Birding Tour South Africa: Best of Cape Town and Beyond — Endemics, seabirds and more

Best of Cape Town and Beyond — Endemics, seabirds and more
October 2024 / 2025

South Africa must surely rank as one of the best value destinations on the entire African continent. The combination of superb accommodation, excellent infrastructure, great food, wonderful South African hospitality, impressive and varied scenery, and the presence of Africa’s big and small mammals makes it one of the most popular countries in the world to bird in. The tour begins in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Cape Town, where we will search for a host of avian endemics found nowhere else but in the fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom (the richest place on earth for plants). While in Cape Town we will also do a pelagic trip, enjoying the great numbers and diversity of seabirds which visit the southern tip of Africa. After a few days birding around Cape Town we then head northward up the west coast and finally head inland through rugged mountain ranges into the Tankwa Karoo, another of Africa’s great endemic hotspots.

The endemic Cape Sugarbird is one of our targets on this trip.

We begin this tour with a Cape pelagic trip, where we invariably find four albatross species and always hope for an additional rarer one like Wandering Albatross. Then we hope to encounter some very enigmatic birds: Watch a weird little warbler, a desert bird that skulks, disappear into a rock crevice, namely Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, one of the Cape’s strangest endemics and one of the toughest of the many Karoo endemics to see well. Cape Rockjumper has a beautiful call, striking colors, a boisterous personality and a terribly limited distribution around Cape Town. A terrestrial woodpecker, Ground Woodpecker, and African Penguin are also found on the spectacular Cape Peninsula. What more can you possibly ask for?

Cape Rockjumper is one of the two species making up the rockjumper family; we normally encounter it on this tour.

But this trip is not only full of localized avian endemics but also of spectacularly famous scenery, such as the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, and Table Mountain. All in all, our 8-day Cape tour is full of localized endemics, spectacular scenery, and so much more. This is where Birding Ecotours started as a company in 2002, and nowhere else do we have as much experience as in the Cape.

The Western Cape is the most important endemic bird area on the entire African continent. It is a truly essential area for any serious birder because of its sheer number of endemics. Pelagic trips off Cape Town also rank as among the finest in the world (with at least four albatross species, Cape Petrel (seasonal), and many more on the rich trawling grounds near where two oceans meet). The Cape is also a spectacularly scenic area, with the rugged Cape Fold Mountains that come right down to the sea, white sand beaches, sea cliffs on the Cape Peninsula, and beautiful vineyards. Close inshore Southern Right Whales (seasonal) plus a lot of other mammals, spectacular carpets of flowers (seasonal), and the most plant-diverse biome on earth (even richer than the Amazon!) are major attractions that are easily seen incidentally, while not jeopardizing our chances of finding all the birds. We recommend at least a week in the Western Cape. The aim of our standard (set departure) 8-day tour (but we can custom-make a trip of any length) is to find a majority of the endemics of this province, with many other species as an unavoidable byproduct (plus, as always, an amazing overall experience), and of course a lot of pelagic and other seabirds. To find the endemics we budget adequate time in each strategic ecosystem – the fynbos, Langebaan Lagoon, and the Karoo.

Cape Petrel is usually seen on our pelagic trip on our 8-day Cape tour.

The October departures can be combined with our preceding Kruger National Park and Escarpment Birding Safari  and then with our following Subtropical South Africa Birding Tour: Comprehensive Eastern South Africa for a 38-day  South African adventure, and, following that, with our Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls 18-day Birding Adventure for a stunning 46-day Southern African mega tour.

Itinerary (8 days/7 nights) 

Day 1. Arrival in Cape Town

This is the day you need to arrive in Cape Town – any time during the day at your leisure. You will be met at Cape Town International Airport and transferred to our comfortable guesthouse in the leafy Cape Town suburbs. We should hopefully have some time to start with some local birding this afternoon – probably birding one of the many impressive wetlands nearby, or perhaps the forests on the slopes of Table Mountain. Species to look for include Great White Pelican, Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Cape Teal, Cape Shoveler, Southern Pochard, and Maccoa Duck among many other waterfowl species. Some of the more elusive species we will search for are Little Bittern, African Snipe, African Marsh Harrier, Malachite Kingfisher, four species of reed-associated warblers, and other waterbirds. The forested areas host species such as African Olive Pigeon, Cape Batis, Southern Boubou, Olive Thrush and African Dusky Flycatcher. In the neighboring fynbos we should come across the first of many South African specials, such as Cape Bulbul, Karoo Prinia, Southern Double-collared Sunbird and Cape White-eye.

Overnight: Newlands, Cape Town

The comical African Penguin is always a highlight in any Cape birding trip!

Day 2. Pelagic trip (or Cape Peninsula and False Bay birding)

Today is an early start as we embark on a Cape pelagic trip (weather-permitting, otherwise we will spend the day around the Cape Peninsula and False Bay). Soon after leaving the harbor we normally come across large flocks of Cape Cormorants and Cape Gannets heading out to sea to fish for the day, along with the occasional African Penguin. The coastline is incredibly rugged, yet eerily beautiful, with the sharp mountains rising right from the shore. Once we start transiting away from land the serious pelagic birding soon begins as we start seeing good numbers of Sooty, Great, and Cory’s Shearwaters, White-chinned Petrels, and the odd Storm Petrel (Wilson’s and European being most common). As we head farther out we will be on the lookout for trawlers, which attract huge numbers of seabirds. If we do find a trawler it normally has a cloud of seabirds behind it, particularly when the nets are being hauled in. Here we can expect to find Shy, Black-browed, Indian Yellow-nosed and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Cape Petrel, Brown Skua, and occasionally Great-winged Petrel. We will always be on the lookout for Spectacled Petrel, Northern and Southern Royal Albatrosses, and Wandering Albatross which, although considered rare, are seen with some frequency off the Cape.

