Tankwa Karoo National Park

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Tankwa Karoo National Park is a Scientific National Park in South Africa. The park lies about 70 km due west of Sutherland, South Africa near the border of the Northern Cape and Western Cape, in one of the most arid regions of South Africa, receiving 50 to 70 mm of precipitation in an average year. The mean January temperature in the park is 38.9 °C, and in July the average is 5.7 °C. Declared a national park in 1986, the area is still closed to the public while an infrastructure of roads and accommodation is developed. Before this Park's proclamation, the only protected area of Succulent Karoo was the 200 hectare patch of the Gamka Mountain Nature Reserve. Succulent Karoo has, together with the Cape Floral Kingdom, been declared a Biodiversity Hotspot by Conservation International.

Tankwa's area has been increased from an initial 280 to 1110 km². It is bounded on the east by the Roggeveld Mountains, on the west by the Cederberg, to the north by the Kouebokkeveld Mountains and on the south by the scattered foothills of the Koedoesberge and Klein Roggeveld Mountains, and the Tankwa River. The park's headquarters are located at Paulshoek on the Renoster River in an old farmhouse converted to offices and a visitor reception area.

In 1998 Conrad Strauss sold 280 km² of sheep farm to the South African National Parks. The park has started with the reintroduction of game that used to occur naturally in the area. Research was done beforehand to ensure that introduced animals would survive on the overgrazed veld. The vegetation in the park falls within the Succulent Karoo biome and has been described as very sparse shrubland and Dwarf Shrubland. The park is home to a large variety of birds, such as the Black-headed Canary, Ludwig’s Bustard, and the Blackeared Sparrowlark. Peak birding season is August to October.

[edit] List of mammals

Antidorcas marsupialis - Springbok
Canis mesomelas - Black-backed jackal
Chrysochloris asiatica - Cape golden mole
Cynictis penicillata - Yellow mongoose
Felis lybica - African wildcat
Felix caracal - Caracal
Genetta genetta - Small-spotted genet
Hystrix africaeaustralis - Porcupine
Ictonyx striatus - Striped polecat/Zorilla
Lepus capensis - Cape hare

Lepus saxatilis - Scrub Hare
Malacothrix typica - Gerbil mouse
Mellivora capensis - Ratel/Honey badger
Mus domesticus - House mouse
Oreotragus oreotragus - Klipspringer
Orycteropus afer - Aardvark/Antbear
Otocyon megalotis - Bat-eared fox
Otomys unisulcatis - Karoo bushrat
Palea capreolus - Grey Rhebok
Panthera pardus - Leopard

Papio cynocephalus ursinus - Chacma baboon
Procavia capensis - Rock dassie/Hyrax
Proteles cristatus - Aardwolf
Raphicerus campestris - Steenbok
Rhabdomys pumilio - Striped mouse
Suricata suricatta - Suricate
Sylvicapra grimmia - Grey duiker
Tragelaphus strepsiceros - Kudu
Vulpes chama - Cape fox

[edit] List of birds

62 Grey Heron Bloureier Ardea cinerea L.
84 Black Stork Grootswartooievaar Ciconia nigra L.
94 Hadeda Ibis Hadeda Bostrychia hagedash Latham
96 Greater Flamingo Grootflamink Phoenicopterus roseus Pallas
102 Egyptian Goose Kolgans Alopochen aegyptiacus L.
103 South African Shelduck Kopereend
108 Red-billed Teal Rooibekeend
112 Cape Shoveller Kaapse Slopeend
118 Secretarybird Sekretarisvoël
126 Yellowbilled Kite Geelbekwou
131 Verreaux's Eagle Witkruisarend
136 Booted Eagle Dwergarend
140 Martial Eagle Breëkoparend
143 Black-chested Snake Eagle Swartborsslangarend
149 Steppe Buzzard Bruinjakkalsvoël
152 Jackal Buzzard Rooiborsjakkalsvoël
162 Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk Bleeksingvalk
168 Black Harrier Witkruisvleivalk
171 Peregrine Falcon Swerfvalk
172 Lanner Falcon Edelvalk
181 Rock Kestrel Kransvalk
182 Greater Kestrel Grootrooivalk
183 Lesser Kestrel Kleinrooivalk
190 Grey-winged Francolin Bergpatrys
195 Cape Spurfowl Kaapse fisant
200 Common Quail Afrikaanse kwartel
203 Helmeted Guineafowl Gewone tarentaal
228 Red-knobbed Coot Bleshoender
230 Kori Bustard Gompou
232 Ludwig’s Bustard Ludwigse Pou
235 Karoo Bustard Vaalkorhaan
248 Kittlitz’s Plover Geelborsstrandkiewiet
249 Three-banded Plover Driebandstrandkiewiet
258 Blacksmith Lapwing Bontkiewiet
269 Marsh Sandpiper Moerasruiter
286 African Snipe Afrikaanse Snip
294 Avocet Bontelsie
295 Black-winged Stilt Rooipootelsie
297 Spotted Thick-knee Gewone dikkop
299 Burchell's Courser Bloukopdrawwertjie
301 Doublebanded Courser Dubbelbanddrawwertjie
344 Namaqua Sandgrouse Kelkiewyn

