A Tropical Birding CUSTOM tour SOUTH AFRICA: FAIREST CAPE …€¦ · Tropical Birding Trip Report South Africa: October 2015 +1-409-515-0514 [email protected] Page 1 A Tropical

Tropical Birding Trip Report South Africa: October 2015

www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-0514 [email protected] Page

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A Tropical Birding CUSTOM tour

SOUTH AFRICA: FAIREST CAPE TO KRUGER

4-20 October 2015

TOUR LEADER: JOSH ENGEL

Photos by Josh Engel

Seeing Knysna Turaco up close is always a highlight of this tour.

http://www.tropicalbirding.com/



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INTRODUCTION

South Africa is without question one of the world’s great birding and natural history destinations. With its long list of

endemic birds, animal-filled national parks, and world class infrastructure, it’s a must-do for traveling birders. This

itinerary followed a sort of “highlights” route, hitting some of the top birding spots, most scenic landscapes, and best

national park the country has to offer.

We started in the Cape, the most endemic-rich part of the country, and we found most of them. This included great

looks at Cape Rockjumper, Protea Canary, and Black Harrier. We started in Cape Town itself, before heading east to the

lush Garden Route and arid Karoo. From there we flew across to the east, where we birded the beautiful high-altitude

grasslands of Wakkerstroom and ended the trip with three days in Kruger National Park, with its unparalleled density of

large animals. In Wakkerstroom we had incredible looks at the endangered endemics that it is famous for: Rudd’s and

Botha’s Lark, Blue Korhaan, and Yellow-breasted Pipit. Kruger was better than I’ve ever seen it, and for the first time on

a trip I guided we found the “super seven”: Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Cheetah, and Wild Dog. The birding

is outstanding there as well, and we found many of the key Kruger birds, species like Brown-headed Parrot, Southern

Ground-Hornbill, all of the vultures, Saddle-billed Stork, and more. All this while staying in wonderful hotels, eating

delicious food, and generally having a great experience.

A leopard, the second that we saw, about to jump down twenty feet out of the tree.



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TOUR REPORT

Everyone arrived smoothly in Cape Town. After dropping our bags at the guest house and eating lunch at a lovely local

café, we made a trip to the nearby Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, surely one of the world’s most beautiful botanical

gardens. Birds are easy to see here and we quickly picked up the first birds for the trip, starting with a Spotted Eagle-owl

watching over the entrance gate and later adding Cape Sugarbird, Cape Robin-chat, Cape White-eye, and many

Southern Double-collared Sunbirds.

For our first full day of birding the following day, we headed north from Cape Town up the Atlantic coast. We spent

much of the morning in West Coast National Park, where highlights included Malachite Sunbird, many Karoo Scrub-

Robins, a very cooperative Karoo Lark, and a showy pair of Gray-winged Francolins. Many shorebirds, waders, and terns

were at one of the park’s excellent hides, including Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Black

Oystercatcher. For lunch we had the company of many Cape Weavers and Yellow Bishops. After lunch, we visited salt

pans near Veldriff, where we quickly found our target Chestnut-banded Plover. We also had outstanding scope views of

a perfectly lit European Bee-eater.

Starting our second full day in the Cape, we took a long walk through the botanical gardens. It was a beautiful morning.

We had wonderful looks at the endemic Swee Waxbill and Forest Canary, and had prolonged views of several Cape

Sugarbirds feeding on a flowering protea. As it always the case there, we had excellent looks at Olive Thrush, Cape



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Robin-chat, Cape Francolin, and other typical garden birds. After lunch we went into the city to visit the District Six

Museum, which tells the story of forced removals of people from the area in the 1970s, much of it from the perspective

of those who were forced to move. We still had plenty of time left in the day, so we ended our day at Strandfontein,

Cape Town’s famous (among birders, at least) sewage ponds. They were full of birds. Greater Flamingoes were

everywhere, and we quickly found Southern Pochard, Maccoa Duck, African Swamphen, and Little Rush- and Lesser

Swamp-Warblers.

For our last day from Cape Town, we started on the Atlantic side of the Cape Penninsula at Kommetjie. We quickly found

the cormorants we were searching after, the endangered Bank, Crowned, and Cape. A few Cape Gannets flew past

offshore and we had a good time comparing the various terns that were perched on the rocks. We continued down to

Cape Point, enjoying the stunning scenery along the way, as well as a few Orange-breasted Sunbirds. After a walk at the

point, we headed back north to the famous penguin colony of Simonstown. We enjoyed the antics of the many African

Penguins, afterwards commencing our eastward journey. We spent the afternoon along the rocky coast near Rooi Els.

Very quickly we found what we were looking for, a beautiful Cape Rockjumper doing just as its name says—jumping

among the rocks. We also quickly found another beautiful rock-loving South African endemic, Cape Rock Thrush.



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The next morning we started back at Rooi Els, where the rockjumpers put on an even better show than the previous

afternoon. After a nice walk there, we continued eastward, stopping in at Hermanus, where we found two distant

Southern Right Whales, but none close to shore, unfortunately. After stopping for lunch at a nice café, we birded our

way through the wheat fields and renosterveld of the Agulhas Plain. We had great views of the locally endemic Agulhas

Long-billed Lark along with many other goodies, including the endangered Cape Griffon, Cloud Cisticola, flocks of Blue

Cranes, and a family of Karoo Korhaans. We had spectacular looks at Malachite Sunbird and saw a few Yellow

Mongoose scurrying across the fields. We finished the day at our hotel on a farmstead near Swellendam.

