Discover the wonder of the transition zone between acacia bushveld and Kalahari thornveld. Enjoy a diversity of bird- and wildlife. Experience the thrill of observing the majestic Big Five in their natural habitat. With an area of 75,000 hectares, Madikwe is one of South Africa's largest game reserves and home to 66 large mammal species and approximately 300 resident and migrant bird species. Please see the easy reference list below of all the bird, mammal, tree and plant species found in Madikwe Game Reserve.
-
Mammals Species
-
Birds Species
-
Tree Species
-
Grass Species
|
Scientific Name
|
Common Name
|
|
Thick Skinned Mammals
|
|
| Loxodonta africana | African Elephant |
| Syncerus caffer | Cape Buffalo |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | Hippopotamus |
| Diceros bicornis | Black Rhinocerous |
| Ceratotherium simum | White Rhinoceros |
|
Carnivore Cats
|
|
|
Felis silvestris lybica
|
African Wild Cat
|
| Caracal caracal | Caracal |
| Acinonyx jubatus | Cheetah |
| Panthera pardus | Leopard |
| Panthera leo | Lion |
| Leptailurus serval | Serval |
| Dog Like | |
| Proteles cristatus | Aardwolf |
| Otocyon megalotis | Bat-eared fox |
| Canis mesomelas | Black-backed Jackal |
| Parahyaena brunnea | Brown Hyaena |
| Crocuta crocuta | Spotted Hyaena |
| Vulpes chama | Cape Fox |
| Lycaon pictus | Wild Dog |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Civettictis civetta | African Civet |
| Mungos mungo | Banded Mongoose |
| Helogale parvula | Dwarf Mongoose |
| Paracynictis selous | Selous' Mongoose |
| Galerella sanguinea | Slender Mongoose |
| Cynictis penicillata | Yellow Mongoose |
| Aonyx capensis | Cape Clawless Otter |
| Mellivora capensis | Honey Badger |
| Genetta tigrina | Large-spotted Genet |
| Ictonyx striatus | Striped Polecat |
| Poecilogale albinucha | Striped Weasel/Snake |
|
Antelope
|
|
|
Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi
|
Blesbok
|
| Connochaetes taurinus | Blue Wildebeest |
| Tragelaphus scriptus | Bushbuck |
| Sylvicapra grimmia | Common Duiker |
| Tragelaphus oryx | Eland |
| Oryx gazella | Gemsbok |
| Aepyceros melampus | Impala |
| Oreotragus oreotragus | Klipspringer |
| Tragelaphus strepsiceros | Kudu |
| Redunca fulvorufula | Mountain Reedbuck |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | Red Hartebeest |
|
Antidorcas m. marsupialis
|
Springbok
|
| Raphicerus campestris | Steenbok |
| Damaliscus lunatus | Tsessebe |
| Kobus ellipsiprymnus | Waterbuck |
| Pigs | |
| Potamochoerus larvatus | Bushpig |
| Phacochoerus africanus | Warthog |
|
Primates
|
|
|
Papio cynocephalus ursinus
|
Chacma baboon
|
| Galago moholi | Lesser Bushbaby |
| Chlorocebus aethiops | Vervet monkey |
| Other Large Mammals | |
| Orycteropus afer | Aardvark / Antbear |
| Equus burchelli | Burchell's Zebra |
| Manis temminckii | Cape Pangolin |
| Procavia capensis | Rock Hyrax/Dassie |
| Heterohyrax brucei | Yellow-spotted Rock |
| Rabbits and Hares | |
