South Africa the Southwestern Cape & Kruger
SOUTH AFRICA THE SOUTHWESTERN CAPE & KRUGER
OCTOBER 10–25, 2019
WAKKERSTROOM EXTENSION OCTOBER 24–28, 2019
African Penguin © Geoff Lockwood LEADER: GEOFF LOCKWOOD LIST COMPILED BY: GEOFF LOCKWOOD
VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM
TOUR CONDITIONS
Conditions throughout this year’s tour reflected the generally abnormal weather patterns being experienced in the region at the moment. Although the winter rainfall region of the western and southern Cape had had better rains than in recent years, water levels in the region’s various storage dams had still not recovered fully, and water restrictions were still in place in several of the places we visited. In addition, gale-force winds forced the cancellation of our planned pelagic trip, and also made our land-based birding alternative rather challenging.
The northern parts of South Africa had experienced a particularly mild winter, with temperatures around 1.3 °C warmer than average, and this led straight into a series of blazingly-hot heat waves at the start of spring. These were accompanied by high winds, which had further dried out the veld. Our summer rains, which usually start in late August/early September, had yet to begin at the time of the tour, and conditions in the Kruger National Park, and also in Wakkerstroom on the post-tour extension, were much hotter and drier than usual. Very strong winds were again in evidence – making birding tougher than normal. In spite of these challenges, however, we had exceptional sightings of a number of great birds and animals, as well as some spectacular scenery. We also had the best year ever for sightings of snakes on this tour. ITINERARY
Main Tour
Oct 12 Walk through the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens; drive to Cape Point and back to the hotel via Boulders Penguin colony Oct 13 False Bay – visiting Rooi Els, Betty’s Bay, Stoney Point and the Muizenberg estuary Oct 14 Alphen Hotel to Langebaan via Tienie Versveld Wildflower Reserve and Darling; afternoon walk overlooking Langebaan Lagoon Oct 15 Full day exploring the West Coast National Park Oct 16 Langebaan to Inverdoorn, Tankwa Karoo via Malmesbury and Ceres; afternoon game drive at Inverdoorn Oct 17 Exploring the Tankwa Karoo, Katbakkies Pass and surrounding areas Oct 18 Inverdoorn to Hermanus via Ceres, Worcester and Kleinmond Oct 19 Hermanus whale-watching boat trip; drive to the Verde Hotel, Cape Town International Airport via Bot Rivier and Strandfontein Sewage Works Oct 20 Birding the hotel grounds; flight to Skukuza, Kruger National Park; afternoon game drive in the park Oct 21 Early morning birding in Skukuza camp; game drive along the Sabie River; transfer to Notten’s Bush Camp and evening game drive in the Sabi Sand Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park Oct 22 Early morning game drive; brunch - followed by a bush walk; evening game drive – Notten’s Oct 23 Early morning game drive; brunch - followed by a bush walk; evening game drive – Notten’s Oct 24 Early morning game drive; brunch and transfer to Skukuza for flight to Johannesburg; onward flights home (part of the group)
End of the Main Tour
Extension to Wakkerstroom Oct 25 Drive to Wakkerstroom via Heidelberg, Standerton and Volksrust; afternoon drive on the Wakkerstroom – Groenvlei – Zaaihoek Dam loop Oct 26 Early morning drive to Fickland Pan, breakfast at the Wetland Lodge; Amersfoort road to Daggakraal and Derdekloof Oct 27 Early morning drive along the Paul Pietersburg road before breakfast; wetland reserve and drive to OR Tambo International Airport via Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve; flights home
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
TOUR SUMMARY
The grounds of the Alphen Boutique Hotel – our extremely comfortable home for the start of the tour – gave great views of a nesting pair of Spotted Eagle-Owls with two young nestlings; sightings of the gorgeous endemic Swee Waxbills coming to drink at the stream flowing through the bottom of the grounds; calling Chaffinches – an introduced species found only in the Constantia area; and our only sighting of Amethyst Sunbird on the main tour.
Spotted Eagle-Owl © Geoff Lockwood Swee Waxbill male © Geoff Lockwood
Our walk through the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens introduced the group to the wonders of the Cape Floral Kingdom – with its array of different Proteas, Ericas (heaths), and Restios. As always, birding was great, with good sightings of a number of endemics – Cape Sugarbirds, Cape Bulbuls, Cape Francolin, Southern Boubou, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, and Forest Canary. We also had good views of Sombre Greenbull, Dusky-brown Flycatcher, a stunning male Malachite Sunbird, Brimstone and Cape canaries, and both Black and African goshawks. Our first mammal – a Small Gray Mongoose – was watched with grave suspicion by a Cape Francolin and two Egyptian Geese as it slunk through one of the flower beds.
The wind was blowing strongly at Cape Point and birds were rather scarce, but we managed to add great sightings of Orange-breasted Sunbirds and more sightings of Cape Sugarbirds feeding on the brilliant yellow flowers of the Pincushion Proteas. Further into the reserve, we added Yellow Bishop and Cape Grassbird. At the Cape of Good Hope lookout we enjoyed distant views of Cape Cormorants and Cape Gannets flying across the waves . . . . and, much closer, of a female Common Ostrich back-dropped by the restless sea.
Lunch at the Two Oceans Restaurant brought ultra-close looks at a confiding Cape Bunting, while the thieving antics of the Red-winged Starlings kept us entertained. Driving back to the hotel along the northern shore of False Bay, we spotted the distinctive flipper of a whale close inshore, and we pulled off for a closer look. Two Bryde’s Whales were circling through the kelp beds below us – giving great views as they regularly breached. A quick visit to Boulders Beach brought great views of several African Penguins plus a number of Sandwich Terns flying past.
