Chobe Birdlife

With its blend of different habitats, the Chobe National Park is without question a birder's paradise - some 450 species have been recorded here. Many factors influence bird distribution in Chobe and at certain times some areas offer exceptional birding.

The rainy season, October to March, is an excellent time. Then, along with its resident bird species, Botswana accommodates large numbers of migrants, both intra-African and palaearctic. In addition, 64 Southern African endemics are found in Botswana with most of these occurring in Chobe.

Main birdwatching zones

The main zones of Chobe each offer a unique bird-watching experience.

Chobe River

The Chobe River lies in a region with 400 recorded species. Water, wetland, grassland, forest and scrub provide habitats for large numbers of storks and cranes, wildfowl and waders, pelicans, owls, raptors and vultures, kingfishers, gulls and terns, warblers, robins, swallows, swifts and martins. The area is a crossover zone for species usually found outside the region and rarities and vagrants are often spotted here.

Linyanti/Kwando/Caprivi area

The Linyanti/Kwando/Caprivi area boasts habitat similar to the Okavango Delta and so is home to the wetland specialists: cormorants, egrets, storks, cranes, kingfishers, jacanas, waders and wildfowl, and of course the ubiquitous fish eagle. The riverine front supports all manner of passerines but it is for raptors, including the much sought-after Pel's fishing-owl, that the area is rapidly developing a reputation.

Savuti

Savuti in the dry season is a place for the hardiest of birds: queleas, hornbills, larks, doves, sandgrouse, starlings, owls, raptors and vultures. The waterholes make for superb birding with literally hundreds of birds from different species vying for water and, in turn, attracting raptors.

The rains turn Savuti into a lush green Eden brimming with migrants: ducks and geese, waders, rails and crakes, kingfishers, storks, shrikes and flycatchers. If you experience a bush fire or a termite swarm while you're visiting, the insects disturbed in the chaos lure birds of prey, swifts, swallows, martins, bee-eaters and rollers, all frantically exploiting the sudden resource.

Eastern Mopane

The eastern mopane forests offer good woodland species from chats, woodpeckers, owls and parrots to hornbills and orioles. The pans, filling up in the rains, create habitats for more water dependent birds - wildfowl, waders and storks.

Mubabe Depression

The arid southern scrub zone/ Mubabe Depression is home to the resilient semi-desert bird species: finches, larks, ostrich and sandgrouse. Again, the rains briefly transform this area into one that sees large numbers of migrants attracted to the sudden abundance of water and food.

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