Albatrosses such as this Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross are usually seen on our Cape pelagic.

Other marine life to search for include Humpback and Bryde’s Whales as well as Long-beaked Common Dolphin and, if we are extremely lucky, Killer Whale! If possible/already decided, please let us know if you do not want to join the pelagic.

Overnight: Newlands, Cape Town.

Day 3. Birding the Cape Peninsula and False Bay (or pelagic trip)

Today we plan to visit excellent sites such as the beautiful Hottentot Holland mountain range and Strandfontein Bird Sanctuary, one of Cape Town’s best waterbird sites. We start the day with an early departure (we’ll take breakfast packs along to enjoy later) heading east toward the Hottentot Holland mountains and particularly the small village of Rooi Els. To get to this picturesque village we have to traverse one of the most scenic drives in South Africa along the False Bay coast. First, we drive parallel to an extremely long white beach bordering the Cape Flats that separate the mountainous Cape Peninsula from the inland Cape Fold mountain ranges. Then we reach an area where impressive mountains meet the sea to begin a truly stunning marine drive. Our primary target for the day is Cape Rockjumper, which only occurs in the Cape Fold Mountains. Rooi Els is perhaps the easiest and most accessible spot to see the rockjumper, and our success rates are high. Other species to find here and nearby include Ground Woodpecker, Cape Rock Thrush, Victorin’s Warbler, Cape Siskin, Cape Grassbird, Cape Sugarbird, and many others. We may be lucky with a flyover of the pair of Verreaux’s Eagles that breeds in the area.

We then head to the small town of Betty’s Bay, where we visit the picturesque Harold Porter National Botanical Garden and enjoy lunch after a walk around the gardens. In the gardens we should find African Dusky and African Paradise Flycatchers, Black Saw-wing, Swee Waxbill, Yellow Bishop, and Brimstone and Cape Canaries.

The cute and beautiful Swee Waxbill.

We will also be sure to include a visit to the nearby Stony Point African Penguin colony. In addition to the penguins, Stony Point also has numbers of breeding Cape, Crowned, and Bank Cormorants – all offering excellent and close-up views!

On our way back to Cape Town we may visit Strandfontein Bird Sanctuary, which offers Cape Town’s best wetland birding. Species to look for here include South African Shelduck, Blue-billed, Red-billed, and Cape Teals, Maccoa Duck, Cape Shoveler, Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, African Swamphen, and a number of other waterbird species.

Overnight: Newlands, Cape Town.

Day 4. West Coast Birding

Today we head north of Cape Town and travel along the west coast. The strandveld vegetation is subtly different and, with the habitat change, results in a different mix of bird species. We will stop off in some farmlands en route to look for Blue Crane, Pied Starling, Cape Clapper Lark, Capped Wheatear, Cape Longclaw, Pearl-breasted Swallow, and the endemic Cape subspecies of Cloud Cisticola. Birding the strandveld habitat around the West Coast National Park and its surrounding areas will hopefully produce Cape Penduline Tit, Grey Tit, White-backed Mousebird, Bokmakierie, Karoo Scrub Robin, Yellow and White-throated Canaries, Grey-winged Francolin, Southern Black Korhaan, and the striking Black Harrier. We will also spend time at a few of the strategically positioned bird hides along Langebaan Lagoon, one of Africa’s most important shorebird stopover sites. Here we hope to find an assortment of Palearctic shorebirds as well as resident shorebirds, such as Chestnut-banded, White-fronted, and Kittlitz’s Plovers, with the possibility of Osprey and African Fish Eagle overhead. We may have time to look for Langebaan’s resident pair of Verreaux’s Eagles this afternoon; if we run out of time, we will look for them tomorrow morning.

Overnight: Le Mahi Guest House, Langebaan.

The majestic Blue Crane is commonly encountered on this tour.

Day 5. Transfer to the Karoo

We often start this day by birding some of the farmlands north of Langebaan for a few more endemics that are unlikely to be found elsewhere on the trip. Our primary targets this morning will be Cape Long-billed Lark and Sickle-winged Chat; however, we should also find Large-billed Lark, Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark, Blue Crane, Ant-eating Chat, and perhaps Namaqua Sandgrouse. After our early-morning birding we head inland through some spectacular mountain scenery. But we have to get to the eastern (rain-shadow) side of the mountains to get to the famed (among birders) Karoo. The Karoo exhibits an amazing level of endemism, as the species need to adapt to the incredibly harsh conditions. This makes for spectacularly exciting birding for any serious birder who has never visited this particular semi-desert.

Overnight: Tankwa Karoo/similar.

