Get closer to the raw wilderness than ever before, unchanged, untamed and untainted.

Get close and be afraid (don’t worry you won’t be eaten!) There has to be a reason why this area is known as one of the finest safari areas in Africa and this can be attributed to the fact that it has one of the highest densities of wildlife per square hectare and this, coupled with the fact that through sound environmental practices the wildlife do not feel threatened by us as visitors, results in regular sightings, often only a few meters from your private Land Rover, of some Africa’s most elusive predators and big game.

Our family have grown up in this region for 4 generations and whenever we go out either on foot or in open Land Rovers we are always surprised by things we have never seen before. The Reserve is completely untouched and home to such a variety of wildlife that each and every day presents new and exciting interactions in an environment where all levels of the ecosystem fight for their survival in an environment where generally the rule is eat or be eaten.

What can you expect when going out on safari is more than you can ever imagine. Regardless of how many Animal Planet or National Geographic scenes you may have watched or even if you have travelled to some of the remotest areas on this planet, namely Alaska or Antarctica, you will not find a more natural and vibrant wildlife experience than at Lion Sands. Our guides are expertly trained to not only provide you with an encyclopedia of information on all aspects of the ecology but are also well versed in being incredible hosts, passionate about making sure you highest expectations are met.

The safaris take place either in the morning or late afternoon moving into the early evening. The reason for this is that it is when the wildlife are most active due to the temperatures being the most moderate. It is also important to note that this area does not get affected by a migration of species which means that the game viewing is consistently good all year round and the only change in seasons is really to the surrounding landscape and daily temperatures.

Below is a list of the common species found in the Reserve:

Safari Check List - Lion Sands Game Reserve
Mammals Trees continued Birds continued Birds continued
Bats Wild Cotton Finfoots Crows and Ravens
Bat, Cape Serotine White-leaved Raisin African Finfoot Cape (Black) Crow
Bat, Egyptian Free-tailed Climbing Raisin Bustards an Korhaans Pied Crow
Bat, Egyptian Slit-faced Sandpaper Raisin Kori Bustard White-necked Raven
Bat, Tomb- Giant Raisin Red-crested Korhaan Tits
Bat, Little Free-tailed- Grey Raisin Black-bellied Bustard Southern Black Tit
Bat, Yellow House Cross-berry Jacanas Grey Penduline Tit
Fruit-Bat, Epauletted Tropical Spikethorn African Jacana Babblers
Elephants and Rhinoceros Red Spikethorn Lesser Jacana Arrow-marked Babbler
Elephant, African Sausage Tree Snipes and Plovers Bulbuls
Rhinoceros, Black False Marula Greater Painted Snipe Dark-capped (Black-eyed) Bulbul
Rhinoceros, White Bushveld Bead-bean Common Ringed Plover Terrestrial Brownbul
Primates Lowveld Milkberry White-fronted Plover Sombre Greenbul
Baboon, Chacma (Savanna) Red Milkwood (Moepel) Kittlitz’s Plover Yellow-bellied Greenbul
Monkey, Vervet Cork-bush Three-banded Plover Nicators
Galago, Thick-tailed (Greater) Water Nuxia Caspian Plover Eastern (Yellow-spotted) Nicator
