User:WillOfTheWiki/sandbox

=Article Drafting Below=

Southern Ground Hornbill
The Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri; formerly known as Bucorvus cafer), is one of two species of ground hornbill, which are both found solely within Africa, and is the largest species of hornbill worldwide. It can be found in the southern regions of Africa, ranging from Kenya to South Africa. Within these regions, they inhabit both woodlands and savannas (463.pdf). The other species of the genus Bucorvus found in Africa is the Abyssinian ground hornbill, B. abyssinicus.

Southern Ground Hornbills are carnivorous and mostly hunt on the ground, where they find the majority of their food. This food ranges from insects to small animals. Their nests are often found in high in tree cavities or other shallow cavities, such as rock holes in cliff faces. These birds are a long lived species, having lifespans in the range of 50-60 years, and up to 70 in captivity. In relation to their long lives, they do not reach sexual maturity until 4-6 years old, and begin breeding around 10 years old. Their sex can be identified by the color of their throats, where the male’s is pure red and the female’s is a deep violet-blue.

Southern Ground Hornbills are a culturally pervasive and important species in southern Africa. Kruger National Park, located within South Africa, lists Southern Ground Hornbills as one of their ‘Big Six’ bird species. However, their numbers have been declining, due in part to persecution, habitat destruction, cultural beliefs, and other factors. They are listed globally as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN as of 2018, and ‘Endangered’ in South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.

Conservation
The Southern Ground Hornbill is classed as vulnerable to extinction globally; however, in South Africa, where most studies on the species have been carried out, it is listed as endangered.(Wiki 15) They have also been classified as endangered in Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. Southern Ground Hornbills in these countries, along with Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, require conservation interventions to help increase their numbers. The bird's classification as endangered is heavily tied to its slow reproductive rates and other, numerous environmental factors. Habitat loss, changes due to the agriculture, deforestation, electrocution from power lines, accidental poisoning, and persecution are the major factors that affect their populations.

However, the Southern Ground Hornbill is also hunted and persecuted by human populations. Recent studies have found the species has been hunted more than previously believed, including in protected areas. The majority of this hunting has likely been opportunistic. Overall, hunting is likely not a key driver for their lowering numbers. Although it is still a factor to be aware when considering conservation efforts, especially due to their low reproductive rates and an incomplete knowledge about local hunting habits in their natural regions. Furthermore, the Southern Ground Hornbill faces persecution due to behaviors like destroying windows in response to seeing their reflection. Annoyed homeowners in urban areas in South Africa have been known to kill birds that destroy property.

The role of Southern Ground Hornbills in a variety of cultural beliefs also influence conservation efforts. Some of these beliefs actually benefit their preservation. An example is the Ndebele, where killing Southern Ground Hornbills is taboo due to their negative associations. However, the birds are also used in traditional cultural practices and medicines which can be harmful. In some marketplaces and cultures, Southern Ground Hornbills are used in traditional medicines, which often rely upon harvesting specific parts of the bird. To date, research suggests that cultural uses do not have a significant impact on their populations. For example the Ndebele healers use the bird for traditional medicine, but must follow a strict ritual process that could take months or years to prepare. Additional research documents plant alternatives to Southern Ground Hornbill use for cultural belief uses. The following plants have been identified as possible replacements in particular traditional beliefs: umsense for rain rituals; umganu, ikalamuzi, and several other plants for protective beliefs; umbonisela, igibonsele, and ungibonele for beliefs pertaining to foresight. '''While investigation into traditional medicine trade of the Southern Ground Hornbill has occurred, the bushmeat trade remains poorly understood, and it has only been seen to occur in areas of Malawai. '''

This bird species is especially threatened by the loss of trees and general habitat loss, as they require vast amounts of space for their territories. The removal of large trees for agriculture or wood harvesting, disturbances near nesting grounds, agricultural changes, all deeply affect the ability of Southern Ground Hornbills to flourish properly. Due to the encroachment of human populations, it is not unheard of to see a group’s territory encompass a variety of areas, from pristine habitats to commercial agricultural lands.

