Birding

Bramleigh Manor offers exquisite birding opportunities. Our indigenous forest is home to over 200 species of birds.

Birdsong is the soundtrack to life at Bramleigh Manor, from the territorial call of the Knysna Turaco, the plea of the Narina Trogon, night-time laughter of the Wood Owl, Emerald cuckoo, hornbills, cranes - an idyllic setting to be interrupted only by the sound of birds. Enjoy a soul-restoring walk through the forest, below giant Yellowwood trees, with the shy Samango monkeys swinging above, abundant birdlife and calming streams. Hot, dry grassland trails provide panoramic views of Drakensberg. Or curl up with a book next to the fire, relax on the patio and soak up the fresh country air, be soothed by nature.

Our accommodation supports sustainable tourism, without minimising comfort; powered by the sun, complete with electric blankets, energy efficient lighting and appliances. Wood burning stoves efficiently heat the rooms, using sustainably harvested alien wood. Water is supplied from a forest stream, filtered and ready to drink, cool, straight from the tap. Natural cleaning products provide a fresh fragrance. Sample farm fresh organic produce and eggs. Picnic breakfasts and light dinners available on request.

List of birds found at Bramleigh Manor and surrounding estates:

(Robert's Bird Book reference number) Compiled by R.Lindie

Ref Bird Name Ref Bird Name 8 Dabchick 452 Redbilled Wood Hoopoe 55 Whitebreasted Comorant 455 Trumpeter Hornbill 58 Reed Comorant 463 Ground Hornbill 60 Darter 464 Blackcollared Barbet 62 Grey Heron 469 Redfronted Tinker Barbet 63 Blackheaded Heron 473 Crested Barbet 65 Purple Heron 474 Greater Honeyguide 67 Little Egret 480 Ground Woodpecker 71 Cattle Egret 483 Goldentailed Woodpecker 81 Hamerkop 486 Cardinal Woodpecker 83 White Stork 488 Olive Woodpecker 91 Sacred Ibis 494 Rufous Naped Lark 92 Bald Ibis 518 European Swallow 94 Hadeda Ibis 520 Whitethroated Swallow 95 African Spoonbill 526 Greater Striped Swallow 99 Whitefaced Duck 527 Lesser Striped Swallow 102 Egyptian Goose 529 Rock Martin 103 South African Shelduck 530 House Martin 104 Yellowbilled Duck 534 Banded Martin 105 African Black Duck 536 Black Saw-wing Swallow 108 Redbilled Teal 538 Black Cuckooshrike 112 Cape Shoveller 540 Grey Cuckooshrike 113 Shouthern Pochard 541 Forktailed Drongo 116 Spurwinged Goose 545 Blackheaded Oriole 118 Secretary Bird 547 Black Crow 119 Bearded Vulture 548 Pied Crow 122 Cape Vulture 554 Southern Black Tit 126 Yellowbilled Kite 565 Bush Blackcap 127 Black Shouldered Kite 568 Blackeyed Bulbul 128 Cuckoo Hawk 569 Terrestrial Bulbul 131 Black Eagle 572 Sombre Bulbul 139 Longcrested Eagle 577 Olive Thrush 140 Martial Eagle 580 Groundscraper Thrush 141 Crowned Eagle 588 Buffstreaked Chat 148 African Fish Eagle 589 Familiar Chat 149 Steppe Buzzard 596 Stone Chat 150 Forest Buzzard 598 Chorister Robin 152 Jackal Buzzard 601 Cape Robin 155 Redbreasted Sparrowhawk 606 Starred Robin 157 Little Sparrowhawk 625 Icterine Warbler 158 Black Sparrowhawk 639 Barratt's Warbler 160 African Goshawk 643 Willow Warbler 165 African Marsh Harrier 644 Yellow Throated Warbler 169 Gymnogene/African Harrier Hawk 648 Yellowbreasted Apalis 170 Osprey 645 Barthroated Apalis 171 Peregrine Falcon 657 Greenbacked Bleating Warbler 172 Lanner Falcon 661 Grassbird 180 Eastern Redfooted Kestrel 666 Cloud Cisticola 192 Redwing Francolin 672 Rattling Cisticola 196 Natal Francolin 679 Lazy Cisticola 198 Rednecked Francolin 681 Neddicky 199 Swainsons Francolin 683 Tawny Flanked Prinia 200 Common Quail 686b Drakensberg Prinia 203 Helmeted Guinea Fowl 690 Dusky Flycatcher 207 Wattled Crane 694 Black Flycatcher 208 Blue Crane 698 Fiscal Flycatcher 209 Crowned Crane 700 Cape Batis 210 African Rail 708 Blue Mantled Flycatcher 213 Black Crake 710 Paradise Flycatcher 218 Buffspotted Flufftail 713 Cape Wagtail 223 Purple Gallinule 716 Grassveld Pipit 226 Common Moorhen 717 Longbilled Pipit 228 Redknobbed Coot 727 Orangethroated Longclaw 231 Stanley's Bustard 728 Yellowthroated Longclaw 255 Crowned Plover 732 Fiscal Shrike 258 Blacksmith Plover 736 Southern Boubou 260 Watted Plover 740 Puffback Shrike 284 Ruff 746 Bokmakierie 286 Ethiopian Snipe 750 Olive Bush Shrike 298 Water Dikkop 759 Pied Starling 349 Rock Pigeon 764 Glossy Starling 350 Rameron Pigeon 769 Redwinged Starling 352 Redeyed Dove 774 Gurney's Sugarbird 354 Cape Turtle Dove 775 Malachite Sunbird 355 Laughing Dove 783 Lesser Doublecollared Sunbird 356 Namaqua Dove 785 Greater Doublecollared Sunbird 359 Tambourine Dove 790 Olive Sunbird 370 Knysna Lourie/Turaco 792 Black Sunbird 377 Redchested Cuckoo 796 Cape White Eye 378 Black Cuckoo 801 House Sparrow 380 Great Spotted Cuckoo 803 Cape Sparrow 384 Emerald Cuckoo 804 Grey Headed Sparrow 385 Klaas' Cuckoo 807 Thickbilled Weaver 386 Diederik Cuckoo 811 Spottedbacked Weaver 391 Burchell's Coucal 813 Cape Weaver 392 Barn Owl 814 Masked Weaver 393 Grass Owl 824 Red Bishop 394 Wood Owl 826 Golden Bishop 395 Marsh Owl 828 Redshouldered Widow 400 Cape Eagle Owl 831 Redcollared Widow 401 Spotted Eagle 832 Longtailed Widow 411 European Swift 840 Bluebilled Firefinch 412 Black Swift 844 Blue Waxbill 415 Whiterumped Swift 846 Common Waxbill 417 Little Swift 850 Swee Waxbill 418 Alpine Swift 852 Quail Finch 424 Speckled Mousebird 857 Bronze Mannikin 427 Narina Trogan 860 Pintailed Wydah 428 Pied Kingfisher 864 Black Widowfinch 429 Giant Kingfisher 869 Yelloweyed Canary 431 Malachite Kingfisher 872 Forest Canary 435 Brown Hooded Kingfisher 871 Bully Canary 446 European Roller 881 Streakyheaded Canary 451 Hoopoe 884 Goldenbreasted Bunting