Birding routes have become well established in South Africa, especially in the Western Cape. Many of these routes have good information online. Some of the routes are listed below, although there are many more blogs and webpages on the specific birding sites. (Right at the end of this page are some random African bird sites outside the W Cape).
Western Cape routes
The table below is based mainly on the websites listed below. If links change, they will be updated as discovered. Information may be out of date, so consult other websites as well, or best of all contact local bird guides.
Birding Africa – Cape Birding Route – excellent site, some maps, top birds.
Western Cape Birding Routes – loads of info, website navigation could be improved.
BLSA GoBirding – covers all provinces, includes BLSA Birder Friendly Establishments, generally no maps or photos. BirdLife South Africa old site
Cape Bird Club – lists top birding sites, rather than being organised as routes – always includes useful site maps.
Agulhas Plain Birding Route – detailed info for the area, with maps.
Table with links to birding sites – W Cape
Listed according to popular birding routes (sites can be visited in many different sequences, however). Entr(ance) or other GPS links included for most sites.
| Route | Birding Africa | WC Birding | Cape Bird Club | BLSA | Notes |
| 1. CAPE PENINSULA | BA | y | CBC | y | |
| Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (entr) | BA | CBC | y | Birds4Africa [bird list] | |
| Constantia Greenbelts – De Hel (Main, S Cross) (B/vlei) | BA | ebird | |||
| Table Mountain (cablecar) | BA [brief] | y | ebird | ||
| Green Point Park [parking] | ebird | ||||
| Silvermine [entr] | BA [brief] | CBC | ebird | ||
| Kommetjie [parking] | BA | CBC | ebird | ||
| Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve [entr] | BA [link failed] | CBC | y | ebird | |
| Boulders Beach, Simonstown [entr] | BA | CBC | y | ebird | |
| Strandfontein Sewage Works (False Bay NR) [entr] [birding area] | BA | CBC | y | Birds4Africa [includes bird list] | |
| Rondevlei Nature Reserve [entr] | BA [brief] | CBC | y | Birds4Africa [lists 6 bird hides] | |
| Two Rivers Urban Park [entr] | CBC | ||||
| Intaka Island [entr] | CBC | ebird | |||
| Robben Island [tickets] | BA [+Sea Point] | y | Birds4Africa | ||
| Seabirding / pelagics | BA | CBC | |||
| Route | Birding Africa | WC Birding | Cape Bird Club | BLSA | Notes |
| 2. FLAMINGO BIRDING ROUTE (West Coast) | BA | y [problem with web] | CBC | y | Birds4Africa |
| Rietvlei Wetland Reserve [entr] | BA [also Milnerton] | CBC | y | ebird | |
| Dolphin Beach pans [pans] | CBC | ebird | |||
| Blauuwberg NR [park] | [PHOWN 1110] | ||||
| Koeberg Nature Reserve [entr] | CBC | ebird | |||
| Silwerstroomstrand [start] | BA | ||||
| Darling Hills & Swartland [west] [hide] [east] | BA | CBC | y | ebird | |
| Tienie Versveld Nature Reserve [entr] | CBC | ebird | |||
| Rooi Pan, Yzerfontein / Dassen Island [entr] [pans] | BA | CBC | y | ||
| West Coast National Park [entr S] [entr N] | BA | CBC | y | ebird | |
| Langebaan Quarry [turn] | BA [brief] | ebird | |||
| Vredenburg to Paternoster & St Helena Bay [] | BA | WCB | WCB covers Saldanha to Velddrif | ||
| Berg River Estuary, Velddrif [estuary] [view] [De Plaat] | BA | CBC | y | ebird | |
