The Rain Shadow Birding Route, as its name implies, is very dry compared to the Woodbush Forest and Magoebaskloof Birders Cottage only about 15km to the north east. I have assigned the beginning of the route as the point where the Annies Fortune road drops down in the dry Ga-Molepo region. The end of the route is where it joins the R71. The route runs through mostly commercial cattle farming area. The route passes an interesting Prickly Pear plantation, reinforcing the dryness of the area. The vegetation is acacia thornveld. In winter, the flowering aloes provide lots of colour.

The route covers part of the SABAP2 pentad 2355_2950 wherein 212 bird species have been recorded over the years.

My suggestion for birding is that you drive slowly until you hear a bird calling. Stop, park on the side of the road and walk up and down the road. Please do not go through fences to follow a bird! You might be approached by a farmer checking up on a strange car. This is a public, road so birders are well within their rights to use the road.

	Ref	Common group	Common species	Genus	Species
1	622	Apalis	Bar-throated	Apalis	thoracica
2	625	Apalis	Yellow-breasted	Apalis	flavida
3	533	Babbler	Arrow-marked	Turdoides	jardineii
4	432	Barbet	Acacia Pied	Tricholaema	leucomelas
5	431	Barbet	Black-collared	Lybius	torquatus
6	439	Barbet	Crested	Trachyphonus	vaillantii
7	672	Batis	Cape	Batis	capensis
8	673	Batis	Chinspot	Batis	molitor
9	404	Bee-eater	European	Merops	apiaster
10	410	Bee-eater	Little	Merops	pusillus
11	808	Bishop	Southern Red	Euplectes	orix
12	810	Bishop	Yellow	Euplectes	capensis
13	709	Boubou	Southern	Laniarius	ferrugineus
14	546	Brownbul	Terrestrial	Phyllastrephus	terrestris
15	731	Brubru	Brubru	Nilaus	afer
16	545	Bulbul	Dark-capped	Pycnonotus	tricolor
17	872	Bunting	Cinnamon-breasted	Emberiza	tahapisi
18	874	Bunting	Golden-breasted	Emberiza	flaviventris
19	720	Bush-shrike	Black-fronted	Telophorus	nigrifrons
20	721	Bush-shrike	Gorgeous	Telophorus	quadricolor
21	723	Bush-shrike	Grey-headed	Malaconotus	blanchoti
22	717	Bush-shrike	Olive	Telophorus	olivaceus
23	719	Bush-shrike	Orange-breasted	Telophorus	sulfureopectus
24	155	Buzzard	Forest	Buteo	trizonatus
25	152	Buzzard	Jackal	Buteo	rufofuscus
26	144	Buzzard	Lizard	Kaupifalco	monogrammicus
27	154	Buzzard	Steppe	Buteo	vulpinus
28	627	Camaroptera	Green-backed	Camaroptera	brachyura
29	628	Camaroptera	Grey-backed	Camaroptera	brevicaudata
30	863	Canary	Brimstone	Crithagra	sulphuratus
31	857	Canary	Cape	Serinus	canicollis
32	866	Canary	Yellow	Crithagra	flaviventris
33	859	Canary	Yellow-fronted	Crithagra	mozambicus
34	570	Chat	Familiar	Cercomela	familiaris
35	647	Cisticola	Croaking	Cisticola	natalensis
36	648	Cisticola	Lazy	Cisticola	aberrans
37	646	Cisticola	Levaillant’s	Cisticola	tinniens
