Birds of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Written by Mike Fraser, with photographs by Howard Langley, John Graham, Peter Ryan, and Mike Fraser.
This book describes every bird species that has occurred at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, South Africa, together with the habitats in which they may be found. It is the essential companion for birders and other visitors to the Cape.
With over 800 species on its national list, South Africa is one of the world’s top birding destinations. The south-western Cape and Cape Town attract birders looking for seabirds and fynbos specialities One of the best places for these is the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Now the southern section of the Table Mountain National Park, the Reserve lies south of Cape Town at the tip of the Cape Peninsula.
One of the most scenically impressive and ecologically important conservation areas in the country, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is the ideal place for finding a number of those birds that are endemic to fynbos, the unique vegetation of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The Reserve’s rocky headlands are rated to be among the best places in the world for seeing seabirds such as albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, from the shore. Many of these occur in spectacular numbers in the wake of winter storms.
While bush birds and seabirds may sometimes be hard to find at the Reserve, especially if the wind is blowing too hard or not hard enough!, an added attraction is the number of vagrant birds that has been recorded here, and the ever-present chance of finding something extremely rare. An impressive range of national and regional rarities has occurred, including first and second records for Africa and South Africa, and as many as 20 species new to the south-western Cape.
