Mapungubwe National Park

National Park · Botswana

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Photo © South African Tourism from South Africa — CC BY 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Limpopo River carves a boundary between nations, ancient sandstone cliffs rise in sculptured isolation above riverine woodland and acacia savanna. Mapungubwe's dramatic topography—dominated by the iconic flat-topped mountain that gives the park its name—creates a mosaic of distinct ecological zones. Rocky outcrops support drought-resistant vegetation, while the river corridor nurtures dense thickets that contrast sharply with the open grasslands beyond. This geological diversity generates remarkable biodiversity across just 28,000 hectares, with Gondwanan relics thriving alongside species typical of the semi-arid Kalahari.

The park's remote location and stringent conservation management make it a sanctuary for serious wildlife enthusiasts. African fish eagles perch above the Limpopo, while elephant herds move through the woodland with surprising stealth. The golden light of early morning illuminates the mountain's face magnificently, transforming the landscape into a photographer's masterpiece. Birdwatchers record over 450 species here, including several uncommon raptors. Best visited during the dry season from May to September, when visibility improves and wildlife congregates near water sources, Mapungubwe rewards patient observation with encounters that few African parks can match.

Website sanparks.org/parks/mapungubwe

Meves's Starling

Lamprotornis mevesii

Estornino de Meves

Verreaux's Eagle

Aquila verreauxii

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

Carraca Europea

Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Passer diffusus

Gorrión sudafricano

Tortolita Rabilarga

Blacksmith Lapwing

Vanellus armatus

Avefría armada

Southern Red-billed Hornbill

Tockus rufirostris

Toco piquirrojo sureño

Crowned Lapwing

Vanellus coronatus

Avefría coronada

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

Eremopterix leucotis

Terrera Orejiblanca

Calendulauda sabota

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Pternistis natalensis

Francolín de Natal

White-backed Vulture

Buitre dorsiblanco africano

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Plocepasser mahali

Tejedor gorrión cejiblanco

Red-billed Quelea

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

Trachyphonus vaillantii

Barbudo Crestado

African Spoonbill

Espátula africana

Yellow-billed Stork

Tántalo africano

Brown Snake Eagle

Circaetus cinereus

Culebrera sombría

Spilopelia senegalensis

Tórtola senegalesa

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Cigüeñuela común

Ring-necked Dove

Streptopelia capicola

Tórtola de El Cabo

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Tockus leucomelas

Toco piquigualdo sureño

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Alcaudón dorsirrojo

White-faced Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna viduata

Suirirí cariblanco

Grey Go-away-bird

Crinifer concolor

Turaco Unicolor

African Grey Hornbill

Lophoceros nasutus

Toco Piquinegro

Southern Masked Weaver

Ploceus velatus

Tejedor Enmascarado

Spur-winged Goose

Plectropterus gambensis

ganso espolonado

Poicephalus meyeri

Lorito de Meyer

Lesser Grey Shrike

Alcaudón chico

Red-billed Oxpecker

Buphagus erythroryncha

Picabueyes Piquirrojo

Yellow-fronted Canary

Crithagra mozambica

Serín frentiamarillo

Red-crested Korhaan

Lophotis ruficrista

Sisón moñudo austral

Burchell's Sandgrouse

Pterocles burchelli

Anhinga Africana

Pel's Fishing Owl

Scotopelia peli

Cárabo pescador común

Coracias naevius

Carraca Coroniparda

Bearded Woodpecker

Chloropicus namaquus

Southern White-crowned Shrike

Eurocephalus anguitimens

Alcaudón coroniblanco

Swainson's Spurfowl

Pternistis swainsonii

Francolín de Swainson

Green Wood Hoopoe

Phoeniculus purpureus

Abubilla arbórea verde

African Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga vocifer

Pigargo Vocinglero

Polemaetus bellicosus

Águila marcial

Pearl-spotted Owlet

Glaucidium perlatum

Mochuelo Perlado

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

Drongo Ahorquillado

Wattled Starling

Creatophora cinerea

Estornino Carunculado

Red-billed Teal

Anas erythrorhyncha

Ánade piquirrojo

Crimson-breasted Shrike

Laniarius atrococcineus

Bubú pechirrojo

Rattling Cisticola

Cisticola chiniana

Cistícola cascabel

Lamprotornis nitens

Estornino de El Cabo

Actophilornis africanus

Jacana Africana

Green-backed Camaroptera

Camaroptera brachyura

Camaróptera baladora

Scaly-feathered Weaver

Sporopipes squamifrons

Tejedorcito Escamoso

African Barred Owlet

Glaucidium capense

Mochuelo de El Cabo

Common Scimitarbill

Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

Abubilla arbórea cimitarra

Streptopelia semitorquata

Tórtola ojirroja

Northern Red-billed Hornbill

Tockus erythrorhynchus

Toco piquirrojo norteño

Long-billed Crombec

Sylvietta rufescens

Crombec Piquilargo

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

