Botswana

In the Realm of River Songs and Feathered Giants

Where the mighty Okavango fans out like an emerald bloom across the Kalahari sands, and the Chobe River meanders through ancient elephant paths, Botswana offers a birdwatching tapestry as vast and vivid as the skies above. This is a land where rivers shape life, and where every sunrise unfurls with the chorus of wings.

Welcome to Botswana’s story within the Kavango Zambezi — a sanctuary of wetlands and woodlands where birds are both spectacle and spirit.

Avian Abundance

What to Look For

Botswana’s birdlife is profoundly shaped by its iconic water systems: the Okavango Delta, the Chobe River, and the Linyanti Swamps. Each attracts a breathtaking diversity of species:

Riverine and Wetland Wonders

  • Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus): Among the most endangered of cranes, they stride through the Delta’s grasslands in elegant solemnity.

  • African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris): Best spotted at dusk, carving the water’s surface in silence along the Chobe.

  • Slaty Egret (Egretta vinaceigula): A regional special found almost nowhere else — best seen in the papyrus margins of shallow floodplains.

  • Long-toed Lapwing and Lesser Jacana: Dance atop lily pads and marsh vegetation, enchanting with their nimble grace.

Birds of Prey and Cliff Dwellers

  • Bateleur Eagle: With wings outstretched like a tightrope walker, gliding over the floodplains in search of opportunity.

  • Verreaux’s Eagle: Nesting in rocky escarpments bordering the Linyanti region.

Woodland & Dryland Riches

  • Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri): Giant and wise, they patrol the mopane woodlands in family groups, echoing ancestral knowledge.

  • Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori): Africa’s heaviest flying bird, striding the open plains near Savuti.

  • Broad-billed Roller and Woodland Kingfisher: Flashes of turquoise and song in the treetop canopy.

Where to Watch Birds in Botswana

Okavango Delta
(including Panhandle and Moremi Game Reserve)

  • A labyrinth of water channels, papyrus beds, and seasonal floodplains — ideal for wattled cranes, kingfishers, herons, and owls.

  • Best explored by mokoro (traditional dugout canoe), offering silent, close encounters with shy aquatic species.

Chobe National Park and Riverfront

  • Dense concentrations of both terrestrial and waterbirds, including skimmers, fish eagles, and bee-eaters.

  • Afternoon boat cruises are famed for close-up bird photography and enchanting light.

Linyanti Wetlands and Savuti

  • Linyanti offers a quieter, less-travelled experience with excellent sightings of raptors and aquatic birds.

  • Savuti, known for predator drama, also hosts impressive bustards, rollers, and shrikes.

When to Visit

  • November to April (Green Season): Migratory species arrive, breeding plumages blaze, and the wetlands are rich with life.

  • May to October (Dry Season): Easier viewing as vegetation thins; raptors and large flocks dominate open habitats.

Experience That Supports Conservation

Botswana’s conservation-led tourism model means every birdwatching moment contributes to protecting habitats and uplifting communities. Locally owned lodges, community guides, and low-impact excursions let you explore with heart and purpose.

You are not merely observing. You are participating — in a grand effort to honour and preserve the Rivers of Life.