Species list
This list is compiled from existing records and studies of species in the wider Ferncliffe area as well as our own observations. It’s a work in progress.
We want to complete comprehensive baseline studies of species in the area, but need funding for this purpose. Would you like to undertake a study, or help with a count? Please get in touch!
| Common name | Scientific name | Historically recorded here | First project record | Seen by who | Last project record | Seen by who | Conservation status | Distribution | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alien species | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bugweed | Solanum mauritianum | Yes | A well-established alien species that has long invaded stream banks and slopes throughout the area. | CC/JS | The plant remains established and will take years to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Ink-berry | Cestrum Laevigatum | Yes | A well-established alien species that has long invaded stream banks throughout the area. | CC/JS (Connor Cullinan/Janine Stephen) | 2022: The plant remains established and will take time to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Kahili ginger lily | Hedychium gardnerianum | Yes | Well-established upon project launch in 2021, and at least a decade prior. | CC | 2022: The plant remains established and will take time to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Lantana | Lantana camara | Yes | A well-established alien species that has choked ravines and open areas. | CC/JS | 2022: The plant remains established and will take years to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Mauritius thorn | Caesalpinia decapetala | Yes | Well-established upon project launch in 2021, and at least a decade prior. | CC | 2023: The plant remains established and will take time to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Birds | |||||||||||||||||||
| African Black Duck | Anas sparsa | Yes | An occasional individual is seen on the Top Dam. | CC (Connor Cullinan) | After the first rains, September 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | From South Africa to Ethiopia, but populations decreasing | |||||||||||
| African Emerald Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx cupreus | Yes | 24/03/2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Seen every summer to date, usually primary forest but also garden. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| African Firefinch | Lagonosticta rubricata | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Residents, seen more in winter, but active and regularly seen. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| African Fish Eagle | Haliaeetus vocifer | Yes | Two bird calling above the ridge and displaying. September / October 2021 | CC/JS | Calling from snag near Dell, Feb 2022; seen at the Top Dam for the first time February 2023. Seen near Boulder Dam. Heard at times in 2025. | CC | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| African Goshawk | Accipiter tachiro | Yes | 06/07/2021 | Connor Cullinan | Seen regularly calling and circling pilot sites. Possible nest in Friend's Glade | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| African Harrier-hawk | Polyboroides typus | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Juvenile in Cypris tree summer 2025 | JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| African Hoopoe / Common hoopoe | Upupa epops | Yes | Not a forest bird, seen in neighbouring gardens, 2022. | Connor Cullinan | 2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across continents | |||||||||||
| African Olive Pigeon or Rameron Pigeon | Columba arquatrix | Yes | 08/08/2021 | Connor Cullinan | Seen regularly overhead; in flocks when Quinine berries are ripe, feeding on bugweed too. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| African Palm-swift | Cypsiurus parvus | Yes | Regular sightings | CC/JS | Regular sightings | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across Africa | |||||||||||
| African Paradise Flycatcher | Terpsiphone viridis | Yes | Spring 2021 | CC | Summer 2025. Often near Top Dam. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Alpine Swift | Tachymarptis melba | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Summer 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Africa, Asia, southern Europe | |||||||||||
| Amethyst Sunbird | Chalcomitra amethystina | Yes | 28/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Bar-throated Apalis | Apalis thoracica | Yes | 29/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Black-backed Puffback | Dryoscopus cubla | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | From Kenya to South Africa | |||||||||||
| Black-collared Barbet | Lybius torquatus | Yes | Resident | CC/JS | 12/03/2022 | JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern and eastern Africa | |||||||||||
| Black Cuckoo | Cuculus clamosus | Yes | Summer migrant, seen November 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Still present March 2022 | Connor Cullinan | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Black Cuckooshrike | Campephaga flava | Yes | May 2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Black-headed Oriole | Oriolus larvatus | Yes | Resident | CC/JS | 20/03/2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa to Ethiopia | |||||||||||
| Black Saw-wing | Psalidoprocne pristoptera | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Black Sparrowhawk | Accipiter melanoleucus | Yes | November 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||||
| Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher | Trochocercus cyanomelas | Yes | Seen in Glade in May 2021 | Vanessa Stephen | Resident in pilot project areas and wider forest. Very vocal in autumn 2023 (May/June) | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Bronze Mannikin | Spermestes cucullata | Yes | 07/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Brown-hooded Kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Fairly regular visitor, especially in dry season | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Buff-spotted Flufftail | Sarothrura elegans | Yes | Heard calling in the evenings and sometimes mornings in summer 2021 | CC/JS | Heard calling in summer 2022/23 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Burchell’s Coucal | Centropus burchellii | Yes | 2021, in Canthium creeper | Connor Cullinan | May 2023, appears to be a garden resident. One seen foraging (?) under the house eaves. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa, Mozambique, southern Botswana and Zimbabwe | |||||||||||
| Bush Blackcap | Sylvia nigricapillus | Yes | 03/08/2023 | Connor Cullinan | One good sighting in August 2023 of a pair and possibly a third bird in the primary forest. Additional sightings winter 2024. | CC/JS | Vulnerable (VU) | Eastern South Africa and ESwatini | |||||||||||
| Cape Batis | Batis capensis | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS | Resident in Pilot Project areas as well as wider forest | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique | |||||||||||
| Cape Robin-Chat | Cossypha caffra | Yes | 25/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Cape White-eye | Zosterops virens | Yes | 24/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Chorister Robin-chat | Cossypha dichroa | Yes | 07/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Endemic to South Africa and Swaziland | ||||||||||||||
| Collared Sunbird | Hedydipna collaris | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Seen regularly in forest, on edges, and on Halleria lucida trees in pilot areas | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Common Fiscal | Lanius collaris | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||||||
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | Yes | 2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | 2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Wide range | |||||||||||
| Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild | Yes | Seen regularly near firebreak | Connor Cullinan | 21/08/2021 | JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Crowned Eagle | Stephanoaetus coronatus | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Seen and heard in 2025, but very occasionally. | CC/JS | Near Threatened (NT) | ||||||||||||
| Dark-backed Weaver (Forest Weaver) | Ploceus bicolor | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Seen relatively regularly in top forest and on the edge of the Glade | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Dark-capped Bulbul | Pycnonotus tricolor | Yes | March 2021. Common residents. | CC/JS | Seen year round. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Geese attempting to raise goslings on Top Dam in September 2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Familiar Chat | Oenanthe familiaris | 2025. An individual/s has been seen around the shed and house on occasion | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Much of central and southern Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Fiery-necked Nightjar | Caprimulgus pectoralis | Yes | Calling, from 2021 | CC/JS | Seen June 2023, also heard calling fairly regularly in autumn 2023 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Forest Buzzard | Buteo trizonatus | Yes | In 2015/2016 | CC/JS | 2025. We see what we think is a resident relatively regularly, identified in part by call. | CC/JS | Near Threatened (NT) | ||||||||||||
| Golden-breasted Bunting | Emberiza flaviventris | Yes | 2022 | Connor Cullinan | Only seen once or twice so far, very different to seven years ago before the wattles were replaced by gum | Connor Cullinan | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Green-backed Camaroptera | Camaroptera brachyura | Yes | 29/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Green Twinspot | Mandingoa nitidula | 2023 in primary forest | CC | Repeated sightings of male collecting dog fur in April 2024 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||
| Grey Cuckooshrike | Ceblepyris caesia / Coracina caesia | Yes | Seen near the stonemason's cottage in December 2022 | Connor Cullinan | December 2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | 10/08/2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | The same individual has since been seen a few times at both the Top and Lower Dams (last seen September 2022). | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||
| Hadeda Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Regular visitor to garden and pilot sites, nests seen, often perch on snags. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Klaas’s Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx klaas | Yes | Summer 2021 | CC/JS | Summer 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Knysna Turaco | Tauraco corythaix | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Fairly regular visitors to the pilot sites, especially when Quinine/loquart/guava trees fruiting. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Endemic to South Africa | |||||||||||