Bushbaby, Lesser Natal Plane Crowned Lapwing Thrushes
General Game Hairy Caterpillar-pod Senegal Lapwing Kurrichane Thrush
Buffalo, African (Cape) Drooping Resin-tree Blacksmith Lapwing Groundscraper Thrush
Bushbuck Jacket-plum White-crowned Lapwing Wheaters
Duiker, Grey (Common) African-Wattle African Wattled Lapwing Capped Wheatear
Bushpig Wild Date Palm Sandpipers and Greenshanks Mountain Wheatear
Giraffe Apple-leaf (Rain Tree) Common Sandpiper Chats and Robins
Klipspringer Potatobush Green Sandpiper Familiar Chat
Kudu, Greater Kiaat Wood Sandpiper Mocking Cliff-Chat
Hyrax, Rock Round-leaved Kiaat Marsh Sandpiper Arnott’s Chat
Impala Quinine Tree Common Greenshank African (Common) Stonechat
Nyala Crow-berry Curlew Sandpiper White-browed Robin-Chat (Heuglin’s Robin)
Reedbuck, Common Common Wild Currant Stints Red-capped Robin-Chat (Natal Robin)
Steenbok Flute Willow Little Stint White-throated Robin-Chat
Tsessebe Weeping Boer-bean Sanderling Collared Palm-Thrush
Warthog Dwarf Boer-bean Waiders Thrush Nightingale
Waterbuck, Common Marula Ruff White-browed Scrub-Robin
Wildebeest, Blue Eared Senna (Monkey Pod) African (Ethiopian) Snipe (Eastern) Bearded Scrub-Robin
Zebra, Plains (Burchell’s) River Bean Pied Avocet Warblers
Hippopotamus Tamboti Black-winged Stilt Garden Warbler
Carnivores Common Starchestnut Thick-Knees Common Whitethroat
Caracal Black Monkey-Orange Spotted Thick-knee Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler
Cheetah Spiny Monkey-Orange Water Thick-knee Southern (Mashona) Hyliota
Civet, African Waterberry Coursers Icterine Warbler
Hyena, Spotted Silver Cluster-leaf Temminck’s Courser Olivetree Warbler
Aardwolf Purple-pod Cluster-leaf Three-banded Courser River Warbler
Genet, Large-spotted Cape Honeysuckle Bronze-winged Courser Great Reed Warbler
Jackal, Black-backed Natal Mahogany Pranticoles African Reed-Warbler
Jackal, Side-striped Rock White-ironwood Collared (Red-winged) Pratincole (European) Marsh Warbler
Leopard Large Sourplum Gulls and Terns (European) Sedge Warbler
Lion Buffalothorn Grey-headed Gull Lesser Swamp (Cape Reed) Warbler
Mongoose, Banded Whiskered Tern Dark-capped Yellow warbler
Mongoose, Dwarf Birds White-winged Tern Little Rush (African Sedge) Warbler
Mongoose, Slender Common Ostrich Sandgrouse Broad-tailed Warbler
Mongoose, White-tailed Little Grebe (Dabchick) Double-banded Sandgrouse Willow Warbler
Honey Badger (Ratel) White-breasted Cormorant Pigeons and Doves Apalis
Otter, Cape Clawless Reed Cormorant Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) Yellow-breasted Apalis
Polecat, Striped African Darter Anhinga melanogaster Speckled (Rock) Pigeon Rudd’s Apalis
Serval Egrets, Herons and Bitterns Red-eyed Dove Crombecs, Eremonela and Camaropteras
Wild Cat, African Grey Heron Ardea cinerea African Mourning Dove Long-billed Crombec
Wild Dog, African Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala Cape Turtle Dove Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Rodents Goliath Heron Laughing Dove Green-capped Eremomela
Cane-rat, Greater Purple Heron Namaqua Dove Burnt-necked Eremomela
Dormouse, Woodland Great (White) Egret Emerald-spotted (Green-spotted) Wood-Dove Green-backed Camaroptera (Bleating Warbler)
Elephant-Shrew, Eastern-Rock Yellow-billed Egret Tambourine Dove Grey-backed Camaroptera
Gerbil, Bushveld Little Egret African Green-Pigeon Stierling’s (Barred) Wren-Warbler
Hare, Scrub Black Heron Parrots Cisticolas
