Birding Safari at Tumbeta

by tumbeta | May 31, 2022

Tumbeta Private Game Reserve offers AN exceptional birding SAFARI.

It is now over 4 years that we have been involved with Tumbeta and we have had some incredible and rare sightings of birds. The overall standard of birding has far exceeded our expectations. We have owned property in the Waterberg for many years but we were surprised to see how much more bird activity we find here in the Sweetveld. Tumbeta is the perfect birding safari destination.

It all starts with the important foundation provided by the palatable grass species found in the sweetveld.

This dense ground cover and vital food supply attracts a huge amount of ground birds as well as all the species that rely on the grass seeds for nutrition. Insects and rodents which also survive on the grass seeds are prolific in these areas and it further attracts a high number of bird species. These smaller bird species and the huge amount of ground birds in turn attract your raptors.

The ideal birding safari destination

In this update we will focus more on the raptor species we have seen on the reserve. During the summer months, huge flocks of Quelea arrive and nest on the reserve and this attracts many raptor species. Steppe eagles, Wahlberg’s, Tawny eagle, Pale chanting goshawk, Gabar goshawk, certain of your Buzzard species as well as the migratory falcons, European hobbies and even Kestrels raid the Quelea nesting sites. Spending some quiet time around these nesting sites provides for special sightings and a very unique experience.

Secretary birds, Martial eagle, Wahlbergs, African hawk eagle, Tawny eagle, Pale chanting goshawk, Gabar goshawk, Brown snake eagle, Brown chested snake eagle and some of the sparrow hawk species all nest on the reserve. They are attracted by huge flocks of Guinea fowl and the high numbers of Spur fowl which frequent the reserve. White-backed and Lappet-faced vultures also nest on Tumbeta Game Reserve and we are very fortunate to see the Bateleur at times on the reserve.