Ezemvelo Birding

Superb accommodation in beautiful natural settings from the heights of the mountains in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, a World Heritage Site, through the tropical savannahs of Zululand where the "big five", elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard inhabit Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park and on to the brilliant coral reefs of the Indian Ocean that fringe the lakes and wetlands of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, (Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) also a World Heritage Site.

Fly into Durban and go on safari to enjoy camping, fishing, hiking, birding and the wildlife of this scenic and culturally rich province of KwaZulu-Natal. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is entrusted with the long term conservation of the regions rich biodiversity for the people of South Africa.

In the one hundred years of formal conservation in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, the various departments and statuary organisations that evolved into today`s KZN Wildlife have received many formal awards and words of praise for the quality of their service to conservation and for the high standard of management of the province's natural resources

It has been internationally recognised for white rhino and sea turtle conservation and for its community conservation outreach programmes.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park (Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park have been declared World Heritage Sites.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park along with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and Ndumo, are wetlands of international importance listed as RAMSAR sites.

Locally, the Southern African Crane Foundation, Timeless Africa and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry have recognised the organisation's contribution to crane conservation, tourism and the Working for Water Project.

Birding

The birds of KwaZulu-Natal(KZN) are probably the best known in Africa. Many of the early birders worked here, the reason that more than a few African birds have natalensis as the second half of their scientific name. KZN has a long bird list, about 470 species being regularly recorded, and another 200 less regularly.

This diversity reflects the number of habitats in KZN.

The coastal plain is influenced by the warm Mozambique current, with the result that a number of tropical birds push to their southernmost extremity there.

Some of these are species absent from the rest of South Africa. Other tropical species spread south on a broader front, sometimes occupying the whole of KZN. None of these is a South African endemic, but a few are endemic to the coastal plain, just extending into Mozambique.

Many are breeding migrants, retreating to equatorial Africa in winter. The KZN interior is structurally diverse - forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands - although these habitats are not unique to KZN. Here the tropical birds mingle with species spreading from the western half of southern Africa. These latter are year-round residents, although some migrate short distances to lower altitude in winter. Most of the widespread species come from the southern and western Cape.

KZN's alpine species are a mixture of Karoo birds at their easternmost limit, and species confined to high altitude. Many of these are endemics.

A number of north-western KZN birds are more typically associated with the Kalahari or highveld.

Much of the diversity of KZN is accounted therefore by its unique position at the crossroads of two, and by some definitions four avifaunas.

It also receives a substantial proportion of the Palaearctic migration that graces Africa each summer. One consequence of KZN's crossroads position is that no species is endemic to the province. The importance of KZN in conserving South Africa's birds is reflected in the number of Red Data species present. Of the 62 species currently listed, 49 occur regularly in KZN, and KZN makes a major, or the only contribution towards the conservation of 26 of them.

Birding Hotspots

• St Lucia
• Sodwana
• Kosi Bay
• Mkhuze
• Ndumo
• Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
• Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park
• Umlalazi
• Ithala
• Oribi Gorge
• Impendle
• Umgeni Vlei

KwaZulu-Natal has more than 80 provincial reserves, between them encompassing every habitat. Some have bird lists exceeding 400, quite a few have over 250 species. Below are listed the reserves considered the very best, together with the birds that made them famous. For the full list of the important birding spots in KwaZulu-Natal consult "The Important Bird Areas of southern Africa" by K.N. Barnes, published by BirdLife South Africa.

WHERE: Drakensberg, Kwazulu Natal