Some of rare birds are spotted during walks through these beautiful gardens. The botanical gardens are a sanctuary to a wide variety of bird species both common-local birds and rare species. This sanctuary offers birders the opportunity to enjoy their much loved hobby whether it is on a beautiful Sunday morning or any day of the week away from the craze of the traffic noise.

A one-hour walk can produce a list of 30 species. From Somerset Street, turn up the road between the Natural History and Cultural History sections of the Albany Museum; the main gates to the gardens are on the left, soon after you pass the Eden Grove section of Rhodes University. In winter when the aloes are in bloom, Greater Doublecollared Sunbird, Lesser Doublecollared Sunbird, Black Sunbird and Malachite Sunbird are numerous. Blackheaded Oriole, Forktailed Drongo, Redwinged Starling and Cape Weaver also feed on nectar. Wild fig trees in fruit attract Speckled Mousebird, Redfaced Mousebird, Blackeyed Bulbul, Sombre Bulbul, Olive Thrush and Blackcollared Barbet. seedeaters such as Streakyheaded Canary, Yelloweyed Canary, Swee Waxbill and Bronze Mannikin feed alongside the paths.

Proteas on the upper slopes and around the Settlers’ Monument sometimes attract Cape Sugarbird, while Cape Rockthrush and Rock Kestrel have nested on the buildings. There is a resident African Goshawk, and regular visitors include Gymnogene, Redfronted Tinker Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, Klaas's Cuckoo, Olive Woodpecker, Black Flycatcher and Grey Sunbird.

Adrian Craig on Birds in Bots (download Ms Word)