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Wilderness Lakes: Swartvlei System (34002245)

Western Cape

CWAC status REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY
Authority South African National Parks
Management status NATIONAL PARK
Conservation status PROTECTED
IBA information SA114 - WILDERNESS-SEDGEFIELD LAKES COMPLEX
Ramsar information
Heritage information
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Information 

Date_registered
1995-07-20
Brief_description
Located immediately east of the Touw system, this system comprises Swartvlei (a drowned river valley coastal lake) and its estuary. Swartvlei is saline and is mostly open water, with some fringing and emergent Phragmites, Typha, Juncus, sedges and grass. An excellent variety of waterbirds is recorded, including globally significant numbers of Cape Shoveller. The estuary holds a good selection of Palearctic and African shorebirds. Good numbers of Little Bittern, Redchested Flufftail, African Rail, Black Crake and Purple Gallinule are resident at Swartvlei; Baillon's Crake and Grass Owl also occur. Threats include eutrophication, sedimentation, boating, alien vegetation, property development and agriculture.

SppCommon nameTaxonomic nameMinAvgMaxIBASubregional
IBA
RAMSAR
256Calidris pugnax119.0070  
72Scopus umbretta11.001   
269Avocet, PiedRecurvirostra avosetta111.1425   
67Bittern, LittleIxobrychus minutus11.001   
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata5985172.14140535000250010000
48Cormorant, CapePhalacrocorax capensis18.5930   
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus24196.14507   
47Cormorant, White-breasted Phalacrocorax lucidus248.07152  130
203Crake, BlackZapornia flavirostra12.174
267Curlew, EurasianNumenius arquata11.001   
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa234.62114   
10006Duck, DomesticAnas platyrhynchos22.002
101Duck, Fulvous WhistlingDendrocygna bicolor44.004   
103Duck, MaccoaOxyura maccoa77.007   
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus241.44233220110 
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata37276.21593   
149Eagle, African FishHaliaeetus vocifer13.699
58Egret, GreatArdea alba11.001   
60Egret, IntermediateArdea intermedia13.449   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta727.2869   
61Egret, Western CattleBubulcus ibis165.58238   
86Flamingo, Greater Phoenicopterus roseus391.22296   
10004Goose, DomesticAnser anser24.338
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca218.22139   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis15.2919   
5Grebe, Black-neckedPodiceps nigricollis11.503   
4Grebe, Great CrestedPodiceps cristatus750.591375025100
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis10249.83691500250 
263Greenshank, CommonTringa nebularia115.4083   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus24.006   
287Gull, KelpLarus dominicanus1029.38112   
167Harrier, African MarshCircus ranivorus11.614
69Heron, Black-crowned NightNycticorax nycticorax13.508   
55Heron, Black-headedArdea melanocephala12.926   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea920.1045   
57Heron, PurpleArdea purpurea14.3014   
62Heron, SquaccoArdeola ralloides11.001   
81Ibis, African SacredThreskiornis aethiopicus16.2728   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus13.259   
84Ibis, Hadada Bostrychia hagedash13.8614   
228Jacana, AfricanActophilornis africanus22.002   
395Kingfisher, GiantMegaceryle maxima11.933
396Kingfisher, Half-collaredAlcedo semitorquata11.001
397Kingfisher, MalachiteCorythornis cristatus13.639
394Kingfisher, PiedCeryle rudis17.0416
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus423.6982   
210Moorhen, CommonGallinula chloropus112.6688   
172Osprey, WesternPandion haliaetus11.574
231Oystercatcher, AfricanHaematopus moquini12.426   
233Plover, Common RingedCharadrius hiaticula133.3375   
241Plover, GreyPluvialis squatarola18.4022   
237Plover, Kittlitz'sCharadrius pecuarius115.0066   
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris16.6332   
235Plover, White-frontedCharadrius marginatus14.3321   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma111.7749   
197Rail, AfricanRallus caerulescens11.001-1
258Sandpiper, CommonActitis hypoleucos11.603  
251Sandpiper, CurlewCalidris ferruginea163.62290  
262Sandpiper, MarshTringa stagnatilis137.5887   
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola11.001   
90Shelduck, South AfricanTadorna cana22.002   
94Shoveler, CapeSpatula smithii7422.79924350175350
250Snipe, AfricanGallinago nigripennis11.502   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba19.5050   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus847.00169   
253Stint, LittleCalidris minuta17.0023   
208Swamphen, AfricanPorphyrio madagascariensis16.1415  
99Teal, Blue-billedSpatula hottentota25.008   
98Teal, CapeAnas capensis210.7126   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha152.72390   
290Tern, CaspianHydroprogne caspia27.1612   
291Tern, CommonSterna hirundo25.8610   
296Tern, SandwichThalasseus sandvicensis11.001   
305Tern, WhiskeredChlidonias hybrida11.001   
274Thick-knee, WaterBurhinus vermiculatus24.389   
10008Wader, UnidentifiedN/A N/A121.0067
686Wagtail, CapeMotacilla capensis14.0013
268Whimbrel, Eurasian Numenius phaeopus11.001   
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Friday 29 March 2024 07:45
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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