Wood Pipit

Scientific name Anthus nyassae Afrikaans name Boskoester

- Koos Pieters

Living in southern Africa certainly has its ups and downs. At times it requires the attitude of an eternal optimist to stay focused on the ups, and not be drowned in the multitude of negatives that seem to have become the topic of almost every conversation around the braai.

From a bird lover’s point of view, fortunately, the ups outweigh the downs by a fair margin. For example, consider the fact that of the approximately 9000 species of birds on the planet, something like 950 are found in southern Africa. That is more than ten percent, right here on our doorstep. It’s more than the United States of America, which has around 780 species, and almost double the 570 species found in the United Kingdom. And, anyway, who wants to watch birds in foul weather…?

So, chin up, reach for your binocs and bird guide, and head into the countryside for some exciting bird-watching in sunny SA. And, if you love to travel, more and more birds will find themselves flying onto your list. Our closest neighbours – like Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe – offer exciting birding lists, on which many are not found further south.