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Saturday Stats : 28 July – 3 August 2012

Overall SABAP2 growth this past week, from Saturday 28 July to Friday 3 August, was 315 checklists (compared to 270 last week). 14824 records were added to the database (compared to 12947 last week). Checklist length averaged 47.1 species (48.0 last week). Even though isolated reports of the return of the intra-African migrants have started to appear on SABirdnet and other list servers, this is not yet translated into the more widespread arrival which will result in an increase in average list length. In midsummer checklists average 58 species in length. 315 checklists in the week is just a handful short of our somewhat optimistic target of 350 checklists per week.

18241 incidental records were added during the week. These are the records that are not on full-protocol checklists. Especially in the Northern Cape, in Namibia and other countries to the north, incidental records are going to be of critical importance in documenting the basic distributions of species. The map above is something we do not put on display often enough – it shows the normal coverage map, plus the ad hoc cards and the incidental records. So we continue to strongly encourage the submission of incidental records. Please keep them flowing in, and especially from the more poorly atlased areas.

The total size of the SABAP1 and SABAP2 database is now 11.5 million records. This is one of the largest biodiversity databases of its kind in the world.

The past week has had a full complement of “species days.” Last Sunday, the snake of the day was the Cape Sand Snake. Mad Mammal Monday featured the Saharan Cheetah. The tree for Tree Tuesday was the Large-leaved Rock Fig, and Weaver Wednesday focused on the Scaly-feathered Finch. On Threat Thursday, we discussed the conservation status of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) in southern Africa and Frog Friday highlighted the Flat Caco.