Day 6. Birding the Karoo

Today we will have a full day of Karoo birding. Dry, rocky gorges will be explored for Cinnamon-breasted Warbler (a truly bizarre rock crevice skulker) as well as Layard’s Warbler, Grey Tit, Fairy Flycatcher, and Booted Eagle overhead. In the riverbed vegetation we will look for another special, Namaqua Warbler. The dry plains will be birded extensively for a range of exciting species such as Rufous-eared Warbler, Black-headed Canary, White-throated Canary, Karoo and Tractrac Chats, Karoo, Spike-heeled, and Large-billed Larks, Karoo Eremomela, Pririt Batis, Ludwig’s Bustard, Karoo Korhaan, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, and many others. The erratic Burchell’s Courser is seen from time to time however sightings of this desert nomad are unfortunately rare and unpredictable. Similarly, depending on unpredictable Karoo rains, Black-eared Sparrow-Lark may sometimes occur in large numbers, however it is only during exceptional years that we see this erratic species, here at its southern extent. We may then head out this evening to search for Freckled and Rufous-cheeked Nightjars and any other exciting nightlife we may encounter.

Overnight: Tankwa Karoo/similar

Many species occur here that have ‘Karoo’ in their names – such as this Karoo Lark.

Day 7. Transfer to Cape Town

After some early-morning Karoo birding, searching for anything we have missed over the last couple of days, we head out of the Karoo and back toward Cape Town. On our way back we will stop on a beautiful mountain pass to search for Protea Canary and Victorin’s Warbler and may get lucky with a flyover Verreaux’s Eagle.

Once back in Cape Town we will have part of the afternoon to bird at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. The gardens here are incredibly beautiful, complete with Table Mountain as a backdrop. In the beautifully maintained gardens we will look for Orange-breasted Sunbird and Cape Sugarbird feeding on Protea flowers, while Cape Spurfowl, African Olive Pigeon, Olive Thrush, African Dusky Flycatcher, Cape Batis, Southern Boubou, Cape Canary, Brimstone Canary, Swee Waxbill and Lemon Dove should all be seen while walking around the gardens.

Overnight: Newlands, Cape Town.

Protea Canary — a Cape endemic

Day 8. Departure

We may have time to do some final birding along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain before you catch your flight to Durban to join our Subtropical South Africa tour or your international flight to leave Cape Town.

For those joining both the Cape and Subtropical trips, the Birding Ecotours office plans to book the one-way flight from Cape Town to Durban for everyone (on this, the last day of the Cape trip, which is also the first day of the Subtropical trip). It is no problem at all, however, if you have already booked this flight. If Birding Ecotours books the flight the cost can just be added to the balance you owe – the flight usually costs R1000-R2000 (ballpark).

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Best of Cape Town and Beyond Trip Report

7 – 14 OCTOBER 2023

By Dominic Rollinson 

Overview

This short but relatively intense Cape birding tour was designed to take in some of the best birding in the general Cape area, including a couple days in the semi-desert of the Tankwa Karoo, while also enjoying some beautiful scenery. The tour started with a few days in Cape Town where we undertook day tours, before making our way up the west coast to Langebaan and inland through the Cederberg Mountains into the Tankwa Karoo, where we targeted many South African endemics and near-endemics. We then ended back in Cape Town where we targeted a few missing species. The trip was meant to include a Cape Town pelagic, however, despite having three full days set aside for our sea trip, we could not get a weather gap and instead had to settle for a trip down to Cape Point where we enjoyed some land-based seabirding and took in the area’s impressive scenery.

Cape Sugarbird gave us the classic ‘sugarbird pose’ in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.

Over our eight days of Cape birding we racked up an impressive 228 bird species which included many of the Cape’s endemics and specials. Some of our highlights included Grey-winged Francolin, Karoo and Southern Black Korhaans, Namaqua Sandgrouse, African Penguin, Bank, Cape and Crowned Cormorants, Black Harrier, Ground Woodpecker, Cape Rockjumper, Fairy Flycatcher, Grey Tit, Cape Penduline Tit, nine lark species (including many Black-eared Sparrow-Larks), Victorin’s Warbler (annoyingly only seen by one of the group, despite our best efforts), Rufous-eared, Cinnamon-breasted and Layard’s Warblers, Dusky Sunbird and Protea, Forest and Black-headed Canaries.

The erratic Black-eared Sparrow-Lark was numerous in the Tankwa Karoo.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 07^th October 2023. Arrival in Cape Town and Kirstenbosch birding

With all members of the group having arrived by the early afternoon, we headed out for our first birding of the tour with a walk around the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. The wind was quite strong this afternoon (something we would have to contend with for large periods of this trip) however we still managed to find a good selection of forest- and garden-associated species. Soon after entering the gate we had a dark-phase Booted Eagle high up above our heads which would then continue to show on and off for the remainder of the afternoon. We slowly worked our way through the picturesque gardens (with a stunning view of Table Mountain as a backdrop) and managed to find Cape Spurfowl, Karoo Prinia, Black Saw-wing, Cape Bulbul, Cape White-eye, Olive Thrush, Cape Sugarbird (lovely looks at a pair), Amethyst, Malachite and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, Forest Canary, Common Chaffinch (an introduced, yet range-restricted species in South Africa) and Swee Waxbill. The shaded undergrowth of a forested section of the gardens produced the goods with a couple of Lemon Doves which showed well for us. We then headed out for an enjoyable dinner where we excitedly discussed the trip ahead.

Although common, Cape White-eyes are always a pleasant sight to see.

Day 2, 08^th October 2023. West coast birding

With the outlook not looking great for our pelagic trip, we headed up the west coast today, to give us another full day in our weather window to try head out to sea. It was another windy day but the birding got off to a good start with a stop at Sunset Beach Pan which held a few White-backed Ducks as well as our first looks at Cape Shoveler, Yellow-billed Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron and Southern Red Bishop. Another stop, just around the corner, yielded much the same birds with the addition of African Palm Swift (a localized bird in the Cape) in amongst the many Little and White-rumped Swifts.