349 Speckled Pigeon Kransduif
354 Cape Turtle Dove Gewone tortelduif
355 Laughing Dove Rooiborsduifie
356 Namaqua Dove Namakwaduifie
392 Barn Owl Nonnetjie – uil
401 Spotted Eagle Owl Gevlekte ooruil
412 African Black Swift Swartwindswael
415 White-rumped Swift Witkruiswindswael
417 Little Swift Kleinwindswael
418 Alpine Swift Witpenswindswael
425 White-backed Mousebird Witkruismuisvoël
426 Red-faced Mousebird Rooiwangmuisvoël
438 European Bee-eater Europese byvreter
451 African Hoopoe Hoephoep
465 Acacia Pied Barbet Bonthoutkapper
474 Greater Honeyguide Grootheuningwyser
476 Lesser Honeyguide Kleinheuningwyser
495 Cape Clapper Lark Kaapse klappertjie
500.3 Karoo Long-billed Lark Karoolangbeklewerik
502 Karoo Lark Karoolewerik
506 Spike-heeled Lark Vlaktelewerik
507 Red-capped Lark Rooikoplewerik
512 Large-billed Lark Dikbeklewerik
516 Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark Grysruglewerik
517 Black-eared Sparrow-Lark Swartoorlewerik
518 Barn Swallow Europese swael
526 Greater Striped Swallow Grootstreepswael
529 Rock Martin Kransswael
533 Brown-throated Martin Afrikaanse Oewerswael
547 Cape Crow Swartkraai
548 Pied Crow Witborskraai
550 White-necked Raven Withalskraai
551 Grey Tit Pietjoutjougrysmees
557 Cape Penduline Tit Kaapse kapokvoël
566 Cape Bulbul Kaapse tiptol
567 African Red-eyed Bulbul Rooioogtiptol
577.1 Karoo Thrush Bruinlyster
586 Mountain Wheatear Bergwagter
587 Capped Wheatear Hoëveldskaapwagter
589 Familiar Chat Gewone spekvreter
590 Tractrac Chat Woestynspekvreter
591 Sickle-winged Chat Vlaktespekvreter

592 Karoo Chat Karoospekvreter
614 Karoo Scrub-Robin Slangverklikker
621 Chestnutvented Titbabbler Bosveldtjeriktik
622 Layard’s Titbabbler Grystjeriktik
631 African Reed-Warbler Kleinrietsanger
643 Willow Warbler Hofsanger
651 Longbilled Crombec Bosveldstompstertjie
653 Yellow-bellied Eremomela Geelpensbossanger
654 Karoo Eremomela Groenbossanger
669 Greybacked Cisticola Grysrugtinktinkie
686 Karoo Prinia Karoolangstertjie
687 Namaqua Warbler Namakwalangstertjie
688 Rufouseared Warbler Rooioorlangstertjie
703 Pririt Batis Priritbosbontrokkie
706 Fairy Flycatcher Feëvlieëvanger
713 Cape Wagtail Gewone kwikkie
716 African Pipit Gewone koester
717 Long-billed Pipit Nicholsonse koester
732 Common Fiscal Fiskaallaksman
746 Bokmakierie Bokmakierie
757 European Starling Europese Spreeu
759 African Pied Starling Witgatspreeu
760 Wattled Starling Lelspreeu (Vaalspreeu)
770 Pale-winged Starling Bleekvlerkspreeu
775 Malachite Sunbird Jangroentjie
783 Southern Double-collared Sunbird Kleinrooiborssuikerbekkie
788 Dusky Sunbird Namakwasuikerbekkie
801 House Sparrow Huismossie
803 Cape Sparrow Gewone mossie
804 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Gryskopmossie
813 Cape Weaver Kaapse wewer
814 Southern Masked Weaver Swartkeelgeelvink
824 Southern Red Bishop Rooivink
846 Common Waxbill Rooibeksysie
874 Cape Siskin Kaapse pietjiekanarie
876 Black-headed Canary Swartkopkanarie
878 Yellow Canary Geelkanarie
879 White-throated Canary Witkeelkanarie
885 Cape Bunting Rooivlerkstreepkoppie
887 Lark-like Bunting Vaalstreepkoppie

[edit] References

Coordinates: 32°15′S, 19°45′E