Our hotel was adjacent to Bontebok National Park, where we started our next morning. We quickly found displaying

Cape (Agulhas) Clapper Larks, clapping their wings together in flight display as they do. A Rameron Pigeon sat up

cooperatively for us, where we could see its yellow bill, eyering, and legs. Best of all was a pair of Black Harriers; as we

watched the male flying towards us carrying a rodent in his talons, the female flew up from the ground, the prey was

exchanged mid-air, and the female landed on the road to eat it. It was stunning behavior to see, from a beautiful,

declining, endemic species. From there, we headed to the Garden Route, picking up lunch to eat on the balcony of our

next B&B, its gardens full of birds. It didn’t take long to have Knysna Turacos just feet from our faces, along with

Chorister Robin-chat and many others. After taking in the feeder birds, we visited some nearby wetlands. White-backed



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Ducks were plentiful as were Southern Pochard, an African Darter sat for us at close range in perfect light, and we

watched a Pied Kingfisher smash a fish on a branch many times before swallowing it whole. We also tried calling out a

Red-chested Flufftail, but despite calling back it wouldn’t come out of the reeds. We ended the day in a national park

campground, where a pair of African (Blue-mantled) Crested Flycatchers put on a nice show.

Our next day was spent in the environs of Wilderness National Park. We started before breakfast with stunning views of

a singing Olive Bush-shrike, but despite having a Knysna Warbler singing its head off just feet away, we couldn’t lay eyes

on the little skulker. Breakfast back at the B&B was for the birds: the feeders just off the balcony where we ate were full

of Swee Waxbill, Forest Canary, Southern Boubou, Knysna Turaco, and many others. After breakfast we took a walk in

the forest, first enjoying one of South Africa’s largest remaining yellowwood trees, then enjoying the Green

Woodhoopoes, Cape Batis, Olive Woodpecker, and other forest birds. After a nice rest and more feeder-watching, we

returned to the forest for the afternoon, but the wind was strong and birds were hard to come by.

It was time to bid goodbye to the garden o’ birds after one final breakfast with the turacos. From there we headed north

through the Little Karoo and over the beautiful Swartberg Pass. A very responsive Protea Canary greeted us as we began

our ascent up the pass, this rare bird showing itself perfectly, but despite several singing back to us, Victorin’s Warblers

wouldn’t come out. We did find a beautiful male Sentinal Rock Thrush and a Cape Rockjumper greeted us at the pass



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itself. We descended into the Great Karoo, stopping for an afternoon snack at a local café en route. Arriving at Karoo

National Park, we took a drive through the plains. Birds were few out in this desert landscape, but mammals were

plentiful, and we found the endemic Cape Mountain Zebra, Southern Oryx, Red Hartebeest, Steenbok, and Burchell’s

Zebra. A stop at an acacia-filled picnic site was much more productive for birds, and in no time we had outstanding looks

at several target birds, including Namaqua Warblers, Pririt Batis, Fairy Flycatcher, and Acacia Pied Barbet. A night drive

was not so productive, with only a Cape Hare to show for it.

We still had a full day in the Karoo. We started early heading up the park’s mountainous Klipspringer Pass. It was a

beautiful morning and birds were cooperative. We started with a Dusky Sunbird before heading up the pass. Along the

pass were the endemic African Rock Pipit and Layard’s Tit-Babbler. At the top we were amazed to find a Verreaux’s

Eagle screaming its head off just across the canyon from our vantage point. A pair of Ground Woodpeckers was

extremely cooperative at the same spot, and a Rufous-eared Warbler showed perfectly nearby. In the afternoon we left

the national park and headed to a nearby dirt road. We quickly found Tractrac Chat and Pale Chanting Goshawk, and

not much later found Karoo Long-billed Lark, Chat Flycatcher, Gray-backed Sparrowlark, and many Karoo Korhaans.

Better yet were a stunning Double-banded Courser and a male Southern Black Korhaan. A Black-chested Snake-Eagle

soared lazily in the distance, allowing everybody to get scope views.

We had a final morning in the Karoo, which we spent on a drive near the chalets. We picked up a couple of new birds—

Yellow-bellied Eremomela and a flyover Booted Eagle, before having to drive for the airport in Cape Town and flying to

Johannesburg.

Leaving Joburg the following morning, we made our way to Wakkerstroom where we had lunch and met a local guide

for the afternoon. It would quickly turn into one of the most memorable afternoons of birding I’ve ever had. We started

out with a search for the rare Botha’s Lark. We were delayed in our search as we waited for a couple of small storms to

pass. They passed, and before we knew it we were watching two Botha’s Larks feeding in the open out of our car

windows. Certainly not the most colorful bird, but one we were ecstatic to see. Not to be outdone, before leaving the

site we had watched a Pale-crowned Cisticola feeding on the ground and had great views of another Wakkerstroom

specialty, Blue Korhaan, including wonderful flight views. As we headed to our next site we were again delayed, this

time not by weather but by a pair of Secretarybirds that we watched foraging in a distant field. Finally arriving, we set

out searching for a next rare lark. It took little time to again have absurdly good looks at it, this time the endangered

Rudd’s Lark. But we were also surprised here to find the last of the high-altitude grassland specialties of Wakkerstroom,

Yellow-breasted Pipit, showing off its namesake yellow breast. Amazing. As we headed back to town, very happy with

what we had seen, we came across a field with a tremendous group of cranes, dozens of Gray-crowned and well over

100 Blue, plus another Secretarybird (photo on next page). But we weren’t done yet—we had to stop to watch the

antics of a group of Meerkats with a Yellow Mongoose amongst them.

