively affected grassland bird species diversity. Bramble-cleared grassland and untransformed grassland had similar vegetation structure and avian communities in the summer, suggesting that the grassland bird community benefitted soon after the clearing of invasive vegetation. This study provides further evidence that bird diversity is enhanced in structurally heterogeneous grassland landscapes. Furthermore, the protection and appropriate management of privately owned Mistbelt grassland, conserved in the form of rangeland, is an important refuge for threatened and endemic avifauna, such as the globally-threatened blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) and wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus).

Abstract This study investigated the utilization of mist‐belt grassland habitat by the threatened blue swallow and was conducted over three successive breeding seasons in the Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site at Kaapsehoop, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Blue swallows significantly preferred wetlands over grasslands for foraging. Sufficient foraging habitat must be within a 1.5 km radius from an active nest site. The minimum size of a pair of blue swallows home range should be 333 ha, consisting at a minimum of grasslands (243 ha or 73%) and wetlands (90 ha or 27%). In order to conserve this threatened species, habitat transformation should not take place within a minimum radius of 1.5 km of any blue swallow nest. Due to the critical dependence of the blue swallow on wetland habitat for foraging, any development outside the 1.5 km radius that would affect hydrology and water quality within this range would need to be considered, and any adverse effect mitigated. Rehabilitation of areas to a grassland/wetland mosaic would rather quickly support foraging, and eventually breeding. Although a better understanding of the dynamics between wetlands and adjacent grasslands regarding blue swallow habitat requirements is needed, action can already be taken, based on our results.

The Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) is a threatened intra-African migrant with breeding populations in three geographically disjunct regions. We analysed stable hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in feather keratin to determine whether these vary among breeding populations, and whether feathers can be used to infer migratory connections between breeding and non-breeding areas. Blue Swallows from the three major breeding populations differed significantly in terms of their feather δD and δ15N values [South Africa/Swaziland: δD = −25.1 ± 6.7‰ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW), δ15N = 10.4 ± 1.0‰ atmospheric nitrogen (AIR); Zimbabwe: δD = −59.9 ± 7.5‰ VSMOW, δ15N = 10.1 ± 0.6‰ AIR; Malawi/Tanzania: δD = −43.2 ± 10.8‰ VSMOW, δ15N = 11.7 ± 1.3‰ AIR], but not in terms of feather δ13C. We also analysed feathers from seven individuals caught in the non-breeding range on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. A discriminant function analysis assigned four of these birds to the South Africa/Swaziland breeding population and two to the Malawi/Tanzania breeding population (P > 0.997), with the remaining individual not being unambiguously assigned. Our results reveal that migratory connections in this threatened species can be inferred from feather stable isotope analysis, and that there is overlap in the wintering ranges of at least two of the three major breeding populations.

The blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea) is one of the most threatened bird species in southern Africa. Among terrestrial birds, its plumage is known to be the most water repellent, an adaptation to foraging on the wing in dense fog. Despite this unique adaptation, the nesting success of the blue swallow at the Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site (BSNHS) is lower during years with high incidence of fog. As the phenomenon is not observed at other nesting sites, we hypothesized that this is due to changes in the air chemistry at the BSNHS. In the immediate proximity of the BSNHS, plantations of exotic trees (e.g., pines and eucalypts), rich in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are dominant features. In addition, air pollution from the Johannesburg area is transported with the surface winds and mix with VOCs released from exotic trees. Together with the high humidity and high elevation, these conditions may result in the formation of sulphonates. Sulphonates are strong detergents, and the presence of these in the fog could lead to decreased water repellence of the plumage. This study was performed in order to determine the occurrence and distribution of sulphonates in the BSNHS and to compare these with sulphonates formed in other locations in South Africa. Because the blue swallow is endangered, pine needles were used as proxy to detect formation of sulphonates. We sampled pine needles with different exposure to air pollutants, in climates with different humidity, and at different elevation and analyzed these for sulphonates using mass spectrometry. Pine needles from high elevations and the BSNHS, with high humidity, and exposure to air pollution contained significantly higher concentrations of sulphonates than pine needles from low elevations or from high elevations with a dryer climate or a different combination of air pollutants. These findings lead to two conclusions. First, the occurrence and distribution of sulphonates may be explained by chemical reactions between sulphur dioxide and organic compounds in the humid air induced by ultraviolet radiation. Second, elevated concentrations of sulphonates in the fog could affect the water repellence of the blue swallow plumage, possibly decreasing their capacity to forage in the fog. We cannot prove conclusively that this is the reason why the number of blue swallows at the BSNHS has decreased dramatically, but for endangered species, we may have to rely on proxies to draw conclusions about outside threats. All such information should be valuable in devising protection plans for species under threat. The use of proxies to elucidate threats to endangered species should be evaluated in a broad scale. The mist-belt habitat in general is threatened by many human activities. These findings indicate that air pollution and the proximity of volatile organic compound (VOC) sources close to mist-belt habitat refuges may be an unrecognised conservation threat to the animals inhabiting them.

