If you're a keen birder or interested in making bird-watching a hobby then there's no better place to raise your binoculars than Botswana! 

With more than 550 species recorded across the country, this is birding heaven and a country where you can tick off a whole host of "lifers" and special sightings. The best time to bird in Botswana is during the wet season, known as the "emerald" season because of the rich, lush vegetation that the rains bring across this land-locked country. This is when you have the added thrill of seeing some of Africa's most spectacular summer migrants who come South to spend the summer months and nest, raising their chicks.

Birdlife tends to concentrate in specific areas across Botswana, from the arid landscapes of the Kalahari where you'll see huge flocks around the limited waterholes to the vast wetlands of the Okavango Delta where they gather in breeding colonies, around pools and lagoons in the dry season and in abundance when the annual inundation of floodwaters begins.

Out on the pans of the Makgadikgadi you'll find both greater and lesser flamingos after good rains when the entire area becomes waterlogged. When the water is high enough the flamingos will breed.

While Botswana does not have any endemic species (species found nowhere else) it does have very important populations of rare and endangered birds such as the wattled crane and slaty egret, found predominantly in the Delta.

The area around Shakawe in the north of the country, along the Okavango River, is also renowned as a birding hotspot, and this is where you'll find amazing species like Pel's fishing owl, the white-backed night heron, African skimmer and, of course, the iconic African fish eagle.

Summer nesters that are always a delight to see include the African paradise flycatcher, Southern carmine bee-eater and Wahlberg's eagle. Cruise along the Chobe River and visit the yellow-billed stork rookeries and watch swathes of red-billed queleas as they flock together when the grasses are in seed, closely followed by a selection of raptors including yellow-billed kites.

Make sure you have a good bird app on your smartphone (we can recommend Roberts Bird Guide and the Sasol eBirds of Southern Africa) to help you keep track of your sightings. Most lodges have tick-lists available either in printed form or downloadable from their websites. 

A good pair of binoculars is a great investment. Generally speaking, an 8x magnification (such as an 8 x 42 range) is great for birding, but a 10x option will also serve you well, although it's harder to keep an image steady the larger the magnification gets (just like with cameras).

Ask us for more information about birding in Botswana and we'll help you put together a wonderful itinerary that's guaranteed to give you wonderful sightings and an incredible birding experience.