| Lesser Honeyguide | Indicator minor | Yes | 2021. Seen in Allophylus next to house. | CC/JS | September 2023 | KZN Midlands Birding Club | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Lesser Striped Swallow | Cecropis abyssinica | Yes | 2021 built half nest under house eaves | CC/JS | Summer 2022, completed nest, three offspring. Returned 2023/204, one successful brood, nest collapsed or destroyed by monkeys at second attempt | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Little Rush Warbler | Bradypterus baboecala | Heard in 2022 | CC/JS | Heard and seen in 2023/24 summer at Lower Dam | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Much of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||
| Little Sparrowhawk | Accipiter minullus | A pair sitting in bare Pecan tree (winter) in morning sun July 2024 | Connor Cullinan | Seen very briefly and heard early Feb 2025 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | East & Southern Africa | ||||||||||||
| Long-crested Eagle | Lophaetus occipitalis | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS (Connor Cullinan/Janine Stephen) | April 2024 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Narina Trogon | Apaloderma narina | Yes | 2021 in firebreak and around garden (even once on the washline) | Connor Cullinan | Seen and heard in summer 2024, resident, calling regularly in Dell/Glade areas | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | West to Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Natal Francolin | Pternistis natalensis | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | January 2023. | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern South Africa to Zambia | |||||||||||
| Olive bushshrike | Chlorophoneus olivaceus | Yes | May 2021 | Vanessa Stephen | September 2023 with KZN Midlands Bird Club. Seen & heard in 2024. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi | |||||||||||
| Olive Sunbird | Cyanomitra olivacea | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS | June 2023. There are resident birds dueting and gathering spiderwebs | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Olive Thrush | Turdus olivaceus | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS | Residents. Seen December 2024/Jan 2025. Active in the Glade/Dell. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique | |||||||||||
| Olive Woodpecker | Dendropicos griseocephalus | Yes | Around house 2021 | CC/JS | 10/12/2022 | JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Purple-crested Turaco | Tauraco porphyreolophus | Yes | A regular visitor. | CC/JS | 2025, after Quinine berries. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | 21/08/2022 | Connor Cullinan | Seen a few times following this in August / September, also Dec 2024. Top & Lower dams. | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Wide range | ||||||||||||
| Red-backed Mannikin | Spermestes bicolor nigriceps (Lonchura nigriceps) | Yes | Resident in garden or immediate surrounds | CC/JS (Connor Cullinan/Janine Stephen) | March 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Red-chested Cuckoo | Cuculus solitarius | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Summer 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Summer migrant from central Africa | |||||||||||
| Red-eyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS | A common resident on the forest margin. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Red-winged Starling | Onychognathus morio | Yes | Approximately 2023 | CC/JS | 2024. Rare visitors to garden and firebreak areas. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Sombre Greenbul | Andropadus importunus | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Summer 2024/25. Regularly seen and heard, resident. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Southern Boubou | Laniarius major | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Resident, frequently heard in various areas. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Southern Double-collared Sunbird | Cinnyris manoensis | Yes | 28/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Endemic to South Africa and southern border of Namibia | ||||||||||||||
| Southern Grey-headed Sparrow | Passer diffusus | Yes | 06/12/2021 | Connor Cullinan | Not regular visitors, but seen every so often. Jan 2025. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus | Not often seen, were unsure of which mousebird species. | CC/JS | 2024, at Cussonia Place | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Much of sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||
| Spurwinged Goose | Plectropterus gambensis | Yes | November 2022 on Lower Dam | CC/JS | Seen overhead on occasion, as well as sighting at Top Dam in 2024. | Connor Cullinan | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Striated Heron (Green-backed Heron) | Butorides striata | 11/12/2021 | Connor Cullinan | Individual in reeds until water level rose considerably in 2021/2022. Back on Top and Lower Dams in December 2024. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Wide range | ||||||||||||
| Swee Waxbill | Coccopygia melanotis | Yes | 2023 | Connor Cullinan | Collecting basket grass and seeds in the garden for nesting material, summer 2024/25 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa and Zimbabwe | |||||||||||
| Tambourine Dove | Turtur tympanistria | Yes | Connor Cullinan | A resident or two have been calling regularly in Nov/Dec/Jan 2024-2025 | Connor Cullinan | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||
