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Bitou River (34012323)

Western Cape

CWAC status REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY
Authority Private
Management status UNKNOWN
Conservation status UNPROTECTED
IBA information
Ramsar information
Heritage information
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Information 

Date_registered
1995-07-29
Brief_description
The lower Bitou River, progressing from marsh and floodplain to tidal conditions in the lowest reaches. Includes excellent marsh habitat for rails and other secretive birds; Redchested Flufftail and Baillon's Crake may breed. Moorhen counts peak in winter although recorded numbers are decreasing; winter Dabchick counts are also decreasing. Important for foraging and roosting shorebirds, waterfowl and egrets. Good numbers of South African Shelduck and Yellowbilled Duck recorded in winter 1995; Avocet numbers are high in summer. Species numbers and total counts have decreased over the three years of the survey period. Critical threats include pollution from effluent, pesticides and fertilizers, and damage by livestock; also threatened by siltation, reed encroachment, and residential development.

SppCommon nameTaxonomic nameMinAvgMaxIBASubregional
IBA
RAMSAR
72Scopus umbretta11.332   
256Calidris pugnax112.0036  
1016Anas platyrhynchos13.336
269Avocet, PiedRecurvirostra avosetta130.08171 125 
67Bittern, LittleIxobrychus minutus11.001   
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata116.35164   
48Cormorant, CapePhalacrocorax capensis19.2534   
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus435.77181   
47Cormorant, White-breastedPhalacrocorax lucidus15.2719   
203Crake, BlackZaporina flavirostra11.774
216Crane, BlueGrus paradisea23.488   
267Curlew, EurasianNumenius arquata22.002   
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa12.3310   
10006Duck, DomesticAnas platyrhynchos domesticus22.002
103Duck, MaccoaOxyura maccoa12.337   
10014Duck, UnidentifiedAnas sp.11.001
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus25.6710   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata15.8014   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata248.62363   
58Egret, GreatArdea alba11.001   
60Egret, Intermediate [x]Ardea intermedia11.172   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta16.8031   
61Egret, Western CattleBubulcus ibis165.70318   
149Fish Eagle, AfricanHaliaeetus vocifer11.313
86Flamingo, GreaterPhoenicopterus roseus16.0014   
87Flamingo, LesserPhoeniconaias minor16.6717   
205Flufftail, Red-chestedSarothrura rufa11.001
893Gallinule, PurplePorphyrio martinica11.001
10004Goose, DomesticAnser anser domesticus22.253
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca631.93127   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis18.0031   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis19.0722   
263Greenshank, CommonTringa nebularia15.9726   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus11.001   
287Gull, KelpLarus dominicanus332.41159 150 
167Harrier, African MarshCircus ranivorus11.563
64Heron, BlackEgretta ardesiaca77.007   
55Heron, Black-headedArdea melanocephala14.3827   
56Heron, GoliathArdea goliath11.502   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea17.1222   
57Heron, PurpleArdea purpurea11.676   
81Ibis, African SacredThreskiornis aethiopicus131.85438   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus19.0017   
84Ibis, HadadaBostrychia hagedash116.6875   
228Jacana, AfricanActophilornis africanus11.001   
402Kingfisher, Brown-hoodedHalcyon albiventris11.001
395Kingfisher, GiantMegaceryle maxima11.483
396Kingfisher, Half-collaredAlcedo semitorquata11.001
397Kingfisher, MalachiteCorythornis cristatus11.292
394Kingfisher, PiedCeryle rudis14.1712
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus322.2767   
509Martin, Brown-throatedRiparia paludicola11.001
210Moorhen, CommonGallinula chloropus113.3878   
69Night Heron, Black-crownedNycticorax nycticorax14.0010   
172Osprey, WesternPandion haliaetus11.202
231Oystercatcher, AfricanHaematopus moquini14.8926 24 
894Oystercatcher, EurasianHaematopus ostralegus11.001
233Plover, Common RingedCharadrius hiaticula110.7040   
241Plover, GreyPluvialis squatarola25.5011   
237Plover, Kittlitz'sCharadrius pecuarius118.3860   
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris15.7130   
235Plover, White-frontedCharadrius marginatus16.0019   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma13.1410   
197Rail, AfricanRallus caerulescens11.332-1
261Redshank, CommonTringa totanus22.002
258Sandpiper, CommonActitis hypoleucos13.3311  
251Sandpiper, CurlewCalidris ferruginea139.10150  
262Sandpiper, MarshTringa stagnatilis13.607   
895Sandpiper, PectoralCalidris melanotos22.002
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola17.3836   
90Shelduck, South AfricanTadorna cana118.6051   
94Shoveler, CapeAnas smithii120.8989   
250Snipe, AfricanGallinago nigripennis12.004   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba14.4422   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus127.63101   
253Stint, LittleCalidris minuta321.5040   
208Swamphen, AfricanPorphyrio madagascariensis11.001  
10007Swan, BlackCygnus atratus11.001
99Teal, Blue-billedAnas hottentota14.1811   
98Teal, CapeAnas capensis114.6865   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha231.54278   
290Tern, CaspianHydroprogne caspia12.003   
298Tern, Greater CrestedThalasseus bergii124.5048   
305Tern, WhiskeredChlidonias hybrida1624.5033   
274Thick-knee, WaterBurhinus vermiculatus11.432   
10008Wader, UnidentifiedN/A N/A16.6319
685Wagtail, African PiedMotacilla aguimp11.833
686Wagtail, CapeMotacilla capensis19.9441
268Whimbrel, EurasianNumenius phaeopus14.0316   
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Tuesday 02 September 2025 04:04
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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