My 12 Favourite Birds of South Africa
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 17, 2024
Because I lived in South Africa for most of my youth, I have seen a large portion of the huge variety of species in this amazing country.
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Bird Guides of the World: Rene Rossouw, South Africa
10,000 Birds
JULY 30, 2024
René Rossouw, I live in Nelspruit, South Africa. North-eastern South Africa including the Kruger National Park and the Western Cape How long have you been a bird guide? Summer in South Africa is the best time to bird, as all the migrants are in the country. What is your favorite bird species?
South Africa 
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Birding and Safari-ing South Africa with the ABA
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 4, 2014
And so, I went on the American Birding Association Safari to South Africa. That was easily fixed by adding a post-Safari trip to Eastern South Africa, led by dashing Rockjumper guide Clayton Burne, to my itinerary. The small group was a good counterpart to the large, convivial ABA Safari group of 98 birders.
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Birding the Drakensberg, South Africa
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 23, 2021
One in November 2018 included a one-day birding trip in the Drakensberg area, a mountain range in the border area between South Africa and Lesotho. Originally restricted to Africa, it is now also well-established in parts of Europe and South Africa. But of course, it is also nice to remember past birding trips.
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Hornbills of South Africa
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 24, 2022
But for now, I still have the hornbills I saw in South Africa a few years ago. It is now almost exactly two years that I last was outside of China. At some point, my stock of memories of birds seen outside of China will be used up, I am afraid. I’ll always have Paris”, I guess.
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An afternoon in the Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 19, 2023
Photos courtesy of Mosetlha Bush Camp A dusty-red road leads me through Marico bushveld deeper into the 750 square kilometers large wilderness of the Madikwe Game Reserve – the 4th largest reserve in South Africa, home to 350 bird and 66 mammal species, some 4 hours’ drive from Johannesburg.
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Birding St Lucia, South Africa
10,000 Birds
MAY 16, 2022
St Lucia is a small town on the Southeastern coast of South Africa. It seems to consist mainly of hotels and restaurants, as the local economy depends on visitors to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. They mostly come to see the hippopotamuses and Nile crocodiles living in and near the Saint Lucia Estuary.
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Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa
10,000 Birds
JULY 15, 2015
The history of Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa is a slightly unusual one. It is a good place for South African birders, as several species are found here and nowhere else in South Africa, and it holds a small number of endemics that it shares with the Mozambique lowlands.
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Yellow-billed Kites in South Africa
10,000 Birds
APRIL 8, 2015
Birds kites South Africa' They aren’t a hard species to see, but I’d never taken much time to do so, which is a shame as they as accomplished fliers as their relatives as their cousins the Black and Red Kite. And as you can see, they are pretty good looking too. A valuable lesson in looking twice at the ubiquitous species.
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Birding the Ndumo area, South Africa
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 22, 2022
Ndumo Game Reserve lies in the Easternmost part of South Africa, close to the border of Mozambique and Eswatini. I am sure it has some value, but would I really want to spend a few months or even years on “Ticks on Crested Francolins and on the vegetation on a farm in Limpopo Province, South Africa “ ?
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Smuggled Parrots in South Africa
10,000 Birds
APRIL 13, 2011
A sad reminder of what is ultimately behind the birds you find in cages: birds being taken from the wild and subjected to horrible stress and, often, death. Even birds that were bred in captivity are still not domesticated, have wild instincts, and are not meant to live in cages.
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Wakkerstroom, South Africa: It’s a Lark
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 21, 2015
I’ve not made spectacular progress writing up my trip to Africa earlier this year, so perhaps I should get on that. So instead let’s talk about South Africa’s best kept birding secret (at least outside of the country) Wakkerstroom.
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Week 16: South Africa and Kruger National Park
10,000 Birds
MAY 28, 2018
After a very long day of 7 hours of driving, 11 hours flying and then 9 hours more driving, we have arrived at our temporary home here in South Africa. Daily park fees are such that we opted for the annual “Wild Card” that is good not only for Kruger, but nearly every park in South Africa. This pass cost us $3850.00
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128 South Africa’s endemic birds
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 13, 2011
My home country of South Africa can only be described as a birding paradise! The Cape Rockjumper (here a female) is best sought at Rooiels, on the east coast of South Africa, north of Cape Town. An image of a male can be found in my African Birding Beat intro post [link].
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Crested and Proud
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 19, 2024
Crested Myna (Shanghai, China) Black Crested Bulbul (Nonggang, China) Crested Barbet (Letaba, Bateleur, Kruger Park, South Africa) Crested Bunting (Nonggang, China) Crested Dove (somewhere in Australia) Crested Finchbill (Tengchong, China) Crested Flameback (Taman Negara, Malaysia) Crested Francolin (Ndumo, South Africa) Crested Goshawk (Shanghai, (..)
