Bird the World

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens.
25 minutes from Sandton, (Johannesburg northern suberbs) one of the main attractions here is the nesting Verreaux’s Eagles on the cliffs along side the waterfall. Over 220 bird species have been recorded here, including 6 species of Cuckoo. Birds to look for include Southern Boubou (around the restaurant), Black-collared Barbet, Black-crowned Tchagra Golden-tailed Woodpecker and Red-throated Wryneck. Along the river check for Half-collared Kingfisher. They are normally always seen with a little patience. This well maintained botanical garden has excellent paths are good facilities including a shop, restaurant and toilets. There is an entrance fee. To get there from Johannesburg, get on to the N1 and take the 14th avenue turn off to the M47. Follow the M47 past the Hillfox Centre, the Clearwater Mall and Makro until you see the sign off left to Doreen Road. Exit here and go right into Malcolm Road after a few hundred meters. Follow this road until you get to the Botanical Gardens. 25 minutes from Sandton, (Johannesburg northern suberbs) one of the main attractions here is the nesting Verreaux’s Eagles on the cliffs along side the waterfall. Over 220 bird species have been recorded here, including 6 species of Cuckoo. Birds to look for include Southern Boubou (around the restaurant), Black-collared Barbet, Black-crowned Tchagra Golden-tailed Woodpecker and Red-throated Wryneck. Along the river check for Half-collared Kingfisher. They are normally always seen with a little patience. This well maintained botanical garden has excellent paths are good facilities including a shop, restaurant and toilets. There is an entrance fee. To get there from Johannesburg, get on to the N1 and take the 14th avenue turn off to the M47. Follow the M47 past the Hillfox Centre, the Clearwater Mall and Makro until you see the sign off left to Doreen Road. Exit here and go right into Malcolm Road after a few hundred meters. Follow this road until you get to the Botanical Gardens.

Meyerton and surrounding area.
Only thirty plus kilometers south of Johannesburg on the road to Vereeniging, there is an area west of De Deur and east of Meyerton which is old farming land. The blue gum trees here are a reliable spot for Ovamba Sparrowhawk. Cape Robin, Bokmakerie and Cape Glossy Starling are common and at dusk Spotted Eagle Owls are usually seen. To get there take the R26 south from Johannesburg to Vereeniging. After about 40km take the De Deur exit to the left.

Rondebult Bird Sanctuary.
Rondebult is an easily accessible wetland for residents and visitors to Gauteng, with a reputation for excellent birding. There are eight hides situated on three large pans with accessible viewing. The sanctuary has a broad mix of habitats, including grassland, marshland, reedbeds and three dams. Waterbirds are the main feature here and ducks to look for include Maccoa, White-faced, Fulvous and Yellow-billed. Cape, Hottentot and Red-billed Teal are usually present. Waders start to appear in early summer and Ruff, Greenshank, Little Stint and Marsh, Wood, Common and Curlew Sandpipers can all be seen. Hide 8 offers the best chance to see African Rail and Black Crake. The reeds around this hide are also good for African Marsh, Eurasian Sedge and Great Reed Warblers. While walking between the hides, check the willow trees for African and European Cuckoos. Just 35 minutes from downtown Johannesburg, to get to Rondebult take the N3 south as far as the R103/R554 exit and take this in the direction of Heidelberg. Where the R103 and R554 split, follow the R554 to the left, into Van Dyk Rd, and shortly after crossing the railway line watch for signposts to the sanctuary on the right. The sanctuary is open from 7am.

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve.
About 50km south of Johannesburg near Heidelberg, this is the best place near Johannesburg to find a range of

Pretoria National Botanical Gardens is a good place to bird in Pretoria if time is limited. Species to look for here include White-throated, White-browed and Cape Robin, Neddicky, Sharp-billed Honeyguide, Black-crowned and Three-streaked Tchagra, Pied Barbet, Southern Boubou, Puffback and Bar-throated Apalis. In the denser bush around the waterfall and restaurant, check for Karoo and Kurrichane Thrush and Paradise Flycatcher. The pond close by has Thick-billed Weaver and Bronze Mannikin. To get to the Gardens, travel eastwards along the N4 and at the Val de Grace Interchange turn left (north-east) and then left again into Cussonia Ave. The entrance is situated on the right.

Faerie Glen Nature Reserve, situated in the east of Pretoria just south of Lynnwood Road, is best birded in summer when migrants have arrived and is an excellent place to spend a couple of hours in the morning if visiting Pretoria. The Moreletta Spruit flows through the reserve and the floodplain is mainly grassland. Acacia thornveld covers parts of the reserve, especially to the south of the spruit, with the rest consisting of mixed woodland. Tall grasses grow along the spruit, with a few reedbeds in the stream. Birds to look for along the stream and in the grassland include African Black Duck, Sharp-billed Honeyguide, Cape Weaver, Grassbird, Levaillant’s Cisticola and White-winged and Red-collared Widow. Golden-tailed and Cardinal Woodpecker, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Red-throated Wryneck, Black Cuckooshrike, Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Plum-coloured Starling and Bokmakierie can all be found in the mixed woodland. To get to Faerie Glen Nature Reserve, turn south out of Lynnwood Road (1,6 km east of the N1 highway) into General Louis Botha Drive and drive for about 1 km, where the reserve is signposted on the left.

Bronkhorstspruit Dam Nature Reserve.
About 40 minutes east of Pretoria, this is a good place to see waterfowl, and the surrounding grassland attracts a number of interesting grassland endemics. Over 200 species have been recorded in the reserve. When approaching the reserve, check the bridge area for Malachite, Pied and Giant Kingfisher. After entering the reserve, turn right and head to the hide. The reed beds here are good for African Sedge, African Marsh and Cape Reed Warblers, Masked and Cape Weaver and Red Bishop. Red-chested Flufftail can be found around here. Driving along the road around the shoreline should give you a wide variety of ducks and waders. Check the grasslands for Fantailed, Cloud, Ayres’ and Desert Cisticola, Rufous-naped, Pink-billed, Red-capped and Spike-heeled Lark and Orange-throated Longclaw. To access the reserve from Pretoria, take the N4 east and turn off at the Bronkhorstspruit / Delmas offramp. Turn right onto the R42 towards Delmas. After 3.8 km turn left to Delmas (R42). The entrance road to the reserve is found on the right after 13.7 km.