Western Cape – Oudtshoorn and Surrounding Areas
About the Birding
Birding in the areas surrounding Oudtshoorn is discussed in four different sections hereafter, namely:
• Road R328 to the Cango Caves & the Swartberg Mountain Pass
• Lategansvlei and Kruisrivier Loop Road
• Mount Hope (Groot Doringrivier) Road
• Heimersrivier Road and Doringrivier Road.
In addition to these sites, also consider the routes described under other nearby pins on the website, namely:
• De Rust pin – Oude Muragie and Vergelegen Loop Road including Rust-en-Vrede Waterfall
• Swartberg Mountain Pass pin – Swartberg Mountain Pass (R328) and Gamkaskloof (The Hell) Road.
Birding along the roads in the area to the south of the Grootswartberg Mountain Range is rewarding and normally should produce many of the Klein Karoo special bird species. Other species in the area include the Tambourine Dove, Spike-heeled-, Karoo– & Karoo Long-billed Larks, Cape Rockjumper, Sentinel Rock- & Karoo Thrushes, Karoo-, Sickle-winged- & Tractrac Chats, Karoo Scrub Robin, Karoo- & Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Karoo Prinia, Pririt Batis, Layard’s-, Rufous-eared- & Victorin’s Warblers, Fairy Flycatcher, Black-headed Canary, as well as Cinnamon-breasted- & Lark-like Buntings.
To date, 211 different bird species have been recorded along the drive along Road R328 and on the adjoining farmland areas.
As mentioned in the previous section, birding along this drive is good but caution should be exercised when birding on this section of road due to fast flowing traffic on the tarred road sections.
Along the first 8km of the road leading out of Oudtshoorn most of the birds that are typically associated with Klein Karoo farmlands and human activity can be found. All these species can probably be observed in more easily accessible and safer to stop birding locations in other areas surrounding Oudtshoorn.
Immediately to the north of the Vergelegen Road turn-off towards De Rust (east) the habitat changes quite dramatically from the intensely developed agricultural areas into unspoilt natural vegetation along the hillsides. This type of habitat is continued up to the Oude Muragie Road turn-off to the east. Beyond the Oude Muragie turn-off the valley floor of the Grobbelaarsrivier is cultivated whilst the adjoining hillsides are unspoilt. This diversity provides for good birding in this area as food supply is plentiful for most bird species.
To date, 233 bird species have been recorded along the loop road drive and in the adjacent areas. Special bird species that have been recorded along the loop road are South African Shelduck, Black-necked Grebe, Southern Black Korhaan, Denham’s- & Ludwig’s Bustards, Secretarybird, Double-banded Courser, Martial- & Verreaux’s Eagles, Lanner- & Peregrine Falcons, Lesser Kestrel, Ground- & Olive Woodpeckers, Cape Eagle-owl, Tambourine Dove, Spike-heeled-, Karoo–, Karoo Long-billed & Cape Clapper Larks, Karoo Thrush, Karoo- & Sickle-winged Chats, Karoo Scrub Robin, Karoo- & Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Karoo Prinia, Pririt Batis, Layard’s-, Namaqua- & Rufous-eared Warblers, Fairy Flycatcher, Black-headed Canary, Cape Siskin, as well as Cape- & Lark-like Buntings.
Three different biomes are covered along this looped drive. The first and last sections of the route traverses through typical Klein Karoo shrubland and scrubs. These areas present excellent opportunity to find many of the Klein Karoo special bird species like Double-banded Courser, Secretarybird, Ludwig’s Bustard, Karoo-, Karoo Long-billed- and Spike-heeled Larks, Karoo Chat, Karoo- & Yellow bellied Eremomela, Karoo Prinia, Rufous-eared Warbler, and Lark-like Buntings.
The foothills of the Swartberg Mountain present opportunities to observe the birds that typically associate with more rocky and steeper sloped environments which are covered with more broad-leaved shrubs and Acacia thickets along river valleys. These areas are good to find special bird species like Acacia Pied Barbet, Verreaux’s-, Martial- & Booted Eagles, Cape Eagle-owl, Lanner- & Peregrine Falcons, Ground Woodpecker, Tambourine Dove, Spike-heeled Lark, Karoo Thrush, Sickle-winged Chat, Karoo Scrub Robin, Karoo Prinia, Pririt Batis, Layard’s- & Namaqua Warblers, Fairy Flycatcher, Black-headed Canary, Cape Siskin, as well as Cape- & Lark-like Buntings.
Along the Groenfontein River Valley bird species like Cape Penduline- & Grey Tit, Olive Woodpecker, Cape Clapper Lark, Karoo Thrush, Sickle-winged Chat, Karoo Scrub Robin, Karoo- & Namaqua Prinia, Cape- & Pririt Batis, Black-headed Canary, and Cape Siskin can easily be found.
