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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.