25 AUGUST–06 SEPTEMBER 2026
By Zach Simpson
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler was seen moving around in rocky outcrops.
Overview
The tour began in Cape Town, with Strandfontein Sewage Works and Rondevlei Nature Reserve delivering an excellent start to the wetland birding, with Maccoa, White-backed, and Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Cape Shoveler, Black-necked Grebe, and thousands of African Sacred Ibises among the early highlights. Fynbos endemics followed around Rooi-Els, Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, and Kirstenbosch, where the group connected with Cape Rockjumper, Victorin’s Warbler, Cape Sugarbird, Orange-breasted Sunbird, and Cape Siskin, with a Hump-backed Whale breaching just offshore as a memorable bonus.
Heading north along thecoast, the spectacular wildflower displays at the Postberg section of West Coast National Park were matched by strong birding, including Black Harrier, Karoo Lark, Cape Clapper Lark and both Southern and Northern Giant Petrels, while Geelbek Hide added a good spread of waders. Around Velddrif and Springbok the group tracked down several of the region’s toughest endemics, among them Protea Canary, Black-headed Canary, Karoo Eremomela, and Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. Dune Lark and Cape Long-billed Lark were added on a dedicated day trip to Port Nolloth.
Karoo Lark was seen displaying in the early morning golden light.
The Bushmanland leg around Goegap Nature Reserve and Pofadder produced some of the trip’s most sought-after larks, including Sclater’s Lark, Stark’s Lark, and Black-eared Sparrowlark, alongside Karoo Korhaan and Namaqua Sandgrouse. From here the group pushed on via Augrabies Falls, picking up Rosy-faced Lovebird along the Orange River, and arrived in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Two full days in the park yielded an excellent raptor haul, Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Secretarybird, Pygmy Falcon, and Red-necked Falcon were all seen, together with Crimson-breasted Shrike, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, and large numbers of Sociable Weaver and two sandgrouse species at the waterholes.
Mammals were a real highlight of the trip’s second half. Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok, and both Dusky and Heaviside’s Dolphins were seen at Postberg, while Springhare, Bat-eared Fox, and Aardwolf turned up around Pofadder on the night drives. The Kgalagadi capped things off in style, with prides of Lions seen on consecutive days, alongside Cheetah, African Wildcat, Spotted Hyena, Gemsbok, and Meerkat. The tour concluded with a final morning of birding near Upington and then flights home.
A detailed daily account can be read below, and the full bird and mammal lists are located at the end of the report. More photos and details can be found in the eBird trip report, here.
Incredible Lion sightings were had during our time in the Kgalagadi.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 25th August 2026. Arrival in Cape Town and local birding
The tour officially started at midday today. We left the hotel after an early check-in and headed straight to Woolworths to get some lunch that we would enjoy later on. We took a short drive to Strandfontein Sewage Works where we spent time enjoying huge numbers of water birds, despite the very strong winds. A good diversity of waterfowl was seen. These included Yellow-billed, Fulvous Whistling, Maccoa and White-backed Ducks, Cape and Red-billed Teal, Southern Pochard, Cape Shoveler, Egyptian and Spur-winged Goose as well as a pair of introduced Mallards. Searching numerous Little Grebes, we picked out a group of Black-necked Grebes. Three species of gull were seen. These included Kelp, Hartlaub’s and a few Grey-headed Gulls. Other species seen included African Swamphen, Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Red-knobbed Coot and Eurasian Moorhen. Four raptor species included Black Kite, Rock Kestrel, Black Sparrowhawk and Jackal Buzzard. The vegetation surrounding the pans produced Cape Spurfowl, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Karoo Prinia, Lesser Swamp and Little Rush Warblers, Cape Canary, Cape Weaver and Plain Martins. The birds that dominated the areas were thousands of African Sacred Ibises, along with Glossy and Hadada Ibises. A short stop in Rondevlei Nature Reserve gave us the opportunity to add African Darter, Red-faced Mousebird, Pin-tailed Whydah, Cape and Southern Masked Weaver and Cape Robin-Chat.
After the water works, we popped in at a small park in hopes of Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, with no luck. This was followed by a wonderful first dinner together! After dinner there was an optional outing to look for African Wood Owl, thankfully it did not take too long to find this species once we had arrived at our site!
Maccoa Duck was one of the many waterfowl species we saw!
Day 2, 26th August 2026. Full day of endemic birding around Rooi-Els and Betty’s Bay
With an early start we collected our breakfast packs and hit the road heading out of Cape Town, for a full day! We traveled along the well-known Clarence Drive, with the sea on our right and the mountains on the left. Unfortunately, the wind was very strong and we had to change our plans around slightly. We started at a sheltered viewpoint along the road where we added Grey-backed Cisticola, Karoo Prinia, Cape Grassbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird. White-chinned Petrel was a nice pelagic addition. From here we made our way to the windy Rooi-Els. Despite the wind, we added Familiar Chat, Cape Sugarbird, White-necked Raven, Alpine Swift, Southern Crag-Martin, Piping Cisticola, Cape Bunting and Southern Double-collared Sunbird. A Hump-backed Whale gave us great views as it breached completely out of the water not far offshore. We eventually found a sheltered spot behind a rock where we could scan for our main target. While waiting, Ground Woodpecker made an appearance. We eventually lost the battle with the wind and headed back to the car. While we enjoyed a packed breakfast at the car, the bird we thought we had missed made a distant appearance along the base on the cliffs. This pair of Cape Rockjumpers showed briefly for us, before disappearing.
