Mashatu Game Reserve is a top destination for birders, with more than 350 species recorded. Most of the are conducted around the dry riverbeds, but drives farther afield to the marsh can be very rewarding for birders. As with many private reserves that offer outstanding wildlife viewing of the flagship species, birding is usually not a priority. Avid bird-watchers might want to book a private vehicle to avoid disappointment.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
- African hawk-eagle
- African pygmy goose
- Allen’s gallinule
- Ayres’s hawk-eagle
- Booted eagle
- Bronze-winged courser
- Dusky lark
- Dwarf bittern
- Kori bustard
- Long-billed crombec
- Maccoa duck
- Martial eagle
- Miombo pied barbet
- Mocking cliff chat
- Pel’s fishing-owl
- Secretary bird
- Southern ground hornbill
- Spotted crake
- Swallow-tailed bee-eater
- Temminck’s courser
- Three-banded courser
- Yellow-breasted apalis
Best Time for Bird Watching
Mashatu Game Reserve offers first-rate bird watching at any time of the year. However, if you want the best out of the reserve, visit in the wetter months, from November to March (or sometimes into April), when summer migrants arrive. For mammals and other wildlife viewing, the months from April to October are better.