Enjoy a 3 days of Bird Watching in the Kruger
Price:From R 18,450 per person
(Rate based on size of group)
Includes:2 night accommodation inside one of the Kruger National Park camps, 2 Breakfast’s, & 2 Dinner as well as Private Guide, Private Open Safari Vehicle, Personalised itinrerary and Conservation Fees.
There is no better way to experience the diversity of the Kruger National Park than on a Birding Safari. With over 500 species in the summer months it’s a birding haven. Supporting over 50% of South Africa’s birds there are new species around every corner. When you add the exceptional mammal life as well as flora you have an incredible wilderness experience that is unrivaled.
All of our Birding Safaris are personalised and have been designed to offer our clients a truly authentic Kruger National Park Birding Safari experience with one of the most sought-after private Kruger guides – Andrew Wagner.
(This is typically the departure point to Kruger when you are in South Africa)
Guests have a variety of options in travelling from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park. We can offer any one of these based on your preference and include in your Safari package.
Here are some of the options available:
DAY 1:
We start in the South Western corner at Pretoriuskop Camp and work our way across towards Crocodile Bridge camp for our first night. The Pretoriuskop sour-veld region with its high rainfall and dense bush creates a great birding environment and is well known for its raptors and smaller more discreate species that enjoy the dense thicket and broad-leafed trees. Key species in the area include Back-headed Oriole, Green Wood-hoope, White Crested Helmet-Shrike, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Common Scimitarbill, Black-crowned Tchagra, Striped Kingfisher and Yellow-fronted Apalis. As we approach the eastern side of the aprk near Crocodile Bridge the eco-system changes to acacia thorn and offers a completely new space to bird the following day. That evening we stay at Crocodile Bridge Camp which is small, neat and nesteled in a great spot for small, rare species.
We will arrive at the camp just prior to gate closure and check into our bungalows. Dinner will be a braai (barbeque) with side dishes and a few locally produced South African wines.
DAY 2:
On the morning of day two we will wake early for the dawn chorus to pick up on certain species in the camp. After a morning coffee we will then leave camp at first light and head north towards Lower Sabie Camp. On route we will stop at a variety of seasonal pans and shallow pools scattered through the marula and thornveld savanna. There is a subtle transition to grassland on clat soils with Knob-thorn, Delagoa Thorn and Marula trees which make for great nesting sights for larger species of raptors. This environment is great for both large ground birds such a Bustard, Secretary bIrds as well as man of insectivorous families such as Rollers and Hornbills. We will take a leg stertch and coffee break at Ntandanyathi hide and scan the pan before heading onto our breakfast stop at Lower Sabie camp. As we apprach Lower Sabie the first thing you notice os of course the wide meandering Sabie River system and the beautiful riperian system that lines the banks with large trees. Together with the river and Sunset Dam we have an opportunity to start searching for waders and waterfront specialists such as Darters, Lapwings, Cormorants, Kingfishers and the elusive Finfoot.
After our breakfast brunch we continue heading north and make our way towards Skukuza Camp but taking the eastern road via the H10 first stopping at Tshokwane. This routes takes us through the vast eatsren grasslands and offers incredible views and stunning lookouts with possible sightings of Harriers, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Sparrowlarks and Pipits. The transition is landscape is evidnet and we will enjoy stops at Mlondozi, Nkumbe and Orpen Dam look out. These splendid views are endless and are good for Sunbirds, Chats and Raptors along the cliff edges. We will stop at Tshokwane outpost for a leg stretch and coffee and look for Starlings, Mourning and Red-eyed Doves as well as Green Pigeons before heading back south to Skukuza for Night 2. Our arrival at Skukuza Camp will be late afternoon and some time to relax before dinner at the Shalati station resturuant.
DAY 3:
Our day again sraters very early with coffee and the dawn chorus in camp. From Skukuza we will make our way along the Sabie river towards Lake Panic hide where we will spend time looking for some of the smaller kingfishers, waxbills in the thicketed margin next to the lake as well as Bush-shrikes and then the many waders. This is also a great photoraphic loctaion for up close and personal images. Thereafter we copntionue along the rver frontage making our way all the way back to Pretoriuskop Camp for departure.
Some of the key bird species targeted on this trip include :
African Harrier-hawk, Martial Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Gabar Goshawk, Retz Helmet-shrike, Brown-headed Parrot, Pink-throated Twinspot, Coqui Francolin, Trumpeter Hornbill, Half-collard Kingfisher, Secretary Bird, Kori Bustard, Gorgeous Bush-shrike and African Finfoot.
*Note – We will assist you with planning and booking your transport and transfers but any flights will need to be done by yourself.
Having taken hundreds of Safaris into the Kruger National Park we know from experience what’s important to pack. Here are a few items we recommend that you don’t leave home without :
We recommend light functional attire preferably in natural colour shades to blend in with our environment and not stand out visually to game species. Summer can be hot and the direct sunlight dangerous so please remember a good hat as well as sunscreen. During the hottest summer months (Nov/Dec) the daytime temperatures can reach 35 degrees Celsius from 10h30 and from 13h00 the temperature can reach upward of 40 degrees. The summer months are also our rainy season so the afternoons can experience thunder showers but all vehicles are equipped with waterproof ponchos as well as canvas flaps that can enclose the vehicle.
During the winter months in the Kruger National Park, we will usually experience blue skies on most days but with a daily average temperature of 18 to 26 degrees Celsius. The early mornings on Safaris can be cooler with temperatures from 5 to 8 degrees and late afternoons again dropping below 18 degrees. Winter Safaris are fantastic because the visibility is very good but we do recommend that you have warm clothing as the wind on the back of an Open Safari Vehicle can make things chilly. On our Safari vehicles we do provide fleece blankets.
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