Lists of "Common" birds ? Bird pal in J'burg? (1 Viewer)

[Saluki2]

Hello - My wife and I are booked on a general tour of Southern Africa for this fall - spring down there. We've never been to Africa so almost any bird we see will be a lifer. As the tour is not a birding tour as such, I will be "on my own" as to what I see. I have gotten Newman's guide to study in preparation for the trip & I have found comprehensive bird lists for South Africa and Botswana. But I've been unable to find out which birds are the common species at that time of year and therefore I'm most likely to see. Something like the charts in the ABA regional guides would be ideal - with the "Hard-to-miss, Should see, May see, Lucky" designations . But I'd be satisfied with just a list of the common birds of the cities, forests and savannahs. We'll be in the Cape Town, Durban, Swaziland, Kruger, Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and Northern Botswana.
Also, I'll have a "free day" while in Johannesburg and I'd like to find a local birder who would take me out to see the birds in that area.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[safariranger]

Hi!
Firstly you are going to have a great time birding in southern Africa. There are many great birds to see and you certainly seem to be covering quite a big area.
It will be very difficult to give you a list of common species, considering all the places you intend visiting. It would be a long list, and with habitats varying so much so do the species.
I would suggest you try get yourself a copy of the book Southern Africa Birdfinder, by Callan Cohen and Claire Spottiswoode. This will help a great deal in giving you information on where to find what.

The birding community in South Africa is big and there are especially many birders in Gauteng, which is the province where Johannesburg and Pretoria is situated. I am sure there would be several people willing to take you out for a day's birding.
My suggestion (if you are on Facebook) would be to visit some or all of the following groups. Birdlife South Africa, S A Birders' Gen, Birds of the Kruger National Park and Western Cape Birding. You will get a lot of information in these groups and a good idea on what people are seeing in those respective areas.

I hope the above helps. Good luck and please let me know if I can assist with additional information.

 

[Saluki2]

Thanks for the tips. I have ordered the Birdfinder book and tried contacting several birders in the Johannesburg area thru Birding Pal, as well as put a request on the Birdlife South Africa facebook site. Thanks again.