38	642	Cisticola	Rattling	Cisticola	chiniana
39	644	Cisticola	Red-faced	Cisticola	erythrops
40	639	Cisticola	Wailing	Cisticola	lais
41	629	Cisticola	Zitting	Cisticola	juncidis
42	212	Coot	Red-knobbed	Fulica	cristata
43	50	Cormorant	Reed	Phalacrocorax	africanus
44	4131	Coucal	Burchell’s	Centropus	burchellii
45	203	Crake	Black	Amaurornis	flavirostris
46	621	Crombec	Long-billed	Sylvietta	rufescens
47	522	Crow	Pied	Corvus	albus
48	341	Cuckoo	African	Cuculus	gularis
49	344	Cuckoo	Black	Cuculus	clamosus
50	352	Cuckoo	Diderick	Chrysococcyx	caprius
51	348	Cuckoo	Jacobin	Clamator	jacobinus
52	351	Cuckoo	Klaas’s	Chrysococcyx	klaas
53	347	Cuckoo	Levaillant’s	Clamator	levaillantii
54	343	Cuckoo	Red-chested	Cuculus	solitarius
55	513	Cuckoo-shrike	Black	Campephaga	flava
56	317	Dove	Laughing	Streptopelia	senegalensis
57	314	Dove	Red-eyed	Streptopelia	semitorquata
58	940	Dove	Rock	Columba	livia
59	319	Dove	Tambourine	Turtur	tympanistria
60	517	Drongo	Fork-tailed	Dicrurus	adsimilis
61	143	Eagle	African Crowned	Stephanoaetus	coronatus
62	138	Eagle	Long-crested	Lophaetus	occipitalis
63	134	Eagle	Tawny	Aquila	rapax
64	368	Eagle-owl	Spotted	Bubo	africanus
65	61	Egret	Cattle	Bubulcus	ibis
66	601	Eremomela	Burnt-necked	Eremomela	usticollis
67	114	Falcon	Lanner	Falco	biarmicus
68	833	Firefinch	African	Lagonosticta	rubricata
69	835	Firefinch	Jameson’s	Lagonosticta	rhodopareia
70	837	Firefinch	Red-billed	Lagonosticta	senegala
71	707	Fiscal	Common (Southern)	Lanius	collaris
72	149	Fish-eagle	African	Haliaeetus	vocifer
73	655	Flycatcher	African Dusky	Muscicapa	adusta
74	665	Flycatcher	Fiscal	Sigelus	silens
75	661	Flycatcher	Marico	Bradornis	mariquensis
76	662	Flycatcher	Pale	Bradornis	pallidus
77	664	Flycatcher	Southern Black	Melaenornis	pammelaina
78	654	Flycatcher	Spotted	Muscicapa	striata
79	174	Francolin	Crested	Dendroperdix	sephaena
80	177	Francolin	Shelley’s	Scleroptila	shelleyi
81	339	Go-away-bird	Grey	Corythaixoides	concolor
82	89	Goose	Egyptian	Alopochen	aegyptiacus
83	618	Grassbird	Cape	Sphenoeacus	afer
84	551	Greenbul	Sombre	Andropadus	importunus
85	550	Greenbul	Yellow-bellied	Chlorocichla	flaviventris
86	547	Greenbul	Yellow-streaked	Phyllastrephus	flavostriatus
87	192	Guineafowl	Helmeted	Numida	meleagris
88	72	Hamerkop	Hamerkop	Scopus	umbretta
89	171	Harrier-Hawk	African	Polyboroides	typus
90	141	Hawk-eagle	African	Aquila	spilogaster
91	55	Heron	Black-headed	Ardea	melanocephala
92	115	Hobby	Eurasian	Falco	subbuteo
93	440	Honeyguide	Greater	Indicator	indicator
94	442	Honeyguide	Lesser	Indicator	minor
95	441	Honeyguide	Scaly-throated	Indicator	variegatus
96	418	Hoopoe	African	Upupa	africana
97	426	Hornbill	Southern Yellow-billed	Tockus	leucomelas
98	507	House-martin	Common	Delichon	urbicum
99	84	Ibis	Hadeda	Bostrychia	hagedash
100	849	Indigobird	Dusky	Vidua	funerea
