Bird watching birding on the Sani Pass (Southern uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park) and in the adjacent Lesotho Highlands is excellent and it's a prime venue for high altitude alpine birding with some 160 bird species being recorded, including altitudinal migrants and permanent inhabitants.
The Sani Pass provides the birder with a uniquely comprehensive and accessible section of uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park habitats from 1600m to 3240m. A full day is needed which for convenience requires overnight accommodation in the vicinity of Himeville and Underberg.
The habitats include valley basin thicket, boulder and protea studded grassland, secondary heath (fynbos), rock filled gullies and precipices on the Natal side; in Lesotho heavily grazed sub-alpine grassland and heath, seasonal bogs and rocky mountainsides.
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Birding along the Sani Pass road:
1. The thicket about the ruins of an old trading store at the threshold to Sani Pass is good for Bush Blackcap, Barratt's Warbler, Swee Waxbill and Sharpbilled Honeyguide.
2. From where the road begins to climb, opportunistic stops in the protea/boulder grassland will reveal Ground Woodpecker, Gurney's Sugarbird, Buffstreaked Chat, Redwing Francolin, Horus Swift and sometimes birds-of-passage, as this is a migration route.
3. In the rugged terrain between border posts, where the Pass zigzags through the main escarpment, occur Orangebreasted Rockjumper and Drakensberg Siskin. Somewhere in this or the following zones perhaps lies the interface of distribution of Spotted Prinia and Spotted Prinia.
4. The watershed at Sani Top marks the limit of distribution of typical karoo birds such as Sicklewinged Chat, Layard's Titbabbler, Fairy Flycatcher, Yellow Canary, Southern Grey Tit and Thickbilled Lark. On the adjacent short grass flats and heath covered slopes, are found Bald Ibis, Mountain Pipit, Greywing Francolin, Sentinel Rockthrush and Black Harrier, with Bearded Vulture and Cape Vulture overhead. Further into Lesotho Rock Pipit can be located with some difficulty and, occasionally, Blackheaded Canary.
The road up Sani Pass between the two border posts is very steep and sometimes only 4-wheel drive vehicles are allowed through the RSA border post (open 8am to 4pm). A valid passport is essential. There is abundant accommodation of all categories in the Underberg district. Sought after grassland birds in the vacinity of Underberg include: Yellowbreasted Pipit, Wattled Crane, Palecrowned Cisticola and Broadtailed Warbler.
Sani Pass Lesotho Highlands Specials:
In order of possible/likely sighting are: Halfcollared Kingfisher, Bush Blackcap, Barratt's Warbler, Gurney's Sugarbird, Ground Woodpecker, Buffstreaked Chat, Orangebreasted Rockjumper, Drakensberg Siskin, Bearded Vulture, Cape Vulture, Cape Eagle Owl, Sentinel Rockthrush, Bald Ibis, Mountain Pipit, Rock Pipit. Blackheaded Canary is an occassional.
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park bird list
For more on Sani Pass birding / bird watching in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park you can go to:
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park Guide -
For more on birding tours / bird watching safaris in South Africa & Southern Africa you can go to:
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park Safaris & Tours.
- Sani Pass Tours -- Located at the clock-tower centre in Underberg, Sani Pass Tours offers day trips up (and down!) the Sani Pass and into Lesotho.
