The essential companion to all local bird field guides, this book fills a gap in the market for a comprehensive guide to the region’s top birding spots and to finding southern Africa and Madagascar’s most desirable birds. The authors outline and describe 39 key bird routes and more than 330 birding sites (and their associated birds) across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and the little-documented but increasingly popular areas of Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. All sites are ranked into one of three categories of priority: essential (the region’s best); excellent (top sites but expendable to a time-limited visitor) and local interest (ideal for those looking for new areas to explore). Sites include practical details of access, best times to visit, habitat diversity and the birds that occur there and general natural history; the more important sites feature a detailed map. A guide to finding the region’s top 150 birds and an annotated checklist conclude the book.