Pigeon Valley

Pigeon Valley is a Natural Heritage Park and formally declared municipal nature reserve in Durban, South Africa. It is an unusual example of an urban reserve with very high levels of biodiversity. It was established to provide protection for the Natal elm (Celtis mildbraedii) and other forest giants of the coastal climax forest.[1] Another rare tree that occurs here is Natal forest loquat (Oxyanthus pyriformis), which is endemic to the Durban area and to oNgoye Forest. Pigeon Valley is about 11 ha in extent, and is situated on the Berea, overlooking Durban Bay. Its unusual north-south orientation may contribute to the biodiversity, with the south-facing slope covered in canopy forest, while the north-facing slope has thorny thickets. An adjoining reservoir, previously part of the reserve, provides a patch of coastal grassland.

Hikers in Pigeon Valley

Animals

Red duiker at Pigeon Valley
Male buff-spotted flufftail in Pigeon Valley, January 2014

The park is home to red duiker and blue duiker. Other mammals include Large-spotted Genet, a troop of banded mongooses as well as slender and water mongooses. Blue vervet monkeys are constantly present. From early July 2019, a side-striped jackal has been seen in neighbouring roads and is apparently living in the reserve. This may be the southernmost sighting of this species.

Various species of forest birds are found here including; red-capped robin-chat, green twinspot, Cape white-eye, southern boubou, spotted ground thrush, purple-crested turaco and African paradise flycatcher. The black sparrowhawk breeds here annually. There are increasingly common visits by the Crowned Eagle, and it seems that two birds are now resident in the suburban area. Another bird that is seldom seen but that is generally present is buff-spotted flufftail.[2] Unusual sightings of note in recent years include European nightjar, Knysna warbler, lemon dove, mountain wagtail, black-throated wattle-eye, common scimitarbill, palm-nut vulture and Knysna turaco. The current bird list for Pigeon Valley includes 162[3] species.

The spotted ground thrush is of particular note, as Pigeon Valley is one of the places where this endangered bird can be most reliably found in winter. It arrives typically in late March or early April, and is present until August or September; earliest arrival date recorded has been 22nd March and latest (in 2015) 5th October, apart from a single January sighting. Summer migrants include, occasionally, black cuckoo, red-chested cuckoo and red-backed shrike.

