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Heyshope Dam: Bay 9 (26593026)

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
72Scopus umbretta11.001   
269Avocet, PiedRecurvirostra avosetta33.003   
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata8697280.00170005000250010000
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus23.334   
47Cormorant, White-breasted Phalacrocorax lucidus1119.75280  130
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa3939.0039   
103Duck, MaccoaOxyura maccoa99.009   
10014Duck, UnidentifiedN/A N/A123471.50820
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus44.505   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata56.508   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata40437.75741   
58Egret, GreatArdea alba66.006   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta12.504   
86Flamingo, Greater Phoenicopterus roseus11.001   
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca14.336   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis25.2513   
4Grebe, Great CrestedPodiceps cristatus2424.0024   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis5148.75263 250 
263Greenshank, CommonTringa nebularia22.002   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus28.6719   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea12.253   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus710.0012   
228Jacana, AfricanActophilornis africanus11.001   
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus1037.0061   
237Plover, Kittlitz'sCharadrius pecuarius524.3344   
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris12.675   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma293.50321 250 
251Sandpiper, CurlewCalidris ferruginea1377.50142  
262Sandpiper, MarshTringa stagnatilis11.502   
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola11.001   
94Shoveler, CapeSpatula smithii46165.33307 175 
250Snipe, AfricanGallinago nigripennis44.004   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba34.005   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus871.00124   
253Stint, LittleCalidris minuta417.0030   
99Teal, Blue-billedSpatula hottentota511.0017   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha716.5026   
305Tern, WhiskeredChlidonias hybrida211.3324   
FITZ logo Ramsar Wetlands International http://www.sanbi.org/

Thursday 28 March 2024 11:47
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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