Eswatini

SUB-REGION
Southern Africa

SIZE
17,364 km²

BIRDS AND BIRDING

SPECIES
Diversity
Mostly Afrotropical avifauna
Approximately 490 recorded species

National bird
Purple-crested Turaco | Ligwalagwala

MAIN HABITATS
Montane grassland, montane forest, savanna

BIRD AREAS
South African forests Endemic Bird Area (EBA)
South-east African coast EBA
3 Important Bird Areas

BIRDING SITES
Malolotja Nature Reserve, Mahamba Gorge and Lubombo Mountains for montane species including Common Quail, Denham’s Bustard, Blue Crane, Black-winged Lapwing, African Snipe, Southern Bald Ibis, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Jackal Buzzard, Marsh Owl, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Ground Woodpecker, Rock Kestrel, Bokmakierie, Southern Tchagra, Grey Cuckooshrike, Cape Crow, White-necked Raven, Eastern Long-billed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Black Saw-wing, Large Rock Martin, Blue Swallow, White-throated Swallow, Greater Striped Swallow, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Cape Grassbird, Rock-loving Cisticola, Wailing Cisticola, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Cloud Cisticola, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Bar-throated Apalis, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Pied Starling, Red-winged Starling, Cape Robin-Chat, White-starred Robin, Cape Rock Thrush, Buff-streaked Chat, Mocking Cliff Chat, Mountain Chat, Capped Wheatear, Familiar Chat, Malachite Sunbird, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Cape Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Red-collared Widowbird, Long-tailed Widowbird, Swee Waxbill, Mountain Wagtail, Cape Longclaw, Nicholson’s Pipit, Cape Canary, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and Cape Bunting
Hlane Royal National Park and Mbuluzi Game Reserve for lowland species
Also Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

TIMING (Nov–Jan)
Best at the start of the rains, when most birds breed
Highland areas are unproductive in winter (May–Aug)

RESOURCES (see also South Africa)
Apps
Birds of Africa (iOS or Android)
Roberts Bird Guide 2
Sasol eBirds Southern Africa

Field guides
Sasol Birds of Southern Africa by Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, Warwick Tarboton, Niall Perrins, Dominic Rollinson & Peter Ryan (2020)
Birds of Greater Southern Africa by Keith Barnes, Terry Stevenson & John Fanshawe (2024)

Sounds
Southern African Bird Sounds by Guy Gibbon

Site guides
Southern African Birdfinder by Callan Cohen, Claire Spottiswoode & Jonathan Rossouw (2006)

Atlases
Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 (SABAP2), a member of the African Bird Atlas Project
Swaziland Bird Atlas 1985-1991 by Vincent Parker (1994)

Further reading
Roberts – Birds of Southern Africa edited by P A R Hockey, W R J Dean & P G Ryan (2005)
The 2015 Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland edited by Martin R Taylor, Faansie Peacock & Ross M Wanless (2015)
Birds of the Malolotja Nature Reserve, Swaziland by Richard Boycott & Vincent Parker (2003)
Swaziland by Keith Barnes & Ara Monadjem in Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority Sites for Conservation edited by Lincoln D C Fishpool & Michael I Evans (2001)
Articles in Ostrich, Bull. ABC, etc.

Websites
Eswatini’s Birds Database contains detailed information and distributions

Facebook groups
Eswatini Birding Spectacular
Birding in the Kingdom of Eswatini

ORGANISATIONS

There is currently no BirdLife Partner in Eswatini

Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC) is the parastatal organisation responsible for the conservation of the country’s cultural and natural heritage

Other bird or conservation organisations active in Eswatini include –
Indalo Eswatini (IE)
Yonge Nawe Environmental Action Group (YNEAG)
Peace Parks Foundation: Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area