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Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of South Africa

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Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of South Africa IMPORTANT BIRD AND BIODIVERSITY AREAS of South Africa INTRODUCTION 101 Recommended citation: Marnewick MD, Retief EF, Theron NT, Wright DR, Anderson TA. 2015. Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of South Africa. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa. First published 1998 Second edition 2015 BirdLife South Africa’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Programme acknowledges the huge contribution that the first IBA directory (1998) made to this revision of the South African IBA network. The editor and co-author Keith Barnes and the co-authors of the various chapters – David Johnson, Rick Nuttall, Warwick Tarboton, Barry Taylor, Brian Colahan and Mark Anderson – are acknowledged for their work in laying the foundation for this revision. The Animal Demography Unit is also acknowledged for championing the publication of the monumental first edition. Copyright: © 2015 BirdLife South Africa The intellectual property rights of this publication belong to BirdLife South Africa. All rights reserved. BirdLife South Africa is a registered non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works to conserve wild birds, their habitats and wider biodiversity in South Africa, through research, monitoring, lobbying, conservation and awareness-raising actions. It was formed in 1996 when the IMPORTANT South African Ornithological Society became a country partner of BirdLife International. BirdLife South Africa is the national Partner of BirdLife BIRD AND International, a global Partnership of nature conservation organisations working in more than 100 countries worldwide. BirdLife South Africa, Private Bag X5000, Parklands, 2121, South Africa BIODIVERSITY Website: www.birdlife.org.za • E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: +27 11 789 1122 • Fax: +27 11 789 5188 AREAS Publisher: BirdLife South Africa Texts: Daniel Marnewick, Ernst Retief, Nicholas Theron, Dale Wright and Tania Anderson of South Africa Mapping: Ernst Retief and Bryony van Wyk Copy editing: Leni Martin Design: Bryony van Wyk Print management: Loveprint (Pty) Ltd Mitsui & Co. provided financial support to complete work for the IBA directory revision during 2012–14. Further co-funding to support this work was received from Trencor, WWF Table Mountain Fund, WWF Nedbank Green Trust, Rupert Natuurstigting, Rand Merchant Bank, Sappi, Honda SA, CEPF, Zeiss and Mr Price. The project team comprised Daniel Marnewick, Ernst Retief, Dale Wright and Nicholas Theron, with assistance from Tania Anderson. Fanie du Plessis also contributed, as did Charmaine Uys during her time at BirdLife South Africa. BirdLife South Africa thanks all the photographers who have provided, at no cost, their beautiful images of our country’s birds and landscapes for this publication. A special thank you goes to Albert Froneman, who spent hours collating a collection of his photos that makes up the majority of the images used. Copyright for the images remains with the individual photographers. Cover photo: Cape Vulture, Giant’s Castle, KwaZulu-Natal by Chris van Rooyen ISBN: 978-0-620-67427-0 Rupert Nature Foundation contents 4 Acknowledgements Orange River Mouth Wetlands iSimangaliso Wetland Park Dronfield Karkloof 6 Foreword Kamfers Dam Benfontein 154 EASTERN CAPE 7 Overview Mattheus-Gat Conservation Area Matatiele Nature Reserve Haramoep and Black Mountain Mkhambathi Nature Reserve 8 INTRODUCTION Mine Colleywobbles Vulture Colony Bitterputs Conservation Area Dwesa–Cwebe Nature Reserve 10 Site selection Platberg–Karoo Conservancy Camdeboo National Park Amatola–Katberg Mountain 19 Important Bird & 94 FREE STATE Kouga–Baviaanskloof Complex Biodiversity Areas Sandveld & Bloemhof Dam Woody Cape Section: of South Africa Nature Reserves Addo Elephant National Park Alexpan Algoa Bay Islands: 26 LIMPOPO Ingula Nature Reserve Addo Elephant National Park Mapungubwe Willem Pretorius Game Reserve Swartkops Estuary–Redhouse Kruger National Park and Murphy’s Rust and Chatty Saltpans adjacent areas Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve Maitland–Gamtoos Coast Soutpansberg Golden Gate Highlands Tsitsikamma–Plettenberg Bay Blouberg National Park Pondoland Cape Vulture Wolkberg Forest Belt Rooiberge–Riemland Polokwane Nature Reserve Soetdoring Nature Reserve 182 WESTERN CAPE Waterberg System Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve Olifants River Estuary Nyl River Floodplain Upper Orange River Bird Island Northern Turf Thornveld Cedarberg–Koue Bokkeveld Blyde River Canyon 112 KWAZULU-NATAL Complex Ndumo Game Reserve Karoo National Park 44 MPUMALANGA Phongolo Nature Reserve Verlorenvlei Estuary Misty Mountain Natural Ithala Game Reserve Berg River Estuary Heritage Site Chelmsford Nature Reserve West Coast National Park and Kaapsehoop Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park Saldanha Bay Islands Loskop Dam Nature Reserve Lake Eteza