Name: Annual Bird-Ringing Demonstration at Oliewenhuis Art Museum
Start: 2026-05-16T07:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-16T11:00:00+02:00
Location: Oliewenhuis Art Museum

Event: Annual Bird-Ringing Demonstration at Oliewenhuis Art Museum
Date: Saturday, 16 May 2026
Time: 7:00 to 11:00
Venue: Oliewenhuis Art Museum, 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein
Oliewenhuis Art Museum invites the public to attend a bird-ringing demonstration on Saturday, 16 May 2026 from 7:00 to 11:00. The session will be led by Dawie de Swardt, Head of the Ornithology Department at the National Museum, Bloemfontein.
Hosted annually as part of the BirdLife South Africa Bird of the Year celebrations, this event offers a rare opportunity to observe the bird-ringing process up close while learning more about bird conservation and research in South Africa.
The Ornithology Department of the National Museum has conducted a bird-ringing demonstration at Oliewenhuis Art Museum every May for several years. The koppie area at Oliewenhuis Art Museum has long served as a significant site for bird ringing, with activities dating back to 1988. Over the years, it has become an important location for monitoring bird populations, training new ringers and collecting valuable data through the recapture of previously ringed birds.
Visitors will gain insight into the techniques used by researchers to safely capture, ring and release birds, contributing to ongoing conservation efforts. The demonstration is open to the public and suitable for all ages, with no prior knowledge required.
This year's event will also highlight the 2026 Bird of the Year, the Black Harrier (Witkruisvleivalk) Circus maurus, listed as Endangered on the BirdLife South Africa Regional Red Data Book 2025. Black Harriers are near-endemics and breed in the fynbos areas of the Western Cape. They are highly nomadic, moving over great distances to foraging and breeding sites. These birds fly from west to east following the rains and cover an average distance of 250 kilometres a day over grassland or Karoo habitats. They are also regularly observed flying over the Free State grasslands and a flyover was observed over the Oliewenhuis koppies a few years ago. The main threats to this species are habitat loss and, in recent times, wind turbines, with birds being killed by the spinning blades which cannot be detected by the birds when flying.
Join us for an engaging morning of discovery and appreciation of South Africa's birdlife in the tranquil surroundings of Oliewenhuis Art Museum.
For more information, please contact Dawie de Swardt at 083 638 1604 or via email at [email protected]. For inquiries about Oliewenhuis Art Museum, contact the Museum at 078 968 4300 or via email at [email protected]. Stay up to date with all upcoming exhibitions and events by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and X.