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.Nature reserves
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:Table Bay Nature Reserve Draft Integrated Reserve Management Plan
Mammals
Indigenous Bathyergidae Bathyergus suillus (Cape dune mole-rat) Cryptomys hottentotus (common mole-rat) Georychus capensis (Cape mole-rat) Bovidae Raphicerus campestris (steenbok) Raphicerus melanotis (Cape grysbok) Sylvicapra grimmia (common duiker) Canidae Vulpes chama (Cape fox) Chrysochloridae Cryptochloris asiatica a.k.a. Chrysochloris asiatica (Cape golden mole) Felidae Felis caracal (caracal) Herpestidae Atilax paludinosus (water mongoose) Cynictis penicillata (yellow mongoose) Galerella pulverulenta (Cape gray mongoose) Herpestes ichneumon (Egyptian mongoose) Hystricidae Hystrix africaeaustralis (Cape porcupine) Leporidae Lepus capensis (Cape hare) Lepus saxatilis (scrub hare) Muridae Dendromus melanotis (gray climbing mouse) Mus musculus (house mouse) Otomys irroratus (vlei rat) Otomys unisulcatus (bush vlei rat) Rattus rattus (black rat) Rhabdomys pumilio (striped field mouse) Tatera afra (Cape gerbil) Mus indutus (desert pygmy mouse) Mustelidae; Aonyx capensis (Cape clawless otter) Mellivora capensis (honey badger) Soricidae Myosorex varius (forest shrew) Vespertilionidae Eptesicus capensis (Cape serotine bat) Viverridae Genetta genetta (small-spotted genet) Genetta tigrina (Cape genet)
Introduced Canidae Canis lupus familiaris a.k.a. Canis familiaris (domestic dog) Felidae Felis silvestris catus a.k.a. Felis catus (domestic cat)
Reptiles
Chamaeleonidae Bradypodion pumilum (Cape dwarf chameleon) Bradypodion occidentale (Namaqua dwarf chameleon)
Colubridae Psammophylax rhombeatus (rhombic skaapsteker) Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia (herald snake) Dasypeltis scabra (common eggeater) Dispholidus typus (boomslang) Duberria lutrix lutrix (common slugeater) Lamprophis aurora (Aurora house snake) Lamprophis fuscus (yellow-bellied house snake) Lamprophis inornatus (olive house snake) Lycodonomorphus rufulus (common brown water snake) Psammophis crucifer (cross-marked grass snake), (crossmarked grass snake) Psammophis leightoni (Cape sand snake) Psammophis notostictus (Karoo sand snake) Pseudaspis cana (mole snake) Chamaesaura anguina (Cape grass lizard)
Elapidae Homoroselaps lacteus (spotted harlequin snake) Naja nivea (Cape cobra)
Gekkonidae Afrogecko porphyreus (marbled leaf-toed gecko), (marbled leaftoed gecko) Pachydactylus geitje (ocellated thick-toed gecko), (ocellated thicktoed gecko)
Gerrhosauridae Gerrhosaurus flavigularis (yellow-throated plated lizard)
Lacertidae Meroles knoxii (Knox's desert lizard)
Leptotyphlopidae Leptotyphlops nigricans (black thread snake)
Pelomedusidae Pelomedusa subrufa (marsh terrapin)
Scincidae Acontias meleagris meleagris (Cape legless skink) Scelotes bipes (silvery dwarf burrowing skink) Trachylepis capensis (Cape skink) Typhlosaurus caecus (Cuvier's blind legless skink) Trachylepis homalocephala (red-sided skink), (redsided skink)
Testudinidae Chersina angulata (angulate tortoise) Homopus areolatus (parrot-beaked tortoise), (parrotbeaked tortoise)
Typhlopidae Rhinotyphlops lalandei (Delalande's beaked blind snake), (Delalande's blind snake)
Viperidae Bitis armata (southern adder)
Amphibians
Brevicipitidae Breviceps rosei (sand rain frog)
Bufonidae Vandijkophrynus angusticeps (sand toad) Amietophrynus pantherinus (western leopard toad) endangered (EN) Amietophrynus rangeri (raucous toad)
Pipidae Xenopus laevis (common platanna)
