Melville Koppies Nature Reserve

Birds recorded at Melville Koppies

Illustrations and further information can be found in L.J.Bunning, (1998) The Birds Of The Botanical Gardens,Emmarentia Dam And The Melville Koppies, (1998), Johannesburg, The Johannesburg Garden Foundation.

The Melville Koppies Management Committee has some remaining copies of this valuable book, which is now out of print. There are a few additional names from personal communications. (Total 185)

Birds ringed on the Koppies are marked "®"

Roberts Number and Common name	Scientific Name	Status
R55 Whitebreasted Cormorant	Phalocrocrax carbo	often flying over
R58 Reed Cormorant	Phalocrocrax africanus	often flying over
R60 Darter	Anhinga melanogaster	occasionally flying over
R62 Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	occasionally flying over
R63 Blackheaded Heron	Ardea melanocephala	often flying over
R65 Purple Heron	Ardea Purpurea	rare flying over
R66 Great White Egret	Egretta alba	occasionally flying over
R67 Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	rare flying over
R68 Yellowbilled Egret	Egretta intermedia	rare flying over
R71 Cattle Egret	Bubulcis ibis	often flying over
R72 Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	rare flying over
R76 Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	rare flying over
R81 Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta	very rare
R83 White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	circling Nov-Mar
R85 Abdims Stork	Ciconia abdimii	circling Oct-Apr
R91 Sacred Ibis	Threskiornis aethiopicus	often flying over
R93 Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	often flying over
R94 Hadeda Ibis	Bostrychia hagedash	often
R95 African Spoonbill	Platelea alba	very rare flying over
R102 Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiacus	occasionally flying over
R105 African Black Duck	Anus sparsa	very rare
R116 Spurwinged Goose	Plectropterus gambensis	rare flying over
R127 Blackshouldered Kite	Elanus caeruleus	occasionally
R126 Yellowbilled Kite	Milvus migrans	occasionally hawking Oct-Mar
R131 Black Eagle	Aquila verreauxii	rare flying over
R148 African Fish Eagle	Haliaeetus vocifer	very rare flying over
R149 Steppe Buzzard	Buteo buteo	occasionally Oct-Apr
R152 Jackal Buzzard	Buteo rufofuscus	very rare hawking
R158 Black Sparrowhawk	Accipiter melaneoleucus	very rare
R159 Little Banded Goshawk	® Accipiter badius	often Dec
R162 Chanting Goshawk	Melierax musicus	very rare
R172 Lanner Falcon	®Falco biarmicus	often hawkingsummer
R181 Rock Kestrel	Falco tinninculus	often
R188 Coqui Francolin	Francolinus coqui	rare
R199 Swainson’s Francolin	Francolinus swainsonii	resident
R196 Natal Francolin
R203 Helmeted Guineafowl	®Numida meleagris	resident
R211 Corncrake	Crex crex	rare Nov-Apr
R255 Crowned Plover	®Vanellus coronatus	often
R258 Blacksmith Plover	Vanellus armatus	occasionally flying over
R260 Wattled Plover	Vanellus senegallus	occasionally flying over
R264 Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	rare Aug-Apr
R297 Spotted Dikkop	®Burhinus capensis	resident
R315 Greyheaded Gull	Larus cirrocephalus	occasionally flying over
R349 Rock pigeon	®Columba guinea	occasionally roosts
R350 Rameron Pigeon	Columba arquatrix	often
R352 Redeyed Dove	®Streptopelia semitorquata	often
R354 Cape Turtle Dove	® Streptopelia capicola	often
R355 Laughing Dove	® Streptopelia senegalensis	resident
R356 Namaqua Dove	Oena capensis	rare
R373 Grey Lourie	Corythaixoides concolo	often
