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Voelvlei (Bredasdorp) (34401952)
Western Cape
CWAC status	REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY
Authority	Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area
Management status	PRIVATE LAND
Conservation status	UNPROTECTED
IBA information
Ramsar information	No
Heritage information
View Cards	Click here

Information
Date_registered
2017-02-01
Brief_description
Voelvlei is located approximately 21 km south west of Bredasdorp. Take the right R43 turn off from the R319 once exiting Bredasdorp south. In 19km tar road will en in a "T", head east toward the dirt road for 1 km and then take the south turn off (right). Travel 1km south and the mot northern tip of the vlei can be seen from the road. Access by land owners permission only. Although the Voelvlei system usually drains into the Nuwejaars River, during periods of flooding the opposite occurs and the river's waters fill Voelvlei. Then, as the flowing subsides, the flow reverts to its normal direction. The Nuwejaars River empties into Zoetendalsvlei and when this system is full it overflows into the Heuningnes River, which in turn feeds the Heuningnes Estuary. The entire catchment area is relatively small at 1 401 km2. The estuary drains the flat, low coastal plain on the Zoetendals Valley (Birdlife SA_IBA_2016)

Spp	Common name	Taxonomic name	Min	Avg	Max	IBA	Subregional IBA	RAMSAR
273		Dromas ardeola	0	0.00	0
256		Calidris pugnax	1	10.83	34
269	Avocet, Pied	Recurvirostra avosetta	1	82.50	275	250	125	190
212	Coot, Red-knobbed	Fulica cristata	1	18.31	55
50	Cormorant, Reed	Microcarbo africanus	2	8.15	32
47	Cormorant, White-breasted	Phalacrocorax lucidus	1	30.57	118
216	Crane, Blue	Grus paradisea	2	7.78	14
52	Darter, African	Anhinga rufa	1	10.16	48
95	Duck, African Black	Anas sparsa	3	3.00	3
10034	Duck, Hyrbid Mallard/Yellow-billed	Anas platyrhynchos x undulata	4	4.00	4
103	Duck, Maccoa	Oxyura maccoa	4	4.00	4
10014	Duck, Unidentified	Anas sp.	2	183.40	1500
100	Duck, White-faced Whistling	Dendrocygna viduata	2	6.00	13
96	Duck, Yellow-billed	Anas undulata	2	101.92	449
59	Egret, Little	Egretta garzetta	1	2.00	3
61	Egret, Western Cattle	Bubulcus ibis	1	22.93	146
149	Fish Eagle, African	Haliaeetus vocifer	1	2.83	13
86	Flamingo, Greater	Phoenicopterus roseus	1	162.60	400
87	Flamingo, Lesser	Phoeniconaias minor	2	71.83	310
89	Goose, Egyptian	Alopochen aegyptiaca	5	1265.41	6915	3500	1750	3200
88	Goose, Spur-winged	Plectropterus gambensis	1	144.79	662
5	Grebe, Black-necked	Podiceps nigricollis	10	10.00	10
4	Grebe, Great Crested	Podiceps cristatus	1	13.33	33		25
6	Grebe, Little	Tachybaptus ruficollis	1	4.89	19
263	Greenshank, Common	Tringa nebularia	1	7.50	25
288	Gull, Grey-headed	Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus	2	2.00	2
289	Gull, Hartlaub's	Chroicocephalus hartlaubii	5	5.00	5
287	Gull, Kelp	Larus dominicanus	1	3.67	11
167	Harrier, African Marsh	Circus ranivorus	1	1.67	4
55	Heron, Black-headed	Ardea melanocephala	1	2.50	9
56	Heron, Goliath	Ardea goliath	1	1.00	1
54	Heron, Grey	Ardea cinerea	1	6.28	40
57	Heron, Purple	Ardea purpurea	1	2.50	4
10011	Heron, Unidentified	Ardea sp.	1	1.50	2
81	Ibis, African Sacred	Threskiornis aethiopicus	1	11.52	53
83	Ibis, Glossy	Plegadis falcinellus	1	36.00	156
84	Ibis, Hadada	Bostrychia hagedash	1	10.33	25
397	Kingfisher, Malachite	Corythornis cristatus	1	1.00	1
394	Kingfisher, Pied	Ceryle rudis	1	2.00	4
245	Lapwing, Blacksmith	Vanellus armatus	1	24.15	104
210	Moorhen, Common	Gallinula chloropus	1	1.25	2
42	Pelican, Great White	Pelecanus onocrotalus	1	45.53	119
236	Plover, Chestnut-banded	Charadrius pallidus	128	128.00	128
233	Plover, Common Ringed	Charadrius hiaticula	1	43.23	118
241	Plover, Grey	Pluvialis squatarola	1	5.00	9
237	Plover, Kittlitz's	Charadrius pecuarius	1	49.15	218
1039	Plover, Pacific Golden	Pluvialis fulva	18	18.00	18
238	Plover, Three-banded	Charadrius tricollaris	1	10.68	108
235	Plover, White-fronted	Charadrius marginatus	1	2.80	4
102	Pochard, Southern	Netta erythrophthalma	10	13.00	16
197	Rail, African	Rallus caerulescens	2	2.00	2			-1
261	Redshank, Common	Tringa totanus	7	7.00	7
258	Sandpiper, Common	Actitis hypoleucos	1	1.00	1
251	Sandpiper, Curlew	Calidris ferruginea	2	31.60	94
262	Sandpiper, Marsh	Tringa stagnatilis	1	3.40	8
264	Sandpiper, Wood	Tringa glareola	1	1.00	1
90	Shelduck, South African	Tadorna cana	2	213.44	1464	420	210	500
94	Shoveler, Cape	Anas smithii	1	46.23	212		175
250	Snipe, African	Gallinago nigripennis	1	15.83	49
85	Spoonbill, African	Platalea alba	1	19.76	142		75
270	Stilt, Black-winged	Himantopus himantopus	2	44.82	145
253	Stint, Little	Calidris minuta	3	881.76	3986
208	Swamphen, African	Porphyrio madagascariensis	1	6.50	15
99	Teal, Blue-billed	Anas hottentota	6	6.00	6
98	Teal, Cape	Anas capensis	1	22.16	101
97	Teal, Red-billed	Anas erythrorhyncha	2	39.26	205
290	Tern, Caspian	Hydroprogne caspia	1	3.50	6
10009	Tern, Unidentified	N/A N/A	2	2.00	2
305	Tern, Whiskered	Chlidonias hybrida	1	52.25	118		75	85
274	Thick-knee, Water	Burhinus vermiculatus	1	1.83	3
232	Turnstone, Ruddy	Arenaria interpres	379	379.00	379	350	175
10008	Wader, Unidentified	N/A N/A	1	314.56	2000
686	Wagtail, Cape	Motacilla capensis	1	19.86	79
688	Wagtail, Mountain	Motacilla clara	24	24.00	24

Sunday 17 May 2026 11:00
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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Voelvlei (Bredasdorp) (34401952)

Western Cape

Information