Birding In North West Zululand

---

Home to about 500 species, North West Zululand provides the visitor with a wide variety of birds. From the low altitude, subtropical thickets in the east to the high altitude temperate grasslands in the west, this region covers many habitats and their accompanying birds.

The North West Zululand is well known for its large wetlands, rolling hills and wide variety of big game, including the big five. 58 of Southern Africa's endemic and near endemic birds are found here too, many of them confined to the extensive grasslands and wetlands.

The main birding areas are:

Vryheid Route

Home to about 350 species, this region of Zululand provides the birder with 50 endemic or near-endemic species.The Vryheid Route is situated at the highest altitude in the Zululand Birding Route, and lies on the ecotone of the extensive grasslands in the west and the bushveld areas to the east. This, combined with the many wetlands and mountains in the area, ensures that the birder is always kept busy.

Some noteworthy endemics such as Southern Bald Ibis, Blue Crane, Blue Korhaan, Ground Woodpecker, South African Cliff Swallow, Bush Blackcap, Buff-streaked Chat and Gurney's Sugarbird occur alongside near-endemics such as Eastern Long-billed and Spike Heeled Lark, Mountain Wheatear, Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler, Olive Bush Shrike and Swee Waxbill.

Louwsberg Route

The Louwsberg Route is situated at medium to high altitude (300m - 1400m above sea level) in far northern KwaZulu-Natal. This range of altitude supports many plant species, and their accompanying birds. In fact, Ithala Game Reserve has the most species of trees of all the reserves in the province.

Ulundi Route

Ulundi is situated in the centre of Zululand, between Melmoth and Vryheid, and has been the site of battlefields, royal residences and provincial government. It is situated in the White Umfolozi valley and is bordered by rolling hills and thorn-tree plains. It is an area not well explored, as some areas are remote and one could easily get lost in rural Zululand. The Cengeni Gate entrance to the Umfolozi Game Reserve is reached by driving through Ulundi. The area is not known for specific bird specials, but a general mix of thornveld and grassland species in some lovely habitat.

Phongola Route

The Phongola Route contains one of the oldest game reserves in Africa, the Phongola Game Reserve. Even the early conservation pioneers recognised the beauty and value of this area. Superb Sweet Lowveld Bushveld, the only example of this in the province, supports a vast array of species, including some that are rare in other parts of Zululand. These Phongola specials include Burchell's Starling, Bennett's Woodpecker, Levaillant's Cuckoo, Purple Roller, Magpie Shrike and Red-headed Weaver.

Umfolozi Route

The Umfolozi Route is situated totally within the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park (HUP).This park is one of Africa's oldest, and is famous for the protection of White Rhino, which neared extinction only a few decades ago. Hluhluwe is covered under the Hluhluwe Route.

 

---

Kwazulu Natal Birding Trips

---