The Birdlife of Botswana

Some 550 bird species in total have been accepted for the Botswana national bird list. These are species known to live in the country at some time of the year, including the various rare vagrants, which are from time to time recorded. Total numbers of birds within the country fluctuate within a year and also from year to year. On more local scale, many bird species may undergo irregular movements within Botswana. Such movements may be triggered by rainfall, temperatures, food, breeding requirements or a combination of these.

The birds you are most likely to see include the following: Ostrich, cormorant, darter, stork, hammerkop, flamingo, greater and lesser flamingo, pygmy goose, knobbilled duck and Egyptian goose, African jacana, black korhaan and kori bustard, Cape vulture, bateleur eagle and African fish eagle, Cape turtle dove, laughing dove, redeyed dove and Namaqua dove; bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, forktailed drongo, black and pied crow, pied and whiterumped babbler, yellowbilled and redbilled oxpecker, masked weaver, paradise and shaftailed whydah. The majority of these species can be seen in the Okavango Delta or along the River Chobe in northern Botswana.