Nata Bird Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
The Nata Bird Sanctuary, the only protected reserve in Botswana
in the northeastern periphery of Sowa Pan, is a community-managed project, with assistance from the Nata Conservation Committee and national and international organizations. Founded in 1988, it opened for operations in 1993; it encompasses an area of 230 square kilometres (88.8 sq mi), with the objective of conservation of wildlife. The community project is managed by a Trust titled the "Kalahari Conservation Society", which has members drawn from the four villages of Nata
, Sepako
, Maposa
and Maxotac in the vicinity of the sanctuary.
The prominent wildlife species in the sanctuary are reported to number 165 bird species. The sanctuary is of international importance due to its population of 250,000 lesser flamingo
(Phoenicopterus minor) and greater flamingo
s (Phoenicopterus roseus), which visit the sanctuary every year during the winter period to breed, after the rainy season, when the water sources are full.
The community-initiated sanctuary received the coveted "Tourism for Tomorrow" award for the Southern Hemisphere
in the first year it opened, in 1993.
delta, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Nata village
at the northeastern border of the Sua Pan (salt pan) within the larger Makgadikgadi. The Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape, located in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
to the southeast of the Okavango Delta
, is the most important of natural habitats. It covers wild life conservation parks such as the Makgadikgadi National Park
and the Nxai Pan National Park
, apart from the Nata Bird Sanctuary, which is "one of the largest breeding sites of Lesser and Greater flamingo in the world."
This region was inhabited by the Nata
, Sepako
, Maposa
and Maxotac communities, who grazed their 3500 and odd cattle in the area. The villagers were persuaded to move their cattle so that a securely fenced sanctuary could be established covering an area of 230 square kilometres (88.8 sq mi); 45% of the sanctuary lies in the Sua Pan.
A raised wooden platform within the sanctuary provides vistas of the Sua salt pan and the rich bird life of the sanctuary. The roads within the sanctuary are now well maintained. Some areas of the park, where black "cotton" soils are found, can pose problems for road transport during the rainy season.
, to conserve and preserve the wild life, particularly the bird species. These dominate the Sua Pan at the mouth of the Nata River; it is an ephemeral
stream bordering the Sua Pan
. The Kalahari Conservation Society, with funds contributed by national and international organisations, is credited with ensuring voluntary participation of the local people. The local people not only relocated their cattle of about 3,500 heads to adjacent land but also built a network of dirt roads.
Nata Bird Sanctuary, now one of the three breeding grounds of flamingos in Africa
, is the largest. It has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the “largest breeding sites of lesser and greater flamingo in the world” and a site of international importance.
(Pelecanus rufescens) are the most dominant species, they arrive annually in large numbers as part of their migration
during the winter season. Some of the other notable bird species recorded are: avocet
, blackwinged stilt
(Himantopus himantopus), Blacksmith Lapwing
(Vanellus armatus), Black-necked Grebe
(Podiceps nigricollis), bustards, carmine
, darters, African Fish Eagle
(Haliaeetus vocifer), geese, korhaans, Pied Kingfisher
(Ceryle rudis), Black-chested Snake-eagle
(Circaetus pectoralis), Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
(Merops persicus), Cape Teal
(Anas capensis), Kori Bustard
(Ardeotis kori), Hottentot Teal
(Anas hottentota), Martial Eagle
(Polemaetus bellicosus), Red-knobbed Coot
, (Fulica cristata), Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), spoonbills, and White-faced Whistling Duck
(Dendrocygna viduata).
The birds migrate from Etosha, in the border state of Namibia
. Greater flamingos feed on brine shrimps (Artemia), worms and tiny crustaceans, while the lesser flamingos feed on algae
; all are plentiful in the warm shallow waters of salt pans.
, hartebeest
(Alcelaphus buselaphus), kudu
(Tragelaphus imberbis), reedbuck
(Redunca arundinum), springbok
, steenbok
(Raphicerus campestris), springhare
(Pedetes capensis), jackals, foxes, monkeys, squirrels, eland
(Taurotragus oryx) , gemsbok
(Oryx gazella) and zebra
.
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
in the northeastern periphery of Sowa Pan, is a community-managed project, with assistance from the Nata Conservation Committee and national and international organizations. Founded in 1988, it opened for operations in 1993; it encompasses an area of 230 square kilometres (88.8 sq mi), with the objective of conservation of wildlife. The community project is managed by a Trust titled the "Kalahari Conservation Society", which has members drawn from the four villages of Nata
Nata, Botswana
Nata is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located in the northern part of the district, and is served by Nata Airport. The population was 4150 in 2001 census. The village of Nata lies along the Nata River which carries its rainy season flow to the Makgadikgadi Pans, a seasonal...
