The best destinations for a birdwatching safari

With more than 11,000 species of birds on planet Earth, each with their own unique and often extraordinary appearance and habits, it’s no wonder we’re fascinated by our feathered friends. During the pandemic, we noticed them more, which may be responsible for the rise in birdwatching as a pastime. They connect us with the natural world and watching them can be a form of meditation and soothing. We even have favorite birds, and many countries have their own national bird, which appears proudly on everything from hats to souvenir tea towels. If your favorite bird isn’t a species that lives in your home country, why not seek it out? Around one in five of all the world’s bird species migrate, some of them undertaking epic journeys – like the great snipe, which travels over 6,800 km from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia to sub-Saharan Africa and loses half its body weight in the process. Fly this way as we explore some of the best birdwatching destinations on the planet.

Ecuador

Think of Ecuadorian wildlife and it might not be birds you picture first. But you’ll automatically think of the Galapagos Islands, and for good reason. It’s a naturalist’s paradise and a birdwatcher’s delight, where people flock (pun intended) to see the blue-footed booby, the Galapagos penguin, the waved albatross and Darwin’s finches. It’s little wonder it’s top of our list of birdwatching destinations on the planet.

Back on the mainland and under two hours from Quito, the enclave of Mindo is probably the second most important nature site in the country, and one of the world’s capitals for birdwatching. Nestled in the cloud forest, it’s a honey trap for several species of hummingbird, such as the shining sunbeam and the glowing puffleg. Spend a morning at one of the valley’s many sugar-feeder stations to admire these tiny turbocharged beauties, then tear your gaze away to hunt for the rufous-crowned antpitta and the Andean cock-of-the-rock.

Iceland

Iceland’s national bird might be the largest falcon on the planet, the gyrfalcon, but it’s the beautiful Atlantic puffin that steals the hearts of visitors and is one of the best-known symbols of Iceland. From May to August, Iceland is home to 60% of the world’s puffin population, and tours to spot them are as popular as hunting the northern lights. The best spots are around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula or the Westman Islands, which is home to the largest puffin population.

In Iceland’s Westfjords, the largest known bird cliff in the world, Látrabjarg, is home to millions of birds and hosts nearly half of the world’s population of some species, such as the razorbill. In the south, not far from Vík, Dyrhólaey is a visually stunning rock peninsula where you can take a boat tour and see dozens of seabird species up close. If you’re staying in Reykjavík over the summer, just stroll down to the city’s pond, Tjörnin, and watch Arctic terns relax after a 40,000 km journey from Antarctica.

Costa Rica

For something more tropical, head for the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica, where you might catch a glimpse of the rare and beautiful, jewel-toned quetzal, considered sacred by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. A phenomenal birdwatching destination, the cloud forest is home to more than 400 different species of birds, attracted by the mild and humid temperature, an abundance of fruits and insects, and attractive nesting sites. The creatures you might encounter are simply ravishing, from the coppery-headed emerald hummingbird to the elusive three-wattled bellbird and the blue-crowned motmot with its colorful turquoise, green and yellow plumage. You’ll hear the noisy parrots before you see them, and you might spot a bunch of unruly keel-billed toucans, using their large rainbow-hued bills to throw fruit at each other.

South Africa

On an African safari, the birds seem determined to compete with the Big Five in spectacle and drama. And they don’t come more sensational than the secretarybird, the tallest raptor in the world that reaches heights of 1.5 m and uses its long legs covered in scales, its large feet and sharp claws to stomp on venomous snakes. While these birds are now endangered, South Africa is a fantastic country to see other extraordinary species. Our ‘big five’ of the bird world are the kori bustard, martial eagle, saddle-billed stork, lappet-faced vulture, and Pel’s fishing owl. Visit Kruger National Park for the opportunity to spot over 500 different bird species. Make the trip between October and March, and they’re joined by an additional 200 migrant species!

India

Want to combine twitching with tiger-spotting or the Taj Mahal? No problem. One of our favorite birdwatching destinations, India’s diverse habitat delivers some of the best birding sites in the world, and thereby some of the best birding tours. Choose from the Himalayas to Bangalore, the Andaman Islands to Rajasthan, where the famous Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is home to over 400 species. Visit the highlands of central India where the national parks of Satpura, Pench and Kanha intersect to deliver an array of over 350 species, from the black-shouldered kite to the verditer flycatcher.

