13 Best birding spots in Cape Town

Dubbed the “Big Daddy of birding sites” by Rijsdijk, this wetland by Muizenberg hosts over 280 species and the only RAMSAR site with sewerage works. It’s also a great spot for rare sightings.

“Strandfontein is famous because if anything gets lost, like flies the wrong way or gets pulled across the ocean, it's gonna either end up with one of those two, because once you get to Strandfontein, you can't get any further south.” 

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Another important birding wetlands in the city, one can easily spot 50 different species in one morning - you might even catch a glimpse of a hippo!

An important part of being a birder is also checking out the seasons and migratory patterns of birds - birds weighing less than a slice of bread can make their way to Rondevlei or Zeekoevlei all the way from Iceland.

Kirstenbosch is one of the most popular tourist hotspot for birding, Rijsdijk says it’s an easy birding expedition where you’re bound to find at least three of the six endemic fynbos species in one day.

Compared to the other spots, however, it’s also the priciest for access.

SEE: The full Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts 2025/26 line-up is here!

Another popular tourist haunt, Cape Point offers a variety of trails through the fynbos and next to the coast where you can tick off a large variety of species. However, try to go early in the morning to avoid the crowds and when the birds are at their most active.

The historic Robben Island has become a sort of pilgrimage for birders due to its wild populations of Indian Peafowl and peacock, the only populations of these non-indigenous birds allowed to be ticked off by a birder in Africa. Known as ‘plastic birds’ in birding lingo, they are escapees from captivity. Domesticated or farming birds are not eligible for ticking off a birder’s list. 

If you’re keen on a hike through the beautiful fynbos, Silvermine’s East and West entrances offer sightings of specialised Cape species like Groundwood Pecker and Rock Thrush. Safety can be an issue here so best to go in a group, and to also note that the West side is part of Table Mountain National Park and requires a permit, while the East side is free.

The top spots for Southern Suburbs birding is the Alphen Trail and Tokai Forest. However, recently Rijsdijk has had some great birding adventures around Kreupelbosch Way by Strawberry Lane, which eventually joins up with Grootboschkloof Trail. An active effort to plant indigenous vegetation has made the area more appealing to local species. 

Check out our round-up of Greenbelt trails here.

On the edge of Constantia, this forest trail walks right into the mountain. The ridge makes it very popular with a variety of species of raptors, where they tend to congregate in summer and birders do raptor watch evenings because the light hits it at just the right angle. Time it right and you’d be able to spot around seven different raptor species. 

While not as dense with bird populations as other areas in Cape town, the forest plays host to the recently rediscovered Knysna Warbler, its city population thought to have gone extinct. They are skulkers and like to hide in the bush, so you tend to hear them rather than see them. There’s also a random trogon that likes to pop up and then vanishes again for the last two years, so this spot is more for die-hard birders with a lot of time. 

A fantastic birding spot according to Rijsdijk, there has been attempts to turn this area into something similar to Strandfontein, but unfortunately has some safety issues. It’s highly recommended to go here with a birding group who know the area well, and you might have to contend with a film crew at times at the abandoned beach pavilion.

You can’t forget the seabirds while in the city, and Camps Bay and Hout Bay offer good sightings, both on the beach and in the water. There are lots of ocean tours that run throughout the year, although Rijsdijk recommends that you’ll see more bird species in winter, depending on whether you can stomach the rougher seas.

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No birder will visit Cape Town without heading to Boulder’s Beach, home to our precious African penguins. Rijsdijk calls them “the pandas of the bird world” as they are easy to spot, contained in a small area due to their endangered status, and predicted to be extinct by 2040. 

This green space isn’t just popular with runners - it’s the last piece of sandvlei in the city and the best spot to look for “the laziest peregrines in the world”, according to the birding community. They nest at the Red Cross Hospital next to the commons, and flop down for an easy hunt when they need to feed their chicks.

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