2 July 2025, Johannesburg — In a rare conservation success story, the White-winged Flufftail, one of Africa’s most elusive and threatened birds, has been downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered in South Africa, thanks to over a decade of innovative research and fieldwork led by BirdLife South Africa with support from the Middelpunt Wetland Trust.
Feature image of a White-winged Flufftail in hand during fieldwork. By Warwick Tarboton
This milestone comes as a result of significant advances in understanding the biology, breeding range, and habitat preferences of the secretive flufftail. Using modern techniques like motion-activated camera traps and acoustic monitoring, researchers have achieved the first robust population estimate of the bird in South Africa. The findings revealed that the country harbours a slightly larger and more widely distributed population than previously thought.
“This downlisting represents the power of rigorous science in conservation,” said Dr Alan Lee, Science and Innovation Programme Manager at BirdLife South Africa and Lead Author of the 2025 Regional Red Data Book. “While we celebrate this scientific breakthrough, the Endangered regional status reminds us that this species remains precariously balanced on the edge of extinction.”
The White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi) is endemic to Africa and breeds only in South Africa and Ethiopia. Despite decades of study, the species has remained largely mysterious, with its movements, breeding behaviour, and ecological needs only partially understood. This lack of data has long hampered conservation action, a problem highlighted by international bodies such as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
The bird’s preferred habitat — specialised high-altitude wetlands — continues to face intense pressure from land-use practices such as mining, water abstraction, agriculture, afforestation, and pollution. These activities have led to widespread wetland degradation, making such ecosystems among the most threatened and least protected in South Africa.
“Discovered in more locations than previously known, but populations small and fragmented“
Dr Kyle Lloyd, Wetland Conservation Project Manager and Rockjumper Fellow for White-winged Flufftail Conservation, emphasised that the downlisting should not be mistaken for a conservation conclusion. “This downlisting reflects years of painstaking fieldwork across South Africa’s Eastern Escarpment. We’ve discovered the species in more locations than previously known, but populations are small and fragmented. The White-winged Flufftail remains dependent on our continued vigilance and habitat protection efforts.”
Middelpunt Wetland near Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, holds special significance in this story. Once one of only three known South African sites for the flufftail, it has since been declared both a nature reserve and a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar site). Malcolm Drummond, chairperson of the Middelpunt Wetland Trust, which was established in 1994 to protect the site, reflected on the journey: “To see three decades of citizen science and conservation efforts culminate in this outcome validates every early morning spent in the wetlands. This downlisting represents hope, but our work is far from over.”
BirdLife South Africa’s conservation efforts include publishing guidelines for land users and environmental authorities to protect and restore wetland health. New protocols for conducting surveys and assessing potential impacts on the White-winged Flufftail are also aiding avifaunal specialists in advising development applications.
“Downlisting must not be mistaken for ‘mission accomplished’
Dr Hanneline Smit-Robinson, Head of Conservation at BirdLife South Africa, warned against complacency: “We’ve moved from guesswork to evidence-based conservation. However, this downlisting must not be mistaken for ‘mission accomplished’. South Africa’s wetlands continue to face relentless pressure from development, mismanagement, and climate change. We must intensify our efforts, not relax them.”
Mark Anderson, CEO of BirdLife South Africa, underscored the international importance of South Africa’s role in conserving the species: “With Ethiopia having sufficient habitat to support only 55 breeding pairs, South Africa plays an important role in preventing the extinction of the White-winged Flufftail.” He urged all stakeholders to redouble their commitment to conserving wetlands — vital habitats not just for the flufftail, but for human communities too.
The downlisting offers a rare glimmer of hope — a reminder that dedicated science, local action, and long-term conservation can shift the tide for even the most elusive of species.