A little further north we birded the Silwerstroomstrand area which proved incredibly productive and we soon found our target bird, Black Harrier, which hung around for a while as it hunted low over the strandveld vegetation. Other nice birds seen here included Black-winged Kite, African Marsh Harrier, White-backed Mousebird, European Bee-eater, Bokmakierie, Cape Penduline Tit, Cape Clapper Lark (performing their aerial displays), Cape Grassbird, Grey-backed Cisticola, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Karoo Scrub Robin, Pied Starling, Cape Weaver, Brimstone (surprisingly, as they are unusual on the west coast) and Yellow Canaries and Cape Bunting. We tried for Grey Tit and Karoo Thrush which had been seen recently in the area but they were seemingly not around this morning.

The bright Bokmakierie was commonly encountered on this Cape birding tour.

Next, was a brief stop at Tienie Versveld Wildflower Reserve where we immediately heard Cloud Cisticola displaying, however, seeing the birds was a different story. After a while some of us managed to spot a tiny dot high up in the sky as the males performed their aerial display. Other birds seen in the area included South African Shelduck, Great White Pelican (a distant group of three), Lanner Falcon, Cape Longclaw, Red-capped Lark, African Stonechat, Capped Wheatear (always a crowd favorite), African Pipit and Yellow Bishop.

We had now taken a few hours to make our way up the west coast and we finally entered West Coast National Park, where we spent most of the remainder of the afternoon. A stop at Abrahamskraal bird hide was particularly busy with birds constantly coming down to the water to drink. Waterbirds included Little Grebe, Cape Shoveler, African Spoonbill, African Rail (heard only) and a couple of Lesser Swamp Warblers flitting about in the reedbeds. Other birds seen nearby included Rock Kestrel, Namaqua Dove, Banded Martin and Cape Bulbul.

We then enjoyed a light sit-down lunch at Geelbek Manor House and while waiting for our food, we took a walk around and found African Hoopoe, Cardinal Woodpecker and a single Grey-winged Francolin. As we left the manor house, we were very surprised to see a Secretarybird fly over and land in a distant field, an unusual bird in the park. In the area, we also encountered an impressive Common Eland herd, one of the largest antelope in the world.

To finish off the afternoon in the park, we visited Seeberg bird hide which had good numbers of water-associated species around. Just before arriving at the hide, Catherine spotted a single male Southern Black Korhaan which was a welcome sight. Greater and Lesser Flamingoes were numerous and we enjoyed good looks at these popular birds, while we also found African Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Grey, Kittlitz’s and White-fronted Plovers, Eurasian Whimbrel, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper and a suite of tern species including Caspian, Common, Greater Crested and Sandwich Terns. We then took the long drive back to Cape Town, enjoying a Puff Adder crossing the road in the reserve, ending a highly successful day of west coast birding.

We had two fantastic Puff Adder encounters on this tour.

Day 3, 09^th October 2023. Rockjumpers and birding Betty’s Bay

With the wind blowing even worse than yesterday, we had another early start and started making our way east. We stopped at Sir Lowry’s Pass and almost immediately flushed an eagle-owl, unfortunately our views were just too brief to determine whether it was the common Spotted or rare Cape Eagle-Owl. We heard several Victorin’s Warblers however despite a concentrated effort, we could not see any of these singing birds. Bill did manage a look at a bird while we were all facing the other way, but the wind just proved too ferocious to try get looks at these notorious skulkers. While looking for the warblers, we spotted Common and Jackal Buzzards and White-necked Ravens flying overhead.

Due to the intense storm that had ravaged the Cape the previous week, the picturesque Clarence Drive was closed which meant we had to take the long way round to Rooi-Els, however we soon arrived at our spot to look for rockjumpers. The wind was again blowing a gale and it took some time but we eventually managed to find a relatively close pair of Cape Rockjumpers which we all enjoyed scope views of. Other birds encountered here included Orange-breasted Sunbird, Familiar Chat, Cape Bunting and a calling Streaky-headed Seedeater which soon disappeared as we approached its bush.

The colorful Orange-breasted Sunbird is an abundant resident of mountain fynbos.

We had a relaxed picnic lunch at Harold Porter Botanical Garden (without any interference from marauding Chacma Baboons) and afterwards took a (windy) walk around the gardens which did not prove terribly productive. We did however find Cape Spurfowl, Bar-throated Apalis, Karoo Prinia, Grey-backed Cisticola, Sombre Greenbul (well spotted, Ohad), African Dusky Flycatcher and Cape Sugarbird.

The endemic Cape Spurfowl is normally straightforward to find in the Cape.

A brief stop at the Stony Point penguin colony in Betty’s Bay saw us enjoying the cute and comical African Penguins and we managed to pick out Bank, Crowned and Cape Cormorants breeding on the nearby rocks.

We decided to bird a rocky ridge near Betty’s Bay in the hopes of finding a few missing specials which proved to a be a good decision, as this spot was slightly sheltered from the wind. Cape Rockjumper showed better than before at Rooi-Els and we also found Ground Woodpecker, Cape Rock Thrush, Cape Siskin (unfortunately missed by some of the group) and calling Neddicky which was determined not to reveal itself to us. After a long, windy day out we headed back to Cape Town, it had been a tough day of birding but our perseverance meant we had seen just about all the day’s major targets.

