Pigeon Valley


Pigeon Valley is a Natural Heritage Park and formally declared municipal nature reserve in Durban, South Africa. It is an unusual example of an urban reserve with very high levels of biodiversity. It was established to provide protection for the Natal elm and other forest giants of the coastal climax forest. Another rare tree that occurs here is Natal forest loquat, which is endemic to the Durban area and to oNgoye Forest.
Pigeon Valley is about 11 ha in extent, and is situated on the Berea, overlooking Durban Bay. Its unusual north-south orientation may contribute to the biodiversity, with the south-facing slope covered in canopy forest, while the north-facing slope has thorny thickets. An adjoining reservoir, previously part of the reserve, provides a patch of coastal grassland.

Animals

The park is home to red duiker and blue duiker. Other mammals include Cape genet, a troop of banded mongooses as well as slender and water mongooses. Blue vervet monkeys are constantly present. In July 2019, a side-striped jackal was seen in neighbouring roads and was apparently living in the reserve for a time. This may be the southernmost sighting of this species.
The reserve was named after the Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, which is now locally extinct. Various species of forest birds are found here including; red-capped robin-chat, green twinspot, Cape white-eye, southern boubou, spotted ground thrush, purple-crested turaco and African paradise flycatcher. The black sparrowhawk breeds here annually. There are increasingly common visits by the Crowned eagle, and it seems that two birds are now resident in the suburban area. Another bird that is seldom seen but that is generally present is buff-spotted flufftail. Unusual sightings of note in recent years include European nightjar, Knysna warbler, lemon dove, mountain wagtail, black-throated wattle-eye, common scimitarbill, palm-nut vulture and Knysna turaco. The current bird list for Pigeon Valley includes 162 species. Now 167 species recorded out of 879 recorded by BLSA.
The Spotted ground thrush is of particular note, as Pigeon Valley is one of the places where this endangered bird can be most reliably found in winter. It arrives typically in late March or early April, and is present until August or September; earliest arrival date recorded has been 22 March and latest 5 October, apart from a single January sighting. Summer migrants include, occasionally, black cuckoo, red-chested cuckoo and red-backed shrike.

