We were fortunate to see and identify at least 202 bird species during our December 2021 visit to the Satara area of the Kruger National Park. This gallery features many of them. Over the course of the next few days we’ll be looking more closely at four very special species that made this trip even more memorable, and then on Friday we will showcase the magnificent birds-of-prey that rule the skies of Kruger.
In most browsers you should be able to click on the first image and then work your way through the carousel of pictures:
Acacia Pied Barbet
African Cuckoo
African Green Pigeon
African Hoopoe
African Jacana showing off its very long toes
African Mourning Dove
African Pipit
African Spoonbill
Arrow-marked Babbler
Black Crake
Black Flycatcher
Black Heron
Black Storks
Black-backed Puffback
Black-bellied Bustard
Black-collared Barbet (photo by Joubert)
Black-crowned Night Heron (photo by Joubert)
Black-headed Heron
Black-winged Stilt
Blue Waxbills
Bronze-winged Courser
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Brown-headed Parrot
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Burchell’s Starling
Cardinal Woodpecker
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Cattle Egrets (photo by Joubert)
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
Chinspot Batis
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
Collared Sunbird
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Crested Francolin hen and chicks
Dark-capped Bulbul
Double-banded Sandgrouse
Dwarf Bittern
Egyptian Goose
European Bee-eater
European Roller (photo by Joubert)
Fork-tailed Drongo on its (very exposed) nest
Giant Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Greater Painted Snipe female (photo by Joubert)
Green, or Red-billed, Wood-hoopoe
Green-backed Heron (photo by Joubert)
Green-winged Pytilia (photo by Joubert)
Grey Heron
African Grey Hornbill
Grey Tit-Flycatcher
Grey-headed Bush-shrike
Dustbathing Grey-headed Sparrow
Ground Hornbill
Hamerkop (photo by Joubert)
House Sparrow (photo by Joubert)
Jacobin Cuckoo
Jameson’s Firefinch
Kori Bustard
Male Knob-billed Duck strutting his stuff
Laughing Dove
Lesser Grey Shrike
Lesser Masked Weaver
Lesser Striped Swallow
Lilac-breasted Roller
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Little Swift
Long-tailed Paradise Whydahs
Malachite Kingfisher
Marabou (photo by Joubert)
Marsh Sandpiper
Monotonous Lark
Neddicky
Olive-tree Warbler
Orange-breasted Bush Shrike
Ostriches
Pied Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)
Pied Wagtail
Red-backed Shrike
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
Red-billed Firefinch
Red-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)
Red-billed Oxpecker
Flock of Red-billed Queleas
Red-breasted Swallow
Red-crested Korhaan
Red-headed Weaver
Reed Cormorant
Rufous-naped Lark
Sabota Lark
Saddle-billed Stork
Southern Black Tit
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Spectacled Weaver
Spotted Dikkop
Spotted Flycatcher (photo by Joubert)
Swainson’s Spurfowl
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Three-banded Plover
Village Indigobird male
Village Weaver
Violet-backed Starling male (photo by Joubert)
Water Thick-knees
Wattled Starling
White Storks
White-browed Scrub-Robin
White-crowned Shrike
White-faced Whistling Duck surrounded by Little Grebes
White-fronted Bee-eater
White-winged Widowbird
Wood Sandpiper
Woodland Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)
Woolly-necked Stork
Yellow-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)
DeWetsWild 
Goeiste, soveel mooi foto’s van al die verskillende voels! Die kleurvolle voels is darem maar mooi op die oog, maar selfs die ou valetjies hoef nie terug te staan nie! Ek het dit nou geniet om rustig deur almal te blaai, dankie!
Die Wildtuin is tuiste vir so n verstommende verskeidenheid voels, ons is gelukkig om so n paradys in die land te he.
Ek staan verstom voor die verskeidenheid wat julle te siene gekry het!
Dar is maar net een Krugerwildtuin, ne Una!?
