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Cowles Dam (26132828)

Gauteng

CWAC status REGISTERED-COUNTS SUSPENDED
Authority Private
Management status PRIVATE LAND
Conservation status UNPROTECTED
IBA information SA021 - BLESBOKSPRUIT
Ramsar information
Heritage information
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Information 

Date_registered
1993-01-17
Brief_description
Part of the Blesbokspruit Ramsar site; a dam, reedbeds, and marsh. With the exception of Southern Pochard and Fulvous Duck (high counts in summer 1994), waterfowl are more numerous in winter. In summer 1993 there were exceptional numbers of Ruff, Greyheaded Gull and White- winged Tern; the winter 1993 count shows large numbers of Dabchick, Sacred Ibis, Yellowbilled Duck, Redbilled Teal and Cape Shoveller; Moorhen were especially numerous in summer 1995, when the high summer biomass reflects the presence of 325 Greater Flamingo; flamingos are otherwise commoner in winter. Formerly an excellent site, but total counts and number of species are declining. In 1997 a large informal settlement was established on the eastern boundary; hunting and fishing are a severe threat; domestic dogs and cats an important threat. Reed encroachment is another big problem. In 2009 counts were suspended due to Sappi closing the area to the public for security reasons.

SppCommon nameTaxonomic nameMinAvgMaxIBASubregional
IBA
RAMSAR
72, HamerkopScopus umbretta11.001   
256, RuffCalidris pugnax166.00707  
269Avocet, PiedRecurvirostra avosetta27.0018   
67Bittern, LittleIxobrychus minutus13.677   
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata798.71280   
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus17.9037   
47Cormorant, White-breastedPhalacrocorax lucidus17.1845   
202Crake, Baillon'sZaporina pusilla11.001
203Crake, BlackZaporina flavirostra14.8817
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa11.553   
95Duck, African BlackAnas sparsa22.002   
101Duck, Fulvous WhistlingDendrocygna bicolor236.25222   
91Duck, Knob-billedSarkidiornis melanotos22.503   
103Duck, MaccoaOxyura maccoa16.0018   
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus17.3319   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata118.3879   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata228.76259   
60Egret, IntermediateArdea intermedia25.6711   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta11.713   
61Egret, Western CattleBubulcus ibis111.7938   
86Flamingo, GreaterPhoenicopterus roseus171.58325   
87Flamingo, LesserPhoeniconaias minor1256.00127   
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca114.75156   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis111.5045   
5Grebe, Black-neckedPodiceps nigricollis18.3820   
4Grebe, Great CrestedPodiceps cristatus15.8215   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis222.64203   
263Greenshank, CommonTringa nebularia11.252   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus117.57168   
167Harrier, African MarshCircus ranivorus11.172
64Heron, BlackEgretta ardesiaca11.503   
55Heron, Black-headedArdea melanocephala15.1125   
56Heron, GoliathArdea goliath11.001   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea12.257   
57Heron, PurpleArdea purpurea11.895   
62Heron, SquaccoArdeola ralloides13.098   
63Heron, StriatedButorides striata11.001   
81Ibis, African SacredThreskiornis aethiopicus118.31132   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus117.1762   
84Ibis, HadadaBostrychia hagedash24.9519   
397Kingfisher, MalachiteCorythornis cristatus11.402
394Kingfisher, PiedCeryle rudis11.142
247Lapwing, African WattledVanellus senegallus13.337   
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus116.0966   
509Martin, Brown-throatedRiparia paludicola11.001
210Moorhen, CommonGallinula chloropus220.71169   
69Night Heron, Black-crownedNycticorax nycticorax14.3312   
361Owl, MarshAsio capensis11.332
233Plover, Common RingedCharadrius hiaticula22.002   
237Plover, Kittlitz'sCharadrius pecuarius11.001   
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris13.4310   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma258.00441 250 
197Rail, AfricanRallus caerulescens14.009-1
258Sandpiper, CommonActitis hypoleucos12.003  
251Sandpiper, CurlewCalidris ferruginea22.002  
262Sandpiper, MarshTringa stagnatilis14.8310   
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola16.1820   
94Shoveler, CapeAnas smithii226.00122   
250Snipe, AfricanGallinago nigripennis112.2531   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba11.502   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus110.7639   
253Stint, LittleCalidris minuta16.5010   
208Swamphen, AfricanPorphyrio madagascariensis15.5236  
99Teal, Blue-billedAnas hottentota128.6886   
98Teal, CapeAnas capensis19.7755   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha127.33150   
305Tern, WhiskeredChlidonias hybrida12.8810   
304Tern, White-wingedChlidonias leucopterus135.38240   
10008Wader, UnidentifiedN/A N/A22.002
686Wagtail, CapeMotacilla capensis16.1720
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Monday 09 December 2024 06:05
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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