| Terrestrial Brownbul | Phyllastrephus terrestris | Yes | Groups regularly seen and heard around the Glade and in riverine areas. | Connor Cullinan | 15/03/2022 | Connor Cullinan and David Johnson | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa to Kenya and Ethiopia | |||||||||||
| Thick-billed Weaver | Amblyospiza albifrons | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Pairs breeding on both dams (successful in 2024); new nests in Jan 2025 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Much of sub-Saharan Africa (wetlands) | |||||||||||
| Violet-backed Starling | Cinnyricinclus leucogaster | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | Much of Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||||||
| White-bellied Sunbird | Cinnyris talatala | Yes | 27/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| White-starred Robin | Pogonocichla stellata | Yes | May 2021 | Vanessa Stephen | 2024. Seen every now and then in less frequented project areas, and primary forest. Resident. | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| African Wood Owl | Strix woodfordii | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Calling regularly summer 2023/2024/2025 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Yellow-billed Kite | Milvus aegyptius | Yes | Summer 2021 | CC/JS | Summer 2024. Sightings are less regular than in around 2014. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Yellow-fronted Canary | Crithagra mozambica | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Occasionally seen & heard near garden / surrounds. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler | Phylloscopus ruficapilla | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Summer 2024. Seen occasionally around hide, dams and garden. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa to Kenya | |||||||||||
| Invertebrates | |||||||||||||||||||
| African Leaf Butterfly | Junonia tugela tugela | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | January 2023 | CC/JS | Forest Edges, KZN Midlands to Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Limpopo | ||||||||||||
| Bark Mantids | Tarachodidiae | Yes | |||||||||||||||||
| Black-haired Bush Brown | Bicyclus safitza safitza | Yes | Summer 2021 | Connor Cullinan | February 2023 | Steve Woodhall & Mark Liptrot | Least Concern (LC) | KZN north into Limpopo. | |||||||||||
| Brownish keeled millipede | Rhopaloskelus terreus | Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal | |||||||||||||||||
| Bush Beauty / Forest Beauty | Paralethe dendrophilus | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | February 2023 | Steve Woodhall & Mark Liptrot | Forest edge, Eastern Cape, KZN, into Limpopo. SA & Swaziland only. | ||||||||||||
| Citrus Swallowtail | Papilio demodocus | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Common in the forest margins | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Much of Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Club-horned wasp | Sapygina undulata | Yes | 24/11/2023 | Alan Manson | 24 November 2023 | Alan Manson | |||||||||||||
| CMR Blister Beetle | Hycleus oculatus | Yes | Summer 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Around March 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Common Bush Blue / Bush Bronze | Cacyreus lingeus | Yes | February 2023 | Steve Woodhall & Mark Liptrot | February 2023 | Steve Woodhall & Mark Liptrot | Least Concern (LC) | Afromontane, lowland and riverine forest edges. Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Creamstriped Owl | Cyligramma latona | 04/04/2022 | Connor Cullinan | 04/04/2022 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across Africa | ||||||||||||
| Dingaan’s Slender Spined millipede | Spinotarsus dingaanus | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Double-banded Carpenter Bee | Xylocopa caffra | Yes | 27/01/2022 | Connor Cullinan | 2024 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | West to southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Eastern Goldspotted Sylph | Metisella metis | Yes | 05/02/2023 | Steve Woodhall | Seen around Cussonia Place site and other more open areas | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Cape & KZN, Mozambique, Swaziland | |||||||||||
| Eastern Whipspider | Damon annulatipes | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | March 2024. Seen regularly in farm buildings | Janine Stephen | |||||||||||||
| Gaudy Commodore | Precis octavia sesamus | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | 2022 | CC/JS | Eastern Cape northwards. | ||||||||||||
| Ghost-like keeled millipede | Gnomeskelus larvatus | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Green-veined Emperor | Charaxes candiope | Yes | February 2023 | Mark Liptrot | February 2023 on a LepsocSA visit | Steve Woodhall & Mark Liptrot | Least Concern (LC) | Coastal, riverine, lowland and Afromontane forest in Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Hilda Hopper | Nototettigometra patruelis | 16/01/2024 | Alan Manson | Alan Manson | |||||||||||||||
| Kraus’s slender spined millipede | Spinotarsus krausi | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Mocker Swallowtail | Papilio dardanus cenea | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Regularly; 2024 | CC/JS | Widespread | ||||||||||||
| Obscure keeled millipede | Gnomeskelus retrusus | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Pearl Emperor | Charaxes varanes varanes | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | February 2023 and regularly to date | Steve Woodhall & Mark Liptrot; others | Eastern Cape up to Limpopo | ||||||||||||
