The KwaZulu-Natal South Coast is a great place for birding, with more than 400 of KZN’s over 650 species resident or regular visitors. And it’s not hard to see why.
Available habitats range from coastal sand dunes to mountains, gorges and wild river valleys. In between you can find estuaries and lagoons, fast-flowing rivers, grasslands, flood plains, indigenous forests, open farmland, wetlands and even a small desert.
With more than 60 of the local species considered ‘endangered’ or ‘threatened’ – and many more that you are unlikely to encounter anywhere else – you are more than likely to add to your own personal ‘bird list’ or start a new one with some really interesting sightings.
It’s no wonder that birdlife thrives here, attracting both serious ornithologists and Sunday-afternoon twitchers. And if you’ve never really considered birding as a pastime, the place and time to start is here and now.
The KZN coastal environment is rich in bird life, including whimbrels, greenshanks, curlew sandpipers, grey plover. common ringed plover and common tern. One of the most spectacular sights occurs at the time of the sardine migration, usually some time from May to July. As the millions of little silver fish move northwards and come closer to the shore, they are accompanied by hundreds of Cape gannets, which circle above the shoals and dive vertically into the sea to catch their prey. At times they are forced to spend a while floating on the surface, as they have eaten so much that they are unable to take flight.
Moving from the beach inland, the South Coast’s many rivers form estuaries or lagoons as they reach the ocean. These and the adjacent flood plains provide habitat for many waders and other water birds. Egyptian and spurwing geese share the habitat with various species of kingfisher. Many lagoons boast their own resident pair of fish eagles.
Nkomba Sanctuary is a lovely area of conservation significance in Pennington and is an example of how wildlife requires intact habitats and space to survive. This 6.2 ha reserve on the banks of the Nkomba River near Pennington, comprises swamp forest (critically endangered), coastal forest, riparian zones and flood plains, with and without reed beds, plus an estuary, thus offering suitable habitat for a wide variety of birdlife.
The reed beds at Southport are a popular summer abode for thousands of visiting swallows. Given the right weather conditions, these can be seen in their hundreds, darting across the sky, taking insects on the wing. The blue swallow, however, hunts closer to the ground and prefers the misty conditions of the Ixopo area, notably the grounds of the Buddhist Retreat.
The estuary and lagoon areas are prone to flooding from time to time and this can change the dynamics of the resident bird populations. For example, sightings of woolly-necked storks used to be sufficiently uncommon as to merit a mention in the local newspaper, but since the floods of 2000, they have become resident. Other birds that appeared briefly on the Ifafa river after that flood included spoonbills and crowned cranes. Sighting a species that ‘isn’t supposed to be there’ can be quite exciting!
You don’t have to move far from the dunes before you encounter pockets of indigenous coastal forest. These host a large variety of bird life hidden in the canopy. ‘Bird-listening’ is as important here as bird-watching and it sometimes pays to stay in one place and see what comes to you, rather than crunching through the undergrowth and risking scaring the birds away. Watch out for the Knysna turaco, endemic to South African forests.
Highlights for visiting birders may include sightings of the Knysna woodpecker, magpie manikin, narina trogon, African black oystercatcher, Kittlitz’s plover, African broadbill, black-rumped buttonquail, grass owl, broad-tailed warbler, pale-crowned cisticola, short-tailed pipit, Cape parrot, crowned eagle and palm-nut vulture.
For those starting their personal bird lists from scratch, the South Coast’s garden birds are a delight. Settle in a quiet corner of your campsite or the picnic area of a nature reserve and witness the parade of barbets, canaries, doves… to shrikes, sunbirds, wagtails and white-eyes.
For birders wishing to see Cape vultures, a visit to the vulture viewing hide at Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve is a must.
Birding hot spots to explore include:
Empisini Nature Reserve, Umkomaas – 039 973 0093
Crocworld Conservation Centre, Scottburgh – 039 976 1103
T.C.Robertson Nature Reserve, Scottburgh – 082 622 7699
Umdoni Park Trust Golf Club and Nature Reserve, Pennington – 039 975 1615
Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, Umzinto – 039 974 2222
Nkomba Sanctuary, Pennington – 064 867 7584
Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, Oribi Gorge – 039 845 1000
Oribi Vulture View Hide. Oribi Gorge – 072 893 3794
Lake Eland Game Reserve, Oribi Gorge – 039 687 0395
Weza – Ngele Forest, Harding – 039 553 0600
Skyline Nature Reserve, Uvongo – 039 315 0112
Riverbend Crocodile Farm, Southbroom – 039 316 6204
Mpenjati Nature Reserve, Trafalgar – 039 313 0531
Red Desert Nature Reserve, Port Edward – 039 695 0460
Culley’s Dam, Port Edward, 072 550 8303
Umtamvuna Nature Reserve – Port Edward – 039 311 2383
Most of the above are public facilities. However, some are privately owned and you are requested to call before visiting to confirm access, opening times, directions, safety and any other information that will make your birding experience more enjoyable.