With more than 350 bird species recorded, Timbavati Nature Reserve is a birders’ paradise. On , the emphasis is mostly on mammals, so serious birders sharing a vehicle with non-birders might well be in for a disappointing experience and should consider booking private activities. The combination of open vehicle drives and is ideal to check off many species. Afternoon game drives often extend into the twilight hours, when you might see nightjars, coursers and owls. are present from November to April.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
- African green pigeon
- African spoonbill
- Bateleur
- Black-collared barbet
- Collared pratincole
- Eastern paradise whydah
- Harlequin quail
- Horus swift
- Kurrichane buttonquail
- Lappet-faced vulture
- Little bee-eater
- Little bittern
- Martial eagle
- Montagu’s harrier
- Pallid harrier
- Purple-crested turaco
- Red-billed buffalo-weaver
- Southern black flycatcher
- Southern carmine bee-eater
- Southern white-crowned shrike
- Southern yellow-billed hornbill
- Violet-backed starling
- White-headed lapwing
- Woolly-necked stork
Best Time for Bird Watching
Bird watching in Timbavati is good year-round, but a premier birding experience comes with the arrival of species from Eurasia and elsewhere in Africa. These are present in the area from November through to April. The drier months from May to September offer the best general wildlife viewing.