The big game viewing in Kruger rivals that of any reserve in Africa with large elephant, buffalo and lion populations being relatively easily seen. Every year over a million visitors tally up in the region of 520 bird species. Due to its great size, Kruger supports a unique combination of habitats with the added benefits of easy road access and comfortable amenities. The land to the north of the Luvuvhu River, and south of the Limpopo, was subject to a successful land claim and reverted back to the Makuleke Tribe in 1998 but remains under the wider protection of Kruger National Park as the Makuleke Concession though most of these areas are inaccessible to the general public except through a number of ecotourism operators that run lodges in these northern reaches of the park.

Birding is best in the summer months (November to March) with the arrival of summer migrants but a remarkable number of birds can be seen in the winter months (May – July). Birding is fantastic throughout the park but the northern area is host to a number of species that are on the edge of their southernmost range and do not occur elsewhere in South Africa. A birding trip to Kruger National Park should be on the agenda of any birder in South Africa.

The northern parts of the National park (including the Makuleke Concession) are blanketed in dense mixed woodland (Punda Maria) and dry rugged Baobab and Mopane country (Pafuri). On the eastern boundary, the extensive Mwambiya Sandveld that is more characteristic of the Mozambique lowland plain pushes into the reserve. However, the overall topography of the northern sector is dominated by the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers that reach their confluence at the eastern boundary before ultimately flowing into Mozambique. These rivers are flanked by dense riverine woodland and forest providing habitat for a wealth of species.

While the central and southern regions of the park are generally more rewarding for wildlife, there is little question that northern Kruger is for the birds. Northern Kruger boasts an extremely high diversity and density of bird species, including several notable species that reach their southern distributional limit here. Several ‘Birding Big Day’ teams have recorded in excess of 260 species in a 24-hour period, highlighting the incredible diversity of this region. Top among the extensive list of species to be found here are the Pel’s Fishing Owl, White-crowned Lapwing, Saddle-billed Stork, and White-backed Night-heron along the major rivers; Thick-billed Cuckoo, Retz’s Helmet-shrike, Gorgeous Bushshrike, Crested Guineafowl, Tropical Boubou, Black-throated Wattle-eye, and Ayres’s Hawk-eagle in the riverine woodland and forest; and Meves’s Starling, Grey-headed Parrot, Three-banded Courser, Arnot’s Chat, and Racket-tailed Roller in the dry woodland. Several days are recommended to explore this area as many species occur in low density.

Key species:

Pel’s Fishing Owl, Three-banded Courser, Racket-tailed Roller, Arnot’s Chat, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Tropical Boubou, Crested Guineafowl, Senegal Coucal