Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – South Africa ■ SOUTH AFRICA K. N. BARNES, D. J. JOHNSON, M. D. ANDERSON AND P. B. TAYLOR Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer. (ILLUSTRATION: MARK ANDREWS) GENERAL INTRODUCTION those prevailing on the coastal plains, deep into the interior of the country. Other important river valleys are the Umfolozi and Tugela The Republic of South Africa is located at the southern tip of the in the east, and the Orange in the west. African continent; it landlocks the small Kingdom of Lesotho and The ranges of the Cape Fold mountains occupy much of the is bordered by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, coastal margin in the south. These extend from the Cedarberg Range Mozambique and Swaziland to the east, and by 2,954 km of (32°S 19°E) in the south-west, southward to the complex and coastline to the east, south and west. South Africa, its offshore extensive ranges in the extreme south-west between 33°S and 35°S, islands and the subantarctic Prince Edward Islands cover an area and from there eastwards, for the most part in three or four parallel of c.1,221,040 km². South Africa consists of nine Provinces: ranges, to c.27°E. The rain shadows created by these mountains Northern, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-west, Free State, create parallel strips with dramatically different vegetation. KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. South Africa has three very distinct rainfall regions: the winter, South Africa was estimated to have a population of the summer and the all-season regions. The south-western fringe c.39.6 million people at the end of 1998 (Central Statistical Service), of the country, in the Western Cape, has a Mediterranean climate with a growth-rate of 2.2% per year. At least five metropolitan with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters. Farther east, the districts hold more than a million people, with the major centres coastal junction of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, which being Gauteng (more than 10 million), Cape Metropolitan District is located in the overlap zone of the winter and summer rainfall (more than 3 million), Durban (more than 2 million), Bloemfontein regions, has a temperate climate with all-year rain. The remainder (more than 1 million) and Port Elizabeth (more than 1 million). of the country, comprising the eastern, central and north-west All these areas have doubled in size in the last 20 years, and this regions, receives summer rainfall. About 30% of South Africa rural emigration has left large tracts of the country experiencing receives less than 250 mm of rain per year, 34% receives between localized population reduction, particularly in the Eastern Cape, 250 and 500 mm, 25% receives between 500 and 750 mm and the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Northern Provinces. remaining 11% more than 750 mm. South Africa consists of a high-altitude Central Plateau Temperatures in the region vary geographically, seasonally, and surrounded by a rim of steep-edged mountains (the Great diurnally, and are strongly affected by altitude, latitude and ocean Escarpment) which fall away steeply to a low-lying coastal margin. currents. The range of temperatures is least in the coastal lowlands, The plateau has an asymmetrical tilt, such that the edge in the east which are mostly frost-free. Coastal temperatures generally range is higher than in the west, with the highlands (‘highveld’) associated from zero on a cold west-coast winter’s morning to 35°C with near- with these edges being wider and higher in the east (the Drakensberg 100% humidity on the KwaZulu-Natal coast in midsummer. escarpment), reaching peaks of over 3,500 m in Lesotho. The width On the Central Plateau, both seasonal and diurnal variation of the coastal margin varies from c.50 km to 200 km; it is widest in can be dramatic, with winter days being almost invariably cool to the south and narrowest in the east, but broadens out from north- mild and winter nights cold with frequent frost, while summer days eastern KwaZulu-Natal northwards to become the ‘lowveld’ of are invariably hot and nights mild. Temperature may range greatly Mpumalanga and the Northern Province. The continuity of the in the interior and the highveld can experience overnight Central Plateau is broken by a number of broad river valleys, temperatures down to -10°C which soar to 45°C the next day. principal amongst these being the Limpopo in the north-east. These Most inland areas south of the Tropic of Capricorn have two low-lying areas introduce hot, dry, tropical conditions, similar to distinct seasons, summer and winter, with short transitional periods 793 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – South Africa Map 1. Location and size of Important Bird Areas in South Africa. ZIMBABWE BOTSWANA MOZAMBIQUE NAMIBIA 2 3 5 4 6 1 7 8 17 12 9 10 18 11 15 SWAZILAND 20 13 19 14 38 16 41 39 29 42 40 30 31 43 21 32 45 46 22 36 44 33 24 37 34 50 5149 23 35 55 25 54 52 59 26 LESOTHO 56 48 47 27 57 58 60 53 28 61 62 63 64 78 65 67 66 81 69 79 82 70 71 80 68 83 85 84 87 91 72 73 88 90 86 92 75 89 94 77 76 74 96 97 93 95 98 99 100 SOUTHERN OCEAN Area of IBA (ha) > 1,000,000 100,000 to 999,999 50,000 to 99,999 10,000 to 49,999 1,000 to 9,999 100 to 999 <100 0 500 1000 km 101 PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS 794 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – South Africa Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in South Africa. 