We still had a full day to enjoy the Wakkerstroom grasslands. We were up early and quickly found an Eastern Long-billed

Lark doing its flight display over the road. A Ground Woodpecker was in the same area, along with flocks of Red Bishops

and Long-tailed Widowbirds. We returned to the hotel for breakfast, setting out again after our bellies were full of eggs

and coffee. It was fairly slow-going for birds. We did improve our views of Buff-streaked Chat and we caught up with

nice views of Brown-throated and Banded Martins. We saw our first Rufous-naped Lark, but couldn’t find any bustards.

After lunch and a rest, we made a quick run to look for Red-throated Wryneck, which a couple of people saw, before

spending the remainder of the afternoon checking out the town’s wetlands (and dodging rain showers). The wetlands



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were teeming with birds. We had great looks at African Snipe, African Rail, and many African (Purple) Swamphens. We

had good studies of the various ducks that were present and we finished the day watching the antics of a male Southern

Masked Weaver trying his absolute best to impress a nearby female by showing off his nests.

The following morning we set off early for our great Kruger safari. We arrived in Nelspruit, met our safari guide, traded

our van in for an open-sided safari vehicle, and made our way to the park. We quickly started seeing typical Kruger

mammals (Impala, Buffalo, Burchell’s Zebra) and lowveld birds (Lilac-breasted Roller, Yellow-throated Petronia,

African Cuckoo). It wasn’t long, however, before we were watching a Leopard lying under a tree, a dead, mostly eaten

Warthog hanging from the tree above. We waited around for a while to see if it would get active, and a few times we

saw it get up and walk around. Along the rest of the drive to camp we found many elephants and many new birds,

including Mocking Cliff-Chat.

We were up early with anticipation for our first full day in the park. We headed to a birding hide near our camp. Along

the way we stopped for roadside birds (which were plentiful), including a beautiful pair of Violet-eared Waxbills and an

Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike. The hide was very productive, with great views of Water Thick-knee, Red-chested

Cuckoo, Striated Heron, and others, all at close range. Even better than the birds, though, was a family of elephants that

at first were 100 meters from the hide, but before long were within arm’s length right next to the hide. It was incredible



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to see these giants at such close range. The adult female in the group had recently had a snare removed from her leg,

and her wound was healing well.

We returned to camp for breakfast, where the fig tree over our table was full of African Green Pigeons and Brown-

headed Parrots chowing on the fruits. After breakfast and a walk around the camp (which included a couple of Purple-

crested Turacos and Crowned Hornbills), we continued on our way towards the central part of the park. Things were

quiet—by Kruger standards—for a while, though we saw many African Buffalo and a number of birds. But we knew

about a “surprise” ahead—and indeed our second Leopard was sitting in a tree as though waiting for us to arrive. We

waited to see if anything would happen; it’s Impala kill had fallen from the tree and was at the base of the trunk. After a

while, the Leopard got up, walked along the branch, jumped down, wandered around a bit, then jumped back up. All in

all it was an amazing display of strength, agility, and athleticism to see the ease with which it maneuvered up and down

the tree. We stopped for lunch, which included seeing a Greater Painted-Snipe in a small puddle scopable from our

lunch table. Soon after lunch we spotted Saddle-billed Storks close to the road, also adding a beautiful flyby White-

headed Vulture, Martial Eagle, and a large flock of Wattled Starling. We also stopped when we saw a group of songbird

scolding something on the ground beneath them. Just as I started identifying the birds, a Serval popped up with a bird in

its mouth and sauntered away. Certainly not what we were expecting and an extraordinary thing to see. As we rushed to



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get to camp before sunset we were held up when a gorgeous male Lion materialized on the road. We watched in awe—

and perhaps a little fear from our open vehicle—as it walked along the road loudly declaring his territory.

As if yesterday weren’t overwhelming enough, we still had another full day in Kruger. We left camp early, bringing

breakfast with us to eat at a picnic site near the Mozambique border. The way there was productive, starting with baby

Spotted Hyenas nursing literally on the road, lots of the common mammals, and some great birds, including Kori

Bustard, Red-crested Korhaan, and Cut-throated Finch. After breakfast we went to a nearby hide, where besides

battling Hippos we enjoyed excellent views of Brown-headed Kingfisher, Gray-headed Bushshrike, and Black Crake. We

continued back to camp, stopping along the dry riverbed when we came across a pair of the huge, charismatic Southern

Ground-Hornbills, including one coming out of a nest hole, as well as a pair of Trumpeter Hornbills feeding in a fruiting

Ficus. We also had great views of an African Hawk-Eagle in the same area. It was also a cat-filled drive—we watched a

male Lion carefully guarding a female in heat while two other males lounged nearby, waiting for an opportunity. We also

had views—with some maneuvering of the vehicle—of a Cheetah, one of Kruger’s rarest predators, completing the rare

trifecta of big cats in the park. We took a break after lunch, taking a short evening drive. The highlight was our first

White Rhinos—completing our Big Five—lying down near a water hole.

That night we set off on the camp’s night drive. Night drives can be hit-or-miss; tonight’s was a definite hit. Before long

we saw many small nocturnal animals: African Wild Cat, Large-spotted Genet, Lesser Bushbaby, and African Civet. But a



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call came over the radio to the driver about lions and off we were. We knew we were headed towards lions but we

weren’t prepared for the scene: two female lions feasting on a recently killed buffalo, twenty feet from our vehicle,

while hyenas and jackals hovered on the outskirts of the scene. We watched the gory scene for twenty minutes, awed

for the second time today by incredible lion behavior, as if in our own personal wildlife documentary. On the way back

to camp we added a beautiful Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl.

