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close| Location | South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Central coordinates | 29o 40.00' East 29o 17.00' South |
| IBA criteria | A1 |
| Area | 186 ha |
| Altitude | 1,600 - 1,620m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See Box for key species. The vlei and surrounding grasslands hold Grus carunculatus, Balearica regulorum and Grus paradisea. Botaurus stellaris is regularly recorded, and is a speciality of the vlei, which also holds Circus ranivorus and Ciconia nigra. Neotis denhami, and Tyto capensis frequent the surrounding grasslands.
Site description The site is located 32 km west of Mooi river, in the foothills of the Drakensberg. Highmoor, a division of the Natal Drakensberg Park (IBA ZA048) bounds it on one side, and the other boundaries abut onto private land. The terrain is almost flat. The vegetation consists of grasslands and wetlands classified as Highland Sourveld. The original grass community has been severely modified by past use as farmland. Permanent wetlands are dominated by Phragmites and Typha, with species of Cyperus, Pycreus and Juncus on the fringes.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus | resident | - | present [units unknown] | - | A1 | Vulnerable |
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | resident | - | present [units unknown] | - | A1 | Vulnerable |
| Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus | resident | - | present [units unknown] | - | A1 | Vulnerable |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hlatikulu | Provincial Nature Reserve | 1,210 | protected area contains site | 186 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | - | |
| Wetlands (inland) | - | |
| Forest | 100% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 100% |
| nature conservation and research | 100% |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| water management | 80% |
Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations The South African Crane Foundation (ZACF) and Mondi Forests established this reserve as the Hlatikulu Crane, Waterfowl and Wetland Sanctuary. The ZACF has a lease that extends until 2020. Initially the ZACF concentrated on rehabilitation of the wetland area. In the past it had been severely impacted by the construction of drains, and by ridge-and-furrow agriculture. These practices interfered with the passage of water through the upper reaches of the western arm of the vlei. Hundreds of damlets have now been built in the furrows, together with three larger dams to raise the water-table. Cranes nesting on adjacent farms now move into these wetlands when not breeding. Subsequently, holding and breeding pens have been set up for captive cranes, as well as rehabilitation facilities for sick or wounded cranes and an education centre. None of the birds held has been taken from the wild; all derive from rescues of injured cranes, or confiscations of cranes illegally held.The main threat to the sanctuary comes from uncontrolled human access, and the accompanying grazing of cattle and snaring practised by a section of a neighbouring community. Stock-grazing, in particular, disturbs the wetland rehabilitation process. In 1996 the sanctuary was declared a national ‘Site of Conservation Significance’ (number 126).
References Guthrie (1995).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Hlatikulu Nature Reserve. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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