| Pietermaritzburg keeled millipede | Rhopaloskelus pietermaritzburgensis | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Quekett’s Cannibal Snail | Natalina quekettiana | Data Deficient (DD) | Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||||||||||||
| Stalk-eyed Fly | Diasemopsis obstans | 04/09/2023 | Alan Manson | 04/09/2023 | Alan Manson | ||||||||||||||
| Wahlberg’s Emperor Moth | Nudaurelia wahlbergi | Yes | 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
| Mammals | |||||||||||||||||||
| African Marsh Rat | Dasymys incomtus | Near Threatened (NT) | Largely endemic to KwaZulu-Natal. | ||||||||||||||||
| Blue Duiker | Philantomba monticola | Yes | 01/09/2023 | Connor Cullinan | Remains found; thought to be killed and partly eaten by a Caracal. Later, less conclusive sightings but likely to be present in small numbers. | CC | Vulnerable (VU) | Central, western and southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Bushbuck | Tragelaphus scriptus | Yes | 27/06/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Bushpig | Potamochoerus larvatus | Yes | 02/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern and southern Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Cape Porcupine | Hystrix africaeaustralis | Yes | 20/05/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Caracal | Caracal caracal | Yes | 1 September 2023: Blue Duiker remains found close to the project area. Identified (with the help of others) as the predator. | Connor Cullinan | As above | CC | Least Concern (LC) | Across Africa, Central Asia, and southwest Asia into India | |||||||||||
| Common or Grey Duiker | Sylvicapra grimmia | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Dark-footed Forest Shrew | Myosorex cafer | Yes | 2016 | Vulnerable (VU) | Endemic to KZN and the Eastern Cape (EWT) | ||||||||||||||
| Four-striped Grass Mouse | Rhabdomys pumilio | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||||||
| Geoffroy’s Horse-shoe Bat | Rhinolophus clivosus | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Greater Cane Rat | Thryonomys swinderianus | Yes | Trail camera footage on 7 August 2024 | CC & JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa, typically in moist grassland and riverine habitats | |||||||||||||
| Large spotted genet | Genetta tigrina | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||||||
| Leopard | Panthera pardus | Leopard is on the species list for the area, but it's uncertain when one was last seen anywhere near the Reserve or Pilot Project area. | Vulnerable (VU) | Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||||||
| Rock dassie / Rock Hyrax | Procavia capensis | Yes | September 2021 | Biodiversity survey visit | Resident in the 1980/1990s in the Pilot Project Area, but disease (probably sarcoptic mange) left none. Saw a lone adult in February 2023 on the trail to Boulder Dam. Happily, a pair of Dassies returned to a former colony site we restored in October 2023 and they produced two pups in November 2024. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across Africa in rocky habitat | |||||||||||
| Schreiber’s Long-fingered Bat | Miniopterus schreibersii natalensis | Near Threatened (NT) | |||||||||||||||||
| Slender Mongoose (Black-tipped Mongoose) | Herpestes sanguineus | 20/08/2022 | JS | Just one sighting to date | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across Africa | |||||||||||||
| Southeastern Vlei Rat | Otomys auratus | Yes | 15/12/2021 | CC & JS | Least Concern (LC) | Near-endemic; also found in Lesotho and Eswatini | |||||||||||||
| Temminck’s Hairy Bat | Myotis tricolor | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-saharan, east and (rarely) west and central Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Vervet Monkey | Cercopithecus aethiops | Yes | At least one troop visits the pilot area regularly. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||||
| Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat | Epomophorus wahlbergi | Yes | 01/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Water Mongoose | Atilax palundinosus | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||||||
| Plants | |||||||||||||||||||
| Aparagus Fern | Asparagus plumosus | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Common in shady pilot project areas | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Wide range | |||||||||||
| Bugweed | Solanum mauritianum | Yes | A well-established alien species that has long invaded stream banks and slopes throughout the area. | CC/JS | The plant remains established and will take years to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Canary Creeper | Senecio tamoides | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | A common creeper here, spreads rapidly in cleared areas. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe | |||||||||||
| Cape Beech | Rapanea melanophloeos | Yes | 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | January 2023. We are planting this tree. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Western Cape to central Africa | |||||||||||
| Cape Chestnut | Calodendrum capense | Yes | Summer 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | We've seen trees in flower high on the ridge; none in pilot project areas to date | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Western Cape to Ethiopia | |||||||||||