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Birding the Eshowe area, South Africa
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 23, 2023
The reason to come to Eshowe as a birder is to see Dhlinza Forest, a subtropical forest important for its biodiversity. The Dhlinza Forest has a boardwalk stretching 125 metres through the forest understory to a 20 metre high viewing platform.
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Two Birds
10,000 Birds
JUNE 25, 2020
African Penguin (Cape Town, South Africa, Nov 2018). African Pygmy Kingfisher (Mkuze, South Africa, Nov 2018). European Bee-eater (Hluluwe, South Africa, Nov 2018). Ground Woodpecker (Drakensberg, South Africa, Nov 2018). Purple-crested Turaco (Mkuze, South Africa, Nov 2018).
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Flock to Marion
10,000 Birds
MARCH 14, 2022
Birdlife South Africa has previously done two of these types of trips before, previously called Flock to Sea – Namibia in 2013 and Flock to Nowhere in 2017, in partnership with MSC Cruises. This cruise rose funds for the Mouse-free Marion project of Birdlife South Africa which will attempt to eradicate house mice from Marion Island.
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A Few Kingfishers
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 6, 2020
African Pygmy Kingfisher (Mkuze, South Africa, Nov 2018). Malachite Kingfisher (Cape Town and Pafuri, South Africa, Nov 2018). Pied Kingfisher (Skukuza, South Africa, Nov 2018 and Nanhui, China, Jul 2020). Here are some that I have seen in the past few years. Belted Kingfisher (Reno, USA, Jan 2015).
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Top 10 from Home
10,000 Birds
MAY 31, 2011
I then decided to reduce it further to South African endemics only. This was tough because this excluded species that occur in two countries within South Africa’s geographical area, Lesotho and Swaziland. Southern Black Korh aan West Coast National Park is one of my favorite places to go birding in South Africa.
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Bird Guides of the World: Nick Buys, Namibia
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
I mainly guide in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa but also East Africa How long have you been a bird guide? Rockrunner, a Namibian near endemic What is your name, and where do you live? living in Windhoek, Namibia What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?
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Shadows of Africa
10,000 Birds
JULY 11, 2013
A dusty-red road leads me through Marico bushveld deeper into the 750 square kilometers large wilderness of the Madikwe Game Reserve – the 4th largest reserve in South Africa, home to 350 bird and 66 mammal species, some 4 hours’ drive from Johannesburg. Trips Mammals South Africa'
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Wet Birds
10,000 Birds
MAY 27, 2021
A wet African Pygmy Kingfisher (Mkuze, South Africa). A wet European Bee-eater (Mkuze, South Africa). A wet Brown-headed Kingfisher (Mkuze, South Africa). Wet Red-billed Oxpeckers (Mkuze, South Africa). Wet Red-billed Queleas (Mkuze, South Africa).
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Birding Mkuze
10,000 Birds
MARCH 19, 2020
Mkuze Game Reserve is in the Eastern part of South Africa, about 5 hours away from Johannesburg, and one of the best places I have ever been to for bird photography. More birds of South Africa here. Kurrichane Thrush. Laughing Dove. Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike. Three-banded Plover. Violet-backed Starling.
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Not enough Woodpeckers
10,000 Birds
JUNE 20, 2022
The Bearded Woodpecker (Mkuze, South Africa) does not really look any more bearded than many other woodpeckers. The name of the Cardinal Woodpecker (Letaba, South Africa) is misleading, as not all of them are Catholic or even cardinals. It is the most widespread woodpecker in Africa, claims the HBW. ”).
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Swallows. Swallowed
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 21, 2014
You probably have to go to a resturant in Botswana or South Africa to find Tigerfish on the menu. The story I saw on my Twitter feed referred to scientists from North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, working in the Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa. One is on the plate, as dinner.
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234 Namibia’s 15 key birds
10,000 Birds
JUNE 12, 2012
Before self-rule it was administered by South Africa and known as South-West Africa. After a brutal colonization that included genocidal campaigns against the Herero (80% killed) and Nama (50% killed) tribes, the Germans lost control when South Africa invaded soon after the declaration of the First World War.
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269 Rooiels – Funny Name, Serious Birding
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 1, 2011
I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on my home patch of Cape Town, South Africa. The little seaside village of Rooiels is famed for being a wonderful location to pick up some choice South African endemics but it is also one of the most beautiful spots in the Cape.
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Ghoulish Primate Experiment in South Africa
Critter News
DECEMBER 13, 2010
This is just horrible and sick, sick, sick. It's at a vomit level with me. From news24.com. Johannesburg - A Bloemfontein man received a criminal record on Friday for a "backyard experiment" on a pregnant monkey, the NSPCA said. The NSPCA in November 2008 charged Jordaan for his "merciless treatment" of a heavily pregnant vervet monkey.
