Birdwatching in South Africa 2024-2025

South Africa offers luxurious birdwatching with over 840 species. About 140 of them are near-endemic, and 14 are true endemic. Some of the most notable birds are the African penguin, Blue crane, Crested guineafowl, Southern ground hornbill, Mocking cliff-chat, rare Pel's fishing-owl and Tawny eagle. The list could be way longer if we mentioned all of the species that can be spotted in South Africa, but let's explore best places to observe the largest variety.

Kruger National Park is considered number one for general birdwatching. Mkhuze Game Reserve offers an incredible number of species in a relatively small area. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is especially known for raptors. The capital city doesn't fall behind—check out penguin colonies around Cape Town. Other great places for birding include Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, and Kariega Game Reserve. But of course, this is not the entire list. All of South Africa can be considered a birding destination. They are everywhere, just be attentive to spot as many as possible.

The best time for birdwatching is the rainy African spring and summer between September and March or April. Peak viewing time runs from November to February. In this season, migratory birds from Europe as well as northern Africa take over the territories. Also, many bird species are nesting and show off their bright breeding plumage during this time.