Soutpansberg-Limpopo Birding Sites

Eastern Soutpansberg Mountains

	Hangklip Forest
	An easily accessible Afro-temperate Mist-belt forest with a picnic site and short trails. This is an old birders haunt and the birding is good. Listen out for the resident Scaly-throated Honeyguide in the picnic site. This is the best place to fin White-starred Robin and Yellow-streaked Greenbul.

Camp Africa

Camp Africa is situated on the fringes of indigenous forest and has a beautiful view over Makhado (Louis Trichardt) and of the plains to the south of the Soutpansberg mountains. The camp is on forestry land close to Hangklip Forest. Birds in the area are typical forest species such as Knysna Turaco, Lemon Dove, Chorister Robin-Chat and African Firefinch. A pair of Crowned Eagles nest in a large tree close to the camp.

	Harnham House
	Harnham House is on the Bluegumspoort road not far out of Makhado (Louis Trichardt). The Bluegumspoort road runs along a valley on the top of the Soutpansberg mountains making it one of the most scenic drives in the area. The vegetation is montane grasslands with mosaic forest patches in the kloofs.

	The Wyllie's Poort Tunnels
	The Wyllie's Poort Tunnels, about 20km north of Makhado (Louis Trichardt), are worth a stop. From the viewing/parking area between the two tunnels you can pick up Drakensberg Prinia and Mocking Cliff-Chats in the rocky gorge below and Short-toed Rock Thrush hopping above the tunnels. A pair of Verraux's Eagles are usually seen soaring in the sky above.

	Igababa Cabin
	This delightful cabin is situated 11 kilometres north of Makhado (Louis Trichardt) just off the N1 road. Gail and Alistair have been doing a wonderful job at rehabilitating the natural environment on the 74 ha farm. The vegetation includes grassland, wetland and forest and there is a small dam. There are a number of well cut trails.

	Roodewal Nature Reserve
	This is the most reliable site for African Broadbill. The best time to hear the Broadbill is just before dawn and just after dusk. They can be heard for longer periods during the day in the summer months.

	Kliphuis (and Entabeni Hikers Hut)
	The Kliphuis is situated in Entabeni Plantation, high up in the mountains between pristine Afro-montane Grasslands and extensive Afro-temperate Mistbelt forests. The 63 year old Foresters House has been beautifully renovated into a comfortable place to stay with running hot water and a fully equipped kitchen.

	Entabeni Forest
	Entabeni Forest is an Afro-temperate Mist-belt Forest situated on the Entabeni Plantation. The forest boast good specials such as Orange Ground Thrush, Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, White-starred Robin, Green Twinspot, Knysna Turaco, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Collared Sunbird and Brown Scrub-Robin.

Albasini Dam / Levubu

The Albasini Dam is the biggest waterbody in this area. From the north one can visit the Department of Water Affairs Picnic Site which has a fair bit of waterfront and an extensive piece of sour bushveld (see box for details). Birding around the dam is best done by boat. Birds such as White backed Night-Heron and African Finfoot can often be seen on the dam. There are also many other water birds to be found on the dam and birding here is always rewarding. The vegetation around the dam also offers good birding.

Levubu is a sub-tropical fruit farming area. The little town of Levubu itself is the centre of this area and caters for the farming community in the district. The area is has two major rivers, the Lotonyanda River and the Levhubu river. Both are fringed by Lowveld Riverine Forest and Semi-deciduous Mixed Forest and are alive with birds. Access to the rivers is difficult as much of this area is under private ownership.

The area has an impressive species total of over 300 birds. It abounds with Purple-crested Turaco and African Green-Pigeon. The African Paradise-Flycatcher is a common visitor in the summer and look out for Grey-headed Parrot, which is in the area from August to November.

	Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge
	Set against a backdrop of mountains and forests, ancient ruins and sacred lakes, Shiluvari welcomes you to the warm heart of ancient Venda. Situated on the banks of the Albasini Dam overlooking the Luonde mountains, Shiluvari is the ideal place from which to explore this "Land of Legend".

