The Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary is a 11.76ha nature reserve located in the Walkerspruit Open Space System, in the Nieuw Muckleneuk suburb of Pretoria, South Africa. It became the first bird refuge in Pretoria when it was opened by the then mayor of Pretoria, Mr. W. J. Seymore, on 27 October 1956. It was officially proclaimed as a nature reserve on 26 February 1958, and it was fenced in June 1970.The sanctuary is named after South Africa's well-known ornithologist and mammalogist, J. Austin Roberts. He was born in Pretoria in 1883, but grew up in Potchefstroom as a minister's son, where the local amateur ornithologist, Thomas Ayres, was his mentor.AccessFree access is limited to the bird hide, which is reached from the northern perimeter, where a small exhibition facility is located. It has been declared a provincial heritage site due to its recreational and educational value.HabitatA former clay quarry at the confluence of Walker and Argo Spruit was allowed to fill with water, and some exotic trees were planted along its verges. In addition nine small perennial dams or wetland basins have been created, some with artificial islands, to accommodate aquatic birds and animals. The natural veld type of the sanctuary is mixed bushveld.
