Hawane Nature Reserve was first established in 1978 to protect an area of marsh along the

Mbuluzi River The Mbuluzi River (also known as the iMbuluzi or Umbeluzi) is one of the main rivers of Eswatini, and an important river in Mozambique. On the boundary of these countries, the Mbuluzi cuts through the Lebombo Range, before entering the Mozambic ...

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

. This area included the natural habitat of ''

Kniphofia umbrina ''Kniphofia umbrina'', called the Eswati poker, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Kniphofia''. The species is native to an area near Forbes Reef in Eswatini, just to the north of Mbabane. Description Plants are herbaceous perennial ...

'', a rare Eswatini endemic red hot poker. When the Hawane dam was built in 1988 to provide

Mbabane Mbabane (; ss, ÉMbábáne, ) is a city in Eswatini (previously called Swaziland), and is one of the two capitals (along with Lobamba), serving as the executive capital. With an estimated population of 94,874 (2010), it is located on the Mbaba ...

's water supply, the reserve was expanded to protect the surrounding wetlands. The reserve is managed by the

Swaziland National Trust Commission The Swaziland National Trust Commission (SNTC) is the custodian of Eswatini's cultural and natural heritage. It is governed by The National Trust Commission Act of 1972. It is a parastatal of the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs. Natu ...

. The reserve's main attraction is its wealth of birdlife. A trail is provided for bird-watching. Bird species include

lanner falcon The lanner falcon (''Falco biarmicus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A l ...

egyptian goose The Egyptian goose (''Alopochen aegyptiaca'') is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley. Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appeared ...

pied kingfisher The pied kingfisher (''Ceryle rudis'') is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it has five recognised subspecies. Its black and white plumage and crest, as well as ...

and white-faced whistling duck.

References

See also