R375 African Cuckoo	Cuculus gularis	very rare Aug-Apr
R377 Redchested Cuckoo	® Cuculus solitarius	often Oct-Mar
R378 Black Cuckoo	Cuculus clamosus	rare Oct-Apr
R380 Great Spotted Cuckoo	Cuculus glandarius	very rare Sep-Apr
R382 Jacobin Cuckoo	Clamator jacobinus	rare Oct-Apr
R385 Klaas’s Cuckoo	Chrysococcyx klaas	rare Sept-Apr
R386 Diederik Cuckoo	® Chrysococcyx caprius	resident Oct-Apr
R391 Burchell’s Coucal	Centropus burchellii	occasionally
R392 Barn Owl	Tylo alba	very rare
R404 European Nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus	occasionally Nov-Mar
R401 Spotted Eagle Owl	®Bubo africanus	resident
R411 European Swift	®Apus apus	often overhead Oct-Jan
R412 Black Swift	Apus barbatus	often overhead Sep-Apr
R415 White Rumped Swift	® Apus caffer	often overhead Aug-Apr
R416 Horus Swift	® Apus horus	occasionally overhead Oct-Apr
R417 Little Swift	® Apus affiius	often overhead all year
R421 Palm Swift	®Cypsiurus parvus	often overhead all year
R424 Speckled Mousebird	®Colius stratus	often
R425 Whitebacked Mousebird	® Colius colius	occasionally
R426 Redfaced Mousebird	®Urocolius indicus	often
R429 Giant Kingfisher	Megaceryle maxima	very rare
R431 Malachite Kingfisher	®Alcedo cristata	occasionally
R435 Brownhooded Kingfisher	Halcyon albiventris	very rare
R438 European Beeeater	®Merops apiaster	often overhead Sep-May
R446 European Roller	Coriacas garrulus	very rare
R447 Lilacbreasted Roller	Coriacas caudata	very rare
R451 Hoopoe	®Upupa epops	resident
R452 Redbilled Woodhoopoe	®Phoeniculus purpureus	often
R454 Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe	Rhinopomastis cyanomelas	very rare
R457 Grey Hornbill	Tockus nasutus	rare
R458 Redbilled Hornbill	Tockus erythrorhynchus	very rare
R464 Blackcollard Barbet	®Lybius torquatus	resident
R465 Pied Barbet	®Tricholaema leucomelas	resident
R473 Crested Barbet	®Trachyphonus vaillantii	resident
R474 Greater Honeyguide	®Indicator indicator	occasionally
R476 Lesser Honeyguide	® Indicator minor	often
R478 SharpbilledHoneyguide	®Prodotiscus regulus	often
R483 Goldentailed Woodpecker	®Campethera abingoni	occasionally
R486 Cardinal Woodpecker	®Dendropicus fuscescens	often
R489 Redthroated Wryneck	®Jynx ruficollis	often
R518 European Swallow	®Hirundu rustica	often Sep-Apr
R520 Whitethroated Swallow	®Hirundu albigularis	often Aug-Apr
R526 Greater Striped Swallow	®Hirundu cucullata	resident Aug-Apr
R527 Lesser Striped Swallow	®Hirundu abyssinica	occasionally Jul-Mar
R528 South African Cliff Swallow	Hirundu spilodera	rare Aug-Apr
R529 Rock Martin	® Hirundu fuligula	often
R530 House Martin	®Delichon urbica	occasionally Oct-Apr
R533 Brownthroated Martin	®Riparia paludicola	occasionally
R538 Black Cuckooshrike	®Campephaga flava	rare
R540 Grey Cuckooshrike	Coracina caesia	very rare
R541 Forkedtailed Drongo	Dicrurus adsimilis	very rare
R543 European Golden Oriole	®Oriolus oriolus	rare Oct-Apr
R545 Blackheaded Oriole	®Oriolus larvatus	occasionally
R548 Pied Crow	Corvus albus	often overhead
R568 Blackeyed Bulbul	®Pycnonotus barbatus	resident
R577 Olive Thrush	®Turdus olivaceus	resident
R581 Cape Rock Thrush
R587 Capped Wheatear	®Oenanthe pileata	very rare Summer
R589 Familiar Chat	Cercomelia familiaris	rare
R593 Mocking Chat	Thamnoleae cinnamomeventris
R596 Stone Chat	®Saxicola torquata	occasionally
R601 Cape Robin	®Cossypha caffra	resident
R613 Whitebrowed Robin	Erythropygia leucophyrys	very rare
R619 Garden Warbler	®Sylvia borin	often Oct-Aug
R621 Titbabbler	®Parisoma caeruleum	often Winter
