Malolotja Nature Reserve - Birds |
Malolotja Nature Reserve has been recognised as one of southern Africa's Important Bird Areas. This is based on the fact that the reserve supports: a significant number of Globally Threatened or Near Threatened species; a significant number of restricted-range species; and a significant number of species in one or more biome-restricted assemblages. Nine species occurring in Malolotja have been classified as Globally Threatened or Near Threatened (BirdLife 2000) while fourteen species have been classified as Regionally Threatened or Near Threatened in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
![Orange Throated Longclaw](../photos/thumbnails/fauna/longclaw.jpg) |
![Longclaw nest](../photos/thumbnails/fauna/lclawnst.jpg) |
Orange Throated Longclaw |
Longclaw Nest |
More than 280 species of birds have been recorded from Malolotja and the reserve is particularly important for breeding groups of endangered species, such as the blue swallow, blue crane, bald ibis and Stanley's bustard. Only two breeding colonies of the bald ibis exist in Swaziland, and one of these is found inside the reserve.
Many other rare species are to be found in the reserve in a variety of specialised habitats. The bog and vlei systems are home to striped flufftails, blackrumped buttonquails and blue cranes; the streams and riverbanks to giant, malachite and halfcollared kingfishers and the African finfoot; the high protea woodland to sunbirds and Gurney's sugarbirds; the short grassland to blue swallows, anteating chats, blackwinged plovers and Stanley's bustard; and the rock outcrops to sentinel rock thrushes, buffstreaked chats and ground woodpeckers. As one descends into the valleys one finds a greater proportion of middleveld species, including some gems like green pigeons, Knysna and purplecrested louries, little bee-eaters, plumcoloured starlings, coucals and bushshrikes.
Priority Species
Regionally Extinct |
|
Southern African Status |
International Status |
Anthropoides paradisea |
Blue crane |
Vulnerable |
Vulnerable |
Critically Endangered |
|
Southern African Status |
International Status |
Hirundo atrocaerulea |
Blue swallow |
Critically Endangered |
Vulnerable |
Endangered |
|
Southern African Status |
International Status |
Sagittarius serpentarius |
Secretarybird |
Near Threatened |
Not listed |
Turnix hottentotta |
Blackrumped buttonquail |
Endangered |
Not listed |
Sarothrura affinis |
Striped flufftail |
Vulnerable |
Not listed |
Neotis denhami |
Stanley's bustard |
Vulnerable |
Not listed |
Tyto capensis |
Grass owl |
Vulnerable |
Not listed |
Vulnerable |
|
Southern African Status |
International Status |
Ciconia nigra |
Black stork |
Near Threatened |
Not listed |
Geronticus calvus |
Bald ibis |
Vulnerable |
Vulnerable |
Aquila verreauxii |
Black eagle |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Stephanoaetus coronatus |
Crowned eagle |
Near Threatened |
Not listed |
Circus ranivorus |
African marsh harrier |
Vulnerable |
Not listed |
Podica senegalensis |
African finfoot |
Vulnerable |
Not listed |
Near Threatened |
|
Southern African Status |
International Status |
Lophaetus occipitalis |
Longcrested eagle |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Circaetus gallicus |
Blackbreasted snake eagle |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Vanellus melanopterus |
Blackwinged plover |
Near Threatened |
Not listed |
Alcedo semitorquata |
Halfcollared kingfisher |
Near Threatened |
Not listed |
Geocolaptes olivaceus |
Ground woodpecker |
Not listed |
Not listed |
|