To date, 232 different bird species have been recorded along the Mount Hope Road drive. The northern section of the road, that roughly follows the course of the Doringrivier through the undeveloped Klein Karoo hilly terrain, provides good opportunity to locate many of the Klein Karoo special bird species like South African Shelduck, African Black Duck, African Spoonbill, Goliath- & Purple Herons, Secretarybird, Southern Black Korhaan, Double-banded Courser, Blue Crane, Denham’s & Ludwig’s Bustards, African Goshawk, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Black Harrier, Namaqua Dove, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Alpine Swift, Lesser Honeyguide, Giant- & Malachite Kingfishers, White-backed Mousebird, Acacia Pied Barbet, Cape Clapper-, Karoo-, Karoo Long-billed-, Red-capped- & Spike-heeled Larks, Karoo- & Sickle-winged Chats, Capped- & Mountain Wheatears, Long-billed Crombec, Yellow-bellied- & Karoo Eremomela, Pririt Batis, Fairy Flycatcher, Bokmakierie, Plain-backed Pipit, Karoo Scrub Robin, Wattled Starling, Karoo Thrush, Cape Penduline- & Grey Tits, Chestnut-vented-, Layard’s-, Namaqua- & Rufous-eared Warblers, Black-headed Canary, as well as Cape- & Lark-like Buntings.
Birding along the streambeds in the Acacia thickets that present the most promising birding opportunities to locate many of the special bird species, including the open fallow cultivated areas that also provide very good opportunities to observe many of the little brown jobs in the area is quite rewarding. Birders are advised to frequently stop for a few minutes at stream crossings (wet or dry) and listen tentatively for bird calls from within the thickets and then painstakingly hunt them down. Stops should also be made alongside cultivated areas that at first glance may appear to be very arid and devoid of any form of life. Meticulous scanning of the soil will ultimately yield many of the drab coloured ground-dwelling species, but pay special attention to their calls, as it greatly assists in the correct identification of the respective species in view. Birders may stand amazed at the diversity of ground-dwelling species in areas like these.
To date, 229 different bird species have been recorded along the Doringrivier/Heimersrivier Road drive. The northern section of the road, that roughly follows the course of the Doringrivier through the undeveloped Klein Karoo hilly terrain, provides good opportunities to locate many of the Klein Karoo special bird species like South African Shelduck, African Black Duck, African Spoonbill, Purple Heron, Southern Black Korhaan, Double-banded Courser, Blue Crane, Denham’s & Ludwig’s Bustards, African Goshawk, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Black Harrier, Namaqua Dove, Alpine Swift, Lesser Honeyguide, Giant- & Malachite Kingfishers, White-backed Mousebird, Acacia Pied Barbet, Cape Clapper-, Karoo-, Karoo Long-billed-, Red-capped- & Spike-heeled Larks, Karoo- & Sickle-winged Chats, Capped- & Mountain Wheatears, Long-billed Crombec, Yellow-bellied & Karoo Eremomela, Pririt Batis, Fairy Flycatcher, Bokmakierie, Plain-backed Pipit, Karoo Scrub Robin, Wattled Starling, Karoo Thrush, Cape Penduline- & Grey Tits, Chestnut-vented-, Layard’s-, Namaqua- & Rufous-eared Warblers, Black-headed Canary, as well as Cape- & Lark-like Buntings.
Birding along the streambeds in the Acacia thickets that present the most promising birding opportunities to locate many of the special bird species, including the open fallow cultivated areas that also provide very good opportunities to observe many of the little brown jobs in the area is quite rewarding. Birders are advised to frequently stop for a few minutes at stream crossings (wet or dry) and listen tentatively for bird calls from within the thickets and then painstakingly hunt them down. Stops should also be made alongside cultivated areas that at first glance may appear to be very arid and devoid of any form of life. Meticulous scanning of the soil will ultimately yield many of the drab coloured ground-dwelling species, but pay special attention to their calls, as it greatly assists in the correct identification of the respective species on offer. Birders will stand amazed at the diversity of ground-dwelling bird species in areas like these.
About the Birding Site
The areas surrounding Oudtshoorn are dominated by intensely developed agricultural fields and ostrich farms with the majestic Grootswartberg (Great Black Mountain) Mountain Range to its north and Klein Karoo landscapes surrounding the town.
The birding sites in the areas surrounding Oudtshoorn are discussed in four different sections hereafter, namely:
• Road R328 to the Cango Caves & the Swartberg Mountain Pass
• Lategansvlei and Kruisrivier Loop Road
• Mount Hope (Groot Doringrivier) Road
• Heimersrivier Road and Doringrivier Road.