Day 4, 10^th October 2023. Cape Point birding and transfer to the west coast

We had been given the bad news the previous evening that our pelagic trip had been cancelled as we could not get a break in the weather, so decided to head down to Cape Point for the morning. The day started with a displaying African Goshawk as it gave its piercing ‘chip’ call high above our heads. We then made our way south along the peninsula (spotting a hunting Black Sparrowhawk en route) and arrived at the Cape of Good Hope National Park (to be greeted by strong winds). We had our picnic breakfast at the actual Cape of Good Hope (the most southwesterly point of Africa) which, despite the strong winds, proved quite enjoyable. There were a number of seabirds out at sea (although I was expecting greater numbers) and some scanning revealed White-chinned Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Cape Gannet and a single Northern Giant Petrel. The rocks nearby had Common, Greater Crested and Sandwich Terns, African Oystercatcher and a large group of Afro-Australian Fur Seals.

We then moved around the corner to Cape Point and took a gentle stroll below the car park (Ed took a run up to the top lighthouse) where we saw Speckled Mousebird, a flyby Ground Woodpecker and had brief views of Cape Siskin. It was then time to head north and soon after leaving the reserve we found a pair of confiding Olive Woodpeckers which we had missed previously.

After the long drive north, checking into our Langebaan accommodation and some time off, we headed back out for some late afternoon birding which proved highly productive. We birded some farmlands en route to Jacob’s Bay and here we found Black Harrier, Crowned Lapwing, Large-billed and Red-capped Larks, Banded Martin, Pearl-breasted Swallow and a distant pair of Blue Cranes.

We then birded around the small coastal town of Jacob’s Bay where an inspection of the tern roost revealed a single Antarctic Tern in amongst the Greater Crested, Common and Sandwich Terns, with Ruddy Turnstone and White-fronted Plover seen feeding on the rocks. The surrounding strandveld had some great birds including Spotted Thick-knee, Karoo Lark, Cape Long-billed Lark, White-backed Mousebird and Bokmakierie. We then ended the day with a nighttime venture which resulted in good looks at our target bird, Fiery-necked Nightjar.

Spotted Thick-knees were common and confiding in Jacob’s Bay.

Day 5: 11^th October 2023. Birding the west coast and transfer to the Tankwa Karoo

We started the morning with a delicious sit-down breakfast before we headed to the local quarry where it did not take long for our target bird to appear, a majestic pair of Verreaux’s Eagles. We had a quick spin around Jacob’s Bay again in the hope of improving our views of Grey-winged Francolin but had to settle for a showy Grey Tit.

We then continued our way up the west coast and stopped in at the salt works near Velddrif which was, as usual, full of birds. In very little time, we racked up a good bird list, many of which were new birds for the tour including Cape Teal, Black-necked Grebe, Pied Avocet, Chestnut-banded Plover, Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Common Greenshank, African Darter, Reed Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, African Spoonbill, African Marsh Harrier, Pied Kingfisher and European Bee-eater.

After a quick pit stop in town, we hit the long road to the Tankwa Karoo and crossed through the southern end of the Cederberg Mountains (our lunch stop producing a Long-billed Crombec), enjoying the impressive views along the way. The drive was mostly quiet until we crossed the Katbakkies Pass where things started to heat up (both the birding and the temperature). Within a fairly short period of time we had found Layard’s Warbler, Protea Canary, Pale Chanting Goshawk and a small group of Black-headed Canaries before we descended into the plains of the Tankwa Karoo and took it easy for the remainder of the afternoon. We decided to do a night drive that evening which was not terribly productive, although we did get nice views of Spotted Eagle-Owl, Klipspringer and Scrub Hare and enjoyed the spectacular astronomical display out here in the wilderness, far away from any light pollution.

Black-headed Canaries, such as this juvenile, were abundant around the Tankwa Karoo.

Day 6, 12^th October 2023. Tankwa Karoo birding

We had the full day to explore the dry gorges and plains of the Tankwa Karoo today and had a long list of target birds to aim for. We started the day by birding around our guest farm and the nearby Skitterykloof which added many of our dry country targets. Not far from the accommodation, we found Karoo Lark, Karoo Eremomela, Rufous-eared Warbler, Karoo Chat, Nicholson’s Pipit, White-throated Canary and Lark-like Bunting. An hour or so at Skitterykloof yielded Cinnamon-breasted Warbler (which didn’t really put up a fight today) as well as Pale Chanting Goshawk, Fairy Flycatcher, Grey Tit, Common Reed Warbler, Layard’s Warbler, a pair of flyover Pale-winged Starlings and more Black-headed Canaries.

We then had a lovely sit-down breakfast before heading out into the Tankwa Karoo (armed with lunch packs) for the remainder of the day. With all the rain the area had received over the last few months, the plains were alive with birds and we enjoyed some of the best birding I have ever experienced in the Tankwa Karoo. Our first stop at a dry acacia-lined river bed soon added Pririt Batis, Chestnut-vented Warbler and Namaqua Warbler with repeat views of Fairy Flycatcher and White-throated Canary. Moving further north into the plains we soon started to notice flocks of sparrow-larks flying by and on closer inspection it revealed they were predominantly the highly nomadic and unpredictable Black-eared Sparrow-Lark, as well as smaller numbers of Grey-backed Sparrow-Larks. The Black-eared Sparrow-Larks took some time to get decent views of but eventually we all had excellent views as they went about feeding on the ground.

