Nature Regions

KwaZulu-Natal Zululand 5-Day Birding Tour

5-Day Tour

King Shaka International Airport or Umhlanga Rocks in Durban – North Coast – Zululand – Maputaland – North Coast – King Shaka International Airport or Umhlanga Rocks in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Tour Information

Target bird species:

Swamp Nightjar, African Broadbill, African Cuckoo Hawk, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, African Pygmy Goose, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Black-bellied Korhaan, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Scrub Robin, Cape Longclaw, Grey Sunbird, Lesser Jacana, Rufous-bellied Heron, Sooty Falcon, Trumpeter Hornbill, White-backed Duck, Crowned Eagle, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Crested Guineafowl, Eastern Nicator, Green Malkoha, Neergard’s Sunbird, Pink-throated Twinspot, Green Twinspot, Livingstone’s Turaco, Narina Trogon, Rudd’s Apalis, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Woodward’s Batis, African Skimmer, Palm-nut Vulture, Western Osprey, Goliath Heron, Sooty Tern, Lemon-breasted Canary, Lesser Moorhen (in summer), Rosy-throated Longclaw, Rufous-winged Cisticola, Saddle-billed Stork, Senegal Lapwing, Temminck’s Courser, Western Yellow Wagtail, Common Ostrich, Eastern Nicator, Southern Ground Hornbill, Southern Bald Ibis, Spotted Ground Thrush, African Finfoot, Black Coucal, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Green Barbet, Mangrove Kingfisher, Striped Pipit, Yellow-streaked Greenbul.

 

Target mammal species:

African buffalo, African elephant, black rhino, blue wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, bushpig, giraffe, hippo, leopard, suni, blue duiker, red duiker, Samango (blue) monkey, thick-tailed galago (bushbaby), serval, side-striped jackal, spotted hyena, white rhino, white-tailed mongoose.

  • Accommodation (may change subject to availability, in which case similar will be found)
  • All breakfasts, lunches, dinners, tea and coffee
  • Ground transport – max 7 participants and 1 guide per minibus vehicle
  • Bottled water in vehicles – 2 per person per day
  • Entrance fees
  • Conservation levies
  • Personalised species checklist
  • Specialist guide fees – 1 morning fig forest walk in Mkuze Game Reserve
  • All airfares
  • Travel and medical insurance
  • All drinks
  • Optional excursions where applicable
  • Gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Anything not in “Includes”
KZN Bird Tour Map

Distance:

Total driving distance (including around sites) = 870km.

Scheduled Dates:

03 – 07 March 2026
26 – 30 November 2026
15 – 19 August 2027

Or alternate dates on request

Duration:

5 days, 4 nights.

Price:

2026: ZAR 30,750 per person sharing, and ZAR 3,940 single supplement

2027: ZAR 33,050 per person sharing, and ZAR 4,230 single supplement

  • Terms and Conditions apply
  • Minimum of 3 participants per vehicle required to undertake the trip. Should the number of guests change, the cost of the tour and the per person cost will change accordingly
  • The species mentioned in the itinerary represent only some of those we may possibly view on the tour, however, none can be guaranteed
  • This itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions at the time and other factors beyond our control
  • Tour group is responsible for paying for all guide meals

Tour Insight

Durban – North Coast – Zululand – Maputaland – North Coast – Durban

On this moderately-paced, birding-focused safari, we expect to see around 320 species and 5 endemics as we explore several abundant and premier game reserves in the Zululand and Maputaland (Elephant Coast) region of the KwaZulu-Natal province. Each reserve is unique in its attributes, landscapes and the experiences it offers.  

The region is also a large mammal playground for leopard, African wild dog, black rhino, and others. We hope to see the Big 5 and upwards of 30 species, while an array of reptiles, amphibians and butterflies can also be found across the varied habitats.  

Tour Overview

Affordable and comfortable private guesthouses and park accommodation (public rest camps). Luxury accommodation in superb private lodges at world-class private reserves can be arranged at your request (additional cost). 

The climate is subtropical and hot most of the time. Rain is possible, usually in the form of summer convection thunderstorms, and cool, wet weather is also possible in the event of a cold front moving up from the south. 

Savanna, woodlands, sand forests, coastal and riverine forests, wetlands, lakes, flooded grasslands, estuaries and seashores. These host numerous regional endemics, threatened and endangered mammal and bird species, as well as great floral diversity. Each destination offers extraordinary scenery, providing you with unparalleled photographic opportunities.

Optional extensions 

This tour can be combined with extensions to the Drakensberg and Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Wakkerstroom and the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga. 

  • Visiting the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s first World Heritage Site 
  • Exploring Mkuze Game Reserve, a top Southern African birding hotspot, also home to the
    Big 5  
  • A fig forest walk near Nsumo Pan, Mkuze Game Reserve 
  • Exploring the Aerial Boardwalk and canopy tower in Dlinza Forest, Eshowe 

Medium-paced with optional mid-day breaks (advisable on hot days), and some walkingIf you’re a keen photographer (and so are we), there will be many opportunities to capture moments to make you the envy of your friends!