Can you believe it’s been 16 years since we published the first edition of Birding Gauteng? This long-awaited new edition has been completely redone: every site, every map and every sentence reflects the latest birding information. The Wider Gauteng region – defined as a zone within 100 km of the city centres – is home to 470 spectacular bird species. The book features almost 100 prime birding spots within easy reach of Pretoria and Johannesburg. From familiar favourites like Suikerbosrand, Marievale, Rietvlei, Zaagkuilsdrift, Nylsvley and Pilanesberg, to newly discovered secret stakeouts that only top twitchers know about. Or make a weekend out of it, and head a little further afield to Kruger, Mkhuze, St Lucia, Magoebaskloof, Mokala, Lesotho… All you need to know about how and where to find the specials, plus details on visiting the beautiful wild places they inhabit. With all new maps, photos, coordinates, safety ratings and access info, the lifers are guaranteed!

Let’s go birding!

Look Inside

Featured Birding Hotspots

51. Mkhombo Dam (p. 232)
52. Rust de Winter Roadside Birding (p. 238)
53. Rust de Winter Dam NR (p. 243)
54. Sondela Nature Reserve (p. 247)
55. Loodswaai Game Ranch (p. 250)
56. Dinokeng Game Reserve (p. 254)
58. Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve (p. 266)
59. Marievale Bird Sanctuary (p. 273)
60. Tsakane Pans (p. 278)
61. Devon Birding Routes (p. 280)
62. Leeupan (p. 286)
63. Greylingstad Mountain (p. 288)
64. Delmas Grasslands (p. 290)
65. Bapsfontein Pans (p. 293)
66. Bronkies Angling Reserve (p. 298)
68. Kgaswane Mountain Reserve (p. 306)
69. Breedtsnek Pass (p. 311)
70. Hartebeespoort Dam (p. 316)
71. Crocodile River Reserve (p. 323)
72. Boons Birding Routes (p. 326)
73. Abe Bailey Nature Reserve (p. 331)
74. Parys & the Vredefort Dome (p. 334)
75. Vaal Dam Birding Routes (p. 342)
76. Sasolburg & Vaalpark (p. 348)
77. Holfontein Birding Route (p. 354)
78. Sharpeville Lake (Leeukuil) (p. 357)
80. Mokala National Park (p. 364)
81. Botsalano Game Reserve (p. 369)
82. Marakele & The Waterberg (p. 372)
83. Nylsvley Nature Reserve (p. 376)
84. Polokwane Game Reserve (p. 381)
85. Magoebaskloof (p. 385)
86. Dullstroom (p. 392)
87. Mount Sheba & Blyde Canyon (p. 397)
88. Nelspruit (Mbombela) (p. 402)
89. Skukuza & Southern Kruger (p. 408)
90. Mkhuze Game Reserve (p. 414)
91. St Lucia (p. 421)
92. Wakkerstroom (p. 427)
93. Ingula Nature Reserve (p. 434)
94. The Lesotho Highlands (p. 438)
01. Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden (p. 28)
02. Kloofendal Nature Reserve (p. 32)
03. Northern Farm (p. 35)
04. Glen Austin Pan (p. 40)
05. Delta Park (p. 42)
06. East Rand Pans (p. 45)
07. Klipriviersberg NR (p. 49)
08. Naturena (p. 53)
09. Eikenhof Birding Routes (p. 58)
14. Rietvlei Nature Reserve (p. 80)
15. Smuts Koppie, Irene & Centurion (p. 86)
16. Bishop Bird Park, Centurion (p. 90)
17. Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve (p. 92)
18. Struben Dam Bird Sanctuary (p. 98)
19. Faerie Glen Nature Reserve (p. 100)
20. Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary (p. 104)
21. Groenkloof & Klapperkop (p. 106)
22. Pretoria National Botanical Garden (p. 110)
23. Colbyn Wetland & Rietondale (p. 113)
25. The Magaliesberg (p. 120)
26. Derdepoort Recreation Resort (p. 125)
27. Rooiwal Pentad (p. 127)
28. Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve (p. 132)
29. Hoogland & the Schurveberg (p. 137)
31. Zaagkuilsdrift Road (p. 144)
34. Kgomo-Kgomo Floodplain (p. 153)
35. Borakalalo National Park (p. 158)
36. Assen Roadside Birding (p. 164)
37. Roodekoppies Dam (p. 168)
38. Vaalkop Dam (p. 172)
40. Rockwall Dam (p. 180)
41. Pilanesberg National Park (p. 183)
43. Seringveld Conservancy (p. 194)
44. De Tweedespruit Conservancy (p. 199)
45. Vlaklaagte Grasslands (p. 204)
46. Ezemvelo Nature Reserve (p. 209)
47. Wilge River Valley (p. 215)
48. Rhenosterkop Mountain (p. 222)
49. Mabusa Nature Reserve (p. 224)
50. Verena Grasslands (p. 228)

Meet the Authors

Faansie Peacock lives and breathes birds, as his name implies. He is a prolific author: in addition to his acclaimed Chamberlain’s LBJs and Chamberlain’s Waders and his best-selling Faansie’s Bird Book: A fully fledged field guide for kids (now in its second edition), he runs a long-standing column in Weg/Go! magazine and writes weekly articles for his top-rated app, FIREFINCH. He is a talented artist and was one the illustrators for Sasol Birds of Southern Africa. His depictions of bats, bushbabies and lemurs are featured in Lynx’s Handbook of the Mammals of the World. He was previously employed as Curator of Birds at the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria. Now based in Langebaan on SA’s West Coast, he admits that he misses the birding riches of Gauteng—and big thunderstorms on hot summer afternoons.

Dylan Vasapolli is perhaps one of Africa’s sharpest field birders, with a talent for tracking down birds that borders on magical. His job as a professional bird guide and photographer for Birding Ecotours has taken him to more than 30 countries across the world—and ensured a lifelist creeping up to 4,000 species. When not hunting honeycreepers in the Neotropics or ibisbills in the Himalayas, Dylan loves exploring the veld around his hometown of Alberton—so it’s not surprising that this edition of the book features more sites in the southern Joburg region. The first edition of Birding Gauteng was a major inspiration in his early birding days, and this time around Dylan’s writing and photography has greatly modernised this long overdue update. He is a member of BirdLife South Africa’s rarities and listing committee.

Etienne Marais spends half his time in Mozambique, tracking down pittas, alethes and akalats for his clients. Etienne is known for his diligence and patience in the field, and possesses remarkable insights into the lives of birds. Countless birders have attended his popular birding courses, focusing on raptors, warblers, LBJs, birding skills and mastering bird sounds. Although Etienne has dabbled in politics, Internet start-ups, conservation NGOs, nutrition studies and coffee cultivation, his true passion lies in connecting birds and people. In 2005 he captained the first local birding team to record 300 species in a day—in the Gauteng region! Etienne has personally added three new species to the Southern African list (Red-necked Buzzard, White Tern, Forbes-Watson’s Swift). He recently celebrated 50 years of birding.