It’s always special to see nomadic Black-eared Sparrow-Larks in the Tankwa Karoo.

We kept heading north and ultimately made it all the way into the Tankwa Karoo National Park, along the way we kept adding new birds such as Namaqua Sandgrouse, Greater Kestrel, Spike-heeled Lark, Tractrac Chat, Dusky Sunbird and a Karoo Long-billed Lark, at our turnaround point. On our way back out of the park, we had a distant sighting of a Secretarybird and a subadult Black-chested Snake Eagle which was the surprise of the day. We had some nice mammal sightings this afternoon too, with Steenbok, Springbok and Gemsbok (Southern Oryx) all being seen well. To finish the day’s birding, we had another lovely sighting of a Puff Adder as it crossed the road. We made it back to our accommodation late in the afternoon and again decided to take the remainder of the day off, after a highly successful day out, with just about all our targets seen.

We had a few good Namaqua Sandgrouse sightings in the Tankwa Karoo.

Day 7, 13^th October 2023. Tankwa karoo birding and transfer to Cape Town

We had an early sit-down breakfast today before loading up the van and slowly making our way out of the plains of the Tankwa Karoo. We still had a couple targets left over from yesterday and so stopped at a dry river bed where Yellow-bellied Eremomela soon obliged. Next up was Karoo Korhaan which did not take too much work however the scope views were a little distant. Our final stop for some dry country birding was at the Karooport farmhouse where we unsuccessfully tried to turn an Olive Thrush into a Karoo Thrush but did find Acacia Pied Barbet and more Black-headed Canaries.

We drove the scenic Bain’s Kloof Pass on the way back to Cape Town in the hopes of finding Victorin’s Warbler but unfortunately, we could not even hear any birds singing today, despite the glorious weather. We did however finally catch up with an obliging Neddicky, had brief views of Cape Siskin and managed lovely looks at a singing Cape Rock Thrush.

We made it back into our Cape Town accommodation in the early afternoon and took some time off before heading out to Strandfontein Sewage Works for the remainder of the afternoon. Ed decided this was at last his weather window to head up Table Mountain and left the group to enjoy an afternoon on Cape Town’s iconic peaks. As usual, the sewage works were full of birds and we managed to track down most of our missing targets. In amongst the masses of common waterbirds and wildfowl, we found Fulvous Whistling Duck, Southern Pochard, Maccoa Duck, African Swamphen, Grey-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit. We also had better looks at Lesser Swamp Warbler and managed brief views of Little Rush Warbler.

After dinner we had a quick nocturnal birding session to try find a resident pair of African Wood Owls which were a no-show however, we did hear the foghorn-like call of Buff-spotted Flufftail which was quite something to experience.

Day 8, 14^th October 2023. Cape Town birding and departure

Most of the group’s flights were around mid-morning today and so we had an hour or so before breakfast to see if we could track down any new birds before we made our way to the airport. We birded a nearby river which soon yielded African Black Duck and Malachite Kingfisher and we vastly improved our views of Little Rush Warbler. We then moved to a nearby patch of exotic trees where we had lovely views of a pair of Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawks and added an African Harrier-Hawk nearby.

We could not have asked for better views of Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk near Cape Town.

We enjoyed a sit-down breakfast back at our accommodation before I dropped off most of the group at the airport for their flights. John only flew out later in the day and so we had a couple hours to bird in the leafy suburbs of Cape Town. Here, we enjoyed a good walk through one of the greenbelts (before John’s long international flight) and added African Paradise Flycatcher, Bronze Mannikin (an introduced population here in the Cape) and a showy pair of Cape Batises.

This ended a highly successful and thoroughly enjoyable week’s birding in the Cape. Despite the strong wind for large parts of the tour, we managed to find almost all our targets, with the Tankwa Karoo being a tour highlight for most of the group. Thanks everybody for making it such a fun trip.

Large-billed Lark was one of the nine lark species we saw on this Cape birding tour.

Bird List – Following IOC (13.2)

Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, birds seen by the guide only are marked with a (G) after the common name, all other species were seen both by clients and guide.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International. EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, NT = Near-Threatened.

Mammal List

Reptile List

 Please see the downloadable PDF above with the full species lists included. This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.

SOUTH AFRICA BIRDING TOUR: BEST OF CAPE TOWN AND BEYOND

TOUR-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA CAN BE READ HERE

TOUR OUTLINE

This short Cape birding tour is designed to give you a good introduction to the Cape and to give you a realistic chance of seeing most of the Cape’s endemic bird species (excluding Fynbos Buttonquail, although please contact us if you would like to organize a pre-trip/extension to look for this cryptic endemic). Excitingly, we will embark on a single-day Cape Town pelagic to look for a memorable suite of seabirds (weather dependent).

The tour starts with a few days birding in the greater Cape Town area, before we head up the west coast and then further east into the Tankwa Karoo plains where we spend a full day seeking dry-country endemics and near-endemics. The tour then ends with a single night back in Cape Town so you can catch your flights home (or onwards to your next birding tour) the following morning (such as our set-departure subtropical South Africa birding tour which immediately follows this tour).

PACE OF TOUR

Although this is a short tour, we pack in a lot and as such it can mean some quite long days out birding, with limited down-time. On most of the days we will leave our accommodation early and only return late in the afternoon although on a couple of days we will ensure some down-time for you to take it easy. This is a fast-paced, short tour.

