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Kleinriviersvlei (Klein River Estuary) (34251921)
Western Cape
CWAC status	REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY
Authority	Private
Management status	UNKNOWN
Conservation status	UNPROTECTED
IBA information	SA118 - BOTRIVIERVLEI & KLEINMOND ESTUARY
Ramsar information
Heritage information
View Cards	Click here

Information
Date_registered
2001-02-17
Brief_description
The Klein River Estuary lies on the southern coast of the Western Cape between Hermanus and Stanford, where the Klein River widens into a large, shallow lagoon before entering Walker Bay. It comprises open water, tidal channels, mud and sand banks, salt marshes, and reed beds, supporting important fish nursery areas and diverse birdlife, and is regarded as one of the region’s most ecologically significant estuaries. The site is a KBA and IBA. Key threats include reduced freshwater inflow from water abstraction, nutrient enrichment, and pollution from agricultural runoff and wastewater, sedimentation, illegal fishing, and management challenges related to recreational activities and the breaching of the estuary mouth.

Spp	Common name	Taxonomic name	Min	Avg	Max	IBA	Subregional IBA	RAMSAR
256		Calidris pugnax	2	7.67	12
212	Coot, Red-knobbed	Fulica cristata	2	1365.84	7600	5000	2500
48	Cormorant, Cape	Phalacrocorax capensis	1	4.50	18
50	Cormorant, Reed	Microcarbo africanus	2	27.88	82
47	Cormorant, White-breasted	Phalacrocorax lucidus	4	31.60	92
203	Crake, Black	Zaporina flavirostra	1	1.00	1
216	Crane, Blue	Grus paradisea	2	3.75	5
267	Curlew, Eurasian	Numenius arquata	1	1.50	2
52	Darter, African	Anhinga rufa	1	2.86	8
95	Duck, African Black	Anas sparsa	2	2.00	2
10006	Duck, Domestic	Anas platyrhynchos domesticus	1	1.27	3
10005	Duck, Hybrid	Anas hybrid	1	1.00	1
103	Duck, Maccoa	Oxyura maccoa	2	2.00	2
104	Duck, White-backed	Thalassornis leuconotus	2	2.00	2
96	Duck, Yellow-billed	Anas undulata	1	114.98	465
60	Egret, Intermediate [x]	Ardea intermedia	1	1.00	1
59	Egret, Little	Egretta garzetta	1	9.11	62
61	Egret, Western Cattle	Bubulcus ibis	1	8.71	20
149	Fish Eagle, African	Haliaeetus vocifer	1	1.36	3
86	Flamingo, Greater	Phoenicopterus roseus	1	86.53	430
266	Godwit, Bar-tailed	Limosa lapponica	2	2.00	2
10004	Goose, Domestic	Anser anser domesticus	2	2.50	3
89	Goose, Egyptian	Alopochen aegyptiaca	2	15.62	69
88	Goose, Spur-winged	Plectropterus gambensis	2	8.00	19
5	Grebe, Black-necked	Podiceps nigricollis	2	2.00	2
4	Grebe, Great Crested	Podiceps cristatus	1	6.13	16
6	Grebe, Little	Tachybaptus ruficollis	1	5.25	28
263	Greenshank, Common	Tringa nebularia	1	12.33	36
288	Gull, Grey-headed	Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus	1	1.67	4
289	Gull, Hartlaub's	Chroicocephalus hartlaubii	2	80.15	286	250	125
287	Gull, Kelp	Larus dominicanus	6	52.93	258		150
167	Harrier, African Marsh	Circus ranivorus	1	1.00	1
55	Heron, Black-headed	Ardea melanocephala	1	1.00	1
56	Heron, Goliath	Ardea goliath	1	1.00	1
54	Heron, Grey	Ardea cinerea	1	9.88	31
57	Heron, Purple	Ardea purpurea	1	1.33	2
81	Ibis, African Sacred	Threskiornis aethiopicus	1	4.71	21
84	Ibis, Hadada	Bostrychia hagedash	1	2.94	10
395	Kingfisher, Giant	Megaceryle maxima	1	1.25	2
397	Kingfisher, Malachite	Corythornis cristatus	1	1.00	1
394	Kingfisher, Pied	Ceryle rudis	1	3.11	8
254	Knot, Red	Calidris canutus	1	9.00	17
245	Lapwing, Blacksmith	Vanellus armatus	2	9.49	26
10015	Mallard, Hybrid	Anas hybrid	1	1.00	1
210	Moorhen, Common	Gallinula chloropus	1	2.60	6
172	Osprey, Western	Pandion haliaetus	1	1.43	3
231	Oystercatcher, African	Haematopus moquini	2	29.13	78	48	24	55
42	Pelican, Great White	Pelecanus onocrotalus	2	2.00	2
233	Plover, Common Ringed	Charadrius hiaticula	2	11.67	29
241	Plover, Grey	Pluvialis squatarola	2	16.92	45
237	Plover, Kittlitz's	Charadrius pecuarius	1	13.59	148
238	Plover, Three-banded	Charadrius tricollaris	1	4.61	15
235	Plover, White-fronted	Charadrius marginatus	2	28.73	158		125
197	Rail, African	Rallus caerulescens	1	1.00	1			-1
258	Sandpiper, Common	Actitis hypoleucos	1	2.39	15
251	Sandpiper, Curlew	Calidris ferruginea	6	66.00	179
262	Sandpiper, Marsh	Tringa stagnatilis	2	2.00	2
264	Sandpiper, Wood	Tringa glareola	1	2.50	4
94	Shoveler, Cape	Anas smithii	2	57.35	222		175
85	Spoonbill, African	Platalea alba	1	12.70	61
270	Stilt, Black-winged	Himantopus himantopus	1	16.44	55
253	Stint, Little	Calidris minuta	11	36.86	78
98	Teal, Cape	Anas capensis	2	12.65	47
97	Teal, Red-billed	Anas erythrorhyncha	2	6.33	28
290	Tern, Caspian	Hydroprogne caspia	1	5.89	26			20
291	Tern, Common	Sterna hirundo	1	306.68	1500
298	Tern, Greater Crested	Thalasseus bergii	2	25.10	144
296	Tern, Sandwich	Thalasseus sandvicensis	2	29.10	106
10009	Tern, Unidentified	N/A N/A	20	20.00	20
274	Thick-knee, Water	Burhinus vermiculatus	2	2.00	2
232	Turnstone, Ruddy	Arenaria interpres	2	2.00	2
686	Wagtail, Cape	Motacilla capensis	2	7.77	29
268	Whimbrel, Eurasian	Numenius phaeopus	1	17.85	58

Wednesday 25 March 2026 04:19
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

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Kleinriviersvlei (Klein River Estuary) (34251921)

Western Cape

Information