Helderberg Nature Reserve

The Helderberg Nature Reserve is probably the best place for birding in the Helderberg area of the City of Cape Town. I would classify the birding as very good there, but the beauty of the place and the facilities adds to the experience. The nature reserve is very beautiful, with lovely mountains and lots of natural flora, including some spectacular proteas. The facilities can also be rated as very good. You pay a small amount to enter, but then have access to a restaurant and some easy walkways as well as lovely hiking trails up onto the mountain. The walking/hiking/access of Helderberg Nature Reserve is near perfect, and adds to the joy of the place. I will score Helderberg Nature Reserve an A for the whole experience.


The list of birds I have photographed at the Helderberg Nature Reserve is;

Hadeda Ibis, Egyptian Goose, African Black Duck, Cape Spurfowl, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Common Moorhen, Red-Eyed Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Red-Faced Mousebird, Fork Tailed Drongo, Pied Crow, Cape Bulbul, Olive Thrush, Cape Robin Chat, Karoo Prinia, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Batis, Common Fiscal, Cape Sugarbird, Malachite Sunbird, Orange Breasted Sunbird, Southern Double Collared Sunbird, Cape White Eye, Cape Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Pin Tailed Whydah, Cape Canary, Yellow Canary.

Helmeted Guinea Fowl scrubbing for food on the big lawns situated in front of the buildings.

A Fork-Tailed Drongo in one of the trees at the parking areas, before you venture onto the mountain hiking trails.

A Cape Bulbul surveying the area around him.

A female Cape Sugarbird extracting some nutrients from one of the many protea flowers on the mountain.

A Cape Weaver photographed around the small dam next to the restaurant.

A Yellow Canary sitting in a tree next to the restaurant.

According to the Helderberg Nature Reserve website Reserve is situated in Somerset West on the slopes of the beautiful Helderberg Mountain overlooking False Bay.

There are picnic spots, an information centre, our Guinea gift shop, exhibitions and hiking trails for young and old. Enjoy our abundant birdlife, stroll around and watch the tortoises lazily mowing our lawns.

According to the City of Cape Town Helderberg Nature Reserve, nestled above the Somerset West area on the slopes of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, was proclaimed on the 23 September 1960. It was initially proclaimed as a wildflower garden and to protect water resources for Somerset West. Today the 402 hectare reserve supports the protection of critically endangered Swartland shale renosterveld and Kogelberg sandstone fynbos, as well as the vulnerable Cape Winelands shale fynbos, and pockets of the least threatened Southern Afro-temperate Forest.

The reserve is home to 613 plant species, 13 of which are threatened with extinction. In the deep, more fertile granite soils, species such as the waboom/wagon tree (Protea nitida), and the green sugarbush (Protea coronate) form a fairly dense, closed shrubland. In wetter areas, restios and a variety of ericas and watsonias, as well as other shrubs are found.

Helderberg Nature Reserve has a confirmed bird list of over 170 species which includes all seven of the fynbos endemics. A mammal list comprising 42 species has also been recorded. The Cape leopard (Panthera pardus) has been sighted on the slopes within the reserve, as well as the striped weasel (Poecilogale albinucha), honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and the recently re-introduced grey rheebok (Pelea capreolus). Smaller mammals such as grey duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) and Cape hare (Lepus capansis) are often seen within the well maintained picnic sites.

30 reptile and eight amphibian species have been recorded in the reserve, of which the leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis), although not locally indigenous to the area, is the most commonly spotted. Amphibians such as the clicking stream frog (Strongylopus grayii) and De Villiers moss frog (Arthroleptella velliersi) can be heard from the many streams and pools in the area.

The five hectare Silwerboomkloof Section of the reserve conserves a fine forest of silver trees (Leucadendron argenteum) along with granite fynbos and renosterveld. The area is accessible from Van Gogh Road in Somerset West.

The Friends of the Helderberg Nature Reserve, a key partner with the City, assist with environmental education and provision of information at the Maskew Miller Information Centre and Herbarium. The Friends also assist reserve management with fundraising initiatives, and most of the funding is generated from the annual Summer Sunset Concert Series.

Other public facilities include the Oak Café which serves light meals, tea and coffee, universal access boardwalks that are located in the lower part of the reserve, and an extensive trail and footpath network snake their way around the upper slopes. The picnic sites are well maintained and are serviced daily, and have large ablution facilities to accommodate the many visitors the reserve receives.


This nature reserve is located on the southern slopes of the Helderberg mountains. Its 398 ha consist mostly of “Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos” (an incredibly species-rich vegetation type) with smaller patches of “Boland Granite Fynbos” and “Southern Afrotemperate Forest”. Altogether about 600 species of plant have been recorded here, including a wide range of Proteas. Particularly prominent plants include thePincushion Proteas (Leucospermum sp.), Cone bushes (Leucadendron sp.), Sugar Bushes (Protea sp.), Heaths (Erica sp.) and theWaboom tree (Protea nitida).

Animals that can be found here include a group of tame Leopard, Caracal, Grey Duiker, Cape Grysbok, Steenbok, Mongoose, Angulate andPadloper tortoises and over 170 species of bird.

The reserve hosts outdoor music concerts in the summer, and has a café, picnic area, gift shop, Environmental Education Centre and museum displays.