The riverbed in front of camp is a good place to look for Black-winged Kite, Namaqua Dove, Red-necked Falcon, Cape Sparrow, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Violet-eared Waxbill and Black-cheeked Waxbill. For those overnighting, it is well worth exploring the fenced campsite after dark for owls, as Western Barn Owl, African Scops Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Spotted Eagle Owl and the sought after Southern White-faced Owl occur here too. Learn their calls beforehand, so you know which one you’re heading after. Alternatively a night drive from camp could add Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Rufous-cheeked Nightjar (in summer) and Spotted Thick-knee and occasionally Marsh Owl. Although not strictly the Kalahari type birding one would expect, in wetter years this camp produces some strange birds and the likes of African Crake, Striped Crake, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher have turned up in the past. Also, of local interest, keep an eye out for Grey-backed Camaroptera, Burnt-necked Eremomela and Violet-backed Starling which have also been recorded in the camp.

Auob and Nossob Riverbeds:
The Kgalagadi is well known for its two predominantly dry river systems. However, even without water, the large line of trees that follow the banks of both the Nossob and Auob Rivers, make for great birding. Careful scanning of the flats along either of these systems will likely turn up Kori Bustard, Northern Black Korhaan and groups of Common Ostrich. With luck, Burchell’s Courser or the more likely Double-banded Courser can be found along these roads. The vegetated banks hold typical Kalahari specials, so you should be able to locate Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Acacia Pied Barbet, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Common Scimitarbill, Ant-eating Chat, Fawn-coloured Lark, Sabota Lark, Pink-billed Lark, Spike-heeled Lark, Monotonous Lark and Wattled Starling after good rains, Chat Flycatcher, Desert Cisticola, Brubru, Ashy Tit, Rosy-faced Lovebird, White-backed Mousebird, Pearl-spotted Owlet to name a few.

To keep the raptor fanatics happy, Bateleur, Jackal Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Martial, Gabar Goshawk, Southern Pale-chanting Goshawk, Greater Kestrel, Lesser Kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite, Yellow-billed Kite, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-backed Vulture and both Black-chested Snake-eagle and Brown Snake-eagle are possible along these routes. Whilst Steppe Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle are irregular summer migrants, as are Pallid Harrier and Montagu’s Harrier. For those that get their timing right and are here when the rivers are either flowing or are full of stagnant pools, you might bump into some interesting birds for the region. These include waterbirds that move into the area, like Little Grebe, Red-billed Teal, Cape Teal, Spur-winged Goose, Egyptian Goose and any muddy areas might host waders like Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper Three-banded Plover, Blacksmith Lapwing, Ruff and less commonly encountered but present in small numbers in good seasons are Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and even Greater Painted Snipe are recorded now and then. Any rank grassy areas might hold rare rallids such as African Crake, Striped Crake and Lesser Moorhen, whilst in summer White Stork and Abdim’s Stork often move into the area.

Twee Rivieren to Nossob (lower Nossob):
The drive between Twee Rivieren and Nossob along the river is a scenic one. You’ll pass a number of small waterholes like that of Rooiputs and Kij Kij. These are great places to sit and do some game viewing, but they also attract Namaqua Sandgrouse and Burchell’s Sandgrouse and the odd waterbird too, which aren’t easily found in this arid environment. The thornveld is alive in the area and you’re likely to bump into Acacia Pied Barbet, Pririt Batis, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Bokmakierie, Brubru, White-throated Canary, Cape Crow, Desert Cisticola, Red-headed Finch, Chat Flycatcher, Marico Flycatcher, White-backed Mousebird, Kori Bustard, Ludwig’s Bustard and Lark-like Bunting. Always keep looking up, as aerial feeders like Common Swift, Little Swift, White-rumped Swift, White-throated Swallow, Greater Striped Swallow and Pearl-breasted Swallow can be found as can a good selection of raptors. Black-chested Snake-eagle and Brown Snake-eagle are common here, White-backed Vultures breed in some of the larger camelthorns, as do Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Secretarybird and Martial Eagle.

Nossob:
This campsite, situated along the edge of the Nossob River, is a great place to look for some arid specials. The large trees around reception and in the northern section of the camp are good places to start, and here Southern Pied Babbler, Acacia Pied Barbet, Great Sparrow, Pririt Batis, Brubru, African Red-eyed Bulbul, Burchell’s Starling, Long-billed Crombec and Shaft-tailed Whydah are common. Fairy Flycatchers are worth looking for here in winter. Other birds to look out for in the area around Nossob are Kori Bustard, Ludwig’s Bustard, Desert Cisticola, Cape Crow, Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Booted Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Red-necked Falcon and Gabar Goshawk. Nossob has also turned up some interesting vagrants in the past, Great Red Warbler and Buff-spotted Flufftail being significant examples, so it’s always worth scouring the camp well, especially in the days after very large weather events.

Nossob has a well-lit hide, and if there is water it is a great place to sit and watch raptors coming to drink on a hot day and in the evenings, keep your eyes out for shy mammals making their way in after dark. Rufous-cheeked Nightjar can be regularly found hunting insects beneath the lights, and White-faced Scops Owl, Western Barn Owl and Spotted Eagle-Owl are often found in the camp and occasionally Bronze-winged Courser which arrive in summer.