Southern Ground Hornbills can have clutches ranging from one to three eggs, but only one of these are raised. With only one egg being raised, conservationists have taken it as an opportunity to raise the remaining eggs in captivity. Rehabilitation projects, such the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, have been hand-rearing these left behind chicks with goals to reintroduce them to the wild. Although reintroduced Southern Ground Hornbills have proven challenging.

In Culture
The Southern Ground Hornbill’s loud voice and large size have made it a focal point in many traditional African cultures. They have inspired a variety of cultural beliefs throughout many peoples that are within its vast historical range. However, the extent of these beliefs and whether they will persist into the future are uncertain, especially due to the modernization of Africa (Wiki 16)

Associations with death
In several cultures, it has been found that the Southern Ground Hornbill is associated with death and unluckiness. Broadly speaking, some view them as a sign, or bringer, of death, destruction, loss, and deprivation. These beliefs have been most prevalent in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Malawi; spread across many countries and peoples. Some residents of Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique associate the bird as “[an] unlucky and an aggressive bird associated with evil and death.” Some in Tanzania also believe it to host angry spirits (An Exploration → Wilfred). Others in Zimbabwe believe it can bring misfortune and should not be approached. This has lead to a range of reactions to the Southern Ground Hornbill, from avoidance to killing.

More specifically, the Taveta people have a cultural belief that killing a southern ground will bring a fatal illness upon anyone who were to kill one. For the Ndebele people, killing them is considered taboo and will bring death upon the killer. Furthermore, the Ndebele believe an elderly person will die if a Southern Ground Hornbill comes near the home. The AmaXhosa people also have a taboo against killing them, as they may be messengers of death sent by a witch-doctor.

Associations with weather
The Southern Ground Hornbill is well-known for its associations with rain, drought, lightning and general weather forecasts. It is believed by some, such as the Ndebele and those who live in coastal Tanzania, that its early morning calls are a sign of rain. Cultures such as the AmaXhosa believe the Southern Ground Hornbill can be used to bring rain and end droughts. Furthermore, some believe it “to possess powers of causing a thunderstorm.”

This association has attributed the Southern Ground Hornbill with the ability to provide protection. It is believed that if the proper traditional ritual is used, the bird can protect against lightning and drought. Rituals differ per culture and necessity for protection, as such a variety of parts may be needed from the bird, and may also involve dancing and singing. This particular usage has been seen within areas of South Africa and Mozambique.

Due to their association with rain and drought, some cultures rely upon the Southern Ground Hornbill as a timekeeper as well. They can mark both seasonal and daily changes, such as a change from the wet to dry season. Slight variations are found country to country. In Malawi, some believe that sightings of Southern Ground Hornbills means the fields should be prepared. Some in Kenya and Tanzania also use the bird as a marker for the dry season and thus time when to move cattle. Within areas of South Africa, their calls are associated with the start of the rainy season. These beliefs generally do not carry harmful consequences for Southern ground Hornbills, but killing, displacing, or otherwise using them to end or start rainy seasons has been reported.

Associations with altered perceptions
Possibly influenced by the Southern Ground Hornbill ability to spot and hunt small creatures within tall grass, it has been associated with the ability to alter human perceptions. Though traditional rituals, the bird can be utilized to improve or change a human's ability to alter reality, create illusions, and expand awareness. It has been seen in Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa that the bird can be used improve a human's ability to find food, creatures and even enemies. Furthermore, it's believed by some that the Southern Ground Hornbill can be used to alter the perceptions of oneself. Thus, it has lent itself to be used to provide authority for leaders.

The following are other cultural uses seen in numerous areas, but not deeply explored via research:


 * Ridding bad or evil spirits
 * Revenge on others or to instigate fights
 * Empowering a person
 * Causing dreams to become reality

Daryl Floyd: Peer review: Southern Ground Hornbill
The first thing that comes to mind after reading through this is the references format. It would be very helpful (for you to organize sources, and for readers to follow them) to utilize Wikipedia's tools to link your citations to a references page. I like how you incorporated interWiki links (if that's what they're called), it does help to facilitate further study by creating that network. The facts about the hornbill itself are helpful to know what you're talking about, but I would like to see expansion of the utility for the African communities you touch upon on your third paragraph (as of this review). Take your time with it, and it'll come along. -Daryl

Dr. Shaffer Comments:
I know that you have a significant amount of notes that have not yet made it into your sandbox here as text since you showed them to me on Thursday. I am a bit confused though here since there is an existing article for Southern ground hornbill on Wikipedia, and your draft repeats a lot of this material but with added academic language. I would suggest focusing your efforts on the cultural beliefs, bushmeat (if used for this) and expand where you can on conservation efforts. Don't worry about the ecological information unless you have found some new fact that is not discussed in the posted article. Also, you don't need to put in all those notes about previous species names - Wikipedia editors prefer simple language.

