This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of the Echinoderms (starfish, sea-urchins, brittle-stars and their kin) occurring in the seas and coasts of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, museum collections, and published literature records. Records range from 1938 to present. EchinoMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Echinoderms on the African continent. It aims to serve as a repository of all existing distribution data for this group in the African continent. Echinoderms (starfish, sea-urchins, brittle-stars and their kin) are conspicuous and attractive marine animals, frequently photographed by divers. Although many can be identified from photographs, no comprehensive guide to South African species exists, making it difficult to accurately identify images. The fauna is also poorly know, making it very likely that divers will encounter species new to the region, or even to science. This site aims to collate all available images of echinoderms from South Africa, thus building up a comprehensive identification guide, as well as mapping the ranges of each species. Images of all South African echinoderms are welcomed and all contribute equally towards a better understanding of the distribution patterns of these fascinating creatures. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. The complete data-set is available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is moderate for the South African coast, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Reptiles across Africa, although the bulk of the data is for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini (former Swaziland). It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions, museum collections, personal notebooks, published literature records, and other unpublished sources. Records range from 1834 to present. ReptileMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Reptiles on the African continent. ReptileMAP is building the 21st century distribution maps for Africa's reptiles. ReptileMAP also aims to improve public awareness of the value and plight of reptiles and also provide government agencies with a clear definition of conservation priorities that will help them to plan their activities. ReptileMAP is the continuation of the Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment (SARCA) and incorporates the full SARCA database. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator, a professional herpetologist. The data available to the public is the subset of shareable records (see Lineage for details), also, records for sensitive taxa are not available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is good for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, moderate for Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Birds with odd plumage of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions. Records range from 2003 to present. Birds with all sorts of unusual plumage variations are observed from time to time. Nowadays, with digital photography, pictures of these birds are frequently available. BOP (Birds with Odd Plumage) aims to provide a place where the photographs can be curated into one database. Any bird with any unusual plumage characteristic qualifies for inclusion in the virtual museum. This will provide the opportunity to look for patterns. Do certain species have abnormal plumage more frequently than others? Do unusual plumage patterns occur more in some places than in others? Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. All data is available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. The coverage, as it would be expected for a specialist project, is very sparse for the whole of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Birds of the African continent. It is a collection of data from citizen science contributions. Records range from 1980 to present. BirdPix curates interesting and important photos of birds. There are no particular constraints on what can and cannot be submitted, apart from needing the locality and date information. It is an excellent place to deposit photos of species which are out of their normal ranges. For SABAP2 observers, it can be used to keep the photos of species for which “Out of Range Forms” were generated. For bird ringers, it can be used to store photos of birds in the hand which were for some reason interesting: for example, pictures showing unusual patterns of wing moult, plumage variation with age and sex, etc. Records submitted to BirdPix will be included in SABAP2 as incidental records for mapping bird distributions. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. All data, excepting records for sensitive taxa, are available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. The coverage is moderate for South Africa, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

This data-set comprises validated species occurrence records of Mammals on the African continent, although the bulk of the data is for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini (former Swaziland). The aim of MammalMAP is to update the distribution records of all African mammal species. Through collaborations with professional scientists, conservation organisations, wildlife authorities and citizen scientists across Africa, we consolidate all reliable and identifiable evidence (camera trap records, photographs) of current mammal locations into an open-access digital database. The information consolidated within MammalMAP will not only yield crucial information for species conservation policies and landscape conservation policies, but provides an excellent platform for educating the public about African mammals and their conservation challenges. MammalMAP is a Virtual Museum and citizen science project which aims to determine the distribution and conservation priorities of Mammals on the African continent. MammalMAP is building the 21st century distribution maps for Africa's Mammals. Identification of citizen science records, based on the photos uploaded, is done by a panel of experts in the relevant taxa. The taxonomy is kept up-to-date by the project coordinator. The data available to the public is the subset of shareable records (see Lineage for details), also, records for sensitive taxa are not available to the public. Records are provided at the recorded precision, usually point coordinates. However, historical records were assigned to a 15x15 minute grid (or QDS) based on the locality description when no coordinates were provided. The coverage is good for South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, moderate for Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, but very sparse for the rest of Africa.

