The Wildebeest's guide to South Africa
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
Afrikaans name: Walter Sisulu Nasionale Botaniese Tuin
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Gauteng
Today we know this beautiful place as the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden but it started out in 1982 as the Transvaal National Botanic Garden. In 1987 it was first opened to the public and was renamed to the Witwatersrand National Botanic Garden. In 2004 the garden was renamed to its current name as a tribute to Walter Sisulu, a prominent figure in the freedom struggle, who passed away in 2003.
One of the standout features of the garden is the Witpoortjie Falls. The reserve is also well-known as a breeding spot for a pair of Verreaux's Eagles. The Eagle's Fare Restaurant is a great place to enjoy a meal or get some refreshments.
There are numerous paths leading through the extensive garden. The garen is divided up into various sections including the Water Garden, Succulent Rockery, Cycad Garden, Geological Garden, Forest Walk and Mountain View Walk.
A popular activity, especially on the weekend, is to have a picnic on one of the many lawns. There is also a concert stage and events are held here from time to time.
Other facilities at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden include a retail nursery, gift shop and education centre.
The garden is located at the end of Malcolm Road in Poortview, Roodepoort.
Above - Entrance to the garden
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Above - Kids can catch a ride through the gardens
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Above - A beautiful display of aloes
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Above - Restaurant in the gardens
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Bird checklist for Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
Coqui Francolin
Red-winged Francolin
Common Quail
Greater Honeyguide
Brown-backed Honeybird
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Acacia Pied Barbet
Half-collared Kingfisher
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Jacobin Cuckoo
Levaillant's Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo
Alpine Swift
African Black Swift
Horus Swift
White-rumped Swift
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Freckled Nightjar
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Rock Dove
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Grey-headed Gull
African Cuckoo Hawk
Ovambo Sparrowhawk
Booted Eagle
Wahlberg's Eagle
Lesser Kestrel
Rock Kestrel
Amur Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Great Crested Grebe
Squacco Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Little Bittern
Dwarf Bittern
Abdim's Stork
Brubru
Black-crowned Tchagra
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike
White-crested Helmet-Shrike
Cape Crow
Black Cuckooshrike
Ashy Tit
Greater Striped Swallow
South African Cliff-Swallow
Rock Martin
Common House-Martin
Black Saw-wing
Fairy Flycatcher
Cape Grassbird
Little Rush-Warbler
Sedge Warbler
African Reed-Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Great Reed-Warbler
Lesser Swamp-Warbler
Willow Warbler
Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler
Garden Warbler
Lazy Cisticola
Rattling Cisticola
Wailing Cisticola
Neddicky
Zitting Cisticola
Desert Cisticola
Black-chested Prinia
Bar-throated Apalis
Cape Rock-Thrush
Short-toed Rock-Thrush
Kurrichane Thrush
Karoo Thrush
Familiar Chat
Violet-backed Starling
Malachite Sunbird
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Cape Weaver
Red-headed Weaver
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Red-collared Widowbird
Orange-breasted Waxbill
African Quailfinch
Red-headed Finch
African Firefinch
Jameson's Firefinch
Village Indigobird
Dusky Indigobird
Striped Pipit
Buffy Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Black-throated Canary
Yellow Canary
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Lark-like Bunting
Cape Bunting
Checklist of butterflies (and others)
African Blue Pansy
African Clouded Yellow
African Leopard
Black Heart
Black Pie
Broad-bordered Grass Yellow
Brown Playboy
Common Fig-tree Blue
Common Geranium Bronze
Common Hottentot Skipper
Common Sandman
Common Zebra Blue
Cupreous Ash Blue
Dark Dodger
Dismal Sylph
D'Urban's Woolly Legs
Dusky Russet
Eastern Dotted Border
Eastern Scarlet
Ella's Silverline
Flower-girl Hopper
Forest Caper White
Foxy Charaxes
Fulvous Ranger
Garden Inspector
Green-veined Charaxes
Hillside Russet
Lemon Traveller
Magaliesberg Ranger
Marsh Telchinia
Meadow Blue
Mocker Bronze
Mountain Sandman
Mozambique Silverline
Natal Bar
Patrician Giant Cupid
Pea Blue
Peppered Hopper
Pirate
Plain Black-eye
Protea Sapphire
Russet Protea
Sabi Smoky Blue
Small Marbled Elf
Small Orange Acraea
Southern Meadow White
Spotted-eye Small Ringlet
Star Sandman
Steel-blue Ciliate Blue
Tiny Grass Blue
Topaz Babul Blue
Twin Dotted Border
Twin-spot Giant Cupid
Velvet-spotted Babul Blue
White-barred Charaxes
Wichgraf's Hillside Brown
Yellow Russet
Zebra White
Zulu Giant Cupid
References and further reading
The Chamberlain Guide to Birding Gauteng - Author: Etienne Marais and Faansie Peacock - Published: 2008 - Page: 38Southern African Birdfinder - Author: Cohen, Spottiswoode and Rossouw - Published: 2006 - Page: 169
Getaway - Vol 29 No 12 - Author: - Published: 2018 - Page: 63
Hit the Road - 2nd Edition - Author: MapStudio - Published: 2018 - Page: 103
Garden Birds in South Africa - Author: Duncan Butchart - Published: 2017 - Page: 183
Family Fun - Author: Lisa McNamara - Published: 2015 - Page: 128
Birding Hotspots - Author: Trevor Hardaker - Published: 2007 - Page: 21
Country Life - Issue 254 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 56
SANBI
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