| Lepus saxatilis | Scrub hare |
| Lepus capensis | Cape hare |
| Pronolagus randensis | Jameson's red rock |
| Other Smaller Mammals | |
| Hystrix africaeaustralis | Porcupine |
| Pedetes capensis | Springhare |
| Xerus inauris | Ground squirrel |
| Paraxerus cepapi | Tree squirrel |
| C = Common U = Uncommon |
| Status | Common Name |
| C | Ostrich |
| C | Little Grebe (Dabchick) |
| C | Pinkbacked Pelican |
| C | Whitebreasted Cormorant |
| C | Reed Cormorant |
| C | Darter |
| U | Grey Heron |
| C | Blackheaded Heron |
| U | Goliath Heron |
| U | Purple Heron |
| C | Little Egret |
| U | Yellowbilled Egret |
| U | Black Egret |
| C | Cattle Egret |
| U | Squacco Heron |
| U | Greenbacked Heron |
| C | Dwarf Bittern |
| C | Hamerkop |
| C | White Stork |
| U | Black Stork |
| C | Abdim’s Stork |
| U | Marabou Stork |
| C | Yellowbilled Stork |
| C | Sacred Ibis |
| U | Glossy Ibis |
| C | Hadeda Ibis |
| C | African Spoonbill |
| C | Whitefaced Duck |
| U | Fulvous Duck |
| C | Egyptian Goose |
| U | South African Shelduck |
| C | Yellowbilled Duck |
| C | African Black Duck |
| C | Hottebtot Teal |
| C | Redbilled Teal |
| U | Cape Shovellor |
| C | Southern Pochard |
| U | Comb Duck (Knobbilled Duck) |
| C | Spurwinged Goose |
| U | Maccoa Duck |
| C | Secretarybird |
| U | Cape Vulture |
| C | African Whitebacked Vulture (Whitebacked Vulture) |
| C | Lappetfaced Vulture |
| C | Whiteheaded Vulture |
| C | Yellow billed Kite |
| C | Black Kite |
| C | Blackshouldered Kite |
| U | Black Eagle |
| C | Tawny Eagle |
| C | Steppe Eagle |
| C | Wahlberg’s Eagle |
| U | Booted Eagle |
| C | African Hawk Eagle |
| C | Martial Eagle |
| C | Brown Snake Eagle |
| U | Blackchested Snake Eagle (Blackbreasted Snake Eagle) |
| U | Bateleur Eagle |
| C | African Fish Eagle |
| C | Steppe Buzzard |
| C | Lizard Buzzard |
| C | Ovambo Sparrowhawk |
| U | Little Sparrowhawha |
| U | Shikra Goshawk (Little Banded Goshawk) |
| C | Gabar Goshawk |
| C | Pale Chanting Goshawk |
| U | African Marsh Harrier |
| C | Montagu’s Harrier |
| C | Pallid |
| C | African Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene) |
| U | Peregrine Falcon |
| U | Lanner Falcon |
| U | European Hobby |
| C | Western Redfooted Kestrel |
| C | Amur Redfooted Falcon (Eastern Redfooted Kestrel) |
| C | Rock Kestrel |
| U | Greater Kestrel |
| C | Lesser Kestrel |
| U | Coqui Francolin |
| C | Crested Francolin |
| C | Natal Francolin |
| C | Swainson’s Spurfowl (Swainso’s Francolin) |
| C | Common Quail |
| U | Harlequin Quail |
| C | Helmeted Guineafowl |
| U | Kurrichane Buttonquail |
| U | African Rail |
| C | Corncrake |
| C | Black Crack |
| C | Baillon’s Crack |
| U | Purple Gallinule |
| U | Common Moorhen |
| U | Lesser Moorhen |
| C | Redknobbed Coot |
| C | African Finfoot |
| C | Kori Bustard |
| C | Redcrested Korhaan |
| U | Northern Black Korhaan |
| C | Old World Painted Snipe |
| C | Common Ringed Plover |
| C | Kittlitz’s Plover |
