Uilenkraalsmond (34361925) | |
|---|---|
Western Cape | |
| CWAC status | REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY |
| Authority | |
| Management status | Coastal Public Property (CPP); partially covered by Sand Down Estate Farm nr. 32/220; although the property boundary covers the estuarine/ river area, this “land under the water” is technically CPP |
| Conservation status | Unprotected |
| IBA information | Agulhas Plain-Heuningnes Estuary IBA |
| Ramsar information | |
| Heritage information | |
| View Cards | Click here |
Information |
|---|
| Date_registered |
| 2026-02-12 |
| Brief_description |
| The Uilenkraalsmond (Uilkraals River Estuary), on the south-western coast of the Western Cape, is a predominantly open estuarine system where the Uilkraals River flows into the sea near the settlement and holiday resort at Uilenkraalsmond. The estuary includes open water and associated wetland and recreational habitats that support fish nursery function and attract local and regional tourism, but it has been largely modified by changes in mouth condition and pollution, particularly from sewage, leading to a degraded ecological health status. Major threats identified include reduced freshwater inflows due to upstream storage, nutrient enrichment from agriculture, water quality issues, habitat loss from inundation when the mouth remains closed, and pressures from development and human disturbance around the estuary; improving freshwater quantity and quality, managing invasive plants, and maintaining mouth connectivity are priorities for restoring its ecological condition. |
| Physical_features |
| HABITAT/ WETLAND COMPOSITION: • Emergent vegetation – Common reed & sedges (10%) • Dominant substrate type: mud • Acidity: unknown • Salinity: Brak – Saline (dependent on freshwater inflow and mouth conditions) • Approximate size: 150 ha (although only c. 65 ha are surveyed) • Approximate maximum depth: unknown • Site wetland/ context: Single, discrete wetland |
| Hydrological_features |
| WETLAND/ SITE CLASSIFICATION (%): • Intertidal mud, sand, or salt flats (25%) • Estuarine waters (25%) • Intertidal marshes – salt marsh (50%) |
| Spp | Common name | Taxonomic name | Min | Avg | Max | IBA | Subregional IBA | RAMSAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 255 | Calidris alba | 1 | 15.00 | 29 | ||||
| 48 | Cormorant, Cape | Phalacrocorax capensis | 1 | 4.25 | 17 | |||
| 51 | Cormorant, Crowned | Microcarbo coronatus | 1 | 2.67 | 5 | |||
| 50 | Cormorant, Reed | Microcarbo africanus | 1 | 2.88 | 5 | |||
| 47 | Cormorant, White-breasted | Phalacrocorax lucidus | 2 | 7.69 | 18 | |||
| 216 | Crane, Blue | Grus paradisea | 2 | 3.00 | 4 | |||
| 96 | Duck, Yellow-billed | Anas undulata | 1 | 3.50 | 7 | |||
| 59 | Egret, Little | Egretta garzetta | 1 | 6.56 | 17 | |||
| 149 | Fish Eagle, African | Haliaeetus vocifer | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 86 | Flamingo, Greater | Phoenicopterus roseus | 10 | 10.00 | 10 | |||
| 89 | Goose, Egyptian | Alopochen aegyptiaca | 1 | 7.53 | 30 | |||
| 88 | Goose, Spur-winged | Plectropterus gambensis | 8 | 8.00 | 8 | |||
| 263 | Greenshank, Common | Tringa nebularia | 1 | 4.40 | 10 | |||
| 288 | Gull, Grey-headed | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 289 | Gull, Hartlaub's | Chroicocephalus hartlaubii | 10 | 43.95 | 137 | 125 | ||
| 287 | Gull, Kelp | Larus dominicanus | 9 | 78.30 | 234 | 150 | ||
| 167 | Harrier, African Marsh | Circus ranivorus | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 55 | Heron, Black-headed | Ardea melanocephala | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 54 | Heron, Grey | Ardea cinerea | 1 | 3.40 | 6 | |||
| 81 | Ibis, African Sacred | Threskiornis aethiopicus | 1 | 3.67 | 23 | |||
| 84 | Ibis, Hadada | Bostrychia hagedash | 2 | 2.00 | 2 | |||
| 395 | Kingfisher, Giant | Megaceryle maxima | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 397 | Kingfisher, Malachite | Corythornis cristatus | 1 | 2.17 | 4 | |||
| 394 | Kingfisher, Pied | Ceryle rudis | 1 | 4.00 | 9 | |||
| 245 | Lapwing, Blacksmith | Vanellus armatus | 1 | 2.20 | 4 | |||
| 172 | Osprey, Western | Pandion haliaetus | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 231 | Oystercatcher, African | Haematopus moquini | 2 | 5.56 | 13 | |||
| 42 | Pelican, Great White | Pelecanus onocrotalus | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 233 | Plover, Common Ringed | Charadrius hiaticula | 1 | 83.09 | 220 | |||
| 239 | Plover, Greater Sand | Charadrius leschenaultii | 1 | 1.67 | 2 | |||
| 241 | Plover, Grey | Pluvialis squatarola | 1 | 16.42 | 75 | |||
| 237 | Plover, Kittlitz's | Charadrius pecuarius | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 238 | Plover, Three-banded | Charadrius tricollaris | 1 | 3.14 | 14 | |||
| 235 | Plover, White-fronted | Charadrius marginatus | 3 | 33.25 | 79 | |||
| 258 | Sandpiper, Common | Actitis hypoleucos | 1 | 24.33 | 59 | |||
| 251 | Sandpiper, Curlew | Calidris ferruginea | 2 | 31.73 | 90 | |||
| 262 | Sandpiper, Marsh | Tringa stagnatilis | 3 | 3.00 | 3 | |||
| 94 | Shoveler, Cape | Anas smithii | 2 | 4.67 | 6 | |||
| 85 | Spoonbill, African | Platalea alba | 8 | 8.00 | 8 | |||
| 270 | Stilt, Black-winged | Himantopus himantopus | 2 | 3.40 | 9 | |||
| 253 | Stint, Little | Calidris minuta | 8 | 60.56 | 135 | |||
| 98 | Teal, Cape | Anas capensis | 1 | 1.50 | 2 | |||
| 290 | Tern, Caspian | Hydroprogne caspia | 1 | 3.12 | 10 | |||
| 291 | Tern, Common | Sterna hirundo | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 298 | Tern, Greater Crested | Thalasseus bergii | 1 | 81.88 | 415 | 250 | 200 | |
| 296 | Tern, Sandwich | Thalasseus sandvicensis | 1 | 10.75 | 49 | |||
| 10009 | Tern, Unidentified | N/A N/A | 4 | 6.00 | 7 | |||
| 274 | Thick-knee, Water | Burhinus vermiculatus | 1 | 3.50 | 6 | |||
| 232 | Turnstone, Ruddy | Arenaria interpres | 33 | 33.00 | 33 | |||
| 10008 | Wader, Unidentified | N/A N/A | 1 | 1.00 | 1 | |||
| 686 | Wagtail, Cape | Motacilla capensis | 1 | 4.62 | 18 | |||
| 268 | Whimbrel, Eurasian | Numenius phaeopus | 2 | 34.61 | 91 |
Thursday 23 April 2026 01:27
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department
of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town
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