This stunning pair of Ground Woodpeckers gave us a good show!
Moving on, we went to Rocky Bay Penguin Colony. The wind was even worse here, but we endured and added African Penguin, Bank, Crowned, Cape and Great Cormorant as well as African Oystercatcher. Harold Porter Botanical Gardens provided a good reprieve from the wind. Entering the gardens we had views of a pair of Swee Waxbills feeding on the lawn. Further up the gardens we had outstanding views of Victorin’s Warbler. Other species recorded included Malachite Sunbird, Cape Batis, Giant Kingfisher, Bar-throated Apalis, Cape White-eye, Olive Thrush, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Robin-Chat, Streaky-headed Seedeater and Cape Canary. We started the trip back to the hotel and made a few quick stops along the way. The first produced Cape Rock-Thrush and Peregrine Falcon. The second gave us prolonged views of a pod of Common Dolphins. The last stop added a number of birds, including Black Crake, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Purple Heron, White-backed Mousebird and Common Waxbill. We enjoyed dinner at a nearby steakhouse! After this we popped out to look for African Wood Owl and thankfully ended the day with great views of an individual!
Day 3, 27th August 2026. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and transfer to Langebaan
A slightly later start this morning meant that we could enjoy a sit-down breakfast at the hotel. Once we were done, we headed to a small park not far from our accommodation. Here we added African Olive Pigeon, Fork-tailed Drongo and our main target, Cape Siskin. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens was our next stop. We had a very successful time here and added a number of species. These include Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk, Booted Eagle, Lemon Dove, Olive Woodpecker, Brimstone and Forest Canary, African Black Swift, Black Sawwing and a Spotted Eagle-Owl on a nest.
After a coffee stop, we travelled north along the coast. We spent a bit of time around the Darling area and added a good selection of birds here. These included Great White Pelican, Blue Crane, Martial Eagle, Large-billed and Red-capped Larks, African Pied Starling, Capped Wheatear, Cloud Cisticola, Orange-throated Longclaw, Southern Black Korhaan, Karoo Scrub Robin, Bokmakierie and Chestnut-vented Warbler. Red-chested Flufftail provided us with the most incredible views – this was certainly one of the highlights! We then headed to our lodge to check in for the night!
Red-chested Flufftail gave us incredible views!
Day 4, 28th August 2026. Full day around Langebaan
With another early morning we went out to Jacob’s Bay in search of Antarctic Tern. Surprisingly, it was not as straight forward as we had hoped. Nevertheless, we eventually found a small roost nestled in a small bay just out of sight from their normal spot. While searching for them we added a few other good species including Yellow Canary, Karoo Lark, Cape Penduline-Tit, Spotted Thick-knee, Acacia Pied Barbet, White-fronted and Kittlitz’s Plover, Sickle-winged Chat and Grey Tit.
From here we moved to West Coast National Park. Shortly after we entered the park, we added Common Ostrich, Long-billed Crombec and Grey-winged Francolin. Continuing, we popped into Geelbeck hide and added a number of waders to our list. These included Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Marsh Sandpiper and Caspian Tern. Later on, the Postberg section of the park gave us the best flowers we could find on the trip!
While admiring the flowers we added some good birds, with. Black Harriers around in fair numbers. One of the viewpoints overlooking the sea proved extremely successful. While scanning the sea we noticed that there was a large group of giant petrels landing on the water not far offshore. We got as close along the rock as we could to this flock and, after closer inspection of photos, we concluded that there were both Southern and Northern Giant Petrels. This section of the park also gave us great opportunity to see mammals, including both Dusky and Heaviside’s Dolphins, Hump-backed Whales, Gemsbok, Cape Mountain Zebra, Springbok, Greater Kudu, Bontebok and Cape Grey Mongoose.
Once we had wrapped up in the Postberg section we made our way back to our accommodation, stopping at three different hides along the way. These hides produced African Marsh Harrier, Little Stint and the long-staying vagrant Eurasian Oystercatcher. By this time, it was getting late in the day and we opted to head straight to the restaurant for dinner.
Grey Tit can be quite a tricky bird.
Day 5, 29th August 2026. Velddrif and transfer to Springbok
Coffee! That was our first target this morning. We had seen a Seattle Coffee shop yesterday and decided to try our luck as soon as it opened! Before long we were back in our car, lattes and hot chocolates in hand, to start our day’s birding. Our main birding for the morning was around Velddrif, just north of Langebaan. As we traveled, we added birds such as South African Shelduck and Cape Clapper Lark.
On arrival at Velddrif Salt works the bird list started to rack up. We added Three-banded, Common Ringed and Chestnut-banded Plovers, White-winged and Whiskered Tern, the long-staying vagrant Red-necked Phalarope, Common and Curlew Sandpipers, Ruff, Lesser Flamingo, Goliath Heron, Lanner Falcon, African Spoonbill and Wattled Starling. A stop along the river added African Rail, Great Crested Grebe and African Hoopoe.