Mole-rat, Common Cattle Egret Grey-headed Parrot Zitting (Fan-tailed) Cisticola
Mouse, Four-striped Grass- (Common) Squacco Heron Brown-headed Parrot Desert Cisticola
Mouse, Southern Multimammate Rufous-bellied Heron Turacos and Go Away Birds Rattling Cisticola
Porcupine, Cape (African) Green-backed Heron Purple-crested Turaco Red-faced Cisticola
Squirrel, Tree (Bush) Black-crowned Night Heron Grey Go-away Bird Rufous-winged (Black-backed) Cisticola
Vlei-rat, Angoni White-backed Night Heron Cuckoo Croaking Cisticola
Safari Specials Dwarf Bittern Common (European) Cuckoo Lazy Cisticola
Aardvark Little Bittern African Cuckoo Neddicky
Pangolin, Ground Hamerkop Red-chested Cuckoo Prinias
Storks Black Cuckoo Tawny-flanked Prinia
Reptiles White Stork Great Spotted Cuckoo Flycatchers and Batis
Crocodiles and Chelonians Abdim’s Stork Levaillant’s (Striped) Cuckoo Spotted Flycatcher
Crocodile, Nile Black Stork Jacobin Cuckoo African Dusky Flycatcher
Terrapin, Marsh Woolly-necked Stork Thick-billed Cuckoo Ashy (Bluegrey) Flycatcher
Terrapin, Serrated Hinged- African Openbill Klaas’s Cuckoo Grey Tit-Flycatcher (Fan-tailed Flycatcher)
Tortoise, Leopard Saddle-billed Stork Diderick Cuckoo Southern Black Flycatcher
Tortoise, Speke’s Hinged Marabou Stork Coucals Marico Flycatcher
Snakes Yellow-billed Stork Black Coucal Pallid Flycatcher
Adder, Puff Ibis Burchell’s Coucal Fiscal Flycatcher
Adder, Rhombic Night- African Sacred Ibis Owls Cape Batis
Bark-Snake, Eastern Glossy Ibis Barn Owl Chinspot Batis
Boomslang Hadeda Ibis African Grass-Owl Black-throated Wattle-eye (Wattle-eyed Flycatcher)
Bush-Snake, Spotted Spoonbills African Wood-Owl Fairy Flycatcher
Cobra, Mozambique Spitting African Spoonbill Marsh Owl Blue-mantled Flycatcher
Cobra, Snouted (Egyptian) Flamingos African Scops-Owl African Paradise Flycatcher
Egg-eater, Rhombic Greater Flamingo Southern White-faced Scops-Owl Wagtails
File-Snake, Southern Lesser Flamingo Pearl-spotted Owlet African Pied Wagtail
Grass-Snake, Olive Ducks African Barred Owlet Mountain (Long-tailed) Wagtail
Green-Snake, Natal White-faced Duck Spotted Eagle-Owl Cape Wagtail
Herald-Snake (Red-lipped) Fulvous Duck Verreaux’s (Giant) Yellow Wagtail
House-Snake, Brown White-backed Duck Pel’s Fishing-Owl Pipits
Mamba, Black Egyptian Goose Nightjars African (Grassveld) Pipit
Mole Snake African Black Duck European Nightjar Long-billed Pipit
Python, Southern African Teals Fiery-necked Nightjar Plain-backed Pipit
Sand-Snake, Stripe-bellied Hottentot Teal Rufous-cheeked Nightjar Buffy Pipit
Worm-Snake, Peters’ Red-billed Teal Freckled Nightjar Striped Pipit
Tiger-Snake, Common Shovlers Square-tailed (Mozambique) Nightjar Bushveld Pipit
Vine-Snake, Southern Cape Shoveller Pennant-winged Nightjar Tree Pipit
Wolf-Snake, Common Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma Swifts Longclaws
Lizards Geese Common (European) Swift Yellow-throated Longclaw
Agama, Southern Tree African Pygmy-Goose African Black Swift Shrikes and Boubous
Chameleon, Flap-necked Comb (Knob-billed) Duck White-rumped Swift Lesser Grey Shrike
Gecko, Cape Dwarf Spur-winged Goose Horus Swift Common Fiscal (Fiscal Shrike)
Gecko, Tropical House Secretary Birds Little Swift Red-backed Shrike
Gecko, Wahlberg’s Velvet Secretarybird Alpine Swift Magpie (African Long-tailed)
Legless-Skink, Giant Vultures African Palm Swift Southern Boubou
Lizard, Bushveld Hooded Vulture Spinetails Tropical Boubou
