The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is located midway between Maun and Nata on the Francistown Road in north-cental Botswana east of the Central Kalahari area. The Makgadikgadi Pans is a vast area of great seasonal change. During rainy season from November through March or April, it is typically flooded and largely inaccessible by vehicle. During this time the pans attract spectacular numbers of flamingos. The pans are famous for their large flamingo breeding colonies. It also features the greatest migration of Zebra and Wildebeest outside the Serengeti - Masai Mara ecosystem. During dry season the pans become bone dry. Strong winds blow from August through October. The rains don't always appear during rainy season, and then the pans remain dry all year. In years of high rainfall, a shallow alkaline lake system, the Makgadikgadi Pans 16,000 square kilometres are formed.

Numerous 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. Pools of permanent water are home to various wetland birds such as Red-billed Duck, Hottentot Teal, and African Spoonbill. There is also an interesting variety of mammals such as Meerkat, Bushbuck, Springbok, Steenbok, and some predators.

Other special birds include:

White Pelican, Secretary-bird, Montagu's and Pallid Harriers, Marshal and Tawny Eagles, Red-necked Falcon, Greater, Lesser and Red-footed Kestrels, Burchell`s and Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Wattled and Crowned Cranes, Ground Hornbil, Bronze-winged courser, Red-winged and Black-winged Pratincoles, Spike-heeled, Pink-billed, Rufous-naped and Clapper Larks, Chestnut-backed Finchlark, Capped Wheatear. All roads in the Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans National Park are negotiable by 4x4 only. There are several basic campsites in the park, lacking any facilities and without potable water.