Project overview

BirdLife South Africa embarked on an exciting project to develop the Garden Route & Klein Karoo (collectively the Garden Route District) as an avitourism destination. This project was funded by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism through the Growth For Jobs Tourism Challenge Fund and received generous co-funding from the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve. The project has several deliverables that tackle both the demand (market awareness and information) and supply (tourism services development) side. This project has been carried out in collaboration with the tourism offices at local, municipal, and district level. The project timelines are September 2023 to March 2024.

This area hosts over 450 species which is just over half of South Africa’s bird species. Not bad for just 2% of the country’s total area! The district’s natural bounty of unique indigenous habitat and its location along the southern coastal belt mean that it is also rich in endemic and near-endemic birds (species that are found nowhere else in the world). Just under 50 of the country’s 69 endemics have been recorded here making it one of the country’s epicenters of natural heritage.

The area is iconic for some of the most prominent endemics: the namesakes of Knysna town in the coastal forest belt (Warbler, Woodpecker, and Turaco), the Karoo’s collection of characters (Chat, Eremomela, and Lark, to name a few), and some of the fynbos-favouring Capes (Sugarbird, Rockjumper, and Siskin).

Guided birding experiences

Book your guided birding experience here!

As part of our efforts to raise local awareness of the birding opportunities and to familiarize local service providers with avitourism, we are offering 23 free guided trips between 26 January and 16 March 2024, spread out over the District, from Ladismith to Plettenberg Bay, from Stilbaai to Oudtshoorn, and everywhere in between!

Hit the button above or browse through the trip schedule below to book your spot and enjoy a morning out with an experienced guide. You’ll be amazed at what there is to see!

Bookings were originally held for those completed our virtual avitourism training course, but are now freely bookable. Do not delay – many of our trips are booking out quickly.

26 Jan (Fri): Kransfontein, near Stilbaai – walk

27 Jan (Sat): Van Wyksdorp – drive

28 Jan (Sun): Voëlvlei, near Gouritsmond – drive

1 Feb (Thu): Bosch Luys Kloof, Seweweekspoort – game drive

2 Feb (Fri): Ladismith Birding Route – drive

8 Feb (Thu): Half-collared Kingfisher Trail, Wilderness – walk

9 Feb (Fri): Garden Route Botanical Gardens, George – walk

10 Feb (Sat): Outeniqua Pass and Heimersrivier Road – drive

11 Feb (Sun): Reflections Eco-Reserve, Rondevlei – walk

17 Feb (Sat): Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve – walk and self-drive

18 Feb (Sun): Nature’s Valley – walk

22 Feb (Thu): Swartberg Pass – drive

23 Feb (Fri): Minwater, near Oudtshoorn – walk

25 Feb (Sun): Hartenbos Estuary and Wastewater Treatment Works – walk and self-drive

1 Mar (Fri): Goose Marsh, Plettenberg Bay – walk

2 Mar (Sat): Woodville Big Tree, Hoekwil – walk

3 Mar (Sun): Woodbourne Pan, Knysna – walk

7 Mar (Thu) Stilbaai – walk and self-drive

8 Mar (Fri): Gamkaberg Nature Reserve – walk

9 Mar (Sat): Calitzdorp – drive

9 March (Sat): Ruiterbos and Robinson Pass – walk and self-drive

16 Mar (Sat): Uniondale – drive

16 Mar (Sat): Gourikwa Nature Reserve – walk and self-drive

Profiling birding sites and service providers

Explore the Garden Route District on GoBirding!

We have conducted a region-wide revision of the birding sites and service providers for the GoBirding website. Local birders and experts have put their collective knowledge together to make sure that visitors have the very best information at hand when travelling to this special area. You can access this all freely via the GoBirding website by clicking the button above.

Virtual avitourism training course

Part of our investment was a training course for existing tour guides, aspirant guides, accommodations, tour operators, and other interested parties. We covered a range of topics over 10 sessions from an overview of this niche tourism sector to in-depth identification guides to some of the special and commonly encountered birds. All 10 sessions are available on YouTube for anyone to view at their leisure.

An Introduction to Avitourism (Andrew de Blocq)
Birding Basics and Bird Identification (Lance Robinson)
Birding equipment, apps, social media, and other resources (Andrew de Blocq)
Birding terminology and concepts (Andrew de Blocq)
Common birds of the Garden Route & Klein Karoo (Justin Ponder)
Birds of freshwater and estuarine habitats (Justin Ponder)
Birds of the forest (Cassie Carstens)
Birds of the other habitats (Justin Ponder)
Birds of the Klein Karoo (Justin Ponder)
How to conduct a guided birding experience (Dr Daniel Danckwerts)

Media exposure

Naturally, this project has attracted some media attention in addition to the planned advertorials in African Birdlife and the media tour in February 2024. The section below will be updated with media mentions and features as they are published.