Cape Bunting © Geoff Lockwood African Penguin © Geoff Lockwood
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Early the next morning a strong southeasterly gale was blowing, and a change of plan was necessary. We needed to find a place where we could bird out of the wind – and, hopefully, where we could link up with some of the outstanding ‘Cape Specials’ on our list. We headed for Rooi Els . . . . and the chance of picking up one of the Cape’s most charismatic birds – the Cape Rockjumper. As we alighted from the vehicle, things did not look good – strong gusts nearly blew us off our feet – but we soon found a gorgeous male Cape Rock-Thrush sheltering out of the wind. A few hundred yards down the track, however, we were suddenly in the lee of the mountain, and the birding began in earnest. First, Charlie got onto a bird moving amongst the scattered rocks on the foot-slope. It eventually reappeared, and the group was able to enjoy great, repeat scope views of a stunning male Cape Rockjumper as it foraged along the slope. Next came a small party of Cape Siskins – another endemic that was high on our want list. A ringing CHAAAK ! . . . CHAAAK . . . and a hurried search of the hillslope brought another great endemic – a Ground Woodpecker. A short drive to the Stoney Point penguin colony, where we enjoyed more great views of African Penguins of all ages – fluffy chicks; ‘blues’ just moulted into their first sea-going plumage; and adults – preening, bathing, or just dozing in the sun. Stoney Point is one of the best places to record all of the region’s four marine cormorant species, and the group enjoyed the chance to study the differences between Cape, Crowned, Bank, and Great cormorants at close range. A Cape Girdled Lizard sunning itself next to the path, and a Rock Hyrax (or Dassie) sheltering from the wind were added on the way back to our vehicle.
Cape Girdled Lizard © Geoff Lockwood Rock Hyrax © Geoff Lockwood
The next day we headed north up the west coast towards the coastal town of Langebaan and the West Coast National Park, stopping off to bird at a small wildflower reserve near the town of Darling. The area was very dry, and flowers were scarce, but we managed to add Large-billed Lark, Capped Wheatear, and Banded Martin, as well as a couple of Four-striped Grass Mice. On arriving at our hotel in Langebaan, the group took a walk through the Renosterveld (Rhino bush) vegetation along the cliff above the lagoon. It was great to be out of the bus and walking for a while, and also easier to bird too! Karoo Scrub Robin, Bokmakierie (a stunning, endemic bush-shrike with a bright yellow, black-bordered throat), Chestnut-vented Warbler, Bar-throated Apalis, and Yellow Canary were all added before we returned to the hotel for dinner.
Karoo Scrub-Robin © Geoff Lockwood Bar-throated Apalis © Geoff Lockwood
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We spent the next day exploring the West Coast National Park – racking up great sightings of Black Bustard, Cape Grassbird, Southern Penduline-Tit, and Chestnut-vented Warbler around the entrance to the Reserve. Next came a flyover by a stunning adult Black Harrier, followed by the first of a range of shorebirds feeding on the tidal flats in the lagoon in front of the Seeberg Hide. Returning to the vehicle, the agitated scolding of a Karoo Scrub-Robin drew attention to a Puff Adder moving through the scrub next to the boardwalk – the first of four of these snakes we recorded during our day in the park! The shrubby vegetation also produced follow-up sightings of Malachite and Southern Double-collared sunbirds, as well as Bokmakierie. The Seeberg look-out added another sighting of Rock Kestrel hunting lizards on the granite outcrop.
Cape Grassbird © Geoff Lockwood Black Bustard © Geoff Lockwood
Traveling southwards through the Park, European Bee-eaters (a locally-breeding sub-population that does not nest in Europe), several coveys of Gray-winged Francolin, Karoo Lark, and Cardinal Woodpecker were added, along with great scope views of a calling Dideric Cuckoo – first on these tours, and a write-in. A calling Eurasian (African) Hoopoe remained elusive, however.
At Geelbek Hide we added a number of new shorebirds – including Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, and Ruddy Turnstone. The tide levels were not ideal, however, and most waders were still far out on the mudflats. We did, however, have several further sightings of Black Harriers; our first African Marsh-Harrier; Pied and Wattled starlings; White-throated Canaries; and Cape Crombecs. We also had a large Mole Snake crossing the road in front of the vehicle – making this the best tour ever for snake sightings.
Mammal sightings included another Small Gray Mongoose, several Steinbuck, and a herd of strikingly-pied Bontebok (a sub-species of the more widespread Blesbuck found in grassland habitats further to the north) with young lambs. A magnificent bull Eland towering over the surrounding scrub gave impressive views of this, the largest of the African antelope species.
Puff Adder © Geoff Lockwood Gray-winged Francolin © Geoff Lockwood
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Eland bull © Geoff Lockwood European Bee-eater © Geoff Lockwood
Our drive through to Inverdoorn Game Lodge in the Tankwa – or Succulent Karoo – took us through extensive areas of wheat fields and other croplands and brought our first sighting of a Booted Eagle, as well as several pairs of stately Blue Cranes. At Ceres, a roadside pan close to the road brought a sighting of a Maccoa Duck (a type of ‘Stiff-tail’), as well as numbers of Egyptian and Spur-winged geese. After checking in to the rooms, we joined an evening game drive. The lodge is involved in the rehabilitation of cheetah – readying captive-bred or animals recovered from injuries for release back into the wild, and our first stop was a large enclosure where four young cheetah were going to be exercised chasing after a dragged lure. The activity drew the attention of a pair of Pale Chanting Goshawks and a beautiful adult female Lanner Falcon, who had designs on the chickens fed to the cheetah, and we watched as they repeatedly tried to pirate scraps from the feeding cats.
We headed for a large dam close to the lodge, picking up a pair of Black-headed Canaries on the way. A family of Hippopotamuses waited for the coming darkness in the shallows, snorting occasionally. Great sightings of South African Shelduck, Cape Shoveler, and Southern Pochard followed, and then a high-pitched trilling call announced the presence of a Namaqua Warbler – a prinia-like endemic warbler that favors reed and acacia habitats. A quick call . . . . and the bird was showing well next to our vehicle.
