Bird Watching in and near Cape Town

Bird watching in Cape Town is varied and endlessly rewarding. If you go bird watching around the Cape Town coastline, you’ll seen a wealth of sea birds, which can best be spotted from a charter boat. Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch Gardens offers bird watching delights as well as botanical beauty: you can view exquisite species such as the Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird.

World of Birds

World of Birds is the largest bird park in Africa and one of the few large bird parks in the World. Over 3000 birds (and small animals) of 400 different species are uniquely presented in more than 100 aviaries. ... more

With thousands of species spread over multitudes of habitats, it would be impossible to summarize the full richness that bird watching in South Africa has to offer. From coastal areas to dense forests to tropical locations and wetlands, each area of the country offers a unique experience to enthusiastic birders.

The northern coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal offers some of the most varied species in the country. The wetlands in this area are a World Heritage Site and there are over 350 species of birds that frequent the area. In nearby Sodwana, the wetlands extend to Kosi Bay on the border with Mozambique and offer some of the best coastal wetland environments.

Alexander Bay and the nearby Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park boast around 280 species, with several species of raptor and other birds of prey.

If you would prefer to birdwatch among the lions, head to Sabie and the Kruger National Park to combine your birding with game viewing. The private game reserves of the Sabi Sands offer seclusion, but it is Kruger, with its 500 species, some found nowhere else in South Africa, that provides the best viewing. Be on the lookout for the “Big 6” of birding: the Saddle-billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Martial Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, Pel's fishing Owl and Ground Hornbill.

Other areas of the country known for their fascinating birding include Arniston, Cape Town, Dullstroom, Graskop, Hluhluwe, Harrismith, Langebaan, Lambert's Bay, Newcastle, Pretoria, Wilderness and Winterton.

Everywhere you go, be on the lookout for the Blue Crane, South Africa's national bird.