For something a little off the beaten track, head for the remote province of Nagaland on the Myanmar border, where conservationists discovered more than a million Amur falcons gathering in dense roosts near the Doyang Dam Reservoir — apparently a launching point for the falcons’ non-stop, 13,000-mile migratory flight to southern Africa. At its peak in October, this stopover may hold the world’s largest concentration of raptors.

Kenya

Imagine so many flamingos taking to the air that they turn the sky pink! Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park in the scenic Rift Valley region is a protected area, best known for its huge population of flamingos, sometimes numbering in the millions. The park is also a destination for ibises, spoonbills, pelicans, storks, kites and ostriches, to name a few.

Kenya has some widely diverse habitats and 62 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) covering humid lowlands and lakes to snow-capped mountains and tropical rainforest. If you want to combine spectacular birdlife with a trip to Kenya’s most famous game reserve, head for the Maasai Mara where the gigantic martial eagle, Wahlberg’s eagle and black-chested snake eagle give the Big Five a run for their money.

Australia

This vast country has over 800 native bird species, from the iconic emu and the laughing kookaburra to the eastern yellow robin and the rare Gouldian finch. Roebuck Bay in western Australia is renowned as the home of the Broome Bird Observatory. It might be the shorebird capital of the world and a great place to tick some off your list. More than 100,000 sandpipers, godwits, knots, tattlers, plovers, curlews, greenshanks, and turnstones gather here each year before embarking on a marathon journey northward. In early April, you can relax on the beach at sunset to watch flock after flock take to the skies.

Over in the northeast, the Atherton Tablelands just west of Cairns is one of Australia’s most celebrated destinations for twitchers. This area of rainforest, wetland and savannah is perfect for spotting golden bowerbirds, king parrots, honeyeaters, crimson rosellas, and masked owls. The incredible wildlife in this region is one more reason to visit; it’s home to brightly colored frogs and the elusive platypus, and is one of the few places in the country where you might spot the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo.

Spain

Spain has a rich variety of birdlife, and one of the best places to go birdwatching there is Andalusia – an important passageway for thousands of birds as they migrate between Europe and Africa, especially around the Strait of Gibraltar. The Doñana National Park is a top destination, where more than 500,000 species visit every year. In spring, it becomes a habitat for African and Mediterranean species such as the spoonbill, while its lagoons become a feeding habitat for about 10,000 greater flamingos. You may also spot the ibis, azure-winged magpie and red-necked nightjar, while storks and raptors soar overhead.

Around the Grazalema Mountains close to the charming city of Ronda, the wild landscapes are home to raptors such as the peregrine falcon, short-toed snake eagle, and booted eagle. Take a birdwatching trip to the beautiful El Tajo Gorge at sunset and watch over a colony of cliff-dwelling red-billed choughs, a species that is rare and endangered throughout the rest of Europe.

Poland

Poland might not be the obvious choice as far as birdwatching destinations go, but much of eastern Poland is rural and unspoiled and home to a diverse array of species. Some of the world’s most spectacular birds call it home, such as the white-tailed and lesser spotted eagles, the great snipe and white and black storks. Around four hours from Warsaw, the Bialowieza National Park has the best birdwatching within a 50 sq km area of dense, primeval forest, where at its core you might see woodpeckers, flycatchers, hazel grouse, corn crakes, and many kinds of warblers. Not far away is the largest inland wetland left on the continent, home to a superb selection of waterfowl including aquatic warblers and large colonies of graceful, white-winged terns.

Thailand

Thailand is another country of such diverse habitats that it’s one of the best places to birdwatch in Asia – in fact, over 1,000 species can be spotted across the country all year round. In the northern highlands around Chiang Mai, visit Doi Inthanon National Park and look out for grey bush chats, Siberian rubythroats and yellow-streaked warblers, plus little and chestnut buntings as well as buzzards. Explore the mangrove forest of Krabi by kayak to spot native species that thrive in this diverse ecosystem. Hunt for the mangrove pitta and mangrove whistler, the Indian white-eye, the blue rock thrush, and several kinds of kingfisher.

Make it happen

Are you ready to live out your naturalist dreams in these top birdwatching destinations? Pick your top destination of choice, and reach out to our local experts today, for their top tips and recommendations.

1. Ecuador
2. Iceland
3. Costa Rica
4. South Africa
5. India
6. Kenya
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Poland
10. Thailand