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

Day Tours

Overnight Tours (price available on request)

The tours listed are an indication of options and price. They can be customised to meet your specific needs. Tours are run at a pace to suit you.

Durban is a large, cosmopolitan and very African city. It enjoys a wealth of natural areas and a warm tropical climate. A variety of different habitat types can be explored depending on particular interests and the birds one wants to see.

Tour duration 10-12 hours unless otherwise indicated.

All day tours target about 90 birds with 4 – 6 Southern African endemics.

Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. Patches of coastal grassland and forest form the bulk of the habitat types we will be birding here.

We lunch in a small coastal town before making our way to Umdoni Park - another great patch of coastal forest.

Top Birds - Knysna Turaco, Brown Scrub-Robin, Magpie Mannikin, Green Malkoha, Little Bee-eater and Grey Waxbill

First stop Dhlinza Forest. A canopy walkway at Dhlinza eases the job of finding specials. We then head to nearby Entumeni Forest for a few more forest birds. Our return journey takes in a productive wetland and an excellent patch of coastal grassland.

Top Birds - Spotted Ground-Thrush, Eastern Bronze-naped pigeon, Yellow-streaked Bulbul, Green Twinspot and Crowned Eagle

This trip covers the most productive birding areas close to the city. We visit the Durban Bayhead and Umgeni River Mouth in the hours around low tide. These areas have some great shorebirds. We also visit the Kenneth Stainbank Reserve that harbours pristine forest and grassland.

Top Birds - Terek Sandpiper, Little Tern, Goliath Heron, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, White-eared Barbet and Green Malkoha

We begin our day in the wonderful Kranzkloof Forest Reserve. A flat and easy trail gives us access to excellent birding. For here it is off to the fine bushveld of Shongweni Nature Reserve. Great bushveld birding with a few specials makes this a popular day out.

Top Birds - Black Stork, Striped Pipit, African Black Duck, Yellow-throated Wood Warbler, Southern Tchagra and Knysna Turaco

Our first stop is Cumberland Nature Reserve. Bird rich Acacia woodland and cliffs draped in forest form the bulk of habitat here. Next stop is a water treatment plant near Pietermaritzburg - a half-hour drive away. The various pools team with waterfowl and will boost the species number today considerably.

Day 1
Our first stop is Amatikulu Reserve, our best chance for grassland birds. We then head up to Dhinza Forest, which is rich in specials, easily accessible and has the only canopy walkway in the country. We overnight in a quaint, comfortable guesthouse a short distance from the forest.

Top Birds - Olive Sunbird, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Brown-throated Weaver, Crowned Eagle and Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon

Day 2
Dhlinza forest at first light. Next stop Mtunzini where we search for Palmnut Vulture. We overnight in Bonamanzi Game Park in comfortable hutted accommodation.

Top Birds - Black Coucal, Emerald Cuckoo, Giant Eagle Owl, Green Twinspot and Olive Bush-shrike

Day 3
We bird the grasslands, palmveld and thornveld areas of Bonamanzi. Later in the day we head to our overnight accommodation near Mkuze Game Reserve. Our lodge has a platform overlooking a lovely stretch of water where we are treated to typical African cuisine.

Top Birds - Lemon-breasted Canary, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Pink-throated Twinspot, Grey Penduline Tit and Gorgeous Bush Shrike

Day 4 The morning is spent exploring the sand forests and bushveld of Mkuze. We will also visit some great game viewing hides and a large pan teeming with waterfowl. Mkuze also supports a wide variety of small and larger mammals. We return to Durban that afternoon. Top Birds - Stierlings Wren-Warbler, Neergard’s Sunbird, Rudd’s Apalis, African Broadbill and Southern Banded Snake-eagle

Lilac-breasted Roller Photograph Ria Grant

Day 1
Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve (see DD1 above) We then head inland to the small town of Creighton where we spend the afternoon birding grassland and wetland habitats. We overnight at a guesthouse in the area which caters specifically for birders.

Top Birds - Green Malkoha, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Cape Eagle-owl, Striped Flufftail, Corncrake and Broad-tailed Warbler

Day 2
The day begins in a spectacular mist belt forest near our accommodation. Our main target is the increasingly rare Cape Parrot. We then head for the wonderful Drakensberg Mountains. Our accommodation is in the quaint town of Himeville.

