The Eastern Cape is malaria-free and situated at the meeting point of 5 different biomes – Fynbos (unique in the world to the western and southern Cape Province of South Africa); Forests; Valley Thicket; Semi-desert (Karoo) and Savanna. This mix supports a wide diversity of birds and other fauna and flora within a comparatively small area.

Birdwatch Cape acts as agent only for the tours listed below and not as principal operator.

Day Tour

Overnight Tours

These can be customized to meet your specific needs, even to the extent of a special trip to view a particular rarity, such as Cape Parrot, Red-chested Flufftail, etc. Tours are run at a pace to suit you.

Our next stop is the Van Staden’s Wild Flower reserve which will provide an opportunity to see some of the unique Fynbos-dwelling species, such as Cape Sugarbird, Orange-breasted Sunbird and Cape Siskin. Many other scrub-dwelling birds such as Cape Grassbird, Yellow Bishop, Cape Bulbul and a variety of other Sunbirds including Malachite, Amythest, Greater and Southern Double-collared are also found here.

After lunch we take a 4X4 drive through the Zwartkops Trust adjacent to the tidal mudflats, which enables us to see most of our local as well as migrant Waders, Herons and certain scrub species such as: Karoo Scrub-robin, Bar-throated Apalis, Karoo Prinia and Cape Robin-chat.

Finally we take in a local coastal and marine reserve, which incorporates beach, rocky outcrops, fresh-water ponds, dune fynbos and dune-land scrub. A wide variety of species ranging from beach and sea birds, ducks, marsh-dwellers and coastal scrub species will be seen.

Included amongst the birds we may see here are: White-breasted, Reed and Cape Cormorant; Cape Gannet; Roseate, Swift, Caspian, Common and Damara Tern; Pied and Giant Kingfisher; Le Vaillants Cisticola and Cape Bulbul.

Approximate tour duration – 10 hours

Day 1
We begin our day at the Thunzi Nature Reserve. (see EC1 above) We then visit the Addo National Park where a large variety of bird species that inhabit Thicket and Karoo type vegetation can be seen These include Southern Tchagra; Chestnut-vented Titbabbler; Black-collared Barbet; Diderick and Klaas’s Cuckoo; Speckled and Red-faced Mousebirds; Dark-capped Bulbul; African Firefinch; Pale Chanting Goshawk and Jackal Buzzard.

A late afternoon 4X4 drive through an area populated with large herds of Elephant, Eland, Blesbuck, Springbok coupled with the presence of Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo and Lion make the birding experience all the more memorable. We overnight on the Sundays River at Colchester.

Addo Elephants

Photograph courtesy Risa Kassoff, USA

Day 2
A leisurely 3-hour early morning river cruise will reveal a wide variety of waders, duck, heron (including Goliath and Purple Heron) as well as river-bank dwellers. Colonies of Cape and Masked Weaver nests overhang the river. Four different types of Kingfisher may be seen – including Half-collared Kingfisher. Horus Swift, Pied Starling and Spotted Eagle-owl nest in the river banks.

Day 1
We begin our day at the Alexandria Forest, about 100 km from Port Elizabeth. A walk under the cool canopy of giant Yellowwoods, Cape Coral Trees and White Stinkwoods offer a variety of forest species, including: Knysna Woodpecker; Black-bellied Starling; Black-headed Oriole; Terrestrial Brownbul; Chorister Robin-chat; Collared and Grey Sunbird; African Olive Pigeon; Trumpeter Hornbill; Knysna Turaco and Narina Trogon.

After a picnic lunch in the forest we travel for about an hour to reach the Amakhala OR Kariega Game Reserve (depending on availability) These reserves support a wide variety of birds, including raptors such as Crowned and Booted Eagle; African Goshawk; Little Sparrow-hawk and Yellow-billed Kite.

We also encounter open veld, scrub and forest species such as Red-fronted Tinkerbird; Green Woodhoepoe, Crowned Hornbill and many more.

Our 4X4 drive through the bush should also produce an interesting variety of mammals, including Giraffe, Eland, Kudu, Eland and Springbok. We end the day with some late afternoon “birding by canoe” on the Bushman’s (Amakhala) or Kariega Rivers. This trip often yields Malachite, Half-collared and Giant Kingfishers; Goliath and Grey Heron; African Fish Eagle; Secretary Bird; Rufous-naped Lark and Red-necked Spurfowl. The evening drive back often reveals Fiery-necked Nightjar.

Overnight in the Reserve.

Day 2
An early morning walk followed by a 4X4 game-viewing/birdwatching drive and a lunchtime river cruise will provide further opportunities to see many riverine species. At Amakhala Southern Black Korhaan; Ludwig’s Bustard and Kori Bustard are also often sighted. We depart mid-afternoon for Colchester – our 2nd overnight stop.

Day 3
An early morning river cruise down to the mouth (approx 3 km) should allow sightings of many waders and the possibility of seeing a greater variety of Terns, including the Sandwich, Little and Damara Terns, Eurasian Curlew, Common Whimbrel, Marsh and Terek Sandpiper, White-fronted (Sand) Plover and many other waders occur.

After brunch we visit the Colchester salt-pans and Tankatara (see Day Two of EC2) and then Addo, where we enjoy a 4X4 late afternoon drive. (see Day One of EC2)

Our 4X4 drive through the bush should also produce an interesting variety of mammals, including Giraffe, Eland, Kudu, Eland and Springbok. We end the day with some late afternoon “birding by canoe” on the Bushman’s (Amakhala) or Kariega Rivers. This trip often yields Malachite, Half-collared and Giant Kingfishers; Goliath and Grey Heron; African Fish Eagle; Secretary Bird; Rufous-naped Lark and Red-necked Spurfowl. The evening drive back often reveals Fiery-necked Nightjar.

Overnight in the Reserve.

Day 2
An early morning walk followed by a 4X4 game-viewing/birdwatching drive and a lunchtime river cruise will provide further opportunities to see many riverine species. At Amakhala Southern Black Korhaan; Ludwig’s Bustard and Kori Bustard are also often sighted. We depart mid-afternoon for Colchester – our 2nd overnight stop.

Day 3
We travel to Dubbeldrift Game Reserve, which has a warmer climate and a greater variety of Thicket species than occur at Addo, Amakhala or Kariega, including Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Black-crowned Tchagra, Mocking Cliff-chat; Chin-spot Batis and Tawny-flanked Prinea.

Additional mammal species include Giraffe, Bontebok, Hippo and White Rhino. We in the Reserve.

Day4
An early morning river cruise down to the mouth (approx 3 km) should allow sightings of many waders and the possibility of seeing a greater variety of Terns, including the Sandwich, Little and Damara Terns, Eurasian Curlew, Common Whimbrel, Marsh and Terek Sandpiper, White-fronted (Sand) Plover and many other waders occur.

After brunch we visit the Colchester salt-pans and Tankatara (see Day Two of EC2) and then Addo, where we enjoy a 4X4 late afternoon drive. (see Day One of EC2)

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