Vegetation

The geological formations of the area tempered by millions of years of erosion, have produced a complex foundation of soils and rocks. The vegetation is rather varied as it grows on the convergence of four major veld types; Mixed Bushveld, Kalahari Thornveld, Arid Sweet Bushveld and other Turf Thornveld. The vegetation is broadly classified into two main groups namely broad-leaved communities dominated by Combretum species and microphyllous communities dominated by Acacia species. Some of the Inselbergs in the northern section of Madikwe are spectacularly characterized by numerous large boulders, especially on their northern slopes a single tree type Ficus soldanella is the dominant species on these habitats. Madikwe has mountainous areas (drastically eroded), plateaux, rocky hills, a perennial river, seasonal wetlands, a variety of sandy and clay areas, bushveld, Kalahariveld and savanna areas. The animal life, ranging from the smallest insects to large game is therefore richly varied, and should even improve with time.

Bird Checklist

The complete Madikwe checklist as of September 1997 is as follows:
Ostrich, Dabchick, Whitebreasted Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Blackheaded Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Greenbacked Heron, Blackcrowned Night Heron, Dwarf Bittern, Hamerkop, White Stork, Abdim's Stork, Marabou Stork, Yellowbilled Stork, Sacred Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Hadeda Ibis, African Spoonbill, Lesser Flamingo, Whitefaced Duck, Fulvous duck, Egyptian Goose, South African Shelduck, Yellowbilled Duck, African Black Duck, Redbilled Teal, Garganey, Southern Pochard, Knobbilled Duck, Spurwinged Goose, Maccoa Duck, Secretarybird, Cape Vulture, Whitebacked Vulture, Lappetfaced Vulture, Yellowbilled Kite, Blackshouldered Kite, Black Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Wahlberg's Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Martial Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Fish Eagle, Steppe Buzzard, Lizard Buzzard, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Little Sparrowhawk, Banded Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, Pale Chanting Goshawk, African Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Gymnogene, Peregrine Falcon, Lanner Falcon, European Hobby, Eastern Redfooted Kestrel, Rock Kestrel, Greater Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel, Coqui Francolin, Crested Francolin, Natal Francolin, Swainson's Francolin, Common Quail, Harlequin Quail, Helmeted Guineafowl, Kurrichane Buttonquail, Corn Crake, Black Crake, Moorhen, Redknobbed Coot, African Finfoot, Kori Bustard, Redcrested Korhaan, Black Korhaan, Old World Painted Snipe, Threebanded Plover, Crowned Plover, Blacksmith Plover, Wattled Plover, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Little Stint, Ruff, Avocet, Blackwinged Stilt, Spotted Dikkop, Burchell's Courser, Temminck's Courser, Doublebanded Courser, Bronzewinged Courser, Blackwinged Pratincole, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Yellowthroated Sandgrouse, Doublebanded Sandgrouse, Rock Pigeon, Redeyed Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Namaqua Dove, Jacobin Cuckoo, Klaas's Cuckoo, Diederick Cuckoo, Burchell's Coucal, Barn Owl, Grass Owl, Marsh Owl, African Scops Owl, Whitefaced Owl, Pearlspotted Owl, Spotted Eagle Owl, Giant Eagle Owl, European Nightjar, Fierynecked Nightjar, Rufouscheecked Nightjar, Freckled Nightjar, European Swift, African Black Swift, Whiterumped Swift, Little Swift, Alpine Swift, Palm Swift, Redfaced Mousebird, Pied Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Brownhooded Kingfisher, Greyhooded Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Bluecheeked Bee-eater,Carmine Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Swallowtailed Bee-eater, European Roller, Lilacbreasted Roller, Purple Roller, African Hoopoe, Redbilled Woodhoopoe, Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe, Grey hornbill, Redbilled Hornbill, Yellowbilled Hornbill, Blackcollared Barbet, Pied Barbet, Yellowfronted Tinker Barbet, Crested Barbet, Greater Honeyguide, Lesser Honeyguide, Sharpbilled Honeyguide, Bennet's Woodpecker, Goldentailed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bearded Wooodpecker, Melodious Lark, Monotonous Lark, Rufousnaped Lark, Flappet Lark, Sabota Lark, Dusky Lark, Redcapped Lark, Chestnutbacked Finchlark, Greybacked Finchlark, European Swallow, Pearlbreasted Swallow, Redbreasted Swallow, Greater Striped Swallow, Lesser Striped Swallow, Rock Martin, House Martin, Black Cuckooshrike, Forktailed Drongo, European Golden Oriole, Blackheaded Oriole, Pied Crow, Black Crow, Ashy Grey Tit, Southern Black Tit, Cape Penduline Tit, Arrowmarked Babbler, Pied Babbler, Redeyed Bulbul, Blackeyed Bulbul, Kurrichane Thrush, Olive Thrush, Groundscraper Thrush, Cape Rock Thrush, Shorttoed Rock Thrush, Familiar Chat, Mocking Chat, Anteating Chat, Stonechat, Whitethroated Robin, Whitebrowed Robin, Kalahari Robin, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Titbabbler, Icterine Warbler, Olivetree Warbler, European Marsh Warbler, Willow Warbler, Barthroated Apalis, Longbilled Crombec, Yellowbellied Eremomela, Burntnecked Eremomela, Bleating Warbler, Barred Warbler, Fantailed Cisticola, Desert Cisticola, Tinkling Cisticola, Rattling Cisticola, Lazy Cisticola, Neddicky, Tawnyflanked Prinia, Blackchested Prinia, Spotted Flycatcher, Fantailed Flycatcher, Black Flycatcher, Marico Flycatcher, Fiscal Flycatcher, Chinspot Batis, Fairy Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, Cape Wagtail, Grassveld Pipit, Longbilled Pipit, Buffy Pipit, Striped Pipit, Bushveld Pipit, Lesser Grey Shrike, Fiscal Shrike, Redbacked Shrike, Longtailed Shrike, Southern Boubou, Crimsonbreasted Boubou, Puffback, Brubru, Threestreaked Tchagra, Blackcrowned Tchagra, Orangebreasted Bush Shrike, Greyheaded Bush Shrike, White Helmet Shrike, Whitecrowned Shrike, Wattled Starling, Plumcoloured Starling, Burchell's Starling, Glossy Starling, Redwinged Starling, Redbilled Oxpecker, Marico Sunbird, Whitebellied Sunbird, African Black Sunbird, Cape White-eye, Redbilled Buffalo Weaver, Whitebrowed Sparrowweaver, House Sparrow, Great Sparrow, Cape Sparrow, Greyheaded Sparrow, Yellowthroated Sparrow, Scalyfeathered Finch, Spottedbacked Weaver, Masked Weaver, Lesser Masked Weaver, Redheaded Weaver, Redbilled Quelea, Golden Bishop, Whitewinged Widow, Melba Finch, Jameson's Firefinch, Redbilled Firefinch, Blue Waxbill, Voileteared Waxbill, Common Waxbill, Blackcheecked Waxbill, Quail Finch, Cutthroat Finch, Redheaded Finch, Pintailed Whydah, Shafttailed Whydah, Paradise Whydah, Purple Widowfinch, Steelblue Widowfinch, Yelloweyed Canary, Blackthroated Canary, Streakyheaded Canary, Goldenbreasted Bunting, Cape Bunting, Cinnamonbreasted Rock Bunting, Larklike Bunting.