Once we had wrapped up in Velddrif we started the long drive to the small town of Springbok. A little while in we enjoyed some lunch! After lunch we stopped briefly to look for one of South Africa’s trickiest endemics, Protea Canary. Despite the gusting wind we soon had great views of this species! Fairy Flycatcher was another good species we added to the growing list. Continuing north, we added Ludwig’s Bustard along the main road. A short stop at the base of a large rocky hillside produced our last target for the day – a large group of Black-headed Canaries! We were happy with two localized canaries in one day. The day was rounded up at a local steakhouse in Springbok!
This camouflaged Ludwig’s Bustard was a nice find on the side of the road.
Day 6, 30th August 2026. Morning at Port Nolloth and afternoon birding around Springbok
Our day started while it was still dark and we headed to the small coastal town of Port Nolloth. As we made our way towards the coast, an incredible number of raptors were seen along the old telephone poles. These included Rock and Greater Kestrel, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk and the odd Jackal Buzzard.
When we reached the coast, we started birding at the water treatment works just outside town. Unfortunately, there was an extremely cold wind blowing. Despite this, the verges produced Rufous-eared Warbler, Tractrac Chat and a showy pair of Cape Long-billed Larks. Blue-billed Teal was another good addition. Moving on from here we traveled north to look for Dune Lark. It took a bit of time to get our first distant views. As we drove back towards the town, we had at least three Dune Larks feeding just off the road. These individuals provided excellent views. Brant’s Whistling Rat and Xeric Four-striped Grass Mouse were everywhere, sunning themselves in the morning sun!
Dune Lark is a near endemic that we see in the northwestern part of the country.
A stop in one of the small rocky bays in Port Nolloth produced a couple of good birds. Two noticeable gaps in our list so far were Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone and we managed to add both of these! Repeat views of Eared Grebe, Bank Cormorant and Heaviside’s Dolphin were seen!
After we wrapped up in Port Nolloth we made our way back to Springbok. When we arrived in town, we had three Verreaux’s Eagles flying overhead. After lunch we enjoyed a bit of downtime and then headed out for an evening of birding. We birded a road on the outskirts of the town and very quickly managed a few good species, including Karoo Eremomela, Layard’s Warbler, Dusky Sunbird and Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. Other species, which we saw more of later, included Ant-eating, Karoo and Mountain Chats. Another exciting mammal was a good number of Karoo Bush Rats.
We enjoyed hot chocolate as the sun went down. We hoped to hear Freckled Nightjar as it got dark, but we had no such luck. As we drove back to the accommodation in the dark, we had views of a pair of Bat-eared Fox, some Klipspringer on the rocky hillside and a herd of Mountain Zebra on the other side of the fence in Goegap Nature Reserve. This was a good way to wrap up the day!
Malachite Sunbird is a true jewel of the dry desert.
Day 7, 31st August 2026. Goegap Nature Reserve and transfer to Pofadder
A later start this morning allowed for a sit-down breakfast at the accommodation. We then proceeded to Goegap Nature Reserve, where we spent the first few hours of the morning. Starting at the community center, we added birds such as Pririt Batis. We had repeat views of species like Fairy Flycatcher, Malachite Sunbird, Karoo Scrub Robin, White-throated Canary and Pale-winged Starling. We spent some time driving the tourist route in the park, with a few targets. Nicholson’s Pipit was the foremost of them. After a fair amount of searching, we managed to find a pair. Rock Hyrax and Dassie Rat (Noki) were also seen.
Once we had wrapped up in the nature reserve, we started the drive towards Pofadder. Along the way we saw a pair of Karoo Korhaans and a small group of Meerkats. As we approached Pofadder we were welcomed by the ginormous Sociable Weaver nests. As we passed through the town we had Bradfield’s Swift. Our afternoon birding started by looking for one of the toughest targets of the whole trip. Thankfully we did not have to spend too much time before we had Sclater’s Lark in the bag. Other good species included Stark’s Lark, Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark, Lark-like Bunting and Desert Cisticola. From here we took a slow drive back towards the town. Along the way we added a few new species, such as Spike-heeled Lark, Chat Flycatcher, Northern Black Korhaan, Karoo Long-billed Lark and Black-chested Prinia. Some of the mammal highlights included fantastic views of Bat-eared Foxes as well as Yellow Mongoose and a herd of Springbok. Once we had arrived back at Pofadder, we checked into the accommodation and had an early night.
Karoo Korhaan was seen on multiple occasions.
Day 8, 1st September 2026. Red Lark, Orange River and Cape Eagle-Owl
With an early start we made the drive to a private farm about halfway between Pofadder and Springbok. This farm was teeming with birds! Our first stop produced a pair of Double-banded Coursers. We had flybys of multiple Ludwig’s Bustards throughout the morning. The homestead on the farm was a magnet for birds and we saw a few Black-headed Canaries and some Red-headed Finches.
One of the roads we drove on went through the middle of a field containing copious amounts of grass seed on the floor. There were therefore huge numbers of birds. Foremost of these were Black-eared Sparrow-Lark, Stark’s Lark, Common Quail and Namaqua Sandgrouse. A little further we took a short walk up some sand dunes where we had excellent views of Red Lark. Scaly-feathered Weaver and Red-headed Finches also frequented the taller trees near the dunes. Our last target for the morning, Burchell’s Courser, was found in large numbers too. On the open plains along the tar road we counted up to 21 individuals.