Bird list

Bird list for Pigeon Valley
NumberFamilySpeciesStatusNotes
1ApalisBar-throatedBreeding resident
2ApalisYellow-breastedBreeding resident
3BarbetBlack-collaredBreeding resident Recent decline in numbers
4BarbetWhite-earedBreeding residentIncreasing in number
5BarbetCrestedOccasional visitor
6BatisCapeBreeding resident
7BatisChinspotOccasional visitor
8Bee-eaterLittleOccasional visitor
9BlackcapBlackRare visitor22 August 2020
10BoubouSouthernBreeding resident
11BrownbulTerrestrialBreeding resident
12BulbulDark-cappedBreeding resident
13BuntingGolden-breastedOccasional visitorApril 1992, 30 March 2013
14Bush-ShrikeGorgeousRare visitor2007
15Bush-ShrikeGrey-headedOccasional visitor2012; winter 2014, 2019-2020
16Bush-ShrikeOliveWinter and spring visitor
17Bush-ShrikeOrange-breastedOccasional visitorLast seen 2011
18BuzzardSteppeInfrequent visitorMarch 2019
19CamaropteraGreen-backedBreeding resident
20CanaryBrimstoneRegular visitor
21CanaryYellow-frontedRegularly present
22ChatFamiliarOccasional visitor
23CisticolaZittingRare visitorPair present 2015; 2020
24CoucalBurchell'sOccasional visitor
25Crested-FlycatcherBlue-mantledRare visitorFemale present 2014-6
26CrowPiedOccasional visitor
27CuckooBlackOccasional summer visitor
28CuckooDiderikRegular summer visitor
29CuckooEmeraldOccasional summer visitor
30CuckooCommonRare visitor1979; November 2018
31CuckooJacobinRare visitorOctober 2016
32CuckooKlaas'sBreeding residentBreeding 2014
33CuckooRed-chestedOccasional summer visitor2015, 2017
34CuckooshrikeBlackOccasional visitorMainly winter
35CuckooshrikeGreyOccasional visitorMainly winter
36DoveRed-eyedBreeding resident
37DoveLaughingBreeding resident
38DoveRockOccasional visitor
39DoveTambourineBreeding resident
40DoveLemonRare visitor2012, 2018
41DrongoFork-tailedBreeding resident
42DrongoSquare-tailedBreeding resident
43DuckWhite-facedInfrequent visitorNovember 2017
44EagleAfrican crownedOccasional visitor
45Eagle-OwlSpottedOccasional visitor
46FalconLannerOccasional visitor
47FirefinchAfricanBreeding resident
48FirefinchRed-billedBreeding residentFirst sighting January 2015; now established
49FiscalCommonNot seen in recent years
50FlufftailBuff-spottedBreeding residentSeen regularly
51FlycatcherAshyBreeding resident
52FlycatcherDuskyBreeding resident
53FlycatcherFiscalRegular winter visitor
54FlycatcherSpottedUncommon summer visitorPresent late 2014
55FlycatcherSouthern BlackBreeding resident
56GoshawkAfricanBreeding resident
57GreenbulSombreBreeding resident
58GreenbulYellow-belliedOccasional visitorMainly winter and spring
59Ground-ThrushSpottedRegular migrantApril to September; November 2014; January 2016
60HamerkopOccasional visitor
61HarrierhawkAfricanRegular visitor
62HawkAfrican cuckooRare visitorPresent June 2014
63HeronBlack-headedOccasional visitor
64HobbyEurasianRare visitorMarch 2015
65HoneybirdBrown-backedOccasional visitor
66Honey-BuzzardEuropeanRare visitorFirst sighting January 2015
67HoneyguideGreaterRare visitorNot seen in recent years
68HoneyguideLesserUsually present
69HoneyguideScaly-throatedOccasional visitor
70HoopoeAfricanOccasional visitor
71HornbillCrownedRare visitor2015
72HornbillTrumpeterRare visitor2011
73IbisHadedaBreeding resident
74IndigobirdVillageUncertain as yetFirst sighted June 2019
75KingfisherBrown-hoodedBreeding resident
76KingfisherMangroveRare visitor2011, March 2016, 8 October 2017
77KiteYellow-billedBreeding migrant
78MalkohaGreenInfrequent visitor2010, 2017-8
79MannikinBronzeBreeding resident
80MannikinRed-backedBreeding resident
81MartinRockOccasional visitor
82MousebirdSpeckledBreeding resident
83MynaCommonFrequent visitor
84NightjarEuropeanRare visitor2013; 18 December 2014
85NightjarFiery-neckedOccasional visitor
86OrioleBlack-headedBreeding resident
87OwlBarnRecord from 1979
88Palm SwiftAfricanRegularly present
89Paradise FlycatcherAfricanBreeding resident
90ParakeetRose-ringedRegular visitor
91PigeonGreenRecord from 1979
92PriniaTawny-flankedBreeding resident
93PuffbackBlack-backedBreeding resident
94Pygmy-KingfisherAfricanOccasional visitor
95QueleaRed-billedRare visitorDecember 2017
96RobinWhite-starredRare visitorNot seen in recent years
97Robin-ChatRed-cappedBreeding resident
98Robin-ChatCapeOccasional visitorMainly winter
99Robin-ChatChoristerOccasional visitorMainly winter
100Saw-wingBlackRegular visitor
101ScimitarbillCommonRare visitor11 November 2016
102Scops OwlSouthern white-facedRare vagrantJuly 2018
103Scrub-RobinWhite-browedFormerly breeding resident
104SeedeaterStreaky-headedBreeding resident
105ShrikeRed-backedInfrequent summer visitorPresent Nov 2015
106SparrowSouthern grey-headedOccasional visitor
107SparrowHouseOccasional visitor
108SparrowhawkLittleOccasional visitor
109SparrowhawkBlackBreeding resident
110SpurfowlNatalBreeding resident
111StarlingBlack-belliedBreeding resident
112StarlingViolet-backedOccasional summer visitor
113StarlingRed-wingedRegularly present
114StarlingGlossyBreeding resident
115StonechatAfricanRare visitorNot seen in recent years
116StorkWoolly-neckedOccasional visitor
117SunbirdGreyBreeding resident
118SunbirdAmethystBreeding resident
119SunbirdOliveBreeding resident
120SunbirdPurple-bandedRegular visitorWinter
121SunbirdCollaredBreeding resident
122SunbirdWhite-belliedBreeding resident
123SwallowBarnRegular visitorSummer
124SwallowLesser-stripedRegular visitor
125SwallowWhite-throatedOccasional visitor
126SwiftBlackRare visitor
127SwiftWhite-rumpedOccasional visitor
128SwiftLittleRegularly present
129SwiftAlpineRare visitorNot seen in recent years
130TchagraSouthernRare visitor2017, 2018
131ThrushKurrichaneBreeding resident
132ThrushOliveWinter visitorPresent March 2014, 2018
133TinkerbirdRed-frontedOccasional visitorOctober 2017, July 2020
134TinkerbirdYellow-rumpedBreeding resident
135TitSouthern blackBreeding resident
136TrogonNarinaOccasional visitor
137TuracoKnysnaRare visitorSeptember 1991; 1 October 2017
138TuracoPurple-crestedBreeding resident
139TwinspotGreenRegular visitorBreeding record 2014
140VulturePalm-nutRare visitor22 October 2017, May 2020
141WagtailCapeOccasional visitor
142WagtailMountainRare visitorSeen once in 1990s, again in 2013
143WarblerBarratt'sInfrequent winter visitorJune 2014, 2017
144WarblerGardenRare visitorPresent winter 2015
145WarblerKnysnaRare visitor20 August 2017, 2018
146WarblerMarshSummer visitorSeveral 2017-9
147WarblerWillowRare summer visitorDecember 2014
148Wattle-eyeBlack-throatedRare visitor2013; present in 2015
149WaxbillCommonRegular visitor
150WaxbillGreyBreeding resident
151WeaverYellowRare visitorWinter 2015
152WeaverDark-backedBreeding resident
153WeaverVillageBreeding resident
154WeaverSpectacledRegularly present
155WeaverThick-billedBreeding resident
156White-eyeCapeBreeding resident
157Wood-hoopoeGreenRegular visitor
158Woodland-WarblerYellow-throatedRare visitor, winter13 August 2016
159WoodpeckerGolden-tailedBreeding resident
160WoodpeckerCardinalBreeding resident
161WoodpeckerOliveRare visitor2009, 2017, 2018
162WhydahPin-tailedIrregular visitor2015, 2017