101 IBAs covering 101,154 km² Criteria (see p. 11; for A2/A3 codes, see Tables 2/3) IBA National A1 A2 A3 A4i A4ii A4iii code code 1 Site name Administrative region 088 089 090 091 092 s047 A07 A09 A11 A12 A13 ZA001 SA002 Kruger National Park and adjacent areas Northern, Mpumalanga ✔✔✔ ZA002 SA003 Soutpansberg Northern ✔✔ ✔ ✔ ZA003 SA004 Blouberg vulture colonies Northern ✔✔ ZA004 SA005 Wolkberg forest belt Northern ✔✔ ✔ ZA005 SA006 Pietersburg Nature Reserve Northern ✔ ZA006 SA007 Waterberg system Northern ✔✔ ZA007 SA008 Nyl river flood-plain Northern ✔✔✔ ZA008 SA010 Blyde river canyon Mpumalanga, Northern ✔✔ ✔ ✔ ZA009 SA011 Graskop grasslands Mpumalanga ✔ ZA010 SA012 Mac-Mac escarpment and forests Mpumalanga ✔✔ ✔ ZA011 SA014 Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site Mpumalanga ✔✔ ✔ ZA012 SA016 Steenkampsberg Mpumalanga ✔✔✔✔✔ ZA013 SA017 Songimvelo Game Reserve Mpumalanga ✔✔ ✔ ZA014 SA018 Amersfoort–Bethal–Carolina District Mpumalanga ✔✔ ✔ ✔✔ ZA015 SA019 Chrissie Pans Mpumalanga ✔ ✔✔✔ ZA016 SA020 Grassland Biosphere Reserve (proposed) Mpumalanga, Free State, ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✔✔ KwaZulu-Natal ZA017 SA023 Pilanesberg National Park North-west ✔ ZA018 SA025 Magaliesberg and Witwatersberg North-west, Gauteng ✔✔✔ ZA019 SA026 Barberspan and Leeupan North-west ✔ ✔✔✔ ZA020 SA027 Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park Northern Cape ✔ ZA021 SA028 Spitskop Dam Northern Cape, North-west ✔✔ ZA022 SA029 Augrabies Falls National Park Northern Cape ✔ ZA023 SA030 Orange river mouth wetlands Northern Cape ✔✔✔✔ ZA024 SA032 Kamfers Dam Northern Cape ✔ ZA025 SA034 Mattheus-Gat Conservation Area (proposed) Northern Cape ✔✔✔ ZA026 SA035 Haramoep and Black Mountain Mine Northern Cape ✔✔✔ Nature Reserve ZA027 SA036 Bitterputs Conservation Area (proposed) Northern Cape ✔✔✔ ZA028 SA037 Platberg-Karoo Conservancy Northern Cape ✔✔✔✔ ZA029 SA039 Sandveld and Bloemhof Dam Free State, North-west ✔✔ Nature Reserves ZA030 SA040 Sterkfontein/Merinodal Free State ✔✔✔✔ ZA031 SA041 Voordeel Conservancy Free State ✔✔✔ ZA032 SA042 Alexpan Free State ✔ ZA033 SA043 Bedford/Chatsworth Free State ✔✔ ZA034 SA045 Murphy’s Rust Free State ✔✔ ZA035 SA046 Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve Free State, KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA036 SA047 Golden Gate Highlands and Qwaqwa Free State ✔✔ ✔ ✔✔ National Parks ZA037 SA048 Fouriesburg–Bethlehem–Clarens Free State ✔✔ ZA038 SA052 Ndumo Game Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔ ZA039 SA053 Kosi Bay system KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔ ZA040 SA054 Lake Sibaya KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA041 SA055 Pongolapoort Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ZA042 SA056 Itala Game Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔ ZA043 SA057 Mkuzi Game Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔✔ ZA044 SA058 Lake St Lucia and Mkuze swamps KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔✔✔ ZA045 SA059 Chelmsford Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ZA046 SA060 Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔ ZA047 SA063 Umlalazi Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ZA048 SA064 Natal Drakensberg Park KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ✔✔ ZA049 SA065 Ngoye Forest Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA050 SA066 Entumeni Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA051 SA067 Dhlinza Forest Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA052 SA069 Umvoti vlei KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA053 SA071 KwaZulu-Natal mistbelt forests KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ZA054 SA072 Hlatikulu Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA055 SA074 Karkloof Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA056 SA075 Umgeni Vlei Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA057 SA077 Impendle Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA058 SA078 KwaZulu-Natal mistbelt grasslands KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ZA059 SA079 Richards Bay Game Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔✔ 795 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – South Africa Table 1 ... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in South Africa. 101 IBAs covering 101,154 km² Criteria (see p. 11; for A2/A3 codes, see Tables 2/3) IBA National A1 A2 A3 A4i A4ii A4iii code code 1 Site name Administrative region 088 089 090 091 092 s047 A07 A09 A11 A12 A13 ZA060 SA080 Greater Ingwangwana river KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA061 SA081 Franklin vlei KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ZA062 SA082 Matatiele Commonage KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA063 SA083 Penny Park KwaZulu-Natal ✔ ZA064 SA085 Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ZA065 SA086 Umtamvuna Nature Reserve KwaZulu-Natal ✔✔ ✔ ✔ ZA066 SA087 Mkambati