• Home
  • Safari Planning
    • Safari ideas >
      • Luxury Safaris >
        • 12 Night Classic Botswana Safari
        • 13 Night Romantic Botswana Safari
        • 10 Night Ultimate Botswana
        • 10 Night Platinum Botswana
        • 8 Night Magical Botswana
        • 6 Night Luxury Delta and Victoria Falls
      • Highlight Safaris >
        • 13 Night Botswanas Best
        • 11 Night Authentic Botswana
        • 11 Night Botswana Adventure
        • 11 Night Explore Botswana
        • 11 Night Across Botswana
        • 10 Night Botswana Wildlife
      • Budget Safaris >
        • 12 Night Bountiful Botswana
        • 11 Night Splendid Vic Falls and Botswana
        • 10 Night Vic Falls and Botswana Contrasts
        • 10 Night Beautiful Botswana
        • 9 Night Remote Botswana
      • Short Safaris >
        • 5 Night Okavango and Vic Falls Sojourn
        • 5 Night Delta and Chobe River
        • 4 Night Okavango Escape
        • 4 Night Vic Falls and Chobe
        • 4 Night Delta and Moremi Break
        • 3 Night Just the Okavango
      • Overland Safaris >
        • Miracle Rivers
        • Northern Highlights
        • Lion Safari
        • Kalahari Safari
        • Fish Eagle Safari
        • Elephant Safari
        • Buffalo Safari
        • Leopard Safari
        • Botswana Explorer
  • Activities
    • Botswana Riding Safaris >
      • African Horseback Safaris
      • Limpopo Horse Safaris
      • David Foot Safaris
      • Okavango Horse Safaris
    • Botswana Birding
    • Chobe Houseboats >
      • Chobe Princess 1
      • Chobe Princess 2 and 3
      • Pangolin Voyager
      • Zambezi Queen
  • Accommodation options
    • Okavango Lodges >
      • Moremi Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Camp Moremi
        • Camp Xakanaxa
        • Okuti Camp
        • Chief's Camp
        • Mombo Camp
        • Xigera Camp
      • Khwai Private Reserve Lodges >
        • Sable Alley Lodge
        • Hyena Pan Camp
        • Skybeds
        • Little Sable
        • Tuludi Camp
      • North West Okavango Lodges >
        • Kadizora Camp
        • Mapula Lodge
        • Jumbo Junction
        • Kwetsani Camp
        • Duba Plains Camp
        • Duba Explorers Camp
        • Jao Camp
        • Tubu Tree Camp
        • Bushman Plains Camp
        • Duke's Camp
        • Vumbura Plains Camp
        • Little Vumbura
        • Mopiri Camp
        • Nxamaseri Island Lodge
      • North East Okavango Lodges >
        • Camp Okavango
        • Xugana Island Lodge
        • Shinde Camp
        • Splash Camp
        • Kwara Camp
        • Sango Safari Camp
        • Machaba Camp
        • Khwai River Lodge
        • Khwai Bush Camp
        • Nokanyana Camp
        • Mboma Island Camp
      • South West Okavango Lodges >
        • Abu Camp
        • Macatoo Camp
        • Pom Pom Camp
        • Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp
        • Kanana Camp
        • Oddballs Camp
        • Oddballs Enclave
        • Delta Camp
      • South East Okavango Lodges >
        • Eagle Island Lodge
        • Gunns Camp
        • Moremi Crossing Camp
        • Sandibe Safari Lodge
        • Chitabe Camp
        • Chitabe Lediba
        • Khwai Leadwood
        • Saguni Safari Lodge
        • Khwai Guest House
        • Stanleys Camp
        • Baines Camp
        • Gomoti Plains Camp
        • Rra Dinare Camp
        • Mma Dinare Camp
        • Mankwe Tented Retreat
    • Chobe Lodges >
      • Northern Chobe Lodges >
        • Ngoma Safari Lodge
        • Muchenje Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Elephant Camp
        • Chobe Bakwena Lodge
        • Elephant Valley Lodge
        • Chobe Game Lodge
        • Kubu Lodge
        • Garden Lodge
        • Chobe Chilwero Lodge
        • Chobe Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Bush Lodge
        • Mowana Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Savanna Lodge
        • Wildtrack Safaris Lodge
        • Nogatsaa Pans Lodge
      • Savute Lodges >
        • Savute Elephant Lodge
        • Savute Safari Lodge
        • Camp Savuti
        • Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
        • Savuti Camp
      • Linyanti Lodges >
        • Lagoon Lodge
        • Lebala Camp
        • Linyanti Bush Camp
        • Linyanti Ebony Camp
        • Linyanti Expeditions
        • Camp Linyanti
        • Selinda Camp
        • Kings Pool Camp
        • Zarafa Camp
    • Kalahari Lodges >
      • Central Kalahari Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Tau Pan Camp
        • Kalahari Plains Camp
        • Deception Valley Lodge
        • Dinaka Safari Lodge
        • Gham Dhao Lodge
        • Grassland Bushman Lodge
        • Edo's Camp
      • Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan Lodges >
        • Meno a Kwena
        • Leroo la Tau Lodge
        • Boteti River Camp
        • Jacks Camp
        • San Camp
        • Camp Kalahari
        • Planet Baobab
        • Nxai Pan Lodge
    • Booking Campsites
  • Botswana Specials
  • Blog
  • Free Quotes
  • Safari Testimonials
  • About Us
Venture To Botswana

