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Pigeon Valley is a Natural Heritage Park in Durban, South Africa. It was established to provide protection for the Natal White Stinkwood and other forest giants of the coastal climax forest. Another rare tree that occurs here is Oxyanthus pyriformis which is endemic to the Durban area and to Ongoye Forest. Pigeon Valley was developed as a Nature Reserve in 1989 and is about 10ha in extent.
Animals
The Park is home to Red Duiker and Blue Duiker. Various species of forest birds are found here including; Green Twinspot (Mandingoa nitidula), Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens), Southern Boubou (Laniarius ferrugineus), Spotted Ground-Thrush (Zoothera guttata), Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus) and African Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis). The Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) is known to breed here. Recent sightings of note include European Nightjar and Black Cuckoo.
The listing of birds seen in recent years can be seen here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/69692c43alz5dx5/Revised%20Pigeon%20Valley%20list%20April%202013.xlsx
Plants
There are about 95 species of trees occurring in Pigeon Valley, which is more than the total number of tree species in the entire British Isles. Tree species include; Albizia adianthifolia, Baphia racemosa, Brachylaena discolor, Celtis africana, Celtis mildbraedii, Chrysophyllum viridifolium, Combretum kraussii, Croton sylvaticus, Ficus lutea, Ficus natalensis, Ficus sur, Kiggelaria africana, Millettia grandis, Mimusops obovata, Strelitzia nicolai, Trema orientalis and Trichilia dregeana. Pigeon Valley is also notable for large stands of Isoglossa woodii which grow in more open areas under the forest canopy and in forest glades.
Community
An active grouping, Friends of Pigeon Valley, undertakes clearing of invasive alien plants, ensuring that the Park is unusually free of alien species. There is a Facebook page with that name.
References
- Bodenstein, J. (2009)
- Birds in Reserves, ADU
- Hemson, C. (2010)
- Trees of Pigeon Valley: Tree List Scientific. (2010)
Bibliography
- Pooley, T. and Player, I. (1995). KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Destinations. ISBN 1-86812-487-8.
See also
29°51′52″S 30°59′19″E / 29.86444°S 30.98861°E / -29.86444; 30.98861
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