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Dawn in Mpumalanga’s highveld grasslands is a sensory event. A fine mist rolls across a still dam, blurring the edges of the surrounding hills, while an Olive Thrush declares the day open with piercing clarity. From nearby shrubbery, a pair of Bar-throated Apalis trade rapid notes, and a Cape Robin-Chat busies itself on the dew-stained lawn. It is an orchestra of birdsong, punctuated by the irresistible call for tourists and birders alike to explore.

This is Dullstroom, South Africa’s renowned fly-fishing capital, and a must-visit destination for all birdwatchers. It is a town where mist and mountain merge, creating habitats that are as picturesque as they are ecologically important. Perched at over 2,000 metres above sea level, Dullstroom is far more than a weekend retreat for anglers, mountain bikers, and food lovers. It is also one of South Africa’s most rewarding birding destinations, a jewel in the Mpumalanga escarpment that attracts birders from across the globe.

A Jewel of the Escarpment

Dullstroom’s history dates back to 1892 when the late President Paul Kruger proclaimed it a town. Today, it thrives on tourism and offers a convenient escape from the nearby cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, just two to three hours away. For international travellers, it is also a natural stopover on the road to the wildlife-rich Lowveld.

While visitors may come to enjoy both trout and whiskey, birders know Dullstroom for something far more precious: its grasslands, wetlands, and montane habitats, which host an exceptional array of South Africa’s most sought-after bird species.

Wattled, Blue, and Grey-crowned Cranes stride alongside the wetlands and grasslands; Buff-streaked Chat and Ground Woodpecker perch among rocky outcrops; Yellow-breasted Pipits flit over high-altitude grasslands. Summer brings the thrill of species like Fan-tailed Grassbird (Broad-tailed Warbler), Cuckoo Finch, and Denham’s Bustard.

The landscape here is alive with avian treasures and conservation efforts.

BirdLife South Africa’s Role

BirdLife South Africa has been deeply engaged in the Steenkampsberg region surrounding and including Dullstroom. Conservation initiatives here focus on wetlands and grasslands, with particular attention to the elusive and critically endangered White-winged Flufftail.

This secretive bird, which spends its life hidden in dense wetland vegetation, has become a flagship species for habitat conservation and stewardship. Through partnerships with landowners and stakeholders, BirdLife South Africa has worked to ensure that both biodiversity and local communities benefit from conserving these unique habitats.

Birding Hotspots Around Dullstroom

Walkersons Estate and Hotel

Access on prior arrangement only. A private estate located just north of town, the 800-hectare Walkersons Estate is a birding gem. Its mix of rolling hills, wetlands, and grasslands makes it productive year-round. A well-positioned bird hide provides a rare chance to glimpse the elusive Red-chested Flufftail, while the grasslands above the estate’s Mountain Reserve echo with the calls of Fan-tailed Grassbird and Cape Grassbird. Malachite Sunbirds and Gurney’s Sugarbirds add flashes of colour among the blooming proteas.

Verloren Valei Birding Route

Exploring the Verloren Valei Nature Reserve and the scenic “De Berg” road offers some of the most iconic grassland birding in the country. At over 2,000 metres, birders can expect Yellow-breasted Pipit, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, and, in summer, the striking Cuckoo Finch.

The reserve’s conservation significance extends beyond birds: its wetlands are a biodiversity hotspot for flora, amphibians, and butterflies.

Greater Lakenvlei Birding Route

To the south of Dullstroom, the Lakenvlei route offers a different birding experience. Here, all three crane species are often seen together in agricultural fields, while Secretarybirds and Denham’s Bustards patrol the grasslands. Lakes and dams are busy with White-backed and Maccoa Ducks, along with a variety of other waterfowl. Early morning drives also frequently produce good sightings of Grey-winged and Red-winged Francolins feeding along firebreaks and road verges.

Accommodation and Avitourism

BirdLife South Africa’s GoBirding platform connects travellers to the organization’s network of Recommended Members, including accommodation providers who actively support our organization’s avitourism and conservation work. For birders, these partnerships ensure a comfortable stay and direct support for conservation through responsible, sustainable tourism.

Linking Tourism to Conservation

The Steenkampsberg Birding Routes, developed by BirdLife South Africa in collaboration with the Escarpment Bird Club, represent a powerful example of conservation through tourism.

By mapping and promoting key birding routes, the initiative creates opportunities for visitors while incentivising landowners to conserve habitats. When local communities and landowners see tangible benefits from birding tourism, conservation outcomes become sustainable in the long term.

Avitourism has ripple effects: it supports local economies, encourages biodiversity-friendly land management, and creates awareness among both domestic and international visitors. For BirdLife South Africa, Dullstroom is not just a birding destination, but a living example of how conservation and tourism can thrive together.

Why Birders Return

Ask any birder why they return to Dullstroom; the answer is never just one thing. It is the haunting call of cranes drifting across mist-shrouded wetlands, the joy of hearing the faint trill of a Fan-tailed Grassbird above the grasslands, and the delight of discovering a Buff-streaked Chat perched against a dramatic escarpment backdrop. And perhaps most of all, it is the feeling that this landscape, with its birds, people, and conservation stories, all form part of something much bigger.

In Dullstroom, birding is not simply about ticking species on a list (although you can certainly still enjoy this!) It is about experiencing a region where birds, landscapes, and conservation are deeply intertwined. For those fortunate enough to visit, each dawn chorus carries the promise of elusive avian specials, and the reassurance that efforts to conserve them remain ongoing.

So, whether you are a first-time visitor and budding beginner birder, or a returning seasoned twitcher, Dullstroom offers a timeless invitation: to explore, to connect, and to celebrate the wild beauty of South Africa’s highveld grasslands.

 

Text by John Kinghorn (Avitourism Project Manager, BirdLife South Africa)