Comments as of 4/26/19:
Capitalize Southern Ground Hornbill and italicize the genus and species throughout your article. This is the standard for biological naming systems. I have altered the wording a little bit and combined some sentences because of awkward wording but this looks good. Post it up already!!! :-) Finally, the Shaffer paper I added as a citation in your section (full citation below) on weather indicators comes from my research. Hornbill calls are used to indicate when rains will come in coastal Tanzania. The locals were complaining that the hornbill was confused because it was calling at the wrong time - because of climate change.

Shaffer, L. J. (2014). Making sense of local climate change in rural Tanzania through knowledge co-production. Journal of Ethnobiology, 34(3), 315-335.

=Article Evaluation= The article I will be evaluating is the Menai Bay Conservation Area.

Evaluating Content

 * The information in the legislation section could be added, or edited, to be more clear.
 * Several acts, decrees, etc. are mentioned without a source or explanation. What is the Marine Parks and Reserves Act 1994? The Marine Reserves? etc.
 * There are also slight grammatical issues throughout the page. Though the article is still understandable.

Evaluating Tone

 * The over tone of the article appears to be neutral. There doesn't appear to be viewpoints that are either over represented or under represented.
 * Some claims are missing sources, which make it less reliable.

Evaluating Sources

 * The last sentence of the introduction, "About 20,000 tourists have visited the area in 1998," was not supported by the given citation. It instead suggests 10,000 tourists visited the area in 1998. Furthermore, this citation could've been used more often earlier in the introduction.
 * The legislation section fails to provide sources in reference to the Marine Parks and Reserves Act of 1994.
 * The facts about the coral reefs along the coast line of Zanzibar, as seen in the geography section, is not sourced.
 * I was unable to view the 5th reference and 6th reference.
 * Some facts within the history section were unsupported by sources.
 * There are also claims within the practices section that were unsupported.

The Talk Page

 * The talk page was largely empty, save for one comment.
 * An editor suggested the article be re-rated because they believed it was no longer a start class ranked article.
 * A bot has updated a link to a website to an archived version of the site.
 * The article is part of the WikiProject Protected areas.
 * It is also supported by the WikiProject Tanzania.
 * Wikipedia tends to stay more neutral in their evaluation of topics. It also doesn't always delve into as much depth over influences to the article's subject, possibly because it could get away from the point of the article.
 * This article lightly followed up in explaining the cultures affected, but I think our class would have explored them further.

=Add to an Article= I will be adding to the Game farm page.

Additions & Edits
A game farm is a place where game animals are raised to stock wildlife areas for hunting.[1] The term also includes places where such animals are raised to be sold as food or for photography.[2][3] -> Their existence has been exemplified within the South African countryside where they have become prevalent. Local laws in South Africa during the 20th century have allowed the private ownership of wildlife, which has enabled the expansion and economic feasibility of game farms over typical livestock farming. However, land designated for game farms has been known to create cultural tensions. Game farms within South Africa have also been seen as the continuation of the dispossession of lands. They have become prevalent within the South African countryside, furthered recently by local laws that allow

Peer Review
''I am interested to know more about the Southern Ground Hornbill and how prevalent they are in the bush meat industry as well as further information on how they are regarded by members of the communities that they most commonly inhabit. You have a lot of potential for a really interesting article about this animal and would like to learn more about this topic in general. Also, the addition you made to the Game Farm article is a very good intro, that is another great topic as it has so many other sub topics to touch base on that you could contribute more to. Overall your article draft and additions are good, don't be shy to use the citation tool on here, it's easier to be able to track your sources.''

Peer reviewed by: Stephanie Cortes

=Other possible wiki edits=
 * African Raptor Trade and Usage