Bird Watching in Botswana

Botswana may not boast any true endemics but what it does offer is an excellent variety of easily accessible habitats and a great Southern African birding experience. Over 570 species have been recorded, including many rarities or those with a restricted range such as Pel's Fishing-Owl, White-backed Night Heron, Short-clawed Lark, African Skimmer, Rock Pratincole and Swamp Boubou.

With about 80% of its land-locked surface area covered in gently rolling Kalahari sandveld (taking the form of wooded savannah or grasslands), Botswana, growing ever more arid as you head west and south, hosts a number of excellent birding habitats.

This is particularly apparent in the better-watered north where extensive wetlands hold vital populations of several globally threatened species. For example, the Okavango Delta - one of Botswana's 13 Important Bird Areas - holds Africa's largest single population of Wattled Cranes as well as most of the world's Slaty Egrets.

Top all-year round birding spots are the Chobe River area, the Tuli Game Reserve, the Linyanti Swamps, and the legendary wetlands of the Okavango Delta, including the Moremi Game Reserve.

Summer rains (December to April) bring in intra-African and Palaearctic migrants and areas such as Savuti in the Chobe National Park, the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Nxai Pan National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Bird watching can be part of a more general safari or you can choose to go on a specialist birding trip. With access to 4x4 vehicles, boats, canoes and walking trails the opportunities for great birding are guaranteed.

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