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Berg River 12: Melkplaas Floodplain (32511814)
Western Cape
CWAC status	REGISTERED-COUNTED REGULARLY
Authority	Private
Management status	PRIVATE FARM
Conservation status	UNPROTECTED
IBA information	SA104 - LOWER BERG RIVER WETLANDS
Ramsar information
Heritage information
View Cards	Click here

Information
Date_registered
1998-07-26
Brief_description
An IBA. The lower reaches and mouth of the Berg River, incorporating the open estuary, mudflats and lagoon, various saltpans, permanent marshes and riparian reedbeds, floodplains at Kruispad, Langrietvlei and Kersfontein, the Kliphoek River, and Doornfontein pan. A very important wetland system, with large concentrations of many waterbird species in summer and winter, with globally significant numbers of seven species, nationally significant numbers of six more, and large counts of White Pelican, cormorants, ibises, waterfowl, Blacksmith Plover, Avocet and terns. Saltpans are being enlarged at the expense of mud flats and reedbeds (Kliphoek). Other important threats include boating, water- skiing, dam construction (Kliphoek River), and gill net fishing; there is some pollution and hunting.

Spp	Common name	Taxonomic name	Min	Avg	Max	RAMSAR
255		Calidris alba	3	9.00	15
256		Calidris pugnax	1	2.57	6
269	Avocet, Pied	Recurvirostra avosetta	1	11.52	48
67	Bittern, Little	Ixobrychus minutus	1	1.00	1
212	Coot, Red-knobbed	Fulica cristata	1	19.42	105
49	Cormorant, Bank	Phalacrocorax neglectus	2	2.00	2
48	Cormorant, Cape	Phalacrocorax capensis	1	13.90	56
51	Cormorant, Crowned	Microcarbo coronatus	1	1.00	1
50	Cormorant, Reed	Microcarbo africanus	1	13.47	65
47	Cormorant, White-breasted	Phalacrocorax lucidus	1	6.18	36
216	Crane, Blue	Grus paradisea	2	2.57	3
267	Curlew, Eurasian	Numenius arquata	1	1.67	2
52	Darter, African	Anhinga rufa	1	17.13	76
95	Duck, African Black	Anas sparsa	8	8.00	8
10014	Duck, Unidentified	Anas sp.	1	26.50	100
96	Duck, Yellow-billed	Anas undulata	2	48.98	400
58	Egret, Great	Ardea alba	1	1.00	1
59	Egret, Little	Egretta garzetta	1	9.93	81
61	Egret, Western Cattle	Bubulcus ibis	1	3.73	9
149	Fish Eagle, African	Haliaeetus vocifer	1	1.94	4
86	Flamingo, Greater	Phoenicopterus roseus	1	20.13	83
87	Flamingo, Lesser	Phoeniconaias minor	1	91.91	348
10004	Goose, Domestic	Anser anser domesticus	12	20.83	35
89	Goose, Egyptian	Alopochen aegyptiaca	1	29.95	330
88	Goose, Spur-winged	Plectropterus gambensis	1	23.48	224
4	Grebe, Great Crested	Podiceps cristatus	1	1.00	1
6	Grebe, Little	Tachybaptus ruficollis	1	3.29	10
263	Greenshank, Common	Tringa nebularia	1	6.28	32
289	Gull, Hartlaub's	Chroicocephalus hartlaubii	1	4.19	18
287	Gull, Kelp	Larus dominicanus	1	8.48	93
167	Harrier, African Marsh	Circus ranivorus	1	1.85	5
169	Harrier, Black	Circus maurus	1	1.33	2
55	Heron, Black-headed	Ardea melanocephala	1	1.70	3
56	Heron, Goliath	Ardea goliath	1	1.30	3
54	Heron, Grey	Ardea cinerea	1	3.78	15
57	Heron, Purple	Ardea purpurea	1	2.33	7
81	Ibis, African Sacred	Threskiornis aethiopicus	1	13.20	107
83	Ibis, Glossy	Plegadis falcinellus	1	3.56	10
84	Ibis, Hadada	Bostrychia hagedash	1	3.00	8
395	Kingfisher, Giant	Megaceryle maxima	1	1.00	1
397	Kingfisher, Malachite	Corythornis cristatus	1	1.40	2
394	Kingfisher, Pied	Ceryle rudis	1	8.06	21
254	Knot, Red	Calidris canutus	27	27.00	27
245	Lapwing, Blacksmith	Vanellus armatus	2	8.20	40
10015	Mallard, Hybrid	Anas hybrid	1	2.67	4
509	Martin, Brown-throated	Riparia paludicola	1	1.00	1
210	Moorhen, Common	Gallinula chloropus	1	1.65	4
69	Night Heron, Black-crowned	Nycticorax nycticorax	1	10.79	40
172	Osprey, Western	Pandion haliaetus	1	1.11	2
42	Pelican, Great White	Pelecanus onocrotalus	1	4.23	24
236	Plover, Chestnut-banded	Charadrius pallidus	2	2.00	2
233	Plover, Common Ringed	Charadrius hiaticula	1	3.10	14
237	Plover, Kittlitz's	Charadrius pecuarius	1	10.58	87
238	Plover, Three-banded	Charadrius tricollaris	1	1.82	3
235	Plover, White-fronted	Charadrius marginatus	13	13.00	13
197	Rail, African	Rallus caerulescens	1	1.33	2	-1
258	Sandpiper, Common	Actitis hypoleucos	1	3.00	9
251	Sandpiper, Curlew	Calidris ferruginea	1	12.13	40
262	Sandpiper, Marsh	Tringa stagnatilis	1	3.00	5
264	Sandpiper, Wood	Tringa glareola	1	1.50	2
90	Shelduck, South African	Tadorna cana	1	10.48	64
94	Shoveler, Cape	Anas smithii	1	10.37	44
250	Snipe, African	Gallinago nigripennis	2	5.67	12
85	Spoonbill, African	Platalea alba	1	7.59	38
270	Stilt, Black-winged	Himantopus himantopus	1	7.57	39
253	Stint, Little	Calidris minuta	1	13.45	30
208	Swamphen, African	Porphyrio madagascariensis	1	2.54	8
99	Teal, Blue-billed	Anas hottentota	2	2.00	2
98	Teal, Cape	Anas capensis	1	23.60	150
97	Teal, Red-billed	Anas erythrorhyncha	1	7.55	22
290	Tern, Caspian	Hydroprogne caspia	1	3.93	18
291	Tern, Common	Sterna hirundo	1	4.00	14
298	Tern, Greater Crested	Thalasseus bergii	1	1.08	2
299	Tern, Little	Sternula albifrons	1	2.50	4
296	Tern, Sandwich	Thalasseus sandvicensis	1	1.00	1
274	Thick-knee, Water	Burhinus vermiculatus	2	2.00	2
10008	Wader, Unidentified	N/A N/A	1	26.17	178
686	Wagtail, Cape	Motacilla capensis	1	5.00	15
268	Whimbrel, Eurasian	Numenius phaeopus	1	1.00	1

Thursday 10 September 2026 02:08
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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Berg River 12: Melkplaas Floodplain (32511814)

Western Cape

Information