| C | Threebanded Plover |
| C | Crowned Lapwing (Crowned Plover) |
| C | Blacksmith Lapwing (Blacksmith Plover) |
| C | Wattled Lapwing (Wattled Plover) |
| C | Common Sandpiper |
| C | Wood Sandpiper |
| C | Marsh Sandpiper |
| C | Common Greenshank |
| U | Curlew Sandpiper |
| U | Little Stilt |
| C | Ruff |
| C | Blackwinged Stilt |
| C | Spotted Thicknee (Potted Dikkop) |
| U | Temminck’s Courser |
| U | Doublebanded Courser |
| U | Bronzewinged Courser |
| U | Blackwinged Pratincole |
| U | Whitewinged Tern |
| C | Namaqua Sandgrouse |
| C | Burchell’s Sandgrouse |
| U | Yellowthroated Sandgrouse |
| U | Doublebanded Sandgrouse |
| C | Speckled Pigeon (Rameron Pigeon) |
| C | African Olive Pigeon (Rameron Pigeon) |
| C | Redeyed Dove |
| C | Cape Turtle Dove |
| C | Laughing Dove |
| C | Namaqua Dove |
| C | Greenspotted Dove |
| U | African Green Pigeon |
| C | Meyer’s Parrot |
| C | Go-Away Bird (Grey Lourie) |
| U | Common Cuckoo (Eurasian Cuckoo) |
| C | African Cuckoo |
| C | Redchested Cuckoo |
| C | Black Cuckoo |
| C | Great Spotted Cuckoo |
| C | Striped Cuckoo |
| C | Jacobin Cuckoo |
| C | Klaas’s Cuckoo |
| C | Diderik Cuckoo |
| C | Burchell’s Coucal |
| C | Barn Owl |
| U | Marsh Owl |
| C | Scops Owl |
| C | Whitefaced Scops Owl (Whitefaced Owl) |
| C | Pearlspotted Owlet (Pearlspotted Owl) |
| C | Spotted Eagle Owl |
| C | Vereaux’s Eagle Owl (Giant Eagle Owl) |
| U | European Nightjar |
| U | Fierynecked Nightjar |
| C | Rufouscheeked Nightjar |
| C | Freckled Nightjar |
| C | African Black Swift |
| U | Common Swift (European Swift) |
| C | Whiterumped Swift |
| C | Little Swift |
| C | Alpine Swift |
| C | Palm Swift |
| U | Whitebacked Mousebird |
| C | Redfaced Mousebird |
| C | Pied Kingfisher |
| C | Giant Kingfisher |
| C | Malachite Kingfisher |
| C | Woodland Kingfisher |
| C | Brownhooded Kingfisher |
| C | Striped Kingfisher |
| C | European Bee-eater |
| U | Bluecheeked Bee-eater |
| C | Carmine Bee-eater |
| C | Little Bee-eater |
| U | Swallowtailed Bee-eater |
| C | European Roller |
| C | Lilacbreaster Roller |
| C | Purple Roller |
| C | African Hoopoe |
| C | Redbilled Hoopoe |
| C | Common Scimitarbilled Hornbill (Greater Scimiter Hoepoe) |
| C | Grey Hornbill |
| C | Redbilled Hornbill |
| C | Southern Yellow billed Hornbill |
| C | Blackcollared Barbet |
| C | Acacia Pied Barbet |
| C | Yellowfronted Tinker Barbet |
| C | Crested Barbet |
| C | Greater Honeyguide |
| U | Lesser Honeyguide |
| C | Brownbacked Honeybird (Sharpbilled Honeyguide) |
| C | Bennett’s Woodpecker |
| C | Goldentailed Woodpecker |
| C | Cardinal Woodpecker |
| C | Bearded Woodpecker |
| C | Monotonous Lark |
| C | Rufousnaped Lark |
| C | Flappet Lark |
| C | Sabota Lark |
| C | Dusky Lark |
| C | Redcapped Lark |
| U | Pinkbilled Lark |
| C | Chestnutbacked Sparrowlark (Chestnutbacked finchlark) |
| C | Greybacked Sparrowlark (Greybacked Finchlark) |
| C | Barn Swallow |
| C | Whitethroated Swallow |
