Gabarone is a town in eastern Botswana. It can be reached by air from Nairobi, Windhoek, Maun, or Johannesburg. From there one can drive to the nearby birding locales. The Gabarone area is off the main track for Botswana safaris and hence is little visited. Its remoteness makes air travel the best way to get there. Several birding locales are of interest around the town. A variety of habitats are present including bushveld, grassland, sewage lagoons, rolling hills, and farmland.
Some 430 bird species have been recorded in the region. Notable birding sites are the SE Botswana Important Bird Area, the Gabarone Game Reserve, Kgale Hill, Mannyelanong Hill, Phakalane Sewage Lagoons, and Bokaa Dam. The Gabarone Game Reserve is located very close to the town center. The best time to visit is after heavy rains. Numerous migratory birds can be found during Palearctic winter. Notable African birds include Little Sparrowhawk, Red-crested Bustard, Marsh Owl, and Crimson-breasted Gonolek.
Kgale Hill is a landmark in the town of Gabarone. Many birds are present. Some notable species include Natal Francolin, Red-eyed Bulbul, Bar-throated Apalis, Rock-loving Cisticola, Black-chested Prinia, Gray Tit-Flycatcher, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Short-toed Rock-Thrush, Cape White-eye, Violet-backed Starling, and Striped Pipit.
The Bokaa Dam is located north of Gabarone en route to the Phakalane Sewage Lagoons. It backs up a shallow reservoir about 6 km long that is full of nutrients and attracts birds such as South African Shelduck, Greater Flamingo, Pink-backed Pelican, Black-winged Pratincole, and numerous shorebirds.
The Phakalane Sewage Lagoons are located about 20 km north of Gabarone. These are an excellent spot to see waterbirds of the area. Notable species include White-backed Duck, African Pygmy-Goose, Hottentot Teal, Maccoa Duck, Black Crake, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, White-crowned Shrike, Sabota Lark, and various migratory shorebirds.
Mannyelanong Hill is located about 50 kilometers south of Gabarone behind the village of Otse. Its main attraction is a colony of about 50 pairs of Cape Griffon, a species with vulnerable IUCN status. This is one of the few places, along with the more difficult to reach Tswapong Hills, where the species can be seen in Botswana.
The SE Botswana Game Reserve is located about 30 kilometers south of Lobatse and 100 kilometers south of Gabarone. It's an extensive site that includes the Pitsane grasslane, mixed savanna, rolling hills, and farmland. The site protects over 50% of the global population of Short-clawed Lark, the only near endemic in Botswana. Other birds of interest include Orange River Francolin, Black Stork, Cape Griffon, Pallid Harrier, Blue Crane, and Long-tailed Widowbird.
Our Experts are ready to provide answers
Over 350 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve, which offers some of the best birding in Botswana during this time of year. Night drives to view nocturnal animals including predators on the prowl can be arranged through the various lodges on private lands adjacent to the reserve.
Read MoreThe Chobe National Park with 450 bird species Botswana's longest list in the north-east provides a similar habitats on a much smaller scale: the Chobe River itself, seasonally inundated floodplains, covered with reeds; riverine woodland and further from the river, mixed broadleaved woodland.
Read MoreWhen water is present, the lake has abundant bird life and even when dry is home to the globally threatened Black-winged Pratincole and Lesser Kestrel, qualifying it as one of the 12 Important Bird Areas in Botswana.
Read MoreNumerous shorebirds are present, especially during Palearctic winter. Among other interesting birds present are species typical of arid grassland such as Common Ostrich, Wattle Crane, Black Bustard, Burchell's Sandgrouse, Rufous-naped Lark, Cape Clapper Lark, Eastern Clapper Lark, Sabota Lark, Spike-heeled Lark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Gray-backed Sparrow-Lark, Desert Cisticola, and Southern Anteater-Chat.
Read MoreOkavango Delta offers excellent birding opportunities. This magnificent World Heritage Site boasts more than 450 recorded species of birds. It is not uncommon to spot around 140 specifies in a day. The entry point for most tourists is the town of Maun.
Read MoreThe Tswapong Hills are located 40 km north of Palapye in eastern Botswana. Palapye is 275 km north of Gabarone and 586 kilometers east of Maun. It's remote location makes it difficult to visit on a typical safari. The Tswapong Hills in eastern Botswana are a low-lying mountain range reach 300-400m above the surrounding plateau.
Read More