Pink-throated Twinspot
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 

 
Want to be a Birder?

Birding is a fascinating & rewarding pastime. It is easy an inexpensive to start. You will only need to acquire two essential items: A pair of binoculars and a birding book.

Binoculars:
The best sizes are 8 x 32 or 10 x 40. They are slender, lightweight and easy to hold. The 1st figure is the linear magnification and the 2nd figure the diameter of the front lens in millimetres. Higher magnifications tends to be shaky in the field.

Bird Book:
Several identification books on SA's birds are available from most of the bookshops.

Consider joining your local birding club (and if there aren't any, then start one!)
 

 
 Birding

 BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS
The Hazyview region is home to ± 450 bird species.
(That's more than half of all the bird species in SA !)
 

Important Bird Areas (IBA)
Hazyview is situated midway between two IBAs: the Kruger National Park (IBA SA002) to the east and the Mac Mac Escarpment & Forests (IBA  SA012) to the west.  In addition, three other IBAs are in close proximity: the Graskop Grasslands (IBA SA011), the Blyde River Canyon (IBA SA010) and the Misty Mountain Natural Heritage Site (IBA SA013).
More info on BirdLife South Africa's Birding Routes page.

Other Birding Areas
Some of the other (very productive) birding areas near Hazyview include the Peebles Valley (which include the Jock of the Bushveld Conservancy and the Petra Mountain Nature Reserve), the Kiepersol/Hazyview Conservancy, and the Sabie2Kruger Birding Route.

Birds & Vegetation
Different bird species are closely associated with different vegetation types. From its source at an altitude of 2,000 meters, to where it enters Mozambique at an altitude of 150 meters above sea level, the Sabie River cuts through 12 vegetation types, over a distance of only 150 km (as the crow flies). These vegetation types, as well as the riverine vegetation along the Sabie River, sustain an abundant diversity of bird habitats.

Vegetation Types along the Sabie River
         (From source to the Mozambique border)

  • Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland
  • Mpumalanga Afromontane Forest
  • Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland
  • Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld
  • Legogote Sour Bushveld
  • Subtropical Afromontane Forest
  • Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
  • Granite Lowveld
  • Gabbro Grassy Bushveld
  • Delagoa Lowveld
  • Sweet Arid Basalt Lowveld
  • Northern Lebombo Bushveld

(Source: Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation Plan Handbook - MBCP, 2007 by Tony A. Ferrar and Mervyn C. Lötter)

   

 


Pearl-spotted Owlet
Photo: Warwick Tarboton
 


Need Advice?

For more information about birding in the Hazyview/Sabie/KNP area, contact Trips SA Tourist Information Office on
013 764-3399 or
info@hazyviewinfo.co.za
 

Testing Binoculars Examine the edge of a white building which is in full sunlight through the instrument. Then move the image towards the edge of the field of vision. If coloured fringes appear on the edge of the wall, the instrument suffers from chromatic aberration. If the wall appears to bend or become blurred, spherical aberration is present. A good instrument should show neither of these effects.

 

 

 

Red Data Book Categories

Critical 
50% chance of going extinct in 5 years

Edangered
20% chance of going extinct in 20 years

Vulnerable
10% chance of going extinct in 100 years

Near-Threatened
Likely to become Vulnerable in the near future


Southern Ground Hornbill
Photo: Biodiversity Explorer

Endangered, Vulnerable & Threatened Birds
     (Links to Biodiversity Explorer's web site)

