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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
1016Anas platyrhynchos13.336
72Scopus umbretta11.332   
256Calidris pugnax112.0036  
269Avocet, PiedRecurvirostra avosetta131.26171 125 
67Bittern, LittleIxobrychus minutus11.001   
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata117.10164   
48Cormorant, CapePhalacrocorax capensis17.8234   
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus435.96181   
47Cormorant, White-breasted Phalacrocorax lucidus15.4319   
203Crake, BlackZapornia flavirostra11.734
216Crane, BlueGrus paradisea23.538   
267Curlew, EurasianNumenius arquata22.002   
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa12.4110   
10006Duck, DomesticAnas platyrhynchos22.002
103Duck, MaccoaOxyura maccoa12.337   
10014Duck, UnidentifiedN/A N/A11.001
104Duck, White-backedThalassornis leuconotus25.6710   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata16.1314   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata450.42363   
149Eagle, African FishHaliaeetus vocifer11.263
58Egret, GreatArdea alba11.001   
60Egret, IntermediateArdea intermedia11.172   
59Egret, LittleEgretta garzetta17.0031   
61Egret, Western CattleBubulcus ibis168.94318   
86Flamingo, Greater Phoenicopterus roseus16.0014   
87Flamingo, LesserPhoeniconaias minor29.5017   
205Flufftail, Red-chestedSarothrura rufa11.001
10004Goose, DomesticAnser anser22.253
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca631.33127   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis17.4031   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis19.1922   
263Greenshank, CommonTringa nebularia16.1226   
287Gull, KelpLarus dominicanus330.74159 150 
167Harrier, African MarshCircus ranivorus11.563
69Heron, Black-crowned NightNycticorax nycticorax14.0010   
55Heron, Black-headedArdea melanocephala14.2127   
56Heron, GoliathArdea goliath22.002   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea17.0422   
57Heron, PurpleArdea purpurea11.716   
81Ibis, African SacredThreskiornis aethiopicus131.54438   
83Ibis, GlossyPlegadis falcinellus19.0017   
84Ibis, Hadada Bostrychia hagedash116.9575   
228Jacana, AfricanActophilornis africanus11.001   
402Kingfisher, Brown-hoodedHalcyon albiventris11.001
395Kingfisher, GiantMegaceryle maxima11.423
396Kingfisher, Half-collaredAlcedo semitorquata11.001
397Kingfisher, MalachiteCorythornis cristatus11.292
394Kingfisher, PiedCeryle rudis14.1112
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus321.9467   
509Martin, Brown-throatedRiparia paludicola11.001
210Moorhen, CommonGallinula chloropus113.2178   
172Osprey, WesternPandion haliaetus11.202
231Oystercatcher, AfricanHaematopus moquini15.0026 24 
894Oystercatcher, EurasianHaematopus ostralegus11.001
233Plover, Common RingedCharadrius hiaticula110.7040   
241Plover, GreyPluvialis squatarola25.5011   
237Plover, Kittlitz'sCharadrius pecuarius118.3860   
238Plover, Three-bandedCharadrius tricollaris15.8430   
235Plover, White-frontedCharadrius marginatus16.0019   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma13.1410   
197Rail, AfricanRallus caerulescens11.332-1
261Redshank, CommonTringa totanus22.002
258Sandpiper, CommonActitis hypoleucos13.2711  
251Sandpiper, CurlewCalidris ferruginea139.10150  
262Sandpiper, MarshTringa stagnatilis13.607   
895Sandpiper, PectoralCalidris melanotos22.002
264Sandpiper, WoodTringa glareola17.3836   
90Shelduck, South AfricanTadorna cana118.6051   
94Shoveler, CapeSpatula smithii121.2589   
250Snipe, AfricanGallinago nigripennis12.004   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba14.5822   
270Stilt, Black-wingedHimantopus himantopus127.78101   
253Stint, LittleCalidris minuta321.5040   
208Swamphen, AfricanPorphyrio madagascariensis11.001  
10007Swan, Black Cygnus atratus11.001
99Teal, Blue-billedSpatula hottentota14.1811   
98Teal, CapeAnas capensis114.8165   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha232.85278   
290Tern, CaspianHydroprogne caspia12.003   
298Tern, Greater CrestedThalasseus bergii124.5048   
305Tern, WhiskeredChlidonias hybrida1624.5033   
274Thick-knee, WaterBurhinus vermiculatus11.502   
10008Wader, UnidentifiedN/A N/A16.6319
685Wagtail, African PiedMotacilla aguimp11.752
686Wagtail, CapeMotacilla capensis19.9541
268Whimbrel, Eurasian Numenius phaeopus14.0016   
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Thursday 28 March 2024 03:14
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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