Home » Birds » Africa

Bird watching in Botswana

Botswana is one of the great destinations for birding, and a large percentage of Botswana’s birds are found in the Okavango delta and Linyati swamp. To give an idea of how water based the birding is, 18 members of the heron family can be found here (including the endangered Slaty egret), 19 species of duck, 14 different species of rail, 9 different kingfishers, 10 owls as well as over 60 species of raptor, an extraordinary number.

In total Botswana can claim approximately 500 different species of bird, and to see as many as possible, the best time to visit Botswana is between November and April, with January and February being the best times to visit. The Okavango swells to nearly double it size of the dry season, peaking in January, and in good years the Makgadikgadi salt pans flood, often attracting thousands of flamingos and other birds, as well as plenty of mammals.

Chobe National park, at nearly 12000 square kilometres, is the second largest in Botswana. Best known for its huge elephant population (estimated at between 60-120,000 depending on the season, yes, ten per kilometre!), Chobe is also a spectacular bird watching park, with over 400 species having been recognised. With such an abundance of large game, Oxpeckers (yellow billed variety) thrive here, as well as a host of Kingfishers including the glorious Malachite.

There is a wealth of raptors, but amongst the more unusual are the Black Sparrow hawk and the Long-Crested Eagle. Secretary birds prance around, and the huge Kori bustards are often seen.