Northern Cape
Birding Northern Cape
Western South Africa, comprising the Western and Northern Cape Provinces, is one of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots and is legendary among international and local birders alike for the remarkable variety of birds that are found here and nowhere else. It is an indispensable destination for the eco-tourist and there are no other areas in Africa that offer such a high level of endemism in such a uniquely accessible setting. A staggering 47 of South Africa’s 58 endemic and near-endemic bird species occur here, as well as 76% of southern Africa’s 181. New innovations to assist the eco-traveler include a new birding site guide that covers the region, and the Cape Birding Route that links the up-to-date birding information with practical routes to follow and accommodation options.
Local and international bird-watchers are inevitably drawn to the region by the tourism gem of Cape Town, the capital of the adjacent Western Cape Province, and by the region’s scenic and cultural diversity, well-developed infrastructure, high standard of accommodation, and excellent network of national parks and provincial and private nature reserves. A total of 615 bird species have been recorded in the Western and Northern Cape Provinces, and a two-week trip could expect to yield in excess of 300 species. Indeed, over 220 species have even been seen around Cape Town in a single day! Although the sheer diversity of southern Africa’s more tropical eastern region is inevitably higher, most of these species have wide distributions and extend over much of eastern Africa. The west, by contrast, is rich in species largely restricted to this region, making the Western and Northern Cape Provinces an essential destination in both global and local terms. See also Western Cape Province.
Top 10 Species in the Northern Cape: Ludwig’s Bustard, Red Lark, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Black-eared Finchlark, Sclater’s Lark, Barlow’s Lark, Burchell’s Courser, Cape Eagle Owl, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Dusky Sunbird.
The Northern Cape Province has a wide diversity of birding habitats including the Arid Kalahari Savanna, Succulent and Nama Karoo (the majority of the Karoo lies in the Northern Cape) and wetlands and coastal habitats. Perhaps Africa’s most characteristic vegetation type, Arid Savanna forms an intermediate between grassland and woodland and occupies the famed Kalahari region. Rainfall is in the form of summer thunderstorms that support good grass cover below a varying density of thorn-trees. Although savannah supports a diverse bird community, and the characteristically arid savannah in this region holds endemics such as Kalahari Robin, Ashy Tit, Marico Flycatcher and Crimson-breasted Shrike. Raptors abound.
The Karoo is a vast semi-desert area that is divided into two botanically very different regions and dominates the arid western half of South Africa. It forms part of the most ancient desert system in the world, and is an open area of stony plains, scattered with small shrubs, punctuated by low dunes and hills koppies, and is very sparsely inhabited. The Succulent Karoo Biome is characterized by small succulent plants, supported by low but predictable winter rainfall, whereas the summer-rainfall Nama Karoo Biome is dominated by grasses and low, woody shrubs. The Succulent Karoo Biome is one of Africa’s biodiversity hotspots, and has the highest diversity of succulent plant species in the world. Despite these fundamental climatic and vegetation differences, most Karoo bird specials occur in both biomes. Karoo endemics and near-endemics include Karoo Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, Red, Barlow’s, Karoo Long-billed, Stark’s and Sclater’s Larks, Black-eared Finchlark, Karoo and Tractrac Chats, Karoo Eremomela, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Namaqua Warbler, Pale-winged Starling and Black-headed Canary.
The productive Benguela Current surges up the Atlantic coast, bringing chilly, nutrient-rich waters from Antarctica, while the warmer Agulhas Current moves down the east coast of Africa from more tropical climes. The birds endemic or near-endemic to the plentiful waters of the Benguela Current of southern Africa’s west coast are African Penguin, Cape Gannet (breeding endemic only); Cape, Bank and Crowned Cormorants, African Black Oystercatcher, Hartlaub’s and Cape Gulls and Damara Tern (breeding endemic only).
Combined with a visit to the Western Cape Province, the Northern Cape provides the best chance for arid country specials. Foreign birders visiting the Northern Cape Province will need a week based in the region. Birding is excellent throughout the year and the rains fall in summer.
This page is sponsored by Birding Ecotours
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Bushmanland
Brandvlei area: Open semi-desert plains. Sclater's and Red Larks, Black-eared Finchlark, Burchell's Courser.Pofadder area: Open plains, mountains, dunes. Red Lark, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. Augrabies Falls National Park: Cliffs, plains and riverine. Pale-winged Starling, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. -
Die Bos Nature Reserve - Prieska
Satellite ViewA ±62ha reserve on the banks of the mighty Orange River. African Black Duck is seen often with Cape Francolin, both Ashy and Grey Tit, Pririt Batis, African Fish-eagle, Lesser Honeyguide and Pearlspotted Owlet at its most southern limit -
Kalahari
Satellite View- Kalahari Gemsbok National Park- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Excellent for arid savanna species, raptors and large mammals such as Lion, Cheetah and Gemsbok. Burchell`s Sandgrouse at waterholes. -
Kamieskroon
Satellite ViewGranite outcrops with sparse vegetation. Grey-backed-, Cloud- and Zitting Cisticola occurs here with Karoo Long-billed Lark, Pale Chanting Goshawk and the nomadic Black-headed Canary seen on regular intervals. -
Namaqualand
Satellite ViewPort Nolloth: Coastal dune and pan. Barlow's Lark, Cape Long-billed Lark, Damara TernGoegap Nature Reserve in Springbok: Karoo Eremomela, Cape Eagle Owl -
Spitskop Nature Reserve
InformationSatellite ViewEn-route to Kgaligadi National Park outside Upington. Namaqua Warbler, Ashy Tit, Fawn-coloured Lark, Spike-heeled Lark, Pygmy Falcon and Shorttoed Rock-thrush occurs in this jewel. -
Van Wyk's Vlei
Satellite ViewSemi-desert area with flocks of Black-eared Sparrowlarks, the uncommon and nomadic Sclater's Lark and the highly habitat-specialised Red Lark.
