Bird Watching

Guides lead walks through Grootbos's mix of fynbos, Milkwood forest, Afro-Montane woodland and mountain slopes, home to at least 120 recorded bird species, nearly a third of them found only in southern Africa. Sunbirds and the long-tailed Cape Sugarbird work the flowering proteas and ericas, while Black Harriers, Jackal Buzzards and African Fish-Eagles hunt overhead. Rarities such as the Knysna Woodpecker and Southern Tchagra turn up in the thicker cover. Grootbos, endorsed by BirdLife South Africa, also runs boat trips with Dyer Island Cruises to see oystercatchers, cormorants, penguins and gannets offshore, plus the occasional albatross or petrel.