We still had most of another day to enjoy Kruger, slowly working our way out of the park. It never takes long for a day to

turn into something special here, and before long we were looking a two Cheetahs resting in front of a bush, much

improved views from yesterday’s. Soon thereafter we were looking at a White Rhino grazing in woodlands, another

much improved view of an impressively large animal. We also found two separate family groups of Southern Ground-

Hornbill that we enjoyed watching forage for bugs. Soon enough our driver got a call about Wild Dogs not far from

where we were, but when we showed up the dogs were gone and four species of vultures (White-headed, Lappet-

faced, Hooded, and White-backed) were feeding on their now abandoned Bushbuck kill. Disappointed, we moved on,

but it wasn’t long before we got another call about dogs. This time we rushed to a low-level bridge, arriving at exactly

the right time to see three Wild Dogs saunter across the road and down the dry riverbed. Amazing!! We couldn’t believe

our luck, but such is Kruger.



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Just before lunch we watched a Lilac-breasted Roller munching on a grasshopper, then at lunch in a camp the trees were

flowering and were chock full of sunbirds. We had excellent views of Marico and White-bellied Sunbirds showing off

their iridescent plumage. We added yet a few more birds right at the Kruger exit gate, including Klaas’s Cuckoo and

Golden-tailed Woodpecker, just showing that there’s always something else to find in this huge park. We eventually

made it to Nelspruit to catch our flight back to Johannesburg.

We had one last bit of birding before parting ways, in the small park across the street from our B&B near the airport in

Joburg. We had great views of a pair of Red-throated Wrynecks, along with our first Red-headed Finches and Thick-

billed Weavers of the trip. It was a wonderful way to end a great trip.



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BIRD LIST

372 species seen, plus 11 heard only. Taxonomy follows Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A.

Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015. H=heard only.

E=Endemic to Southern Africa south of the Kunene/Okavango/Zambezi Rivers; NE=Near-endemic. Birdlife International

Red List Status is also indicated: NT=Near Threatened, VU=Vulnerable, EN=Endangered, CR=Critically Endangered.

Common Ostrich - Struthio camelus

White-faced Whistling-Duck - Dendrocygna viduata

White-backed Duck - Thalassornis leuconotus

Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca

South African Shelduck - Tadorna cana (E)

Spur-winged Goose - Plectropterus gambensis

Yellow-billed Duck - Anas undulata

Cape Shoveler - Anas smithii (NE)

Red-billed Duck - Anas erythrorhyncha

Cape Teal - Anas capensis

Southern Pochard - Netta erythrophthalma

Maccoa Duck - Oxyura maccoa (NT)

Helmeted Guineafowl - Numida meleagris

Common Quail - Coturnix coturnix (H)

Cape Francolin - Pternistis capensis (E)

Natal Francolin - Pternistis natalensis (NE)

Swainson's Francolin - Pternistis swainsonii

Red-necked Francolin - Pternistis afer

Crested Francolin - Francolinus sephaena

Gray-winged Francolin - Scleroptila afra (E) Great looks at this endemic in West Coast National Park. Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus

Eared (Black-necked) Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis

Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus It’s always a joy to see the large numbers of flamingoes that live around Cape Town, especially in the Strandfontein Sewage Works.

Lesser Flamingo - Phoeniconaias minor (NT) Jackass (African) Penguin - Spheniscus demersus (E)(EN) As charming as ever at the famous Boulders Beach colony.

White-chinned Petrel - Procellaria aequinoctialis (VU) Abdim's Stork - Ciconia abdimii It was a bit of a surprise to see one of these migrant storks in a concentration of waterbirds around a drying waterhole in Kruger.

Woolly-necked Stork - Ciconia episcopus Saddle-billed Stork - Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis We had wonderful views several times of these stunning storks.

Marabou Stork - Leptoptilos crumenifer



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Yellow-billed Stork - Mycteria ibis

Cape Gannet - Morus capensis (VU)

Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo

Cape Cormorant - Phalacrocorax capensis (NE)(EN)

Bank Cormorant - Phalacrocorax neglectus (E)(EN)

Long-tailed Cormorant - Phalacrocorax africanus

Crowned Cormorant - Phalacrocorax coronatus (E)(NT)

African Darter - Anhinga rufa

Great White Pelican - Pelecanus onocrotalus Hamerkop - Scopus umbretta Among several sightings, we particularly enjoyed seeing one adding straw to its outsized nest in Wakkerstroom.

Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea

Black-headed Heron - Ardea melanocephala

Goliath Heron - Ardea goliath

Great Egret - Ardea alba

Intermediate (Yellow-billed) Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia

Little Egret - Egretta garzetta

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides

Striated Heron - Butorides striata

Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax

Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus

Sacred Ibis - Threskiornis aethiopicus

Southern Bald Ibis - Geronticus calvus (E)(VU)

Hadada Ibis - Bostrychia hagedash

African Spoonbill - Platalea alba Secretary-bird - Sagittarius serpentarius (VU) One of the group’s most wanted birds—we were thrilled to have excellent looks around Wakkerstroom, including watching one foraging on a hillside in the scope.

Black-shouldered Kite - Elanus caeruleus White-headed Vulture - Trigonoceps occipitalis (VU) We saw vultures several times, mostly in Kruger; the most memorable sighting was four species together in a dry riverbed, finishing off the remains of a Bushbuck that Wild Dogs had killed.

Lappet-faced Vulture - Torgos tracheliotos (VU)

Hooded Vulture - Necrosyrtes monachus (EN)

White-backed Vulture - Gyps africanus (EN)

Cape Griffon - Gyps coprotheres (E)(VU)

Bateleur - Terathopius ecaudatus (NT)

Black-breasted Snake-Eagle - Circaetus pectoralis

Brown Snake-Eagle - Circaetus cinereus Martial Eagle - Polemaetus bellicosus (VU) Perhaps the iconic eagle of the African savannah, we had great views in Kruger, including one roosting on our night drive.