Once we had wrapped up our morning’s birding we made headway back to the accommodation. On the way back we had extremely close views of a juvenile Martial Eagle. We enjoyed some down time and lunch before heading out for more birding! At about two in the afternoon, we set out in a northerly direction to Onseepkans, along the Orange River. Along the way we got views of our first Pygmy Falcon. When we arrived, we spent an hour or so birding along the river and this new habitat added a couple of species fast. Namaqua and Common Reed Warbler were common in the reeds. African Black Duck, Goliath Heron and a Hamerkop were all seen along the river, and Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters were also seen!
We put our dinner orders in beforehand because we knew we would arrive fairly late and spent the evening looking for Cape Eagle-Owl. We enjoyed cups of tea and hot chocolate as we watched a rocky hillside, hoping that this species would make an appearance at dusk. We were fortunate that it called twice, and we could locate it as it flew out onto the plain to go and hunt. The drive back to the accommodation was also quite eventful, we soon found a pair of Springhares, these were followed by a pair of Cape Fox and then an Aardwolf.
Red Lark is one of the special endemics that we see on this trip.
Day 9, 2nd September 2026. Augrabies Falls and transfer to Kgalagadi
Today was set aside as a travel day, so we enjoyed a sleep in with a slightly later checkout. First up was Augrabies Falls and a walk around the campsite added Crested Barbet, Brubru, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Orange-river White-eye and Golden-tailed Woodpecker. While enjoying the falls we added Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and our last addition in this area was Vervet Monkey.
Our next good find was a large flock of Rosy-faced Lovebirds And we watched them preen and chatter away for a couple of minutes. This was followed by a quick lunch stop along the river closer to Upington. While we enjoyed our chicken salad, we saw African Pied Wagtails and another pair of African Black Ducks.
The rest of the afternoon was spent driving to the Kgalagadi, two and a half hours north of Upington. We did not do much other birding but did add White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures, Tawny Eagle and Purple Roller along the way.
Rosy-faced Lovebird was one of the most stunning species seen on the whole trip.
Day 10, 3rd September 2026. First full day in the Kgalagadi
This day was our first full day in the Kgalagadi National Park. It was with great excitement that we arrived at the entrance gate a few minutes before the park opened, to ensure we could get in as early as possible. Before we entered, we had a Pearl-spotted Owlet calling from atop a dead tree. Once in the park we drove up the Nossob River. Major highlights for the morning included some Cheetah seen distantly up on the dunes and we watched as the mother of two almost adult cubs scanned the endless dunes of the Kgalagadi. A little further along we had a fantastic view of an African Wildcat up a tree! The other mammals seen included Gemsbok, Springbok, Red Hartebeest, Slender Mongoose, Meerkat and West-Central South African Four-striped Grass Mouse. On the birding front we had some good birds including Common Scimitarbill, Ashy Tit, Lilac-breasted Roller, African Grey Hornbill, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Crimson-breasted Shrike, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Marico Flycatcher, Green-winged Pytilia, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Gabar Goshawk and Sabota Lark were seen in the woodland along the riverbeds. Both Burchell’s and Namaqua Sandgrouse were seen drinking in large numbers at the waterholes. Secretarybird and Kori Bustard were also seen striding along the dry riverbed as they searched for unsuspecting prey. A good number of Common Ostriches were seen, including a group of four adults and 28 chicks!
We were back at our accommodation by three in the afternoon. We had a very early dinner at around four o’clock and then went on a night drive with a ranger from Twee Rivieren Camp. Despite the wind we had a very successful drive. We had more views of the Cheetahs we had seen in the morning and African Wildcats showed exceptionally well again. We also saw a pair of Bat-eared Foxes and some more Springhares. On the birding front we had Southern White-faced, Western Barn and Spotted Eagle-Owl. One of the most exciting parts of the drive came as we were about to exit the park; we found a pride of lions about 230 feet (70 meters) off the road! We would definitely try to find these lions in the morning again for better views!
We had multiple fantastic views of African Wildcat.
Day 11, 4th September 2026. Second full day in the Kgalagadi
With another early morning, we were back at the gate and soon entered the park. As we entered, we were treated to a whole pride of Lions! They were in the same place as the night before and had killed a Gemsbok. There were three small cubs present, this was very special to see. Most vehicles that entered after us drove right past us and did not even see the Lions.
About 12 mi (20 km) further along we found two big male Lions. We watched these two males while we sat and ate our breakfast in the vehicle. Further on we saw a Spotted Hyena resting right near the entrance of its den. Cape Fox, Greater Kudu, Meerkat and an African Wildcat hunting and feeding on mice were some of the other mammal highlights. The birding was successful, and we added Red-necked Falcon to the growing list, we even saw them chasing and catching Cape Sparrows. Other good species included Violet-eared and Black-faced Waxbills, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Black-throated Canary, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bateleur, Black-chested Snake-eagle and Greater Striped Swallow.
A fine Red-necked Falcon was seen hunting Cape Sparrows on two occasions.
The highlight of the day was not in the form of an animal, but rather the weather! We were very spoilt when large storm clouds rolled in during the afternoon. These scattered clouds created the most stunning skyscapes. As the afternoon went on, we experienced short periods of heavy rain and even hail! Petrichor filled the air, it was a real privilege to experience the dry desert being relieved by long overdue rain.
