Birding trips in South Africa: where to go, when, and where to stay

South Africa is one of the best birding countries in the world for its size. More than 850 species have been recorded here, a long list of them found nowhere else, and the habitats change fast: fynbos, forest, grassland, savanna, wetland and two oceans can all fit into one trip.

A first birding trip usually picks two regions rather than trying to cover the country: the Western Cape for its endemics, and either the Lowveld around Kruger or Zululand for the bushveld and forest birds. This guide takes the regions in turn, says when each is at its best, and lists stays where the hosts manage their land with birds in mind. Some carry BirdLife South Africa’s Birder Friendly accreditation; the rest are our own bird-friendly flag, and each listing says which.

The fynbos is the reason serious birders fly to Cape Town. Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird live almost nowhere else, and the mountain slopes, coastal reserves and wetlands within a few hours of the city hold most of the region’s specials.

The Overberg is Blue Crane country, the West Coast lagoons fill with waders in summer, and the river valleys around Stanford and the Klein River are quiet, easy birding from the stoep.

The savanna around Kruger is where most people see their first big birds of prey, Southern Ground Hornbills walking the roads, and rollers, bee-eaters and kingfishers in a single morning. In summer the migrants double the list.

Inside the park you bird from the car and the rest-camp gardens; on the private reserves and farms around it you can walk with a guide.

The high grasslands of Mpumalanga, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal hold their own specials, among them the cranes, larks and pipits birders travel for. The indigenous forests of the escarpment, the Garden Route and Zululand add turacos, robins and forest specials.