Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary animals. The natural veld type of the sanctuary is mixed bushveld. Upwards of 170 native bird species have been recorded, but the presence or breeding of some have been transient, due to urbanization and other factors. Resident or visiting passerine birds include thick-billed weaver, southern red bishop, African reed-warbler, little rush-warbler and lesser swamp-warbler. Various heron species visit the reserve, including black-crowned night-heron, little bittern, green-backed heron, purple heron, black and little egret. Other regular water birds are red-knobbed coot, fulvous duck, Egyptian goose, white-faced duck, Cape teal and southern pochard. Pinioned crowned cranes and blue cranes have been released
The Bird 'Grip' The Bird 'Grip' The Bird 'Grip' is a Swedish fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it "The Pink Fairy Book". It is Aarne-Thompson type 550, the quest for the golden bird/firebird; other tales of this type include "The Golden Bird", "The Greek Princess and the Young Gardener", "How Ian Direach got the Blue Falcon", "The Nunda, Eater of People", and "Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf". A king lost his sight. An old woman said that the song of the bird, 'Grip', would restore it. The king's eldest son offered to fetch the bird, from where it was