Rufous-eared Warbler © Geoff Lockwood Karoo Lark © Geoff Lockwood
The following morning we set off to explore the different microhabitats in the Tankwa-Karoo, starting off with great views of a Rufous-eared Warbler – at the second spot we tried. This was followed by sightings of Karoo Chat, Karoo Lark and, finally, our first Sickle-winged Chat of the tour. A group of Karoo Bustards called way off in the distance – just too far to be visible, but a stop at a quarry to search for Gray Tits flushed a Ludwig’s Bustard, which flew off into the distance with heavy wing-beats. Scanning around, we picked up a distant group of Anteater Chats but, despite intensive searching, could not locate a Tractrac Chat in the arid stony area where they usually occur. Temperatures were rising steeply and, with bird activity having dropped to virtually zero, we headed back to the lodge. As it cooled down, we headed back out, looking to pick up any birds that we had missed during the day. A stop at a likely-looking spot produced a gorgeous Fairy Flycatcher – a regional endemic, and a delightful little bird that regularly flirts its tail like someone opening and closing a fan.
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
A little further on we had a second regional endemic species for the drive – a striking Layard’s Warbler (or Titbabbler), which was enticed into a bush next to the group. Perhaps not as attractive as its cousin – the Chestnut- vented Warbler we had seen earlier on the tour, but a great bird for the list!
Fairy Flycatcher © Geoff Lockwood Layard’s Warbler © Geoff Lockwood
Our trip across to Hermanus took us through the mountains into the Overberg region. Regular sightings of groups of Blue Cranes were a highlight, as was our first kingfisher sighting – two Pied Kingfishers perched together at Kleinmond. A walk along the cliff in front of our hotel brought a frustratingly brief flight view of a Southern Tchagra (an endemic bush-shrike), plus a number of now more familiar species like Cape Sugarbirds. Hermanus is known as ‘the whale-watching capital of the world’ and is the focal breeding and calving area for a large part of the world’s Southern Right Whale population. Many had already headed south, but we made close contact with at least eight females, all with young calves in tow. At one point a calf had dropped behind . . . and the female gave an eerie bellowing call to encourage it to catch up. An incredible experience!
Southern Right Whale cow with calf © Geoff Lockwood Cape Sugarbird © Geoff Lockwood
The flight to Skukuza airport in the world-renowned Kruger National Park went off without a hitch, and as we left the building it was immediately clear that we were in a bird-rich environment. From the Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bats hanging from the thatch in the arrivals ‘hall,’ new species were being added at a frenetic pace – Crowned, Southern Yellow-billed, and African Gray hornbills; Lilac-breasted Rollers; barbets; bee-eaters and more had been sighted by the time we reached the camp. Our afternoon drive brought sightings of a male Leopard, Greater Kudu, Elephant, and lots of birds! We decided to bird in the camp before breakfast, and it paid off wonderfully – Scarlet- chested and Collared sunbirds; Black-collared and Crested barbets; Purple-crested Turacos; bulbuls, brownbuls, and greenbuls; Cape, Greater Blue-eared, Violet-backed, and Wattled starlings; and White-browed Robin-Chats. Birds were coming thick and fast! Great views of a pair of Black Crakes entertained us during breakfast, and then it was off along the Sabie River towards Lower Sabie camp. Our bird list continued to grow – new raptors, vultures, swallows, storks, francolins, waxbills, and more, with small flocks of Red-billed Quelea (‘Africa’s feathered locusts’) apparently everywhere.
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Purple-crested Turaco © Geoff Lockwood Greater Blue-eared Starling © Geoff Lockwood
The transfer to Notten’s Bush Lodge in the famous Sabi Sand Reserve brought new excitement – and new levels of comfort and service! Our first game drive was memorable for close sightings of two White Rhinoceros, two different Leopards, and a dozing pride of Lions in the spotlight (right next to our vehicle). Several sightings of smaller mammals such as Dwarf Mongoose, plus numbers of new birds (including several write-ins), offered something for everyone in the group, while the sighting of a harmless Brown House Snake in the path on the way to our spacious and extremely comfortable rooms added to our already impressive snake sightings on the tour.
White Rhinoceros © Geoff Lockwood Dwarf Mongoose © Geoff Lockwood
The rest of our stay followed the same pattern – an early wake-up, coffee, and an early game drive, returning for a delicious brunch at the lodge. This was followed by a walk through the bush exploring the ecology of this incredibly bio-diverse region and then down-time/ birding in the camp until ‘high tea’ and the evening game drive. Incredible sightings of game and birds continued to roll in – an attempt to call up a Pearl-spotted Owlet resulted in a ‘Bushveld Christmas Tree,’ a small tree festooned with brightly-colored birds all searching for the elusive owl. Red-headed and Spectacled weavers; Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrikes; Black-crowned and Brown-crowned tchagras; Brubru; Chinspot Batis; Southern Black Tit; Black-backed Puffback; Southern Cordonbleu; and Green-winged Pytilia all together in a single tree – an incredible sight!
Other birding highlights were of a Small Buttonquail right next to our vehicle – (our best sighting ever of this cryptic species); our first sightings of Gray-headed Bush-Shrike; a cooperative male Greater Honeyguide; a pair of Southern Ground-Hornbills foraging; and a majestic Martial Eagle perched up in a leafless tree. Spectacular, close- up sightings of a male Leopard exploring the scent-spray markings left by a young female; more sightings of White Rhino – including a female with a young calf; and a close encounter with a breeding elephant herd moving placidly past our vehicle added to the magic on our game drives. The passing parade of stately male Nyala and Greater Kudu feeding around camp, and of Spotted Hyeana and Common Warthog coming to drink at the waterhole in front of camp, kept us enthralled, while the attentive and
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019 friendly staff, superb food, and wonderful atmosphere all made for a very happy stay at Notten’s. A great place to wrap up the tour!