101	851	Indigobird	Village	Vidua	chalybeata
102	123	Kestrel	Rock	Falco	rupicolus
103	402	Kingfisher	Brown-hooded	Halcyon	albiventris
104	130	Kite	Black-shouldered	Elanus	caeruleus
105	129	Kite	Yellow-billed	Milvus	aegyptius
106	458	Lark	Rufous-naped	Mirafra	africana
107	703	Longclaw	Cape	Macronyx	capensis
108	823	Mannikin	Bronze	Spermestes	cucullatus
109	506	Martin	Rock	Hirundo	fuligula
110	803	Masked-weaver	Southern	Ploceus	velatus
111	392	Mousebird	Red-faced	Urocolius	indicus
112	390	Mousebird	Speckled	Colius	striatus
113	734	Myna	Common	Acridotheres	tristis
114	637	Neddicky	Neddicky	Cisticola	fulvicapilla
115	373	Nightjar	Fiery-necked	Caprimulgus	pectoralis
116	372	Nightjar	Rufous-cheeked	Caprimulgus	rufigena
117	312	Olive-pigeon	African	Columba	arquatrix
118	521	Oriole	Black-headed	Oriolus	larvatus
119	359	Owl	Barn	Tyto	alba
120	748	Oxpecker	Red-billed	Buphagus	erythrorhynchus
121	387	Palm-swift	African	Cypsiurus	parvus
122	682	Paradise-flycatcher	African	Terpsiphone	viridis
123	852	Paradise-whydah	Long-tailed	Vidua	paradisaea
124	531	Penduline-tit	Cape	Anthoscopus	minutus
125	311	Pigeon	Speckled	Columba	guinea
126	692	Pipit	African	Anthus	cinnamomeus
127	699	Pipit	Bushveld	Anthus	caffer
128	10877	Pipit	Nicholson’s	Anthus	nicholsoni
129	696	Pipit	Striped	Anthus	lineiventris
130	650	Prinia	Black-chested	Prinia	flavicans
131	1049	Prinia	Drakensberg	Prinia	hypoxantha
132	649	Prinia	Tawny-flanked	Prinia	subflava
133	712	Puffback	Black-backed	Dryoscopus	cubla
134	830	Pytilia	Green-winged	Pytilia	melba
135	805	Quelea	Red-billed	Quelea	quelea
136	524	Raven	White-necked	Corvus	albicollis
137	603	Reed-warbler	Great	Acrocephalus	arundinaceus
138	589	Robin	White-starred	Pogonocichla	stellata
139	581	Robin-chat	Cape	Cossypha	caffra
140	579	Robin-chat	Red-capped	Cossypha	natalensis
141	580	Robin-chat	White-browed	Cossypha	heuglini
142	582	Robin-chat	White-throated	Cossypha	humeralis
143	412	Roller	European	Coracias	garrulus
144	511	Saw-wing	Black (Southern race)	Psalidoprocne	holomelaena
145	421	Scimitarbill	Common	Rhinopomastus	cyanomelas
146	586	Scrub-robin	Kalahari	Cercotrichas	paena
147	588	Scrub-robin	White-browed	Cercotrichas	leucophrys
148	867	Seedeater	Streaky-headed	Crithagra	gularis
149	711	Shrike	Crimson-breasted	Laniarius	atrococcineus
150	706	Shrike	Lesser Grey	Lanius	minor
151	708	Shrike	Red-backed	Lanius	collurio
152	146	Snake-eagle	Black-chested	Circaetus	pectoralis
153	786	Sparrow	Cape	Passer	melanurus
154	784	Sparrow	House	Passer	domesticus
155	4142	Sparrow	Southern Grey-headed	Passer	diffusus
156	780	Sparrow-weaver	White-browed	Plocepasser	mahali
157	159	Sparrowhawk	Black	Accipiter	melanoleucus
158	183	Spurfowl	Natal	Pternistis	natalensis
159	185	Spurfowl	Swainson’s	Pternistis	swainsonii
