Orange-breasted sunbird on Brunea albiflora (Mike Buckham)
on Rooiels beach!
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Birders visit Rooiels from far and wide. We are particularly well known for sightings of the Cape Rockjumper which is endemic to the Cape mountain fynbos. Rooiels has an amazing diversity of plants and habitats and is a favourite destination for ornithologists.
Our bay is a magical place to enjoy riverine, near shore and even some visiting pelagagic birds. It has large flocks of comorants (5 species have been recorded in Rooiels), terns, seagulls and occasionally shearwaters - and several breeding pairs of Black Oystercatchers, Common Sandpipers and Egyptian Geese along the shore. The estuary hosts Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, a range of herons and egrets and many other species. It is occasionally a brief resting place for flamingoes - and once a stray swan! A walk along the smallholdings path between Rooiels and Pringle Bay is always rewarding with a good chance of seeing the Cape Rockjumper and Ground Woodpecker and very rarely even the Sentinal Rock Thrush. You also have a chance to see African Black Swift, Karoo Prinia, Southern Double-collared Sunbird and are most likely to see Familiar Chat, Neddicky, Orange-breasted Sunbird and Cape Siskin. Up above you could be lucky and see Peregrine Falcon or Verreuax's (Black) Eagles, and are most likely to see White-necked Ravens, Rock Kestrel and Jackal Buzzard. Walking around the village you will no doubt see Cape Sugarbirds, Malachite Sunbirds, Cape Wagtails, occasionally the Cape Rock Thrush and often the Cape Robin-chat. Below is a comprehensive list of Rooiels birds |
Below the Bird list are some photos, an illustrated guide to common birds in Rooiels, and more information on birding in this area and South Africa -- and a link to videos on the Cape Rockjumper
Bird Lists |
The All Time Sightings list of 207 birds (Feb 2023) began in 1986 compiled by Alison Ayre and Helen Jones and since 2020 by Helen Jones. ALL are welcome to contact Helen on [email protected] for any extra birds/species that they have seen between the end of the Rooi Els bridge and halfway on the dirt road to Pringle Bay and along the R44 and all flyovers (birds in the sky).
Generally, this is a list for Rooielsers, their families and friends but all people are welcome to contact her. There is also, a monthly list which can be filled in by yourselves covering the whole of a specific year. This can be sent to you by email etc. These records are wonderful to have for research purposes. |
| bird_list_2023.pdf |
A few bird photos taken in Rooiels
Victorin's warbler and
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Madellein B - shared photos of the seldom seen Sentinel Rock Thrush left and the more common Ground Woodpecker right
Illustrated Guide to Common Birds of Rooiels by Dave de Klerk.
| rooiels_-_common_birds__charts_by_dave_de_klerk.pdf |
For a broad perspective on birding in South Africa you can click on BirdLife South Africa. Or you can actively contribute to the South African Bird Atlas project. There are many birding associations you can connect with in the Western Cape and in the Overberg.
Trevor and Margaret Harding have very comprehensive lists and photos of fauna found in the Western Cape and their website and blogs are most interesting. See a document on the Common Birds of the Western Cape by UCT
Trevor and Margaret Harding have very comprehensive lists and photos of fauna found in the Western Cape and their website and blogs are most interesting. See a document on the Common Birds of the Western Cape by UCT
What you can do to help conserve birdlife
There are a few basic things we can do to help birds to thrive:
Providing water is recommended but providing bird food, like nectar bottles, is not strongly recommended. It may spread illness with shared use of bird feeders and with the nectar bottles the rush of sugar water is no more likely to be healthy for birds than it is for humans – and please, never use xylitol.
But some bird feeding does help us grow more aware and be engaged and can help birds survive extensive fire damage or drought - so feed but perhaps limit it to more occasional feeding.
If we aren’t to suffer increasingly from the human equivalent of the colony collapse disorder experienced by bees, we need to ensure our integration with nature.
There are a few basic things we can do to help birds to thrive:
- provide natural, indigenous, vegetation in and around your home,
- plant locally indigenous plants
- vigorously protect open natural habitat and green areas in cities, parks and wilderness
- And you can bell your cat, if you have one.
Providing water is recommended but providing bird food, like nectar bottles, is not strongly recommended. It may spread illness with shared use of bird feeders and with the nectar bottles the rush of sugar water is no more likely to be healthy for birds than it is for humans – and please, never use xylitol.
But some bird feeding does help us grow more aware and be engaged and can help birds survive extensive fire damage or drought - so feed but perhaps limit it to more occasional feeding.
If we aren’t to suffer increasingly from the human equivalent of the colony collapse disorder experienced by bees, we need to ensure our integration with nature.