Twee Rivieren to Mata Mata:
In a similar fashion to the drive between Twee Rivieren to Nossob, you’ll be birding large stands of thornveld tracking along the edges of the Auob River. The species composition here is much the same and the closer you get to Mata Mata, the more vegetation the area has and the birding starts to improve. Keep a lookout for Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Green Wood-hoopoe, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Pin-tailed Whydah, Sociable Weaver, Violet-eared Waxbill, Black-faced Waxbill, Rufous-eared Warbler, Ashy Tit, Dusky Sunbird, Purple Roller, Lilac-breasted Roller and a variety of Larks, like Fawn-coloured Lark, Monotonous Lark, Pink-billed Lark, Sabota Lark, Spike-heeled Lark and Stark’s Lark. Occasionally you might bump into Ground-scraper Thrush, Spotted Thich-knee, Bradfield’s Swift, Short-toed Rock-thrush here, and a number of cuckoo species move through here in summer. The 13th Borehole is always a good place to spend some time, as Gabar Goshawk and Lanner Falcon can often be seen hunting Red-headed Finch and Red-billed Quelea which come down to drink in large flocks.

Mata Mata:
place to start birding outside of camp towards Mata Mata, which is accessible by taking the first turn after leaving camp. Here the rolling sand dunes house Eastern Clapper Lark and small numbers of Pink-billed Lark and the ever present Fawn-coloured Lark too. Mata Mata itself, located on the border of Namibia had very large trees in the camp can produce Pearl-spotted Owlet, Ashy Tit, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Acacia Pied Barbet, Pririt Batis, Brubru, African Red-eyed Bulbul, Black-throated Canary, Familiar Chat, and in summer a variety of migrant cuckoos, like African Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Diderick Cuckoo and Jacobin Cuckoo. There is also a hide in the camp which one can view both game and the odd waterbird from. The surrounding drier thornveld outside of Mata Mata camp can yield Desert Cisticola, Double-banded Courser, Burchell’s Courser, Temminck’s Courser, Monotonous Lark is wet seasons, Rosy-faced Lovebird, White-backed Mousebird, Buffy Pipit, Kalahari Scrub Robin and countless others.

Dune Roads and Nossob Eco Trail:
Booking for the eco trail is necessary, and for those that do so, you’ll be traversing a magical part of the park. These duneveld systems hold a high density if Ludwig’s Bustards and a good raptor diversity too and Greater Kestrel, Tawny Eagle, Booted Eagle, Martial Eagle, Brown Snake-Eagle, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Bateleur, Black-shouldered Kite are all regulars here. The area had a good sandgrouse population and any time spent around Vaalpan and Kielie Krankie could produce Namaqua Sandgrouse, Burchell’s Sandgrouse and occasionally Double-banded Sandgrouse. The grassy dunes, especially after good rainfall years, were searching for Common Buttonquail and Common Quail as well as the sought after Black-eared Sparrowlark which occasionally move into this part of the park in high numbers. Both the upper and lower dune roads are good places to search for larks, and Sabota Lark, Spike-heeled Lark, Fawn-coloured Lark, Pink-billed Lark occur here and Lark-like Bunting and Grey-backed Sparrowlark and likely bycatch.

Nossob to Union’s End (upper Nossob):
Although the Nossob is fairly consistent with regards to habitat and species composition, the northern reaches are rather good for raptors and this is a great place to look for the sought after Red-necked Falcon. Other key things to look out for in the area are Rosy-faced Lovebirds, which are searched for around Grootkolk and Union’s End waterholes where they come down to drink. Typical thornveld birding is the order of the day up here, although African Grey Hornbill is more common here than elsewhere in the park. Pallid Harrier and Montagu’s Harrier, although uncommon in the park are probably best looked for on the large open stretches of the river up here and you might also pick up Buffy Pipit, Capped Wheatear and Burchell’s Courser, Temminck’s Courser and Double-banded Courser and a variety of larks out on these flats too.

Gemsbok Wilderness Trail & Mabuasehube:
In appearance, both of these areas are far more typical savannah and like all good savannahs, the raptors seem to flock to the area. In summer this is a great place to look for Red-footed Falcon and Lesser Kestrel which move into the area, especially in the vicinity of the Mabuasehube pans. These calcrete pans are also good places to search for Double-banded Courser, Temminck’s Courser and Buffy Pipit. These pans are also regular bathing sites for White-backed Vulture and Lappet-faced Vulture, but occasionally White-headed Vulture and Cape Vulture make an appearance here too. The summer months also bring lots of cuckoos and you have a good chance of finding Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, Diderick Cuckoo and Jacobin Cuckoo around here. Other typical thornveld birds here include Cape Penduline-tit, Long-billed Crombec, Ashy Tit, Dusky Sunbird, Marico Sunbird, Golden-breasted Bunting, Burchell’s Starling and some less commonly encountered species like Southern Pied Babbler, Groundscraper Thrush, Helmeted Guineafowl, Red-billed Spurfowl, Red-crested Korhaan and both Bearded Woodpecker and Bennett’s Woodpecker, both readily picked up by their characteristic calls.

Other:
Due to the sparse vegetation, the Kgalagadi offers premier mammal watching, especially within the dry Auob and Nossob Rivers and is renowned for its big cat sightings and seasonal migrations of Blue Wildebeest, Springbok, Eland and Red Hartebeest. Whilst black-maned Lions, Leopards, Cheetah and Brown Hyena are often encountered, one also has a chance to view Pangolin, Bat-eared Fox, Honey Badger, African Wild Cat, Caracal many other less commonly encountered mammals.

Key species:

Secretarybird, Martial Eagle, Red-necked Falcon, Pygmy Falcon, Southern White-faced Owl, Kori Bustard, Burchell’s Sandgrouse, Double-banded Courser, Sociable Weaver