Birding Guide to the Raptors of Kruger Park

Raptors are the lords of the skies and Kruger is their sanctuary. There are 83 species of raptor that regularly occur in southern Africa. Of these, some 58 species...

Buzzards are medium-sized raptors with unfeathered lower legs. The Steppe Buzzard is the most commonly seen buzzard in Kruger, while there is scepticism that the...

Eagles are the most well-known raptors. They are large, powerful and aggressive hunters that have fully feathered legs and hunt medium-sized and small animals...

Falcons and kestrels are fast fliers. Kestrels are similar to falcons but are smaller and have less impressive hunting techniques. Whereas falcons tend to swoop...

There are three fish-eating raptors in Kruger – the African Fish-Eagle, the itinerantly seen Osprey and the Pel's Fishing-Owl. They are large raptors associated...

Goshawks and sparrowhawks are small to medium-sized raptors found usually in denser woodland. Their shorter wings give them greater manoeuvrability through tree...

Harriers are medium-sized raptors. They are built more slenderly than hawks. They are not often seen in Kruger but have been itinerantly spotted in marshland and...

Kites are small to medium-sized raptors, diverse in shape and size. All have relatively long wings and are expert fliers. A big birding debate has been the...

Owls are associated with superstition and in many African folktales are seen as purveyors of evil. Many people in rural communities put spikes on the roofs of...

The Secretary bird is the odd man out amongst the raptors. It's a grey and black terrestrial eagle, 1.3m tall, with a distinctive red face. As a grassland specialist...

Snake-Eagles are medium to large raptors that feed predominantly on snakes. There are three Snake-Eagles to be seen in Kruger. The Bateleur is one of the Park's...

Vultures are among the most dramatic raptors. To watch the interaction of vultures at a kill is like witnessing the unbridled nature of food politics...