Drakensberg Birding

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The varied habitats of the Royal Natal National Park provides excellent habitat for a wide range of bird species. We’ve already introduced you to the rare Bush Blackcap, which is often recorded in the reserve, and the Lesser Striped Swallows that shared our accommodation unit, but there’s so many other feathered inhabitants in the Park that we can dedicate a whole blogpost just to them – in fact, this gallery contains just a few of the more than 60 species we ticked during our December visit!

Groundscraper Thrush
Southern Masked Weaver
Southern Masked Weaver attacking his own reflection
Cape Wagtails
Cape Robin-chat
Cape Robin-chat
Chorister Robin-chat
Malachite Sunbird
Male Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Female Greater Double-collared Sunbird visiting a Common Sugarbush
Male Violet-backed Starling
Female Violet-backed Starling
Helmeted Guineafowl
Fiscal Flycatcher
Cape Crow
African Dusky Flycatcher
White-throated Swallow
Sickle-winged Chat
Cape White-eye
Hadeda Ibis
African Hoopoe

19 thoughts on “Drakensberg Birding”

  1. Joanne Sisco

    Not only do you know the names of the birds, but you also manage to recognize them in the wild and get excellent photos of them!
    The exotic Malachite Sunbird is my favourite. He’s a beauty! Am I right that all the Sunbirds have that distinctive curved beak? The Hoopoe is a cutie too, but the guineafowl made me laugh. I’m picturing a caption like ‘Pleeeease! I’m not dressed yet!” 🙂

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Southern Africa has almost a 1000 species of birds, Joanne, and I wish I could claim to know all of them! Luckily we have very handy guide books to refer to.

      Indeed, the sunbirds and sugarbirds all have those long, curved beaks that they use to collect nectar from flowers.

      Guineafowls are a favourite of ours, they’re so comically clumsy yet so endearing!

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  4. Ladybuggz

    some of your birds look almost like ours except a different colour! The malachite Sun bird looks like a larger version of our Anna Hummingbird, the African Hoopoe looks like our Blue Jays, and the Guinee fowl looks like a wild Turkey! neat stuff! 🙂

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      One day when you come to visit South Africa, Lois, we will go and pick up a bunch of guineafowl feathers for you! Locally it is often used as decorations for a wide range of things, from flower arrangements to wedding invitations!

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