Table Bay Nature Reserve
The Table Bay Nature Reserve is an nature reserve in Milnerton, Western Cape, South Africa. It consists of several smaller constituent reserves including Rietvlei Wetland Reserve, Diep River Fynbos Corridor, Zoarvlei Wetlands, Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve, and Milnerton Lagoon, as well as surrounding protected areas. These adjacent reserves were amalgamated on 27 June 2012, in order to improve the biodiversity management in the built-up area. It is managed by the City of Cape Town's Environmental Resource Management Department, with offices at Rietvlei.
The Table Bay Nature Reserve forms the southernmost buffer area of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, and links it to the edge of Cape Town's city centre. It also contains a large portion of the critically endangered lowland habitats remaining in Cape Town.
The central feature in the Table Bay Nature Reserve is the Rietvlei wetland system. The Rietvlei Wetlands and Milnerton Lagoon were proclaimed as a Nature Area on 3 August 1984, in proclamation number 1632 of Provincial Gazette No. 9345. The Nature Reserve is partly owned by the City of Cape Town and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature – South Africa, who own two of the Erven. The City of Cape Town manages these two Erven on a 99-year lease for the purposes of nature conservation.
Biodiversity
Fauna and flora in the reserve include the following:Mammals
Indigenous
;Bathyergidae:- Bathyergus suillus
- Cryptomys hottentotus
- Georychus capensis
- Raphicerus campestris
- Raphicerus melanotis
- Sylvicapra grimmia
- Vulpes chama
- Cryptochloris asiatica a.k.a. Chrysochloris asiatica
- Felis caracal
- Atilax paludinosus
- Cynictis penicillata
- Galerella pulverulenta
- Herpestes ichneumon
- Hystrix africaeaustralis
- Lepus capensis
- Lepus saxatilis
- Dendromus melanotis
- Mus musculus
- Otomys irroratus
- Otomys unisulcatus
- Rattus rattus
- Rhabdomys pumilio
- Tatera afra
- Mus indutus
- Aonyx capensis
- Mellivora capensis
- Myosorex varius
- Eptesicus capensis
- Genetta genetta
- ''Genetta tigrina''
Introduced
- Canis lupus familiaris a.k.a. Canis familiaris
- Felis silvestris catus a.k.a. ''Felis catus''
Reptiles
- Bradypodion pumilum
- Bradypodion occidentale
- Psammophylax rhombeatus
- Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
- Dasypeltis scabra
- Dispholidus typus
- Duberria lutrix lutrix
- Lamprophis aurora
- Lamprophis fuscus
- Lamprophis inornatus
- Lycodonomorphus rufulus
- Psammophis crucifer,
- Psammophis leightoni
- Psammophis notostictus
- Pseudaspis cana
- Chamaesaura anguina
- Homoroselaps lacteus
- Naja nivea
- Afrogecko porphyreus,
- Pachydactylus geitje,
- Gerrhosaurus flavigularis
- Meroles knoxii
- Leptotyphlops nigricans
- Pelomedusa subrufa
- Acontias meleagris meleagris
- Scelotes bipes
- Trachylepis capensis
- Typhlosaurus caecus
- Trachylepis homalocephala,
- Chersina angulata
- Homopus areolatus,
- Rhinotyphlops lalandei,
- ''Bitis armata''
Amphibians
- Breviceps rosei
- Vandijkophrynus angusticeps
- Amietophrynus pantherinus endangered
- Amietophrynus rangeri
- Xenopus laevis
- Cacosternum platys sp.,
- Strongylopus grayii grayii
- Tomopterna delalandii
- ''Amietia fuscigula''
Fish
Indigenous
;Anabantidae:- Sandelia capensis
- Anguilla mossambica steinitzi
- Gilchristella aestuaria
- Galaxias zebratus
- Caffrogobius nudiceps
- Liza richardsonii
- Mugil cephalus
- Lithognathus lithognathus
- ''Rhabdosargus globiceps''
Introduced
- Oreochromis mossambicus
- Tilapia sparrmanii
- Clarias gariepinus
- Cyprinus carpio
- ''Gambusia affinis''
Birds
- Buteo rufofuscus
- Buteo vulpinus
- Circus ranivorus vulnerable
- Elanus caeruleus
- Haliaeetus vocifer
- Milvus migrans,
- Accipiter melanoleucus
- Acrocephalus scirpaceus
- Acrocephalus gracilirostris
- Calandrella cinerea
- Alcedo cristata
- Alopochen aegyptiacus,
- Anas capensis
- Anas erythrorhyncha
- Anas platyrhynchos
