‘Twitching’ for the love of birds
Pretoria’s bird sanctuaries feature scenic trails, observation decks, and thriving wildlife, making them ideal destinations for families, nature lovers, and amateur photographers alike.
Pretoria, having many green belts and nature reserves, is also home to many bird sanctuaries, some of which are open to the public at no charge.
These range in size, with the largest, Bishop Bird Nature Area, occupying 20 hectares. Pretoria also has many types of vegetation, each type attracting different bird species, so if you want to see a particular bird, you can find out where that species is most at home.
Perhaps the best-known bird sanctuary in Pretoria is the Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary, named after ornithologist and mammologist J Austin Roberts, who was born in Pretoria in 1883.
Interestingly, he was self-taught, only receiving academic recognition when the University of Pretoria presented him with an honorary doctorate in 1935.
It contains several wetland basins, fed by two streams – the Walker and the Argo – which means that many water birds also make it their home.
Commonly seen birds are the Striated Heron, the Blacksmith Lapwing, and the Little Egret. The sanctuary is also home to several captive Blue Cranes (our national bird) and Crowned Cranes.
The entrance is at the corner of Boshoff and Roper streets, Muckleneuk. According to the City of Tshwane website, the park is open from 06:00–18:00 between September and April, and from 07:00–17:00 from May to August.
If you’re a bit further north, the Chamberlain Bird Sanctuary is in Deerness, at 103 Kieser Street. You can spend the day wandering in the park and have a picnic in the greenery, but no pets are allowed.
Commonly seen birds include the Helmeted Guineafowl and the Streaky-headed Seedeater. If you are lucky, you might also see a raptor – the Ovambo Sparrowhawk.
Entrance is also free, but you will need to collect the keys from the Chamberlain Hardware in Riviera. Call 012 356 9500 between 07:30 and 17:00 to arrange visits.
Centurion is currently home to the Bishop Bird Nature Area, less than 1km north of Rooihuiskraal. Named after the Southern Red Bishop, it has an abundance of other birdlife, including the Crowned Lapwing, the Southern Masked Weaver, and the Black-shouldered Kite.
This occupies 20 hectares of open grass, with clusters of indigenous trees. There is a loop walking trail just over 3.5km long, and your dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash.
Popular attractions here include a 2km walking trail and a 3m high wooden deck, allowing you to see above the canopy of white stinkwood trees.
The area is also home to several species of mammals and reptiles, including blesbuck, dassies (rock hyraxes), mongoose, and bushbabies, as well as swarms of butterflies between December and mid-January.
You can access the bird area from Roosmaryn Place, Rooihuiskraal North and it is open between 07:00 and 15:00.
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