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South Africa's Kruger National Park is one of the largest and most iconic conservation areas in Africa. Habitats range from wide-open savannah and rugged thornveld to broadleaved mopani woodland. This microhabitat variation gives Kruger a phenomenal diversity of some 520 bird species, half of which are resident. From Africa's most extraordinary eagles, like the scarlet-faced Bateleur, to electric-colored glossy-starlings and jewel-like finches, Kruger offers an avian celebration of form and color. It is also a crucial conservation area, supporting South Africa's largest viable populations of vultures, eagles, and large terrestrial birds.
Birds of Kruger National Park offers a unique window into the world of Kruger's birds. More than 400 stunning color photographs illustrate the 250 most frequently encountered species, and a habitat-based approach assists in identification. The authoritative text provides key information about identification, habitat, behavior, biology, and conservation. Birds of Kruger National Park contains information likely to be new to even the most experienced birders, but is written in a nontechnical style that makes it accessible to anyone.
Keith Barnes, a native of South Africa, is a founder and director of Tropical Birding, a birdwatching, wildlife, and photography tour operator. He holds a PhD from the Percy FitzPatrick Institute in African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town. His books include a companion volume, Animals of Kruger National Park.
Ken Behrens, a native of the United States, has been living and working in Africa for close to a decade, guiding tours for Tropical Birding. He has been a birder since the age of 11 and, in his teens, he was an ABA/Leica Young Birder of the Year. He is a coauthor of the Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight. Barnes and Behrens are also the authors of Birding Ethiopia and Wild Rwanda.
"[...] Although the main reason for many when visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa is to see the big mammals [...], the abundant birdlife in the park cannot be ignored [...] This book seems more aimed at those with a passing interest in the birds rather than serious birders, and I personally would take a field guide for all of South Africa [...] on my travels there to cover all eventualities. For those only visiting the park for the first time and wishing to take a lighter field guide with them however, this is an excellent book to consider."
– Neil Calbrade, BTO book reviews