To ensure we take advantage of the early morning peak in bird activity, we will often leave the accommodation armed with fairly simple (but adequate) breakfast packs however we will still likely enjoy a few delicious sit-down breakfasts on this tour. Similarly, lunches will often involve lunch packs, or simpler sandwiches/wraps, which we eat while out birding (usually enjoying a picnic lunch) rather than a large sit-down meal, so that we do not waste large amounts of time during the day. A range of snacks are usually available to participants. Although these meals may be simpler, we will always ensure you are well fed so that you do not go hungry. Dinners will, of course, be a sit-down meal and are generally of a very good standard in the Cape, where we eat out at restaurants for most nights on the tour (though eating at our lodge in the Tankwa Karoo).

It is possible to opt out of some activities, such as various morning and afternoon excursions, and the pelagic trip. On some days, however, this won’t be possible (please do ask your tour leader for specifics).

The guide discusses the daily plan with the group in detail each evening. Note that we do retain a sense of flexibility, within reason, to allow for us to better maximize your birding experience.

WALKING AND STYLE OF BIRDING

The tour is generally considered ‘easy’ in terms of physical exertion. It does not involve a great deal of walking, and any walks that we do are generally less than a mile (1.6 kilometers), and under ~3 hours.

• The walks are never very strenuous although we might have to walk on uneven terrain when looking for rockjumpers near Betty’s Bay.
• While birding in West Coast National Park and in the Tankwa Karoo we generally bird from the vehicle, although we can get out the vehicle and go for short walks strategically and opportunistically, to see the birds.
• The vegetation in the Tankwa Karoo is very spiky and so long trousers are recommended to protect your legs from cuts and scrapes.

LENGTH OF DRIVES

This trip does not involve many long-distance transfers between accommodations, however, we do spend quite a lot of time in the vehicle, with many birding stops in between.

On our first couple of days, we will take day trips out from Cape Town, with a travel time of around 1.5 hours each way (much less for our pelagic day), with the transfer up the west coast also taking around 1.5 hours, with many birding stops en route.

The longest transfer of the trip, when we go from the west coast into the Tankwa Karoo, takes around 3.5 hours of driving, which excludes any birding stops along the way (of which there are a few). The transfer from the Tankwa Karoo back to Cape Town normally takes around 3 hours.

PELAGIC TRIP PREPARATION

This Cape birding tour includes an exciting Cape Town pelagic trip, where we head out to sea for most of the day in search of albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds. Our pelagic trip will depart from the specified port around sunrise and venture out into the ocean for usually a maximum distance of 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) from land. Off southern Africa this is usually the ‘drop zone’, where deep water is present and many fishing vessels operate. On a pelagic trip we strive to try and find a fishing vessel, whether it be a trawler or a longliner, as they attract huge masses of birds. The ride out can be quite rough and uncomfortable at times but it will be well worth the effort, should we find a fishing trawler which is packed with seabirds. We then have a similar-length ride back to the harbour after a few hours in the trawling grounds. We spend quite a large part of the day out at sea (depending on weather and sea conditions) and return to our port of departure in the afternoon (usually any time between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.). We provide a light lunch on board with various snacks, eats, and drinks, although if you should want anything specific, we recommend that you bring it yourself.

Whether our pelagic goes out or not on this tour, is entirely at the mercy of the weather, as sometimes bad weather and winds roll in and we simply cannot go out to sea, as the swells are too large and dangerous. A pelagic trip is booked over two consecutive days (usually a weekend), despite this, there is probably around a 50:50 chance of the pelagic going ahead at this time of the year. The first day is used as the primary day, with the second day available should weather prove more favorable then. However, it is possible that the trip may not go ahead at all due to adverse conditions over the entire two-day period. This is, unfortunately, not something we can predict and reliably confirm far in advance, and we are at the mercy of the weather/sea conditions and the word from our very experienced skippers, who ultimately give the final approval. Your safety on board the vessel is of paramount importance to us, and should the conditions of the sea prove to be too dangerous, the vessel will not go out. The pelagic trip is confirmed by the skipper, either way, a few days before it is due to depart. We will keep you informed about the decision. Should our pelagic trip be cancelled entirely, we will likely spend the morning at Cape Point (perhaps enjoying some land-based seawatching), however, the itinerary for this day will be at the tour leader’s discretion.

What you will require:

• Most important is a waterproof layer of clothing. There is often wind out at sea, and it blowing off the swells creates some spray. It is very easy to get wet on board, especially while heading out to the trawling grounds and returning back to port.
• Layered and warm clothing. No matter the conditions predicted, whether it be sun or cloud, it can get cold out at sea, and bringing warm clothing is advised. It is also recommended to bring layered clothing, so that you can remove/add on as the conditions change. Sometimes it gets hot, so one needs to be prepared for this too (hence the need for layers).
• Applying sun lotion or anti-sunburn cream is recommended, no matter the conditions. It is very easy to get badly burnt out at sea, whether it be a sunny or cloudy day.
• It is recommended to bring a hat that can be fastened to your head to prevent it from being blown away. Sunglasses are also strongly recommended, as the glare from the ocean can be very bad at times, but note that it is very easy to lose a pair of sunglasses, and they will invariably pick up some spray from the ocean.
• Due to the nature of the pelagic trip, water/spray invariably gets on board the vessel, and it is very easy to get your feet completely wet. Either waterproof hiking boots, or sturdy Teva-type sandals that can be fastened to your feet are recommended.
• Anti-seasickness medication. Not everyone is affected by seasickness, but it is a very unpleasant experience should you get seasick. Various tablets, such as Stugeron, are recommended. Should you be prone to seasickness, it might be worth consulting your local pharmacist for stronger medication. Some seasickness pills make one very drowsy, so do consult a doctor and ask her/him as many questions as possible, before deciding.
• Binoculars and cameras are recommended (as in any birding excursion), but again please note that they can very easily get wet and could get damaged as a result. A covering over your camera is advised.