Daarmee stem ek volmondig saam, De Wet. Ons plan is om, sodra ons in Mosambiek bly, die pad deur die wildtuin-grens te ry. Op hierdie stadium is daardie grenspos naby Letaba nog toe, maar sodra dit verander gaan dit ons hoofroete Biléne toe raak. Natuurlik met ń oornag aand of 2 ingesluit.
Dit klink mos nou na n blink idee!
My wens is net dat die Wildtuin owerheid iets op daardie pad kan doen om die spoed laag te hou. Nie almal wat daardie pad gebruik is daar omdat hulle Wildtuin liefhebbers is soos ek en jy nie en dan jaag hulle die wit waks uit die pad uit. Ons vermy daarom meestal die pad Giriyondo toe want dit voel net te onveilig om te stop om fotos te neem.
Some extraordinary looking birds there Dries. The wooly necked stalk was captivating and wonderfully weird. That little pied kingfisher blows my mind. So unusual, at least to me. The little grey headed sparrow is a darling. It is a marvel that you are able to observe all these birds without getting eaten!
Thank you very much, Tracy. The Kruger Park really is a paradise for birdlife and we’re grateful that we could take full advantage of that.
It reallly is, Dries. And I was joking about being eaten. 🙂
There’s lots of things in Kruger Park that wouldn’t mind having a bite of me though – from mosquitoes to lions!
Wat ‘n wonderlike versameling foto’s van al die voels wat julle gesien het! Dit was omtrent ‘n fees om na almal te kyk!
Baie dankie, Aletta. Die Wildtuin is so ryk aan voellewe en dit is jammer dat baie besoekers hulle byne ignoreer.
Kan dit nie glo nie, hulle mis so baie!
KNP is where I saw my first Sysie. Google Translate calls it that in English as well, but the spell Gauteng as Khaoteng on YouTube. 😳
I’ve noticed that Google translate can land you in some trouble… 😀
Don’t try to translate Jib Sail into Afrikaans, though
Thanks for the warning! 😀
😂
Looking through this wonderful gallery of birds seen in the KNP reminds me of what a paradise that place is.
Thank you very much, Anne. Kruger really is a very special place no matter what measure you use.
Wow, I’m stunned almost into silence by the variety and the lovely shots by both of you! There are some beautiful colors and some unusual things as well. Eclectic gallery.
We’re lucky to have such a beautiful variety of birds in South Africa, Janet. I am glad to know you enjoyed them along with us.
OMG! What a wonderful gallery of birds! Fantastic, variety of species. I’m impressed.. Thank you, D. & Joubert. 🙂 👍
I’m glad to know this was right up your alley, H.J – thank you!
So wonderful photography of beautiful birds 🌷🙏👍🏻🌷 so many birds 🐦 i never saw
and I’m admiring the variety of birds beauty 👏👌thank you for sharing 👏💕
I’m glad to know you enjoyed this post so much, Thattamma – thank you!
Yes, I enjoyed 🌷👍🏻Thank you for sharing 🙏👌😊🌷
The European Roller and my favorite little Waxbills have similar coloring…not in the same family, though?
Joubert–the photo of the Spotted Flycatcher is the cutest shot!
Thank you very much, Lois. No, the rollers and the waxbills are not related. I agree about their beautiful colours!
202 is n groot getal wat jul gesien het. Moet weer rustig gaan sit en almal deurkyk. Ek kyk meestal eers op my foon en dan op my skootrekenaar om rustig te kyk wat ek ken en wat nie.
Baie dankie, Ineke. Ek dink meer ervare voelkykers sou nog minstens 50 meer by ons lysie kon voeg, maar vir ons was dit lekker om die 200-kerf te haal.
Is beslis ‘n lekker mylpaal. Is mos nie ‘n kompetisie nie!
Nie n kompetisie nie, maar ek sou so graag beter wou wees om die klein vaal voeltjies uit te ken. Helaas kortwiek my kleurblindheid my geheel en al daar.
Aaa nou verstaan ek goed dat dit ‘n frustrasie is. So in werklikheid moet jou afneem en dan vra watter een dit is? Dis tydrowend, nie net met te wonder of dit ‘n bekende een is maar ook of jy hom moet afneem of nie.