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Kruger National Park Birding Guide
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A Guide to Kruger Park birds and birding in Kruger National Park. Generally, camps and waterholes are the best places for bird-watching. |
 The information presented here is an overview.
See our Kruger Birding Guide for detailed descriptions of all the best driving routes, birding calendars and bird habitat maps.
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Late summer (January and February) is an excellent time for birding in Kruger, compensating for the poor wildlife visibility at this time of the year. Kruger attracts a diversity of birds because it straddles so many eco-zones.
The most rewarding birding in Kruger National Park experiences are probably on the guided wilderness walking trails.
Among the more prominent raptors are the Bateleur Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, African Fish Eagle and Tawny Eagle. Colourful species include Lilac Breasted Rollers, Bee-Eaters, Kingfishers, Weavers and Starlings.
Water birds abound along river banks and waterholes, while the grey louries and hornbills are a common sight in the bush. Essential equipment is a pair of good binoculars (7 x 35 and 8 x 48 are good). The best birding spots are in the south around Lower Sabie and in the north around Pafuri.
All camps are, however, generally good for birding and there are a number of hides throughout the Park. Binoculars are sold at most of the Parks Shops.
Look for:
- African Fish Eagle
- Croaking Cisticola
- Fan-tailed Flycatcher (Grey Tit-flycatcher)
- Orange-winged (Golden-backed) Pytilia
- Pennant-winged Nightjar
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- White-browed (Heuglin's)
- White-throated Robin-chats
Look for:
Crocodile Bridge is always good for waterbirds.
- Blackbellied Starlings
- Black-backed Puffback
- Bronze Mannikin
- Orange-breasted Bush-shrike
- Pink-throated Twinspot
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Golden-rumped Tinker Barbet)
- White-crowned Shrike,
The Camp has an abundant bird population.
Look for:
- African Barred Owlet
- African Scops-Owl
- Green-capped Eremomela
- Mocking Cliff-Chat
- Mourning Dove
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Red-headed Weavers
- Verreaux's (Giant) Eagle Owl
- Yellow-throated Petronia (Sparrow)
- Herons, storks and waders:
- Collared (Redwinged) Pratincoles
- Greater Painted Snipe
The camp has large populations of hornbills, starlings, sunbirds, weavers and woodpeckers, while the nearby Sunset Dam has cormorants, herons, kingfishers and storks occurring in abundance.
Look for:
- African Open-bill stork
- Black Stork
- Fiery-necked Nightjars
- Mocking Cliff-Chats
- Marabou
- Saddle-billed stork
- Square-tailed (Mozambique) Nightjar
- Verreaux's (Giant) Eagle Owl
- White-crowned Lapwing (Plover)
- Wooly-necked stork
- Yellow-billed stork
Next to the Pioneer Dam with a variety of water birds are to be seen, such as African Fish Eagles, storks, egrets and kingfishers.
Look for:
- African Spoonbill
- Black-winged Stilt
- Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark (Finchlark)
- Collared (Red-winged) Pratincole
- Kittlitz's Plover
- Mocking Cliff-Chats
- Mosque Swallow
- White-winged Tern
- Wire-tailed Swallow
Camp bird-life, like all camps is very busy.
Look for:
- Acacia Pied Barbet
- Pel's Fishing-Owl
- Red-winged Starlings
- Rufous-bellied Heron
- Trumpeter Hornbills
- White-backed night heron
- White-crowned Lapwing (Plover)
- White-fronted Plover
- Woodward's Batis
Look for:
- African Crake
- African Rail
- Comb (Knob-billed) Ducks
- Lesser Moorhen
- Little Grebe (Dabchick)
- Senegal (Lesser Black-winged) Plove
- Montagu's Harrier
- White-faced Duck
Five vulture species may be seen in the area.