| Kuifkopvisvanger farm [reception] | ebird | ||||
| Kliphoek saltpans [turn] | ebird | ||||
| Lambert’s Bay to Verlorenvlei / Bird Island [entr] | BA | y | |||
| Olifants River estuary [] | y | ||||
| Kransvlei Poort [start] | BA | ||||
| Route | Birding Africa | WC Birding | Cape Bird Club | BLSA | Notes |
| 3. WINELANDS | y | y | |||
| Helderberg Nature Reserve [entr] | CBC | ebird, Somerset West BC | |||
| Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary [park] | CBC | ebird, Somerset West BC | |||
| Macassar [pans] | BLSA [3rd site in video] | ebird, Somerset West BC | |||
| Paardevlei, Somerset West [entr] | WCB [scroll] | ebird, Somerset West BC | |||
| Distell dams, Stellenbosch [entr] | |||||
| Paarl Mountain Reserve [start] [botanic] | CBC | ebird | |||
| Paarl Bird Sanctuary [entr] | CBC | ebird | |||
| Route | Birding Africa | WC Birding | Cape Bird Club | BLSA | Notes |
| 4. OVERBERG & SOUTH COAST | BA | y | y | y | Birds4Africa, BirdLife Overberg |
| Sir Lowry’s Pass [parking] | BA | CBC | Somerset West BC | ||
| Rooi Els [turn off] | [BA] | y | CBC | ebird | |
| Stoney Point, Betty’s Bay [parking] | [BA] | y | CBC | ||
| Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens [parking] | [BA] | y | CBC | ebird | |
| Botriviervlei & Kleinmond estuary [entr] | y | y | |||
| Rooisand [entr] | y | ebird | |||
| Fernkloof Nature Reserve, Hermanus [entr] | y | ebird | |||
| Eastern False Bay mountains [entr] | y | ||||
| Dyer Island Nature Reserve [] | y | y | |||
| Heuningnes River & estuary [] | y | ||||
| Overberg farmland loops [west N to S] | BA | ||||
| De Hoop Nature Reserve [entr] | BA | y | ebird | ||
| Potberg [parking] | ebird | ||||
| De Mond Nature Reserve [entr] | BA | Agulhas [scroll to Route 11] | |||
| Agulhas Plains [entr] | Agulhas [best web for area] | ||||
| Swellendam campsite [entr] | BA | ||||
| Bontebok National Park [entr] | BA | y | ebird | ||
| Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve [camp] | BA | ebird | |||
| Route | Birding Africa | WC Birding | Cape Bird Club | BLSA | Notes |
| 5. TANQUA KAROO (to be expanded) | BA | y | |||
| Karoopoort | BA | ||||
| Karoopoort to Eierkop | BA | ||||
| Eierkop to Katbakkies | BA | ||||
| Katbakkies | BA | ||||
| Three Passes: Theronsberg, Mitchell’s & Bains Kloof | BA | ||||
| Paarl Mt & Bird Sanctuary | BA | CBC | |||
| Tygerberg Nature Reserve | CBC | ||||
| 6. CENTRAL KAROO (to be expanded) | |||||
| Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve | CBC | ebird | |||
| Koue Bokkeveld | CBC | ||||
| Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens | CBC | ||||
| Karoo National Park | BA | ||||
| Route | Birding Africa | WC Birding | Cape Bird Club | BLSA | Notes |
| 7. GARDEN ROUTE (to be expanded) | BA | y | |||
| Wilderness region | BA | ||||
| Knysna & Plettenberg Bay | BA | ||||
| Nature’s Valley | BA | ebird | |||
| Swartberg Pass | BA | ebird |
Some other sites in Africa
African Bird Club – bird info by country
Eastern Cape birding sites
Polokwane-Letsitele area, Limpopo Province, RSA [webinar] – covers 3 main areas:
1. Polokwane plateau – Chebeng grasslands, Polokwane Game Reserve, Sebayeng and Makotopong wetlands
2. Northern Escarpment – Wolkberg Wilderness area, Haenertsburg grasslands, Woodbush forest drive
3. Lowveld – Tzaneen and Ledzee, Letsitele surrounds