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Pycnonotidae: A Critical Review
10,000 Birds
MARCH 18, 2021
The losing streak of the bulbul family continues with some other species such as the … … Dark-capped Bulbul (Drakensberg area, South Africa; eBird: “a rather nondescript thrush-sized brown bird”) … … White-eared Bulbul (Mumbai, eBird: “a dull gray-brown bulbul). Lucia, South Africa).
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A few Barbets
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 17, 2022
The Crested Barbet (Kruger Park, South Africa) looks a bit like a pointillist painting gone wrong. Lucia, South Africa) will be your favorite. Unfortunately, I have so far seen only a few of them, and none of the ones in the Americas … but here are ten that I have seen and got halfway decent photos of.
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50 Top Birding Sites in Kenya review
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 21, 2021
When you mention “Africa” to a birder, it is likely that at least two thirds will instantly think “Kenya”, and for a good reason: it is home to over 1,060 bird species and boasts many globally important birding areas. The only thing left for me is to test this guide within Kenya.
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African Penguins in Peril
10,000 Birds
JULY 16, 2013
I grew up in one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Cape Town, South Africa. In fact, there is no other region in Africa that offers such a fantastic level of endemism in such an accessible location. Birding Birds penguins South Africa Worldwide Birding Adventures'
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Sleep
10,000 Birds
APRIL 1, 2021
African Penguins, asleep (Cape Town, South Africa). A Burnt out Barn Owl (Kruger Park, South Africa). A Somnolent Speckled Mousebird (Cape Town, South Africa). A Snoozing Spotted Eagle Owl (Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa). A Tired Teal ( Eurasian Teal , Nanhui, Shanghai).
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Two New Series of Blog Posts
10,000 Birds
JULY 30, 2024
The series will start today with a profile of Rene Rossouw, a bird guide based in South Africa. We will also have two additional series of posts: One features profiles of bird guides from all over the world, explaining their background, their regions, and their favorite birds.
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The Bee-eaters of Africa
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 14, 2012
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Swallow-tailed Bee-eater by Adam Riley We must leave Africa’s primeval rainforests to find this dry savanna species. The eastern form breeds as far away as Kazakhstan, through India and the Middle East into Egypt’s Nile Valley, and migrates southwards to East and South Africa.
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Madikwe; Paradise Restored
10,000 Birds
MARCH 16, 2016
Madikwe , in South Africa, wasn’t a site of importance before it came into existence. And so South Africa’s fifth largest park came to be (it’s worth remembering that its largest park, Kruger, is the size of Israel) on marginal land that no one in particular could do much with. But they are very cute!
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What is a birder?
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 3, 2024
Then, in 2002 I went on my first safari in South Africa’s Kruger park. My true road to Damascus came on the 28 th of January 2009, in another African park: Pilanesberg, South Africa. We moved to Hong Kong, my wife shopped and I watched birds. My friend Bas had brought along binoculars and a guidebook.
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Impala Jousting
10,000 Birds
JUNE 21, 2014
Birding Impala South Africa' Other 10,000 Birds posts from Pilanesberg include Red-billed Oxpeckers on Rhinos , Diderik Cuckoos, a New Year’s toast and a morning at the hide overlooking Mankwe Dam.
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The Storks of Africa
10,000 Birds
MAY 8, 2012
Marabous occur throughout tropical and subtropical Africa from Zululand in northern South Africa right up to the arid Sahel region fringing the Sahara Desert, avoiding the closed canopy rainforest zones of central and west Africa. They are also attracted by fires and can gather in thousands.
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Africa’s endangered species
10,000 Birds
JULY 10, 2012
An African Penguins strolls along Boulders Beach, Simonstown, South Africa. Image by Adam Riley Ludwig’s Bustard This attractive dry country bustard ranges across western South Africa, Namibia and just into southern Angola.
The Little Big Year 2018: Best Birds of the Year!
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 9, 2019
Our first Day In South Africa, I spotted the Burchell’s Courcal, as it flew across the road in front of us we entered Kruger National Park. We were able to photograph 6 different hornbills in South Africa, but these regal little Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills quickly became an all time favorite.
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Feed me or I’ll die, and possibly take you with me!
10,000 Birds
APRIL 16, 2013
More recently a study of Babblers in South Africa may have demonstrated a similar kind of extortion. We are speaking of the Pied Babbler ( Turdoides bicolor ) of the Kalahari in South Africa. . “If you don’t feed me right way, I’m taking off this wing and your reproductive success is done!”
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Everyone loves owls: African edition
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 23, 2016
The species is a common one, found from the Gambia to Somalia and from the Sudan to South Africa. This was only the second time I had ever seen this species in all my time on the continent. But they are hard to see, as you can see from my photographs. Owl number one is sleeping. Note the huge ear tufts.
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