Newsletter / Blog
2011-03-16 De Hoop Nature Reserve, Overberg, Western Cape, South Africa.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari, includes De Hoop Nature
Reserve in its itinerary.
This beautiful
Fynbos and Marine Reserve is situated in the Overberg region of the Western
Cape, near the southern tip of Africa and covers an area of about 36 000ha.
Birding De Hoop Nature
Reserve. IBA
The
De Hoop vlei/wetland is famous for its variety and large numbers of migratory
waders and water birds. More than 260
species have been recorded on the reserve and the only remaining Western
Cape breeding colony of the rare Cape vulture occurs at Potberg on the
north eastern
boundary of the reserve.
De
Hoop Specials
Cape Vulture, Hottentot
Buttonquail, Southern Tchagra, Knysna
Woodpecker, Black Harrier and Agulhas Lark.
Mammals
The
reserve has 86 mammal species, most notably the rare Bontebok
and
Cape Mountain Zebra.
The
marine reserve has at least 250 fish and Southern Right Whales calve and mate
in the sheltered bays of De Hoop each year between May and
December.
Vegetation
De Hoop reserve is the
largest conserved area for the lowland Fynbos and has an estimated 1500 plant
species.
•
108 species are rare or threatened
•
34 species occur only on De Hoop Nature Reserve.
• 14 species were recently discovered and are
still to be described.
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