Small Buttonquail © Geoff Lockwood Greater Honeyguide male © Geoff Lockwood
Southern Ground-Hornbill © Geoff Lockwood Leopard male © Geoff Lockwood
End of the main tour
WAKKERSTROOM EXTENSION
Our extension started where the main tour ended – with a strong, hot wind blowing during our drive through to Wakkerstroom. In spite of conditions, we added great sightings of a pair of Southern Bald Ibis, as well as our first Rufous-naped Lark of the combined tour. After lunch, we were joined by our local guide, Norman, who suggested we head in the direction of Groenvlei and Zaaihoek Dam in the hopes of recording such local specials as Yellow- breasted Pipit and Sentinel Rock-Thrush, as well Blue Cranes and Gray Crowned-Cranes. At higher elevations the wind was really pumping, and we struck out on the pipit and rock-thrush. We did, however, encounter a large mixed flock of the two crane species feeding in a harvested corn field, with over one hundred Blue Cranes and at least seventy Gray Crowned-Cranes.
Early the next morning, the grounds around the lodge produced the first Rufous-necked Wryneck of the combined tour, as well as a glimpse of Malachite Kingfisher. We headed out to Fickland’s Pan in search of Blue Bustard and Rudd’s Lark – a threatened endemic species with a very restricted range. The drive brought further sightings of the two crane species, plus good scope views of a party of four Blue Bustards feeding in the field beyond. A stunning male Montague’s Harrier quartering the fields in the same area was an unexpected bonus. At first, Rudd’s Lark proved elusive, and it was only on our second sweep through the short grass around the pan that we had a pair busily searching for food and which allowed extended close views.
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Rufous-necked Wryneck © Geoff Lockwood Rudd’s Lark © Geoff Lockwood
After an excellent breakfast back at the lodge, we headed back out in search of more of the local endemics. Eastern Long-billed Lark was eventually added (in less rocky habitat than we normally expect this species) while a calling Eastern Clapper Lark failed to show itself. Southern Ant-eater Chats – a species that we had only managed brief, distant views of in the Tankwa-Karoo on the main tour, were abundant and gave excellent views, as did numbers of African Stonechats and Spike-heeled Larks. At Daggakraal, we again spread out and began criss-crossing the dry vlei in search of another range-restricted endemic lark species – Botha’s Lark. After several long sweeps through the area without a result, the bird finally popped up only yards away from the group and gave superb viewing and photographic opportunities. The area also gave us our first views of Black-throated Canary – the tenth canary/ seedeater species of the combined tours. We had planned on a long circular drive to search for White-bellied, Black-bellied, and Denham’s bustards, plus a number of forest species, but a threatening thunderstorm broke – with spectacular flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder, and road conditions soon became very slippery. Reluctantly, we headed back to the lodge.
The next morning we made an early start – heading back out on the Paul Pietersburg road to try for those species we had missed on our first afternoon. We had three main targets – Yellow-breasted Pipit, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, and better views of Wing-snapping Cisticola, and we managed good views of all three with relative ease. Flushed with success, we headed back for breakfast. On a hunch, I asked our driver to stop where we could look down a small weed-choked channel. A few calls of African Rail . . . . and a tiny shape came hurtling up the channel towards us – finally stopping only yards away. This was without doubt the best view of this typically skulking species ever on these tours – and one of the highlights of the combined tour!
Botha’s Lark © Geoff Lockwood African Rail © Geoff Lockwood
Returning to Johannesburg for the flights home, we made a last stop at the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. The reserve was dreadfully dry, and birds were rather scarce, but we managed to add two new species – African Red-eyed Bulbul and a pair of Mocking Cliff-Chats – to the combined tour list.
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TRIP SIGHTINGS
KEY
E Endemic species RE Regional / Near-endemic species BE Breeding endemic species ● Recorded h Heard only L Leader only Note: The endemic classifications used in this trip list reflect the status of a particular species within the southern African sub-region (i.e. the area south of the Cunene and Zambezi rivers), and not to the status of that species in South Africa. They are given to help identify probable life birds for first-time visitors to the region.