We eventually pulled ourselves away from the park at about half past five in the afternoon. As we drove to our accommodation for the night, we reminisced about the incredible day we had had in the park. On arrival at our accommodation, we checked in and enjoyed a great meal to top off the day.
Kgalagadi scenery was incredible!
Day 12, 5th September 2026. Transfer back to Upington
This morning we could sleep in, then had a short stint of birding around the lodge grounds. We added a couple of important species here. Bleating Camaroptera was one of the first new birds we added, followed by Red-billed Spurfowl and Groundscraper Thrush. Once we had finished our breakfast, we packed our bags and headed towards Upington. We stopped shortly into our drive in some woodland to look for a few of the remaining species, including Southern Pied Babbler and Red-billed Buffalo Weaver. The rest of the morning was spent driving back to Upington where we checked into our accommodation in the early afternoon.
After some rest we set out on our last birding excursion for the tour. We headed out onto some roads on the outskirts of Upington. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing heavily. Despite this, with a bit of perseverance we found our two main targets, Eastern Clapper and Pink-billed Larks. Wrapping up the birding for the day, we headed back to the accommodation just in time for a fantastic meal.
Day 13, 6th September 2026. Final birding around the lodge
Our last morning on tour was spent on the lodge grounds. We had a short walk around before breakfast and, surprisingly, added a number of species. Lesser Honeyguide, Little Sparrowhawk, Zitting Cisticola, White-fronted Bee-eater and Little Heron were all new additions during the morning. We enjoyed one of our best breakfasts, then headed to the airport, where the tour concluded.
Bird List – Following IOC 15.1 (March 2025)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen.
The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following the IUCN Red List: CR = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Ostriches (Struthionidae) | |
| Common Ostrich | Struthio camelus |
| Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae) | |
| Fulvous Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna bicolor |
| White-backed Duck | Thalassornis leuconotus |
| Spur-winged Goose | Plectropterus gambensis |
| Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca |
| South African Shelduck | Tadorna cana |
| Blue-billed Teal | Spatula hottentota |
| Cape Shoveler | Spatula smithii |
| African Black Duck | Anas sparsa |
| Yellow-billed Duck | Anas undulata |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Cape Teal | Anas capensis |
| Red-billed Teal | Anas erythrorhyncha |
| Southern Pochard | Netta erythrophthalma |
| Maccoa Duck – EN | Oxyura maccoa |
| Guineafowl (Numididae) | |
| Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris |
| Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae) | |
| Grey-winged Francolin | Scleroptila afra |
| Common Quail | Coturnix coturnix |
| Red-billed Spurfowl | Pternistis adspersus |
| Cape Spurfowl | Pternistis capensis |
| Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) | |
| Fiery-necked Nightjar (H) | Caprimulgus pectoralis |
| Swifts (Apodidae) | |
| African Palm Swift | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Alpine Swift | Tachymarptis melba |
| African Black Swift | Apus barbatus |
| Bradfield’s Swift | Apus bradfieldi |
| Little Swift | Apus affinis |
| White-rumped Swift | Apus caffer |
| Bustards (Otididae) | |
| Kori Bustard | Ardeotis kori |
| Ludwig’s Bustard – EN | Neotis ludwigii |
| Karoo Korhaan | Heterotetrax vigorsii |
| Southern Black Korhaan – VU | Afrotis afra |
| Northern Black Korhaan | Afrotis afraoides |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Klaas’s Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx klaas |
| Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae) | |
| Namaqua Sandgrouse | Pterocles namaqua |
| Burchell’s Sandgrouse | Pterocles burchelli |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| Speckled Pigeon | Columba guinea |
| African Olive Pigeon | Columba arquatrix |
| Lemon Dove | Aplopelia larvata |
| Red-eyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata |
| Ring-necked Dove | Streptopelia capicola |
| Laughing Dove | Spilopelia senegalensis |
| Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis |
| Flufftails & Forest Rails (Sarothruridae) | |
| Red-chested Flufftail | Sarothrura rufa |
| Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae) | |
| African Rail | Rallus caerulescens |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| Red-knobbed Coot | Fulica cristata |
| African Swamphen | Porphyrio madagascariensis |
| Black Crake | Zapornia flavirostra |
| Cranes (Gruidae) | |
| Blue Crane – VU | Grus paradisea |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) | |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus |
| Black-necked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis |
| Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) | |
| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor |
| Stone-curlews, Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | |
| Spotted Thick-knee | Burhinus capensis |
| Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) | |
| African Oystercatcher | Haematopus moquini |
| Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus |
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Grey Plover – VU | Pluvialis squatarola |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula |
| Three-banded Plover | Thinornis tricollaris |
| Blacksmith Lapwing | Vanellus armatus |
| Crowned Lapwing | Vanellus coronatus |
| Kittlitz’s Plover | Anarhynchus pecuarius |
| Chestnut-banded Plover | Anarhynchus pallidus |
| White-fronted Plover | Anarhynchus marginatus |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax |
| Curlew Sandpiper – VU | Calidris ferruginea |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta |
| Coursers, Pratincoles (Glareolidae) | |
| Double-banded Courser | Smutsornis africanus |
| Burchell’s Courser | Cursorius rufus |
| Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida |
| White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus |
| Antarctic Tern | Sterna vittata |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis |
| Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii |
| Grey-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus |
| Hartlaub’s Gull | Chroicocephalus hartlaubii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| Penguins (Spheniscidae) | |
| African Penguin – CR | Spheniscus demersus |
| Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels (Procellariidae) | |
| Southern Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Northern Giant Petrel | Macronectes halli |
| White-chinned Petrel – VU | Procellaria aequinoctialis |
| Gannets, Boobies (Sulidae) | |
| Cape Gannet – EN | Morus capensis |
| Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae) | |
| African Darter | Anhinga rufa |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Reed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus |
| Crowned Cormorant | Microcarbo coronatus |
| Bank Cormorant – EN | Phalacrocorax neglectus |
| Cape Cormorant – EN | Phalacrocorax capensis |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | |
| African Sacred Ibis | Threskiornis aethiopicus |
| Hadada Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus |
| African Spoonbill | Platalea alba |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| Little Heron | Butorides atricapilla |
| Yellow-billed Egret | Ardea brachyrhyncha |
| Western Cattle Egret | Ardea ibis |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea |
| Black-headed Heron | Ardea melanocephala |
| Goliath Heron | Ardea goliath |
| Hamerkop (Scopidae) | |
| Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta |
| Pelicans (Pelecanidae) | |
| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus |
| Secretarybird (Sagittariidae) | |
| Secretarybird – EN | Sagittarius serpentarius |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus |
| Lappet-faced Vulture – EN | Torgos tracheliotos |
| White-backed Vulture – CR | Gyps africanus |
| Bateleur – EN | Terathopius ecaudatus |
| Black-chested Snake Eagle | Circaetus pectoralis |
| Martial Eagle – EN | Polemaetus bellicosus |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus |
| Tawny Eagle – VU | Aquila rapax |
| Verreaux’s Eagle | Aquila verreauxii |
| Gabar Goshawk | Micronisus gabar |
| Pale Chanting Goshawk | Melierax canorus |
| African Goshawk | Aerospiza tachiro |
| Little Sparrowhawk | Tachyspiza minulla |
| Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk | Accipiter rufiventris |
| Black Sparrowhawk | Astur melanoleucus |
| Black Harrier – EN | Circus maurus |
| African Marsh Harrier | Circus ranivorus |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans |
| African Fish Eagle | Icthyophaga vocifer |
| Jackal Buzzard | Buteo rufofuscus |
| Barn Owls (Tytonidae) | |
| Western Barn Owl | Tyto alba |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| Pearl-spotted Owlet | Glaucidium perlatum |
| Southern White-faced Owl | Ptilopsis granti |
| Cape Eagle-Owl | Bubo capensis |
| Spotted Eagle-Owl | Bubo africanus |
| African Wood Owl | Strix woodfordii |
| Mousebirds (Coliidae) | |
| Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus |
| White-backed Mousebird | Colius colius |
| Red-faced Mousebird | Urocolius indicus |
| Hoopoes (Upupidae) | |
| Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops |
| Wood Hoopoes (Phoeniculidae) | |
| Common Scimitarbill | Rhinopomastus cyanomelas |
| Hornbills (Bucerotidae) | |
| Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill | Tockus leucomelas |
| African Grey Hornbill | Lophoceros nasutus |
| Rollers (Coraciidae) | |
| Purple Roller | Coracias naevius |
| Lilac-breasted Roller | Coracias caudatus |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | |
| Malachite Kingfisher | Corythornis cristatus |
| Giant Kingfisher | Megaceryle maxima |
| Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis |
| Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | |
| Swallow-tailed Bee-eater | Merops hirundineus |
| White-fronted Bee-eater | Merops bullockoides |
| African Barbets (Lybiidae) | |
| Crested Barbet | Trachyphonus vaillantii |
| Acacia Pied Barbet | Tricholaema leucomelas |
| Honeyguides (Indicatoridae) | |
| Lesser Honeyguide | Indicator minor |
| Woodpeckers (Picidae) | |