160	737	Starling	Cape Glossy	Lamprotornis	nitens
161	745	Starling	Red-winged	Onychognathus	morio
162	736	Starling	Violet-backed	Cinnyricinclus	leucogaster
163	576	Stonechat	African	Saxicola	torquatus
164	77	Stork	Woolly-necked	Ciconia	episcopus
165	772	Sunbird	Amethyst	Chalcomitra	amethystina
166	771	Sunbird	Collared	Hedydipna	collaris
167	758	Sunbird	Greater Double-collared	Cinnyris	afer
168	755	Sunbird	Marico	Cinnyris	mariquensis
169	760	Sunbird	Southern Double-collared	Cinnyris	chalybeus
170	763	Sunbird	White-bellied	Cinnyris	talatala
171	493	Swallow	Barn	Hirundo	rustica
172	502	Swallow	Greater Striped	Hirundo	cucullata
173	503	Swallow	Lesser Striped	Hirundo	abyssinica
174	498	Swallow	Pearl-breasted	Hirundo	dimidiata
175	495	Swallow	White-throated	Hirundo	albigularis
176	380	Swift	African Black	Apus	barbatus
177	383	Swift	White-rumped	Apus	caffer
178	715	Tchagra	Black-crowned	Tchagra	senegalus
179	714	Tchagra	Brown-crowned	Tchagra	australis
180	275	Thick-knee	Spotted	Burhinus	capensis
181	1104	Thrush	Karoo	Turdus	smithi
182	552	Thrush	Kurrichane	Turdus	libonyanus
183	437	Tinkerbird	Yellow-fronted	Pogoniulus	chrysoconus
184	527	Tit	Southern Black	Parus	niger
185	658	Tit-babbler	Chestnut-vented	Parisoma	subcaeruleum
186	393	Trogon	Narina	Apaloderma	narina
187	4133	Turaco	Knysna	Tauraco	corythaix
188	337	Turaco	Purple-crested	Gallirex	porphyreolophus
189	316	Turtle-dove	Cape	Streptopelia	capicola
190	686	Wagtail	Cape	Motacilla	capensis
191	610	Warbler	Barratt’s	Bradypterus	barratti
192	666	Warbler	Dark-capped Yellow	Chloropeta	natalensis
193	595	Warbler	Garden	Sylvia	borin
194	607	Warbler	Marsh	Acrocephalus	palustris
195	597	Warbler	Olive-tree	Hippolais	olivetorum
196	599	Warbler	Willow	Phylloscopus	trochilus
197	841	Waxbill	Black-faced	Estrilda	erythronotos
198	839	Waxbill	Blue	Uraeginthus	angolensis
199	843	Waxbill	Common	Estrilda	astrild
200	838	Waxbill	Orange-breasted	Amandava	subflava
201	825	Waxbill	Swee	Coccopygia	melanotis
202	840	Waxbill	Violet-eared	Granatina	granatina
203	799	Weaver	Cape	Ploceus	capensis
204	801	Weaver	Golden	Ploceus	xanthops
205	791	Weaver	Spectacled	Ploceus	ocularis
206	797	Weaver	Village	Ploceus	cucullatus
207	1172	White-eye	Cape	Zosterops	virens
208	846	Whydah	Pin-tailed	Vidua	macroura
209	847	Whydah	Shaft-tailed	Vidua	regia
210	813	Widowbird	Red-collared	Euplectes	ardens
211	814	Widowbird	White-winged	Euplectes	albonotatus
212	320	Wood-dove	Blue-spotted	Turtur	afer
213	321	Wood-dove	Emerald-spotted	Turtur	chalcospilos
214	419	Wood-hoopoe	Green	Phoeniculus	purpureus
215	362	Wood-owl	African	Strix	woodfordii
216	450	Woodpecker	Cardinal	Dendropicos	fuscescens
217	447	Woodpecker	Golden-tailed	Campethera	abingoni
218	452	Woodpecker	Olive	Dendropicos	griseocephalus
219	453	Wryneck	Red-throated	Jynx	ruficollis