| C | Pearlbreasted Swallow |
| C | Redbreasted Swallow |
| C | Greater Striped Swallow |
| C | Lesser Striped Swallow |
| C | South African Cliff Swallow |
| C | Rock Martin |
| C | House Martin |
| C | Sand Martin |
| C | Brownthroated Martin |
| U | Black Cuckooshrike |
| C | Forktailed Drongo |
| C | European Golden Oriole |
| C | Blackheaded Oriole |
| C | Black Crow |
| C | Pied Crow |
| C | Ashy Tit |
| C | Southern Black Tit |
| U | Cape Penduline Tit |
| C | Arrowmarked Babbler |
| C | Pied Babbler |
| C | Darkcapped Bulbul (Blackeyed Bulbul) |
| C | Kurrichane Thrush |
| C | Olive Thrush |
| C | Groundscraper Thrush |
| C | Cape Rockthrush |
| U | Shorttoed Rockthrush |
| U | Capped Wheatear |
| C | Familiar Chat |
| U | Mocking Chat |
| C | Southern Anteating Chat (Anteating Chat) |
| C | Stonechat |
| U | Whitethroated Robin Chat (Whitethroated Robin) |
| C | Whitebrowed Scrub Robin (Whitebrowed Robin) |
| C | Kalahari Scrub Robin (Kalahari Robin) |
| C | Garden Warbler |
| C | Whitethroat |
| C | Chestnutvented Titbabbler |
| C | Icterine Warbler |
| U | Olivetree Warbler |
| C | Great Reed Warbler |
| C | African Marsh Warbler |
| U | European Marsh Warbler |
| C | European Sedge Warbler |
| C | African Sedge Warbler |
| C | Willow Warbler |
| U | Barthroated Apallis |
| C | Longbilled Crombec |
| C | Yellowbllied Eremomela |
| U | Burntnecked Eremomela |
| C | Greybacked Bleating Warbler |
| C | African Barred Warbler |
| C | Zitting Cisticola (Fantailed Cisticola) |
| C | Desert Cisticola |
| C | Tinkling Cisticola |
| C | Rattling Cisticola |
| C | Lazy Cisticola |
| C | Neddicky |
| C | Tawnyflanked Prinia |
| C | Blackchested Prinia |
| C | Spotted Flycatcher |
| U | Greytit Flycatcher (Fantailed Flycatcher) |
| C | Southern Black Flycatcher |
| C | Marico Flycatcher |
| C | Fiscal Flycatcher |
| C | African Pipit (African Pipit) |
| C | Longbilled Pipit |
| U | Buffy Pipit |
| C | Bushveld Pipit |
| C | Lesser Grey Shrike |
| C | Common Fiscal Shrike |
| C | Redbacked Shrike |
| C | MagpieShrike (Afrcan Longtailed Shrike) |
| C | Southern Boubou |
| C | Crimsonbreasted Shrike |
| C | Blackbacked Puffback |
| C | Brubru |
| C | Browncrowned Tchagra |
| C | Blackcrowned Tchagra |
| C | Greyheaded Bush Shrike |
| C | White Helmetshrike |
| C | Whitecrowned Shrike |
| C | Wattled Starling |
| C | Violetback Starling (Plumcoloured Starling) |
| C | Burchell’s Starling |
| C | Cape Glossy Starling (Glossy Starling) |
| C | Redwinged Starling |
| C | Redbilled Oxpecker |
| C | Marico Sunbird |
| C | Whitebellied Sunbird |
| C | Amethyst Sunbird (African Black Sunbird) |
| C | Cape White-eye |
| C | Redbilled Buffalo Weaver |
| C | Whitebrowed Sparrowweaver |
| C | House Sparrow |
| C | Great Sparrow |
| C | Cape Sparrow |
| C | Greyheaded Sparrow |
| C | Yellowthroated Petronia (African Yellowthroated Sparrow) |
| C | Scalyfeathered Finch |
| C | Masked Weaver |
| C | Redheaded Weaver |
| C | Redbilled Quelea |
