Bird List

152 species of birds have been recorded at Ben Aloe. Of these 1 is critically endangered, 7 are vulnerable and 5 near-threatened (Barnes, KN. [ed]. 2000. The Eskom Red Data Book of birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, Birdlife South Africa, Johannesburg). In addition 17 of the 152 are regarded as endemic or near-endemic to South Africa. With a concerted effort several more species will be recorded, some of which may also fall under the Red Data categories such as Rudd’s Lark (critically endangered) and Yellow-breasted Pipit (Vulnerable).

At present the property’s most significant contribution to bird conservation is the existence for two years running of an active Bald Ibis (vulnerable) nest site. Only a single pair has bred, but in the 2002 season a third adult or near adult bird was present (presumably the previous year’s fledgling) and in 2003 it is hoped that this colony will expand to consist of at least two pairs. The site currently in use can potentially support three or four nest sites, but there are other suitable cliffs as well.


Aside from these cliffs and also the mountain plateau, a third important habitat is the vlei that straddles the fenceline between the Krynauw game farm and Ben Aloe. This vlei has been comprehensively drained in the past and as a result is much reduced. An important priority must be to reverse this drainage, remove the fence and fell the gum and pine plantations on the opposite bank of the river. Not only will this consolidate the only available habitat for the small Common Reedbuck population, but also increase the chances of the area once again hosting Wattled and Crowned Cranes and other wetland dependent bird species.

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BIRD LIST

Dabchick
Reed Cormorant
White-breasted Cormorant
Black-headed Heron
Purple Heron (1 recorded sighting)
Great White Egret
Little Egret
Cattle Egret
Hamerkop Breeding
White Stork Summer
Black Stork
Bald Ibis
Hadeda Breeding
Egyptian Goose
Red-eyed Dove
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Lesse masked Weaver
Golden Weaver
Yellow-billed Duck
Black Duck Fairly
Spur-winged Goose
Secretarybird
Cape Vulture
Black-shouldered Kite
Honey Buzzard
Long-crested Eagle
Martial Eagle
Fish Eagle
Black Eagle
Steppe Buzzard
Jackal Buzzard
Black Sparrowhawk
Gymnogene
Osprey
Lanner Falcon
Eastern Red-footed Kestrel
Rock Kestrel
Redwing Francolin
Swainson’s Francolin
Helmeted Guineafowl (Breeding)
Kurrichane Buttonquail
Wattled Crane
Blue Crane (Formerly Crowned Crane)
Striped Flufftail
Red-knobbed Coot
Stanley’s Bustard
Crowned Plover
Blacksmith Plover
Wattled Plover
Black-winged Plover
Common Sandpiper
Ethiopian Snipe
Feral Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Rameron Pigeon
Cape Turtle Dove
Laughing Dove
Namaqua Dove
Purple-crested Lourie
Red-chested Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
Klaas’s Cuckoo
Diederik Cuckoo
Spotted Eagle Owl
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Freckled Nightjar
White-rumped Swift
Little Swift
Alpine Swift
Speckled Mousebird
Pied Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Half-collared Kingfisher (Regular)
Malachite Kingfisher
Lilac-Breasted Roller
African Hoopoe
Black-collared Barbet
Olive Woodpecker
Ground Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Red-throated Wryneck
White-necked Raven
European Swallow
White-throated Swallow
Greater Striped Swallow
Black Sawwing Swallow
Rock Martin
Sand Martin
Banded Martin
Fork-tailed Drongo
Black-headed Oriole
Black Crow
Black-eyed Bulbul
Kurrichane Thrush
Groundscraper Thrush
Cape Rock Thrush
Mountain Chat
Buff-streaked Chat
Familiar Chat
Mocking Chat
Ant-eating Chat
Stone Chat
Greater Honeyguide
Choroister Robin
Cape Robin
Garden Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Bar-throated Apalis
Grassbird
Ayre’s Cisticola
Wailing Cisticola
Le Vaillant’s
Lazy Cisticola
Drakensberg Prinia (Pair)
Spotted Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Fiscal Flycatcher
Fairy Flycatcher
Paradise Flycatcher
Cape Batis
Long-tailed Wagtail
Cape Wagtail
Richard’s Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Striped Pipit
Orange-throated Longclaw
Lesser Grey Shrike
Fiscal Shrike
Southern Boubou
Bokmakierie
Olive Bush Shrike
Indian Mynah
Pied Starling
Red-winged Starling
Malachite Sunbird
Greater Double-collared Sunbird (Breeding)
Black Sunbird
Cape White-eye
House Sparrow
Cape Weaver
Masked Weaver
Red-billed Quelea
Red Bishop
Golden Bishop
Yellow-rumped Widow
Red-shouldered Widow
Red-collared Widow
Long-tailed Widow
Blue-billed Firefinch
Dark-capped yellow Warbler
Common Waxbill
Swee Waxbill
Pin-tailed Whydah
Cape Canary
Streaky-headed Canary
Golden-breasted
Cape Bunting
Rock Bunting