Nature Reserve Swartberg Mountains Steenkampsberg Spioenkop Nature Reserve Boland Mountains Songimvelo Nature Reserve Umlalazi Nature Reserve Anysberg Nature Reserve Amersfoort–Bethal–Carolina Maloti Drakensberg Park Dassen Island District Ngoye Forest Reserve Robben Island Chrissie Pans Entumeni Nature Reserve Rietvlei Wetland: Table Bay Grasslands Dlinza Forest Nature Reserve Nature Reserve Umvoti Vlei Outeniqua Mountains 58 GAUTENG KwaZulu-Natal Mistbelt Forests Langeberg Mountains Blesbokspruit Hlatikulu Wilderness–Sedgefield Lakes Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Umgeni Vlei Nature Reserve Complex Devon Grasslands Midmar Nature Reserve Overberg Wheatbelt Impendle Nature Reserve False Bay Nature Reserve 64 NORTH WEST KwaZulu-Natal Mistbelt Boulders Beach Pilanesberg National Park Grasslands Cape Whale Coast Botsalano Nature Reserve Richards Bay Game Reserve De Hoop Nature Reserve Magaliesberg Greater Ngwangwana River Dyer Island Nature Reserve Barberspan and Leeupan Franklin Vlei Agulhas Plain–Heuningnes Penny Park Estuary 72 NORTHERN CAPE Mount Currie Nature Reserve Kalahari Gemsbok National Park Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve 242 Acronyms Spitskop Dam Umtamvuna Nature Reserve Augrabies Falls National Park Mount Moreland 242 Further reading SECRETARYBIRD CHRIS VAN ROOYEN CONTENTS 3 Acknowledgements The revision of the South African IBA directory was in many ways both a collaborative and a collective effort, and the authors and Bird- Mr Johan van Wyk, manager at Blouberg Nature Reserve Mr Pete Ruinard, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Life South Africa are grateful to all who contributed. This IBA revision could not have been achieved without the contribution of local Dr Johann du Preez, Associate Professor Plant Sciences, Mr Peter Ardene, landowner, Dullstroom birders and bird clubs, ornithologists, researchers, conservation NGOs, landowners and government officials, all of whom provided data Free State University Dr Peter Bradshaw, South African National Parks and knowledge to enable this rigorous updating to be undertaken. Mr John Craigie, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mr Peter Burdett, South African National Parks A big thank you to the birdwatching community of South Africa, whose interest and dedication provided a large proportion of the Mr John Power, North West Provincial Government Mr Peter Lawson, BirdLife Lowveld Mr John Wesson, Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa Mr Petros Ngwenya, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife data used to carry out the assessments that we needed to arrive at the revised list of IBAs. Ms Karin Nielson, BirdLife KZN Midlands Mr Phil Whittington, East London Museum Ms Kate Henderson, formerly with BirdLife South Africa Mr Philemon Mahlaba, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Dr Ademola Adjagbe, BirdLife International Mr Craig Holmes, Hermanus Bird Club Mr Keith Barnes, ornithologist Dr Philip Desmet, ecologist Mr Adrian Fortuin, CapeNature Dr Craig Whittington-Jones, Gauteng Provincial Government Mr Keith Harrison, West Coast Bird Club Mr Philipp Murton, BirdLife Plettenberg Bay Dr Alan Lee, University of Cape Town Mr Dalton Gibbs, City of Cape Town Ms Kerri Wolter, VULPRO Mr Riaan Nel, South African National Parks Mr Albert Froneman, ornithologist and photographer Mr Danie Erasmus, Free State Provincial Government Mr Kevin McCann, Wildlands Conservation Trust Mr Richard Green, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dr Aldo Berruti, ornithologist Mr Dave Druce, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mr Kevin Shaw, CapeNature Mr Richard Schutte, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mr Anban Padayachee, South African National Parks Mr Dave Hayter, Free State Economic Development, Tourism and Ms Kirsten Wimberger, Wild Bird Trust Dr Richard Sherley, Bristol Zoological Society Dr André Boshoff, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Environmental Affairs Mr Klaas Siphiwo, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dr Rick Nuttall, National Museum, Bloemfontein Mr Andre Botha, Endangered Wildlife Trust Mr Dave Mourant, landowner Mr Klaus Heyer, BirdLife Northern Natal Ms Rika du Plessis, CapeNature Mr André Steenkamp, formerly with BirdLife South Africa Dr Dave Whitelaw, Cape Bird Club Mr Kobus Kruger, landowner Ms Rina Pretorius, BirdLife Northern Natal Mr Andrew Mvundle, Barberspan bird-monitoring team and staff Mr David Allan, Durban Natural Science Museum Mr Koos Retief, City of Cape Town Ms Rina Theron, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mr Andy Nixon, BirdLife Eastern Cape Mr David Ehlers Smith, University of KwaZulu-Natal Dr Lauren Waller, CapeNature Mr Robin Colyn, BirdLife South Africa Ms Angie Wilken, Mount Moreland Conservancy Mr David Maphisa, formerly with BirdLife South Africa Ms Lebo Moetie, Barberspan bird-monitoring team and staff Dr Rod Randall, South African National Parks Mr Angus Anthony, former farm manager, De Beers Consolidated Mr David Pretorius,
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