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Long-crested Eagle - Lophaetus occipitalis

Wahlberg's Eagle - Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Booted Eagle - Hieraaetus pennatus

Tawny Eagle - Aquila rapax Verreaux's Eagle - Aquila verreauxii A trip highlight was watching one screaming its head off in the early morning in the Karoo. African Hawk-Eagle - Aquila spilogaster We had great views of one perched in riverine forest in Kruger.

Pale Chanting-Goshawk - Melierax canorus (NE)

African Marsh-Harrier - Circus ranivorus Black Harrier - Circus maurus (E)(VU) Among the birds of the trip was seeing a male Black Harrier in Bontebok National Park carrying food and exchanging it with a female, who landed on the road in front of us to eat it.

Black (Yellow-billed) Kite - Milvus migrans (parasiticus)

African Fish-Eagle - Haliaeetus vocifer

Common (Steppe) Buzzard - Buteo buteo (vulpinus)

Forest Buzzard - Buteo trizonatus (E)

Jackal Buzzard - Buteo rufofuscus

Kori Bustard - Ardeotis kori (NT)

Blue Bustard (Korhaan) - Eupodotis caerulescens (E)

Karoo Bustard (Korhaan) - Eupodotis vigorsii

Red-crested Bustard (Korhaan) - Eupodotis ruficrista

Black Bustard (Southern Black Korhaan) - Eupodotis afra (E)(VU)

Black-bellied Bustard - Lissotis melanogaster African Rail - Rallus caerulescens Conditions were just right for seeing this hard-to-see species in Wakkerstroom, where they were walking around in the open like it was nothing.

Black Crake - Amaurornis flavirostra

African Swamphen - Porphyrio madagascariensis

Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus

Red-knobbed Coot - Fulica cristata

Red-chested Flufftail - Sarothrura rufa (H) Gray Crowned-Crane - Balearica regulorum We saw a spectacular mixed flock of cranes in Wakkerstroom that included about 60 of these endangered beauties.

Blue Crane - Anthropoides paradiseus

Water Thick-knee - Burhinus vermiculatus

Spotted Thick-knee - Burhinus capensis

Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus

Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta

African Oystercatcher - Haematopus moquini (E)(NT)

Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola

Blacksmith Lapwing - Vanellus armatus

Black-winged Lapwing - Vanellus melanopterus



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Crowned Lapwing - Vanellus coronatus

Wattled Lapwing - Vanellus senegallus

Kittlitz's Plover - Charadrius pecuarius

Common Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula

Three-banded Plover - Charadrius tricollaris

White-fronted Plover - Charadrius marginatus Chestnut-banded Plover - Charadrius pallidus (NT) We saw a large flock of these beautiful little plovers at salt pans up the coast from Cape Town. Greater Painted-Snipe - Rostratula benghalensis A male was in a small pool in an otherwise dry riverbed in Kruger. We shared the scope with a very excited South African birder who declared “I’ve been looking for this bird for five years!”

African Jacana - Actophilornis africanus

Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia

Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola

Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus

Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

Red Knot - Calidris canutus

Ruff - Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea

Sanderling - Calidris alba

Little Stint - Calidris minuta

African Snipe - Gallinago nigripennis Double-banded Courser - Smutsornis africanus Wonderful views on a dusty side road in the Karoo.

Gray-hooded Gull - Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

Hartlaub's Gull - Chroicocephalus hartlaubii

Kelp Gull - Larus dominicanus

Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia

White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus

Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybrida

Common Tern - Sterna hirundo

Great Crested Tern - Thalasseus bergii

Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis Namaqua Sandgrouse - Pterocles namaqua (NE) Thanks to a tip from another Tropical Birding group, we had fantastic views of many of these beautiful birds in the Karoo.

Rock Pigeon - Columba livia

Speckled Pigeon - Columba guinea

Rameron (African Olive) Pigeon - Columba arquatrix

Lemon Dove - Columba larvata

Mourning Collared-Dove (African Mourning Dove) - Streptopelia decipiens

Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata

Ring-necked Dove (Cape Turtle-Dove) - Streptopelia capicola

Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis



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Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove - Turtur chalcospilos

Namaqua Dove - Oena capensis

African Green-Pigeon - Treron calvus Knysna Turaco - Tauraco corythaix (E) Seeing these at extremely close range is always a highlight of our South Africa tours. Purple-crested Turaco - Tauraco porphyreolophus Just a pair of these stunning birds was seen by part of the group in Kruger.

Gray Go-away-bird - Corythaixoides concolor

Red-chested Cuckoo - Cuculus solitarius

Black Cuckoo - Cuculus clamosus

African Cuckoo - Cuculus gularis

Klaas's Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx klaas

Dideric Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx caprius

White-browed (Burchell’s)Coucal - Centropus superciliosus (burchelli)

African Scops-Owl - Otus senegalensis Spotted Eagle-Owl - Bubo africanus Just about the first bird we saw on our first afternoon of birding at the botanical gardens in Cape Town. Verreaux's Eagle-Owl - Bubo lacteus Great views of this hulking owl on our Kruger night drive.

Rufous-cheeked Nightjar - Caprimulgus rufigena (H)

Fiery-necked Nightjar - Caprimulgus pectoralis (H)

Square-tailed Nightjar - Caprimulgus fossii (H)

Alpine Swift - Apus melba

African Swift - Apus barbatus

Little Swift - Apus affinis

White-rumped Swift - Apus caffer

African Palm-Swift - Cypsiurus parvus

Speckled Mousebird - Colius striatus

White-backed Mousebird - Colius colius

Red-faced Mousebird - Urocolius indicus

Eurasian Hoopoe - Upupa epops

Green Woodhoopoe - Phoeniculus purpureus

Common Scimitar-bill - Rhinopomastus cyanomelas Southern Ground-Hornbill - Bucorvus leadbeateri (VU) We had incredible views several times of this giant hornbill in Kruger, a stronghold for the species, including one exiting a nest hole and two family groups.