Turtur chalcospilos

Palomita Aliverde

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Prinia subflava

African Palm Swift

Cypsiurus parvus

Vencejo palmero africano

White-browed Coucal

Centropus superciliosus

Cucal Cejiblanco

Crested Francolin

Ortygornis sephaena

Francolín capirotado

Mourning Collared Dove

Streptopelia decipiens

Tórtola engañosa

Red-faced Mousebird

Urocolius indicus

Pájaro ratón carirrojo

White-fronted Bee-eater

Merops bullockoides

Abejaruco Frentiblanco

Little Bee-eater

Merops pusillus

Abejaruco Chico

African Hawk-Eagle

Aquila spilogaster

Águila estriada

Red-billed Firefinch

Lagonosticta senegala

Amaranta Senegalesa

Pycnonotus barbatus

Bulbul Naranjero

Tringa glareola

Andarríos bastardo

Southern Carmine Bee-eater

Merops nubicoides

Abejaruco carmesí sureño

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Clamator glandarius

Críalo europeo

Mocking Cliff Chat

Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris

Roquero Imitador

White-bellied Sunbird

Cinnyris talatala

Suimanga Pechiblanco

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver

Bubalornis niger

Bufalero Piquirrojo

Woodland Kingfisher

Halcyon senegalensis

Alción senegalés

Diederik Cuckoo

Chrysococcyx caprius

Cuclillo Didric

Uraeginthus angolensis

Azulito angoleño

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Halcyon albiventris

Alción cabecipardo

Three-banded Plover

Thinornis tricollaris

Chorlitejo Tricollar

Long-tailed Paradise Whydah

Vidua paradisaea

Viuda del paraíso

Western Cattle Egret

Garcilla bueyera occidental

Broad-billed Roller

Eurystomus glaucurus

Carraca Picogorda

Double-banded Sandgrouse

Pterocles bicinctus

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Merops persicus

Abejaruco Persa

Clamator jacobinus

Críalo blanquinegro

Hirundo rustica

Golondrina común

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Clanga pomarina

Águila pomerana

Green-winged Pytilia

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Emberiza tahapisi

Escribano Canelo

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Abejaruco Europeo

Scopus umbretta

Pied Kingfisher

Martín pescador pío

Knob-billed Duck

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Pato crestudo afroasiático

Burchell's Coucal

Centropus burchellii

Cucal de Burchel

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Zampullín común

Dark Chanting Goshawk

Melierax metabates

Azor lagartijero oscuro

Monotonous Lark

Mirafra passerina

Alondra monótona

Arrow-marked Babbler

Turdoides jardineii

Turdoide de Jardine

Cut-throat Finch

Amadina fasciata

Estrilda Degollada

Zapornia flavirostra

Polluela negra africana

Calidris pugnax

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Andarríos chico

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Archibebe Claro

Bostrychia hagedash

Black-chested Snake Eagle

Circaetus pectoralis

Culebrera Pechinegra

Oenanthe familiaris

Colinegro Familiar

Red-headed Weaver

Anaplectes rubriceps

Tejedor cabecirrojo sureño

Wahlberg's Eagle

Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Águila de Wahlberg

White-crested Helmetshrike

Prionops plumatus

Prionopo Crestiblanco

Lesser Masked Weaver

Ploceus intermedius

Tejedor Intermedio

Golden-breasted Bunting

Emberiza flaviventris

Escribano Pechidorado

Greater Painted-snipe

Rostratula benghalensis

Aguatero bengalí

Saddle-billed Stork

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Jabirú africano

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Black-backed Puffback

Dryoscopus cubla

Cubla Dorsinegra

Kurrichane Thrush

Turdus libonyana

Zorzal de Kurrichane

White-browed Scrub Robin

Cercotrichas leucophrys

Alzacola Dorsirrojo

Cigüeña negra

Butorides atricapilla

Village Indigobird

Vidua chalybeata

Viuda Senegalesa

African Pied Wagtail

Motacilla aguimp

Lavandera Africana

Black-headed Oriole

Oriolus larvatus

Oropéndola enmascarada

Black-backed Jackal

Lupulella mesomelas

Chacal de lomo negro

Smith's Bush Squirrel

Paraxerus cepapi

Ardilla de Arbol

Heterohyrax brucei

Damán de Bruce

Oreotragus oreotragus

Southern Giraffe

Giraffa giraffa

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

Parahyaena brunnea

Panthera pardus

Crocuta crocuta

Tragelaphus oryx

Antílope Eland

African Savanna Elephant

Loxodonta africana

Elefante africano de sabana

Aepyceros melampus

Cebra de Sabana

Southern Bushbuck

Tragelaphus sylvaticus

Antílope del Cabo

Phacochoerus africanus

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

Antílope acuático

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

Cercopiteco verde

Banded Mongoose

Mangosta Estriada

Procavia capensis

Damán de el Cabo

Raphicerus campestris

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

Hipopótamo común

Civettictis civetta

Civeta africana

Rusty-spotted Genet

Genetta fieldiana

Genetta fieldiana

Lepus saxatilis

Liebre de los matorrales

Hystrix africaeaustralis

Puercoespín africano

Namaqua Rock Rat

Micaelamys namaquensis

Micaelamys namaquensis

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