	Albasini Dam — DWAF Picnic Site
	The Department of Water Affairs owns an extensive part of the water frontage on the dam. This can be reached quite easily through the main gate, near the dam wall.

	Levubu Post Office Tree
	There is a large Mobola Plum tree (Parinari Curatellifolia) right outside the Levubu Post Office. During the early summer months (Aug-Nov) Grey-headed Parrots often feed in this tree during the day. If you are in the Levubu area spend some time around the tree and you may be lucky. They can sometimes be seen flying over the rugby fields, just to the north of the post office.

	Muirhead Dams
	This is the only reliable place in South Africa to find Blue-spotted Wood-dove, one of our region's top 10 birds.

Kruger National Park (North)

The eastern tip of the Soutpansberg mountains ends near Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park. Habitats in this northern section of Kruger are surprisingly diverse. The low-lying hills around Punda Maria are home to Crowned Hornbill, Mosque Swallow and Eastern Nicator. Tall Mopane and broad-leafed woodland expanding out from the base of these hills holds specials like White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Arnot's Chat and Racket-tailed Roller. In damp, low-lying areas Senegal Coucal, Black Coucal and Little Bittern can be seen.

One of the most exciting areas in which to bird is up in the north, along the Levubu river. Here specials such as Pel's Fishing Owl, White-crowned Lapwing, Bohm's and Mottled Spinetail, Black-throated Wattle-eye and Lemon-breasted Canary are to be found. This is the best area to find Dickinson's Kestrel. Scarce species found in the past here include Sooty Falcon and River Warbler.

The northern part of the park, previously closed to the public, has now opened up as a concession area, allowing access to the Limpopo River itself. You will need to book with Wilderness Safaris to get into this area. Recommended drives are the Mahonie Loop (S99), S60 and S61, S58 and S52 near Shingwedzi. Try to do an early morning visit to the Levubu River Bridge and Pafuri Picnic Site up near Crooks Corner. Detailed maps and park information can be found at the park gates and on the SANParks website www.sanparks.org.

	Xisaka Guest House
	Xisaka Guest House (meaning nest) is a suburb in Giyani provides the perfect base from which to exploret his under-birded area. Nsami dam is about 10km from Xisaka and is one of the best sites for summer waders in the Soutpansberg-Limpopo Birding Route.

	Pafuri Camp (Wilderness Safaris)
	Wilderness Safaris' Pafuri Camp is situated along the Luvuvhu River in the far northern Kruger National Park. The camp lies within the community owned Makuleke Concession and consists of 24,000 ha of very diverse landscape between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers.

	Pafuri Picnic Site
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North Eastern Venda

Northeastern Venda stretches from Thohoyandou across to the Kruger National Park boundary and up north to the Limpopo valley.The vegetation type that dominates the North Eastern Venda area is Arid Mountain Bushveld and Mopane Woodland. Along all the major rivers one will find Lowveld Riverine Forest with elements of Semi-deciduous Forest. This is also the area where the isolated patch of Brachystegia Woodland is found.

This area is relatively poorly known, as the roads are bad and the area is quite remote, but has in the past come up with the most interesting birds. Look out for Southern Hyliota, Crowned Hornbill, Pink-throated Twinspot, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove. More common species are: White-browed Scrub-Robin, Bearded Scrub-Robin, White-crested Helmet-Shrike and Golden-breasted Bunting. At the Sagole Big Tree there is a chance of seeing Mottled Spinetail and some out-of-range Miombo specials at the Gundani Brachystegia Woodland.

	Golwe, Vhurivhuri Picnic & Campsite
	Golwe Picnic and Campsite is a large shady site situated in a secluded valley in Venda off the Masisi Road. At dawn one can hear African Broadbill around the campsite. Other special birds are Pink-throated Twinspot, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Crowned Hornbill.

