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Berg River 10: Kersefontein Floodplain (32531819)
Western Cape
CWAC status	REGISTERED-COUNTED IRREGULARLY
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
1994-01-16
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	IBA	Subregional IBA	RAMSAR
72		Scopus umbretta	1	1.00	1
256		Calidris pugnax	5	85.00	224
269	Avocet, Pied	Recurvirostra avosetta	1	65.06	533	250	125	190
67	Bittern, Little	Ixobrychus minutus	1	7.00	13
212	Coot, Red-knobbed	Fulica cristata	1	26.38	160
48	Cormorant, Cape	Phalacrocorax capensis	9	9.00	9
50	Cormorant, Reed	Microcarbo africanus	1	6.12	33
47	Cormorant, White-breasted	Phalacrocorax lucidus	1	3.55	14
203	Crake, Black	Zaporina flavirostra	1	1.00	1
216	Crane, Blue	Grus paradisea	1	16.00	58
52	Darter, African	Anhinga rufa	1	7.41	43
95	Duck, African Black	Anas sparsa	2	5.00	8
100	Duck, White-faced Whistling	Dendrocygna viduata	3	7.00	14
96	Duck, Yellow-billed	Anas undulata	2	20.75	91
58	Egret, Great	Ardea alba	5	5.00	5
60	Egret, Intermediate [x]	Ardea intermedia	1	3.78	11
59	Egret, Little	Egretta garzetta	1	5.06	26
61	Egret, Western Cattle	Bubulcus ibis	1	41.00	243
149	Fish Eagle, African	Haliaeetus vocifer	1	1.76	4
86	Flamingo, Greater	Phoenicopterus roseus	1	97.40	357
87	Flamingo, Lesser	Phoeniconaias minor	2	117.33	320
266	Godwit, Bar-tailed	Limosa lapponica	1	1.00	1
10004	Goose, Domestic	Anser anser domesticus	12	16.50	21
89	Goose, Egyptian	Alopochen aegyptiaca	6	119.93	493
88	Goose, Spur-winged	Plectropterus gambensis	1	48.60	445
5	Grebe, Black-necked	Podiceps nigricollis	2	2.00	2
4	Grebe, Great Crested	Podiceps cristatus	4	4.00	4
6	Grebe, Little	Tachybaptus ruficollis	1	6.67	15
263	Greenshank, Common	Tringa nebularia	1	8.86	34
288	Gull, Grey-headed	Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus	2	2.00	2
289	Gull, Hartlaub's	Chroicocephalus hartlaubii	1	13.00	53
287	Gull, Kelp	Larus dominicanus	1	2.92	8
167	Harrier, African Marsh	Circus ranivorus	1	1.79	3
169	Harrier, Black	Circus maurus	1	1.50	2
55	Heron, Black-headed	Ardea melanocephala	1	1.17	2
56	Heron, Goliath	Ardea goliath	1	2.18	5
54	Heron, Grey	Ardea cinerea	1	4.05	19
57	Heron, Purple	Ardea purpurea	1	1.91	4
81	Ibis, African Sacred	Threskiornis aethiopicus	1	18.93	95
83	Ibis, Glossy	Plegadis falcinellus	1	10.50	39
84	Ibis, Hadada	Bostrychia hagedash	1	3.33	10
395	Kingfisher, Giant	Megaceryle maxima	1	1.00	1
397	Kingfisher, Malachite	Corythornis cristatus	1	1.56	4
394	Kingfisher, Pied	Ceryle rudis	1	1.80	4
245	Lapwing, Blacksmith	Vanellus armatus	2	15.14	67
509	Martin, Brown-throated	Riparia paludicola	1	1.00	1
210	Moorhen, Common	Gallinula chloropus	1	5.11	18
69	Night Heron, Black-crowned	Nycticorax nycticorax	6	9.00	12
172	Osprey, Western	Pandion haliaetus	1	1.00	1
361	Owl, Marsh	Asio capensis	1	1.00	1
231	Oystercatcher, African	Haematopus moquini	1	1.00	1
42	Pelican, Great White	Pelecanus onocrotalus	1	12.54	47
272	Phalarope, Red-necked	Phalaropus lobatus	1	1.00	1
236	Plover, Chestnut-banded	Charadrius pallidus	1	12.67	35
233	Plover, Common Ringed	Charadrius hiaticula	16	16.00	16
241	Plover, Grey	Pluvialis squatarola	1	1.00	1
237	Plover, Kittlitz's	Charadrius pecuarius	1	35.38	513		500
238	Plover, Three-banded	Charadrius tricollaris	1	3.63	11
102	Pochard, Southern	Netta erythrophthalma	2	2.75	4
197	Rail, African	Rallus caerulescens	1	1.00	1			-1
258	Sandpiper, Common	Actitis hypoleucos	1	1.00	1
251	Sandpiper, Curlew	Calidris ferruginea	1	79.56	560
262	Sandpiper, Marsh	Tringa stagnatilis	1	12.00	49
264	Sandpiper, Wood	Tringa glareola	17	17.00	17
90	Shelduck, South African	Tadorna cana	1	25.46	151
94	Shoveler, Cape	Anas smithii	2	16.90	60
250	Snipe, African	Gallinago nigripennis	1	1.50	2
85	Spoonbill, African	Platalea alba	1	28.40	148		75
270	Stilt, Black-winged	Himantopus himantopus	1	31.72	229
253	Stint, Little	Calidris minuta	3	151.00	1373
79	Stork, Black	Ciconia nigra	2	2.00	2
80	Stork, White	Ciconia ciconia	15	45.00	75			1
208	Swamphen, African	Porphyrio madagascariensis	1	3.10	7
99	Teal, Blue-billed	Anas hottentota	3	3.50	4
98	Teal, Cape	Anas capensis	1	33.07	317
97	Teal, Red-billed	Anas erythrorhyncha	1	12.56	71
292	Tern, Antarctic	Sterna vittata	5	5.00	5
294	Tern, Arctic	Sterna paradisaea	106	106.00	106
290	Tern, Caspian	Hydroprogne caspia	1	3.13	10
291	Tern, Common	Sterna hirundo	1	8.00	15
296	Tern, Sandwich	Thalasseus sandvicensis	27	27.00	27
10009	Tern, Unidentified	N/A N/A	1	2.33	4
304	Tern, White-winged	Chlidonias leucopterus	31	43.00	55
274	Thick-knee, Water	Burhinus vermiculatus	2	4.50	7
10008	Wader, Unidentified	N/A N/A	1	21.00	41
686	Wagtail, Cape	Motacilla capensis	1	14.25	60
268	Whimbrel, Eurasian	Numenius phaeopus	34	34.00	34

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 10: Kersefontein Floodplain (32531819)

Western Cape

Information