Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Entumeni is located 8 km west of Eshowe. Most of the site slopes steeply. The Ngoje river, which rises just outside the reserve, runs through the forest. The greater part of the site is coastal scarp forest. Common trees include
Ficus,
Calodendrum,
Zanthoxylum,
Millettia and
Margaritaria.
Podocarpus is rare, but there are few saw-pits, and commercial exploitation of the forest has been slight. The understorey is very rich; typical trees are
Rawsonia and
Rinorea, with
Duvernoia along drainage lines. Two patches of grassland, totalling 34 ha, are also present on the site, as is a further 38 ha of lightly wooded grassland.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The forest holds a small breeding population of the globally threatened
Zoothera guttata. The forest also holds the following important species:
Columba delegorguei,
Cossypha dichroa and
Cercotrichas signata.
Lioptilus nigricapillus and
Bradypterus barratti occur as uncommon winter visitors.
Polemaetus bellicosus breeds in the reserve, and a family of
Bucorvus cafer includes the Entumeni grasslands in its territory. The forest also supports
Smithornis capensis,
Telophorus olivaceus,
Mandingoa nitidula and
Tchagra tchagra.
Non-bird biodiversity: The forest is botanically diverse. Three rare trees, Alchornea hirtella, Millettia sutherlandii and Cryptocarya wyliei are present, as is the orchid Eulophia speciosa and the cycad Encephalartos villosus. The population of the latter is the most important in South Africa, and extensive stands occur.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The forest is in fairly good condition. Past exploitation has been minimal. Few non-native, invasive plant species are present, and the main infestation on the western boundary is being controlled. There are no threats to the forest, nor plans for any development.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Entumeni Nature Reserve (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/entumeni-nature-reserve-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.
