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Species list |
List of species seen
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Jackass Penguin |
The colony visited at Boulders Point is apparently one of only two mainland breeding sites in the country. Perhaps up to a hundred or so birds were there, both in the tourist enclosed part of the beach and the adjacent rocks an sea to the south |
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Little Grebe |
A very regularly seen bird on the lagoons at Strandfontein sewage works - singles and groups of up to 6 birds seen on almost all expanses of water |
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Great Crested Grebe |
3 on the lagoon at Rondevlei |
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Great White Pelican |
The majority of the birds seen were at Strandfontein sewage works, in 4 groups totaling around 70 birds. These included both adults and some of the greyer juveniles. 2 also at Rondevlei |
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Great Cormorant |
The most common cormorant, seen every day in large numbers |
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Cape Cormorant |
There were probably birds on the rocks at Kommetjie on 27th, but couldn't be identified. Around 150 passed the lighthouse on the 1st March, from singles to large groups of up to 20. The yellow around the gape was not evident - apparantly this is usual for the time of year and distance seen |
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Crowned Cormorant |
Adults with crests could be seen among the Great Cormorants at Kommetjie on 27th. About 20 were at Strandfontein |
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Reed Cormorant |
3 juveniles in front of the hides at Rondevlei |
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African Darter |
Very prominent at Rondevlei, with about 25 seen, both on the ground and flying |
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Grey Heron |
Strandfontein (5), Rondevlei (2) |
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Black-headed Heron |
A solitary bird was in the dunes at Strandfontein |
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Purple Heron |
1 flying over reeds at Strandfontein |
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Little Egret |
Milnerton (1), Strandfontein (5), Rondevlei (4) |
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Cattle Egret |
Abundant - seen every day in most open areas, including within Cape Town vicinity |
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Sacred Ibis |
A very gregarious and common bird, with 4 seen in Cape Town area, over 100 at Strandfontein, 40 at both Rondevlei and Kommetjie |
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Hadada Ibis |
A pair were within the village of Kommetjie on the 1st, and a single bird flew over Kirstenbosch |
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Glossy Ibis |
1 flew from the reeds at Strandfontein |
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African Spoonbill |
2 adults at Rondevlei |
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Greater Flamingo |
A group of 20 birds at Strandfontein included a few juveniles, with a single bird on a separate lagoon |
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Egyptian Goose |
Nice to see these birds in the wild and not just feral, but they seem to be on every single patch of water imaginable. Common |
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South African Shelduck |
Only one bird seen, at the rear of a group of mixed waterfowl on exposed mud at Strandfontein. It disappeared into the reeds soon after being spotted |
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Cape Teal |
A pair of these were the first wildfowl seen at Strandfontein, with perhaps up to a hundred subsequently on an adjacent lagoon |
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Yellow-billed Duck |
A group of 6 flew from reeds at Strandfontein, and about 15 in a mixed group later on exposed mud |
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Red-billed Duck |
About 100 birds were in a mixed group of waterfowl on exposed mud at Strandfontein, and 4 were at Rondevlei |
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Cape Shoveler |
A total of around 30 at Strandfontein, with a further 2 at Rondevlei |
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Southern Pochard |
About 20 in small groups and pairs at Strandfontein, and 6 at Rondevlei |
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Black-shouldered Kite |
Up to 5 separate birds at Strandfontein |
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Black Kite |
1 of the Yellow-billed subspecies at Strandfontein |
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(Steppe) Buzzard |
1 flew over Signal Hill, and 1 perched on telegraph pole at Strandfontein |
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Verraux's Eagle |
An initial sighting of a single bird low over the Table Mountain plateau was followed shortly after by a pair circling in the distance among a large group of hirundines. It is a spectacular and distinctive eagle, with long narrow wings pinched in at the base |
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Kestrel |
1 hovering at Cape Point |
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Helmeted Guineafowl |
When seen, they are very gregarious - 12 including juveniles on Signal Hill, 4 at Strandfontein, 30 early morning at Kommetjie, and 4 at Kirstenbosch |
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Purple Swamphen |
2 briefly at Strandfontein |
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Moorhen |
Small numbers at Strandfontein (around 20) and Rondevlei (around 10) |
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Red-knobbed Coot |
All birds in breeding plumage and fully knobbed - 20 were initially seen in channels on the road from Cape Town to Milnerton, 40+ at Strandfontein, and 10 at Rondevlei |
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African Oystercatcher |
Kommetjie (25), beachfront at Strandfontein (3) |
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Black-winged Stilt |
Large numbers were in channels seen from the coach on the airport to Signal Hill leg of arrival |
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Spotted Thick-knee |
A pair in the sandy coastal scrub at Kommetjie lighthouse |
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Blacksmith Plover |
After the first dapper bird was seen at De Waal Park waterworks on the first day, this turned out to be a very common bird, and usually found in quite large groups anywhere near fresh water |
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Whimbrel |
1 at Kommetjie on 27th |
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Greenshank |
Group of six on the channel at Milnerton |
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Sanderling |
10 on exposed mud at Strandfontein |
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Kelp Gull |
Good numbers seen, usually near the coast |
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Hartlaub's Gull |
An extremely common bird from the coast to the suburbs. Regularly checked for Grey-headed Gull, all were in winter plumage |
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Sandwich Tern |
About 80 at Buffels bay in the Cape Reserve |
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Great Crested Tern |
