Bird Watching
Bird List
Bird Watching List compiled by Peter Steyn in collaboration with James Macfarlane and Vivienne Trembath.
Introduction
Rietfontein Guest Farm lies in the heart of the Klein Karoo and has a diversity of habitats where over a hundred species of birds occur. After good rains a wide variety of succulent plants bloom, attracting sunbirds, and in the valleys acacias provide a home for species such as mousebirds, canaries, weavers, Cape White-eye, Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler and specials such as Southern Tchagra and Pririt Batis. In the small patch of forest in the kloof behind Klipspringer cottage Cardinal Woodpecker, Sombre Greenbul, Bar-throated Apalis, African Dusky Flycatcher and Cape Batis have been recorded, and Booted Eagles breed on the cliffs there.
In the scrub vegetation on the slopes Karoo Prinia, Long-billed Crombec, Fairy Flycatcher and Cape Bunting may be found. Higher up where the longer walking trails reach into fynbos, the lucky birdwatcher may flush an elusive Hottentot Buttonquail.
Round the buildings of the farm itself in spring Cape Weavers breed in profusion, Greater Striped Swallows and Rock Martins build their nests under the eaves, and Pied Barbets excavate their nests in fence posts.
Overhead, in addition to White-necked Ravens, birds of prey include Jackal Buzzard, African Harrier-Hawk and Rock Kestrel, while at night the hoots of Spotted Eagle Owls may be heard.
The area covered by this list includes the farm and its environs as well as the ten kilometre drive in from the R62 when species such as Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Karoo Korhaan, Karoo Eremomela and Karoo Chat may be seen.
Rietfontein is a bird watcher’s paradise……
BIRD WATCHING LIST (Rietfontein Guest Farm)
- Apalis, Bar-throated
- Barbet, Acacia Pied
- Batis, Cape
- Batis, Pririt
- Bishop, Southern Red
- Bokmakierie
- Boubou, Southern
- Bulbul, Cape
- Bunting, Cape
- Buttonquail, Hottentot
- Buzzard, Jackal
- Buzzard, Common (Steppe)
- Canary, Cape
- Canary, White-throated
- Canary, Yellow
- Chat, Familiar
- Chat, Karoo
- Cisticola, Grey-backed
- Crombec, Long-billed
- Crow, Cape
- Crow, Pied
- Cuckoo, Diederik
- Dikkop (see Thick-knee)
- Dove, Cape Turtle
- Dove, Laughing
- Dove, Namaqua
- Dove, Red-eyed
- Eagle, Booted
- Eagle, Martial
- Eagle, Verreaux’s
- Egret, Western Cattle
- Eremomela, Karoo
- Eremomela, Yellow-bellied
- Falcon, Lanner
- Falcon, Peregrine
- Fiscal, Southern
- Flycatcher, African Dusky
- Flycatcher, Fairy
- Flycatcher, Fiscal
- Goose, Egyptian
- Goshawk, Southern Pale Chanting
- Greenbul, Sombre
- Guineafowl, Helmeted
- Harrier, Black
- Harrier-Hawk, African
- Honeyguide, Lesser
- Hoopoe, African
- Ibis, Hadeda
- Kestrel, Rock
- Kingfisher, Pied
- Kite, Black-shouldered
- Korhaan, Karoo
- Lark, Karoo
- Lark, Spike-heeled
- Martin, Rock
- Mousebird, Red-faced
- Mousebird, Speckled
- Mousebird, White-backed
- Neddicky
- Nightjar, Fiery-necked
- Nightjar, Freckled
- Owl, Western Barn
- Eagle-Owl, Spotted
- Pigeon, Speckled
- Lapwing, Blacksmith
- Prinia, Karoo
- Raven, White-necked
- Robin-Chat, Cape
- Scrub-Robin, Karoo
- Rock-Thrush, Cape
- Sparrow, Cape
- Sparrow, House
- Starling, Pied
- Starling, Pale-winged
- Starling, Red-winged
- Seedeater, Streaky-headed
- Spurfowl, Cape
- Stonechat, African
- Sunbird, Southern Double-collared
- Sunbird, Malachite
- Swallow, Barn
- Swallow, Greater Striped
- Swift, Alpine
- Swift, Common
- Swift, Little
- Swift, White-rumped
- Tchagra, Southern
- Thick-knee, Spotted
- Thrush, Olive
- Tit, Grey
- Tit-babbler, Chestnut-vented
- Wagtail, Cape
- Waxbill, Common
- Weaver, Cape
- Weaver, Southern Masked
- White-eye, Cape
- Woodpecker, Cardinal
- Woodpecker, Ground
More Bird Watching
The following species are not on our list but have all been recorded in the area AT LEAST ONCE, according to SABAP2 records (The SA Bird Atlas Project at UCT).
- Reed Cormorant
- White-breasted Cormorant
- Black Crake
- Klaas’s Cuckoo
- African Darter
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- Little Egret
- Grey-winged Francolin
- Spur-winged Goose
- Little Grede
- Common Greenshank
- Black-headed Heron
- Grey Heron
- African Sacred Ibis
- Giant Kingfisher
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Yellow-billed Kite
- Crowned Lapwing
- Brown-throated Martin
- Common Moorhen
- Cape Penduline-Tit
- Long-billed Pipit
- Kittlitz’s Plover
- Three-banded Plover
- Little Rush-Warbler
- Secretarybird
- SA Shelduck
- African Spoonbill
- Common Starling
- Black-winged Stilt
- Dusky Sunbird
- Pearl-breasted Swallow
- White-throated Swallow
- African Black Swift
- Horus Swift
- Cape Teal
- Layard’s Tit-Babbler
- Namaqua Warbler
- Rufous-eared Warbler
- Mountain Wheatear
- Pin-tailed Whydah