BIRDS
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Ostriches Struthionidae
Common Ostrich Struthio camelus ● ● ●
Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
RE South African Shelduck Tadorna cana ● ●
# Great views of a female with a group of ducklings feeding on the shoreline close to our vehicle – Inverdoorn dam
Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis ● ● ● ●
RE Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii ● ● ● ●
African Black Duck Anas sparsa ●
Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata ● ● ● ● ●
Cape Teal Anas capensis ● ● ●
Red-billed Duck (Teal) Anas erythrorhyncha ● ● ●
Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma ●
Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa ●
Guineafowl Numididae
Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Pheasants, Grouse & Allies Phasianidae
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix h
E Cape Francolin Pternistis capensis ● ● ● ● ●
RE Natal Francolin Pternistis natalensis ●
Swainson's Francolin Pternistis swainsonii ● ●
Crested Francolin Dendroperdix sephaena ●
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COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Pheasants, Grouse & Allies (cont.) Phasianidae
E Gray-winged Francolin Scleroptila africanus ●
Flamingos Phoenicopteridae
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus ● ● ●
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor ●
Grebes Podicipedidae
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis ● ● ● ● ●
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus ●
Pigeons & Doves Columbidae
Rock Pigeon (I) Columba livia ● ● ● ● ●
Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea ● ● ● ● ● ●
Red -eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata ● ● ● ● ● ●
Ring-necked (Cape Turtle) Dove Streptopelia capicola ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Emerald -spotted Wood -Dove Turtur chalcospilos ●
Namaqua Dove Oena capensis ● ●
African Green -Pigeon Treron calvus ●
Bustards Otididae
RE Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii ●
# Distant flight views of this rare , regional endemic bustard on the road to Katbakkies Pass, Tankwa -Karoo
E Blue Bustard Eupodotis caerulescens ●
# Great scope views of a group of four of these striking endemic bustards feeding in short grass – Wakkerstroom
E Black Bustard Eupodotis afra ●
# Ultra -close views of two different males – West Coast National Park, and of a female on the drive to the Karoo
Turacos Musophagidae
Purple-crested Turaco Tauraco porphyreolophus ●
Gray Go -away -bird Corythaixoides concolor ●
Cuckoos Cuculidae
White -browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus
(Burchell's Coucal) (C. superciliosus burchelli) ●
Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius ● ●
Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas h ●
# Heard during our walk through Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, we finally had great views – Notten’s game drive
Red -chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius ●
# Great flight views of a calling adult ‘buzzing’ our vehicle just after the first rains – Notten’s game drive
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COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Nightjars & Allies Caprimulgidae
Fiery -necked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis h ●
Swifts Apodidae
Alpine Swift Apus melba ● ●
African Swift Apus barbatus L
Little Swift Apus affinis ● ● ● ●
White -rumped Swift Apus caffer ● ● ● ● ●
African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus ● ●
Flufftails Sarothruridae
Red -chested Flufftail Sarothrura rufa h
# A bird calling from the edge of dense reeds remained stubbornly invisible – Wakkerstroom wetland on our last day
Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae
African Rail Rallus caerulescens ●
# Incredible, ultra -close extended views of an adult that was called out next to our vehicle - Wakkerstroom
Eurasian (Common) Moorhen Gallinula chloropus ● ●
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata ● ● ●
African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis ●
Black Crake Zapornia flavirostra ● ●
Cranes Gruidae
Gray Crowned-Crane Balearica regulorum
# Wonderful views of a flock of over 70 of these cranes feeding in a recently -harvested field - Wakkerstroom
RE Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus ● ● ●
# Several great views in the Cape, and again around Wakkerstroom – including a flock of 100+ feeding with Grey- crowned Cranes near Groenvlei on the post -tour extension. The largest flock recorded!
Thick-knees Burhinidae
Water Thick -knee Burhinus vermiculatus ●
Stilts & Avocets Recurvirostridae
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus ● ● ● ● ●
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta ● ● ●
Oystercatchers Haematopodidae
RE African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini ● ● ● ●
Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae
Black-bellied (Gray) Plover Pluvialis squatarola ●
Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Plovers & Lapwings (cont.) Charadriidae
White-headed Lapwing Vanellus albiceps ●
Senegal Lapwing (Plover) Vanellus lugubris ●
# A single bird next the runway as we were taxiing to arrivals at Skukuza was the only record
Black -winged Lapwing (Plover) Vanellus melanopterus ●
Crowned Lapwing (Plover) Vanellus coronatus ● ●
Wattled Lapwing (Plover) Vanellus senegallus ● ●
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius ●
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula ●
Three -banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris ● ● ● ● ●
White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus ●
Jacanas Jacanidae
African Jacana Actophilornis africanus ●
Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus ●
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres ●
Ruff Calidris pugnax ●
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea ●
Sanderling Calidris alba ●
Little Stint Calidris minuta ●
African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis ●
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos ●
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia ● ● ●
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis ● ●
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola ● ●
Buttonquail Turnicidae
Small Buttonquail Turnix sylvaticus ●
# Incredible, ultra-close views of a bird only a yard from our vehicle. It seemed confused by our proximity and stood motionless with its eyes closed (if I can’t see you, then you can’t see me . . . . ?) Notten’s game drive
Pratincoles & Coursers Glareolidae
Bronze -winged Courser Rhinoptilus chalcopterus ●
# A pair flushed from recently -burnt, rocky grassland was an unexpected record – Notten’s game drive
Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae
Gray -hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus ● ●
RE Hartlaub's Gull Chroicocephalus hartlaubii ● ● ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Gulls, Terns & Skimmers (cont.) Laridae
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus ● ● ● ●
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia ● ●
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida ● ● ●
Common Tern Sterna hirundo ●
Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii ● ●
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis ● ●
Penguins Spheniscidae
BE African Penguin Spheniscus demersus ● ● ●
# Apart from the customary stunning views of this species at the Boulders and Stoney Point nesting colonies, we had great, close views of several groups out at sea – Hermanus whale-watching boat trip
Storks Ciconiidae
Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus ●
Boobies & Gannets Sulidae
BE Cape Gannet Morus capensis ● ●
Anhingas Anhingidae
African Darter Anhinga rufa ●
Cormorants & Shags Phalacrocoracidae
Long -tailed (Reed) Cormorant Microcarbo africanus ● ● ● ● ●
RE Crowned Cormorant (RE) Microcarbo coronatus ●
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
(White -breasted Cormorant) (Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus) ● ● ● ● ●
BE Cape Cormorant (RE) Phalacrocorax capensis ● ● ● ●
Hamerkop Scopidae
Hamerkop Scopus umbretta ● L
Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae
Gray Heron Ardea cinerea ● ● ● ● ● ●
Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala ● ● ● ● ●
Goliath Heron (R) Ardea goliath ●
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea ● ●
Great Egret Ardea alba ●
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia ●
Little Egret Egretta garzetta ● ● ●
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis ● ● ● ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 15 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (cont.) Ardeidae
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides ●
Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus ● ● ● ●
Sacred (African Sacred) Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus ● ● ● ● ●
E Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus ●
# A great sighting of two birds feeding next to the road en route to Wakkerstroom, gave us the last member of the family – and was Janine’s last ibis to wrap up the world’s ibis species. What a stunning bird to do it with!
Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
African Spoonbill Platalea alba ● ● ● ● ●
Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae
Black -winged Kite Elanus caeruleus ● ● ● ● ●
African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus ● ●
White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis ●
White -backed Vulture Gyps africanus ●
Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus ●
Black -breasted Snake -Eagle Circaetus pectoralis ●
Brown Snake-Eagle Circaetus cinereus ●
Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus ●
Wahlberg's Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi ●
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus ● ●
Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax ●
RE (Southern) Pale Chanting-Goshawk Melierax canorus ●
African Marsh -Harrier Circus ranivorus ● ●
RE Black Harrier Circus maurus ●
# Several great flight views – including of a pair interacting – West Coast National Park
Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus ●
# Brilliant flight views of an adult male quartering low over a field – Wakkerstroom
African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro ●
Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus ●
Black Goshawk (Sparrowhawk) Accipiter melanoleucus ● ●
Black Kite Milvus migrans
(Yellow-billed Kite) (Milvus migrans parasiticus) ● ● ● ●
African Fish -Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer ● ●
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo ● ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 16 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
RE Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus ● ● ● ●
Owls Strigidae
African Scops-Owl Otus senegalensis h
Spotted Eagle -Owl Bubo africanus ● ● ●
# Pair with two nestlings in the grounds of the Alphen Hotel, and a pair calling in front of our hotel in Langebaan
Verreaux's Eagle -Owl Bubo lacteus ●
African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense ●
Mousebirds Coliidae
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus ● ● ●
White-backed Mousebird Colius colius ● ●
Red -faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus ● ●
Hoopoes Upupidae
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
(African Hoopoe) (Upupa epops africana) h ● ●
Woodhoopoes & Scimitarbills Phoeniculidae
Green Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus ●
Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas ●
Ground -Hornbills Bucorvidae
Southern Ground -Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri ●
Hornbills Bucerotidae
Crowned Hornbill Lophoceros alboterminatus ●
African Gray Hornbill Lophoceros nasutus ●
RE Southern Yellow -billed Hornbill Tockus leucomelas ●
Southern Red-billed Hornbill Tockus rufirostris ●
Trumpeter Hornbill Bycanistes bucinator ●
Kingfishers Alcedinidae
Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus ●
Brown -hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris ●
Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima ●
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis ● ● ●
Bee -eaters Meropidae
White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides ●
Little Bee -eater Merops pusillus ●
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster ● ● ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 17 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Rollers Coraciidae
Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus ●
Rufous -crowned (Purple) Roller Coracias naevius ●
African Barbets Lybiidae
Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii ● ●
RE Pied (Acacia Pied) Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas ● ●
Black -collared Barbet Lybius torquatus ● ●
Honeyguides Indicatoridae
Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator ●
Woodpeckers Picidae
Rufous-necked Wryneck Jynx ruficollis ●
(Red -throated Wryneck)
Cardinal Woodpecker Chloropicus fuscescens ● ● ●
Bearded Woodpecker Chloropicus namaquus ●
E Ground Woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus ●
Bennett's Woodpecker Campethera bennettii ●
Golden -tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni ●
Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae
Rock Kestrel Falco rupicolis ● ● ● ●
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus ●
New World and African Parrots Psittacidae
Brown -headed Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus ●
Wattle-eyes & Batises Platysteiridae
Cape Batis Batis capensis h
Chinspot Batis Batis molitor ●
Vangas, Helmetshrikes & Allies Vangidae
White( -crested) Helmetshrike Prionops plumatus ●
Retz's Helmetshrike Prionops retzii ●
# Repeated views of a flock of five attending an incubating bird at a nest – Notten’s game drives
Bushshrikes & Allies Malaconotidae
Brubru Nilaus afer ●
Black -backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla ●
Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus ●
Brown -crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 18 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Bushshrikes & Allies (cont.) Malaconotidae
E Southern Tchagra Tchagra tchagra ●
# Brief flight view of a bird called out of dense coastal scrub in front of our hotel - Hermanus
RE Southern Boubou Laniarius ferrugineus ● ● ●
RE Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus ● ● ● ●
Sulphur -breasted Bushshrike Telophorus sulfureopectus ●
(Orange-breasted Bushshrike)
Gray -headed Bushshrike Malaconotus blanchoti ●
Shrikes Laniidae
Southern Fiscal Lanius collaris ● ● ● ● ● ●
Magpie Shrike Corvinella melanoleuca ●
RE White -crowned Shrike Eurocephalus anguitimens ●
Old World Orioles Oriolidae
African Black -headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus ● ●
Drongos Dicruridae
Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis ● ●
Monarch Flycatchers Monarchidae
African Paradise -Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis ● ●
Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae
House Crow (I) Corvus splendens ●
Cape Crow (Cape Rook) Corvus capensis ● ●
