SAFRING, the South African Bird Ringing Unit, administers bird ringing within southern Africa and throughout most of the rest of Africa, supplying rings and services to volunteer and professional bird ringers. SAFRING curates all the ringing records and maintains close links with other ringing schemes. It performs a critical function for bird research in the region.
Staffing
SAFRING was fortunate to have two new staff join the team in 2025, which was vital after the team was left short of one staff member in early 2024. First, Dr Sally Hofmeyr joined SAFRING in January 2025 to help alleviate some of the email and administrative burden. Sally is now the main liaison between ringers and SAFRING. Second, SAFRING welcomed intern Leandre Phigeland in May. Leandre has been focusing on social media and data administration.
Data
SAFRING received primary ringing data from 134 bird ringers during 2025, but ringers continue to submit data for 2025. A total of eight new SAFRING ringers were registered in the calendar year. Thus far for 2025, primary ringing data were received from nine African countries, with resighting or recapture data for ringed birds from a further eight countries.
Steering committee
The SAFRING Steering Committee met quarterly during the year to help with guiding decision-making and prioritising tasks in the work of SAFRING. The Steering Committee comprises bird ringers registered with SAFRING who represent bird clubs, wildlife NGOs, provincial conservation departments, and ringers with special interests such as bird rehabilitation. We are grateful to the members of this committee for forming subcommittees that have taken on projects such as updating the ringers’ manual and the species list.
Website
The launch of the new ringing.africa website represents a significant milestone for SAFRING, replacing the older site, which had served the organisation for many years, with a modern, more user-friendly platform. The site acts as a central hub supporting SAFRING, the Ringing Scheme of East Africa (RSEA), and the broader AFRING initiative in its mission to improve and promote bird ringing programmes across the continent. The new platform provides ringers with streamlined access to species lists, ringing records, manuals, and recovery data tools, while also modernising the ring sales system. It marks an important step in ensuring that SAFRING's infrastructure keeps pace with the growing demands of bird ringing across the continent.
Social media
Membership of our SAFRING Registered Ringers Facebook group grew from 84 to 101. A variety of topics were discussed this year, including enquiries about ringing events, companions, or locations when visiting another province, requests for trainers, and advice on where to purchase ringing equipment not stocked by SAFRING.
Our public Facebook group continues to be both a valuable source of information and an effective platform from which to share information about resightings of live and recoveries of dead ringed birds. During 2025, membership of this group grew from 1566 to 1682. There were 45 posts published to the group by ringers, members of the public, and group administrators and these posts garnered 145 comments and 580 reactions. The value of this group is visible in the multiple reports of ringed birds and the valuable research data they provide. For example, a Common Tern Sterna hirundo was reported in September to the Plett Stranding Network because it was showing signs of illness. By searching for the ring in our database, we established that the bird was originally ringed in Algoa Bay in September 2000. This meant that it was at least 25 years old, a new longevity record for the species.
Scientific publishing
In 2025, SAFRING data were used in three academic papers published in Nature Communications, Journal of Ornithology, and NeoBiota. Our rings were used in seven studies, also published in academic journals.
SAFRING team 2025
A/Prof. Robert Thomson (Co-ordinator, FIAO, UCT)
Janine Dunlop (Niven Librarian, FIAO, UCT)
Dr Sally Hofmeyr (Senior Scientific Officer, FIAO, UCT)
Michael Brooks (FIAO, UCT, SAFRING website maintenance)
Leandre Phigeland (FIAO, UCT and SAFRING intern)
SAFRING Steering Committee:
Zephne Bernitz, Mark Brown (UKZN), Ursula Bryson (FIAO RA), Tammy Caine (FreeMe Wildlife), Brent Coverdale (KZN Wildlife), Johan de Jager and Chris du Plooy (BirdLife North Gauteng), Peter Hamming (Southern African Wildlife College), Alan Lee (BirdLife SA), Katta Ludynia and Lisa Nupen (SANCCOB), Craig Nattrass (Vulpro, Wits Bird Club), Gareth Tate (EWT)