Monitor, Rock (Tree) Cape Vulture Mottled Spinetail Crimson-breasted Shrike
Monitor, Water (Nile) (African) White-backed Vulture Böhm’s Spinetail Black-backed Puffback
Plated-Lizard,Black-lined Lappet-faced Vulture Mousebirds Brubru
Plated-Lizard, Giant White-headed Vulture Speckled Mousebird Brown-crowned (Three-streaked) Tchagra
Plated-Lizard, Rough-scaled Kites Red-faced Mousebird Black-crowned Tchagra
Skink, Eastern Striped Black Kite Trogons Gorgeous Bush-Shrike
Skink, Rainbow Yellow-billed Kite Narina Trogon Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike
Amphibians Black-shouldered Kite Kingfishers Grey-headed Bush-Shrike
Frogs and Toads Hawks Pied Kingfisher White-crested Helmet-Shrike
Bullfrog, African African Cuckoo Hawk Giant Kingfisher Retz’s (Red-billed) Helmet-Shrike
Foam-nest Frog, Bat Hawk Half-collared Kingfisher Southern White-crowned Shrike
Grass-Frog, Plain Eagles Malachite Kingfisher Starlings
Kassina, Bubbling Verreaux’s Eagle African Pygmy Kingfisher Wattled Starling
Kassina, Red-legged Tawny Eagle Woodland Kingfisher Violet-backed (Plum-coloured) Starling
Leaf-folding Frog, Golden Steppe Eagle Brown-hooded Kingfisher Burchell’s Starling
Platanna, Muller’s (Tropical) Lesser Spotted Eagle Grey-headed Kingfisher Meves’ (Long-tailed) Starling
Puddle-Frog, Dwarf Wahlberg’s Eagle Striped Kingfisher Cape Glossy Starling
Puddle-Frog, Snoring Booted Eagle Bee-eaters Greater Blue-eared Starling
Rain-Frog, Bushveld African Hawk Eagle European Bee-eater Black-bellied Starling
Reed-Frog, Painted Ayres’ Eagle Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Red-winged Starling
River-Frog, Common Long-crested Eagle Southern Carmine Bee-eater Oxpeckers
Rubber-Frog, Banded P Martial Eagle White-fronted Bee-eater Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Sand-Frog, Knocking African Crowned Eagle Little Bee-eater Red-billed Oxpecker
Sand-Frog, Natal Brown Snake Eagle Rollers Sunbirds
Sand-Frog, Russet-backed Black-breasted Snake Eagle European Roller Marico Sunbird
Sand-Frog, Tremelo Bateleur Lilac-breasted Roller White-bellied Sunbird
Shovel-nosed Frog, African Fish Eagle Racket-tailed Roller Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Toad, Guttural Buzzards Purple Roller Amethyst (African Black) Sunbird
Toad, Eastern Olive European Honey Buzzard Broad-billed Roller Collared Sunbird
Toad, Flat-backed Steppe Buzzard Hoopoe and Woodhopoes White-eyes
Toad, Northern Pygmy- Jackal Buzzard African Hoopoe Cape White-eye
Toad, Red Lizard Buzzard Green (Red-billed) Wood-Hoopoe African Yellow White-eye
Tree-Frog, Brown-backed Sparrowhawks Common (Greater) Scimitarbill Buffalo Weavers
Water-Lily Frog Ovambo Sparrowhawk Hornbills Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Little Sparrowhawk Trumpeter Hornbill Sparrows
Trees Black Sparrowhawk African Grey Hornbill White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Black Monkey Thorn Goshawks Red-billed Hornbill House Sparrow
Flaky Thorn Shikra (Little Banded Goshawk) Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Red Thorn African Goshawk Crowned Hornbill Petronias
Knob Thorn Gabar Goshawk Southern Ground-Hornbill Yellow-throated Petronia
Brack Thorn Dark Chanting Goshawk Barbets and Tinkerbirds Weavers
Three-hook Thorn Harriers Black-collared Barbet Thick-billed Weaver
Umbrella Thorn African Marsh-Harrier Acacia Pied Barbet Spectacled Weaver
