Birds of South Africa

With over 900 recorded species - 10% of the world's bird population - and around 50 endemic or near-endemic species, South Africa is without question a bird-lovers paradise.

Kruger National Park

South Africa's best bird-watching location - with up to 500 bird species. The park is particularly good for viewing cuckoos (nine species), rollers (five species), hornbills (six species) and kingfishers (nine species).

Interesting species include the greyheaded parrot, African cuckoo, thickbilled cuckoo, greatspotted cuckoo, greyhooded kingfisher, woodland kingfisher, carmine bee-eater, bluecheeked bee-eater, broadbilled roller, rackettailed roller, ground hornbill, trumpeter hornbill, Bennett's woodpecker, bearded woodpecker, redbreasted swallow, mosque swallow, black cuckooshrike, whitebreasted cuckooshrike, African golden oriole, European golden oriole, whitethroated robin, bearded robin, Stierling's barred warbler, greyheaded bush shrike, longtailed starling, greater blue-eared starling, plumcoloured starling, yellowbilled oxpecker, redbilled oxpecker, scarletchested sunbird and redheaded weaver.

Ndumu Game Reserve

At least 420 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, of which at least 73 are rare. Some of these include the white pelican, openbilled stork, yellowbilled stork, greater flamingo, lesser flamingo, pygmy goose and lesser jacana.

Look out for a wide variety of waterfowl. The reserve also provides a safe haven for thousands of migrating waterbirds as it lies on an important north-south migration route.

Barbel (a catfish) congregate in large numbers and swim upstream to breed. They are followed by all the predatory fish - especially tiger fish - and these in turn are followed by vast numbers of birds of all descriptions. Following a barbel run is one of Southern Africa's finest birding experiences as hundreds of egret herons, storks, African fish eagle feast on the fish. The only confirmed record of a Ross' lourie in southern Africa was from this area.

Greater St Lucia Wetland Park

More than 420 bird species are found here: the islands of St Lucia are important breeding grounds for white pelicans, greyheaded gulls, spoonbills, Caspian terns and red-winged pratincoles, while the beaches have black oystercatchers, sandpipers, cormorants and plovers.

West Coast National Park

This park is situated around the 16km long Langebaan lagoon. It is one of Southern Africa's most important wetland areas. In summer, about 750 000 seabirds nest here. Local species such as cormorant, gannet and jackass penguin are joined by about 100 000 Palaearctic birds. Curlew sandpipers from the bulk, but there are also sanderlings, knots, whimbrels, godwits and greenshanks. The islands also host the largest colony of kelp gulls in Southern Africa. The area apparently supports more waterbirds than any other wetland in Southern Africa.

De Hoop Nature Reserve

The De Hoop vlei is registered as a Ramsar site of international importance for waterbirds. Look out for South African shelduck, all three species of grebe, Cape shoveller, yellowbilled duck, African fish eagle and many others. In the thickets you may spot the southern tchagra, the elusive Knysna woodpecker, as well as southern boubou, barthroated apalis and Cape bulbul.

The plains have southern black korhaan, Cape and greywing francolin, Namaqua sandgrouse and Stanley's bustard. The coastal fynbos of these areas also supports wattled starling, longbilled lark, southern thickbilled lark, clapper lark and greybacked cisticola. On the coastline see Damara tern and African black oystercatcher. The agricultural lands surrounding the reserve are one of the strongholds of the blue crane.

Garden Route

More than 500 species have been recorded in these areas: all manner of waterbirds, orangebreasted sunbird, Cape sugarbird, Victorin's warbler and Knysna warbler, Knysna woodpecker, narina trogon, starred robins and chorister robins, emerald cuckoo, scalythroated honeyguide, African finfoot, whitebacked night heron, cuckoo hawk, hobby falcon, peregrine falcon and crowned eagle.

Wavecrest

Wavecrest is situated along the Wild Coast, with a lagoon and rivers where over 300 bird species occur; the major draw card being a large number of resident crowned cranes which come to roost on an island in the estuary every evening - up to 90 can be seen at a time.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Superb raptor viewing - 25 or more raptor species can be seen during a single short visit; like lappetfaced vulture, tawny eagle, steppe eagle, martial eagle, brown snake eagle and blackbreasted eagle, bateleur, gabar goshawk, pale chanting goshawk, rednecked falcon, pygmy falcon, African scops owl and whitefaced owl.

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