Pied Crow Corvus albus ● ● ● ● ● ●
White -necked Raven Corvus albicollis ● ● ● ●
Rockjumpers Chaetopidae
E Cape Rockjumper Chaetops frenatus ●
# Great, extended scope views of a male foraging along a rocky foot -slope – Rooi Els, False Bay
Larks Alaudidae
RE Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata ●
E Eastern Long -billed Lark Certhilauda semitorquata ●
Gray -backed Sparrow -Lark Eremopterix verticalis ●
E Karoo Lark Calendulauda albescens ● ●
E Rudd's Lark Heteromirafra ruddi ●
# Great views of a pair foraging in short grassland – this after several sweeps through the area, Wakkerstroom
RE Eastern Clapper Lark Mirafra fasciolata h
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 19 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMM ON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Larks (cont.) Alaudidae
Rufous -naped Lark Mirafra africana ●
Red -capped Lark Calandrella cinerea ● ●
E Botha's Lark Spizocorys fringillaris ●
E Large -billed Lark Galerida magnirostris ● ● ●
Swallows Hirundinidae
Plain (Brown-throated) Martin Riparia paludicola ● ● ● ●
Banded Martin Riparia cincta ● ● ●
Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula ● ● ● ● ●
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica ● ●
White -throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis ● ● ● ●
Wire -tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii ●
Pearl-breasted Swallow Hirundo dimidiata ● ● ●
Greater Striped Swallow Cecropis cucullata ● ● ● ●
Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica ●
BE South African Swallow Petrochelidon (Hirundo) spilodera ●
Black Sawwing Psalidoprocne pristoptera ●
Fairy Flycatchers Stenostiridae
RE Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita ●
Tits, Chickadees & Titmice Paridae
Southern Black -Tit Melaniparus niger ●
Penduline-Tits Remizidae
RE Southern (Cape) Penduline -Tit Anthoscopus minutus ●
Bulbuls Pycnonotidae
Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus ● ● ●
Yellow -bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris ●
Terrestrial Brownbul Phyllastrephus terrestris ●
Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus
(Dark -capped Bulbul) (Pycnonotus barbatus tricolor) ● ●
RE Black -fronted Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans
(African Red -eyed Bulbul) ●
E Cape Bulbul Pycnonotus capensis ● ● ● ● ●
African Warblers Macrosphenidae
Cape (Long -billed) Crombec Sylvietta rufescens ● ●
RE Cape Grassbird Sphenoeacus afer ● ● ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 20 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Park/ Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext
Reed Warblers & Allies Acrocephalidae
African Yellow -Warbler Iduna natalensis ●
African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus ● ●
Lesser Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris ● ● ●
Grassbirds & Allies Locustellidae
Little Rush-Warbler Bradypterus baboecala ● ●
(African Bush Warbler)
Cisticolas & Allies Cisticolidae
E Namaqua Warbler Phragmacia substriata ●
Miombo Wren -Warbler Calamonastes undosus ●
(Stierling's Wren -Warbler) (C. undosus stierlingi)
Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura ●
(Gray -backed Camaroptera) (C. brachyura brevicaudata)
Bar -throated Apalis Apalis thoracica ● ● ●
Yellow -breasted Apalis Apalis flavida ●
Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava ●
RE Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans ●
RE Karoo Prinia Prinia maculosa ● ● ● ● ●
E Drakensberg Prinia Prinia hypoxantha ●
RE Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis ●
Red -faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops ●
Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana ●
RE Red -headed (Grey -backed) Cisticola Cisticola subruficapilla ● ● ● ● ●
Levaillant's Cisticola Cisticola tinniens ● ●
Piping Cisticola (Neddicky) Cisticola fulvicapilla ●
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis ●
RE Cloud Cisticola Cisticola textrix ●
Wing-snapping Cisticola Cisticola ayresii ●
Sylviids Sylviidae
RE Layard's Warbler Sylvia layardi ●
(Layard's Tit -Babbler) (Parisoma layardi)
RE Rufous -vented Warbler Sylvia subcaeruleum ● ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 21 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
White -eyes, Yuhinas & Allies Zosteropidae
RE Cape White-eye Zosterops virens ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Laughingthrushes & Allies Leiothrichidae
Arrow -marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii ●
Sugarbirds Promeropidae
E Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer ● ● ●
Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
Dusky -brown Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta ●
(African Dusky Flycatcher)
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata ● ●
Pale Flycatcher Bradornis pallidus ●
Gray Tit -Flycatcher Fraseria plumbea ●
Ashy Flycatcher Fraseria caerulescens ●
RE Fiscal Flycatcher Melaenornis silens ● ●
Southern Black-Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina ●
RE Karoo Scrub -Robin Cercotrichas coryphoeus ● ●
Red -backed Scrub -Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys
(White-browed Scrub Robin) ●
Cape Robin-Chat Cossypha caffra ● ● ● ● ● ●
White -browed Robin -Chat Cossypha heuglini ●
E Sentinel Rock -Thrush Monticola explorator ●
E Cape Rock-Thrush Monticola rupestris ●
African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus ● ●
E Buff -streaked Bushchat Saxicola bifasciatus ●
RE Southern Anteater -Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora ● ●
Mocking Cliff-Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris ●
RE Sicklewing Chat Cercomela sinuata ●
RE Karoo Chat Cercomela schlegelii ●
Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris ● ●
RE Mountain Wheatear Oenanthe monticola ● ●
Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata ● ●
Thrushes & Allies Turdidae
Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 22 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Thrushes & Allies (cont.) Turdidae