Botswana Birding

Botswana Birding

Some of the hundreds of species that can be seen on Safari....
Pel's Fishing Owl, Okavango Delta
Pel's Fishing Owl
African Fish Eagle in flight over Chobe River
African Fish Eagle
Comb Duck, Okavango Delta
Comb Duck
African Darter, Chobe River Botswana
African Darter
Black collared barbet visitors, Okavango Delta
Black-collared barbets
Little bee-eater in flight, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Little Bee-eater
Burchell's Sandgrouse, Central Kalahari, Botswana
Burchell's Sandgrouse
Helmeted Guineafowl, Kalahari region, Botswana
Helmeted Guineafowl
Martial eagle in flight, Botswana
Martial Eagle
Pale Chanting Goshawk, Central Kalahari, Botswana
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Spotted eagle owl, Kalahari area, Botswana
Spotted Eagle Owl
Malachite Kingfisher, Okavango Delta
Malachite Kingfisher
Pied kingfisher hovering, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Pied Kingfisher
Saddle-billed stork, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Saddlebilled Stork
Bateleur, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Bateleur
Tawny eagle, Moremi Reserve, Botswana
Tawny Eagle
Southern Carmine bee-eater, Okavango Delta
Sth Carmine Bee-eater
Yellow-billed hornbill, Okavango Delta
Yellow-billed Hornbill
Little Egret, Chobe, Botswana
Little Egret
African Jacana, Okavango, Botswana
African Jacana

    Birding in Botswana

Send your birding enquiry
Vertical Divider
Interestingly, although Botswana can offer more than 600 recorded species, it has no endemic species.

This should not put the avid (or even interested) birder off - with the variety of areas to visit and excellent number of species, there will always be something to look out for – and on a year-round basis.

Botswana is blessed with a good variety of habitats – forests, woodlands, savannahs, desert, pans, rivers, floodplains, marshes and the huge wetland that is the Okavango Delta.  

This variety of habitats has contributed to the variety of species, and also allows for some easy sightings (in the open areas) and some which are more of a challenge (woodlands). 

Seasons
The seasons for game watching tend to be well defined, and the winter months of June to August are seen as the peak period. This is due to the lack of water, and vegetation, which tends to concentrate mammals in areas where there any sources of water. This can also been a good time for birding (for the resident species in particular). 

There are no migrants during this period, although late August tends to see the first of the intra-African species arriving, such as the Yellow-billed Kite (Milvus parasitus) and Wahlberg’s Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi).

In November and December the clouds start to appear, bringing cooler temperatures and an occasional late afternoon shower. Typical temperatures tend to be between 20°C/69°F in the morning and 33°C/91°F in the afternoon. The more extreme Kalahari areas can still have very hot days, and cold mornings.

