Explore the amazing variety of birds in Africa.

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With more than 2,500 kinds of birds, Africa is truly a bird lover’s dream. You can see colourful bee-eaters in Botswana’s Okavango Delta or the prehistoric-looking Shoebill stork in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park. Watching birds in Africa is as varied and interesting as Africa itself.

The large number of birds in this huge area is because of its many different places for birds to live. These include the dry savannas of Southern Africa, the forests and fynbos along the Cape Coast, and the lush rainforests of East Africa.

Looking for birds in the sky and trees can make your safari even better. Knowledgeable local guides can help both new and experienced bird watchers find many native and migrating birds. These birds share Africa’s amazing national parks with animals like lions, gorillas, and elephants.

Recommended birding destinations

The number of pink flamingos at Lake Nakuru makes it one of Kenya‘s top birdwatching destinations. Birdwatchers can see more than 450 species here, despite the throngs of showy flamingos. Given that they are all globally endangered species, the Pallid Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle, Madagascar Pond-Heron, and Grey-Crested Helmet Shrike are certain to be highlights.

In addition to being one of the top safari destinations in South Africa, the Kruger National Park is a well-known site for birdwatchers. More than 500 bird species can be found in the enormous sanctuary, some of which are unique to the nation, particularly the regional rarities found in the park’s northern portion. The avian Big Six are the Southern ground hornbill, Pel’s fishing owl, Lappet-faced vulture, Martial eagle, Kori bustard, and saddle-billed stork.

The Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana is a birding gem, home to over 500 species. Visitors from November to April can add intra-African and palearctic migrants to their lists, even though sightings are magnificent all year round. The Delta’s rivers, whose reeds provide the ideal habitat for rails, cormorants, and kingfishers, are a remarkable place to explore by traditional mokoros. The lesser jacana, white-backed night heron, and Hartlaub’s babbler are some of the other highly sought-after attractions.

The Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania is another birdwatcher’s dream and is arguably one of Africa’s best protected parks. The reserve, which is twice as large as the Serengeti, boasts an incredibly intricate natural system, with sandbanks, lagoons, and river channels serving as bird habitats. Take a boat safari and keep an eye out for unique species like the palm-nut vulture, thick-billed cuckoo, and broad-billed roller, among the approximately 440 bird species found here.

The Cape’s nutrient-rich waters are the best in the world for oceanic birding. Many species are introduced to the fishing grounds south of Cape Point by trawlers. Winter is the most productive season for pelagic birding, which involves launching a boat into the ocean to locate birds that are only visible there. During this period, a variety of fascinating Southern Ocean visitors appear, including the Antarctic prion, the northern royal albatross, and the black-crowned albatross.