Breeding

Non-releasable or captive-bred raptors of selected species are placed in breeding projects. This provides opportunity to record valuable breeding behaviour to supplement in-situ research data. These criteria will become of significant importance should the species numbers drop in the wild. We need to do some research now, without touching the already pressurized wild bird of prey populations.

These captive birds form part of the Sanctuary's available bank of valuable genetic information.

Progeny from these breeding programs can be released to supplement wild populations if necessary,or may be made available to other facilities for conservation breeding programs or awareness projects.Wild caught raptors are currently made available for falconry purposes. Providing captive-bred alternative birds will also relieve pressure on wild populations. 

Facilities

The incubator room is a temperature and humidity controlled unit housing our state-of-the-art Grumbach incubators. We incubate a large number of eggs every year; not only raptor eggs, but also parrot eggs for the neighbouring Natal Zoological Gardens. Quail eggs are also incubated on site as part of our food production program. The facility has a power failure alarm, DC inverters and a stand-by generator in case of emergency. 

Specially designed breeding chambers for important species are not on public display and are managed quite specifically to provide conditions conducive for courtship and breeding. Some of the species on display are however, in pairs to environmentally enrich their long-term cavity.

Progessive Growth of a Spotted Eagle Owl>>>>>>

Breeding Birds

At present the Sanctuary has the following species in breeding pairs:

     Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarus)

Cape Griffon Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Whiteheaded Vulture (Trigonceps occipitalis)
Palmnut Vulture (Gypohierax angloensis)

Yellowbilled Kite (Milvus migrans)

Verreaux’s Eagle (Aquila verreauxii)
Longcrested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Crowned Eagle (Stephanoatus coronatus)

Jackal Buzzard (Bueto rufofuscus)

Little Sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus)
Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus)
African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro)
Gabar Goshawk (Accipiter gabar)

Peregrine Falcon(Falco peregrinus minor)
Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus)
Taita Falcon (Falco fasciinucha)
Pigmy Falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus)
Rock Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Grass Owl (Tyto capensis)
Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii)
Whitefaced Scops Owl (Ptilopsis granti)
Pearlspotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum)
Cape Eagle Owl (Bubo capensis)

Saker Falcon (Falco cherug)

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

The tapestry of life...
Life would certainly be the poorer for me, and for many others, if we could not sometimes see an eagle and revel in its aerial mastery, as people did in Biblical times. The way of an eagle in the air is as wonderful today as it ever was; and since there is no good reason for destroying any of them, or their habitats, I hope that they be allowed to live into a more enlightened age.

Lesley Brown