| C | Golden Bishop |
| C | Whitewinged Widow Bird |
| C | Greenwinged Pytilia (Melba Finch) |
| U | Jameson’s Firefinch |
| C | Blue Waxbill |
| C | Violeteared Waxbill |
| C | Common Waxbill |
| C | Blackfaced Waxbill |
| C | Quail Finch |
| U | Cutthroat Finch |
| C | Redheaded Finch |
| C | Pintailed Whydah |
| C | Shafttailed Whydah |
| C | Longtailed Paradise Whydah (Paradise Whydah) |
| C | Dusky Indigo Bird (Black Widowfinch) |
| U | Purple Indigo Bird (Purple Windowfinch) |
| C | Village Indigo Bird (Steelblue Windowfinch) |
| C | Yelloweyed Canary |
| C | Blackthroated Canary |
| C | Streakyheaded Seedeater (Streakyhead Canary) |
| C | Goldenbreasted Bunting |
| C | Cape Bunting |
| C | Cinnamon Breasted Bunting |
| U | Larklike Bunting |
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Shepard’s tree | Boscia albitrunca |
| Camel thorn | Acacia eriloba |
| Sweet thorn | Acacia karroo |
| Black thorn | Acacia mellifera |
| Umbrella thorn | Acacia tortillis |
| Blue thorn | Acacia erubescens |
| Sickle bush | Dichrostachys cinerea |
| Weeping wattle | Peltrophorum africanum |
| Lavender Feverberry | Croton gratissimus |
| Tamboti | Spirostachys Africana |
| Marula | Sclerocarya birrea |
| Buffalo thorn | Ziziphus mucronata |
| Red Ivory | Berchemia zeyheri |
| River bushwillow | Combretum erythrophyllum |
| Leadwood | Combretum imberbe |
| Black monkey thorn | Acacia burkei |
| Brandy bush | - - - |
| Maidens flower | - - - |
| Sandpaper raisen | Grewia flavescen |
| Silver raisin | - - - |
| Knob thorn | Acacia nigrescens |
| Common hook thorn | Acacia caffra |
| Scented thorn | Acacia nilotica |
| River thorn | Acacia robusta |
| Stink shepard's tree | Boscia foetida |
| Red bushwillow | Combretum apiculatum |
| Russet bushwillow | Combretum hereroense |
| Rock combretum | Combretum moggii |
| Velvet bushwillow | Combretum molle |
| Large-fruited bushwillow | Combretum zeyheri |
| Jackalberry | Diospyros mespiliformis |
| Common wild pear | Dombeya rotundifolia |
| Magic guarri | Euclea divinorum |
| Large-leaved rock fig | Ficus abutilifolia |
| Red-leaved rock fig | Ficus ingens |
| White berry bush | Flueggea virosa |
| Bushveld gardenia | Gardenia volkensii |
| Common spike thorn | Gymnosporia buxifolia |
| Transvaal red milkwood | Mimusops zeyheri |
| Cork bush | Mundulea sericea |
| Wild olive | Olea europaea |
| Yellow pomegranate | Rhigozum obovatum |
| Silver clusterleaf | Terminalia sericea |
| Pipe stem | Vitex rhemanii |
| Sourplum | Ximenia caffra caffra |
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Turpentine grass | Cymbopogon excavates |
| Thatching grass | Hyparrhenia hirta |
| Spear grass | Heteropogon contortus |
| Wool grass | Anthephoria pubescens |
| Cats Tail grass | Perotis patens |
| Blue Buffalo grass | Cenchrus cilaris |
| Natal Red Top | Melinis repens |
| Love grass | Eragrotstis curvula |
| Guinea grass | Panicum maximum |
| Couch grass | Cynodon dactylon |