The R328 provincial road that leads to the north out of Oudtshoorn towards the Swartberg Mountains and Prince Alfred, starts as GPS -33.5928˚S, 22.2023˚E (Oudtshoorn). This road is the main access road to the world famous Cango Caves and the notorious Swartberg Mountain Pass. The Swartberg Pass is one of most iconic mountains passes in the RSA and appears on the “must drive” bucket list of most nature loving and outdoor enthusiasts.
The length of this drive, on a good quality tarred road, is approximately 29km from Oudtshoorn to the foot of the Swartberg Mountain Pass section at GPS -33.3923˚S, 22.1097˚E (Swartberg Pass). This GPS point also marks the turn-off to the Groenfontein Road that runs westwards towards Calitzdorp along the foothills of the Swartberg Mountain Range – refer to the Calitzdorp pin for more details on this Groenfontein route.
For details of the Swartberg Mountain Pass and the Gamkaskloof (The Hell) please refer to a separate pin on the web page named “Swartberg Pass”.
Along the drive northwards to the Cango Caves, with the turnoff to the caves located at GPS -33.4019˚S, 22.2162˚E, the turn-offs to the Vergelegen Road at GPS -33.5336˚S, 22.2447˚E as well as to the Oude Muragie Road at GPS -33.4273˚S, 22.2516˚E are also encountered. For detailed descriptions of these two roads please refer to the “De Rust” pin on this web page. The popular Rust-en-Vrede waterfall is located along the Oude Muragie Road that leads towards De Rust.
The first section of Road R328 to the Cango Caves travels through developed agricultural areas, but as soon as the foothills of the mountain range is reached, the vegetation alongside the road changes dramatically. The road follows the course of the Grobbelaarsrivier all the way to the start of the Swartberg Mountain Pass. The adjoining habitats along the hillsides are mostly unspoilt vegetation that provide for good birding opportunity.
Care should however be exercised when birding along this rather busy road section as traffic is fast flowing along the road. The Grobbelaarsrivier Valley is considerably wetter than the surrounding environment and as such attracts a greater diversity of bird species than the adjoining more arid areas.
This minor gravel district loop roads, which are approximately 58km long, can be accessed from both the eastern side (Lategansvlei South) at GPS -33.5994˚S, 22.1377˚E or from the west (Kruisrivier South) at GPS -33.5574˚S, 21.8957˚E. Both these two southern access points are located on the tarred R62 Road that links Oudtshoorn to Calitzdorp. The loop road can alternatively be accessed from the northern side of the Groenfontein link road that runs between Calitzdorp and the Swartberg Mountain Pass. These two northern access points are located at either GPS -33.4199˚S, 21.9523˚E (Lategansvlei North) or at GPS -33.4418˚S, 21.8841˚E (Kruisrivier North). The gravel section of the loop road can comfortably be undertaken with any vehicle type.
For this description, it is assumed that travelling starts at the Lategansvlei South access point and the drive will be undertaken in an anti-clockwise direction around the loop from this turn-off point.
The return leg of the loop, along the tarred R62 route, is approximately 30km long back to Oudtshoorn.
The habitats along the loop road vary from typical arid Klein Karoo landscapes on the flat areas that are laying on the southern side of the east to west stretching mountain range. It also includes the much moister Groenfontein Valley lying between the two mentioned northern access points. Beautiful views of the Swartberg Mountains open to the traveller along the Groenfontein Road section between the Lategansvlei and Kruisfontein Roads.
From the start of the route, the first approximately 50% of the Lategansvlei Road crosses the arid Klein Karoo landscapes and then enters the foothills of Swartberg Mountain. Most of the second section of the Lategansvlei Road crosses between pristine preserved natural habitats on privately owned nature reserves. Most of the Groenfontein Road section of the loop road also crosses through private nature reserves.
The Kruisrivier Road crosses the Swartberg Mountain foothills along the course of the Kruisrivier through a gorge called Buffelskloof (Buffalo Gorge) until it reaches the Redstone Hills at GPS -33.5134˚S, 21.8702˚E. The Redstone Hills area is a very prominent geological feature in the landscape consisting of a conglomerate rock mass outcrop consisting of remarkable dark-red coloured sands which surround large rounded rock boulders. The Redstone Hills are most likely a remnant of glacier activity in the region many millennia ago. The Redstone Hills provides excellent photographic opportunities. The Redstone Hills marks the southern end of the Swartberg Mountain foothills and forms the northern border of the arid Klein Karoo landscapes located further to the south.
