Birding Africa
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Botswana & Okavango with Birding Africa

Our Botswana tours enter the heart of the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, the Central Kalahari or Eastern Botswana.

Some of our trips also venture abroad and combine the Okavango Panhandle with Namibia's Namib desert or Zambia's Victoria Falls.

We hand-pick our accommodation to stay amidst the best birding areas, which we reach in air-conditioned vehicles.

Vast wilderness, game-studded swamps and enormous dry woodlands. Our tours explore one of the world's best places to witness specials of the Kalahari, grasslands, swamps and floodplains, among more than 580 bird species.

Large mammals are key here and include African Elephant, Leopard, Cheetah and African Wild Dog. In the hippo-rich Okavango region, we may even see the secretive and elegant Red Lechwe and Sitatunga.

In the Okavango, the desirable Pel's Fishing Owl and White-backed Night-Heron make our key birding targets. Other specials include Coppery-tailed Coucal, Chirping and Luapula Cisticolas, Long-toed Lapwing, Hartlaub's Babbler, Brown Firefinch, African Skimmer, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Lesser Jacana and Slaty Egret.

In Eastern Botswana, we find top birds such as Short-clawed Lark, Boulder Chat and Cape Vulture. And in Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, we aim for those specials such as Burchell's Sandgrouse, Olive-tree Warbler and Pallid Harrier.

Booking is easy with our online booking form and online 3-D secure credit card payment. The deposit is R2000, or about £110 or $180. You will receive confirmation and our tour information pack with practical information on what to expect and how to prepare for the tour.

Email us about availability: info@birdingafrica.com

Featured Leader: Tertius Gous

Tertius grew up in the bushveld in South Africa has birded widely across Africa. He now leads tours for Birding Africa in Madagascar, South Africa, Uganda, Namibia and the Okavango, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia. Besides birds, Tertius has a broad interest in all wildlife, especially mammals.

Tertius Gous, Birding Africa guide

He is trained as a vet and volunteers his special skills for penguin conservation, and has travelled all the way to Tristan du Cunha to help save oiled penguins there.

He is also an accomplished and well-known bird photographer who has that rare balance between showing people good birds and sharing his photographic insights.

Tertius is our only guide to have shown clients both Green-breasted and African Pittas in one year!

Pygmy Goose photogrphed by Tertius A. Gous on a Birding Africa tour

 Pygmy Goose © Tertius A. Gous.


2024 Tours

Tour name Dates in country Days Leaflet Tour report

Namibia and Okavango (BA2459)

14 - 29 September 16 Leaflet GBP
Leaflet USD
click here

Leopard © Jo Latham
Leopard photographed by Jo Latham on our Okavango and Vic Falls Tour © Jo Latham

What participants say...

'Again, my warmest thanks for your [Joe's] fantastic performance as our Namibia-Botswanda guide. I still wonder how you managed all that driving, bird-watching, organizing, keeping a perfect mood - not possible to do better!' H&H, Switzerland

'I cannot thank you [Joe] enough for this wonderful trip. I learned a lot about the birds, the animals, the plants of Africa thanks to your immense knowledge.I also appreciated your humour and wonderful loving way of dealing with all creatures (including Swiss tourists).'
R. Derrer, Switserland

'Many thanks [Marje] for such a comprehensive set of information... but then I'd expect nothing less after all of your previous hard work and attention to detail!

'The trip was a huge success....” “ Dalton was brilliant and an excellent travelling companion. He enlivened the list with a huge fund of bird and animal tales...perfect." JH, Oundle

Pel's Fishing Owl on a Birding Africa tour © Callan Cohen
Pel's Fishing Owl seen on a Birding Africa Tour © Callan Cohen

African Finfoot in the Zambezi River © Callan Cohen
African Finfoot in the Zambezi River © Callan Cohen

Lion at Chobe © Callan Cohen
Lion at Chobe © Callan Cohen


Practical tour information

Focus For keen birders and mammal enthusiasts. The tour focuses on endemic and near-endemic birds as well as the Okavango region specials, like Pel's Fishing Owl, Slaty Egret and White-backed Night Heron. Boat trips and game walks in the Okavango area are generally included. We are also able to spend a lot of time looking for other aspects of wildlife such as mammals, frogs, geckos, butterflies and interesting plants. We can customise any guided or self-drive itinerary to suit to the keen birder, the wildlife enthusiast or both.
Photography Many participants on our trips are amateur wildlife photographers. And when we get excellent views of a bird or mammal, some time is usually spent watching and photographing it. However, this is not a photographic tour and once the majority of the people have felt that they have absorbed the animal or bird to their satisfaction, then we move on in search of the next encounter. Thus, while the photographic opportunities are very good, the group will only occasionally wait for somebody who wants to spend even longer getting better photos.
Fitness No fitness is required. The few walks are generally in relatively flat areas with occasional small inclines.
Timing Good year round even though most productive in summer. Malaria is prevalent.
Climate Hot, especially in summer.
Comfort A good standard of accommodation in guest houses, lodges and tented camps.
Transport We travel by four wheel drive vehicle. To visit the Okavango Delta, we use charter aircraft, which requires luggage to be packed in a soft bag, while not exceeding 20 kg including hand luggage.
Group Size This depends on the specific tour. Please enquire. Maximum 7 people on the Namibia Okavango tours.
Top birds

Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe: Pel's Fishing Owl, White-backed Night Heron, African Skimmer, African Wood Owl, African Pygmy Goose, Slaty Egret, Swamp Boubou, Greater Swamp-Warbler, Luapula Cisticola, Chirping Cisticola and Coppery-tailed Coucal.

Eastern Botswana: Short-clawed Lark, Boulder Chat, Olive-tree Warbler, Cape Vulture, Eurasian Reed-Warbler, White-throated Robin, Montagu's Harrier, Sociable Weaver.

Central Kalahari: Palid Harrier, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Barred Wren-Warbler,Caspian Plover, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Burchell's Sandgrouse.

Top mammals African Elephant, African Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, African Wild Dog. In the Okavango region, there is a chance of seeing Red Lechwe, Sitatunga and Hippopotamus.
Booking Your booking can be secured with a booking form and deposit. You will receive confirmation and our tour information pack with practical information on what to expect and how to prepare for the tour. The balance is due 150 days before the tour. Contact us to enquire about availability.



About Birding Africa

Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday birders. We combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany and other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's most diverse birding destinations. Our guides' knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent. We've even written two acclaimed guide books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds. Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated to making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the BBC Natural History Unit.

For feedback from our guests, please see our Client Comments. Please also browse our Latest News and Trip Reports.


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Please do not use any text, images or content from this site without permission.
Black Harrier photograph courtesy of Keith Offord.
© Birding Africa 1997-2023 info@birdingafrica.com

[African Tailorbirding CC (CK2003/020710/23) trading as Birding Africa]
P.O. Box 22727, Scarborough, 7975, South Africa.


 

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