Pyxicephalidae bonaparte Cacosternum platys (caco) sp., (flat caco) Strongylopus grayii grayii (clicking stream frog) Tomopterna delalandii (Cape sand frog) Amietia fuscigula (Cape river frog)
Fish
Indigenous Anabantidae Sandelia capensis (Cape kurper)
Anguillidae Anguilla mossambica steinitzi (longfin eel)
Clupeidae Gilchristella aestuaria (estuarine round-herring)
Galaxiidae Galaxias zebratus (Cape galaxias)
Gobiidae Caffrogobius nudiceps (barehead goby)
Mugilidae Liza richardsonii (southern mullet) Mugil cephalus (flathead mullet)
Sparidae Lithognathus lithognathus (white steenbras) Rhabdosargus globiceps (white stumpnose)
Introduced Cichlidae Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique tilapia) Tilapia sparrmanii (banded tilapia)
Clariidae Clarias gariepinus (sharp-tooth catfish)
Cyprinidae Cyprinus carpio (carp)
Poeciliidae Gambusia affinis (mosquitofish)
Birds
Accipitridae Buteo rufofuscus (jackal buzzard) Buteo vulpinus (steppe buzzard) Circus ranivorus (African marsh-harrier) vulnerable (VU) Elanus caeruleus (black-winged kite) Haliaeetus vocifer (African fish eagle) Milvus migrans (black kite), (yellow-billed kite) Accipiter melanoleucus (black sparrowhawk)
Acrocephalidae Acrocephalus scirpaceus (Common reed warbler) Acrocephalus gracilirostris (lesser swamp warbler)
Alaudidae Calandrella cinerea (red-capped lark)
Alcedinidae Alcedo cristata (malachite kingfisher)
Anatidae Alopochen aegyptiacus (Egyptian goose), (Kolgans) Anas capensis (Cape teal) Anas erythrorhyncha (red-billed teal) Anas platyrhynchos (mallard) Anas smithii (Cape shoveler) Anas sparsa (African black duck) Anas undulata (yellow-billed duck) Plectropterus gambensis (spur-winged goose) Spatula hottentota (blue-billed teal) Netta erythrophthalma (southern pochard) Oxyura maccoa (Maccoa duck) near threatened (NT) Sarkidiornis melanotos (Knob-billed duck) Tadorna cana (South African shelduck)
Anhingidae Anhinga rufa (African darter)
Apodidae Apus affinis (little swift) Apus barbatus (African black swift) Apus caffer (white-rumped swift) Tachymarptis melba (Alpine swift)
Ardeidae Ardea cinerea (grey heron) Ardea melanocephala (black-headed heron) Ardea purpurea (purple heron) Bubulcus ibis (cattle egret) Egretta garzetta (little egret) Egretta intermedia (yellow-billed egret) Ixobrychus minutus (little bittern) Nycticorax nycticorax (black-crowned night heron) Ardea goliath (Goliath heron) Egretta alba (great egret)
Caprimulgidae Caprimulgus pectoralis (fiery-necked nightjar)
Centropodidae Centropus burchelli (Burchell's coucal)
Cerylidae Ceryle rudis (pied kingfisher) Megaceryle maximus (giant kingfisher)
Charadriidae Charadrius tricollaris (three-banded plover) Vanellus armatus (blacksmith lapwing), (blacksmith plover) Charadrius pecuarius (Kittlitz's plover) Vanellus coronatus (crowned lapwing) Charadrius hiaticula (common ringed plover) Charadrius marginatus (white-fronted plover) Charadrius pallidus (chestnut-banded plover) near threatened (NT) Pluvialis squatarola (grey plover)
Chionidae Burhinus capensis (spotted thick-knee), (spotted dikkop) Burhinus vermiculatus (water thick-knee), (water dikkop)
Ciconiidae Ciconia ciconia (white stork) Ciconia nigra (black stork) near threatened (NT) Mycteria ibis (yellow-billed stork)
Cisticolidae Apalis thoracica (bar-throated apalis) Cisticola tinniens (Levaillant's cisticola) Prinia maculosa (Karoo prinia) Cisticola juncidis (zitting cisticola) Cisticola subruficapilla (grey-backed cisticola) Cisticola textrix (cloud cisticola)