  Roberts Status
African Finfoot  229 Vulnerable
Southern Bald Ibis   92 Vulnerable
Bat Hawk 129 Near-threatened
Eurasian Bittern   80 Critically endangered
Black Stork   84 Near-threatened
Black-rumped Buttonquail 206 Endangered
Black-winged Lapwing 267 Near-threatened
Blue Crane 208 Vulnerable
Blue Swallow 521 Critically endangered
Broad-tailed Warbler 642 Near-threatened
Bush Blackcap 565 Near-threatened
Cape Vulture 122  Vulnerable
Crowned Eagle 141 Near-threatened
African Grass Owl 393 Vulnerable
Half-collard Kingfisher 430 Near-threatened
Lanner Falcon 172 Near-threatened
Martial Eagle 140 Vulnerable
Orange Ground Thrush 579 Near-threatened
Peregrine Falcon 171 Near-threatened
Pink-throated Twinspot 838 Near-threatened
Secretarybird 118 Near-threatened
Southern Ground-hornbill 463 Vulnerable
Denham's Bustard 231 Vulnerable
Striped Flufftail 221 Vulnerable
Taita Falcon 176 Near-threatened
White-backed Night Heron   77 Vulnerable
 

 

Rare Bird Sightings
(#Roberts Number)

Pennantwinged Nightjar (#410)

Eurasian Blackcap (#620.1)

Sooty Tern (#332)

Grey Wagtail (#715)

Bittern (#80)

Palmnut Vulture (#147)
 


Crowned Eagle

 

 
What is a Pentad?

The Southern African Birding Atlas Project2 (SABAP2) is the 2nd project of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and BirdLife South Africa with the main aim of establishing  "A scientifically rigorous, repeatable platform for tracking through time and space the impacts of environmental change on southern African birds, through standardized data collection on bird distribution and an index of abundance."

As part of the data collection process, Southern Africa was divided into a grid of 5 minutes of latitude by 5 minutes of longitude - each grid block referred to as a pentad. A pentad (in the Hazyview area) is a rectangle of about 8.4km (east/west) x 9.2km (north/south) and covers an area of 77.79km2 (7,779ha).

Each of SA's 1:50 000 topo-cadastral maps would, therefore, contain 9 pentads. The Sabie River, from source to the Mozambique border, is covered by 23 pentads.

 

SABIE2KRUGER Birding Route
Experience South African birding at it's very best on the Sabie2Kruger Birding Route.  Follow the Sabie River from its source in the mountains high above the town of Sabie, through Hazyview and into the Kruger National Park to the Mozambique border - a drop in elevation of ± 2,000 meters.

Birding Sites along the
    SABIE2KRUGER Birding Route

  • In order of location from the source of the Sabie River.
  • Distances are by road from Hazyview town.
  • Bird name Birds Endemic to South Africa are shown in red.

Private Sites - entrance and the use of the facilities, are at the discretion of the owner/manager. Please ask permission first before you start wandering off on these properties.

Public Sites - open to the public, but a nominal entrance fee may be charged.

 Sabie2Kruger Birding Route Map


View Larger & More Detailed map

 

 

Legend

Private

Public
  Coffee/Tea
  Drinks
  Restaurant
Secure Parking
  Pool
  Toilets
  Picnic Facilities

 

Hiking Trail
  Bird Hide
  Disability


Taita Falcon
Photo: Ron Hartley

Sabie2Kruger Birding Route
How to Navigate the Map

  • Click on the Google map to enlarge it.
  • Zoom in or out by clicking on the or buttons on the map.
    (or use your mouse - double left click to zoom in, or double right click to zoom out).
  • Drag the map with you mouse to pan left or right, or to scroll up or down.
  • Click on a or icon to display the name of the venue or birding spot that you could visit.
  • Click anywhere inside a pentad to display the pentad number and a link to the SABAP2 web site.
  • Click on the SABAP2 link to display a list of all the birds recorded in this pentad.
    •

 


Blue Crane
Photo: John Kormendy

Hops Hollow Brewery

Distance   77km
GPS   25° 08' 33" S | 30° 37' 01" E
Altitude   2,080m
Pentad   2505_3035
Facilities  
Vegetation   Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland
Specials    

 

 

Secretarybird
Photo: Phil Penlington

 


Blue Swallow (Juvenile)
Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Misty Mountain Natural Heritage Site (IBA SA013)
Distance   68km
GPS   25° 10' 32" S  | 30° 39' 37" E
Altitude   1,660m
Pentad   2510_3035
Facilities   Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Mpumalanga Afromontane Forest &
Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland
Species  

 

 

Yellow-breasted Pipid
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 
Forest Canary
Photo: Gareth Hazell
Horse Shoe Falls
Distance   57km
GPS   25° 07' 50" S | 30° 41' 41" E
Altitude   1,140m
Pentad   2505_3040
Facilities  
Vegetation   Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland &
Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland
Specials    

 

  


Knysna Turaco
Photo: Phil Penlington

 

Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler
Photo: Richard Montinaro
Lone Creek Falls
Distance   54km
GPS   25° 06' 10" S | 30° 42' 38" E
Altitude   1,130m
Pentad   2505_3040
Facilities   Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland &
Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland
Specials   Orange Ground-Thrush, Knysna Turaco, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Forest Canary

 


Narina Trogon

 


Gorgeous Bush-Shrike
Photo: Ian Sinclair
Bridal Veil Falls
Distance   51km
GPS   25° 05' 01" S | 30° 43' 41" E
Altitude   1,120m
Pentad   2500_3040
Facilities   Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Mpumalanga Afromontane Forest &
Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland &
Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld
Specials    

 

 

Yellow-streaked Greenbul
Photo Clive Kaplan
 
 


Southern Bald Ibis
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Ligna Lodge
Distance   47km
GPS   25° 06' 01" S | 30° 45' 41" E
Altitude   1,020m
Pentad   2505_3045
Facilities  
Vegetation   Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland &
Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld
Specials    

 

 
 

Pied Kingfisher
Photo: Ian Sinclair

 
 

White-starred Robin
Photo: Phil Penlington
Castle Rock - Sabie's Municipal Caravan Park
Distance   46km
GPS   25° 06' 01" S | 30° 45' 41" E
Altitude   1,020m
Pentad   2505_3045
Facilities   Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld &
Specials    

 

 

Wailing Cisticola
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 

Gurney's Sugarbird
Photo: Phil Penlington
Floreat Riverside Lodge
Distance   45km
GPS   25° 06' 01" S | 30° 45' 41" E
Altitude   1,020m
Pentad   2505_3045
Facilities  
Vegetation   Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland &
Northern Escarment Quartzite Sourveld
Specials    

 

 

Orange Ground Thrush
Photo: Kevin Ravno

 
Southern Tchagra
Photo: Clive Kaplan

Tannamera Lodge
Distance   20km
GPS   25° 02' 41" S | 30° 57' 03" E
Altitude   770m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Legogote Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

Olive Bush-Shrike
Photo: Richard Montinaro

 

Olive Woodpecker
Photo: Phil Penlington
Böhms Zeederberg
Distance   18km
GPS   25° 02' 27" S | 30° 57' 58" E
Altitude   800m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Legogote Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 
Striped Pipit
Photo: Phil Penlington
 

 

Red-backed Manniken
Photo: Kevin Ravno
Sabaan Resort & Holiday Farm
Distance   16km
GPS   25° 03' 22" S | 30° 59' 18" E
Altitude   750m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 


Purple-crested Turaco
Photo: Gareth Hazell 

 
African Cuckoo
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Cuckoo Ridge
Distance   16km
GPS    25° 02' 26" S | 31° 00' 17" E
Altitude    685m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities    
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Juv.)
Photo: Clive Kaplin

 

Chorister Robin-Chat
Photo: Duncan Roberstson
Rock-a-Bye
Distance   12km
GPS    25° 01' 51" S | 31° 02' 10" E
Altitude    539m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities    
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

Yellow Weaver
Photo: Gareth Hazell


Half-collared Kingfisher
Photo: Clive Kaplan

Lions Rock Golf Estate
Distance   8km
GPS   25° 02' 27" S | 30° 57' 58" E
Altitude   520m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 


Southern Boubou
Photo: Phil Penlington


Little Bee-eater
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Idle & Wild
Distance   7km
GPS   25° 02' 12" S | 31° 04' 47" E
Altitude   525m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities    
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

African Pygmy Goose
Photo: Clive Kaplan


Red-capped Robin-Chat
Photo: Kevin Ravno
Laughing Waters
Distance   7km
GPS   25° 02' 27" S | 30° 57' 58" E
Altitude   508m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities    Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

White-breasted Cuckooshrike
Photo: Kevin Ravno


Crowned Eagle
Photo: Clive Kaplan

Gecko Lodge
Distance   3km
GPS    25° 02' 36" S | 31° 06' 16" E
Altitude    557m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 


Verreaux's Eagle
Photo: Clive Kaplan

  
 

African Finfoot
Photo: Ian Sinclair
Casa do Sol
Distance    9km
GPS   25° 02' 53" S | 31° 04' 52" E
Altitude   570m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities    Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

African Pigmy Kingfisher
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 

Swee Waxbill
Photo: Kevin Ravno

Sabi River Sun
Distance   2km
GPS   25° 02' 05" S | 31° 06' 50" E
Altitude   480m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

Spectacled Weaver
Photo: Phil Penlington

 

Little Bittern
Photo: Simon Milliken

Hippo Hollow Country Estate
Distance   2km
GPS   25° 01' 52" S | 31° 07' 24" E
Altitude   475m
Pentad   2500_3055
Facilities  
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

Violet-backed Starling
Photo: Phil Penlington

 

Green-backed Heron
Photo: Kevin Ravno
Kruger Park Lodge
Distance   1km
GPS   25° 01' 46" S | 31° 08' 04" E
Altitude   465m
Pentad   2455_3130
Facilities    Hiking Trail
Vegetation   Granite Lowveld
Specials    

 

 

Grey-headed Kingfisher
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 

Pel's Fishing Owl
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Sanbonani Resort & Hotel
Distance   2km
GPS   25° 01' 30" S | 31° 09' 17" E
Altitude   450m
Pentad   2500_3105
Facilities  
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

  


Purple Roller
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 

Lappet-faced Vulture
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Albasini Ruins (in KNP)
Distance   15km
GPS   25° 01' 14" S | 31° 14' 25" E
Altitude   415m
Pentad   2500_3115
Facilities    
Vegetation   Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
Specials    

 

 

Coqui Frankolin
Photo: Phil Penlington


Rufous-bellied Heron
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Lake Panic Bird Hide (in KNP)
Distance   50km
GPS   24° 58' 51" S | 31° 33' 55" E
Altitude   295m
Pentad   2455_3130
Facilities    
Vegetation   Granite Lowveld
Specials    

 

 

Allen's Gallinule
Photo Kevin Ravno


Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Skukuza Rest Camp (in KNP)
Distance   52km
GPS   24° 59' 41" S | 31° 35' 25" E
Altitude   280m
Pentad   2455_3135
Facilities  
Vegetation   Granite Lowveld
Specials    

 

 

Southern Ground-Hornbill
Photo: Kevin Ravno


Greater Honeyguide
Photo:Phil Penlington
Nkuhlu Picnic Terrain (in KNP)
Distance   76km
GPS   24° 59' 56" S | 31° 46' 00" E
Altitude   215m
Pentad   2455_3145
Facilities  
Vegetation   Granite Lowveld
Specials    

 



Bateleur
Photo: Clive Kaplan

 
 

Brown-headed Parrot
Photo: Phil Penlington
Lower Sabie Rest Camp (in KNP)
Distance   100km
GPS   25° 07' 15" S | 31° 55' 02" E
Altitude   175m
Pentad   2505_3155
Facilities  
Vegetation   Granite Lowveld
Specials    

 

 

Green Malkoha
Photo: Kevin Ravno

 

Baillon's Crake
Photo: Clive Kaplan
Ntandanyathi Bird Hide (in KNP)
Distance   113km
GPS   25° 12' 35" S | 31° 57' 20" E
Altitude   190m
Pentad   2510_3155
Facilities  
Vegetation   Northern Lebombo Bushveld
Specials    

 

African Fish Eagle
Photo: Clive Kaplan

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