| Ground Woodpecker | Geocolaptes olivaceus |
| Golden-tailed Woodpecker | Campethera abingoni |
| Cardinal Woodpecker | Dendropicos fuscescens |
| Olive Woodpecker | Dendropicos griseocephalus |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) | |
| Pygmy Falcon | Polihierax semitorquatus |
| Rock Kestrel | Falco rupicolus |
| Greater Kestrel | Falco rupicoloides |
| Red-necked Falcon | Falco chicquera |
| Lanner Falcon | Falco biarmicus |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | |
| Rosy-faced Lovebird | Agapornis roseicollis |
| Wattle-eyes, Batises (Platysteiridae) | |
| Cape Batis | Batis capensis |
| Pririt Batis | Batis pririt |
| Bushshrikes (Malaconotidae) | |
| Bokmakierie | Telophorus zeylonus |
| Brown-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra australis |
| Southern Boubou | Laniarius ferrugineus |
| Crimson-breasted Shrike | Laniarius atrococcineus |
| Brubru | Nilaus afer |
| Drongos (Dicruridae) | |
| Fork-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis |
| Shrikes (Laniidae) | |
| Southern Fiscal | Lanius collaris |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| Cape Crow | Corvus capensis |
| Pied Crow | Corvus albus |
| White-necked Raven | Corvus albicollis |
| Rockjumpers (Chaetopidae) | |
| Cape Rockjumper | Chaetops frenatus |
| Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae) | |
| Fairy Flycatcher | Stenostira scita |
| Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) | |
| Ashy Tit | Melaniparus cinerascens |
| Grey Tit | Melaniparus afer |
| Penduline Tits (Remizidae) | |
| Cape Penduline Tit | Anthoscopus minutus |
| Larks (Alaudidae) | |
| Spike-heeled Lark | Chersomanes albofasciata |
| Karoo Long-billed Lark | Certhilauda subcoronata |
| Cape Long-billed Lark | Certhilauda curvirostris |
| Black-eared Sparrow-Lark | Eremopterix australis |
| Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark | Eremopterix verticalis |
| Sabota Lark | Calendulauda sabota |
| Fawn-colored Lark | Calendulauda africanoides |
| Karoo Lark | Calendulauda albescens |
| Red Lark – VU | Calendulauda burra |
| Dune Lark | Calendulauda erythrochlamys |
| Cape Clapper Lark | Corypha apiata |
| Eastern Clapper Lark | Corypha fasciolata |
| Sclater’s Lark | Spizocorys sclateri |
| Stark’s Lark | Spizocorys starki |
| Pink-billed Lark | Spizocorys conirostris |
| Large-billed Lark | Galerida magnirostris |
| Red-capped Lark | Calandrella cinerea |
| Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) | |
| Sombre Greenbul | Andropadus importunus |
| African Red-eyed Bulbul | Pycnonotus nigricans |
| Cape Bulbul | Pycnonotus capensis |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Black Saw-wing | Psalidoprocne pristoptera |
| Banded Martin | Neophedina cincta |
| Brown-throated Martin | Riparia paludicola |
| Large Rock Martin | Ptyonoprogne fuligula |
| Pearl-breasted Swallow | Hirundo dimidiata |
| White-throated Swallow | Hirundo albigularis |
| Greater Striped Swallow | Cecropis cucullata |
| Crombecs, African Warblers (Macrosphenidae) | |
| Cape Grassbird | Sphenoeacus afer |
| Long-billed Crombec | Sylvietta rufescens |
| Victorin’s Warbler | Cryptillas victorini |
| Reed Warblers & Allies (Acrocephalidae) | |
| Lesser Swamp Warbler | Acrocephalus gracilirostris |
| Common Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
| Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae) | |
| Little Rush Warbler | Bradypterus baboecala |
| Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae) | |
| Grey-backed Cisticola | Cisticola subruficapilla |
| Levaillant’s Cisticola | Cisticola tinniens |
| Neddicky (H) | Cisticola fulvicapilla |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis |
| Desert Cisticola | Cisticola aridulus |
| Cloud Cisticola | Cisticola textrix |
| Black-chested Prinia | Prinia flavicans |
| Karoo Prinia | Prinia maculosa |
| Namaqua Warbler | Phragmacia substriata |
| Bar-throated Apalis | Apalis thoracica |
| Rufous-eared Warbler | Malcorus pectoralis |
| Grey-backed Camaroptera | Camaroptera brevicaudata |
| Cinnamon-breasted Warbler | Euryptila subcinnamomea |
| Yellow-bellied Eremomela | Eremomela icteropygialis |
| Karoo Eremomela | Eremomela gregalis |
| Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae) | |
| Layard’s Warbler | Curruca layardi |
| Chestnut-vented Warbler | Curruca subcoerulea |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) | |
| Orange River White-eye | Zosterops pallidus |
| Cape White-eye | Zosterops virens |
| Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae) | |
| Southern Pied Babbler | Turdoides bicolor |
| Sugarbirds (Promeropidae) | |
| Cape Sugarbird | Promerops cafer |
| Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae) | |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris |
| Wattled Starling | Creatophora cinerea |
| Cape Starling | Lamprotornis nitens |
| Pied Starling | Lamprotornis bicolor |
| Red-winged Starling | Onychognathus morio |
| Pale-winged Starling | Onychognathus nabouroup |
| Thrushes (Turdidae) | |
| Groundscraper Thrush | Turdus litsitsirupa |
| Olive Thrush | Turdus olivaceus |
| Karoo Thrush | Turdus smithi |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) | |
| Karoo Scrub Robin | Tychaedon coryphoeus |
| Kalahari Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas paena |
