TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL PATTERNS OF BREEDING ACTIVITY OF 12 DUCK SPECIES(ANATIDAE) IN THE CAPE PROVINCES, SOUTH-AFRICA, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR HUNTING SEASONS

Temporal and spatial breeding patterns of 12 duck species in the Cape Province, South Africa, were compared with the currently gazetted hunt ing seasons for these species. Recommendations are made concerning the appropriateness of the timing of the hunting seasons. Of 8288 breedin g records available from the three regions (Eastern Cape = 1989, Weste rn Cape = 5942, Northern Cape 427), 90% were for the Egyptian goose Al opochen aegyptiacus (n = 2524), yellowbilled duck Anas undulata (n = 1 607), Cape shoveller Anas smithii (n = 1520), Cape teal Anas capensis (n =1053) and South African shelduck Tadorna cana (n = 704). The remai ning seven species contributed only 10% of the records. it is apparent that most species are reproductively most active during late winter a nd spring in the Western Cape, a winter rainfall region, and during th e summer in the summer rainfall region. We suggest that the periods of least breeding activity for the majority of ducks in the Cape provinc es are from late summer to mid-winter (1 January-30 June) in the winte r rainfall region (Western Cape) and from autumn to late winter (15 Ap ril-15 July) in the summer rainfall regions (Eastern and Northern Cape ).