By Simone Loxton

Growing up, we hold opinions that are immature and silly – and one of these silly and immature opinions I held was that bird watching was really, really, really boring. This thought stuck with me until I went to the Kruger National Park last year and got schooled on what bird watching actually entails.

First off, South Africa hosts about one tenth of the world’s bird species. Of the 850 or so recorded species in the country, 85% are residential or annual visitors, and about 50 of these are endemic to our country (meaning they can only be seen in South Africa).

Those numbers alone are sure to convey the high level of interest and activity that bird watching in our already richly versatile country offers – but if you need more, just hold on: South Africa also has an extensive range of visiting birds, flying from other parts of Africa, as well as the Arctic, Europe, Central Asia, China and the Antarctica. Of course, the nine biomes represented in South Africa are part of the reason our natural wildlife is so extensive on the ground as well as in the air.

Of all the birds, it is the endemics that attract the most visitors and interest. Every part of South Africa is home to one kind or another, and some of these places, such as Cape Town, are home to others kinds of endemics, such as fynbos and mammals. There are also a multitude of pelagic trips which offer tours along the coast to check out some seabirds.

Access to birding sites are made easy by the multiple national parks, reserves and conservation areas that have well-developed transport systems and a very supportive birding tourism industry. These areas can be found in every region (you can even take a trip out from Lamberts Bay to the northernmost sea bird island of South Africa, ironically called Bird Island, where a special bird hide was built in 1998. If that’s too commercial, take a hike through the Drakensberg for some sheer natural birding habitats and gorgeous exteriors).

November is the best time for birding, as there is widespread breeding activity and the highest concentrate of migrant birds around. This strong presence can be appreciated up until April, when migrants (both locals and visiting) begin their trek back to the warmer parts of Earth.

But where do you even begin? After my mindset shifted, I download a South African bird watching app which assists in identifying the range of birds through descriptions, pictures and an audio playback of their calls. It allows you to tick them off once spotted and if you’re up for the challenge, learn to mimic their calls.