Both Whiskered- and White-winged Terns are present in large numbers in summer, with Caspian Terns irregular visitors to the pan. African Darter, Reed- and White-breasted cormorants also frequent the area.

Depending on the water levels and season, several wader species are present here, with large numbers of Ruff present, as well as Wood- and Marsh Sandpipers, Common Greenshank, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Three-banded- and Kittlitz’s Plover, and occasionally Curlew Sandpipers, Common Ringed Plovers. Recently Grater Painted-snipes spent a season here and also bred on the floodplain.

Also dependent on water levels and the season the pan attracts both Greater- and Lesser Flamingos, with flocks of up to 600 Lesser Flamingos present at times.
Sometimes the African Marsh Harrier can be seen as it hunts over the reed beds. Depending on the season the reed beds are home to various warbler species like the resident Lesser Swamp Warblers and Little Rush Warblers and migrants such as Great Reed-, African Reed- and Sedge Warblers.

The grassland surrounding the pan holds all the regular eastern Free State grassland species like African Pipit, Eastern Clapper-, Red-capped- and Spike-heeled Larks, various cisticolas such as, Levailants-, Cloud-, Wing-snapping- and Desert Cisticola.

This site is possibly one of a very few sites in South Africa where all four Ibis species can be seen foraging together; i.e. African Sacred-, Glossy-, Hadeda-, and Southern Bald Ibis.

After heavy rains the grassland adjacent to the pan floods and creates a haven for egrets, herons, spoonbills and many other species. Large flocks of mixed species can be seen hunting together, these include Black-headed-, Grey-, Purple- Black-crowned Night-, Black- and Goliath Herons, Yellow-billed-, Little- and Great Egrets, with several African Spoonbills joining in. These floodplains also hold very large concentrations of Blacksmith Lapwings.

The area with short grass at the water’s edge became locally famous for the annually returning Western Yellow Wagtails. In some seasons several individuals of different sub-species can be present. Once 22 individuals were counted here on the same day.

The pan has delivered its fair share of out-of-range records, such as a Slaty Egret, a juvenile Lesser Moorhen, and Black-chested Snake Eagle.

Key species:

Western Yellow Wagtail, Maccoa Duck, Southern Pochard, African Black Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, African Marsh Harrier, Southern Bald Ibis and Caspian Tern