- Anas smithii
- Anas sparsa
- Anas undulata
- Plectropterus gambensis
- Spatula hottentota
- Netta erythrophthalma
- Oxyura maccoa near threatened
- Sarkidiornis melanotos
- Tadorna cana
- Anhinga rufa
- Apus affinis
- Apus barbatus
- Apus caffer
- Tachymarptis melba
- Ardea cinerea
- Ardea melanocephala
- Ardea purpurea
- Bubulcus ibis
- Egretta garzetta
- Egretta intermedia
- Ixobrychus minutus
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Ardea goliath
- Egretta alba
- Caprimulgus pectoralis
- Centropus burchelli
- Ceryle rudis
- Megaceryle maximus
- Charadrius tricollaris
- Vanellus armatus,
- Charadrius pecuarius
- Vanellus coronatus
- Charadrius hiaticula
- Charadrius marginatus
- Charadrius pallidus near threatened
- Pluvialis squatarola
- Burhinus capensis,
- Burhinus vermiculatus,
- Ciconia ciconia
- Ciconia nigra near threatened
- Mycteria ibis
- Apalis thoracica
- Cisticola tinniens
- Prinia maculosa
- Cisticola juncidis
- Cisticola subruficapilla
- Cisticola textrix
- Colius colius
- Colius striatus
- Urocolius indicus
- Columba livia,
- Oena capensis
- Streptopelia capicola
- Streptopelia semitorquata
- Streptopelia senegalensis,
- Columba guinea
- Corvus albus
- Corvus splendens
- Corvus albicollis
- Chrysococcyx caprius
- Chrysococcyx klaas
- Clamator jacobinus
- Dendrocygna viduata
- Thalassornis leuconotus
- Dendrocygna bicolor
- Estrilda astrild
- Falco biarmicus near threatened
- Falco rupicolus
- Falco peregrinus near threatened
- Serinus canicollis
- Crithagra flaviventris
- Emberiza capensis
- Crithagra albogularis
- Serinus sulphuratus
- Anthropoides paradiseus vulnerable
- Haematopus moquini near threatened
- Fulica cristata
- Gallinula chloropus
- Porphyrio madagascariensis
- Hirundo albigularis
- Hirundo cucullata
- Hirundo dimidiata
- Hirundo rustica
- Riparia paludicola
- Delichon urbicum
- Hirundo fuligula
- Riparia cincta
- Hirundo spilodera
- Indicator indicator
- Lanius collaris,
- Larus cirrocephalus
- Larus dominicanus
- Larus hartlaubii
- Chlidonias hybrida
- Chlidonias leucopterus
- Sterna balaenarum near threatened
- Sterna bergii
- Sterna caspia near threatened
- Sterna hirundo
- Sterna sandvicensis
- Sterna vittata
- Bradypterus baboecala
- Tricholaema leucomelas
- Sphenoeacus afer
- Merops apiaster
- Laniarius ferrugineus
- Telophorus zeylonus
- Anthus cinnamomeus
- Macronyx capensis
- Motacilla capensis
- Cossypha caffra
- Saxicola torquatus
- Sigelus silens
- Turdus olivaceus
- Cercomela familiaris
- Cercotrichas coryphaeus
- Oenanthe pileata
- Cinnyris chalybeus
- Nectarinia famosa
- Passer melanurus
- Passer domesticus
- Passer diffusus
- Pelecanus onocrotalus, near threatened
- Phalacrocorax africanus
- Phalacrocorax capensis near threatened
- Phalacrocorax lucidus
- Phalacrocorax coronatus near threatened
- Numida meleagris
- Pternistis capensis
- Scleroptila africanus
- Coturnix coturnix
- Phoenicopterus minor near threatened
- Phoenicopterus ruber near threatened
- Phylloscopus trochilus
- Euplectes capensis
- Euplectes orix
- Ploceus capensis
- Ploceus velatus
- Podiceps cristatus
- Podiceps nigricollis
- Tachybaptus ruficollis
- Pycnonotus capensis
- Amaurornis flavirostris
- Sarothrura rufa
- Porzana pusilla
- Rallus caerulescens
- Himantopus himantopus
- Recurvirostra avosetta
- Rostratula benghalensis near threatened
- Gallinago nigripennis,
- Philomachus pugnax
- Tringa nebularia
- Tringa stagnatilis
- Actitis hypoleucos
- Arenaria interpres
- Calidris alba
- Calidris canutus
- Calidris ferruginea
- Calidris melanotos
- Calidris minuta
- Limosa lapponica
- Numenius arquata
- Numenius phaeopus
- Steganopus tricolor
- Tringa glareola
- Tringa totanus
- Scopus umbretta
- Bubo africanus
- Asio capensis
- Onychognathus morio
- Sturnus vulgaris,
- Spreo bicolor
- Sylvia subcoerulea
- Bostrychia hagedash
- Platalea alba
- Plegadis falcinellus
- Threskiornis aethiopicus
- Tyto alba
- Upupa africana
- Vidua macroura
- ''Zosterops virens''