Providing shade for birds of the Tankwa Karoo desert, South Africa

In the Tankwa Karoo desert of South Africa, where summer air temperatures can reach 122°F and ground surface temperatures near water can approach 140°F, birds face a choice between dehydration and lethal heat at watersides. To address this, WWF, South African National Parks, and the University of Cape Town installed wooden frames with shade cloth at waterholes. Using a "before-after control-impact" design with camera traps and thermometers, the study found that birds visited shaded sites more frequently than unshaded ones, with a higher proportion of visits occurring during the heat of the afternoon. The shade structures significantly lowered temperatures at the water's edge, with shaded areas seldom reaching 113°F compared to unshaded areas that regularly reached 122°F and sometimes exceeded 140°F.

• The installation of artificial shade structures at waterholes in the Tankwa Karoo National Park led to an increase in the frequency of bird visits compared to unshaded control sites, with more visits occurring during the hottest part of the afternoon when air temperatures often approached 104°F.
• Artificial shade significantly reduced the temperatures birds encountered at the water's edge; while unshaded temperatures regularly reached 122°F and sometimes exceeded 140°F, shaded temperatures seldom reached 113°F even on the hottest days.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Providing shade for birds of the Tankwa Karoo desert, South Africa. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/providing-shade-for-birds-of-the-tankwa-karoo-desert-south-africa/

Chicago

WWF International. Providing shade for birds of the Tankwa Karoo desert, South Africa. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/providing-shade-for-birds-of-the-tankwa-karoo-desert-south-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Providing shade for birds of the Tankwa Karoo desert, South Africa |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/providing-shade-for-birds-of-the-tankwa-karoo-desert-south-africa/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndproviding, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Providing shade for birds of the Tankwa Karoo desert, South Africa}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/providing-shade-for-birds-of-the-tankwa-karoo-desert-south-africa/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }