Wild world

Birds of Botswana

There a total  593 species of birds in Botswana, of which 4 have been introduced by humans, and 100 are rare or accidental. 8 species are globally threatened. Complete checklist here

The Cattle Egret is the National bird of Botswana.

Botswana birds - excellent page - lots of information - a summary of Botswana and its birds for birders interested in the country and potentially planning a visit.

With a good tourist infrastructure, friendly people and over 500 regularly occurring species, Botswana offers many opportunities for the birdwatcher. It also contains the Okavango delta, one of the jewels of Africa and home to an amazing variety of wildlife. Birdwatching however, can start in and around the capital, Gaborone.

Birdlife Botswana - packed with information

Twelve Important Bird Areas (IBAs) have been designated in Botswana which cover over 25% of the land surface of the country. IBA’s include all of the National Parks, a transfrontier park and the larger Game Reserves e.g. large reserves such as Chobe, Kgalakgadi, and Central Kalahari including Kutse and small areas such as Mannyelanong Hill. Part of the Okavango Delta is a Game Reserve (Moremi Game Reserve) with other parts being Wildlife Management Areas.

They recommend:

Beginner’s Guide to Birds of Botswana

“This superb little book is available from the Gaborone shop or the office at a price of P50 each.  Pictures of about two hundred of the most common birds in Botswana are shown together with short descriptions in Setswana and English.”

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