It does not take long, after the start of the rains, for the bush to be transformed, pans to fill with water, and for migratory species to appear. Breeding is at its peak during this time of year both for residents and visitors .

Best Areas
Particularly good areas for birding are the northern Chobe National Park (and environs). It is not unheard of for keen birders to spot an average of 100 species a day, for stays of 3 days or so.

The Okavango Delta is, of course, also an excellent area for birding – arguably one of the world's great sanctuaries, and enjoys some big concentrations of species, not least of which are the endangered Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), excellent numbers of African Fish Eagles (Halieatus vocifer), the Slaty Egret (Egretta vinaceigula) and the Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia Peli).

Likewise the Makgadikgadi Pans area can be very rewarding – particularly if the rains have been good. The pans are huge, and large areas fill with water, attracting both the Greater (Phoenicopterus ruber) and Less Flamingo (Phoenicopnaias minor) in huge numbers. Where the Nata River enters the pans, it forms a mini wetland, which in turn can attract pelicans (Great-white - Pelecanus onocrotalus, and Pink-backed -  Pelecanus rufescens) along with several species of waders, ducks, Caspian Terns (Sterna caspia) and Chestnut-banded plovers (Charadrius pallidus).

Exploration of the vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve can yield a good variety of species, including the stately Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori), Korhaan (Northern Black - Eupodotis afraoides, and Red-crested - Eupodotis ruficrista), and various sandgrouse, larks, warblers, robins, bulbuls, finches and waxbills.
Not only are there a good number of species to be seen in these areas, the actual volume of individual birds can be spectacular… such as francolin, spurfowl, dove, hornbill, bulbul, weaver, and waxbill.

If you are keen birder, a lover of the wilderness, or just starting out,  a birding Safari in Botswana will be hugely rewarding in terms of the volume and variety of species available.... contact us (form below) for quotes and itineraries....

Updated Check List

We have attached an updated check list of the Birds that can be seen in Botswana - many are residents, and quite a few are migrants..... This is based on the 7th Edition of the well-known Robert's Birds of Southern Africa.
Venture To Botswana Bird Check-list, updated
File Size: 743 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


African Fish Eagle
Safari Areas
About Botswana

Camps and Lodges
Activities
Safari Planning
Contact us
Blog


Why choose Botswana?
Best time to visit
Types of Botswana Safari
Top 10 things to do
Climate
Geography


