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Heyshope Dam: Bay 1 (27023024)

Mpumalanga

CWAC status REGISTERED-COUNTS SUSPENDED
Authority Private
Management status STATE IMPOUNDMENT
Conservation status UNKNOWN
IBA information SA020 - GRASSLAND BIOSPHERE RESERVE
Ramsar information
Heritage information
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Information 

Date_registered
1992-05-29
Brief_description
A large, state-owned storage dam in the Assegaai River catchment, surrounded by agricultural land (beef and maize production). Shoreline gently sloping; either heavily grazed or with rank grass and weeds. A proposed Ramsar site which holds extremely large numbers of at least 52 waterbird species, concentrated in the 17 bays where rivers enter the dam. Small areas which are regularly counted hold up to 45 000 waterbirds; the entire system may hold 100 000. In drought years the dam provides a refuge for birds from surrounding pans, including Lake Chrissie. Only one CWAC count available, for winter 1992, when only small sections of the dam were visited but nationally significant numbers of Yellowbilled Duck and Cape Shoveller were recorded, plus high counts of Dabchick, cormorants, ducks, geese, and shorebirds (including some Palaearctic species). Eutrophication, resulting from inflow of agricultural fertilisers, is a potential problem. Other problems could be posed by opencast coal mining and afforostation in the catchment areas. This important site should be monitored on a regular basis.

SppCommon nameTaxonomic nameMinAvgMaxIBASubregional
IBA
RAMSAR
256Calidris pugnax88.008  
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata5422204.50724050002500 
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus27.0011   
47Cormorant, White-breasted Phalacrocorax lucidus11.252   
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa13.337   
103Duck, MaccoaOxyura maccoa11.001   
10014Duck, UnidentifiedN/A N/A10501050.001050
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus16.0011   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata18.6019   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata34373.711410 8501000
58Egret, GreatArdea alba11.252   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta11.001   
86Flamingo, Greater Phoenicopterus roseus2323.0023   
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca2125.40305   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis414.6729   
4Grebe, Great CrestedPodiceps cristatus23.676   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis128.50129   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus12.253   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea11.001   
57Heron, PurpleArdea purpurea44.004   
81Ibis, African SacredThreskiornis aethiopicus11.001   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus17.6719   
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus114.2957   
211Moorhen, LesserParagallinula angulata11.001
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris11.001   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma143.8392   
251Sandpiper, CurlewCalidris ferruginea1010.0010  
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola11.332   
94Shoveler, CapeSpatula smithii213.1731   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba11.502   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus714.0023   
208Swamphen, AfricanPorphyrio madagascariensis11.001  
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha218.6774   
290Tern, CaspianHydroprogne caspia11.001   
FITZ logo Ramsar Wetlands International http://www.sanbi.org/

Friday 29 March 2024 02:46
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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