Crowned Hornbill - Lophoceros alboterminatus

African Gray Hornbill - Lophoceros nasutus

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill - Tockus leucomelas

Southern Red-billed Hornbill - Tockus rufirostris Trumpeter Hornbill - Bycanistes bucinator We had great views of a pair in riverine forest in Kruger.

Malachite Kingfisher - Corythornis cristatus

Brown-hooded Kingfisher - Halcyon albiventris



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Striped Kingfisher - Halcyon chelicuti

Giant Kingfisher - Megaceryle maxima

Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis

White-fronted Bee-eater - Merops bullockoides

Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus

European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster Lilac-breasted Roller - Coracias caudatus One of the iconic birds of an Africa safari. It’s common in Kruger where we had wonderful views many times, including one right next to the road eating a grasshopper on our way out of the park.

Rufous-crowned (Purple) Roller - Coracias naevius Broad-billed Roller - Eurystomus glaucurus A couple of people saw one from a hide in Kruger.

Crested Barbet - Trachyphonus vaillantii

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird - Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Pied Barbet - Tricholaema leucomelas (NE)

Black-collared Barbet - Lybius torquatus Rufous-necked Wryneck - Jynx ruficollis After getting only brief views in Wakkerstroom, we had wonderful views of this strange bird outside our hotel in Johannesburg.

Golden-tailed Woodpecker - Campethera abingoni

Knysna Woodpecker - Campethera notata (H) (E)(NT) Ground Woodpecker - Geocolaptes olivaceus (E) Fantastic views of a pair in the Karoo, sitting on the lip of a beautiful canyon.

Cardinal Woodpecker - Dendropicos fuscescens

Olive Woodpecker - Dendropicos griseocephalus

Rock Kestrel - Falco rupicolus

Lanner Falcon - Falco biarmicus Brown-headed Parrot - Poicephalus cryptoxanthus It was fun eating breakfast in Kruger under a fruiting fig tree that was full of these parrots.

Cape Batis - Batis capensis (E)

Chinspot Batis - Batis molitor

Pririt Batis - Batis pririt

Brubru - Nilaus afer

Black-backed Puffback - Dryoscopus cubla

Black-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra senegalus

Brown-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra australis

Southern Boubou - Laniarius ferrugineus (E)

Bokmakierie - Telophorus zeylonus (E)

Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike - Telophorus sulfureopectus Olive Bushshrike - Telophorus olivaceus (NE) We had stunning views of this often skulking species sitting right in the open and singing near Wilderness.

Gray-headed Bushshrike - Malaconotus blanchoti

Southern Fiscal - Lanius collaris

Magpie Shrike - Corvinella melanoleuca

African Black-headed Oriole - Oriolus larvatus



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Fork-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis

African Crested-Flycatcher (Blue-mantled Flycatcher) - Trochocercus cyanomelas

African Paradise-Flycatcher - Terpsiphone viridis

Cape Crow - Corvus capensis

Pied Crow - Corvus albus

White-necked Raven - Corvus albicollis Cape Rockjumper - Chaetops frenatus (E) One of the truly special birds of South Africa, we found rockjumpers multiple times.

Rufous-naped Lark - Mirafra africana Cape (Agulhas) Clapper Lark - Mirafra apiata (marjoriae) (E) We enjoyed watching the aerial displays—including the namesake wing-clapping—in Bontebok National Park.

Rudd's Lark - Heteromirafra ruddi (E)(VU)

Sabota Lark - Calendulauda sabota (NE)

Karoo Lark - Calendulauda albescens (E)

Spike-heeled Lark - Chersomanes albofasciata (NE)

Agulhas (Long-billed) Lark - Certhilauda brevirostris (E) Eastern Long-billed Lark - Certhilauda semitorquata (E) We enjoyed watching one do its flight display—conventiently right on the road—in Wakkerstroom. Karoo Long-billed Lark – Certhilauda semitorquata (E) Gray-backed Sparrow-Lark – Eremopterix verticalis (E) Red-capped Lark - Calandrella cinerea Botha's Lark - Spizocorys fringillaris (E)(EN) Often very difficult to find, we hardly searched at all before getting incredible views of a pair of this highly endangered lark feeding right out in the open.

Large-billed Lark - Galerida magnirostris (E)

Plain Martin - Riparia paludicola

Banded Martin - Riparia cincta

Rock Martin - Ptyonoprogne fuligula

Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica White-throated Swallow - Hirundo albigularis It’s always fun seeing these migrant swallows up close and personal in the West Coast National Park hides, where they nest actually inside the hides themselves.

Wire-tailed Swallow - Hirundo smithii

Pearl-breasted Swallow - Hirundo dimidiata

Greater Striped-Swallow - Cecropis cucullata

Lesser Striped-Swallow - Cecropis abyssinica

Rufous-chested Swallow - Cecropis semirufa

South African Swallow - Petrochelidon spilodera

Black Sawwing - Psalidoprocne pristoptera

Fairy Flycatcher - Stenostira scita (E)

Southern Black-Tit - Melaniparus niger

Sombre Greenbul - Andropadus importunus

Yellow-bellied Greenbul - Chlorocichla flaviventris

Terrestrial Brownbul - Phyllastrephus terrestris



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Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus

Black-fronted (African Red-eyed) Bulbul - Pycnonotus nigricans (NE)

Cape Bulbul - Pycnonotus capensis (E)

Cape (Long-billed) Crombec - Sylvietta rufescens

Cape Grassbird - Sphenoeacus afer (E)