Butterflies

The reserve is excellent for butterflies, and the total listing is now 95 species. In September 2018 the first pupae of the short-barred sapphire were found on a Celtis mildbraedii tree. The host plant is the Oncocalyx quinquenervius mistletoe, which grows profusely on the tree. Subsequently a red-line sapphire was found at the same spot. The first forest queen was found in 2019.
Family or subfamilyCommon nameScientific name
MonarchAfrican MonarchDanaus chrysippus orientis
NoviceAmauris ochlea ochlea
LaymanAmauris albimaculata albimaculata
BrownsAfrican RingletYpthima asterope
Common Bush BrownBicyclus safitza safitza
Squinting Bush BrownBicyclus anynana anynana
Twilight BrownMelanitis leda helena
AcraeasBlood-red AcraeaAcraea petraea
Common WandererAcraea aganice aganice
Dancing AcraeaTelchinia serena
Dusky AcraeaTelchinia esebria esebria
Dusky-veined AcraeaTelchinia igola
Natal AcraeaAcraea natalica
White-barred AcraeaTelchinia encedon encedon
Window AcraeaAcraea oncaea
Yellow-banded AcraeaTelchinia cabira
LeopardsBlotched LeopardLachnoptera ayresii
Forest LeopardPhalanta eurytis imitator
EmperorsBlue-spotted EmperorCharaxes cithaeron cithaeron
Forest QueenCharaxes wakefieldi
Green-veined EmperorCharaxes candiope candiope
Pearl EmperorCharaxes varanes varanes
Satyr EmperorCharaxes ethalion ethalion
Silver-barred EmperorCharaxes druceanus druceanus
White-barred EmperorCharaxes brutus natalensis
Gliders/SailersBlonde GliderCymothoe coranus coranus
Boisduval's False AcraeaPseudacraea boisduvali trimeni
Boisduval's Tree NymphSevenia boisduvali
False ChiefPseudacraea lucretia tarquinia
False WandererPseudacrea eurytus imitator
Golden PiperEurytela dryope angulata
Natal Tree NymphSevenia natalensis
Pied PiperEurytela hiarbas angustata
Spotted JokerByblia ilithyia
Spotted SailerNeptis saclava marpessa
Diadems/PansiesBlue PansyJunonia oenone oenone
Brown PansyJunonia natalica natalica
Clouded Mother-of-pearlProtogoniomorpha anacardii nebulosa
Common DiademHypolimnas misippus
Common Mother-of-PearlProtogoniomorpha parhassus
Eyed PansyJunonia orithya madagascariensis
Garden InspectorPrecis archesia archesia
Painted LadyVanessa cardui
Soldier PansyJunonia terea elgiva
Variable DiademHypolimnas anthedon wahlbergi
BuffSpotted BuffPentila tropicalis tropicalis
SapphiresRed-line SapphireIolaus sidus
Short-barred SapphireIolaus aemulus
Southern SapphireIolaus silas
BluesAfrican Grass BlueZizeeria knysna
Apricot PlayboyDeudorix dinochare
Barker's Smoky BlueEuchrysops barkeri
Black PieTuxentius melaena melaena
Brown PlayboyDeudorix antalus
Bush BronzeCacyreus lingeus
Common Black-eyeLeptomyrina gorgias gorgias
Common Blue groupLeptotes sp.
Gaika BlueZizula hylax
Geranium BronzeCacyreus marshalli
Grass JewelChilades trochylus
Long-tailed BlueLampides boeticus
Osiris Smoky BlueEuchrysops osiris
Purple-brown HairstreakHypolycaena philippus philippus
Rayed BlueActizera lucida
Scarce Fig-tree BlueMyrina dermaptera dermaptera
Thorn-tree BlueAzanus moriqua
Twin-spot BlueLepidochrysops plebeia
VagrantsAutumn-leaf VagrantAfrodryas leda
Buquet's Vagrant/Green-eyed MonsterNepheronia buquetii
Vine-leaf VagrantEronia cleodora
TipsCoast Purple TipColotis erone
Smoky Orange TipColotis euippe omphale
WhitesAfrican Common WhiteBelenois creona severina
African MigrantCatopsilia florella
African Wood WhiteLeptosia alcesta inalcesta
Angled Grass YellowEurema desjardinsii marshalli
Ant-heap Small WhiteDixeia pigea
Broad-bordered Grass YellowEurema brigitta brigitta
Brown-veined WhiteBelenois aurota aurota
Common Dotted BorderMylothris agathina
Common Grass YellowEurema hecabe senegalensis
Diverse WhiteAppias epaphia contracta
False Dotted BorderBelenois thysa thysa
Twin Dotted BorderMylothris rueppellii haemus
SwallowtailsCitrus SwallowtailPapilio demodocus demodocus
Green-banded SwallowtailPapilio nireus lyaeus
Mocker SwallowtailPapilio dardanus cenea
SkippersBuff-tippedNatrobalane canopus
Clouded FlatTagiades flesus
Common Hottentot SkipperGegenes niso niso
ElfinsSmall ElfinSarangesa phidyle
SylphsGold Spotted SylphMetisella metis paris
DartsMacken's DartAcleros mackenii
SwiftsLong-horned SwiftBorbo fatuellus fatuellus

Plants

There are over 110 species of trees occurring in Pigeon Valley, almost all of which are locally indigenous. Pigeon Valley is also notable for large stands of buckweed, which grow in more open areas under the forest canopy and in forest glades. In recent years there have been a few discoveries of plants not previously identified.
Pigeon Valley is unique in having large numbers of the rare Natal elm, and of Natal forest loquat. A Cryptocarya specimen found adjacent to the main track has so far not been definitively identified; it may be a species seldom found in the area or alternatively a hybrid. Other uncommon flora include the little-known creepers Telosma africana and Vincetoxicum anomalum.

Public access

The reserve is open from 07:30 to 16:00 daily throughout the year. The entrance is in Princess Alice Avenue, Glenwood, opposite Rhodes Avenue.

Community

An active grouping, Friends of Pigeon Valley, undertakes clearing of invasive alien plants, ensuring that the park is unusually free of alien species. It also liaises with management to ensure the biodiversity of the reserve and the wellbeing of visitors. It also liaises with the municipal managers of the reserve to address relevant issues. The Friends operate a monthly walk open to the public on the second Saturday of each month, at 07h30. There is a Facebook page, Friends of Pigeon Valley, at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfPigeonValley/.