, Sepako
Sepako
Sepako is a village in Central District of Botswana. The village is located 50 km north-east of Nata, close to the border with Zimbabwe, and it has a primary school. The population was 627 in 2001 census....
, Maposa
Maposa
Maposa is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located 15 km north of Nata, and the village has a primary school. The population was 205 in 2001 census....
and Maxotac in the vicinity of the sanctuary.
The prominent wildlife species in the sanctuary are reported to number 165 bird species. The sanctuary is of international importance due to its population of 250,000 lesser flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
The Lesser Flamingo is a species in the flamingo family of birds that resides in Africa and in southern Asia...
(Phoenicopterus minor) and greater flamingo
Greater Flamingo
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia , and southern Europe...
s (Phoenicopterus roseus), which visit the sanctuary every year during the winter period to breed, after the rainy season, when the water sources are full.
The community-initiated sanctuary received the coveted "Tourism for Tomorrow" award for the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
in the first year it opened, in 1993.
Geography
The Nata sanctuary is situated at the mouth of the Nata RiverNata River
The Nata River or Amanzanyama River is a natural watercourse in Southern Africa. Within the country of Botswana the Nata River is a source of water to the ephemeral wetlands of the Makgadikgadi Pans, where a number of species of limited distribution thrive...
delta, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Nata village
Nata, Botswana
Nata is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located in the northern part of the district, and is served by Nata Airport. The population was 4150 in 2001 census. The village of Nata lies along the Nata River which carries its rainy season flow to the Makgadikgadi Pans, a seasonal...
at the northeastern border of the Sua Pan (salt pan) within the larger Makgadikgadi. The Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape, located in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park in the Kalahari desert of Botswana. Established in 1961 it covers an area of 52,800 km² making it the second largest game reserve in the world.The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog,...
to the southeast of the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta , in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea...
, is the most important of natural habitats. It covers wild life conservation parks such as the Makgadikgadi National Park
Makgadikgadi Pan
The Makgadikgadi Pan is a large salt pan in the middle of the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana. It is one of the largest salt flats in the world...
and the Nxai Pan National Park
Nxai Pan National Park
Nxai Pan National Park is a national park in north-eastern Botswana, consisting of Nxai Pan, which is one of the Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats.-Notes:This park is considered for inclusion in the 5 Nation Kavango - Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area....
, apart from the Nata Bird Sanctuary, which is "one of the largest breeding sites of Lesser and Greater flamingo in the world."
This region was inhabited by the Nata
Nata, Botswana
Nata is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located in the northern part of the district, and is served by Nata Airport. The population was 4150 in 2001 census. The village of Nata lies along the Nata River which carries its rainy season flow to the Makgadikgadi Pans, a seasonal...
, Sepako
Sepako
Sepako is a village in Central District of Botswana. The village is located 50 km north-east of Nata, close to the border with Zimbabwe, and it has a primary school. The population was 627 in 2001 census....
, Maposa
Maposa
Maposa is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located 15 km north of Nata, and the village has a primary school. The population was 205 in 2001 census....
and Maxotac communities, who grazed their 3500 and odd cattle in the area. The villagers were persuaded to move their cattle so that a securely fenced sanctuary could be established covering an area of 230 square kilometres (88.8 sq mi); 45% of the sanctuary lies in the Sua Pan.
A raised wooden platform within the sanctuary provides vistas of the Sua salt pan and the rich bird life of the sanctuary. The roads within the sanctuary are now well maintained. Some areas of the park, where black "cotton" soils are found, can pose problems for road transport during the rainy season.
History
The Nata Conservation Committee began planning in 1988 to establish a bird sanctuary in the delta of the Nata RiverNata River
The Nata River or Amanzanyama River is a natural watercourse in Southern Africa. Within the country of Botswana the Nata River is a source of water to the ephemeral wetlands of the Makgadikgadi Pans, where a number of species of limited distribution thrive...
, to conserve and preserve the wild life, particularly the bird species. These dominate the Sua Pan at the mouth of the Nata River; it is an ephemeral
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
stream bordering the Sua Pan
Sua Pan
The Sua Pan or Sowa Pan is a large natural topographic depression within the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana. It is located near the village of Sowa, whose name means salt in the language of the San...
. The Kalahari Conservation Society, with funds contributed by national and international organisations, is credited with ensuring voluntary participation of the local people. The local people not only relocated their cattle of about 3,500 heads to adjacent land but also built a network of dirt roads.
Nata Bird Sanctuary, now one of the three breeding grounds of flamingos in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, is the largest. It has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the “largest breeding sites of lesser and greater flamingo in the world” and a site of international importance.