Further information on pelagic birding can be found here.

SAFETY

Although this tour spends a lot of time in the greater Cape Town area (where safety is an issue in certain areas), we stay in safe suburbs where you generally do not need to worry about your personal safety. While out birding, we may visit some areas which are less safe than others, however, we will be mostly vehicle-based in these areas and you again do not need to worry about your personal safety. We suggest rather not leaving personal items of value in the vehicle while it is unattended, if you’re ever in doubt, please just check with the tour leader.

HEALTH, PESTS AND DANGEROUS ANIMALS

There is no risk of malaria on this tour, as it is absent from this part of the country, however, there may still be mosquitoes around which are more of an annoyance than a health concern. In some areas that we may walk, there could be ticks around, and so it is mostly recommended to wear long trousers and check yourself for ticks after a day out in the field. There is no risk of Lyme Disease in South Africa, however, African tick bite fever is possible but is generally much less severe than other tick-borne diseases.

*Note that dangerous and venomous snakes and scorpions, are possible, and this point is discussed in greater detail under the “South Africa General Information” document.

TRANSPORTATION

Depending on the final group size, we will likely use a 14-seater minibus on this Cape birding tour, ensuring everybody has a window seat for every day of the tour. Air-conditioning is available in our tour vehicles. We will follow a seat-rotation policy every day to ensure fair viewing opportunities to everyone throughout the tour (your guide will explain further at the start of the tour).

We will provide airport transfers to participants on the first and final days of tour, which are included in the tour cost. Should you arrive in South Africa earlier than that or prolong your stay in South Africa after the tour, those transfers would be at your own expense. We will, however, help arrange transfers wherever they may be needed.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

There are no domestic flights on this Cape birding tour, although you would need to catch a domestic flight, should you be joining our subtropical South Africa birding tour which immediately follows this tour.

ACCOMMODATION

The accommodation on this tour (as with all our South African tours) is of good to excellent quality. It is worth noting that buildings in South Africa are often not heated like they are in North America and Europe, etc., and so for colder evenings it may be worth packing warmer sleeping clothes.

Our accommodation in the Tankwa Karoo is rustic, and more basic (than elsewhere on the tour) but is still of a good standard, with its own charm, and is certainly very comfortable. The accommodation is much more spread out, as we stay on a guest farm, which means that Wi-Fi may not be possible in your rooms but it will be possible in the dining area. Some of the rooms do not have a shower, but do have perfectly good baths – all rooms have hot water. By using this accommodation, we are basing ourselves right in the Tankwa Karoo with some great birding on our doorstep, which means we cut down significantly on travel times, compared to staying in the nearest town (around 50 miles/80 kilometers away). Additionally, with our nearest neighbors many miles away, it means there is almost no light pollution and the stargazing is simply spectacular.

It is possible to get laundry washed at most of the establishments used on this tour (generally, any of the establishments we stay at for two nights, or longer), provided they have a minimum of one-day lead time.

ELECTRICITY

Lighting in rooms tends to be low wattage (especially in the Tankwa Karoo), so you might like to bring a good quality torch/flashlight if you like to read in bed!

It is good practice to bring international adapters, as many establishments are changing their plug outlets to better align with international clients, and this is an aspect we do not have direct control over.

WEATHER

Many people are surprised how cold the Cape can be, even though this tour takes place in the spring months. It is possible that a cold front could pass through during our tour which might mean a few days of cold (and wet) weather. The wind can also be very strong at times which can make things unpleasant. We would thus recommend bringing ample cold weather clothing for this Cape birding tour. Conversely the weather can also be wonderful at this time of the year, although most conditions normally requite long pants and a light jersey, as opposed to shorts and t-shirts.

Please note that on our 2018 tour we had at least one Canadian person finding it colder than expected in the Cape (in October, so spring) – there was late “winter-type” weather during that year. Accommodations are often not heated like they are in North America, Europe, etc. Kindly be prepared for all kinds of weather, from cold to hot.

The Tankwa Karoo will likely be the hottest destination we will visit on this tour, with daytime temperatures averaging 77-84^oF (25-29^oC). The average daytime temperature in Cape Town in October is 67-70^oF (19-21^oC) while the average nighttime temperature is 52-56^oF (11-13^oC).

Despite the generally cooler temperatures on this tour, the sun in the Cape can be intense and so we recommend the frequent application of sunscreen, particularly when out in the Tankwa Karoo.

The Tankwa Karoo is very dusty, and we recommend, if it is windy, that you wear a scarf or neck buff to cover your face and protect you from the dust.

WHAT TO BRING

Please see our blog on ‘What to bring on a birding tour’ which will help you pack for this Cape birding tour. In addition to what is suggested in this blog we recommend packing a buff to help protect you from dust while birding in the dry plains of the Tankwa Karoo.

Download Cape Town and Beyond Tour Specific Information

Download South African General Information