| Cat’s Whiskers | Clerodendrum glabrum | Yes | 2022 | Allister Starke | Widespread at Ferncliffe; growing in and around the pilot site, especially where there isn't deep shade | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Cheesewood | Pittosporum viridiflorum | Yes | September 2022 | Connor Cullinan | 2024 (Sapling) | CC/JS | Across Sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||
| Common Forest Grape | Rhoicissus tomentosa | Yes | March 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | A climber often seen in the pilot project areas and forest. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Western Cape to Tanzania | |||||||||||
| Cross-berry | Grewia occidentalis | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | The trees grow in various locations at Ferncliffe. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Wide range | |||||||||||
| False Assegai | Measa lanceolata | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | A few established trees grow in the pilot site areas. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga | |||||||||||
| Forest Cabbage-tree | Cussonia sphaerocephala | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Many mature individuals on the ridge and some in the pilot areas. Seedlings present. | CC/JS | SA endemic (Eastern Cape to Mpumalanga) | ||||||||||||
| Forest Croton | Croton sylvaticus | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Mature and young individuals present in pilot sites and mature forest | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa | |||||||||||
| Forest Elder | Nuxia floribunda | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to central Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Forest Fig | Ficus craterostoma | Eastern Cape to Tropical Africa | |||||||||||||||||
| Forest Gardenia | Gardenia thunbergia | Yes | 2021, tree planted by Wildlands or UKZN project | CC/JS | No other individuals found as yet, but we are planting a few. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique. | |||||||||||
| Forest Knobwood | Zanthoxylum davyi | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Not at all common. A few individuals in the lower Dell area | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Forest Natal-mahogany | Trichilia dregeana | Only one tree seen to date in riverine forest. | Connor Cullinan and Sachin Daorsamy | We have planted individuals in pilot areas. Also, very old and tall individual found in October 2024. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa | ||||||||||||
| Forest-peach | Rawsonia lucida | Yes | 2021 | Allister Starke | An understory tree present in the indigenous forest but not in the pilot site | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Forest Waterberry | Syzygium gerrardii | We are planting some individuals in the pilot areas. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Green Flower Tree / Poison Olive | Peddiea africana | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan & David Johnson | One tree in the pilot area; others in forest. A few seedlings. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa | |||||||||||
| Henkel’s Yellowwood | Podocarpus henkelii | Yes | 2021. We are planting this species. | CC/JS | Most felled in colonial times, a few planted or recruited since. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South African endemic, most abundant in Eastern Cape and KZN | |||||||||||
| Honeysuckle-tree | Turraea floribunda | 2022 - we planted an individual | CC/JS | Planted a second tree near the first (above wetland slope) | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | From the eastern Cape north to Sudan | ||||||||||||
| Horsewood / Perdepis | Clausena anisata | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | A few individuals grow in the pilot project areas and seedlings are present | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to Tropical Africa | |||||||||||
| Ink-berry | Cestrum Laevigatum | Yes | A well-established alien species that has long invaded stream banks throughout the area. | CC/JS (Connor Cullinan/Janine Stephen) | 2022: The plant remains established and will take time to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Kahili ginger lily | Hedychium gardnerianum | Yes | Well-established upon project launch in 2021, and at least a decade prior. | CC | 2022: The plant remains established and will take time to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Lantana | Lantana camara | Yes | A well-established alien species that has choked ravines and open areas. | CC/JS | 2022: The plant remains established and will take years to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Large-leaved dragon tree | Dracaena aletriformis | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Growing copiously in undisturbed forest areas and here and there in pilot sites | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo | |||||||||||
| Lemonwood | Xymalos monospora | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Some lovely individuals near Bat Cave and on slopes. Few young trees. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Not endemic to SA. From Eastern Cape to Limpopo | |||||||||||
| Mauritius thorn | Caesalpinia decapetala | Yes | Well-established upon project launch in 2021, and at least a decade prior. | CC | 2023: The plant remains established and will take time to eradicate. | CC/JS | Alien to South Africa | ||||||||||||
