Durban area
There are two good birding sites in or close to Durban.
Pigeon Valley is a small reserve of indigenous forest, 10 minutes from downtown Durban. It is a great spot to spend an hour or so birding. The main attraction is Spotted Thrush, which occur here in winter. Black Sparrowhawk, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Narina Trogon, Purple-crested Turaco, Natal Robin-Chat, White-eared Barbet and Olive Sunbird are also present, as well as a number of more common forest birds. Over 120 bird species have been recorded here. To access the park from downtown Durban, take the N3 Pietermaritzburg road and as you go up Berea Hill, come off and go left in to South Ridge Road. Go to the end where it splits and go sharp left into King George V Road. Go to the bottom and turn right into Princess Alice Road. The entrance to the park is on the right. The park only opens at 7.30am.
Umhlanga Conservancy, situated at the edge of the holiday town of Umhlanga 15 minutes from downtown Durban, is a refuge for many wetland and coastal forest birds. There are two trails here after one crosses the boardwalk from the car park. The right hand trail takes you to a spot that overlooks the lagoon, where terns, gulls and plovers are seen. Look for Natal Robin and Green Twinspot on this trail. The left hand trail takes one into the forest. Brown Robin, Wattle-eyed and Blue-mantled Flycatcher, Green Coucal and Yellow, Brown-throated and Thick-billed Weaver are all present and in winter look for Spotted Thrush as well. To access the reserve from Durban, take the M4 north to the Portland Drive exit. Turn right at the T-junction and then immediately right again. Continue under the highway until Lagoon Drive. Turn left along Lagoon Drive, at the end of which is the entrance to this reserve.
Mkuzi Game Reserve.
Situated in Northern Zululand, approximately 335km from Durban, Mkuzi boasts a list of over 450 bird species, making it one of the top birding spots in South Africa. A wide diversity of habitats, which include acacia savannah, mixed woodland, sand and riverine forest, rivers, pans, grassland, cliffs and rocky ridges, and a good road network gives birders the opportunity to see a number of endemic Southern African birds. From the main camp walk down to the river where Southern Banded Snake Eagle are normally present. In summer, look for Broad-billed Roller here. One of the best areas to check out is the sand forest. Around the Kubube and Kumasinga hides, Yellow-spotted Nicator, African Broadbill, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Rudd’s Apalis, Neergaard’s Sunbird and Pink-throated Twinspot are all present and regularly seen. Nsumo Pan has a number of hides, and target birds here are Pygmy Goose and Lesser Jacana. Pel’s Fishing Owl is present, but only seen occasionally. A walk through the Fig Forest is recommended. These walks are escorted and have to be booked in advance. Bookings can be made by contacting KZN Wildlife Reservations, Tel. 033 845 1000 / fax. 033 845 1001, or by emailing bookings@kznwildlife.com. The main birds to look for here are Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Green Coucal, White-eared Barbet, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Green Twinspot. The airfield at Mkuzi is a reliable site for Lesser Black-winged Plover. To get to Mkuzi Game Reserve, take the N2 to Mkuzi village. From there it is well signposted.
Ndumo Game Reserve.
Situated in the most northerly part of the province on the Mozambique border, this site has been included as it has an incredible bird list of over 430 species. Due to its isolation and remoteness, it is recommended that visitors spends at least two nights here. When you get there, you are greeted by a wonderful variety of habitats, with broadleaved and acacia woodland, sand forest and thicket, riverine and swamp forest, and the Pongola/Usutu floodplain with it's numerous pans and reedbeds, and floodplain grasslands. As you drive in through the woodlands going to the camp, look for Southern Banded Snake Eagle, White and Red-billed Helmet-shrike, White-fronted Bee-eater, Striped Kingfisher, Grey Penduline Tit, Burnt-necked Eremomola and Black-crowned Tchagra. There are a number of guided walks that can be taken to some of the pans. Pel’s Fishing Owl, African Finfoot, Black Coucal, Narina Trogon, Lesser Moorhen and Lesser Jacana can all be encountered. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Rudd’s Apalis, Yellowbellied Eremomola and Purple-banded Sunbird are found in the fever trees around the pans. The bush is thickest in the central part of the reserve and it is here that one can find African Broadbill, Yellow-spotted Nicator, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Pink-throated Twinspot and Neergaard’s Sunbird. To access Ndumu Game Reserve from the N2, take the Jozini turn off and follow the road signed to Kosi Bay for about 100km. Take the road signed to Ndumo and continue through the village to the reserve. Bookings are essential as accommodation is limited and can be made by contacting KZN Wildlife Reservations in Pietermaritzburg (tel. 033 845 1000 / fax. 033 845 1001) or email them at bookings@kznwildlife.com.
Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve.
This forested reserve 21 kms from Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu Natal south coast
contains leopards, baboons, small antelope and a prolific bird life, including five kingfisher and seven eagle species. The total bird list here is over 230 species and in a day one can expect to see more than 100. The forest birding along the road down into the ravine and along the Mzimkulwana River is amongst the best in South Africa. The main target bird has to be the secretive Knysna Woodpecker, which is at the northern end of its’ range. Other notable birds found here are Crowned Eagle, Cuckoo Hawk, Black Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk, Natal Francolin, Knysna Lourie, Narina Trogon, Brown Robin, Olive and Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Red-fronted and Golden-rumped Tinkerbird, and Grey, Olive, Collared and Lesser Double-collared Sunbird. In winter Chorister Robin and Spotted Thrush visit this area. To get to the reserve from Port Shepstone, take the N2 to Harding and exit where signed after 21 kms.
Pietermaritzburg area
There are two good birding sites near Pietermaritzburg.
Darvill Resources Park which has four settling ponds, the upper two consisting of mudflats and reeds, the lower two, which have more water, are excellent for waterfowl. At the bottom of the park near the Umsunduzi River are a number of strip ponds, which are very good for warblers in summer. Nine species occur here, including Eurasian Marsh, African Marsh, Eurasian and African Sedge, Great and Cape Reed Warblers. At the top two ponds look for Baillon’s and African Crake, Ethiopian Snipe and African Rail. Watch overhead for swallows, swifts and martins. Five swallow species are usually present including Black Saw-wing Swallows. Over 280 bird species have been recorded here. To access this site from Pietermaritzburg, take New England Road, past the golf club and city council refuse site. The park is signposted just before the intersection of New England and Murray Roads.
Ferncliff Forest, a small patch of degraded forest overlooking Pietermaritzburg, is home to a pair of Crowned Eagle, best seen mid morning when they start soaring with the rise in temperature. Other birds of note include African Goshawk, Chorister Robin, Blue-mantled Flycatcher and Yellow-throated Warbler. In winter look for Green Twinspot, Bush Blackcap and Starred Robin. Emerald Cuckoo arrive in summer as do Buff-spotted Flufftail. To access Ferncliffe Forest, take Town Bush Road past Grey’s Hospital. Where it forks, go right to the picnic site where the trails start.
Sani Pass.
This road that goes from Underberg and Himeville in to Lesotho is steep and sometimes only 4x4 vehicles are allowed through the South African border post, which is open between 8am and 4pm. Be sure to have your passport with you. The Sani Pass road though is well worth going up as it does produce some excellent high altitude birds. At the lower part of the pass, look for Bush Blackcap and Barratt’s Warbler. As you climb higher, Redwing Francolin, Buff-streaked Chat and Gurney’s Sugarbird can be seen. Between the two border posts, look for Orange-breasted Rockjumper and Drakensberg Siskin. Once you pass in to Lesotho, the habitat changes to heavily grazed sub-alpine grassland and heath, seasonal bogs and rocky mountainsides. Birds to look for here are Bearded Vulture, Bald Ibis, Grey-wing Francolin, Mountain Pipit and Sentinel Rock Thrush. A number of typical karoo species are also found. These include Thick-billed Lark, Sickle-winged Chat, Fairy Flycatcher, Layard’s Titbabbler and Southern Grey Tit. Allow the best part of a day for this trip, and be aware that you will be going to over 3000 meters (10,000ft). To get to the Sani Pass from Pietermaritzburg, take the N3 north to Howick and then the R617 to Underberg.
Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve.
80kms south of Durban, this reserve of coastal evergreen forest, bush, streams, dam and grassland has had over 300 bird species recorded here, and it is quite possible to see over 100 in a morning. It is best to make an early start here to appreciate the dawn chorus and see some of the more elusive birds as they move around. The first stop 800m from the gate could bring Black Cuckoo, Narina Trogon, Brown and Natal Robin, and Scaly-throated Honeyguide. Martial Eagles are around as are Pygmy Kingfisher which breed in the banks of the road cuttings. Head towards the park office, passing the main dam. Crowned Crane and Redwing Francolin are found around here. Further on, other forest birds to look for include Black Sparrowhawk, Green Coucal, Emerald Cuckoo and Yellow-throated Warbler. In the grasslands on the plateau Zitting, Ayres’ and Pale-crowned Cisticola are all found, as are Orange-throated and Yellow-throated Longclaw. To access this reserve, from the N2 south, turn off at the Park Rynie / Umzinto sign. Take the R612 to Umzinto for 11 km and at the signpost to the reserve go right. The entrance is 4km from the R612.