Botswana’s rare slaty egret signals the health of the Okavango

Deep in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a rare waterbird is helping scientists understand the health of one of Africa’s most important wetland ecosystems.

The vulnerable slaty egret is found only in southern Africa, with its range centred on the Okavango Delta and nearby floodplains.

Sergey Dereliev, Executive Officer, AEWA: "The slaty egret is a long-legged wading bird which is endemic to southern Africa, and its uniqueness lies in the fact that it's only possible to see this bird in the Okavango Delta and some adjacent floodplains in the Okavango and Zambezi river basins."

Researchers and wildlife officials are monitoring the species to better understand its population and breeding success.

Monei Onalethatai, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana: "The slaty egret is so sensitive to environmental disturbances and to ecosystem changes. Therefore, whatever happens in the ecosystem will necessarily reflect in the distribution and the presence of the bird."

That makes protecting the egret about more than saving a single species. Its presence can provide an early warning of changes affecting the wider Delta.

Conservationists say climate change and water management across national borders make regional cooperation essential, with AEWA supporting a coordinated conservation plan for the bird.