Birding, Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route
Plettenberg Bay Birding Spots
Plettenberg Bay offers year round birding opportunities in a beautiful natural setting. Shaped by various landscapes, there are a variety of distinct different habitat zones (Keurbooms River estuary, Bitou River and Robberg Nature Reserve) and microclimates conducive to wintering and breeding birds. As a result, this area has excellent diversity year round with over 300 recorded bird species to provide an outstanding birding experience.
Specials
Knysna Warbler, Victorin’s Warbler, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Baillon’s Crake, African Crowned Eagle, and White-backed Night-Heron..
Habitats
Tidal mudflats, forest, fynbos, rock formations, cliffs and caves, beaches, lagoon, rivers , pastures and dams.
Birding Locations
- The Keurbooms River Estuary in summer may include a few Bar-tailed Godwit,and Common Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Purple Heron, African Fish-Eagle, Osprey, Swift Tern and Caspian Tern which breed in the area. White-backed Night heron is found up the Keurbooms River.
- The floodplain on the Bitou River, when flooded may include Pied Avocet, African Spoonbill, South African Shelduck, Hottentot Teal, Red-billed Teal, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Little Stint, African Rail, Baillon’s Crake, Whiskered Tern and African Marsh-Harrier.
- Robberg Nature Reserve. Fynbos specials here include Orange-breasted sunbird and Victorin’s Warbler and other highlights include: Subantarctic Skua, Peregrine Falcon, Cape Gull, Swift Terns, White Breasted Cormorants, Cape Cormorant, Breeding Pairs of African Black Oystercatchers, African Dusky Fly Catcher. This is an good area for seabird watching especially in winter.
- Amur Falcons occur in the Uplands area in summer (December to March).
- Kranshoek is situated on the coast. Access is through the Harkerville forest. In the fynbos between the view site over the cliffs and the first picnic site at winter breeding time, the Cape Sugarbirds are visible displaying over the proteas. Orange-breasted Sunbird occur as well as Amethyst Sunbird, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Victorin’s Warbler and Cape Grassbird. The forest includes Narina Trogon, Blue-mantled Crested-Flycatcher, Black-bellied Starling Forest Buzzard and other forest species. Kranshoek is 24 km east of Knysna. Turn off 19 km from Knysna to the right.
Read detailed articles on birding in Plettenberg Bay
More info on the town of Knysna | More info on the Garden Route area |
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