October 08, 2017

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden - a spectacular birdwatching hotspot

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is one of South Africa's ten NBG , which include the following:

1. Free State Botanical Gardens
2. Harold Porter Botanical Gardens (the 2nd one in the Western Cape).
3. Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens
4. Pietermaritzburg Botanical
5. Pretoria Botanical Garden


6. Lowveld Botanical Garden
7. Karoo Desert Botanical Garden
8. Hantam Botanical Garden
9. Kwelera Botanical Garden.

The purpose of each of SA's ten main National Botanical Gardens was in creating areas that allowed for the protection of an area's diverse indigenous vegetation and to an extent its associated diversity i.e. Protecting that area's indigenous fauna and flora. This is why the NBGs along with protected conservation areas play a crucial rule in protecting and preserving our natural environments.

This is why - in my opinion - that NBG make for excellent bird watching spots. My experience in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens definitely proves that on my two excursions I have visited Kirstenbosch.

My Bird List of Kirstenbosch Gardens so far include

1. Brimstone Canary
2. Cape Batis
3. Cape Robin-Chat
4. Cape Spurfowl
5. Cape Sugarbird
6. Cape White-Eye
7. Egyptian Goose
8. Forest Canary (1st sighting)
9. Hadeda Ibis
10. Helmeted Guineafowl
11. Karoo Prinia
12. Malachite Sunbird
13. Olive (Rameron) Pigeon - my first proper sighting
14. Olive Thrush
15. Red-winged Starling
16. Southern Boubou - call
17. Southern Double-Collared Sunbird
18. Sombre Greenbul (in my opinion, a larger version of the Cape White-Eye)
19. Spotted Eagle-Owl (found at the Boomslang) - quite a surprising but nonetheless exciting find.
20. Swee Waxbill

The sheer number of bird species that inhabit this area is astounding - and therefore should be any birdwatcher's bucket list of South Africa's top birding destinations and the photographic opportunities are limitless with the picturesque mountains, the vegetation and of course - the birdlife.


Thank You




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