| Chat Flycatcher | Agricola infuscatus |
| Fiscal Flycatcher | Sigelus silens |
| Marico Flycatcher | Bradornis mariquensis |
| African Dusky Flycatcher | Muscicapa adusta |
| Cape Robin-Chat | Dessonornis caffer |
| Cape Rock Thrush | Monticola rupestris |
| African Stonechat | Saxicola torquatus |
| Karoo Chat | Emarginata schlegelii |
| Tractrac Chat | Emarginata tractrac |
| Sickle-winged Chat | Emarginata sinuata |
| Ant-eating Chat | Myrmecocichla formicivora |
| Mountain Chat | Myrmecocichla monticola |
| Capped Wheatear | Oenanthe pileata |
| Familiar Chat | Oenanthe familiaris |
| Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) | |
| Orange-breasted Sunbird | Anthobaphes violacea |
| Amethyst Sunbird | Chalcomitra amethystina |
| Malachite Sunbird | Nectarinia famosa |
| Southern Double-collared Sunbird | Cinnyris chalybeus |
| Dusky Sunbird | Cinnyris fuscus |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) | |
| Cape Sparrow | Passer melanurus |
| Southern Grey-headed Sparrow | Passer diffusus |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Weavers, Widowbirds (Ploceidae) | |
| Red-billed Buffalo Weaver | Bubalornis niger |
| White-browed Sparrow-Weaver | Plocepasser mahali |
| Sociable Weaver | Philetairus socius |
| Scaly-feathered Weaver | Sporopipes squamifrons |
| Cape Weaver | Ploceus capensis |
| Southern Masked Weaver | Ploceus velatus |
| Red-billed Quelea | Quelea quelea |
| Southern Red Bishop | Euplectes orix |
| Yellow Bishop | Euplectes capensis |
| Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae) | |
| Bronze Mannikin | Spermestes cucullata |
| Swee Waxbill | Coccopygia melanotis |
| Black-faced Waxbill | Brunhilda erythronotos |
| Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild |
| Red-headed Finch | Amadina erythrocephala |
| Violet-eared Waxbill | Granatina granatina |
| Green-winged Pytilia | Pytilia melba |
| Indigobirds, Whydahs (Viduidae) | |
| Pin-tailed Whydah | Vidua macroura |
| Shaft-tailed Whydah | Vidua regia |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) | |
| Cape Wagtail | Motacilla capensis |
| African Pied Wagtail | Motacilla aguimp |
| Cape Longclaw | Macronyx capensis |
| African Pipit | Anthus cinnamomeus |
| Nicholson’s Pipit | Anthus nicholsoni |
| Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae) | |
| Forest Canary | Crithagra scotops |
| Black-throated Canary | Crithagra atrogularis |
| Cape Siskin | Crithagra totta |
| Yellow Canary | Crithagra flaviventris |
| Brimstone Canary | Crithagra sulphurata |
| Streaky-headed Seedeater | Crithagra gularis |
| White-throated Canary | Crithagra albogularis |
| Protea Canary | Crithagra leucoptera |
| Cape Canary | Serinus canicollis |
| Black-headed Canary | Serinus alario |
| Buntings (Emberizidae) | |
| Lark-like Bunting | Emberiza impetuani |
| Cinnamon-breasted Bunting | Emberiza tahapisi |
| Cape Bunting | Emberiza capensis |
| Species seen: | 312 |
| Species heard: | 2 |
| Total recorded: | 314 |
Mammal List – Following Mammalwatching.com (October 2025)
The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following the IUCN Red List: VU = Vulnerable.
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Hyraxes (Procaviidae) | |
| Rock Hyrax | Procavia capensis |
| Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae) | |
| Vervet Monkey | Chlorocebus pygerythrus |
| Chacma Baboon | Papio ursinus |
| Dassie Rats (Petromuridae) | |
| Noki | Petromus typicus |
| Squirrels (Sciuridae) | |
| South African Ground Squirrel | Geosciurus inauris |
| Springhares (Pedetidae) | |
| Southern African Springhare | Pedetes capensis |
| Old World Mice and Rats (Muridae) | |
| West-central Four-striped Grass Rat | Rhabdomys bechuanae |
| Xeric Four-striped Grass Rat | Rhabdomys pumilio |
| Karoo Vlei Rat | Otomys unisulcatus |
| Brants’s Whistling Rat | Parotomys brantsii |
| Eared Seals (Otariidae) | |
| Afro-Australian Fur Seal | Arctocephalus pusillus |
| Canids (Canidae) | |
| Black-backed Jackal | Lupulella mesomelas |
| Bat-eared Fox | Otocyon megalotis |
| Cape Fox | Vulpes chama |
| Felids (Felidae) | |
| Cheetah – VU | Acinonyx jubatus |
| African Wildcat | Felis lybica |
| Lion – VU | Panthera leo |
| Mongooses (Herpestidae) | |
| Yellow Mongoose | Cynictis penicillata |
| Cape Gray Mongoose | Herpestes pulverulentus |
| Common Slender Mongoose | Herpestes sanguineus |
| Meerkat | Suricata suricatta |
| Hyaenas (Hyaenidae) | |
| Spotted Hyena | Crocuta crocuta |
| Southern Aardwolf | Proteles cristatus |
| Equines (Equidae) | |
| Mountain Zebra – VU | Equus zebra |
| Rorquals (Balaenopteridae) | |
| Humpback Whale | Megaptera novaeangliae |
| Oceanic Dolphins (Delphinidae) | |
| Panglobal Common Dolphin | Delphinus delphis |
| Dusky Dolphin | Aethalodelphis obscurus |
| Heaviside’s Dolphin | Cephalorhynchus heavisidii |
| Bovids (Bovidae) | |
| Hartebeest | Alcelaphus buselaphus |
| Blue Wildebeest | Connochaetes taurinus |
| Bontebok | Damaliscus pygargus |
| Springbok | Antidorcas marsupialis |
| Steenbok | Raphicerus campestris |
| Bush Duiker | Sylvicapra grimmia |
| Gemsbok | Oryx gazella |
| Klipspringer | Oreotragus oreotragus |
| Greater Kudu | Tragelaphus strepsiceros |
| Species seen: | 37 |
This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.
