Birding in Botswana | Luxury Botswana Birding Safaris and Spots

There are several ways that you can enjoy Birding in Botswana and these are driving through the birding spot. Birding in Botswana is on the rise due to the fact that the country is safe to visit and offers a variety of bird species.

Although Botswana is not well recognized for its birding activities, there are nonetheless birding locations and species to observe there. The nation is renowned for having no known endemic species, despite the fact that many birds migrate there from nearby nations, particularly during the green season, making it a popular destination for birders. About 580 distinct bird species have been identified in Botswana, and they can be seen at various birding locations throughout the nation. Where can one go birding in Botswana? It is reasonable to assume that one can go birding throughout the country in wetlands, game parks, and along rivers and lakes.

There are many things to think about when making plans for a birding safari in Botswana, including the number of people traveling with you, the equipment needed for birding, the weather in the country when you want to go birding, and the various locations for birding that the country offers. Although birding, in general, requires a lot of patience, you cannot engage in the activity if you do not have the tools you need, such as binoculars, cameras, a book of bird identification, and many others.

• By activating the zoom feature on the binoculars, you can use them to properly view birds that are far away.
• You can use the camera to take still photos of the birds you see in the countryside.
• A recognition book is a book or magazine that has descriptions of every species of bird, making it simple for birdwatchers to recognize the various species.
• A book or magazine is known as a “recognition book” that has descriptions of every species of bird, making it easy for birdwatchers to distinguish between the numerous species.

Best Birding areas in Botswana

There are many places to go birding in Botswana, but each of these places has a habitat where the birds can live and from where people can see them. The following are some of the main birding habitats in the nation:

The Chobe National Park River

Numerous bird species can be found in the Chobe National Park, largely because the Chobe River is there. Since this is the best period for migratory birds to fly into the country, most birding takes place during the wet season. African finfoot, white-backed night heron, pygmy geese, rock pranticole, lesser jacana, orange-winged Pytilia, and many other bird species are just a few of the species you might observe.

The Mixed broad-leafed woodland

One of the bird habitats in Botswana is the mixed broad-leaved forest, which is present in a portion of the Chobe National Park. The orange-winged Pytilia, the three-banded courser, the cape penduline tit, the red-breasted shrike, the Marico flycatcher, the violet-eared waxbill, and many more bird species can be found in the woodland.

The floodplains

A few of the bird species that live in floodplains include the chirping Cisticola, the slaty egret, the greater swamp warbler, and many more. It’s important to note that most of the country’s floodplains are in the south, while some are also found in the north.

The Kasai channel

The Kasai canal, which links the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers, is also a haven for birds in Botswana. Birds like the lesser Jacana, Pel’s fishing owl, pygmy goose, chirping Cisticola, African rail, greater swamp warbler, lesser moorhen, and many more can be seen here if you take a boat trip down the channel, which is the ideal method to go birding in this area.

The Riverine woodland

Numerous plant species may be found throughout the riverine woodland, serving as habitats for the numerous bird species that call it home. The banded snake eagle, eastern bearded robin, brown fire finch, collared palm thrush, red-faced cisticola, and numerous other bird species are just a few of the bird species that call this area home.

Birding in the central Kalahari Game reserve

A good place to go birding in Malawi is the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which is situated in the Kalahari Desert. It is one of the biggest game reserves in the nation and the entire globe, and because of its position, it has a semi-desert environment. As a result, although it has a green season, rainfall in this reserve is not common. The secretary bird, chestnut vented tit babblers, grey-backed finch larks, red eye bulbus, Kori bustard, red-headed finches, Pritit Batistes, yellow canaries, Rufous eared warblers, pied warblers, and numerous more bird species can all be easily spotted here.

Birding in the Okavango Delta

About 1500 kilometers long and regarded as Botswana’s geographic center is the Okavango delta. The easiest way to determine when to go is to ask your tour operator about the ideal time to visit for birding. The Delta is always covered in water and might be challenging to access. The slaty Egret is the main bird species that lives in the Okavango delta, but there are many other bird species that do as well, such as the Pel’s Fishing Owl, Wattled Cranes, Coppery-Tailed Coucal, African Green Pigeon, Swamp Boubou, Senegal Coucal, Martial Eagle, Rosy-Throated Longclaw, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, Black.

There are periods when you can readily access the center and southern portions of the Okavango delta, which is not the situation with the north-eastern portion of the delta, which is perpetually flooded. In the Delta, you can observe birds while on a boat, while driving through, or while going on a bushwalk.

Birding in the Makgadikgadi salt pans

A popular birding location in Botswana is the Makgadikgadi salt pans, which are also situated in the Kalahari Desert near to the Central Kalahari Reserve. The Nata delta, where many birds can be seen on the banks or floating on the water, is formed by two pans in the Makgadikgadi reserve that were formed about 1000 years ago. These pans include the Marico Flycatcher, the capped wheatear, the crimson breasted, the secretary bird, both the greater and lesser flamingo, the acacia pied barbet, the black korhaan, the southern pied babbler, and many other species.

Birding in Northern Botswana

The finest places to go birding in Botswana are in the north, where you can find a wide variety of bird species and viewing areas. More than 450 distinct bird species call this region of the country home. The pygmy goose, the rock pranticole, the chirping Cisticola, the brown fire finch, the African skimmer, the pink-throated longclaw, the greater swamp warbler, the Orange-winged Pytilia, the half collared kingfisher, the slaty egret, and many more bird species can be found in the northern region, which extends from Kasane.

When to go birding in Botswana

The rainy season, which in Botswana lasts from November to April, is generally the ideal time to go bird watching. The majority of birds arrive in the country between mid-November and March, and while there will be a variety to observe throughout this time, the frequent downpours that occur during these months may prevent you from visiting all of the prime birding locations spread around the nation.

Although there will be fewer bird species, the dry winter is still a wonderful time to go birding. This occurs from May through August. However, given that the birding locations are easily accessible, now is the ideal time to take a trip around them.