It is impractical to cover all great birding spots along the Garden
Route in a few days, so we usually suggest that the area is explored
over at least four or five days.
Our Garden Route tours usually begin in Cape Town and as we travel
eastwards you will notice that the coast becomes progressively more
wooded and subtropical. At one of our first stops we will visit
the Wilderness National Park where we will search for Knysna
Turaco, Chorister Robin, Green-backed
Bleating Warbler, Olive Bush Shrike, Black-headed
Oriole, Narina Trogon, Black-bellied
Starling and many other forest specials.
Nestled on the edge of the Touw River, Ebb & Flow Rest Camp is
the start to four trails, all named after local kingfishers. We will
explore these trails looking for Bar-throated Apalis,
Green-backed Bleating Warbler, Terrestrial
Bulbul and Chorister Robin. Cape
Batis, Dusky Flycatcher, Sombre
Bulbul, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue-mantled
Flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker are also some
of the commoner species that can be found here.
Forest Buzzard occurs in forests and plantations
throughout the Garden Route, and we will keep an eye out for them
on roadside telephone poles along the N2 as we travel from Wilderness
through Knysna to one of our next destinations, Nature’s Valley.
Nature’s Valley, offering arguably the best birding along the
Garden Route, is where we will search for the elusive African
Finfoot. Half-collared Kingfisher is also
occasionally seen in the area. We will search for all of the usual
forest species that frequent the Garden Route, but Nature’s
Valley offers the added bonus of also harbouring Crowned Eagle,
Little Sparrowhawk, Emerald Cuckoo
(summer), Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Knysna
Woodpecker and Starred Robin. At night,
we will listen out for Wood Owl and Buff-spotted
Flufftail, although the latter is notoriously difficult to
see.
The Overberg region marks the beginning of the
Garden Route, so it makes sense to combine these two regions. Let
us know if this combination interests you, and we will arrange a
suitable itinerary!
Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour
company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday
birders. We combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany
and other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's
most diverse birding destinations. Our guides'
knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength
and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations
with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.
We've even written two acclaimed guide
books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds.
Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated
to making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and
unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small
birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation
Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and
consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the
BBC Natural History Unit.
