Samson Mulaudzi

Professional Birding Guide in the Soutpansberg and Venda area

Map Soutpansberg birding
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Birding Hotspots

We have a number of top birding hotspots in the Soutpansberg and Venda region with special birds easy to get.Some of the birding hotspots includes Roodewal Forest,Hanglip Forest,Muirhead dams and forest,Thohoyandou Botanical Garden,Thathe Vondo Forest,Luvuvhu River and Dams,Albasini Dam.In Venda region we have got community campsites like Gundani Campsite,Golwe Vhuri-vhuri Campsite and Sagole Baobab Big Tree.

Botanical Garden

The Botanical garden is at Thohoyandou town on the R524 road to Punda Maria.This is a recent reliable site for sought after species Blue Spotted Wood-Dove.Other common birds include Pink Throated Twinspot and Green Twinspot,Eastern Nicator,Gorgeous Bush-shrike,etc

Entabeni Forest

Entabeni Forest is an Afro-temerate Mist-belt Forest situated on the Entabeni Plantation. The forest is extensive, but only parts of it are easily accessible. A main forestry road passes through one patch of the forest and close to another.

  • Orange Ground-Trush, Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, White-starred Robin, Ge Twinpot, Knysna Turaco, Scaly-throated Honyguie, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Collared Sunbird an Brown Scrub-Robin. 

Hanglip Forest

An easily accessible Afro-temperate Mist-belt forest with a picnic site and short trails. This is an old birders haunt and the birding is good. Listen out for the resdient Scaly-throated Honeyguide in the picnic site. This is the best place to find White-starred Robin and Yellow streaked Greenbul. A short (20 min) circular walk starts from the picnic site. 

  • Scaly-throated Honeyguide, White-starred Robin and Yellow streaked Greenbul',Narina Trogon,Buffspotted Fufftail,Lemon Dove,Crested Guineafowl.

Levubu Post office

 

There is a large Mobola Plum tree (Parinari curatellifolia) right outside the Levubu Post Office. During the early summer months (Aug Nov) Grey-headed Parrots often feed in this tree during the day. If you are in the Levubu area spend some time around the tree and you may be lucky. They can sometimes be seen flying over the rugby fields, just to the north of the post office. How to get there: take the 2nd Levubu turn off from the Makhado (Louis Trichardt) Punda Maria road (R524). After 4.6 km you will reach a T-junction, turn left towards ´Levubu Oos´. The Post Office is 2km on, on the LHS, just before the Primary School (and before the next T-junction).

 

Muirhead Dams

Muirhead Dams and forest situated along the central Soutpansberg few kilometers on the R524 road from Louis Trichardt to Punda maria road.This is another place in South africa to find the Blue-Spotted Wood-Dove,one of the top birds in the Soutpansberg area.

  • Blue-Spotted Wood-Dove, African Pygmy Goose,Lesser Moorhen, Horus SwiftBuff-Spotted Flufftail,Dark-Capped Yellow Warbler,Gorgeous Bush-Shrike,Green Twinspot,Golden Weaver

Roodewal Nature Reserve Forest

This is the best most reliable site in the Soutpansberg for African Broadbill.The best time to hear the African Broadbill is in summer  just before dawn and just after dusk.

The vegetation is Semi-deciduos Scrub Forest which is low canopy forest with a mix of woodland,riverine and Afro-montane trees species.

  • African Broadbill Eastern Nicator, Scaly-Throated Honeyguide, Narina Trogon,Green Twinspot, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike and African Crowned Eagle.

 

Tshivhazwa Dam

The dam is situated just 7 kilometers from the R524 road turn off to vuwani on the road from Louis Trichardt to Punda Maria gate. Habitat: Dam shore and some sour bushveld around.

  • African Pygmy Goose(more than two pairs),Lesser Jacana,African Purple Swamphen,Allen's Gallinule,White Backed Duck,Osprey,African Fish Eagle,