The large Kori Bustard is Africa’s heaviest flying bird and can weigh up to 20kg (45 pounds)! They are cryptically coloured and eat almost anything.
The mean-looking Martial Eagle is the largest African eagle and is very powerful; a true top predator. It has a unique hunting method, stooping from a height and slamming its talons into its prey at high speed.
It is estimated that there are only between 25 and 30 breeding pairs of the strikingly beautiful Saddle-billed Stork in the Kruger Park, plus a handful of non-breeding individuals.
The Lappet-faced Vulture is Africa’s largest vulture. This endangered bird species is a scavenger, which means it feeds mainly on carcasses it finds lying in the open.
The Southern Ground Hornbill is one of the most easily identifiable and most cherished bird species in the whole of Kruger. They are birds of great superstition in African culture and their booming calls are often mistaken for roaring lions!
The big-eyed orange-brown Pel’s Fishing Owl is the rarest of the big 6 birds and is seldom seen, mainly because of its nocturnal habits and restriction to large watercourses.
These big 6 birds should be relatively easy for visitors to find in the Kruger with the exception of the Pel’s Fishing Owl, but you never know… Browse to Nature Travel Kruger for info on all our tours and safaris in this world-famous park.