Species list
This list is compiled from existing records and studies of species in the wider Ferncliffe area. It’s a work in progress — more species will be added soon.
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 | 2022: 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 | 2022: 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) | 23/11/2021 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| African Firefinch | Lagonosticta rubricata | Yes | 2021 | CC/JS | September 2022, very active and regularly seen in the open. | 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 | JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| African Goshawk | Accipiter tachiro | Yes | 06/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| African Olive Pigeon or Rameron Pigeon | Columba arquatrix | Yes | 08/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| 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 | May 2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| 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 Sparrowhawk | Accipiter melanoleucus | Yes | July 2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher | Trochocercus cyanomelas | Yes | Seen in Glade in May 2021 | Vanessa Stephen | 15/03/2022 | Janine Stephen | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Bronze Mannikin | Spermestes cucullata | Yes | 07/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Brown-hooded Kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris | Yes | 24/06/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Cape Batis | Batis capensis | Yes | 08/08/2021 | 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 | 27/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Common Fiscal | Lanius collaris | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 08/06/2021 | Near Threatened (NT) | |||||||||||||||
| Dark-capped Bulbul | Pycnonotus tricolor | Yes | March 2022. Common residents. | CC/JS | Seen year round 2022. | 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) | ||||||||||||
| Forest Buzzard | Buteo trizonatus | Yes | In 2015/2016 by Connor and myself | Near Threatened (NT) | |||||||||||||||
| Green-backed Camaroptera | Camaroptera brachyura | Yes | 29/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Green Twinspot | Mandingoa nitidula | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Grey Cuckooshrike | Ceblepyris caesia / Coracina caesia | Yes | Not yet recorded. | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Hadeda Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash | Yes | 29/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Knysna Turaco | Tauraco corythaix | Yes | April 2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Endemic to South Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Long-crested Eagle | Lophaetus occipitalis | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS (Connor Cullinan/Janine Stephen) | April 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-Saharan Africa | |||||||||||
| Olive Bushshrike | Chlorophoneus olivaceus | Yes | May 2021 | Vanessa Stephen | September 2022. A pair in the Pomegranate grove feeding on caterpillars | JS | Least Concern (LC) | South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi | |||||||||||
| Olive Sunbird | Cyanomitra olivacea | Yes | March 2021 | CC/JS | September 2022. There are resident birds dueting and gathering spiderwebs | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| Purple-crested Turaco | Tauraco porphyreolophus | Yes | 29/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||
| Sombre Greenbul | Andropadus importunus | Yes | 18/05/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Southern Boubou | Laniarius major | Yes | 17/07/2021 | 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 | ||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||
| White-bellied Sunbird | Cinnyris talatala | Yes | 27/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| White-starred Robin | Pogonocichla stellata | Yes | 26/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| African Wood Owl | Strix woodfordii | Yes | 06/08/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Invertebrates | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bark Mantids | Tarachodidiae | Yes | |||||||||||||||||
| Brownish keeled millipede | Rhopaloskelus terreus | Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal | |||||||||||||||||
| CMR Blister Beetle | Hycleus oculatus | Yes | Summer 2021 | CC (Connor Cullinan) | Around March 2022 | CC/JS | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ghost-like keeled millipede | Gnomeskelus larvatus | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Kraus’s slender spined millipede | Spinotarsus krausi | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| Obscure keeled millipede | Gnomeskelus retrusus | Endemic. Only recorded in Ferncliffe Nature Reserve | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wahlberg’s Emperor Moth | Nudaurelia wahlbergi | Yes | 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
| Mammals | |||||||||||||||||||
| African Marsh Rat | Dasymys incomtus | Near Threatened (NT) | Largely endemic to KwaZulu-Natal. | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 or Rock Hyrax | Procavia capensis | Yes | In the 1980/1990s in the Pilot Project Area, but disease has left none | 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 | |||||||||||||
| Temminck’s Hairy Bat | Myotis tricolor | Least Concern (LC) | Sub-saharan, east and (rarely) west and central Africa | ||||||||||||||||
| Vervet Monkey | Cercopithecus aethiops | Yes | 27/07/2021 | 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 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bugweed | Solanum mauritianum | Yes | A well-established alien species that has long invaded stream banks and slopes throughout the area. | CC/JS | 2022: 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 | ||||||||||||
| Large-leaved dragon tree | Dracaena aletriformis | Yes | 15/07/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| Mauritius thorn | Caesalpinia decapetala | 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 | ||||||||||||
| Paintbrush lily or Snake lily | Scadoxus puniceus | Yes | 03/04/2021 | Least Concern (LC) | Southern and eastern Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Quinine tree | Rauvolfia caffra | Yes | Least Concern (LC) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wild Plum | Harpephyllum caffram | Yes | 19/05/2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Reptiles & Amphibians | |||||||||||||||||||
| Boomslang | Dispholidus typus | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Cape skink | Trachylepis capensis | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||||
| Gutteral Toad | Sclerophrys gutturalis | Yes | May 2021 | Least Concern (LC) | |||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||