The varied thicket vegetation of the Great Fish River Valley supports a considerable diversity of bird species. As a result, the bird checklist of over 300 species is still growing. Kwandwe is an isiXhosa name that translates as ‘Place of the Blue Crane’, which is one of several endangered species likely to be seen here. Other prominent birds include the rainbow-coloured white-fronted bee-eater and Africa’s heaviest flying bird, the Kori bustard. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
(E) endemic = only lives in South Africa(NE) near-endemic = lives in South Africa and neighboring countries
- Acacia pied barbet
- African finfoot
- Amethyst sunbird
- Barratt’s warbler
- Bateleur
- Black harrier
- Black stork
- Blue crane
- Bokmakierie
- Cape vulture
- Common ostrich
- Crowned eagle
- Crowned lapwing
- Denham’s bustard
- Double-banded courser
- Dusky sunbird
- Greater double-collared sunbird
- Half-collared kingfisher
- Jackal buzzard
- Karoo scrub robin (NE)
- Knysna woodpecker (E)
- Kori bustard
- Lanner falcon
- Malachite sunbird
- Martial eagle
- Pale chanting goshawk
- Red-billed oxpecker
- Reed cormorant
- Scaly-fronted weaver
- Secretary bird
- Southern grey-headed sparrow
- Striated heron
- Tawny eagle
- Verreaux’s eagle
- Violet-backed starling
Best Time for Bird Watching
For the optimal bird watching experience (although birding is generally good year-round), plan your trip from November to April, when the migratory birds of northern Africa and Europe have arrived.