Fauna
Among the wild life species noted in the sanctuary are 165 bird species. Other species of wild life are also reported, though of limited numbers.Avifauna
The bird sanctuary has about 165 species of birds; the lesser and greater flamingos, Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and Pink-backed PelicanPink-backed Pelican
The Pink-backed Pelican is a member of the pelican family of birds. It is a resident breeder in Africa, southern Arabia and apparently extinct in Madagascar in swamps and shallow lakes.-Description:...
(Pelecanus rufescens) are the most dominant species, they arrive annually in large numbers as part of their migration
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
during the winter season. Some of the other notable bird species recorded are: avocet
Avocet
The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts.Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer...
, blackwinged stilt
Black-winged Stilt
The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family . Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single species and if not, how many species to recognize...
(Himantopus himantopus), Blacksmith Lapwing
Blacksmith Lapwing
The Blacksmith Lapwing or Blacksmith Plover occurs commonly from Kenya through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa...
(Vanellus armatus), Black-necked Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.-Taxonomy:There are three subspecies:*P. n...
(Podiceps nigricollis), bustards, carmine
Carmine
Carmine , also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal beetle and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for...
, darters, African Fish Eagle
African Fish Eagle
The African Fish Eagle or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles , the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. As a result of its large range, it is known in many...
(Haliaeetus vocifer), geese, korhaans, Pied Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
The Pied Kingfisher is a water kingfisher and is found widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Their black and white plumage, crest and the habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish makes it distinctive. Males have a double band across the breast while females have a...
(Ceryle rudis), Black-chested Snake-eagle
Black-chested Snake-eagle
The Black-chested Snake Eagle is a large African bird of prey of the Accipitridae family. It resembles other snake-eagles and was once believed to be conspecific with the Short-toed Snake Eagle and Beaudouin's Snake Eagle....
(Circaetus pectoralis), Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in Northern Africa, and the Middle East from eastern Turkey to Kazakhstan and India. It is generally strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, although some populations breed...
(Merops persicus), Cape Teal
Cape Teal
The Cape Teal is a 44-46 cm long dabbling duck of open wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa.This species is essentially non-migratory, although it moves opportunistically with the rains. Like many southern ducks, the sexes are similar. It is very pale and mainly grey, with a browner back and pink...
(Anas capensis), Kori Bustard
Kori Bustard
The Kori Bustard is a large bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family. It may be the heaviest bird capable of flight....
(Ardeotis kori), Hottentot Teal
Hottentot Teal
The Hottentot Teal is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Anas. It is migratory resident in eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria and south to South Africa and Namibia. In west Africa and Madagascar it is sedentary.The Hottentot Teal breed year round,...
(Anas hottentota), Martial Eagle
Martial Eagle
The Martial Eagle , is a very large eagle found in open and semi-open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus.-Description:...
(Polemaetus bellicosus), Red-knobbed Coot
Red-knobbed Coot
The Red-knobbed Coot or Crested Coot, , is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae.It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southernmost Spain on freshwater lakes and ponds. It builds a nest of dead reeds near the water's edge or more commonly afloat, laying about 8...
, (Fulica cristata), Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), spoonbills, and White-faced Whistling Duck
White-faced Whistling Duck
The White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata, is a whistling duck which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight...
(Dendrocygna viduata).
The birds migrate from Etosha, in the border state of Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. Greater flamingos feed on brine shrimps (Artemia), worms and tiny crustaceans, while the lesser flamingos feed on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
; all are plentiful in the warm shallow waters of salt pans.
Other fauna
Other wildlife faunal species reported are: the antelopeAntelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
, hartebeest
Hartebeest
The hartebeest is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus....
(Alcelaphus buselaphus), kudu
Lesser Kudu
The lesser kudu is a forest antelope found in East Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The southern lesser kudu is a subspecies found in Kenya and Tanzania....
(Tragelaphus imberbis), reedbuck
Southern Reedbuck
The Southern Reedbuck, Rietbok or Common Reedbuck is a diurnal antelope typically found in southern Africa.It was first described by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist, in 1785...
(Redunca arundinum), springbok
Springbok
Springbok can have the following meanings:* Springbok , a small antelope inhabiting southern and western Africa.* South Africa national rugby union team, known as the Springboks....
, steenbok
Steenbok
The Steenbok, Raphicerus campestris, is a common small antelope of southern and eastern Africa. It is sometimes known as the Steinbuck or Steinbok.- Description :...
(Raphicerus campestris), springhare
Springhare
The springhare , or springhaas, is not actually a hare, but a member of the order Rodentia. It is one of a number of species in the genus Pedetes, and is native to southern Africa. Synonyms are P. caffer or P...
(Pedetes capensis), jackals, foxes, monkeys, squirrels, eland
Common Eland
The common eland , also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is the largest antelope in the African continent...
(Taurotragus oryx) , gemsbok
Gemsbok
The gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of southern Africa, but formerly some authorities included the East African Oryx as a subspecies...
(Oryx gazella) and zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
.