R628 Great Reed Warbler	®Acrocephalus arundinaceus	rare Nov-Mar
R633 European Marsh Warbler	®Acrocephalus palustris	often Nov-May
R643 Willow Warbler	®Phylloscopus trochilis	often Oct-Apr
R645 Barthroated Apalis	®Apalis thoracica	occasionally
R651 Longbilled Crombec	Sylvietta rufescens	rare
R664 Fantailed Cisticola	®Cisticola juncidis	often
R670 Wailing Cistocla	®Cisticola lais	often
R672 Rattling Cistocla	®Cisticola chiniana	often
R677 LeVaillant’s Cistocola	Cisticola tinniens	rare
R681 Neddicky	Cisticola capillia	often
R683 Tawneyflanked Prinia	®Prinia subflava	occasionally
R685 Blackchested Prinia	® Prinia flavicans	resident
R689 Spotted Flycatcher	®Muscicapa striata	often Apr-Sep
R694 Black Flycatcher	Melaenormis pammeliana	very rare
R698 Fiscal Flycatcher	®Sigelus silens	often
R701 Chinspot Batis	Batis molitor	rare
R706 Fairy Flycatcher	®Stenostria scita	often Apr-Sep
R710 Paradise Flycatcher	®Terpsphone viridis	often Oct-Mar
R713 Cape Wagtail	®Motacilla capensis	occasionally
R716 Grassveld Pipit	®Anthus cinnamomeus	often
R717 Longbilled Pipit	® Anthus similis	often
R718 Plainbacked Pipit	Anthus leucophris	often
R719 Buffy Pipit	Anthus vaalensis	often
R720 Striped Pipit	® Anthus lineiventris	often
R727 Orangethroated Longclaw	®Macronyx capensis	often
R731 Lesser Grey Shrike	®Lanius minor	occasionally Nov-Mar
R732 Fiscal Shrike	® Lanius collaris	resident
R733 Redbacked Shrike	® Lanius collurio	occasionally Oct-Apr
R736 Southern Boubou	®Laniarius ferrugineus	resident
R739 Crimsonbreasted Shrike	® Laniarius atrococcineus	no longer present
R740 Puffback Shrike	®Dryoscopus cubia	occasionally
R741 Brubru	Nilaus afer	rare
R743 Threestreaked Tchagra	®Tchagra australis	often
R744 Blackcrowned Tchagra	® Tchagra senegala	often
R746 Bokmakierie	®Telophorus zeylonus	resident
R753 White Helmetshrike	®Prionops plumatus	occasionally
R758 Indian Myna	Acrodotheres tristis	occasionally
R759 Pied Starling	®Spreo bicolor	occasionally
R761 Plumcoloured Starling	®Cinnyricinclus leucogaster	rare
R764 Glossy Starling	®Lamprotornis nitens	resident
R769 Redwinged Starling	®Onychognathus morio	rare
R775 Malachite Sunbird	®Nectarina famosa	occasionally winter
R787 Whitebellied Sunbird	®Nectarinia talatala	often
R792 Black Sunbird	® Nectarinia amethystina	often
R796 Cape White-eye	®Zosterops pallidus	resident
R801 House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	occasionally
R803 Cape Sparrow	®Passer melanurus	resident
R804 Greyheaded Sparrow	®Passer diffusis	rare
R807 Thickbilled Weaver	®Amblyospiza albifrons	rare
R811 Spottedbacked Weaver	®Ploceus cucullatus	rare
R813 Cape Weaver	®Ploceus capensis	resident
R814 Masked Weaver	®Ploceus velatus	resident
R821 Redbilled Quelea	®Quelea quelea	occasionally
R824 Red Bishop	®Euplectes orix	often
R826 Golden Bishop	Euplectes afer	occasionally
R831 Redcollared Widow	® Euplectes ardens	rare
R832 Longtailed Widow	Euplectes progne	very rare
R834 Melba Finch	®Pytelia melba	rare
R844 Blue Waxbill	®Uraeginthus angolensis	occasionally
R845 Violeteared Waxbill	® Uraeginthus granatinus	rare
R846 Common Waxbill	®Estrilda astrild	occasionally
R852 Quail Finch	Ortygospiza atricollis	very rare
R857 Bronze Mannikin	®Spermestes cucullata	occasionally
R860 Pintailed Whydah	®Vidua macroura	rare
R869 Yelloweyed Canary	Serinus mozambicus	occasionally
R870 Blackthroated Canary	® Serinus atrogularis	often
R881 Streakeyheaded Canary	® Serinus gularis	often
R886 Rock Bunting	®Emberiza tahapisi	often
911 European Blackcap	®Sylvia atricapilla	very rareSummer