| Natal milkplum | Englerophytum natalense | Yes | 2022 | Allister Starke | Largely an understory tree in the indigenous forest; not present in the pilot site | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | East and Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Paintbrush lily or Snake lily | Scadoxus puniceus | Yes | 03/04/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Southern and eastern Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Pigeonwood | Trema orientalis | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan and Sachin Daorsamy | A few saplings and adults in pilot areas; we are planting this species. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa & Asia | |||||||||||
| Pompon Tree | Dais cotinifolia | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | No trees found higher up the slopes as yet. We won't plant more in 2023. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe | |||||||||||
| Quinine tree | Rauvolfia caffra | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Enormous individuals grow in the Dell stream Pilot Project area | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa | |||||||||||
| Real Yellowwood | Podocarpus latifolius | Yes | 2021. A few scattered individuals survived colonial felling. | CC/JS | There are some mature individuals on the ridge. We are planting this species. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Western Cape to Tanzania | |||||||||||
| Red Currant | Searsia chirindensis | Yes | March 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | The tree appears to be relatively common in the area. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread, Western Cape to central Africa | |||||||||||
| Simple-leaved False-currant | Allophylus dregeanus | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | A well-represented understorey tree in the pilot project areas | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to KZN mistbelt and coast | |||||||||||
| Sneezewood | Ptaeroxylon obliquum | We are planting this species. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Eastern Cape to tropical Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Stinkwood / Black Stinkwood | Ocotea bullata | None found as yet. The project will plant some individuals. | CC/JS | 01/01/2023 | CC/JS | Endangered (EN) | SA endemic. Western Cape to Limpopo | ||||||||||||
| Tree Fuchsia | Halleria lucida | Yes | 2021. | CC/JS | A common tree in the pilot project areas, growing fairly large. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Western Cape to tropical Africa | |||||||||||
| White Ironwood | Vepris lanceolata | Yes | 2021 at Top Dam | CC/JS | Although there are not many adults, we are seeing a good few seedlings in 2024 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern & Eastern Africa | |||||||||||
| White Pear | Apodytes dimidiata | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Western Cape to Ethiopia | |||||||||||
| White Stinkwood | Celtis africana | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | Mature and younger individuals are present in pilot project and mature forest sites | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Evergreen forest from the Western Cape to Ethiopia | |||||||||||
| Wild Mulberry | Trimeria grandifolia | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | Only a few specimens seen. We are planting this species | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa & Mozambique | |||||||||||
| Wild Peach | Kiggelaria africana | Yes | Not seen in forest yet by ourselves | n/a | We are planting some individuals in a suitable pilot sites. (1st: March 2023) | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Wild Plum | Harpephyllum caffrum | Yes | 19/05/2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Reptiles & Amphibians | |||||||||||||||||||
| Boomslang | Dispholidus typus | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Cape Centipede Eater | Aparallactus capensis | 05/05/2021 | Connor Cullinan | As above, one sighting only | Connor Cullinan | Much of Southern Africa and the DRC | |||||||||||||
| Cape skink | Trachylepis capensis | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Cape Wolf Snake | Lycophidion capense | Yes | March 2023 | Connor Cullinan | Seen in the house on one occasion to date. | Connor Cullinan | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa | |||||||||||
| Common Dwarf Gecko | Lygodactylus capensis | Yes | 2021 | Connor Cullinan | These are common residents around the house. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across Africa | |||||||||||
| Gutteral Toad | Sclerophrys gutturalis | Yes | May 2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Midlands Dwarf Chameleon | Complex Bradypodion melanocephalum | Yes | 2022 | Connor Cullinan | 2022 | Connor Cullinan | Near Threatened (NT) | Endemic to KZN and the Eastern Cape | |||||||||||
| Natal Forest Tree Frog | Leptopelis natalensis | Yes | 29/05/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal and the northeastern part of the Eastern Cape. | ||||||||||||||
| Puff adder | Bitis arietans | Yes | 15/06/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Red-lipped Snake / Herald | Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia | Yes | 02/03/2021 | Connor Cullinan | A young individual tried to enter the house mid 2023. We've seen them in a water meter, a watering can, and a rockery. | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Southern Africa from South Africa to around the Zambezi | |||||||||||
| Water Lily Reed Frog | Hyperolius pusillus | Yes | Summer 2021 | Connor Cullinan and Frank Gaude | December 2022 | Kirsty Kyle / Connor Cullinan | Least Concern (LC) | Widespread across eastern Africa south of Somalia | |||||||||||