Look for:
- African Harrier Hawk
- African Hawk
- African Goshawk
- African Open-billed stork
- Amur
- Bateleur Eagle
- Black-chested (breasted) Snake Eagle
- Black-shouldered Kite
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Dark Chanting Goshawk
- Eastern and Western Redfooted Kestrels
- Gabar
- Little Sparrowhawk
- Martial Eagle
- Red-footed Falcon
- Saddle-billed Stork
- Tawny Eagle
- Wooly-necked stork
- Marabou Stork
- Wahlbergs Eagle
The most potentially productive birding territory in South Africa. There are also many species of robin, sunbird and firefinch
Look for:
- African Wood Owl
- Black-backed Cisticola
- Black-throated Wattle-eye (Wattle-eyed Flycatcher)
- Böhm's Spinetails
- Broad-billed Roller
- Brown Scrub Robin
- Crested Guineafowl
- Crowned Eagle
- Finfoot
- Gorgeous Bush Shrike
- Grey-headed Bush-shrike
- Horus Swift
- Lemon-breasted Canary
- Little Swifts
- Meve's (Long-tailed) Starling
- Mottled Spinetails
- Lemon (Cinnamon) Dove
- Narina Trogon
- Orange-breasted Bush-shrike
- Pel's Fishing Owl
- Purple-crested Turaco (Lourie)
- Red-faced Cisticola
- Scaly-throated Honeyguide
- Thick-billed Cuckoo (summer only)
- Tropical Boubou
- Trumpeter Hornbill
- White-crowned Lapwing (Plover)
- White-rumped Swifts
- White-fronted Bee-eater
Look for:
- African Golden Oriole
- Arnot's Chat
- Bearded Scrub Robin
- Crested Guineafowl
- Crowned Hornbill
- Dickinson's Kestrel
- Eastern (Yellow-spotted) Nicator
- Grey-headed (Chestnut-bellied) Kingfisher
- Grey-headed Parrot
- Gorgeous Bush Shrike
- European Golden Oriole
- Narina Trogon
- Paradise Flycatcher
- Racket-tailed Roller
- Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Barred Warbler)
- Terrestrial Brownbul
- Yellowbellied Greenbul
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
- Verreaux's (Black) Eagle
- White-necked Raven
- White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike
Look for:
- African Green Pigeon
- Black-bellied Bustard
- Black Cuckoo
- Brown-headed Parrot
- Cutthroat Finch
- Gorgeous Bush Shrike
- Pennant-winged Nightjar
- Redheaded Weaver
- Red-collared Widow
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Retz's Helmet-shrike
- Green-capped Eremomela
Look for:
- Barn Scops Owls (which roost in the trees outside reception)
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Burchell's Starling
- Golden Pipit
- Great (Great White) Egret
- Green-backed Heron
- Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
- Hamerkop
- Little Egret
- Mocking Cliff-Chat
- Montagu's Harrier
- Mourning Dove
- Pallid Harrier
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Shaft-tailed Whydah
- Square-tailed (Mozambique) Nightjar
- Violet-eared Waxbill
- Verreaux's (Giant) Eagle
- Yellowbellied Greenbul (Bulbul)
Aside from the ever-present hornbills, starlings, weavers, ...
Look for:
- African Jacana
- African Scops-Owl
- Black Crake
- Bathawk
- Bennett's Woodpecker
- Broad-billed Roller
- Collared Palm Thrush
- Dusky Lark
- Dusky and Village Indigobird (Black and Steelblue Widowfinch)
- European Hobby (hawking prey at dusk in summer)
- Green-backed Heron
- Grey Penduline Tit
- Mosque Swallow
- Mourning Dove
- Natal Robin
- Open-billed Stork
- Saddle-billed Stork
- Verreaux's (Giant) Eagle Owl
- White-winged Tern Dwarf Bittern
- Wooly-necked Stork
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
- Yellow-billed Stork
Up to seven species of flycatcher may also be found (Paradise, Black, Dusky, Spotted, Grey Tit- (Fantailed), Ashy (Bluegrey) and Pale (Pallid)).
Look for:
- Bat-hawk
- Black-winged Stilt
- Collared Sunbird
- Eurasian Hobby
- Finfoot
- Gorgeous Shrike
- Green Pigeon
- Grey-headed Shrike
- Half-collared Kingfisher
- Lesser Masked Weaver
- Little Sparrowhawk
- Orange-breasted Shrike
- Purple-crested Turaco (Lourie)
- Red-backed and Bronze Mannikin
- Red-faced Cisticola
- Shrike
- Spectacled Weaver
- Village (Spotted-backed) Weaver
- White-browed (Heuglin's) Robin-chat
- Wire-tailed Swallow
Close to Rooibosrandt and Silvervis Dams.
Look for:
- Common Redshank
- Greater Painted Snipe
- Osprey
- White-backed Duck
Woodland birds.
Look for:
- African Barred Owlet
- Retz's (Red-billed) Helmet-shrike
Water birds.
Look for:
- Greater Painted Snipe
- Pel's Fishing Owl
- White-backed Night-Heron
With birding in camp and close proximity to Pafuri, this an ideal destination for birders.
Look for:
- Arnot's Chat
- Dwarf Bittern
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Bird Conservation
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Museum of natural history's large bird projects are being conducted in the Kruger National Park. They focus on the conservation of species like the Southern Ground Hornbill & the African Hawk-eagle, all of which are under threat within South Africa.
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Lilac-Breasted Rollers
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The Lilac-Breasted Rollers make use of their versatile bills and rapid powerful flight when hunting for scurrying arthropods and small vertebrates.
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Climate
in Skukuza
Summer
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Winter
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
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Rainfall totals in mm
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
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Rainfall totals in mm
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View Full Climate
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