Country/territory: South Africa
IBA Criteria met: A1, A2, A3 (1998)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 24,000 ha
Protection status:
Most recent IBA monitoring assessment | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year of assessment | Threat score (pressure) | Condition score (state) | Action score (response) |
2013 | high | not assessed | high |
For more information about IBA monitoring please click here |
Site description
The Tsitsikamma National Park is situated in the De Vasselot area of the Eastern Cape. It stretches for about 80 km from the mouth of the Groot river at Nature’s Valley in the west to another Groot river, which has its source near Kareedouw, in the east. The IBA also includes the De Vasselot Nature Reserve. The park extends 3–4 km inland along the 40–220 m high gorges of the Brak, South, Bobbejaans and Groot rivers. The coastal plain, the sheer cliffs dropping into the ocean, and the deep narrow valleys cut by rivers flowing down from the Tsitsikamma mountains are the dominant topographical features of the park. The interior is hilly, rugged, and deeply incised by narrow valleys. The impressive gorges of the Storms, Groot, Elands, Elandsbos, Lottering and Bloukrans rivers all dissect the park.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. At least 280 bird species have been recorded in the Tsitsikamma National Park. Both Turnix hottentotta nana and Sarothrura affinis have been recorded in low fynbos scrub adjacent to the park, and they almost certainly occur within it. Nectarinia violacea is widespread in the ericas, while Promerops cafer is almost restricted to the proteoid elements. Francolinus capensis, Pycnonotus capensis and Serinus totta are widespread within the fynbos, while Bradypterus victorini is found in moist seeps in the hilly areas. The isolated forest patches hold several forest endemics, including Buteo oreophilus, Tauraco corythaix, Campethera notata, Cossypha dichroa and Serinus scotops. The area also probably holds more than 10% of the world population of Bradypterus sylvaticus. Other forest species include Telophorus olivaceus, Apaloderma narina and Stephanoaetus coronatus. The grassland patches hold Neotis denhami, Circus maurus and Sagittarius serpentarius.
Non-bird biodiversity: The endangered proteoid Leucospermum glabrum occurs in De Vasselot. The national park is important for a number of vertebrate species with global ranges restricted to South Africa’s southern coastal strip, including Myosorex longicaudatus (VU), Chlorotalpa duthieae (VU), Bradypodion damaranum, Cordylus coeruleopunctatus, Breviceps fuscus and Heleophryne regis. The threatened sea-turtles Chelonia mydas (EN), Caretta caretta (EN) and Eretmochelys imbricata (CR) all occur irregularly in the waters of the Eastern Cape.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tsitsikama - Plettenberg Bay. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 15/01/2021.