The 30km long return leg along the R62 tarred route crosses through typical Klein Karoo habitats and provides little opportunity for birding. However, most of the Klein Karoo little brown jobs can be located along the road in these arid areas.
The Mount Hope district gravel road connects the R328 (Tarred road between Oudtshoorn and Mosselbay) to the N12 (National highway between Oudtshoorn and George) and it roughly follows the course of the Groot Doringrivier (Great Thorn River).
The north-western starting point of this road is located approximately 13km to the south of Oudtshoorn on the R328 Road to Mosselbay at GPS -33.7030˚S, 22.1518˚E (R328 – Mount Hope North).
The south-eastern access point onto the Mount Hope Road is located approximately 30km outside of Oudtshoorn on the N12 National Highway between Oudtshoorn and George at GPS -33.7857˚S, 22.3409˚E (N12 – Mount Hope Road South).
Mount Hope Road is a 27,5km long local district gravel road that comfortably can be travelled in any type of vehicle. During dry conditions, the road can become very dusty and corrugated. The road does not carry high traffic loads and thus presents good birding opportunities along the entire reach of the road.
Take note of the turn-off positions at the two markers indicated as “Oudtshoorn Turn-off” at GPS -33.7962˚S, 22.2270˚E as well as at Zebra, GPS -337707˚S, 22.3070˚E.
Birders are advised to rather travel along the Heimersrivier and Doringrivier Roads on the return trip to Oudtshoorn than to try and bird along the N12 National Highway on the return trip.
The Mount Hope Road traverses mostly through undeveloped hilly Klein Karoo habitats with minor cultivated areas. These different habitats provide excellent opportunities to locate many of the Klein Karoo special terrestrial bird species. Pay special attention to the areas surrounding farm dams and at the stream crossings as many of the Klein Karoo special bird species are associated with the thickets alongside dams and streams.
The Heimersrivier and Doringrivier Roads which jointly are 38,5km long (north to south) is a recommended alternative return drive in lieu of driving along the N12 National Highway between Oudtshoorn and George, following a drive along the Mount Hope Road, as described in a foregoing section. The Heimersrivier and Doringrivier Road drive can also be undertaken as a single drive from Oudtshoorn with a return via the N12, although birding along the N12 highway is not safe to do.
The Heimersrivier and Doringrivier Route is via good quality gravel district roads and can be undertaken in any type of vehicle. The roads can however become very dusty and corrugated during dry periods.
The Doringrivier section of the road starts in Oudtshoorn on the N12 National Highway at GPS -33.6121˚S, 22.2143˚E (Doringrivier North). The road runs past the Oudtshoorn Waste-water Treatment Works, but unfortunately the facilities have been closed to public entrance. The oxidation ponds (when accessible) provide excellent opportunity to observe all the water-loving bird species that are normally associated with the Klein Karoo. The northern section of the Doringrivier Road initially follows the course of the Olifantsrivier which is intensely farmed and cultivated. Beyond the confluence of the Olifants and Kammanassie Rivers the road turns south-east and follows the course of the Kammanassie River up to the confluence thereof with the Doringrivier. Up to approximately the halfway mark of the route the road then runs along the course of the Doringrivier. Beyond the halfway mark the road ventures into the hills of the Klein Karoo. The section of road along the Doringrivier and through the southerly hills runs through undeveloped environments which consist of typical Klein Karoo shrub habitats and Renosterveld in areas.
The east-west part of the road, described as the Heimersrivier Road, runs between GPS -33.7684˚S, 22.3420˚E (Heimersrivier West) and GPS -33.7662˚S, 22.4221˚E (Doringrivier/Heimersrivier). The environment along the Heimersrivier section is basically monotype agricultural areas for the total length of this section, but it provides excellent opportunity to locate and observe all the local little brown jobs.
Other Related Information
Permits:
No permits are required to drive anyone of these public roads.
Recommended accommodation nearby:
There are several guesthouses offering farm stays on farms surrounding Oudtshoorn or in the town itself as well as other accommodation types in the area which are available through the normal accommodation booking sites.
Local guide information:
There are no community bird guides available for this area.
Text prepared by:
Francois Furstenburg
Key species:
South African Shelduck, Black-necked Grebe, Striped Flufftail, Southern Black Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, Secretarybird, Double-banded Courser, Martial- & Verreaux’s Eagles, Lanner- & Peregrine Falcons, Lesser Kestrel, Ground Woodpecker as well as Cape Eagle-owls.
Contact details:
Oudtshoorn Tourism Bureau:
Website: http://www.oudtshoorn.com
Email: info@oudtshoorn.com
Tel: +27 (44) 279 2532
