Cape Points’ habitat is mostly fynbos and strandveld along the coastal sections. The shoreline is a mixture of sandy and rocky beaches with some spectacular cliffs. The bird list stands at almost 250 species, of which about 70 breed at Cape Point.
Species such as Speckled Mousebird, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Bulbul, Spotted Prinia, Cape and Brimstone Canaries, Cape Grassbird and Bokmakierie are quite common. Migrant waders include Curlew Sandpiper, Common Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Whimbrel and Ruddy Turnstone feed on the rotting kelp. Sanderling patrol the sandy beaches with White-fronted Plovers and African Black Oystercatchers. Some unlikely species such as Egyptian Goose, Helmeted Guineafowl and Plain-backed Pipit also feed along the shoreline here.
White-breasted and Cape Cormorants nest on the cliffs at Cape Point and can be seen in their thousands at times, coming and going. These, along with Bank and Crowned Cormorants loaf on the rocks at the Cape of Good Hope beach car park, along with Swift Terns. In summer Common and Sandwich Terns also roost on these rocks.
Land-based seabird watching for pelagic species can be very good, particularly in winter. From the cliffs at Cape Point, or the cliffs above the Cape of Good Hope beach car park, Shy and Black-browed Albatross can be quite common, as are Sooty Shearwater and White-chinned petrel along with Cape Gannets – to a lesser extent Yellow-nosed Albatross, Pintado Petrel and Giant Petrel.
The restio plains around Circular Drive are a good habitat for the endemic Hottentot Buttonquail.
Raptors include Verreaux’s Eagle, Fish Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Jackal Buzzard, Rock Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon
High summer can be a lean time for birding, this is one of the windiest places in Africa.
Contact us if you are looking for a Cape Point birding day trip , Winter time is preferable just after a North West wind has blown.