Victorin's Warbler - Cryptillas victorini (H)(E)

Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus

African Reed-Warbler - Acrocephalus baeticatus (H)

Lesser Swamp-Warbler - Acrocephalus gracilirostris

Knysna Warbler - Bradypterus sylvaticus (H)(E)(VU)

Little Rush-Warbler - Bradypterus baboecala

Bar-throated Apalis - Apalis thoracica

Yellow-breasted Apalis - Apalis flavida

Green-backed Camaroptera - Camaroptera brachyura

Rufous-eared Warbler - Malcorus pectoralis (E)

Red-faced Cisticola - Cisticola erythrops (H)

Rock-loving (Lazy) Cisticola - Cisticola aberrans

Rattling Cisticola - Cisticola chiniana

Red-headed (Gray-backed) Cisticola - Cisticola subruficapilla (NE)

Wailing Cisticola - Cisticola lais (H)

Levaillant's Cisticola - Cisticola tinniens

Piping Cisticola (Neddicky) - Cisticola fulvicapilla

Zitting Cisticola - Cisticola juncidis

Cloud Cisticola - Cisticola textrix (NE)

Pale-crowned Cisticola - Cisticola cinnamomeus

Wing-snapping Cisticola - Cisticola ayresii (H)

Tawny-flanked Prinia - Prinia subflava

Karoo Prinia - Prinia maculosa (E)

Drakensberg Prinia - Prinia hypoxantha (E)

Namaqua Prinia - Prinia substriata (E)

Yellow-bellied Eremomela - Eremomela icteropygialis

Layard's Warbler (Tit-babbler) - Sylvia layardi (E)

Rufous-vented Warbler (Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler) - Sylvia subcaerulea

Cape White-eye - Zosterops capensis (E)

Arrow-marked Babbler - Turdoides jardineii Cape Sugarbird - Promerops cafer (E) Another of South African’s specialties—the two members of the sugarbird family only occur here—we had beautiful views several times around Cape Town.

Chat Flycatcher - Bradornis infuscatus (NE)

Southern Black-Flycatcher - Melaenornis pammelaina

Fiscal Flycatcher - Sigelus silens (E)

Dusky-brown (African Dusky) Flycatcher - Muscicapa adusta

Karoo Scrub-Robin - Cercotrichas coryphaeus (E)



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Red-backed (White-backed) Scrub-Robin - Cercotrichas leucophrys

Cape Robin-Chat - Cossypha caffra

White-browed Robin-Chat - Cossypha heuglini

Chorister Robin-Chat - Cossypha dichroa (E)

Short-toed Rock-Thrush - Monticola brevipes (NE)

Sentinel Rock-Thrush - Monticola exploratory (E)

Cape Rock-Thrush - Monticola rupestris (E)

African Stonechat - Saxicola torquatus

Buff-streaked Bushchat - Saxicola bifasciatus (E) Southern Anteater-Chat - Myrmecocichla formicivora (E) It was amusing—for us if not for the chats—watching a pair chase a Yellow Mongoose away from its nest.

Mocking Cliff-Chat - Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris

Karoo Chat - Cercomela schlegelii (NE)

Tractrac Chat - Cercomela tractrac (NE)

Familiar Chat - Cercomela familiaris

Mountain Wheatear - Oenanthe monticola (NE)

Capped Wheatear - Oenanthe pileata

Kurrichane Thrush - Turdus libonyana

Olive Thrush - Turdus olivaceus

Karoo Thrush - Turdus smithi (E)

European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris

Wattled Starling - Creatophora cinerea

Common Myna - Acridotheres tristis

Violet-backed Starling - Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Pale-winged Starling - Onychognathus nabouroup (NE)

Red-winged Starling - Onychognathus morio

Black-bellied Starling - Notopholia corrusca

Burchell's Starling - Lamprotornis australis (NE)

African Pied Starling - Lamprotornis bicolor (E)

Greater Blue-eared Starling - Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Cape (Glossy-)Starling - Lamprotornis nitens

Red-billed Oxpecker - Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Collared Sunbird - Hedydipna collaris Orange-breasted Sunbird - Anthobaphes violacea (E) Mouse-colored (Gray) Sunbird – Cyanomitra veroxii

Amethyst Sunbird - Chalcomitra amethystina Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Chalcomitra senegalensis We had a lot of great looks at sunbirds, but seeing flowering trees in Kruger covered with these gorgeous birds was among the best.

Malachite Sunbird - Nectarinia famosa Southern Double-collared Sunbird - Cinnyris chalybeus (E) We had many wonderful looks at these beauties, especially at the botanical gardens in Cape Town.

Greater Double-collared Sunbird - Cinnyris afer (E)

Mariqua Sunbird - Cinnyris mariquensis



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White-breasted Sunbird - Cinnyris talatala

Dusky Sunbird - Cinnyris fuscus (NE)

Cape Wagtail - Motacilla capensis

African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp

African Pipit - Anthus cinnamomeus

Long-billed Pipit - Anthus similis

Yellow-tufted (African Rock) Pipit - Anthus crenatus (E) Yellow-breasted Pipit - Hemimacronyx chloris (E)(VU) One of the specialties of eastern South Africa’s grasslands, we easily found a pair, saving us a lot of searching!

Orange-throated Longclaw - Macronyx capensis (E)

Lark-like Bunting - Emberiza impetuani (NE)

Cape Bunting - Emberiza capensis

Golden-breasted Bunting - Emberiza flaviventris

Cape Canary - Serinus canicollis (E)

Yellow-fronted Canary - Serinus mozambicus

Forest Canary - Serinus scotops (E)

Black-throated Canary - Serinus atrogularis

Brimstone Canary - Serinus sulphuratus

Yellow Canary - Serinus flaviventris (NE)

White-throated Canary - Serinus albogularis (NE) Protea Canary - Serinus leucopterus (E) One of the more difficult of the Cape endemics to come across, we had stunning views thanks to a tip from another Tropical Birding trip that was in the area.