	Gundani Mutsiwa Campsite
	This is the only known patch of Miombo (Brachystegia) woodland in South Africa. Miombo woodland is common in Zimbabwe and further north.

	Sagole Big Tree
	This tree has been recorded as the largest Boabab tree in the world. This is the best place to see Mottled Spinetail in the late evening and early morning. It is on communal land with relatively poor roads. If you do plan to wait for birds, make sure you are confident to drive back in the dark to your accommodation. The closest places to stay are Gundani Mutsiwa Campsite and Pafuri River Camp.

Eastern Limpopo River Valley

The Eastern Limpopo River Valley is the area that stretches from Crooks Corner in the Kruger National Park to Musina. Much of the river is not as accessible as the Western part (described below).

However access to the river itself is possible if organized in advance through the concession area in the northernmost part of Kruger and through other private farms that border on the river (see boxes for details).

On the river one can find the two largest owls in Southern Africa: Pel's Fishing-Owl and the Verreaux's Eagle-Owl. The river also provides a corridor for the Trumpeter Hornbill and Lemon-breasted Canary. The wide-open sandy river bottom is ideal habitat for the White-fronted Plover, Ruff, Marsh Sandpiper, Comb Duck, Spur-winged Goose and Saddle-billed Stork. One often sees the Bateleur, Lappet-faced Vulture and African Hawk-Eagle soaring in the skies above the river valley. The gallery forest on the banks of the river has Meyer's Parrot, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Trumpeter Hornbill, Retz's Helmet-shrike and Black-throated Wattle-eye.

If you do not stay at one of the accommodation establishments, then you will spend much of your time travelling through Mopane Woodland or Mixed Bushveld. An interesting road to travel is the Malaladrift/Musina road that follows the Limpopo River, crossing a number of its tributaries and passing through small patches of farmland. Take the drive slowly, stopping frequently along the way, and you will find it rewarding.

	Pafuri River Camp
	Pafuri River Camp is a private tented tree house camp on the banks of the Mutale River, situated 3 km from the Pafuri Gate of Kruger Park. The camp is an ideal base from which to explore Northern Kruger, Makuya Nature Reserve and Venda. Commonly seen specials include Wattle-eyed Flycatcher, Yellow White-eye, Lemon-breasted Canary, Grey-headed Parrot, Mottled Spinetail and African Finfoot.

Western Limpopo River Valley

The western part of the Limpopo River Valley stretches from Musina to Platjan opposite Botswana. There are a great number of access points to the river, the easiest being through Mapungubwe National Park.

Mapungubwe is situated opposite the Shashe River confluence and offers visitors a number of birding facilities (see box for details). Various private farms on both sides of the border (see boxes for details) offer excellent birding along the Limpopo River.

A visit to the Den Staat wetlands, which is one of the best water-bird sites in the country, can be organized if you stay at one of the private establishments in the area (see boxes for details).

In the Tuli area of Botswana you can also book onto guided wilderness trails, which will give you the best of the birding and the wildlife of the area (see box for details).

Two habitat types dominate the Limpopo valley; these are Lowveld Riverine Forest and Mopane Woodland. On the plains, around the river the area is dominated by Mopane Woodland and is broken by extensive Woodland and is broken by extensive patches of Acacia thickets in the low lying parts and Commiphera dominated vegetation on the rocky outcrops.

Gallery Forest on the riverbank is home to Woodland Kingfisher, African Mourning Dove, Broad-billed Roller, Senegal Coucal, Meve's Starling and Pel's Fishing-Owl. On the plains on either side of the river are Swainson's Spurfowl, Red-crested Korhaan, Southern Ground Hornbill and Secretarybird.

	Ratho Bush Camps
	Ratho is on the banks of the Limpopo River just west of Pont Drift. The stand of large Nyalaberry trees at the homestead is the most reliable stakeout for Pel's Fishing Owl in the region.

