Storks foraging on a misty floodplain at sunrise

Ecological research across Africa

Advancing ecological understanding in Africa.

We are a small, field-oriented research organisation tackling ecological questions that are often overlooked in Africa.

Explore our programmes Follow tracked birds

Countries crossed by our tagged birds: 25
Countries with field projects: 4
Research programmes: 8
Founded in KwaZulu-Natal: 2026

Who we are

Field science for the birds and places that are easiest to overlook.

Answering ecological questions and addressing conservation issues requires a large ‘toolbox.’ Our team brings together expertise in avian telemetry, bird ringing, nest monitoring, and genetics, along with years of field logistics, data management and analysis across the continent.

What we do

A tern being fitted with a small tracking device

Avian Telemetry

Technology available to ecologists is advancing rapidly, including ways to track the movements of birds.

A ringed hawk held in hand with its leg band visible

Bird Ringing (Banding)

Bird ringing (banding) has been a global standard for studying populations for over a century.

Chicks in a stick nest among tree branches

Nest Monitoring

Monitoring bird nests provides critical population information that informs conservation.

An African Pygmy Goose among water lilies

“The world is small when you have wings.”

Programmes

Our current research

All programmes

A flock of waterbirds in flight over a floodplain

Waterbird Tracking

What wetland birds reveal about how Africa’s wetlands are connected.

A small bird in hand fitted with a tracking device

Intra-African Land Bird Migration

Following small land birds that migrate within the continent.

A Spotted Ground Thrush with earthworms in its bill

ThrushWatch

Counting and colour-ringing the endangered Spotted Ground Thrush.

Ringers recording data at a field station

AFRING

Re-establishing a continent-wide bird ringing platform for Africa.

Trash Birds

How landfills shape the movements of storks and ibises.

An African Skimmer in flight low over the water

African Skimmers

Surveying skimmer populations and tracking their movements for the first time.

White egrets nesting across a treetop colony

Colony Monitoring

Monitoring waterbird breeding colonies, from the ground and from above.

An African Woolly-necked Stork on its nest above suburban houses

Urban Storks

How a shy wetland stork became a suburban neighbour.

The team ringing birds at a field station

The people

A small team with deep field experience.

The Institute was co-founded in 2026 by Dr Jonah Gula, Pieter du Plessis, Dr Matthew Burnett, and Arrie Klopper, and works alongside research partners from universities and conservation organisations across southern Africa.

About us

Map of Africa showing tracked bird movements as orange paths and bird ringing sites as black points

Where we work

Field projects in four countries. Tagged birds in twenty-five.

We conduct field research throughout South Africa and have on-the-ground projects in Botswana, Zambia and Liberia, and our tracked birds have taken us much further.