Target species are dictated by the various habitats we will explore on this tour as outlined below.

Day 1: Durban to St Lucia and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (Eastern Shores) 

We head up the North Coast to spend our first day and night in the estuary town of St Lucia, where we explore iSimangaliso Wetland Park − South Africa’s first World Heritage Site. We have many targets on the Eastern Shores of the lake, and we’ll also explore the dune forest trails. Target bird species include African Cuckoo Hawk, African Pygmy Goose, Black-bellied Korhaan, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Brown Scrub-Robin, Cape Longclaw, Grey Sunbird, Lesser Jacana, Orange-breasted Waxbill, Rufous-bellied Heron, Sooty Falcon, Trumpeter Hornbill, White-backed Duck. 

Mammals are plentiful here, and we’ll look out for: African buffalo, African elephant, black rhino, blue wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, bushpig, giraffe, greater kudu, hippo, leopard, Nile crocodile, red duiker, Samango (blue) monkey, spotted hyena, warthog, waterbuck, white rhino.

In the evening, we’ll search for Swamp Nightjar, African Wood Owl and thick-tailed galago (bushbaby), among others. 

Accommodation: AmaZulu Lodge (or similar), St Lucia 

Day 2: St Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park (Western Shores) to Mkuze Game Reserve 

In the morning, we explore the forest trails along the estuary bank for specials and endemics that include African Crowned Eagle, African Emerald Cuckoo, African Fish Eagle. Black-throated Wattle-eye, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Crested Guineafowl, Eastern Nicator, Green Malkoha, Green Twinspot, Livingstone’s Turaco, Narina Trogon, Rudd’s Apalis, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Woodward’s Batis.

We then head for the shoreline and estuary mouth searching for African Skimmer, Palm-nut Vulture, Western Osprey, Yellow-billed Stork, Goliath Heron, Sooty Tern, Little Tern, many other waders and shorebirds, as well as migrant specials and rarities in summer. 

Later, we head to the Western Shores of the Park to add species we may have missed on Day 1. This region is good for spotting Black-chested Snake Eagle, in addition to many of the above-mentioned birds, and mammals such as the side-striped jackal and tsessebe.  

We then push on to the Nibela Peninsula, Mpempe Pan and Muzi Pan before heading into the Mkuze Game Reserve. Our targets in these areas are all birds and include: African Openbill (in summer), African Pygmy Goose, African Rail, African Snipe, Allen’s Gallinule (in summer), Black Heron, Black-winged Lapwing, Blue-billed Teal, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Caspian Plover (in summer), Collared Pratincole, Great White Pelican, Greater Flamingo, Lemon-breasted Canary, Lesser Flamingo, Lesser Moorhen (in summer), Lizard Buzzard, Pink-backed Pelican, Red-faced Cisticola, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Rufous-winged Cisticola, Saddle-billed Stork, Senegal Lapwing, Temminck’s Courser, Western Yellow Wagtail, Woolly-necked Stork  We’ll also encounter the odd vagrant and rarity. 

Accommodation: Mantuma Rest Camp  (or similar), Mkuze Game Reserve 

Day 3: Mkuze Game Reserve 

Mkuze is a top Southern African birding hotspot and a Big 5 reserve that’s also home to many other interesting mammals. On our first morning here, we head off on a fig forest walk in search of Pel’s Fishing-Owl, African Broadbill, Narina Trogon, Purple-crested Turaco, African Green Pigeon, Grey Tit-Flycatcher and more.

Other birds to discover in the reserve include: African Firefinch, African Pygmy Goose, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Bearded Woodpecker, Broad-billed Roller, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Common Ostrich, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Dwarf Bittern, Eastern Nicator, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, Greater Honeyguide, Green-winged Pytilia, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Grey Penduline-Tit, Half-collared Kingfisher, Jameson’s Firefinch, Lappet-faced Vulture, Neergard’s Sunbird, Pink-throated Twinspot, Purple-banded Sunbird, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Rudd’s Apalis, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Secretarybird, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler 

At the same time, we concentrate on finding Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Bateleur, Crowned Eagle, Martial Eagle, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle and many other eagle, accipiter and other raptor species

We’ll also look out for the following mammals: African buffalo, African elephant, black rhino, blue wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, bushbuck, Cape porcupine, cheetah, giraffe, greater kudu, hippo, honey badger, leopard, lion, nyala, spotted hyena, waterbuck, white rhino, white-tailed mongoose.

Accommodation: Mantuma Rest Camp  (or similar), Mkuze Game Reserve 

Day 4: Mkuze Game Reserve, Umlalazi Nature Reserve, Ongoye Forest Reserve, and Eshowe 

We spend the whole morning exploring new habitats in the Mkuze Game Reserve and visiting the numerous hides. We then depart and head southwards, stopping at the Umlalazi Nature Reserve and the scarp forests of Ongoye Forest Reserve before overnighting in Eshowe. Our target birds in these areas include African Finfoot, Black Coucal, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Croaking Cisticola, Green Barbet, Green Malkoha, Livingstone’s Turaco, Mangrove Kingfisher, Palm-nut Vulture, Plain-backed Pipit, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Striped Pipit, Trumpeter Hornbill, Yellow-streaked Greenbul.

Accommodation: Birds of Paradise B&B (or similar), Eshowe 

Day 5: Eshowe and Dlinza Forest, Mbozambo Wetland to Durban 

Our last morning sees us exploring the towering Dlinza Forest Reserve and Aerial Boardwalk in search of the diminutive blue duiker and the following birds: African Emerald Cuckoo, African Olive Pigeon, Black Sparrowhawk, Crowned Eagle, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Green Twinspot, Grey Cuckooshrike, Knysna Turaco, Lemon Dove, Narina Trogon, Olive Bush-Shrike, Red-backed Mannikin, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Southern Bald Ibis, Spotted Ground-Thrush. 

Should time allow, our final stop will be the Sappi Stanger Mbozambo wetlands, where we’ll try to fill in any missed waders and riverine species. These include Black-crowned Night-Heron, Greater Painted-Snipe, Little Bittern, Lesser Moorhen, Great White Pelican, Purple Heron, Baillon’s Crake, African Rail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Rufous-winged Cisticola, White-fronted Bee-eater. 

We return to Umhlanga Rocks or King Shaka International Airport as our birding adventure concludes.