Balerno Bush Lodge

Balerno Bush Lodge is situated next to Mapungubwe National Park, and is a perfect venue for small groups visiting the Park. The camp is situated in a mix of Mopane and broad-leaved woodland with rocky outcrops. The farm has a dam which attracts a good variety of water birds and raptors. The camp is built into a rocky outcrop and the gardens around the camp attract Paradise Flycatchers, Mocking Cliff-chat and Red-winged Starlings.

	Mopane Bush Lodge
	Mopane Bush Lodge is the ideal base from which to go birding in the Mapungubwe National Park with its riverine forest along the Limpopo River, sandstone cliffs and Mopane Bushveld. Possible bird species in the area are almost 400. The owners will also organize private visits to the Den Staat Wetlands.

	Mapungubwe National Park
	Whether you are a beginner or an experienced birder, you have to visit the Mapungubwe National Park. The abundance of birdlife is quite spectacular and there are lots of specials to find.

Tuli Wilderness Trails

Tuli Wilderness Trails have a concession in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. The area has a wide range of habitats, from riverine forest on the Limpopo River to alluvial flood plains and basalt ridges. The western side of the reserve is criss-crossed by countless dry riverbeds and stunning sandstone ridges that rise 100 ft above the Motloutse River allowing awesome views of the surrounding landscape.

	Tuli Safari Lodge
	Tuli Safari Lodge operates in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, a beautiful, unspoilt corner of Botswana home to diverse wildlife, over 350 bird species and boasting a rich cultural heritage, just a few minutes drive from the Pont Drift border post.

Mmabolela

If you need to get into the bush, relax and feel unpressured, this is the place to be. The owners let you really have the place to yourself. Mmabolela covers 5,300 ha of dry bushveld with 12 km of Limpopo River frontage. It is renowned for its exceptional wealth of birdlife. Over 300 bird species have been recorded in the area. Specials include African Finfoot, Verreaux's Eagle Owl, Broadbill Roller and Dusky Lark.

	Bivack Game Lodge
	A rare opportunity to experience wildest Africa... Set between the mighty Limpopo and Mogalakwena rivers and on the border between South Africa and Botswana, Bivack Game Lodge more than meets the challenge of living up to its name; meaning "shelter". Bivack is home to not only 2,500 ha of riverine and mopane bushveld but also to a great concentration of diversity of birdlife and wildlife.

	Venitia Limpopo Nature Reserve
	This De Beer's property is situated adjacent to the Mapungubwe National Park. The 33,000 ha reserve is dominated by mopane woodland and has beautiful riverine forests and sandstone cliffs in the north.

North Western Flats

Due to its proximity to the Kalahari, this is the driest area of the region. It is well worth the visit as it offers some very special birding and species one would not easily find in other parts of the region. Species such as the Southern Pied Babbler, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Grey-backed Sparrowlarks, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Kori Bustard, Burchell's Sandgrouse and Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk are found here.

The Mogalakwena River is the main river in this region and is fringed by Lowveld Riverine Forest offering cool relief to the dry surroundings. Birds to be found on the river include a wide variety of Cuckoos, Owls and Bee-eaters. The Verreaux's Eagle-Owl and, if you are lucky, Pel's Fishing-Owl can also be found.

The Woodland and is broken by extensive patches of Acacia thickets in the low lying parts and Commiphera dominated vegetation on the rocky outcrops. Gallery Forest on the riverbank is home to Woodland Kingfisher, African Mourning Dove, Broad-billed Roller, Senegal Coucal, Meve's Starling and Pel's Fishing-Owl. On the plains on either side of the river are Swainson's Spurfowl, Red-crested Korhaan, Southern Ground Hornbill and Secretarybird.

