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Heyshope Dam: Bay 8 (Ngulane Bay) (27023031)

Mpumalanga

CWAC status REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY
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
1992-07-06
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. 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
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata278664.001050   
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus2034.0045   
47Cormorant, White-breastedPhalacrocorax lucidus22.002   
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa67.509   
10014Duck, UnidentifiedAnas sp.200200.00200
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus2626.0026   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata351.67127   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata47200.33490   
60Egret, IntermediateArdea intermedia11.001   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta11.001   
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca239.0076   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis110.5020   
4Grebe, Great CrestedPodiceps cristatus55.005   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis811.3314   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus13.336   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea12.003   
57Heron, PurpleArdea purpurea11.001   
81Ibis, African SacredThreskiornis aethiopicus11.001   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus11.001   
228Jacana, AfricanActophilornis africanus11.502   
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus515.3330   
237Plover, Kittlitz'sCharadrius pecuarius310.5018   
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris37.0011   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma922.5036   
258Sandpiper, CommonActitis hypoleucos11.001  
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola11.502   
94Shoveler, CapeAnas smithii26.5011   
250Snipe, AfricanGallinago nigripennis1025.0040   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba12.003   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus33.504   
98Teal, CapeAnas capensis11.001   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha4143.33420   
686Wagtail, CapeMotacilla capensis2626.0026
FITZ logo Ramsar Wetlands International http://www.sanbi.org/

Sunday 08 December 2024 10:20
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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