Butterflies

The reserve is excellent for its butterflies, and the total listing is now 92 species. In September 2018 the first pupae of the short-barred sapphire were found on a Celtis mildbraedii tree. The host plant is the Oncocalyx quinquenervius mistletoe, which grows profusely on the tree. Subsequently a red-line sapphire was found at the same spot. The first forest queen was found in 2019.

Plants

A Natal elm, showing its extensive buttressing, Pigeon Valley, May 2013

There are over 110 species of trees occurring in Pigeon Valley, almost all of which are locally indigenous.[4] Pigeon Valley is also notable for large stands of buckweed (Isoglossa woodii), which grow in more open areas under the forest canopy and in forest glades. In recent years there have been a few discoveries of plants not previously identified.

Pigeon Valley is unique in having large numbers of the rare Natal elm, and of Natal forest loquat. A Cryptocarya specimen found adjacent to the main track has so far not been definitively identified; it may be a species seldom found in the area or alternatively a hybrid.

A spotted ground thrush in this urban reserve, where it is a winter visitor

Public access

The reserve is open from 07:30 to 16:00 daily throughout the year. The entrance is in Princess Alice Avenue, Glenwood, opposite Rhodes Avenue.

Community

An active grouping, Friends of Pigeon Valley, undertakes clearing of invasive alien plants, ensuring that the park is unusually free of alien species. It also liaises with the municipal managers of the reserve to address relevant issues. The Friends operate a monthly walk open to the public on the second Saturday of each month, at 07h30. There is a Facebook page, Friends of Pigeon Valley, at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfPigeonValley/.

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Pooley, T. and Player, I. (1995). KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Destinations. ISBN 1-86812-487-8.

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