20 or so amongst the Sandwich Terns at Buffels Bay, and single birds at Strandfontein and Kommetjie |
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Speckled Pigeon |
Common |
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Rameron Pigeon |
The bright yellow eye rings seem to make this a more than mundane pigeon. 2 groups of 3 were at Kirstenbosch, and were very approachable |
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Red-eyed Dove |
Common |
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Laughing Dove |
Common |
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Alpine Swift |
5 among a large flock of African Swifts from the top of Table Mountain, and then hundreds close overhead at Kirstenbosch |
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African Swift |
Hundreds from the top of Table Mountain, and a single bird amongst the Alpine Swifts over Kirstenbosch |
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Little Swift |
A single bird with the hirundines at Strandfontein |
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White-rumped Swift |
Up to a hundred birds in a large flock low over the lagoons and track at Strandfontein |
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Speckled Mousebird |
Only one was seen briefly emerging from a bush at Kirstenbosch |
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Malachite Kingfisher |
1 flying along channel at Milnerton |
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Plain Martin |
Very common at Strandfontein, with numbers totaling over 3 figures over the afternoon |
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Rock Martin |
Up to 5 circling the base of the lighthouse at Cape Point |
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Swallow |
Kommetjie (50), Strandfontein (20) |
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White-throated Swallow |
A mixed flock containing mainly White-throated Swallows was low over the water and track at Strandfontein, passing very close to us many times. To the uninitiated, there can be confusion with Banded Martin, since the bright light can make them look brown on the back at times, with similar breast band and white underwing coverts |
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Black Saw-wing |
A single bird circling a small area near the pond at Kirstenbosch |
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Cape Wagtail |
Regularly seen, with most at Kommetjie (5), Buffels Bay (10), and Strandfontein (30) |
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Orange-throated Longclaw |
2 at Strandfontein - first was a stunning adult with bright orange throat, second a sick and pale individual with what looked like a damaged and swollen knee |
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Cape Bulbul |
First birds seen were an elusive group of 10 at Buffels Bay and a single bird at Kommetjie. They were subsequently not as regularly seen as expected - 3 at Strandfontein, 2 at Kirstenbosch (where Sombre Bulbul was much more common), and 10 at Rondevlei |
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Sombre Bulbul |
The songs and calls were heard throughout Kirstenbosch, with at least 10 birds seen. They are generally difficult to pick out of their favoured thick bushes and canopies, but some did show well |
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Olive Thrush |
Most of the birds seen were around the hotel and suburban Cape Town area, where they are quite common. An additional 8 or so were at Kirstenbosch |
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Tinkling (Levaillant's) Cisticola |
These were seen in the Strandfontein area, with 7 at the sewage works and 3 at Rondevlei. They can be seen well, especially if the calls are followed |
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Karoo Prinia |
One of those birds which seems to have a song and call too big for the bird itself - Signal Hill (1), Kommetjie (1), Strandfontein (2), Kirstenbosch (15), Rondevlei (3) |
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Cape Grassbird |
These are much better in real life than in the books. A vocal and approachable juvenile was on the Table Mountain plateau, with an adult close by |
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Fiscal Flycatcher |
These are remarkably similar to Fiscal Shrike unless looked at properly - bill shape and white on the wings are obvious pointers. The single bird at Strandfontein was almost passed by |
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African Dusky Flycatcher |
Similar to Spotted, this is a less slender bird with faint though obvious eye ring. About 8 birds were at Kirstenbosch, including juveniles |
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Cape Robin-chat |
Signal Hill (1), Kirstenbosch (3), Rondevlei (1). They generally tend to be skulkers - none were seen in the open for long |
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Familiar Chat |
2 birds together on rocks at Table Mountain plateau |
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Orange-breasted Sunbird |
The bellies on these birds stands out against the background vegetation, and they are generally very approachable - Table Mountain (10), Kirstenbosch, where they were almost exclusively in the Protea garden (10) |
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Southern Double-collared Sunbird |
After the single bird at the curio stalls near Scarborough, 30 or so were at Kirstenbosch |
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Cape White-eye |
Common and regularly seen in any area with trees. A group of half a dozen were easy to find in the hotel gardens |
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Cape Sugarbird |
A uniquely stunning bird. The first one at Kirstenbosch was lapped up, with a further 12 also in the Protea garden. There was a mix males and shorter tailed females, with the male happy to chase each other from plant to plant |
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Fiscal Shrike |
2 birds were seen, one just below Molteno reservoir, and the other on the golf course at Milnerton. The latter bird did not have the faded supercilium that is a usual feature of Cape birds |
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Southern Boubou |
A single very close bird at Kirstenbosch |
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Pied Crow |
Strandfontein (5), Rondevlei (1) |
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House Crow |
3 near the airport |
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White-necked Raven |
Signal Hill (3), Table Mountain (3), Kirstenbosch (3) |
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Eurasian Starling |
Common |
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Red-winged Starling |
Very common in almost every habitat |
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House Sparrow |
A small group at the hotel |
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Mossie |
A male and female together at Strandfontein |
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Common Waxbill |
3 or 4 groups of half a dozen birds around Kirstenbosch |
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Yellow Canary |
These were quite regularly seen around Kirstenbosch (c.30). The first ones were scrutinised carefully, since Cape birds are much greyer than the northern forms |
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Species list |