Birds
Southern Africa is one of the best bird-watching destinations in the world with over 900 species to enjoy, one-ninth of which is endemic to South Africa. 
South Africa Botswana Zimbabwe Namibia


Over 900 bird species in Southern Africa!

 
SOUTH AFRICA

The Kruger National Park is, without doubt, the finest birding locality in Southern Africa. It provides a unique combination of wilderness areas, varied habitats, easy road access, and comfortable amenities, together with a wide variety and concentration of bird species and Big Game animals. For the birder, the high diversity and density of bird species is the great attraction. The wide range of habitats is responsible for a bird list of over 500 species, while the productivity of these habitats is such that many species occur in abundance. The Park is especially good for large raptors which are rare outside of extensive conservation areas, while many other scarce and migrant species are attracted to it's unspoiled wilderness. Nylsvley in the Northern Province is unequalled as a bird sanctuary. Among all of Southern Africa’s wetlands, few can match the Nyl River flood plains where some 400 species and numbers of up to 80 000 birds have been recorded. Barberspan Nature Reserve in the North-West Province is one of Southern Africa’s top bird sanctuaries; it is a Ramsar Convention Accredited Wetland for migratory birds. Birding in the Blyde River Canyon region in Mpumalanga can be divided into two main areas of interest: Firstly, the birds of prey and cliff dwelling species found on top of the escarpment and secondly the bush dwelling species found amongst the thick forested slopes and surrounding riparian vegetation. Habitat includes the impressive cliffs of the Drakensberg escarpment with its plethora of nesting habitats for several raptor species along with swift, swallow and bald ibis colonies. Dullstroom in Mpumalanga provides an opportunity to record, amidst beautiful hill and marshy valleys, some of the more difficult and elusive highveld species, such as Wattled Crane, Yellowbreasted Pipit and Gurney's Sugarbird. One of the better birding spots in and around Nelspruit is the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens, along with the Nelspruit Nature Reserve and Nelspruit Golf Course. Grassland birds are without doubt the main reason for birding the Wakkerstroom area. Here you can find three highly endemic species restricted to South Africa’s high altitude grasslands: Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks and Yellow-breasted Pipit. Itala Game Reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal is a highly recommended birding (and game viewing) destination offering a list of over 300 species. The wide diversity of habitats, broken terrain and variable altitude has resulted in an excellent variety of birds. The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park in Zululand: Lake St Lucia is the most important breeding area for waterbirds in South Africa, supporting large numbers of pelicans, storks and flamingos. The Hluhluwe-Mfolozi Park reserve complex is the oldest in South Africa; the Umfolozi section is famous for its rhinoceros conservation program. The varied topography and range of habitats in this large area has produced a bird list in excess of 340 species. Ndumo Game Reserve, on the border of Mozambique, boasts a birdlist of nearly 400 species, and is the envy of many much larger protected areas. Malalotja is arguably Swaziland's most attractive reserve, lying on the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment and protecting a wide variety of habitats. The birdlist of over 280 species is correspondingly diverse and it is possible to see more than 100 species in a day here in summer. It is home to one of Southern Africa's rarest birds, the magnificent Blue Swallow. The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve in the Western Province is stunningly beautiful with its rugged coastline and windswept fynbos. The reserve is also known for its propensity to attract rarities such as Macaroni Penguin, Greater Sheathbill and Grey Wagtail, and makes up for its low densities of birds by their quality. top

View our Birding Tours. 

BOTSWANA

Northern Chobe National Park and Kasane: This area has yielded some 450 species of birds (Botswana's longest list) and must rank as one of the top birding spots in Southern Africa. A minimum of three days, ideally encompassing sorties by vehicle and by boat, would be required to do the birding justice in this area. In such a period keen birders can expect to see over 100 species in winter and over 200 in summer. The Okavango Delta: The fast flowing Okavango River transforms the desert into lush waterways, lagoons, floodplains, and fast and slow flowing rivers to create a wonderful haven for all forms of wildlife. Bird life is stunning with the peak during the spring and summer months from October through to March when the intra-African and European migrants are resident. The Kwando and Linyanti Rivers are situated midway between the town of Kasane and the Okavango Delta in Northern Botswana. The area offers superb birding year round. Habitats can be divided into riverine woodlands along the Kwando and Linyanti Rivers, the rivers themselves and surrounding lagoons and waterways, open grasslands bordering onto the rivers and down the Savuti Channel, and the dryer woodlands inland from the waterways. As a result of the varying vegetation types, birding is varied and interesting.  top

 

NAMIBIA

Etosha is one of Africa's greatest wildlife parks and it holds some 380 bird species. Several Namibian near-endemics are available here as are many of the arid-bushveld specials. Etosha is well worth a 3-5 day visit, during which one could easily see over 200 species. It is the only place in the subregion where Egyptian Vulture is seen with any regularity. The Caprivi is a good birding destination with about 400 species recorded here. A boat trip along sections of the Zambezi is a good idea as many species are observed more easily from the river. Ruacana, a stunning site, set in the atmospheric Cunene River Valley overlooking Angola, is a favorite among many birders and is the most accessible place in the world to see the evocatively named Cinderella Waxbill. The Walvis Bay lagoon is regarded as one of the most important wetlands along the west coast of Southern Africa, not only for the large numbers of resident species found here, but particularly for the vast numbers of both intra-african and Palearctic migrants. It is renowned for the large number of both Lesser Flamingo and Greater Flamingo, and has been listed by Ramsar as a Natural Heritage site.  top

ZIMBABWE

Hwange National Park is the largest National Park in Zimbabwe, and is one of the countries main tourist attractions. The bird list for this huge area is currently over 420 species. There are two main birding areas, the one around Main Camp and the other in the north of the Park. Both areas are linked by a network of roads which take visitors through a variety of habitats including many waterholes which attract large numbers of animals as well as birds. Victoria Falls offers a variety of birding habitats and opportunities including the Rain Forest next to the Falls itself, the Zambezi River, the gorges below the Falls, the woodland around the various hotels and the Zambezi National Park. One of the best ways to bird along the Zambezi is, of course, by boat. The checklist for Lake Kariba stands at over 375 species and many of these can be found in and around the town itself. Mana Pools National Park, situated in the Middle Zambezi Valley, is certainly one of the most popular Parks in the country. Nearly 400 species of birds have been recorded here, with the Zambezi River offering some of the best birding opportunities. Birders visiting Zimbabwe should spend several days in the city before venturing into the outlying areas as many species are often easier to find here rather than in the outlying regions. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in the Harare area and the vleis.  top

 

Seabirds in Southern Africa
Other tours are run in conjunction with Dr. Phil Hockey, top South African ornithologist. The first trip begins in Windhoek and includes viewing the seabirds of Walvis Bay, and bird life along the Cunene River and across the famous Etosha National Park. The second tour goes from Cape Town through the Karoo to the Northern Cape, where 115 endemic birds can be seen. 

Two-week birding tour with Dr. Hockey in Namibia.

Contact us if you are interested in experiencing a memorable adventure that will have you going back for more sightings.
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AFRICAN TREKS
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