SummaryThe Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea is restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, its population size previously estimated at fewer than 1,500 pairs, and is classified as Vulnerable. A better understanding of its current distributional range, population size, protection status and migration routes would improve our ability to conserve the species and the grassland and wetland habitat on which it depends. We now estimate that the Blue Swallow population in the 1850s may have numbered between 1,560 and 2,300 pairs. Based on an assessment of available data, we now estimate the total current Blue Swallow population at 1,006 pairs or 2,012 individuals, an estimated 36–56% decline over the last 150 years. There may be three separate Blue Swallow sub-populations and seven separate migratory routes between their breeding and non-breeding grounds. The Blue Swallow’s range in South Africa and Swaziland has contracted by 74%. The majority of Blue Swallows occupy unprotected areas on their non-breeding grounds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya. The Blue Swallow population in Africa will continue to decline unless the causes of reduction in Blue Swallow habitat quantity and quality can be stopped and sufficient and additional habitat set aside to sustain viable Blue Swallow populations throughout their range.

The impact of land transformation on breeding Blue Swallows Hirundo atrocaerulea Sundevall, in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

The Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea is a globally threatened species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. The total population breeding south of the Limpopo River (i.e. in South Africa and Swaziland) probably numbers around 100 pairs. A significant proportion of these birds breed in Swaziland, but to date little has been published on this population. Suitable breeding habitat has been reduced significantly in the country in recent decades, due mostly to afforestation with exotic timber plantations, with urbanization playing a lesser role. In Swaziland, breeding sites are restricted to grasslands above 1,200 m, but mostly above 1,300 m. Timing of egg laying is bimodal indicating double brooding. The number of nests initiated in a season is weakly correlated with rainfall in preceding months. Nests were built predominantly in disused antbear Orycteropus afer burrows, with smaller numbers in natural sinkholes. Mean clutch size was 2.80, and 61% of eggs laid resulted in fledged offspring. Mean productivity was 1.30 fledglings per pair per nest attempt. These figures suggest that breeding success is not currently being reduced in Swaziland. The minimum total population currently thought to be breeding in Swaziland is 10 pairs, but this is based on intensive studies of only part of the suitable range. It is recommended that a complete survey be conducted covering the entire range of the species in Swaziland.

Phoebe Snetsinger was perhaps the most obsessive bird-watcher of modern times. During a lifetime of birding she saw—and clearly identified—more than 8000 species around the world. She did not come to birding early in life and was 34 when she suddenly recognized the beauty and incredible variety of bird species waiting to be seen. However, once she had become enthusiastic, there was no stopping her. Birding is usually thought of as a safe, benign hobby for people not interested in wilder, more dangerous sports, but during her experiences as a world traveler and adventurer, Phoebe Snetsinger faced many emergencies. The first emergency was the diagnosis in 1972 of a malignant melanoma in the middle of her back. As the years passed by, she had several recurrences, but this never diminished her determination to see as many species as possible. After her personal discovery of the third recurrence she decided not to tell anyone, including her husband, and went on a birding trip to Australia, thinking that she probably had metastases throughout her body. On her return, she told her doctor about the discovery that the lesion had grown in the weeks she had been away, but that she had decided to go on the trip, no matter what the outcome. To her surprise and pleasure, her doctor listened to her story and said, “I think that, under the circumstances, I would have done the same.” She says in the book that she could have kissed him. She survived an earthquake in Costa Rica, and, with her husband, was attacked by a gang in New Guinea. She was taken into the forest and gang-raped by 5 men. When the gang had disappeared, she and her husband had a harrowing escape to a friendly village. Incidents of this sort did not slow down her enthusiasm and determination. Ironically, after surviving malignant melanoma and vicious attacks, she was killed in a van accident in Madagascar while napping on a back seat. Phoebe designed a bird classification system for keeping records of her own. (Examples of her handwritten notes are in the book.) She also held a strong view that hearing a bird was not sufficient. In order to add the bird to your life list, you must see it and identify it clearly. If this book had been a graphic account of her travels and adventures—and there were plenty of both—it would appeal to the ordinary reader, but the frequent accounting of exotic birds seen detracts from the readability of the book, for example, “Offsetting such major and minor problems, we found a staggering number of really special birds, such as the Thick-billed Cuckoo, Boehm's Bee-eater, Pale-Billed Hornbill, Blue swallow, Bocage's and Sharpe's Kalatas, Fuellborn's Longclaw, Souza's Shrike, Anchieta's Sunbird, Bar-winged Weaver and Locustfinch.” Balanced against this disadvantage are the beautiful pencil illustrations of many of the species mentioned, drawn by the well-known bird illustrator H. Douglas Pratt. This is definitely a book for the birding aficionado. For anyone aspiring to increase their life-list into the thousands of species and wondering where to go and how to do this, this book should inspire them—even if their bank balance may not allow them to imitate her classic journeys.