Impala-lily Montagu’s Harrier Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Village (Spotted-backed) Weaver
Worm-bark Albizia Pallid Harrier Yellow-rumped (Golden-rumped) Tinkerbird Southern Masked-Weaver
Broad-pod Albizia African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) Crested Barbet Lesser Masked-Weaver
Bushveld Albizia Ospreys Honeyguides Red-headed Weaver
Green-thorn (Torchwood) Osprey Greater Honeyguide Bishops
Small Green-thorn Falcons and Kestrels Scaly-throated Honeyguide Southern Red Bishop
Pride-of-De-Kaap Peregrine Falcon Lesser Honeyguide Yellow-crowned (Golden) Bishop
Brown Ivory Lanner Falcon Brown-backed Honeybird Widowbirds
Red Ivory Eurasian Hobby Woodpeckers Fan-tailed (Red-shouldered) Widowbird
Tree Wisteria (Western) Red-footed Falcon Bennett’s Woodpecker White-winged Widowbird
Matumi Amur (Eastern Red-footed) Falcon Golden-tailed Woodpecker Red-collared Widowbird
Woolly Caper-bush Rock Kestrel Cardinal Woodpecker Finches, Twinspots and Waxbills
Long-tail Cassia Lesser Kestrel Bearded Woodpecker Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch)
Red Bushwillow Dickinson’s Kestrel Larks Green Twinspot
Weeping Bushwillow Francolins and Spurfowls Monotonous Lark Pink-throated Twinspot
Russet Bushwillow Coqui Francolin Rufous-naped Lark Cuckoo Finch
Leadwood Crested Francolin Flappet Lark Red-billed Quelea
Flame Creeper Shelley’s Francolin Fawn-coloured Lark African (Blue-billed) Firefinch
Large-fruit Bushwillow Natal Francolin Sabota Lark Jameson’s Firefinch
Velvet-leaved Corkwood Swainson’s Spurfowl Dusky Lark Red-billed Firefinch
Zebrawood Quails Red-capped Lark Blue Waxbill
Sicklebush Harlequin Quail Chestnut-backed Finchlark Violet-eared Waxbill
Jackal-berry Small (Kurrichane) Buttonquail Swallows and Martins Common Waxbill
Wild Pear Gunieafowls Barn (European) Swallow African Quailfinch
Cape Ash Helmeted Guineafowl White-throated Swallow Orange-breasted Waxbill
Bushveld Saffron Crested Guineafowl Wire-tailed Swallow Cut-throat Finch
Dwarf Coral-Tree Rails and Crakes Pearl-breasted Swallow Red-headed Finch
Sacred Coral-Tree African Rail Mosque Swallow Mannekins
Small-leaved Coca-tree Corncrake Red-breasted Swallow Bronze Mannikin
Magic Guarri African Crake Lesser Striped Swallow Red-backed Mannikin
Hairy Guarri Black Crake Rock Martin Whydahs
Bushveld Candelabra Baillon’s Crake House Martin Pin-tailed Whydah
Naboom Flufftails Grey-rumped Swallow Shaft-tailed Whydah
Large-leaved Rock-Fig Red-chested Flufftail Sand Martin Long-tailed (Eastern) Paradise-Whydah
Sandpaper Fig Buff-spotted Flufftail Brown-throated Martin Indigo Birds
Hairy Rock-Fig Allen’s (Lesser) Gallinule Black Saw-wing Dusky Indigobird (Black Widowfinch)
Red-leaved Rock-Fig Seedeaters and Buntings Cuckoshrikes Purple Indigobird
Strangler Fig Streaky-headed Seed-eater Black Cuckooshrike Village Indigobird (Steelblue Widowfinch)
Knobbly Fig Golden-breasted Bunting White-breasted Cuckooshrike Canarys
Lowveld Fig Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting Grey Cuckooshrike Black-throated Canary
Sycamore Fig Moorhens and Coots Drongos Lemon-breasted Canary
White-berry Bush African Purple Swamphen Fork-tailed Drongo Brimstone (Bully) Canary
Bushveld Gardenia Common Moorhen Orioles
Lesser Moorhen Eurasian Golden Oriole
Red-knobbed Coot African Golden Oriole
(Eastern) Black-headed Oriole
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