Birding Routes Across South Africa

South Africa offers a range of birding habitats, from grasslands, wetlands and forests, to savannahs, fynbos, the seashore and open oceans. These habitats offer a spectacular diversity of beautiful birds, from the diminutive, fynbos-restricted Orange-breasted Sunbird to the large, desert-adapted Ludwig’s Bustard. A remarkable 856 bird species are found in South Africa, representing approximately eight percent of the world’s bird species. Seventy-four species are endemic to South Africa, i.e. they do not occur naturally anywhere else in the world.

The overall objective of the Birding Routes is to achieve meaningful socio-economic benefits for local communities as well as conservation benefits by using avitourism to increase the competiveness of the region. Through these birding routes, BirdLife South Africa seeks to achieve their conservation objectives by giving birds and their habitats an economic value. Birding routes provide information and resources to local and international birders on where to go, what to see, who to go birding with and where to stay within a certain geographical area. An exciting initiative along all the birding routes is the availability of Community Bird Guides. The guides are affordable; provide improved security and valuable information on where elusive and special bird species may be found.

Specifically the aims of the birding routes are:

To promote the conservation of birds and their habitats through the education of local communities within the routes.
To provide local and international birders with up to date and detailed information to enable them to enjoy the avifauna of the region. The routes provide information on birding sites, birding events, community bird guides and the location of Birder Friendly Establishments through a variety of mediums such as a website, brochures and maps.
To train and develop community bird guides from local communities and provide a source of employment and income for local communities through bird guiding and community projects.
To promote the conservation of wild birds and their habitats through community conservation projects.
To ensure that products used and promoted are socially, environmentally and economically responsible.
To increase the competitiveness of the region by developing birding routes, products and birding infrastructure.
To market the services of birding routes, guides, accommodation establishments, community and conservation projects.

In addition, the routes initiate a number of local community projects aimed at promoting the conservation of birds and their habitats by giving birds an economic value to the communities in which the route is situated.

Responsible tourism

All birding routes of BirdLife South Africa’s Avitourism division subscribe to the International Ecotourism Society’s principles. Ecotourism is defined by the International Ecotourism Society as: “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people”

Ecotourism is about connecting conservation, communities, travellers and tourism operators. This means that those who implement and participate in responsible tourism activities should adhere to the following ecotourism principles:

Minimize impact

Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
Provide direct financial benefits for conservation
Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
Raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate

This definition of ecotourism stands at the centre of BirdLife South Africa’s role in promoting and developing avitourism in South Africa.

The Birding Routes are conservation and community-orientated avitourism projects which subscribe fully to the principles of responsible travel and fair trade.

Through the Avitourism Division and the birding routes, BirdLife South Africa would like to promote carefully managed establishments involved in conservation and community projects and who promote responsible living by being environmentally responsible, sustainable tourism providers.

Establishments are required to meet certain criteria in order to qualify for ‘Birder-Friendly’ status which include:

Catering to the specific needs of birders
Being Responsible Tourism operators
Supporting BirdLife South Africa’ strategic objective of conserving wild birds and their habitats

Being “Birder Friendly” means that these establishments have committed themselves to catering to the needs of birders, have or are in the process of implementing an environmental management plan, support local communities through their procurement, employment and operating protocols and subscribe to the principles of responsible tourism.

Community Projects

Whilst the primary aim of the Birding Routes is to provide a service to local and international birders, they act as more than just an information provider to avitourists. The routes have been designed as community and conservation based avitourism projects where the benefits derived from tourism flow positively into local communities and conservation. The routes recognise the important role that local communities play in conservation and as a result has become involved a in a number of different community initiatives ranging from bird guide training to education to skills development. Over the next three years we will be looking at consolidating these projects as well as including new projects as opportunities arise

Birders Code of Conduct

We encourage you as birders to take responsibility for your actions when visiting birding sites and act in a manner that will have a positive impact upon the communities and environments that you visit. Support local community and conservation initiatives, pay fair prices and leave only your footprints behind. Click here to download the Birders Code of Conduct (pdf)

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Birding Routes Across South Africa

To view the different Birding Routes throughout South Africa click on a province below.

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