Coliidae Colius colius (white-backed mousebird) Colius striatus (speckled mousebird) Urocolius indicus (red-faced mousebird)
Columbidae Columba livia (feral pigeon), (rock dove) Oena capensis (Namaqua dove) Streptopelia capicola (Cape turtle dove) Streptopelia semitorquata (red-eyed dove) Streptopelia senegalensis (Lag Duifie), (laughing dove) Columba guinea (speckled pigeon)
Corvidae Corvus albus (pied crow) Corvus splendens (Indian house crow) Corvus albicollis (white-necked raven)
Cuculidae Chrysococcyx caprius (Diderick cuckoo) Chrysococcyx klaas (Klaas's cuckoo) Clamator jacobinus (Jacobin cuckoo)
Dendrocygnidae Dendrocygna viduata (white-faced duck) Thalassornis leuconotus (white-backed duck) Dendrocygna bicolor (fulvous duck)
Estrildidae Estrilda astrild (common waxbill)
Falconidae Falco biarmicus (Lanner falcon) near threatened (NT) Falco rupicolus (rock kestrel) Falco peregrinus (peregrine falcon) near threatened (NT)
Fringillidae Serinus canicollis (Cape canary) Crithagra flaviventris (yellow canary) Emberiza capensis (Cape bunting) Crithagra albogularis (white-throated canary) Serinus sulphuratus (brimstone canary)
Gruidae Anthropoides paradiseus (blue crane) vulnerable (VU)
Haematopodidae Haematopus moquini (African black oystercatcher) near threatened (NT)
Heliornithidae Fulica cristata (red-knobbed coot) Gallinula chloropus (common moorhen) Porphyrio madagascariensis (African purple swamphen)
Hirundinidae Hirundo albigularis (white-throated swallow) Hirundo cucullata (greater striped swallow) Hirundo dimidiata (pearl-breasted swallow) Hirundo rustica (barn swallow) Riparia paludicola (brown-throated martin) Delichon urbicum (common house-martin) Hirundo fuligula (rock martin) Riparia cincta (banded martin) Hirundo spilodera (South African cliff-swallow)
Indicatoridae Indicator indicator (greater honeyguide)
Laniidae Lanius collaris (southern fiscal), (fiscal shrike)
Laridae Larus cirrocephalus (grey-headed gull) Larus dominicanus (kelp gull) Larus hartlaubii (Hartlaub's gull) Chlidonias hybrida (whiskered tern) Chlidonias leucopterus (white-winged tern) Sterna balaenarum (Damara tern) near threatened (NT) Sterna bergii (swift tern) Sterna caspia (Caspian tern) near threatened (NT) Sterna hirundo (common tern) Sterna sandvicensis (Sandwich tern) Sterna vittata (Antarctic tern)
Locustellidae Bradypterus baboecala (little rush warbler)
Lybiidae Tricholaema leucomelas (acacia pied barbet)
Macrosphenidae Sphenoeacus afer (Cape grassbird)
Meropidae Merops apiaster (European bee-eater)
Monarchidae Laniarius ferrugineus (southern boubou) Telophorus zeylonus (bokmakierie)
Motacillidae Anthus cinnamomeus (African pipit) Macronyx capensis (Cape longclaw) Motacilla capensis (Cape wagtail)
Muscicapidae Cossypha caffra (Cape robin-chat) Saxicola torquatus (African stonechat) Sigelus silens (fiscal flycatcher) Turdus olivaceus (olive thrush) Cercomela familiaris (familiar chat) Cercotrichas coryphaeus (Karoo scrub-robin) Oenanthe pileata (capped wheatear)
Nectariniidae Cinnyris chalybeus (southern double-collared sunbird) Nectarinia famosa (malachite sunbird)
Passeridae Passer melanurus (Cape sparrow) Passer domesticus (house sparrow) Passer diffusus (southern grey-headed sparrow)
Pelecanidae Pelecanus onocrotalus (great white pelican), (Wit pelikan) near threatened (NT)
Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocorax africanus (reed cormorant) Phalacrocorax capensis (Cape cormorant) near threatened (NT) Phalacrocorax lucidus (white-breasted cormorant) Phalacrocorax coronatus (crowned cormorant) near threatened (NT)
Phasianidae