The South African Ringing Scheme (SAFRING) is based at the University of Cape Town and provides bird ringing services in South Africa and other African countries. This entails providing ringing equipment to qualified ringers, and curating all ringing data. SAFRING communicates with ringers and interested parties through annually publishing one or two issues of a newsletter, Afring News, and by maintaining a list server. SAFRING holds national training courses, annually if there is sufficient demand. SAFRING liaises with the provinces who have the responsibility of issuing permits. SAFRING has a strict code of ethics to ensure the safety of birds handled. SAFRING acknowledges the importance of bird ringing in that it has been described as the most important tool in ornithology in the 20th century.

The Animal Demography Unit (ADU) launched the Coordinated Waterbird Counts (CWAC) project in 1992 as part South Africa’s commitment to International waterbird conservation. This is being done by means of a programme of regular mid-summer and mid-winter censuses at a large number of South African wetlands. Regular six-monthly counts are regarded as a minimum standard; however, we do encourage counters to survey their wetlands on a more regular basis as this provides more accurate data. All the counts are conducted by volunteers; people and organisations with a passion for waterbird conservation. It is one of the largest and most successful citizen science programmes in Africa, providing much needed data for waterbird conservation around the world. Currently the project regularly monitors over 400 wetlands around the country, and furthermore curates waterbird data for over 600 sites. The project’s Goal & Objectives are outlined below: To act as an effective long-term waterbird monitoring tool, benefiting conservation efforts worldwide. Ensure effective project management through working closely with a host of national and international stakeholders; steadily updating and integrating this network of people; Coordinate, prioritise and expand waterbird surveys on a national scale with the emphasis on long-term monitoring; Ensure effective data management throughout the project; Manage, maintain and expand the project database; Undertake effective IT development within the project, including the upkeep and expansion of the project website; Disseminate data and results through the project website, reports, scientific papers, popular articles, direct liaison with stakeholders, or any other useful means; Promote and facilitate the use of census data specifically for policy, planning and research purposes; Raise awareness and promote the project through the website, popular articles, newsletters, interviews, talks, or any other appropriate means; Submit census data towards the African Waterbird Census Programme in part fulfilment of South Africa’s contribution to international agreements such as Ramsar, Bonn and AEWA. There are many reasons for collecting waterbird data from around the country. A comparison of counts from different wetlands gives indications of seasonal movements and the relative importance of sites for the conservation of different species. Long-term monitoring of population numbers on a site basis allows for the development of annual population indices to trace the fluctuations of populations. A few more reasons are listed below: better understand how waterbirds use wetlands; identify important wetlands for waterbird conservation; provide information support for management policies; assist in monitoring the health of wetlands; raise awareness of importance of wetlands as biodiversity hotspots; serve as an early warning system for wetland degradation; serve as an early warning system for waterbird population decline.

The Birds in Reserves Project, or for short BIRP, started in 1992 and is run as a National “Citizen Science” project by the Animal Demography Unit (ADU), based at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The primary aim of the project is the collection of bird occurrence data, specifically inside South African protected areas (PAs). The process is fairly simple; volunteers go out to any PA and simply make a list of all the bird species observed. Data can be collected up to a maximum of seven days. This project is well suited for people that simply want to contribute their sightings (within protected areas) to a worthwhile cause. Equally, the BIRP project can serve as an avifaunal baseline monitoring tool for all protected areas, whether big or small. The data is submitted to the ADU, processed and made available on this website. The data collected serves a variety of users; private, recreational, institutional and academic. The project is supported and endorsed by both the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) as well as BirdLife South Africa (BLSA).