Okavango Delta
Chobe National Park
Kalahari
​Botswana Specials
​About Us
Sitemap

Booking Campsites
​Testimonials



SATSA Logo
Website for Venture To Botswana by Campbell's African Safari Ventures (Pty) Ltd, T/A Venture To Africa
  • Home
  • Safari Planning
    • Safari ideas >
      • Luxury Safaris >
        • 12 Night Classic Botswana Safari
        • 13 Night Romantic Botswana Safari
        • 10 Night Ultimate Botswana
        • 10 Night Platinum Botswana
        • 8 Night Magical Botswana
        • 6 Night Luxury Delta and Victoria Falls
      • Highlight Safaris >
        • 13 Night Botswanas Best
        • 11 Night Authentic Botswana
        • 11 Night Botswana Adventure
        • 11 Night Explore Botswana
        • 11 Night Across Botswana
        • 10 Night Botswana Wildlife
      • Budget Safaris >
        • 12 Night Bountiful Botswana
        • 11 Night Splendid Vic Falls and Botswana
        • 10 Night Vic Falls and Botswana Contrasts
        • 10 Night Beautiful Botswana
        • 9 Night Remote Botswana
      • Short Safaris >
        • 5 Night Okavango and Vic Falls Sojourn
        • 5 Night Delta and Chobe River
        • 4 Night Okavango Escape
        • 4 Night Vic Falls and Chobe
        • 4 Night Delta and Moremi Break
        • 3 Night Just the Okavango
      • Overland Safaris >
        • Miracle Rivers
        • Northern Highlights
        • Lion Safari
        • Kalahari Safari
        • Fish Eagle Safari
        • Elephant Safari
        • Buffalo Safari
        • Leopard Safari
        • Botswana Explorer
  • Activities
    • Botswana Riding Safaris >
      • African Horseback Safaris
      • Limpopo Horse Safaris
      • David Foot Safaris
      • Okavango Horse Safaris
    • Botswana Birding
    • Chobe Houseboats >
      • Chobe Princess 1
      • Chobe Princess 2 and 3
      • Pangolin Voyager
      • Zambezi Queen
  • Accommodation options
    • Okavango Lodges >
      • Moremi Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Camp Moremi
        • Camp Xakanaxa
        • Okuti Camp
        • Chief's Camp
        • Mombo Camp
        • Xigera Camp
      • Khwai Private Reserve Lodges >
        • Sable Alley Lodge
        • Hyena Pan Camp
        • Skybeds
        • Little Sable
        • Tuludi Camp
      • North West Okavango Lodges >
        • Kadizora Camp
        • Mapula Lodge
        • Jumbo Junction
        • Kwetsani Camp
        • Duba Plains Camp
        • Duba Explorers Camp
        • Jao Camp
        • Tubu Tree Camp
        • Bushman Plains Camp
        • Duke's Camp
        • Vumbura Plains Camp
        • Little Vumbura
        • Mopiri Camp
        • Nxamaseri Island Lodge
      • North East Okavango Lodges >
        • Camp Okavango
        • Xugana Island Lodge
        • Shinde Camp
        • Splash Camp
        • Kwara Camp
        • Sango Safari Camp
        • Machaba Camp
        • Khwai River Lodge
        • Khwai Bush Camp
        • Nokanyana Camp
        • Mboma Island Camp
      • South West Okavango Lodges >
        • Abu Camp
        • Macatoo Camp
        • Pom Pom Camp
        • Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp
        • Kanana Camp
        • Oddballs Camp
        • Oddballs Enclave
        • Delta Camp
      • South East Okavango Lodges >
        • Eagle Island Lodge
        • Gunns Camp
        • Moremi Crossing Camp
        • Sandibe Safari Lodge
        • Chitabe Camp
        • Chitabe Lediba
        • Khwai Leadwood
        • Saguni Safari Lodge
        • Khwai Guest House
        • Stanleys Camp
        • Baines Camp
        • Gomoti Plains Camp
        • Rra Dinare Camp
        • Mma Dinare Camp
        • Mankwe Tented Retreat
    • Chobe Lodges >
      • Northern Chobe Lodges >
        • Ngoma Safari Lodge
        • Muchenje Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Elephant Camp
        • Chobe Bakwena Lodge
        • Elephant Valley Lodge
        • Chobe Game Lodge
        • Kubu Lodge
        • Garden Lodge
        • Chobe Chilwero Lodge
        • Chobe Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Bush Lodge
        • Mowana Safari Lodge
        • Chobe Savanna Lodge
        • Wildtrack Safaris Lodge
        • Nogatsaa Pans Lodge
      • Savute Lodges >
        • Savute Elephant Lodge
        • Savute Safari Lodge
        • Camp Savuti
        • Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
        • Savuti Camp
      • Linyanti Lodges >
        • Lagoon Lodge
        • Lebala Camp
        • Linyanti Bush Camp
        • Linyanti Ebony Camp
        • Linyanti Expeditions
        • Camp Linyanti
        • Selinda Camp
        • Kings Pool Camp
        • Zarafa Camp
    • Kalahari Lodges >
      • Central Kalahari Game Reserve Lodges >
        • Tau Pan Camp
        • Kalahari Plains Camp
        • Deception Valley Lodge
        • Dinaka Safari Lodge
        • Gham Dhao Lodge
        • Grassland Bushman Lodge
        • Edo's Camp
      • Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan Lodges >
        • Meno a Kwena
        • Leroo la Tau Lodge
        • Boteti River Camp
        • Jacks Camp
        • San Camp
        • Camp Kalahari
        • Planet Baobab
        • Nxai Pan Lodge
    • Booking Campsites
  • Botswana Specials
  • Blog
  • Free Quotes
  • Safari Testimonials
  • About Us