Top Birds - Cape Parrot, White-starred Robin, Bush Blackcap, Olive Woodpecker, Drakensberg Prinia and Black Sparrowhawk

Mist Belt Forest

Photograph Richard White

Day 3
Today we make our way up the magnificent Sani Pass. Patches of woodland, rocky slopes, grassland and mountain streams are some of the exciting habitat types that we encounter on this endemic rich day. Overnight Himeville.

Top Birds – Barrat’s Warbler, Orange-breasted Rock-jumper, Drakensberg Siskin, Buff-streaked Chat, Ground Woodpecker and Bearded Vulture

Day 4
We do some early morning birding in the vicinity of our accommodation before heading back to Durban via a different route.

Top Birds - Blue Swallow, Grey Crowned Crane, Denhams Bustard, Wailing Cisticola and Long-crested Eagle

Day 1
Our first stop is Amatikulu Reserve - our best chance for coastal grassland birds. We then head up to Dhlinza Forest and over-night in a quaint, comfortable guesthouse a short distance from the forest.

Top Birds - Spotted Ground Thrush, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, White-eared Barbet, Green Twinspot and Swamp Nightjar

Day 2
Dhlinza Forest and Mtunzini. (see KZN2 Day 2 above) Overnight near the bird rich Mkuze Game Reserve.

Top Birds - Grey Cuckooshrike, Olive Woodpecker, Chorister Robin-Chat, Olive Bush shrike and Green Malkoha

Day 3
Mkuzi. (See KZN2 Day 4 above) Overnight Mkuzi.

Top Birds -Pink-throated Twinspot, Neergard’s Sunbird, Rudd’s Apalis, African Broadbill and Southern Banded Snake-eagle

Day 4
A final few hours at Mkuzi before making our way to Wakkerstroom Wetlands, Highveld Grassland and patches of Leucosidia forest are the habitats that we will be exploring here. We overnight in a beautiful farmhouse in town.

Top Birds - African Snipe, African Rail, SA Shelduck, African Marsh Harrier and Marsh and Grass Owls

Day 5
Today we explore the areas around Wakkerstroom. A convenient network of good roads allows us to access most of the area highlights in just one day. One can expect great grassland and forest birding. Overnight Wakkerstroom.

Top Birds - Eastern Long-billed, Rudds and Bothas Larks, Grey-winged Francolin, Yellow-breasted Pipit and Southern Bald Ibis

Day 6
A final few hours birding the Wakkerstroom area before the long drive back to Durban – via a selection of good birding spots en route.

Day 1
We spend the morning concentrating on coastal specials close to Durban. We then make our way to our overnight accommodation in Himeville set in the Drakensberg Mountains.

Top Birds - Purple-banded Sunbird, Spotted Ground Thrush (April-September), Pinkbacked Pelican, Olive Sunbird, Yellow Bishop and Dehnam’s Bustard

Day 2
Sani Pass. (See KZN3 Day 3) Overnight again in Himeville.

Top Birds – Barrat’s Warbler, Orange-breasted Rock-jumper, Drakensberg Siskin, Buff-streaked Mountain Chat, Ground Woodpecker, Bearded Vulture

Day 3
The day begins in a patch of exciting Afro-montane Forest. We then we head for the coast again - visiting a sewerage works on the way. Overnight in a country style guesthouse near the Dhlinza Forest.

Top Birds - Bush Blackcap, White-starred Robin, Blue-mantled Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Wood Warbler, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler and Ballions Crake

Day 4
Dhlinza forest and Mtunzini. (See KZN2 Day 2) Overnight in luxury accommodation near Mkuzi Game Reserve.

Top Birds - Spotted Ground Thrush, Green Twinspot, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Black Sparrowhawk and Green Malkoha

Day 5
Mkuze. (See KZN2 Day 4) Overnight Mkuze.

Top Birds -Pink-throated Twinspot, Neergard’s Sunbird, Rudd’s Apalis, African Broadbill and Southern Banded Snake-eagle

Day 6
We do some birding around the Game lodge before heading back to Durban taking in some 'hotspots' along the way.

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