Streaky-headed Seedeater - Serinus gularis

House Sparrow - Passer domesticus

Cape Sparrow - Passer melanurus (NE)

Southern Gray-headed Sparrow - Passer diffusus

Yellow-throated Petronia - Petronia superciliaris

Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver - Bubalornis niger

Red-headed Weaver - Anaplectes rubriceps

Cape Weaver - Ploceus capensis (E)

Lesser Masked-Weaver - Ploceus intermedius Southern Masked-Weaver - Ploceus velatus We had a lot of fun in Wakkerstroom watching a male trying to entice a female to check out his beautifully constructed nests.

Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus

Red-billed Quelea - Quelea quelea

Southern Red Bishop - Euplectes orix

Yellow Bishop - Euplectes capensis

White-winged Widowbird - Euplectes albonotatus

Red-collared Widowbird - Euplectes ardens

Fan-tailed Widowbird - Euplectes axillaris

Long-tailed Widowbird - Euplectes progne



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Grosbeak Weaver - Amblyospiza albifrons Swee Waxbill - Coccopygia melanotis (E) We had great views of a pair at Kirstenbosch before having even better views at feeders at our B&B in Wilderness.

Common Waxbill - Estrilda astrild Southern Cordonbleu (Blue Waxbill) - Uraeginthus angolensis Violet-eared Waxbill - Granatina granatina Beautiful looks at a pair near Skukuza Camp in Kruger.

Red-billed Firefinch - Lagonosticta senegala

Jameson's Firefinch - Lagonosticta rhodopareia

Cut-throat - Amadina fasciata

Red-headed Finch - Amadina erythrocephala (NE) African Quailfinch - Ortygospiza fuscocrissa These miniscule finches showed us just how hard they can be to see well as they hid in grass that wasn’t any taller than they were, but eventually everyone got good views.

Pin-tailed Whydah - Vidua macroura

Variable (Dusky) Indigobird - Vidua funerea

MAMMAL LIST

53 species seen, plus one heard, an incredible number for this trip.

Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat Epomophorus wahlbergi Chacma Baboon (NE) Papio ursinus Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops Thick-tailed Bushbaby (H) Otolemur crassicaudatus Lesser Bushbaby Galago moholi Cape Hare Lepus capensis Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis Tree Squirrel Paraxerus cepapi Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Striped Mouse Rhabdomys pumilio Vlei Rat (E) Otomys irroratus Bush Karoo Rat (E) Otomys unisulcatus Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas Several jackals were hovering in the background, waiting for an opportunity, while the female lions fed on their buffalo kill. African Wild Dog (EN) Lycaon pictus Great views of three individuals walking across the road in front of us and then down a dry riverbed, just before we left Kruger. Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo Small Grey Mongoose (E) Galerella pulverulenta Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula Yellow Mongoose (NE) Cynictis penicillata Meerkat (NE) Suricata suricatta Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina African Civet Civettictis civetta



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Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta We had wonderful views of hyenas several times in Kruger, including twice seeing cubs nursing on the road, and seeing one being chased away by lions guarding their buffalo kill on a night drive. African Wild Cat Felis lybica Serval Felis serval We stopped in Kruger when we found a group of scolding birds; we weren’t expecting that they were scolding a Serval! It ran off with a bird in its mouth. Cheetah (VU) Acinonyx jubatus After getting not-great views of one sitting in the shade of a bush, we had great views of two brothers lounging not far from the road on our last day in Kruger. Lion (VU) Panthera leo We had great experiences with lions several times in Kruger. A big male walked down the road right next to us—in our open-sided vehicle—loudly declaring his territory. On our night drive we came across females hungrily eating a buffalo they had recently killed. Leopard (NT) Panthera pardus We saw leopard multiple times, remarkably. First was one on the ground under a tree that had the skin of a warthog hanging from it, clear evidence of the leopard’s last meal. Even better was seeing the display of agility and grace as one climbed out of a tree, then jumped back up. African Elephant (VU) Loxodonta africana We never tired of seeing elephants in Kruger. Among our many sightings was watching a small group that came right next to the hide we were sitting in—literally feet away from us. We also watched a female digging in a dry riverbed for water. Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis Cape Mountain Zebra (E) (VU) Equus zebra Burchell's Zebra Equus burchellii White Rhino (NT) Ceratotherium simum The last of the Big Five that we saw. Our best views were of a male close to the road on our last day in Kruger. Warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Common in Kruger. Perhaps our most interesting sighting was seeing a baby giraffe so young that it still had its umbilical cord! African Buffalo Syncerus caffer Eland Taurotragus oryx Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus Southern Oryx (NE) Oryx gazella Common Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus Common Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula Grey Rhebok (E) Pelea capreolus



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Blue Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus Red Haartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus Bontebok (E) Damaliscus dorcas Impala Aepyceros melampus Springbok (E) Antidorcas marsuplialis Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus Steenbok Raphicerus campestris Common Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia Southern Right Whale Balaena glacialis Bottlenosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus We saw a large group of these cetaceans close to shore—even surfing in the breakers—when we stopped for photos along the scenic Gordon’s Bay – Rooiels road. Long-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus capensis Cape Fur Seal (NE) Arctocephalus pusillus

A Tropical Birding CUSTOM tour SOUTH AFRICA: FAIREST CAPE …€¦ · Tropical Birding Trip Report South Africa: October 2015 +1-409-515-0514 [email protected] Page 1 A Tropical

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