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Claire Spottiswoode & Callan Cohen
Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Cape Town
http://www.birdingafrica.com -
Supplementary Information - Johan van Tonder
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Cape Bird Club
WebsiteWe’d love you to get involved in one of our many initiatives. You can just come along to see what we do or get involved in a more permanent capacity. If conservation is an interest of yours or you just want to help casually get in touch.
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GP Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
WebsiteSatellite ViewTswalu is situated in an enormous private game reserve in the Kalahari Desert in the Northern Cape. Tswalu features harsh thorn bush, rolling grass plains, stark mountains and immense African skies… -
NP Augrabies Falls
InformationSatellite ViewThe Khoi people call it Akoerabis, the place of the Great Noise, referring to the Orange River thundering its way downwards for 60 metres in a spectacular waterfall. The 88 000 hectares on both sides of the Orange River provide sanctaury to a diversity of wildlife. When the tree flowers in the winter flocks of birds are attracted to their copious nectar, and baboons can be seen tearing the flowers apart to get the sweet liquor. -
NP Mokala
InformationSatellite ViewThe size of the park is 26,485 hectares. Mokala is the Setswana name for the magnificent camel thorn, a tree species typical of the arid western interior and common in the area. There is currently 70 km of accessible roads in the national park. A bird list is available at reception. In summer, the best time to go birding in Mokala National Park is at sunrise, particularly between 07h30 and 09h00. The level of endemism at Mokala is high. The Kalahari sandveld habitats hold more bird species than the rocky areas, especially during times of higher rainfall. The endemic black-chested prinia thrives in the arid conditions of the park. Chestnut-vented warblers are attracted to the lawns surrounding the lodges. A fairly tame pair of Cape buntings frequent Mosu Lodge, using the buildings as an artificial nest structure, while greater striped swallows nest beneath the eaves of the restaurant's thatched roof. -
NP Namaqua
InformationSatellite ViewThe park is part of Namaqualand, an area covering 55,000 km2 located within the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome. This biome is a biodiversity hotspot with the largest concentration of succulent plants in the world. -
NP Tankwa Karoo
InformationSatellite ViewTankwa-Karoo National Park & Northern Cape Nature and Game Reserves: The 80,000 hectare Tankwa Karoo National Park, proclaimed in 1986 and still in a development stage, is at present in a veld recovery phase and it will be some time before the original vegetation re-establishes itself. Even so, after the occasional shower, the park erupts into a dazzling display of flowering succulents… -
NR Spitskop
Facebook PageSatellite ViewThe reserve is situated 13 km north of Upington and measures 5,641 hectares and derives its name from a prominent steep rocky hill close to the entrance. -
TP Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
InformationSatellite ViewWhere the red dunes and scrub fade into infinity and herds of gemsbok, springbok, eland and blue wildebeest follow the seasons, where imposing camel thorn trees provide shade for huge black-maned lions and vantage points for leopard and many raptors… this is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. -
TP Richtersveld
InformationSatellite ViewConjure up a desolate and forbidding landscape, seemingly devoid of life, except for some people dotting along the horizon. Make a startling discovery upon closer inspection when the mirage dissolves into the human-like half-men (half person) and the harsh environment prove to be a treasure-chest containing the world’s richest desert flora…
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Birding Africa
Tour OperatorBirding Africa is run by three Capetonian birders and naturalists, Callan Cohen, Claire Spottiswoode and Peter Ryan, all based at the University of Cape Town`s Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. Callan and Claire are postgraduate research students, and have recently published an new birding site guide to Cape Town and beyond: Essential Birding - Western South Africa. Peter is a lecturer and researcher, and the author of numerous publications, most recently a new field guide to the birds of Afrotropics. -
Birding Ecotours
Tour OperatorSouth Africa is one of the best value destinations on the entire continent. The outstanding infrastructure, great accommodation, excellent food, wonderful South African hospitality, spectacular and varied scenery, and the presence of Africa's big and small mammals makes it one of the most pleasant countries in the world to bird in... -
Brian's Birding Tours
Tour OperatorSpecialises in personalised Birdwatching tours in the Western and Northern Cape. We do Birding Day Trips and Overnight Tours from Cape Town, as far as the Kalahari National Park. We offer customised Birding, tailored to your birding wishes… -
Rockjumper
Tour OperatorThere are 39 tours available in South Africa...
Click on WAND to see Fatbirder’s Trip Report Repository…
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2017 [11 November] - Jason Boyce
PDF ReportThis tour was a private photography trip for two clients with a particular interest in the smaller mammals of South Africa. However, the larger mammals and birds were also thoroughly enjoyed! -
2022 [08 August] - Chris Lotz & Dominic Rollinson - Birds & Mammals
PDF ReportThis was a private, custom trip focused on finding Tim some tough and/or localized birds and mammals in remote parts of South Africa. In addition to seeking these tricky species, we also headed into the Richtersveld National Park for spectacular scenery and plants. Since that brought us right to the border, we also decided to cross the Orange River into Namibia to see the Fish River Canyon. Here we were glad to see some of the avian
Click on WAND to see Fatbirder’s Trip Report Repository…
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Tswalu Private Desert Reserve
AccommodationNine spacious, fully air-conditioned thatch and stone suites surround the main lodge - Over 40 different species of animals and over 250 species of birds may be seen when exploring the vast landscape by open sided game vehicles, on horseback or on a game walking trail.