Makulu Makete Wildlife Reserve

The 4,000 ha Makulu Makete Reserve straddles the meandering Mogalakwena River just south of its confluence with the Limpopo. Whilst the reserve holds interesting species characteristic of the drier west, the Mogalakwena River, and the massive trees lining its banks, provide a rich habitat for many additional species more likely to be found in wetter areas such as Collared Sunbird, Spectacled Weaver and a variety of cuckoos and kingfishers.

Mogalakwena River Lodge

Mogalakwena is a 4-star lodge which offers a luxurious African experience. From the deck of the lodge one is able to view up to 25 species in a sitting, including African Finfoot, Black Crake, and Dwarf Bittern as wells as many kingfishers and herons. There are resident Southern Pied Babbler and Crimson-breasted Shrike and many colourful waxbills, such as Black-faced-, Blue- and Violet-eared Waxbills.

	Langjan Nature Reserve
	Langjan is conveniently placed on the road between Vivo and Alldays, making it an easy stop to and from the Limpopo Valley or Alldays. The reserve became known to the birding world in 1989 when an Egyptian Vulture was spotted here. It has been seen since, but it is not a regular visitor.

Blouberg Nature Reserve - High-clearance vehicles recommended

The reserve covers a wide variety of habitats including a small Sycamore fig forest and wetland that has a resident flock of Crested Guineafowl and is visited by Greater Painted Snipe in the summer. The reserve boasts over 270 species among which are Grey Tit-flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Kalahari Scrub-robin and Southern White-faced Scops-owl. It's also home to a significant breeding colony of Cape Vultures, numbering 500 breeding pairs.

	Blouberg Vulture Colony
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Western Soutpansberg Mountains

This area has spectacular mountain scenery and it is one of the most beautiful parts of the region. When you stay at one of the establishments here you can relax, breathe deeply and enjoy your seclusion from the world. The vegetation is a dominated by Arid Mountain Bushveld with patches of Afrotemperate Forest, Sour Bushveld and Afromontain Grasslands.

All the establishments in this area have marked trails through the mountains, which you can do by yourself or be guided by your hosts. The area is also worth visiting for its special wildlife, which includes Leopards, Samango Monkeys and Red Duiker. The wide variety of habitat types allows for good birding. The area has a number of breeding African Crowned Eagle. The mountain tops are good areas to see Gurney's Sugarbird and Malachite Sunbird. It is worth looking out for Red-chested Flufftail here.

	Lesheba Wilderness
	Leshaba stretches along the top of the Soutpansberg Mountains. Over 260 bird species have been recorded on this property. The tree diversity is also very high, with over 380 different plant species.

	Lajuma Mountain Retreat
	Lajuma is situated high up on the southern slopes of the Soutpansberg mountain range. Ian Gaigher, the owner, has been very involved in setting up the Western Soutpansberg Conservancy and has a strong interest and knowledge of the mountain and its natural environment.

	Buzzard Mountain Retreat
	Buzzard Mountain Retreat was one of the first privately owned areas in the Soutpansberg to become known to the birding fraternity, and it is still one of the best known birding spots in this area. It is situated on the southern slopes and top of the mountain.

	Medike Mountain Reserve
	Medike Mountain Reserve is nestled deep in the Sand River Gorge in the heart of the Soutpansberg Mountains. Marietjie and Hannes Underhay, the owners, have a deep love and a broad knowledge of the natural history of the Soutpansberg.

Bandelierkop

This area is not quite as dry as the other bushveld areas in the region, as it falls between the open flats to the west and the wetter areas to the east. Mixed Bushveld dominates the vegetation.

A wide variety of warblers, waxbills, widowfinches and robins can be seen here. Orange-winged Pytilia and even Short-clawed Lark have been seen in the southeastern part of this area.

	Last Post Private Nature Reserve
	Last Post is situated in a beautiful range of hills, which form the transition between Sweet Bushveld and Lowveld. The property has a variety of habitat types and high biological diversity. Both plant and bird populations will be of interest to any naturalist.