Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary

The Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary is part of the greater False Bay Nature Reserve, which encompasses Strandfontein and Zeekoeivlei as well. The sanctuary is in the Cape Flats area of False Bay of Cape Town. The entrance to this sanctuary is not easily found, and it would be recommended to use a GPS if you do not at least have some knowledge of the area. Entrance fee is payable per person, but it is a small amount of R15. Birding at Rondevlei is really excellent. There are a clear walkways and a number of bird hide-outs as well as two lookout towers. Large amounts of waterbirds reside there as well as many other bird species you would normally find in fynbos vegetation. Rondevlei is a good place to go for an easy stroll, since the area is not very big. It will be a great place to take children as well as paths are wide and safe, and distances to walk would not be too far. The beauty of the environment and nature etc. around Rondevlei is good. You have nice views of mountains, and of the sprawling pans and lakes, but every now and again you spot a glimpse of something that remind you, you are in the middle of a residentual area. The facilities at Rondevlei is good with toilet facilities and benches for picnics on the premise. There seem to be options of renting the place for a group function, or a school outing etc. since there are a boma where you can braai and there are a games room and small hall next to one of the dams. Rondevlei also have a small museum with stuffed animals and birds in it. As a whole the Rondevlei bird sanctuary is defnitely a place worth visiting for birders. The whole birding experience scores an A. 

The list of birds that I have personally photographed is: Great Crested Grebe, Reed Cormorant, African Darter, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Little Egret, Sacred Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Hadeda Ibis, Egyptian Goose, Yellow Billed Duck, Red Billed Duck, Cape Shoveller, Spur Winged Goose, African Fish Eagle, Cape Spurfowl, Common Moorhen, Red Knobbed Coot, Three Banded Plover, Blacksmith Lapwing, Water Thickknee, Cape Gull, Speckled Pigeon, Cape Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, White Backed Mousebird, Red Faced Mousebird, Malachiet Kingfisher, Pied Crow, Cape Bulbul, Cape Robin Chat, African Reed Warbler, Little Rush Warbler, Levailant's Cisticola, Karoo Prinia, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Wagtail, Common Fiscal, Common Starling, Red Winged Starling, Southern Double Collared Sunbird, Cape White Eye, Cape Sparrow, Cape Weaver, Southern Masked Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Common Waxbill, Streaky Headed Seedeater.

A Reed Cormorant sitting in the rain. 

The Hadeda Ibis is a very common bird in Cape Town.

A yellow Billed Duck photographed from one of the bird hide-outs.

Cape Spurfowl can be spotted the easiest from walkways in the sanctuary.

This Cape Gull photographed from close range flying overhead.

This young Cape Bulbul do not have the pronounced white eye ring the adults have.

A levaillant's Cisticola photographed next to water.

This is a young Fiscal Flycatcher, which look very different from the adult bird.

A Cape White Eye in one of the trees in the sanctuary.

The Common Waxbills congregated in groups on the grassy areas next to the reeds.

According to Cape Town Tourism, Rondevlei Nature Reserve, which forms part of the greater False Bay Ecology Park, offers a unique eco-experience in Cape Town. The park is home to around 230 bird species, as well as many reptiles and mammals, including a small hippopotamus population. The park is the only reserve in Cape Town home to hippos.

Rondevlei Nature Reserve is a 2km2 protected area comprising a wetland and lake. Just a short drive from the city centre and Muizenberg, this spot is popular with bird-watchers and walkers. There is an attractive path along the water’s edge and six hides for keen twitchers. Pack your binoculars and head out from the bustling city to enjoy the company of ibis, herons, gannets, and egrets, among other feathered species.

Apart from the fauna, the flora in the park is well worth having a closer look at – it includes types of threatened fynbos found only in the Western Cape of South Africa.

While keen anglers might like to cast a line for carp, those interested in the park’s history and animals should pay a visit to the reserve’s Leonard Gill Museum.

Visitors wanting a little more leisure time can be accommodated in the overnight bush camp in the park, where conference facilities can seat up to 45. Chartered boat trips are a great way to see some of the diverse wildlife from the water.