RE Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus ● ● ●
RE Karoo Thrush Turdus smithi ●
Starlings Sturnidae
European Starling (I) Sturnus vulgaris ● ● ● ● ●
Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea ● ●
Common Myna (I) Acridotheres tristis ●
Violet -backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster ●
# A write-in. Our later start to this year’s tour gave us a number of other returning migrants on the combined tours
Red -winged Starling Onychognathus morio ● ● ● ●
RE Burchell's Starling Lamprotornis australis ●
E African Pied Starling Lamprotornis bicolor ● ● ● ●
Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus ●
RE Cape Starling Lamprotornis nitens ● ●
Oxpeckers Buphagidae
Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus ●
Sunbirds & Spiderhunters Nectariniidae
Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris ●
E Orange -breasted Sunbird Anthobaphes violacea ● ●
Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina ● ●
Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis ●
Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa ● ● ● ●
E Southern Double -collared Sunbird Cinnyris chalybeus ● ● ● ● ●
Mariqua Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis ●
White-breasted(-bellied) Sunbird Cinnyris talatala ●
Wagtails & Pipits Motacillidae
Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis ● ● ● ● ●
African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp ●
African (Grassland) Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus ● ● ●
E Yellow -breasted Pipit Hemimacronyx chloris ●
# Great flight - and perched views of several birds – Paul Pietersburg road, Wakkerstroom Extension.
RE Orange-throated Longclaw Macronyx capensis ● ●
Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 23 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Finches, Euphonias & Allies Fringillidae
Common Chaffinch (I) Fringilla coelebs ●
Yellow-fronted Canary Crithagra mozambica ●
E Forest Canary Crithagra scotops ●
Black-throated Canary Crithagra atrogularis ●
Brimstone Canary Crithagra sulphurata ● ● ●
RE Yellow Canary Crithagra flaviventris ●
RE White-throated Canary Crithagra albogularis ●
Streaky -headed Seedeater Crithagra gularis ●
E Cape Siskin Crithagra totta ●
RE Cape Canary Serinus canicollis ● ● ● ● ●
RE Black -headed Canary Serinus alario ●
Old World Buntings Emberizidae
Golden -breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris ● ●
RE Cape Bunting (RE) Emberiza capensis ● ● ● ●
Old World Sparrows Passeridae
House Sparrow (I) Passer domesticus ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
RE Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus ● ● ● ●
Southern Gray -headed Sparrow Passer diffusus L ● ●
Yellow-throated Bush-Sparrow Gymnornis superciliaris ●
(Yellow -throated Petronia)
Weavers & Allies Ploceidae
Red -billed Buffalo -Weaver Bubalornis niger ●
Red -headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps ●
Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis ●
E Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis ● ● ● ●
Lesser Masked-Weaver Ploceus intermedius ●
Southern Masked -Weaver Ploceus velatus ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus ●
Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea ● ●
Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix ● ● ● ●
Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis ● ● ● ●
White -winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 24 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Weavers & Allies (cont.) Ploceidae
Fan-tailed Widowbird Euplectes axillaris ●
Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne ●
Waxbills & Allies Estrildidae
E Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis L
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild ● ● ● ● ● ●
Southern Cordonbleu Uraeginthus angolensis ●
(Blue Waxbill)
Green -winged Pytilia Pytilia melba ●
Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala ●
Jameson's Firefinch Lagonosticta rhodopareia ●
Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullata ●
Indigobirds Viduidae
Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura ● ● ● ● ●
Eastern Paradise-Whydah Vidua paradisaea ●
Dusky Indigobird Vidua funere a ●
Total bird species recorded – main tour: 306 species; 16 endemics; 36 regional endemics & 3 breeding endemics; 2 species leader only, 3 species heard only Total bird species recorded – Wakkerstroom extension: 129 species; 11 endemics; 19 regional endemics & 1 breeding endemic. 2 species heard only Total bird species recorded – combined tours: 343 species; 28 endemics; 46 regional endemics & 4 breeding endemics; 1 species leader only, 2 species heard only
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 25 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
MAMMALS
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Bowhead & Right Whales Balaenidae
Southern Right Whale Balaena gracilis ●
Bryde’s Whale Balaenoptera brydei ●
Galagos Galagidae
Thick -tailed Bushbaby Galago crassicaudatus h
Cheek -Pouch Monkeys Cercopithecidae
Chacma Baboon Papio ursinus ● ●
Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus pygerythrus ●
Hares & Rabbits Leporidae
Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis ● ●
Squirrels Sciuridae
Smith ’s Bush (Tree) Squirrel Parexerus cepapi ●
Gray Squirrel (I) Sciurus carolinensis ●
Rats & Mice Muridae
Four -striped Grass Mouse Rhabdomys pumilio ● ● ●
Cats Felidae
Leopard Panthera pardus ●
Lion Panthera leo ●
Hyaenas Hyaenidae
Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta ●
Eared Seals & Sealions Otariidae
Cape Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus ● ● ●
Mongooses Herpestidae
Yellow Mongoose Cynictis penicillata ●
Slender Mongoose Galerella sanguinea ●
Small Gray Mongoose Galerella pulverulenta ● ● ●
Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula ●
Meerkat Suricata suricata ●
Hyraxes Procavidae
Cape Rock Hyrax (Dassie) Procavia capensis ● ● ●
Elephants Elephantidae
African Elephant Loxodonta africana ●
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 26 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Horses Equidae
Common (Plains/Burchell’s) Zebra Equus burchelli ●
Rhinoceroses Rhinoceridae
White (Square -lipped) Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum ●
Hippopotamuses Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius ●
Pigs Suidae
Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus ●
Giraffes Giraffidae
Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis ●
Bovids & Horned Ungulates Bovidae
Brindled Gnu (Blue Wildebeest) Connochaetes taurinus ●
African (Cape) Buffalo Syncerus caffer ●
Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus ●
Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros ●
Nyala Tragelaphus angasii ●
Eland Taurotragus oryx ● ●
Bush (Common/Gray) Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia ●
Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis ● ●
Steinbuck Raphicerus campestris ● ● ●
Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus ●
Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula ●
Defassa Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus ●
Impala Aepyceros melampus ●
Blesbuck Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi ●
Bontebok Damaliscus dorcas dorcas ● ●
Total number of mammal species recorded – main tour: 36 species Total number of mammal species recorded – Wakkerstroom extension: 5 species Total number of mammal species recorded – combined tour: 40 species
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 27 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019
REPTILES & FROGS
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Cape Peninsular False Bay West Coast Tankwa-Karoo Hermanus Kruger Notten’ s Wakkerstroom Ext Park/
Puff Adder Bitis arietans ●
Mole Snake Pseudapsis cana ●
Spotted Harlequin Snake Homoroselaps lacteus ●
Brown House Snake Lamprophis capensis ●
Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus ●
Angulate Tortoise Chersina angulata ● ●
Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis ●
Tent Tortoise Psammobates tentorious ●
Marsh Terrapin Pelomedusa subrufa ●
Southern Rock Agama Agama atra ● ●
Southern Tree Agama Agama atricollis ●
Cape Girdled Lizard Cordylus cordylus ●
Cape Crag Lizard Pseudocordylus microlepidatus ●
Cape Skink Trachylepis capensis ●
Rainbow Skink Trachylepus margartifer ●
Raucous Toad Amietophrynus rangeri ●
Total number of reptile and frog species recorded – combined tour: 15 reptiles & 1 frog
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 28 South Africa & Wakkerstroom Extension, 2019