Contact our Visitor Information Centre for insider information about what to do in the reserve or to locate accredited guides and tour operators. Search Zeekoevlei or the surrounding suburbs of Muizenberg, Grassy Park and Tokai in our accommodation database for great places to stay in the area.

According to Cape Town Municipality, the False Bay Nature Reserve consists of six parts: Rondevlei, Zeekoevlei, Strandfontein Birding Section, Pelican Park Section, Slangetjiebos Section and Zandwolf Coastal Section.

Concerned bird lovers established Rondevlei as a bird sanctuary in 1952. Today, it is a well-run nature reserve, 290 hectares in extent, with a museum, an auditorium, a network of footpaths, viewing towers, and several bird hides named after well-known birders. There is a permanent wetland with Cape Flats sand fynbos to the north, and seasonal wetlands and Cape Flats dune strandveld in the south.

About 256 species of indigenous plants grow at Rondevlei. Rare and endangered plants are strongly nurtured: These include the Cape Flats cone bush (Leucadendron levisanus), the Rondevlei spiderhead (Serruria aemula foeniculaceae) and the Cape Flats erica (Erica verticillata), which became extinct in the wild. The Cape Flats erica was discovered in a botanical garden, and has since been propagated and replanted at Rondevlei.

In addition, there are 241 bird species, from ducks to herons, ibises, pelicans, weavers and more. Hippopotami (Hippopotamus amphibius) have been reintroduced, and there are 20 other mammal species, including Cape grysbok (Raphicerus melanotis), porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), Cape dune mole rat (Bathyergus suillus), Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and large-spotted genet (Genetta tigrina). Twenty nine types of reptiles and eight frog species have been seen. The only indigenous fish present is the Cape galaxia (Galaxias zebratus), while introduced alien fish species include the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), banded tilapia (Tilapia sparrmanii), Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) and sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

Birding in Your Own Neighbourhood Update (Val de Vie)

In October I published my first post for the everyday birder blog. The blog was about birding in your own neighberhood, and in my case it is specifically Val de Vie Winelands Estate. see the post here.

The list of birds I have photographed then at Val de Vie was: Reed Cormorant, African Darter*, Black-Headed Heron, Cattle Egret, Hadeda Ibis, Egyptian Goose, Yellow-billed Duck, Jackal Buzzard*, Cape Spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, Crowned Lapwing, Blacksmith Lapwing, Spotted Thick-Knee, Speckled Pigeon, Spotted Eagle-Owl*, Speckled Mousebird, African Hoopoe, Greater Striped Swallow*, Cape Robin Chat, Karoo Prinia, African Dusky Flycatcher, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Wagtail, African Pipit, Common Fiscal, Bokmakierie*, Common Starling, Malachite Sunbird, Southern Double-Collared Sunbird*,Cape Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Swee Waxbill, Cape Canary, Common Peacock.

(Please check out the highlighted bird names in the list as these link to blog entries specific to those bird species.)

I have recently went for a long early morning stroll in the estate where I stay, and armed with a camera was able to extend the list of photographed birds: Sacred Ibis, African Black Duck, Yellow Billed Kite, Red Eyed Dove, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Crow, Cape Bulbul, Levaillant's Cisticola, Cape Sugarbird, Cape Sparrow, Grey Headed Sparrow, Southern Masked Weaver.

These Yellow Billed Kites are spotted regularly gliding through the air above Val de Vie.

I was lucky to find this grey headed sparrow next to the Bergriver at Val de Vie, since I think this is probably at the perimeter of their distribution.

A Levaillant's Cisticola is one of many, the Levaillant's Cisticolas seems to be the most prominent cisticola species of the few that would normally occur in this region.

The last time I scored the whole idea of birding in your neighberhood a C as a birding outing, but I think I should rather update it to an A. The more people become aware of the natural world surrounding them in their own neighbourhoods the more people will be carefull not to trample and destroy this secret world surrounding them.